Adirondack wins Game 5 over the Everblades to send ECHL conference finals back to N.Y.

A slow start and third-period fatigue cost the Florida Everblades on Saturday night, as the Adirondack Thunder took home a 4-2 win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The best-of-seven series returns to Glens Falls, N.Y. for Game 6 on Tuesday. The Everblades lead the series 3 games to 2.

"Flush this game," Everblades coach Brad Ralph said. "Rest, recover. We've got to go back up. They're a better team in their rink. It's going to be a hostile environment up there, so it's a great test for our group."

Game 4: Everblades shut out Adirondack again, one win away from return to Kelly Cup Finals

The Thunder were able to start against the Everblades defense in a way that they were unable to the previous two games, both Florida shutouts. They had eight shots on goal in the first 10 minutes and outshot Florida 13-10 in the first period.

Meanwhile, the Everblades were stymied. Due in part to a hooking penalty committed by Florida defenseman Will Reilly, the Everblades were unable to get a shot on target in the first 10 minutes. By the time they got their first, they were already trailing 1-0.

Adirondack defenseman Will MacKinnon fired a shot that was blocked by Florida defender Zach Uens. MacKinnon reached for the loose puck and swiped it to Filip Engaras, who one-timed it low and into the net at the 11:21 mark to give the Thunder their first goal in Hertz Arena.

The Everblades were able to start generating more offense as the period progressed. Forward Bobo Carpenter nearly put them on the board when a loose puck on a rebound was just barely kicked away by Brodeur.

The Adirondack defense was generating offense, too. With less than 5 minutes left in the period, Connor Blake shot from the right face-off circle. Everblades goalie Cam Johnson stopped it and the rebound slid out to the left wall. Jackson van de Leest backhanded a pass to forward Erik Middendorf, who took the puck behind the net and shot a wraparound. The puck went over Everblades goalie Cam Johnson's right shoulder and into the underside of the net to make it 2-0.

"You're always taking little lessons through playoffs," Ralph said. "The lesson tonight was you have to have a great start. We came out tonight. We were flat. They capitalized on a couple of opportunities and we were chasing the game."

In the second period, the Everblades came out and took control of both ends of the ice. For most of the period, Thunder goalie Jeremy Brodeur was able to stop the flurry of shots coming his way, but the Everblades broke through with two goals in the last four minutes.

With 3:29 left, Everblades captain Joe Pendenza found himself in the corner, from where he passed the puck out to defenseman Cole Moberg, who was at the blue line near the right wall. Moberg passed across the ice to linemate Riese Zmolek, who skated up into the left face-off circle, and shot low for his first postseason goal.

A little more than a minute after that, Adirondack defender Darian Skeoch was whistled for a cross-checking penalty. With the crowd growing increasingly boisterous, the power play unit went to work. Pendenza, again near the right corner, came out and shot a cross-ice pass to Logan Lambdin, whose shot was stopped by Brodeur. The rebound deflected off the wall towards Moberg, who brought passed it up to Pendenza. The captain passed it back to Moberg, who took a few steps up and to the right, and sent the puck low and in to tie the game, 2-2. It was Moberg's fifth goal of the postseason, which leads the ECHL among defenders.

While it was the defensemen who scored both goals in the second period, they took care of business at their end, as well, allowing only six shots on goal. The Everblades offense, meanwhile, had 19 in the period.

Early in the third period, the Everblades had a chance to take the lead when Lambdin had a shot go off the iron. But it was Adirondack who broke the deadlock with 14:41 left. Skeoch was tussling with Everblades defenseman Jordan Sambrook in the corner when he slid the puck to forward Zach Walker. Walker sent a centering pass to Ryan Smith, who found a top-shelf opening to retake the lead.

The Everblades pulled Johnson with 1:34 left, but it almost immediately went wrong as they were called offside, forcing a face-off in the neutral zone. A delay of game penalty called on Adirondack forward Ryan Wheeler gave them a 6-on-4 opportunity with the net empty. But, winning a face-off at center ice, Tristan Ashbrook sent the puck directly to the open net for the two-goal lead.

Jeremy Brodeur, the son of NHL Hall-of-Famer and Olympic gold medalist Martin Brodeur, got his first start of the series, replacing regular starter Isaac Poulter. He stopped 35 of the 37 shots that he faced. Johnson had 26 saves against 29 shots.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Adirondack Thunder beat the Florida Everblades in Game 5 of Eastern Conference Finals