Ice Flyers turn focus to Home Finale
By Bill Vilona
Ice Flyers Correspondent
From different pockets in the arena, the third-period chants of “Let’s Go Flyers!” reverberated as fans tried to build energy.
Minutes later, it got rewarded with team captain Brennan Blaszczak scoring a shorthanded goal and the Ice Flyers producing their biggest performance burst on a penalty kill.
But it was a short-lived moment, as the Evansville Thunderbolts quelled any further rallying effort and left the Pensacola Bay Center with a 4-1 victory Friday night in the teams’ first of back-to-back weekend games to end the Ice Flyers home schedule.
“You just have to wipe this one off,” said Ice Flyers coach Rod Aldoff, who didn’t mince words with his assessment. “We have played a lot of good hockey and it’s frustrating more than anything the way some guys competed (Friday) from six days ago (during a trio of games against Fayetteville).
“We were playing harder (in third period), but it was just too late,” he said. “There were some guys playing harder, but you should be playing harder from the get-go.
“We had a little spark to the game for the third period for a little bit. But you can’t play with two or three guys whose hearts are in it, then two or three other guys whose heart is not in it.”
The Ice Flyers had their final specialty jersey event on Nickelodeon Night-Ft. Garfield, sponsored by Mediacom. The players wore custom-designed, orange-black-white jerseys in the Garfield theme that were a quick sell to many fans wearing them Friday.
The activities included another appearance by “Ranger,” the Ice Flyers black Labrador pup and service-dog-in-training. In so many other jersey theme nights this year, the Ice Flyers recorded wins.
“I wish that was the reason we played hard or didn’t play hard, because if it was, I would tell (Ice Flyers owner) Greg (Harris) to have specialty jersey night, every night. But it’s like anything else, it’s how you prepare.”
Evansville scored its first three goals off rebounds. The Thunderbolts got an empty-net goal with 1:44 remaining, after the Ice Flyers pulled goaltender Cody Karpinski when calling a timeout with 2:31 left.
The Ice Flyers had just 17 shots in the first two periods when trailing 3-0 at second intermission. All of this left Aldoff with a sour feeling on his team’s performance.
“That was a terrible hockey game,” he said. “Just the passing, the turnovers were the worst I have ever seen. No second effort, no push back, and you can go on and on.
“We had a few guys who were working. But you can’t play with half the team for half the period.”
The loss virtually ended the Ice Flyers (28-18, 6 OT losses) chance to supplant Quad City for fifth place in the Southern Professional Hockey League standings. The Storm have a seven-point lead with the Ice Flyers having four remaining games.
Evansville (27-24-1), coached by former Pensacola Ice Pilots player Jeff Bes, who coached the Ice Flyers for one season (2017-18) is battling with Roanoke to avoid eighth place and the bottom seed in the SPHL playoffs which start the week of April 11-16.
“I give Evansville credit, they got pucks deep, they didn’t turn it over,” Aldoff said. “They played a real simple game. They forechecked hard, and we messed around with pucks and tried to make it cute and pretty and we paid for it.”
Evansville scored the game’s first goal on a power play. Karpinski made the initial save, but had no chance on the rebound goal.
Two more Evansville goals followed in the second period. It created a quiet Bay Center until Blaszczak fired a wrist shot on a two-on-one, penalty-kill break with 13:15 remaining that pierced through the blocker pads of Evansville’s goaltender, then slowly trickled beyond the red goal line.
The Ice Flyers were unable to produce a further surge, however, the rest of the way.
The loss leads into Saturday’s regular-season home finale where Aldoff hopes his team can regain a better vibe.
“We can’t get any worse,” he said. “There is only way to go. It has boggled my mind (inconsistent play).
“It’s the guts of the game, playing with heart, playing with soul. When you don’t play with heart, it’s not good enough.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHAT: Ice Flyers Final Scheduled Home Game
WHO: Evansville Thunderbolts vs Ice Flyers
WHEN: Saturday, 7:05 p.m. Opening Faceoff.
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
TICKETS: Available through www.pensacolaiceflyers.com and Pensacola Bay Center box office
PROMOTIONS: Military Appreciation Night (sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union), $12 tickets for active and retired military.
RADIO: Fox Sports Pensacola (101.1 FM).
