The odds were already long to make the Playoffs for the Orlando Solar Bears. Trailing the final playoff spot by four points with a team in between and just four games left, the Solar Bears virtually had to win every game remaining to sniff the Playoffs.
Making that task all the harder was the matchup with the fourth place Florida Everblades in the final four games, a team Orlando has had its trouble with. The Solar Bears would not have to give up an inch and get a few breaks.
The veteran Everblades took that inch and got those breaks.
Florida scored that goal, a wraparound from Brant Harris midway through the third period. The team made the stops. No matter how much Orlando pushed, the team could not push through.
As the final moments ticked away, the final nail in the Solar Bears’ playoff hopes might have been struck as the Everblades won 3-1 at Amway Center on Tuesday.
“They found a way there to make a play in tight,” goalie Ryan Massa said. “We’re playing for our lives right now. Right now, things are looking a little difficult. We’re going to need a lot of help the next couple days. Right now, we have to refocus and reshift our focus to the next game.”
Massa was brilliant most of the night, getting beat on two difficult goals for the most part. He made 31 saves on 33 shots and kept a steely composure in the net to hold off Florida’s constant advances. This has not been an easy team for the Solar Bears to play throughout the year.
With two rookie defenders starting in front of him — both signed in the last week — Massa had to control his crease and keep the tempo of the game to his liking. The rookie Mass a did that successfully throughout.
He was eventually only beat when he redirected a rebound behind the net only to have Harris grab it and quickly wrap it around to the other side of the net. Massa was just a hair late, one of the few times all game.
“Obviously, it’s a tough one for us,” coach Anthony Noreen said. “We feel like in these last couple weeks here, we have had three or four games tied coming into the third period, I don’t know if between the three games we gave up a combined four scoring chances against. We felt like we had the better of the play. We had opportunities and we wound up on the short end of all three.”
That ability to finish has been a problem throughout the year for the Solar Bears. Process has not always met results.
Again, Orlando had its opportunities. The team rang a few posts and put up 12 shots. The Solar Bears moved their feet well, trying to push to get back into the game in the final period, and picked up two power plays. Orlando just could not crack Anthony Peters yet again.
Peters perhaps made the save of the game, sliding over to stop a rebound from Johnny McInnis right at the net to end a power play. One of the many close calls the Solar Bears had throughout the game.
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Orlando was likely the better, more aggressive team throughout, overcoming a bit of a rough first period. The team got on the board first when Brady Vail sent a gorgeous cross ice pass from above the circle to Brett Findlay to punch it in. About the only way the Solar Bears could beat Peters — pinpoint passing while the defense was stretched.
Even that was rarely enough. Orlando was trying to stretch them out and could not punch it in.
Meanwhile, the Solar Bears were buckling in defensively. Noreen said the Everblades probably did not have any other looks outside their go-ahead goal in the third period. The Solar Bears were controlling play and could not find the net.
“You’ve got to build confidence in guys,” Noreen said. “When you’re squeezing the stick and you are thinking about I haven’t had a goal in a while, it’s tough to score. We have to build confidence in the guys and show them how to score. The general rule of goal scoring, if you are a guy who has scored before and you have scored your whole life, keep putting yourself in positions to get opportunities and you will score again.”
The Solar Bears are on their last legs right now. In desperation mode. The Elmira Jackals came from behind to defeat the Adirondack Thunder and get their 79th point. The Solar Bears would have to win out and the Jackals would have to lose all their remaining games in regulation for the Solar Bears to stay alive.
Those are long, long odds. And a lot of it is out of their hands.
Just like, seemingly, the ability to get the puck into the back of the net seems somewhat out of their hands. Peters will be going again Thursday in the Solar Bears’ home finale, and likely in the final two games in Estero. Orlando will have to crack him somehow.
Ultimately, the Solar Bears have to take care of their own business first and worry about the rest later.
“We’ve got to win,” Noreen said. “We knew we had to win tonight. we can’t contorl what Wheeling or Elmira or anybody else does. We want to win and we want to get into the Playoffs. But we want to win hockey games. We feel like we have been playing some pretty good hockey. We’re due to break out and have a big night scoring wise. Thursday night, we want to win. That’s all we are going to look at.”
