The Florida Everblades’ eight-game, three-week homestand wassuccessful (6-1-1), but it didn’t end the way they had hoped Saturday night with a 4-3 loss to the Gwinnett Gladiators.

The loss snapped the Everblades’ five-game winning streak and was particularly frustrating given the way they started – with two goals in the first five minutes. The problem came later on special teams as the Blades allowed the Gladiators four goals.

Ryan Lang and Colin Nicholson scored the two early goals for the Blades, but the period ended with Gwinnett outshooting the Everblades 15-6 and leading 3-2. After a scoreless second period, Blades rookie Brandon Buck tied the game one minute into the third, but Gwinnett (27-26-6) notched the game-winning goal on a four-on-three power play late in the period to pick up the two points.

“You can’t give up four power-play goals and expect to win the game,” said Everblades coach Malcolm Cameron in frustration. “They have the best power play in the league. We have a way to kill it, but couldn’t.”

Part of Cameron’s angst was over the last power play given Gwinnett in thefinal five minutes of the game. Following a faceoff in Everblades territory, Blades captain Ross Carlson took a high stick to the face, but no call was made. As the Blades were pressing down ice with the puck a pair of minors were issued, one to each team. Just one minute into the 4-on-4 situation, Matt Duffy was called for a hooking penalty, when should have gone the other way.

The result was a Gwinnett power play that led to the game-winning goal.

“That (series) should never have happened,” said Cameron, “That should have been a power play for us.”

Officiating aside, the real problems were the Everblades’ poor special teams play to go along with being caught up in the fast pace of play, a style contradictory to the Blades’ preference of hard work, dumping the puck and grinding out goals. The result was a wide discrepancy in power play opportunities – only three for the Everblades compared to nine for the Gladiators.

“We got undisciplined,” said Lang, a Blades forward, “We took a lot of hooking penalties, those entail a little bit of laziness, getting caught behind the play.”

The result was a tough lesson learned. At this time of year, when teams are fighting to make the playoffs, there will be no quit to any of them.

The Everblades (32-20-9)- fifth overall in the American Conference and second in the South Division – hit the road to begin a crucial three-game road trip at defending Kelly Cup champion and South Division-leading South Carolina (35-16-11) before returning to Germain Arena for two more against the Stingrays on March 19-20.