Everblades Advance to Eastern Conference Finals: What’s next?

The Florida Everblades advance to face the Adirondack Thunder in the Eastern Conference Finals after putting away the Orlando Solar Bears with an overtime goal in Game 5 Saturday night at the Kia Center.

After the Solar Bears were able to force game 5, the Everblades made it a point to take control of the ice early on to fuel their confidence throughout the game.

Everblades forward Bobo Carpenter was able to do just that when he was fed a breakaway pass from defenseman Cole Moberg into Orlando's zone and saw the back of the net with a backhand.

Just like that, with 8:14 left in the second period, the Florida Everblades were up 1-0.

"It was huge," said Everblades defensemen Jordan Sambrook. "The first few games in the series we got the lead early and it helped us play well throughout the full 60 minutes. We wanted to do that tonight."

The score remained constant throughout the second and most of the third with the Everblades displaying dominant and consistent gameplay:

However, with the Everblades just under a minute away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals and the Solar Bears in a state of desperation, Orlando pulled their starting goalie, Evan Fitzpatrick, to tie the score and send the game to overtime with just 51 seconds left in regulation.

"Just stick with it," said Sambrook after being asked what their mindset was to be able to regain momentum going into OT. "We just knew that we had to keep playing well."

13:56 into OT this mindset became a reality when Carpenter scored his second of the night, not only sending his team to the Eastern Conference Finals but putting them one step closer to claiming the title of 'Kelly Cup Champions' for the third year in a row.

"I'm just really proud of the effort these guys put in you know, Orlando played us hard," said Everblades Head Coach Brad Ralph. "We persevered and I thought today was our best game in the series."

With the Adirondack Thunder beating out the Norfolk Admirals in a 4-2 series last night, Ralph will be focusing on the bigger picture:

Battling through the adversity instead of trying to play perfect hockey.

"There's fatigue, there's injuries. So different guys have to step up. But the name of the game is understanding that it's not going to be perfect hockey. You've got to battle through the adversity like we did today (game 5 v.s. Solar Bears) and just keep trying to get better,” said Ralph

After trailing the Icemen 3-1 in the series and coming back to ultimately win three straight games, starting goalie, Cam Johnson, explained the saying 'Pressure makes diamonds' as the way that the Florida Everblades handle adversity as a team.

"If you look at a diamond, the most beautiful stone on Earth, it's created by the most pressure on Earth, so I always try to relate that to hockey," said Johnson.

"Pressure is a privilege...That's the biggest thing, getting over the mental hurdle. Once you can get over that, it's pretty much smooth sailing."

Regardless of whether their backs are up against a wall or they aren't playing their best hockey, the Everblades have proved their ability to face adversity and pressure head-on to execute (not perfect, but) creative and disciplined hockey when it matters most.

"I think with our group, it's believing, but it's also backing it up on the ice with our effort and our compete [competition] level," said Ralph

This is the same attitude that not only showed through in the Icemen and Solar Bears series but that Ralph has implemented into his coaching since leading his team to back-to-back Kelly Cups and now into the Eastern Conference Finals for their third consecutive shot at it against the Adirondack Thunder.

The Everblades will start the series on the road against the Thunder for Games 1 and 2 on Friday, May 17th, and Saturday, May 18th at the Cool Insuring Arena at 7:00. Game 3 will be on Wednesday, May 22nd at Hertz Arena at 7:30, followed by game 4 at 7:30), and (potentially) game 5 at 7:00.

Who are the 5 best pass catching trios in the NFL? The answer to that question is nuanced. How can you judge a receiver corps with Bryce Young throwing the ball versus one with Patrick Mahomes pulling the strings of the offense? The short of it is - you don’t have to. That’s why we’ve created this list of the 5 best pass catching trios in the NFL.

A handful of teams have gotten better with their pass catchers this offseason. I’m talking about the Tennessee Titans and their additions of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to compliment DeAndre Hopkins. Houston might not have added as many pieces as their division rivals. But do not sleep on Stefon Diggs going to Houston and what that could do for CJ Stroud and the Texans offense. And the Miami Dolphins come to mind after signing Odell Beckham Jr. to put on the field with Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill in obvious passing downs. All of those teams are in the conversation for the 5 best pass catching trios in the NFL.

Then there are your trios that have been together for a couple of seasons now. I’m talking about Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, and Rashaad Bateman with the Baltimore Ravens. And don’t forget about the San Francisco 49ers. This would not be a discussion if you include either Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle to the duo of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. For this ranking we are not looking at the quarterbacks in the offense and I am also excluding rookies from this list. I think Rome Odunze with the Bears completes a really nice trio with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen whom they acquired from the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason. The fact is there are going to be rookies that went in the first round that don’t produce in season one. Look at the first receiver off the board last year; Quentin Johnston. He only brought in 38 receptions for 431 yards and 2 touchdowns last year. Rookies are just too inconsistent to put on a list of this importance. Here are the 5 best pass catching trios in the NFL.

The trio of DK Mefcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is one of the best pass catching trios in the NFL. DK and Smith-Njigba have all of the physical tools to be a clear cut #1 option in the NFL. Unfortunately DK Metcalf has not been consistent enough to be a true #1 in the league, and Smith-Njigba is only entering the 2nd season of his young career. Tyler Lockett is still a more than viable deep treat option in the NFL. Geno Smith might not be the long term answer in Seattle, but he's got all the weapons to prove himself and return to his 2022 form.

The duo of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith is on the short list of best wide receiver duos in the NFL. Finding a #3 pass catching option is where the Eagles take a slight step down. Dallas Goedert is a very good tight end, but probably not on the level as some of the other #3 options on this list. And to be honest, I had the most difficult time placing the Eagles. They could have fallen anywhere from 2-4 on this list.

The Houston Texans have a phenomenal pass catching trio after the addition of Stefon Diggs this offseason. Nico Collins and Tank Dell were dominating the league last season before an ankle injury ended Tank Dell's rookie season early. With a healthy trio of COllins, Diggs, and Dell, CJ Stroud will have plenty of premier pass catching weapons at his disposal this season.

By far the fastest wide receiver corps in the NFL resides in South Florida. The Miami Dolphins can bludgeon opponents with raw speed. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle might be the best duo in the league, but there is little doubt that they are the fastest duo. Add Odell Beckham Jr. to the mix, and the Fins have a bigger body receiver who can make contested catches. If Odell returns to his form pre-ACL injury, then the Dolphins go to #1 on this list by the end of the season.

For the San Francisco 49ers I chose Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle as the trio. If you want to swap out Kittle for Christian McCaffrey, I won't argue with you. This trio, or quadruplet if you want to include CMC, is the most complete trio in the league. Aiyuk is on the verge of stardom, Deebo is a Swiss army knife that can line up anywhere on the field, and George Kittle is the guy who makes the contested catches and the safety blanket for Brock Purdy. I don't think there is much argument here; the San Francisco 49ers have the best pass catching trio in the NFL, and I don't think it's all that close.