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AHL Norfolk Admirals

Admirals Fall to Falcons in Wild Affair

November 21, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Norfolk Admirals News Release


SPRINGFIELD, MA - Six different goal scorers, a franchise-record five power play goals, and a four-goal second period would not be enough as the Norfolk Admirals (5-9-1-3) fell to the Springfield Falcons (8-4-2-1) by a 7-6 score on Friday night at the MassMutual Center.

The fireworks started at the opening faceoff, as Admirals captain Zenon Konopka and winger Guillaume Lefebvre fought one second into the contest.

Springfield then took a 3-0 lead in the first period as they capitalized on three Norfolk penalties. While skating with a five-on-three advantage, Gilbert Brule attempted a pass from the left faceoff circle toward the opposite post that deflected off a player in the slot and bounded past Norfolk netminder Mike McKenna at 8:54.

Former Admiral Carl Corazzini doubled Springfield's lead off the ensuing faceoff. He broke in along the left wing and netted a power play goal with a snap shot from the left circle at 8:59.

Springfield took a three-goal lead just over four minutes later as a Norfolk penalty expired. Theo Peckham deflected a Rob Schremp feed into the net at 13:07.

The Admirals drew to within one goal of Springfield late in the first period with their first power play goal. Paul Szczechura sent a pass from the right corner to Brandon Segal in the slot, and Segal sent a wrist shot past Falcons netminder Devan Dubnyk at 18:00.

A see-saw second period started when Brandon Bochenski make it 3-2 early in the stanza. Zenon Konopka sent a shot from the right circle that was deflected by Bochenski past Dubnyk's left leg at 1:32.

Derek Bekar then converted a cross-crease pass at 3:35 to restore the Springfield two-goal lead at 4-2.

Back-to-back Falcons penalties gave the Admirals a five-on-three power play, and they capitalized at 6:44. Jamie Heward sent a slap shot from the right point through a screen that eluded Dubnyk and briefly cut Norfolk's deficit back to one goal.

A defensive miscue in the neutral zone led to Springfield's fifth goal. Bryan Lerg broke in alone on McKenna and lifted a backhand shot top-shelf at 8:38.

Norfolk charged back with a pair of power play goals to tie the game at 5-5 after two periods. Zenon Konopka found the puck out of a goalmouth scramble at the bottom of the right circle and sent a shot that ricocheted off a Falcons defender into the net at 12:11.

Just over two minutes later, the Admirals' franchise record-tying fifth power play goal off the stick of Bracken Kearns knotted the game at five goals apiece. Daryl Boyle sent a shot from the point that went wide and caromed off the end boards to Blair Jones at the bottom of the right circle. Jones got the puck to Kearns who stuffed it home at 14:23.

Norfolk missed setting a new franchise mark for power play goals in a game by two seconds early in the third period, but didn't mind as they took a 6-5 lead. Paul Szczechura netted his team-leading tenth goal on the season when his slap shot from the left hashmarks eluded Dubnyk 5:39 into the final frame just as a Springfield penalty expired.

However, it would be Springfield's power play that would strike next. Peckham fired a wrist shot through a screen from the right point that went over McKenna's right leg at 8:38.

Just over four minutes later, Tyler Spurgeon gave Springfield the winning margin when his wrist shot from the right half-wall snuck past McKenna at 12:50.

Mike McKenna (33 shots, 26 saves) got the loss. Devan Dubnyk (37 shots, 31 saves) picked up the win.

Norfolk was 5-9 on the power play. Springfield was 3-8.

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