Admirals Power Past Rockford
December 12, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rockford IceHogs News Release
Milwaukee, WI--Mike Santorelli posted a goal and an assist to boost his point streak to 11 games, while Cody Franson broke a 2-2 tie with a power-play goal at 15:40 of the third period to lead the Admirals to a 4-2 victory over the Rockford IceHogs Friday night at the Bradley Center. The win was the fourth in a row for Milwaukee.
The first and only goal of the opening period came in odd fashion at 9:09, as Rockford wasn't able to get the puck out of their zone. Admirals right-wing Patric Hornqvist fired the puck on net from the top of the circle in an attempt to keep the puck from leaving the IceHogs zone, when it bounced right back out to center Cal O'Reilly. Contemplating a pass back to the point or a shot on net, he simply threw it on net without looking behind him, beating IceHogs netminder Antti Niemi. Stephen Werner was also credited with an assist.
The second period saw the IceHogs tie up the game just 3:45 into the stanza. Left-winger Bryan Bickell skated down the left side of the Admirals zone and fired a simple wrister to beat goaltender Mark Dekanich high glove side. Evan Brophey was given credit for an assist on the play.
At 15:31, Rockford would take a one goal advantage on Mike Radja's unassisted marker. He came in the Ads zone all alone, splitting two defensemen. Faking like he was about to go backhand, he deked back to the forehand in front of Dekanich and shoved it over his blocker side for his sixth goal of the season.
The lead wouldn't last long, however, as the Ads took advantage of a power-play with 1:54 left in the second. While trying to set up a play, defenseman Cody Franson passed it across the blue line to fellow D-man Alexander Sulzer. Sulzer fired the shot to the front of the net where Mike Santorelli was eagerly awaiting a deflection. As the puck hit Santorelli's stick with such force that it broke it in half, it also deflected right past Rockford goalie Antti Niemi, low glove side.
The goal makes it the 11th game in a row in which Santorelli has recorded a point, and seventh out of the last eight games in which he's had a goal.
With 4:20 left in the game, defenseman Cody Franson decided that overtime just wasn't an option. After receiving a pass from Cal O'Reilly on the blue line, he blasted a slapshot from the middle of the point, beating Niemi low. Alexander Sulzer came through to secure the lead with an empty net goal right at the buzzer.
Franson, Santorelli, Sulzer, and O'Reilly all had a goal and an assist to help pace an evenly distributed Admirals offense. Dekanich finished the night with 16 saves to earn his fifth win of the season.
The Admirals power-play continued its hot play, converting on two of six opportunities, and have now posted nine goals in their last 21 chances.
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