Solar Bears lose home opener
Defenseman Jeff King scored Orlando’s first goal at home this season, electrifying an announced attendance of 9,319 at the Amway Center on Saturday.
It was a perfectly placed saucer shot that found a way through Atlanta goalie Matt Ginn and into the net at 7:29 in the first period to knot the game at 1-1.
He also added two assists in his home debut with the club.
However, it was a wandering stick that cost him and the Solar Bears (2-2-0-0, 4 points) a win in their 2017-18 home opener.
“I took a shot and went down, and I guess my teammates thought that it was going to be a penalty," King said.
“But that’s hockey. You have to continue to play, and a referee might miss a call here and there, but you have to finish out the play."
After King was apparently high-sticked by an Atlanta defender, he went down in a heap, which gave Atlanta a 2-on-1 advantage toward goal.
The referee didn’t blow the whistle and forward Tanner Pond equalized to make the score 4-4 at 10:19 in the second period.
The crowd booed ferociously, but Atlanta had tied a contest that proved to be wacky and worthy of its raucous atmosphere.
“He definitely got a high stick," Solar Bears coach Drake Berehowsky said.
“He was cut in two different places. We still should have come out and we didn’t play the way we wanted to. You can talk about the missed call, but we didn’t play like we’re capable of playing."
Knotted at 4-4 entering the third period, Atlanta (2-4-0-0, 4 points) grabbed the lead on a goal by Phil Lane,.
Orlando couldn’t come back for a third time in the game.
Orlando had a distinct shot advantage throughout the game, usually having twice as many shots as its ECHL South counterpart, and ultimately outshot Atlanta 43-19, but Atlanta’s efficiency proved to be enough to stave off Orlando’s multiple power-play goals.
Orlando was 0-for-23 on the power play through the first three games of the season but managed to score two goals on the man advantage in just over a minute and a half in the second period.
The Solar Bears scored their first power-play goal on a slapshot by left wing Josh Winquist to tie the game at 3-3.
Shortly thereafter forward Max Novak doubled up, scoring his own powerplay goal at 9:03 in the second period.
With 1:50 left in the game, Orlando goalie Cal Heeter chased toward a loose puck along the left circle to force an interference penalty on Atlanta forward Lindsay Sparks.
It gave the group one last inkling of hope, but on the ensuing power-play Orlando was unable to convert.
“We did have some signs of how we want to play, but we didn’t do it for 60 minutes,” Berehowsky said.
Heeter finished the night with 14 saves.
The loss moves Orlando to 3-3-0-0 in home openers.
Orlando will be back in action at home against Atlanta today at 1:30.