Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Gladiators (3/30/12)

After pulling themselves up from the basement and climbing all the way to fifth in the East, the Blades were just one win away from knowing who they would play in the playoffs.

It's hard to say which team was the better team. Both squads played at their best. When all was said and done, the Blades walked away with the win.

After not being able to get a puck past Glads goalie Marc Chevrie on Wednesday the Blades came out on a mission. Cedric McNicoll opened up scoring at the 5:21 mark (assists to Marquardt and Salters). Brayden Irwin followed that up with a power play tally in the later half of the period tomake it 2-0 (assists to Marquardt and Murray). The period ended with that score and a 12-4 lead in SOG.

The second saw the Glads score two power play goals about two minutes apart to tie things up abot halfway though the period. Luckily, Matt Marquardt gave the Blades the lead yet again with a power play goal (assists to Raymond and Galiardi). The Blades left the ice with their 3-2 lead in place.

The Blades extended their lead about 11 minutes into the third with a weird bounce off of Chevrie to make it 4-2. About a minute after that (and the usual rough stuff the Glads like to dish out when their losing) the Glads made it 4-3 with a short handed goal. The Blades were able to make it 5-3 with an empty netter from Matt Beca (assist to McNicoll and Piché). The game ended and the Blades had wrestled a hard won victory from the Gladiators.

Three Stars:
3. Hadad
2. Marquardt
1. Irwin

Some thoughts:
- It wasn't fun to see the old rough and tumble Gladiators decide to make a reappearance. I did not miss them at all.
- Pretty classy for your captain to get a game misconduct for physical abuse of the officials. The league better hand something down for that. It was very uncool.
- The Blades did okay in the discipline department but could have done better. It was obvious Hadad was doing what he does best: being the biggest pest on Earth.
- Fun fact: since the 12th, the Blades haven't given up more than 3 goals in any game.
- Time to get ready for Greenville people.