Admirals lose tough one to Griffins
March 14, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Milwaukee Admirals News Release
Milwaukee, WI- As far as losses go, few are tougher than the Admirals February 3rd loss to Grand Rapids. On that night the Griffins scored with two seconds left in regulation to tie the game and then again 1:24 into overtime to steal a win from Milwaukee.
But Tuesday night's 5-3 loss to the Griffins comes close.
After jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead and chasing Grand Rapids starting goaltender Joey MacDonald from the game, the Admirals suffered a slow and painful collapse, allowing five unanswered goals to lose to the Grifs 5-3.
The frustration the Admirals experienced was apparent in the closing minutes of the game as both Greg Zanon and Sheldon Brookbank received misconduct penalties after the team had relinquished the lead.
The game began well enough for the Admirals, with Brookbank starting the scoring on a goal at the 14:42 mark of the opening period. The Lanigan, SASK native chipped the puck from the far boards in behind the net to Paul Brown. Brown returned the pass back to Brookbank, who had followed his pass to the far post, and the blueliner slipped the puck into the back of the net.
Chris Durno and Brown would give the Admirals a 3-0 lead just 1:51 into the second. Brown's goal was his second straight game with a red-lighter after not scoring in his first 34 contests of the year. Don MacLean would put Grand Rapids on the board with a power-play tally at 8:30 of the second.
The tide began to turn at the end of the middle period when the Griffins Nate DiCasmirro took a double-minor for slashing and unsportsmanlike conduct giving the Admirals a 4:00 five-on-four advantage at the end of the second and beginning of the third.
But the real turning point came after the Griffins successfully killed off that penalty and got on a power-play of their own with an interference call on Admiral blueliner TJ Reynolds.
Just 20 seconds into the man advantage, Tomas Kopecky took a loose puck from the neutral zone boards and streak behind the Milwaukee defense. In an attempt to deny Kopecky, Brookbank hooked him, but Kopecky was still able to convert and the penalty stood, keeping the Griffins on the power play and pulling them to within a goal at 3-2. To add insult to injury, Ads starting goaltender Pekka Rinne was cut on the play and had to be taken out of the game.
Once again the Griffins took advantage of the Admirals penalty kill, scoring the game tying goal on a Juri Hudler tally at the 4:09 mark of the third. The game winning goal game just over four minutes later on an unassisted Eric Himelfarb score.
Any attempt by the Admirals to pull even was negated by the six penalties they were assessed after falling behind 4-3, including the two misconduct calls.
The Admirals hit the ice again on St. Patrick's Day, Friday, March 17th at 7:00 pm versus the Houston Aeros. The Admirals will wear special St. Patrick's Day Jerseys which will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to the Milwaukee Admirals Power Play Foundation. In addition, the first 5,000 fans 21 and older will receive a pint glass courtesy of the Milwaukee Ale House. For tickets fans can call Ticketmaster at (414) 276-4545 or log on to www.ticketmaster.com.
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American Hockey League Stories from March 14, 2006
- Admirals lose tough one to Griffins - Milwaukee Admirals
- MacLean scores 51st as Griffins beat Admirals - Grand Rapids Griffins
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- Norfolk announces Clear Day list - Norfolk Admirals
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