AHL Norfolk Admirals

Norfolk Admirals Weekly

Published on October 23, 2014 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Norfolk Admirals News Release


NORFOLK, Va. - The Admirals came out on both ends of competition this past weekend against the visiting Manchester Monarchs, taking a win and a loss to move to 2-2-0-0 so far this season.

In their first meeting since the Admirals' upset in last year's first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, Norfolk and Manchester traded blow for blow. The two teams went back and forth throughout the game until the Admirals were able to emerge victorious.

Manchester 's David Van der Gulik scored first, but Norfolk's Antoine Laganiere was quick to answer, evening the game at 1-1. Once again, the Admirals' Matt Bailey and the Monarchs' Nick Shore traded markers. It took a breakaway from the Admirals' Stefan Noesen to finally put the game away in the third period of a 3-2 Norfolk victory.

The Admirals were helped by goaltender John Gibson who arrived via the Anaheim Ducks on assignment earlier in the week. Gibson stood tall in net and made 32 saves in his first appearance in Norfolk since last year's playoff run.

Saturday night's game did not go Gibson's and Norfolk's way. The Admirals fell down 2-0 to Manchester Brad Winchester's first of the year in the middle frame and Laganiere's marker in the third were able to tie the game. Unfortunately for Norfolk, sloppy play and numerous breakdowns in the defensive zone led to a 4-2 Monarchs win.

Despite the disappointing result on Saturday, Gibson was re-called to the Ducks, who sent down veteran Jason LaBarbera to take his spot with the Admirals.

Needing help on the backend, the Admirals signed NHL veteran Aaron Rome to a professional tryout contract (PTO) on Wednesday. Rome has suited up for a total of 226 contests at the sport's highest level, featuring time in Columbus, Vancouver, Dallas and a single appearance for Anaheim.

The additions were not done there. Norfolk inked forwards Alex Krushelnyski and David Pacan to professional tryout agreements as well. Krushelnyski comes up from ECHL Utah, while Pacan last played with Cincinnati, also of the ECHL.

With a season record of 2-2-0-0, the Admirals face three tough upcoming road games this weekend. Friday night finds them facing Providence, while they will travel to Springfield on Saturday and Hartford on Sunday afternoon. Each contest will be the first of 2014-15 between the Admirals and these three clubs.

STANDINGS UPDATE

At 2-2-0-0 (4 points), the Admirals are tied for 3rd place in the East Division and are tied for 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Below are the current AHL Eastern Conference standings:

Rank Team GP W L OTL SL PTS PCT

1 * Hartford Wolf Pack 4 3 0 1 0 7 0.875

2 * St. John's IceCaps 7 2 2 3 0 7 0.5

3 * Hershey Bears 4 3 1 0 0 6 0.75

4 Albany Devils 4 3 0 0 1 7 0.875

5 Worcester Sharks 4 3 1 0 0 6 0.75

6 Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5 3 2 0 0 6 0.6

7 Syracuse Crunch 4 2 1 1 0 5 0.625

8 Providence Bruins 5 2 2 1 0 5 0.5

9 Binghamton Senators 5 2 2 1 0 5 0.5

10 Manchester Monarchs 3 2 1 0 0 4 0.667

11 Lehigh Valley Phantoms 3 2 1 0 0 4 0.667

12 Norfolk Admirals 4 2 2 0 0 4 0.5

13 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5 2 3 0 0 4 0.4

14 Springfield Falcons 4 1 2 1 0 3 0.375

15 Portland Pirates 4 1 3 0 0 2 0.25

*Division Leader

Eight teams in each conference shall qualify for the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs. Following the conclusion of each team's 76-game regular season, the three division winners in each conference will be seeded 1-3 (in order of regular-season points) and the next five best teams (in order of regular-season points) will be seeded 4-8.

THE ADMIRALS' WEEK AHEAD

Fri., Oct. 24 ... at Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins) ... 7:05 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 25 ... at Springfield Falcons (Columbus Blue Jackets) ... 7 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 26 ... at Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers) ... 3 p.m.

ADMIRALS SPOTLIGHT

- Former Admiral goaltender Frederik Andersen continues his sensational start to his second NHL season with Anaheim. Andersen is 6-0-0 with a 1.32 goals-against average and .951 save percentage in six starts this season, and is a big reason why Anaheim has not lost since their season opener versus Pittsburgh.

- Andersen became one of only two netminders in NHL history to win 25 of his first 30 starts (25-5-0) once he bagged his first shutout of his young career last Sunday versus St. Louis. The first Danish goalie to play in the NHL won last night and Andersen is now the only goaltender in league history to win 26 of his first 31 starts (20-5-0 last season).

- Norfolk 's Chris Wagner stepped onto NHL ice for the first time last Friday in a 2-1 victory over Minnesota. Wagner's debut saw him draw 4:10 of playing time and two penalty minutes. The forward from Massachusetts remains with the Ducks, though he hasn't played since October 17.

ADMIRALS' LOG

Brad Winchester found his first goal as an Admiral in last Saturday's 4-2 defeat at the hands of Manchester. His goal came as a product of quick hands and savvy positioning in front of net when he shuffled a pass from Stefan Noesen behind the cage around the Monarchs' Jean-Francois Berube. Winchester leads Norfolk in points with five through four games and in the plus-minus category at plus-4. John Gibson's short stay in Norfolk included a win and a loss in net during the two-game home set against Manchester. He reminded Admirals fans of last season with a 32-save performance in Norfolk's 3-2 decision on Friday. The Ducks shipped the 21-year-old east for playing time over the weekend and summoned him to Orange County on Sunday as the club indicated it would prior to his reassignment. With injuries to two offensive weapons and 15 goals allowed in four games, Norfolk decided to bring in ECHL forwards Alex Krushelnyski and David Pacan along with veteran defenseman Aaron Rome. Each player practiced with the Admirals this week and will be available this weekend.

NORFOLK LEADERS

Chris Wagner (4)

Assists: Brad Winchester, Nic Kerdiles (4)

Points: Brad Winchester (5)

Games: 15 players tied (4)

PP Goals: Louis Leblanc, Antoine Laganiere (1)

SH Goals: Chris Wagner (2)

+/- Rating: Brad Winchester (+4)

0 Brad Winchester (21)

0 John Gibson (3.05)

A0 John Gibson (.902)

A0 John Gibson, Jason LaBarbera (1)

Losses: Igor Bobkov, John Gibson (1)

0 John Gibson (2)

Minutes: John Gibson (117:57)

ABOUT THIS WEEKEND'S MATCHUPS

The Admirals (2-2-0-0) start a three-in-three road trip this weekend, their first venture away from the confines of Scope Arena this season, as they face Providence (2-2-1-0) at the Dunkin' Donuts Center on Friday, October 24, followed by visits to Springfield and Hartford. Norfolk comes into the weekend looking to build off last year's success on opponent ice, having gone 20-13-2-3 in 2013-14. Both the Bruins and Wolf Pack are in the top eight of the conference, with Hartford topping all 15 teams with seven points. Norfolk will next share the ice with Hartford and Springfield in a winter road trip, though will not see Providence until after the New Year.

The Bruins took last year's series 3-1, losing once at home before winning three straight against Norfolk. Providence suffered back-to-back losses against Worcester last weekend, but rebounded on Sunday with a 3-1 win over Portland which saw winger Tyler Randell net his first goal of the year. The Bruins skirt the playoff line in this young season, ranking eighth in the East with a 2-2-1-0 record, but rookie David Pastrnak leads the Atlantic Division in points with six. The P-Bruins are without the services of forward Seth Griffith who received a call to Boston for the second time this season on Monday.

PROVIDENCE LEADERS

Seth Griffith, Alexander Khokhlachev, David Pastrnak (2)

Assists: David Pastrnak (4)

Points: David Pastrnak (6)

Games: 11 players tied (5)

PP Goals: Seth Griffith, Alexander Khokhlachev (1)

SH Goals: None

+/- Rating: Joe Morrow, David Pastrnak (+4)

0 Tyler Randell (7)

0 Jeremy Smith (2.02)

A0 Jeremy Smith (.929)

A0 Jeremy Smith, Malcolm Subban (1)

Losses: Malcolm Subban (2)

0 Malcolm Subban (3)

Minutes: Malcolm Subban (184:09)

The following night will see Norfolk take on the Springfield Falcons at the MassMutual Center. Last season, the Admirals claimed a winning record against the Eastern Conference's second-best team in the regular season, sweeping the series in Massachusetts and splitting in Norfolk.

After winning their season opener, the Falcons (1-2-1-0) have fallen into a three-game skid, most recently losing to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in overtime on Sunday. Goaltender Oscar Dansk saved 34 of 38 shots, and the Falcons' struggle on special teams (0-for-5 on the power play, 4-for-7 on the penalty kill) allowed the Tigers to pick up a 4-3 win. Special teams will no doubt play a role in this interdivisional matchup, as the teams racked up a total of 134 penalty minutes in their series last year, with only a single game devoid of at least one fight. Springfield returns 11 players from last year's roster to Norfolk's 15, all but ensuring renewed tempers.

SPRINGFIELD LEADERS

Domenic Monardo (3)

Assists: Sean Collins, Austin Madaisky (3)

Points: 4 players tied (3)

Games: 13 players tied (4)

PP Goals: Domenic Monardo, Denny Urban (1)

SH Goals: Ryan Craig (1)

+/- Rating: Thomas Larkin, Lukas Sedlak (+3)

0 Will Weber (21)

0 Anton Forsberg (2.36)

A0 Anton Forsberg (.921)

A0 Anton Forsberg (1)

Losses: Anton Forsberg (2)

0 Anton Forsberg (3)

Minutes: Anton Forsberg (178:17)

The Admirals wrap up their road trip on Sunday with an afternoon tilt against Hartford (3-0-1-0). The Wolf Pack finished above .500 last year, going 37-32-1-6, and their series with Norfolk finished at .500 as the teams split the four games equally. Hartford is also in possession of the best record in the Eastern Conference and the second-best overall to date, their only loss coming in overtime to Hershey.

The Wolf Pack comes into the match in high spirits after an explosive win Tuesday night against Worcester when they tallied a pair of markers in the first and third periods and a goal in the second. Rookie defenseman Mat Bodie scored his first professional goal with 17.9 seconds left in regulation to pull out a victory. Five different players dented the net that evening and nine skaters in all have lit the lamp this season. Hartford has 14 on their roster with at least one point and will certainly look to apply their balanced attack this Sunday at home versus Norfolk.

HARTFORD LEADERS

Goals: Oscar Lindberg (3)

Assists: Chris Bourque, Ryan Haggerty, Danny Kristo (3)

Points: Ryan Haggerty, Danny Kristo, Oscar Lindberg (4)

Games: 14 players tied (4)

PP Goals: Ryan Bourque, Ryan Haggerty, Oscar Lindberg (1)

SH Goals: None

+/- Rating: Danny Kristo (+4)

PIM: Shawn O'Donnell (17)

GAA: Jason Missiaen (1.82)

Spct: Jason Missiaen (.944)

Wins: Cedrick Desjardins (2)

Losses: Jason Missiaen, Cedrick Desjardins, Mackenzie Skapski (0)

GPl: Cedrick Desjardins (3)

Minutes: Cedrick Desjardins (152:32)

**UPCOMING EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS**

Friday, October 31 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

- "Zombie A-Hockey-Lypse"

It's Halloween and the Zombie A-Hockey-Lypse hits Scope as the Admirals battle the Penguins! Come to the game dressed as a zombie or in your Halloween costume to haunt the arena. Kids can arrive early to Trick-or-Treat in the Scope Exhibition Hall from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

- Challenge Coin Giveaway sponsored by John's Tax Service

The first 2,000 fans will receive an Official 2014-15 Admirals Challenge Coin. The coin may be presented at participating locations to receive discounts.

Saturday, November 1 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

- American Heart Association Night

Saturday night is American Heart Association Night! Attend to support the AHA as a portion of ticket sales will directly benefit the efforts to reduce cardiovascular disease and stroke.

- ODU Night

It's ODU Night so show your support of the local university by wearing blue and silver and attending ODU's club hockey game versus East Carolina at 2:30 p.m. inside Scope. Purchasing a ticket to the ODU game will also permit admission to the Admirals game at 7:15 p.m. Doors open at 1:30 p.m.

TICKETS

Individual tickets are on sale now at the Scope Box Office, all Ticketmaster Outlets, charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000, and online at ticketmaster.com. Don't miss a minute of Admirals action by purchasing your season tickets today. Stop by the Admirals' Administrative Offices at Scope, call (757) 640-1212 weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or visit norfolkadmirals.com anytime.

ON THE RADIO/INTERNET

All regular-season games will air live on 1650 AM WHKT "The Answer" and online at 1650theanswer.com. AHL Live will also carry online video of every Admirals game on a pay-per-view or season pass basis. Fans can log in to watch, listen or get more information about AHL Live's online audio and video features at ahllive.com.

Tune in live to 1650 "The Answer" every Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. for the "Admirals Hour" with the "Voice of the Admirals" Pete Michaud and the "Original Admiral" Dennis McEwen. Michaud and McEwen discuss the latest in Norfolk Admirals hockey, speak with guests, update you on the Anaheim Ducks, as well as answer any calls during the show. Ask Pete and Dennis your questions by calling in to the studio at 757-454-1650.

Check out the Norfolk Admirals Statistics

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