JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Turning point: Forward Luke Lynch scored 3:13 into the game and goaltender Francois Brassard denied the visiting Atlanta Gladiators repeatedly, lifting the Jacksonville Icemen to a 2-1 victory Wednesday night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and bringing the team to within one game of the second round.
Where the series stands: The Icemen lead the Gladiators 3-0 in the best-of-7 series, with only one more victory needed to clinch.
Three stars: 1. Brassard, Jacksonville (27 saves). 2. Ara Nazarian, Jacksonville (one goal). 3. Chris Nell, Atlanta (22 saves).
Brassard to the rescue: The ECHL goaltender of the year, Brassard frustrated the Gladiators during a hectic final period when Jacksonville was outshot 15-2. "Guys were doing a good job of boxing out, so I think it was a little easier for me to see the puck the whole time," he said. "It’s about not giving away a rebound that’s costly.”
Penalty box: The Icemen remained perfect on the penalty kill throughout the game, and haven't allowed Atlanta to score with the extra man in the series.
Around the rink: Icemen captain Christopher Brown scored an assist in his return from the American Hockey League's Hershey Bears, where he had played 25 games. ... Nazarian scored in the final minute of the second period, off assists from Brown and Brandon Fortunato. ... Mitchell Hoelscher scored for Atlanta midway through the third period.
They said it: “It seems like the last two games, they’ve thrown the kitchen sink at us in the third period. We stayed more composed tonight. We kept it simple, chipped it out. It’s playoff hockey. They’re going to have a pushback. I think that’s why Brassard is the ECHL goalie of the year. He made the saves he had to make. He made the big-time saves that put us over the top tonight.” — Icemen coach Nick Luukko.
Up next: The Icemen next play the Gladiators in Game 4 at 7 p.m. Thursday, needing just one more win to close out the series at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
The Times-Union's Gene Frenette contributed to this report.