Everblades take series lead with 6-3 win

ESTERO, Fla. – The Florida Everblades scored five goals over the final 30 minutes of play to take a 6-3 win over the Kansas City Mavericks in Game 3 of the 2024 Kelly Cup Finals on Wednesday in front of 6,744 fans at Hertz Arena. 
 
Florida leads the series 2 games to 1 with Game 4 set for Friday.
 
Box Score
 
For the first time in the series Kansas City scored first 6:02 into the opening period. Jacob Hayhurst got behind the Florida defense, gathered in a long pass from Marc-Olivier Duquette in the center circle, and slid a shot past Cam Johnson for his fifth goal of the postseason.
 
A great individual effort from Josh Ho-Sang led to Florida’s tying goal at the 12:06 mark. Ho-Sang skated around multiple Kansas City players in the offensive zone, and from behind the net, centered a pass for Logan Lambdin who one-timed a shot past Jack LaFontaine.
 
The Mavericks took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission off of a pair of goals from David Cotton. Kansas City broke the tie at 14:10 when Cotton beat Johnson with a wrist shot from the right-wing circle, and then extended the lead to two at 16:54 after Cole Coskey fed Cotton in the left-wing circle to set up his eighth postseason goal.
 
Florida pulled back within one 10:24 into the second period when Mark Senden beat LaFontaine just inside the right post after receiving a cross-crease pass from Bobo Carpenter.
 
Oliver Chau tied the game at 3 at the 2:09 mark of the third period as he beat LaFontaine to a loose puck at the top of the crease, and slid a shot inside the left post for his sixth goal of the playoffs.
 
The Everblades took their first lead of the night at 11:02 when Lambdin dribbled a shot just past the goal line for his second of the night and sixth of the playoffs.
 
Chau added his second of the night just 54 second later to give the Everblades some breathing room and capped the hat trick with an empty-net goal at 18:55.
 
Game 4 of the series is on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Hertz Arena. Catch all of the action live by tuning into FloHockey.
 
NOTES: Florida outshot Kansas City 31-7 over the final two periods … Chau's hat trick was the 15th in Riley/Kelly Cup Finals history, and the first since Fort Wayne's Brandon Hawkins in 2021 ... The Mavericks went 1-for-2 on the power play in Game 3 and have gone 4-for-8 on the man advantage in the last two games
 
2024 Kelly Cup Finals
Game 1 – FLORIDA 8 at Kansas City 1
Game 2 – Florida 1 at KANSAS CITY 5
Game 3 – Kansas City 3 at FLORIDA 6
Game 4 – Friday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Florida
Game 5 – Saturday, June 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Florida
Game 6 – Monday, June 10 at 7:05 p.m. CT at Kansas City (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Wednesday, June 12 at 7:05 p.m. CT at Kansas City (If Necessary)