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AHL Norfolk Admirals

Admirals Shut Out River Rats

December 19, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Norfolk Admirals News Release


NORFOLK, VA - Mike McKenna made 24 saves and Radek Smolenak scored twice as the Norfolk Admirals (11-16-1-4) shut out the Albany River Rats (10-14-3-2) 5-0 on Friday night at Norfolk Scope Arena.

After a scoreless opening period, Radek Smolenak opened scoring on a five-on-three power play 13:50 into the second period. Blair Jones' shot blueline blast ricocheted off Zenon Konopka in the slot to Smolenak at the bottom of the right circle. Smolenak collected the puck and fired it past Albany netminder Justin Peters.

Norfolk took a 2-0 lead on Ty Wishart's first professional goal at 16:54. Bracken Kearns' shot from the left circle was stopped by Peters and an Albany defender tried to clear the puck out of the River Rats zone. However, Wishart held the puck in at the right point and fired a low wrist shot through traffic and past Peters.

The Admirals opened the third period with a pair of goals just 32 seconds apart by Smolenak and Steve Downie. Smolenak's second goal of the game came after he received a centering pass from behind the net from Chris Gratton. Smolenak's initial shot from in close was stopped, but he found the rebound and stashed it past the right leg of Peters at 2:44.

Under a minute later, Downie picked off a pass at the Albany blue line, broke in on Peters along the right wing, and fired a wirst shot from the right circle under the goalie's left arm at 3:26.

Vladimir Mihalik closed out scoring at 8:56 with Norfolk's second five-on-three power play goal of the game. Downie centered the puck from behind the net to Mihalik in the high slot. Mihalik's shot went between Peters' legs at 8:56 for his second goal of the season.

Mike McKenna stopped all 24 shots he saw for the shutout victory. Justin Peters (38 shots, 33 saves) got the loss through 48:12. Daniel Manzato stopped all four shots he faced through 11:04 and did not receive a decision.

Norfolk was 2-7 on the power play. Albany was 0-3.

The Admirals will travel to Philadelphia tomorrow to face off against the Phantoms at 7:05 p.m.

Norfolk's next home game comes on Saturday, December 27, against the Philadelphia Phantoms. The puck drops at 7:15 p.m. The first 500 kids 12 years of age and younger will receive a Chris Gratton mini-bobblehead doll courtesy of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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