Everblades start Kelly Cup quest with home ice advantage

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, (WINK) — The Florida Everblades are back in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, opening a best-of-seven South Division semifinal series against the Savannah Ghost Pirates after finishing atop the division. Games 1 and 2 are set for Hertz Arena before the series shifts to Georgia.

For goalie Cam Johnson, the regular season is in the past now.

“We had a lot of success in the regular season, but, you know, that’s the regular season,” Johnson said. “The playoffs, we always say, are a whole new season, so you’re going to get everybody’s best.”

The franchise has developed into one of the ECHL’s most successful, and has reached the playoffs in 26 of 27 seasons and won a league-record four Kelly Cups.

“That’s just kind of the culture that we’ve built here, and, you know, you’re expected to be great,” Johnson said. “Excellence is kind of what we chase here.”

Head coach Brad Ralph said Florida is proud of what it did in the regular season, but knows this series will be different.

“We’re just preparing mentally for a hard-fought series,” Ralph said. “Savannah’s a heck of a hockey team, and we’re going to have to play well.”

Ralph said the Everblades will lean on their experience through this playoff run.

“There are a lot of reasons why this organization has been so successful,” Ralph said. “So, certainly we're going to draw on those past experiences and make sure we're ready to go, but it's playoff hockey. You know, it's going to be a hard-fought series, and we're going to need everyone ready to go.”

Captain Oliver Chau said opening the playoffs in Estero on home ice adds another boost.

“It’s always super special to play here in front of our fans,” Chau said. “They make the building so loud, so electric.”

Puck drops in game one at 7:30 Friday night.