The Orlando Solar Bears offense came alive yet again, this time with more energy and pep to secure a third 6-3 win this season.
The Orlando Solar Bears had drawn the penalties. They had put the pressure on. They had found the back of the net several times.
About the only thing the Solar Bears had not done was score on the power play. They might as well have even if they missed on all five of their formal power play attempts.
The offense was there for much of the night as the Solar Bears sustained pressure and had chance after chance to defeat Ty Rimmer. The first goal of the game came right off the power play as Jack Rodewald and Patrick Watling played pass the puck on a 2-on-1 before Rodewald put it easily into the back of the net.
The Solar Bears continued to put the pressure on, playing energetically and aggressively. Even as the game seemed to devolve late the Solar Bears were in complete control on their way to a 6-3 victory over the Norfolk Admirals at Amway Center and Saturday, their third straight victory to open the season.
“Night and day difference between the 6-3 victories,” Anthony Noreen said. “Much better start which I think catapulted us for the rest of the game. For the most part, especially our possession game, we were much better. Our power play didn’t get rewarded, but I thought they did a good job drawing penalties and number two I thought they did a good job moving it. Penalty kill got a shorty again and stole the momentum of the game.”
The Admirals against outshot the Solar Bears 41-33. But this one felt different than the 6-3 win the Solar Bears had Thursday night against this same team. Orlando was again constantly in control on the scoreboard and continued to put the pressure on.
Their special teams did strong work with Eric Faille scoring the Solar Bears’ fourth shorthanded goal in three games. Faille got on a two-on-one break away deked Ty Rimmer to one side and slid the puck past him on the other for a 2-1 lead at the second intermission.
Orlando opened up a two-goal lead when Brett Findlay faked a pass and then fired a wrist shot past Rimmer for a 3-1 lead early in the third period. From there the Solar Bears had to withstand a barrage of penalties and frustrated players from the Admirals unable to crack this team.
The Solar Bears got two goals and one assist from Findlay, two goals and two assists from Brady Vail and one goal and three assists from Patrick Watling as the team — and particularly the line of Findlay, Watling and Jack Rodewald — continued to dominate the score sheet and put goals in the back of the net.
“I just think we moved our feet a lot more,” Rodewald said. “In the game on Thursday, we were definitely a lot slower and stiff-legged. They caught us in two-on-ones and what not. I thought we were able to hang onto the puck a lot more in their zone and sustain some pressure there.”
Vail scored back-to-back goals in the middle of the third period to put Orlando up 6-2 and from there the result was elementary.
Orlando was pushing the puck into the attacking zone and getting multiple opportunities on every chance and shot. They Solar Bears were crisper and sharper with their passes and quicker to pucks. They scored several goals and created several opportunities.
Even if they did not finish, the pressure tired out Norfolk and enabled Orlando to break out when the team was able to clean up defensively.
It was a strong way for the team to win in goalie Ryan Massa’s first professional start. The rookie from the University of Nebraska at Omaha stopped 38 shots in his debut.
He looked calm and collected as Norfolk seemed to want to throw everything at him to try to rattle him, particularly late. His team had his back throughout the game, doing a better job blocking shots and keeping out traffic in front of the net.
When Massa needed to step up, he did.
The team rallied around the struggle from Thursday, not satisfied with the result alone. They got the same result in this game they did Thursday, but liked the progress they made between the two.
“We could just tell by the way we practiced and the morning skate today, it was night and day difference,” Massa said. “We were into it from the drop of the puck, getting some really good chances early and getting on the board early. I thought the guys responded really well as a group.”
Now the team has to bring it to the road and continue to grow. Maybe get a win other than by a 6-3 score.
