Everblades Force Game 5 with Overtime Thriller Over Mavericks

The Florida Everblades defeated the Kansas City Mavericks 3-2 in overtime on Friday night at Hertz Arena to even the Kelly Cup Finals at 2-2 in a high-stakes Game 4. Hudson Elynuik scored the game-winner 10:36 into the extra session, lifting Florida past Kansas City in front of a record crowd of 7,366 fans.

Elynuik’s clutch performance capped a back-and-forth battle that saw both teams trade goals in each period. Florida opened the scoring midway through the first on a power-play goal from Reid Duke, who finished with a goal and an assist. Duke’s tally came off a pass from Jordan Sambrook and marked his second of the playoffs.

Kansas City answered just 16 seconds into the second period when Zach Uens scored his first postseason goal to even the game. The Mavericks’ energy was palpable, and they continued to push, tying the game again late in the third on a goal from Landon McCallum, who now has four goals in the series.

The Everblades regained the lead at 7:01 of the third when Sam Stange netted his third goal of the playoffs. Stange’s quick shot from the left-wing side beat Mavericks goaltender Dylan Wells, who finished with 29 saves in the loss.

The Mavericks had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the final minutes, but Florida goaltender Cam Johnson stood tall, making several key saves to force overtime. Johnson made 33 saves on the night, including a crucial stop on a breakaway by McCallum in the final minute of regulation.

Florida became the first team in Kelly Cup Finals history to record zero penalty minutes in a game, a testament to their disciplined play. The Mavericks, meanwhile, were outshot 33-29 but still managed to force overtime thanks to their timely scoring.

With the series now tied at two games apiece, Game 5 is set for Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET at Hertz Arena. The winner will take a crucial step toward the Kelly Cup, with Game 6 scheduled for Monday in Kansas City. If necessary, a Game 7 will follow two days later.