Florida Everblades Shutout Adirondack Thunder in Game 3: Behind the Scenes & Analysis
“For me personally, I like to win,” said Florida Everblades Head Coach Brad Ralph after last nights shut out over the Adirondack Thunder in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
With Game 3 putting them one step closer to advancing to the Kelly Cup Finals, Everblades forward Josh Ho-Sang, goalie Cam Johnson and Ralph expanded on their playoff success and what it’ll take to finish in 5.
The Florida Everblades / Adirondack Thunder: 1st Period
Throughout their playoff presence, the Florida Everblades have continually emphasized the importance of taking the lead early to maintain control and avoid chasing the game.
“I think it’s huge,” said Ho-Sang. “In playoffs, the team that scores the first I think has like a 70% chance of winning.”
“It’s a good recipe for success,” said Ralph on the dominance his team displayed in the first period against the Adirondack Thunder with three back-to-back goals.
A key part of this recipe that works so well for them is having Ho-Sang in the mix.
Gameplay Analysis: Josh Ho-Sang
“He’s a very good stick handler, he likes to possess the puck and [you know] he’s dangerous when he’s on the ice,” said Ralph. “He draws a lot of attention and he can make pretty high plays.”
While we know Ho-Sang can shoot, he’s not just dangerous when it comes to finishing in the back of the net but more so within his ability to read the rink in a way that others don’t in order to strategically curate passes that lead to intentional goals.
Watch how in the first half of the play Ho-Sang maintains possession of the puck to beat his opponent to the empty space near the blue line while the Adirondack Thunder defensemen are distracted near the net.
This worked to give him time to not only reassess his options, but to act to act as a buffer and draw attention to himself rather than Sambrook, who was left uncovered.
It’s clear from this opening goal that the Thunder share a similar opinion to Ralph because the second Ho-Sang got the puck, all eyes were on him.
Instead of trying to battle through unnecessary traffic to add a SOG, he shares it for a better more strategic outcome.
“I get a lot of double coverage, so [I] share the puck, share it with my friends,” said Ho-Sang. “I think you’re seeing our team is more dynamic now. Our defensemen are scoring a lot more than they’ve scored all year, and a lot of that is just [like] how we try to connect them to the play.”
With 2 assists last night and 12 in the playoffs so far, Ho-Sang wants to keep it simple when it comes to his mindset for Friday nights game 4.
“Just play hockey, have fun. I mean, that’s my mindset,” said Ho-Sang. “I don’t know if coach is going to be saying that… I think that for us, when our team has fun, we excel.”
Behind the Scenes: What to Expect Out of Game 4:
Last series, the Florida Everblades almost had a series sweep under their belt but got too comfortable with their lead and allowed the Orlando Solar Bears to force Game 5.
Johnson highlights the fact of the matter being that “every game is going to be a battle,” regardless of the current 2-1 series lead over Adirondack.
“You can never overlook an opponent or [you know] think that they’re going to come out flat, because they’re not going to,” said Johnson. “We know they’re going to be better next game, but we are too.”
Overall, out of Game 4 we can expect:
A pushback from the Adirondack Thunder on Friday, alert and confident gameplay from the Everblades, a better effort out of the Thunders starting goalie Isaac Poulter, but more specifically… a goalie fight?
“He was getting a little chippy last game, so I still got a few things I want to say to him,” said Johnson on Poulter being pulled from the game after letting in three consecutive goals.
“The boys have been playing hard in front of him, and it’s too bad for him.”
To see how it plays out, puck drop for game 4 will be at 7:30 Friday, May 24 at Herz Arena! To listen, tune in to ESPNSWFL Radio!
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