The Orlando Solar Bears need every point they can get. Giving up two points at this time of the season only increases the pressure. Overtime losses, like the one the Solar Bears got Friday night in Norfolk against the Norfolk Admirals only blunt the paint.
Three points is certainly within striking distance at this point. But the Solar Bears have to control their own destiny and try to take advantage of every opportunity.
When there is a chance to win, it is not something the team can give up.
Entering the third period, Orlando was tied with Norfolk. That opportunity was right there. The last thing the Solar Bears could do was give up two.
Not every game can end how you would like.
The Solar Bears conceded the two points and conceded two goals in the third period to fall to the Admirals 3-1 at Scope Arena on Saturday, putting a minor dent in the Solar Bears’ chase to make the Playoffs this year.
Alexis Louisseau scored his second goal of the game about midway through the period after he took a shot that hit off the crossbar and bounced back to him to finish on the rebound. Robbie Czarnik scored a shorthanded goal on a jam past Ryan Massa to get a two-goal lead with a little less than three minutes to play.
Johnny McInnis scored his 19th goal of the year in the second period to tie the game at one.
Fortunately for the Solar Bears, they remain three points behind the eighth-place Elmira Jackals after the Jackals lost to the conference-worst Brampton Beast 3-1 on Saturday night. That is a sigh of relief for Orlando.
But it was also a missed opportunity. A loss to the Beast was a gift for the Solar Bears they could not take advantage of to gain ground in the Playoff chase. They will have to sit and wait until Wednesday now before they play again. Still with two games in hand, the Solar Bears control some of their own destiny to make up ground.
Still giving up those two third period goals and the two points felt like a bit of a missed opportunity.
