The Georgia Swarm didn’t waste any time getting off to a fast start, scoring four goals. This included back-to-back power-play goals after Mitch Jones was ejected just one minute into the game for instigating a fight with Georgia’s Adam Wiedemann. This Swarm team is doing everything to keep Philly’s defense off balance. Phil Caputo getting aggressive and would get the Wings on the scoreboard. Philly’s offense is looking for ways to score down low. However, the Swarm’s offense would get right back on track with a transition goal from Lyle Thompson and another goal from Shayne Jackson. Thompson, Jackson, and Bryan Cole would each record a hat trick in this game. Georgia’s offense was Swarming with goals in the first quarter putting Philly in a 5-1 hole, then their offense picked up again in the third quarter with three unanswered goals.
Wings crank up the heat
Philly makes a goalie change as Deacan Knott goes in for Nick Damude. Just like that, the Wings score three unanswered goals. Mitch de Snoo with a little bit of spacing finds the net. Evan Messenger and Brennan O’Neill shooting lasers to the back of the net. The unknown heroes of this Wings team crank things up in the second quarter for Philly. Just when the Swarm had the right answer in the third quarter, Philly made all the necessary adjustments on defense and slowed down the Swarm on offense. Then the Wings got aggressive with six straight goals. Blaze Riorden looked like his old self, making plays down low, and Phil Caputo recorded a hat trick. Joe Resetarits had 11 points on the night, with 4 goals and 7 assists.
The aftermath as Georgia’s top 4 hopes take a blow
This was not on the Georgia Swarm’s agenda to fall to the Philadelphia Wings. Georgia’s plans were looking to climb up in the standings to potentially host a first-round playoff game. But Philly had other ideas, and now the Swarm sit in a four-way tie for 6th place at 8-8. They own the aggregate head-to-head tiebreaker over San Diego, Colorado, and Calgary, but that can change if one or more of these teams fall out of the tie, potentially dropping the Swarm out of the playoff picture. The Swarm will have to work on things during practice and bring their best stuff to Philly next week. Georgia then hosts Buffalo in their Week 21 finale.
The Wings gave this Swarm team all they could handle. It had been since Martin Luther King Day that Philly saw their last win, as they endured a franchise record 8-game losing streak. The Wings will try to run it back again in this home-and-home series against the Swarm, as they remain alive and hopeful that they can make the postseason despite an 8-10 record. The Wings finish their season with a rematch against Vancouver in Week 21.