Maybe it was for coach David Wilkie in his latest battle against Florida Everblades coach and close friend Gerry Fleming. Maybe it was a burning desire to stick it to former teammate Kevin Brown. Maybe it was just saving face in front of their home fans.
Whatever the reason, it was the result that mattered.
One night after imploding in the third period and suffering another crushing loss, the Lynx finished the job Saturday in a 5-1 victory over the Everblades before a crowd of 3,823 fans at Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center.
Captain Brad Ralph turned in his finest effort as a Lynx with a pair of goals, and goalie David Brumby was steady and sometimes stellar, making 36 saves to help the last-place Lynx (12-23-2) snap a four-game winless skid.
"I believe in every single guy in that dressing room, and tonight they showed what they're capable of," Wilkie said. "You can't get too high after one win, but I hope the guys can build on this. The only way they will improve is if they play as hard as they did (Saturday) every night."
Enforcer Jason Shmyr showed again he's more than just a brawler - scoring a pair of goals, his sixth and seventh of the season. Shmyr got the Lynx on the scoreboard with his sixth goal of the season, then scored his second in the final two minutes.
After that, he squared off with Florida's Jimmy Verdule at center ice in one of the most entertaining fights of the season.
Josh St. Louis also added a goal, his ninth this season.
For Wilkie, the victory was his first as head coach over his former Montreal Canadiens teammate. He'll get another chance today when the teams meet in a 4:05 p.m. rematch.
"They kicked out butt tonight," Fleming said.
Saturday also marked the return of Brown since the Lynx traded the disgruntled forward to the Everblades, and Wilkie's game plan of making sure a Lynx defender shadowed Brown on the ice worked like a charm.
Brown, who had just one goal and four assists in 14 games with the Lynx, came in with eight goals and 16 assists in 18 games for Florida (20-9-8), which suffered its second straight loss to tumble from the top spot in the Southeast Division.
"We know this is always a big game for Wilks because he's good friends with (Fleming)," Ralph said. "But it also was Brownie's return. Brownie's still a good friend, but we didn't want him to get a point on us tonight, and we did the job."
Despite the tight marking of Brown, Florida took a 1-0 lead on Ryan Stewart's first goal as an Everblade. He drove the net and buried a rebound past Brumby at 5:25 of the first, as Florida dominated the first period and outshot the Lynx, 15-7.
Shmyr got the equalizer when he pulled his own rebound out of midair, dropped the puck on his stick, and beat Florida goalie Cam McCormick through his pads at 9:36 of the second.
Ralph gave the Lynx the lead with the first of his two goals with 1:30 left in the second period.
The late-period goal provided a huge momentum shift for the Lynx heading into the third period. Ralph extended Augusta's lead with his second of the night and ninth of the season 4:54 into the third.
With Friday night's collapse fresh in their minds - Charlotte scored two goals in seven seconds in the third period to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead - the Lynx finished strong, getting insurance goals from St. Louis and Shmyr.
GAME REPORT
Lynx 5, Everblades 1
STAR OF THE GAME: Captain Brad Ralph scored a pair of goals, his eighth and ninth of the season, to help the Lynx end a four-game winless skid.
KEY PLAY: Ralph got the first of his two goals with 1:30 to go in the second period, giving the Lynx the lead and momentum heading into the final period.
PLUS: Goalie David Brumby rebounded from three rough outings with a 36-save performance.
PLUS: After tough guy Jason Shmyr scored his second goal late in the third period, he pummeled Florida's Jimmy Verdule in a classic brawl at center ice.
UP NEXT: Lynx vs. Everblades, 4:05 p.m. today
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