Norfolk Hands Devils 3-2 Setback

Published on October 23, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Albany Devils News Release


ALBANY, NY - Despite mounting a two-goal comeback, the Albany Devils had their three-game winning streak halted with a 3-2 loss at the hands of the Norfolk Admirals on Saturday evening at the Times Union Center. Paul Szczechura netted the game-winner with 5:05 remaining in regulation to improve his team's record to 5-1-0-0. With the loss, Albany moves to 3-2-0-0 on the year.

"This is game five, and three-out-of-four games we've found a way to scrap back and stay in games," said head coach Rick Kowalsky. "They've all been close games with the exception of game one. I don't know if you can take a positive out of that. You can't just sit and say there are teams in the league better than us. You have to be able to compete and we feel we can compete."

The Devils erased a 2-0 first period deficit in the second period thanks to goals from Nathan Perkovich and Brad Mills.

Perkovich snapped a wrist shot from the top of the left circle to beat Admirals' netminder Dustin Tokarski glove side at 12:40 of the second. Matt Anderson, who made his debut for the Devils, earned the assist on the play after causing a neutral zone turnover.

Before the period ended, the Devils benefitted from another Norfolk miscue. Patrick Davis chipped a puck ahead for Mills, who wheeled down the left wing. After cutting towards goal, he outlasted Tokarski for his second goal of the season. The assist for Davis was his 104th point for the Devils in the AHL. He is only seven points away from passing Niclas Bergfors (110 pts) as the Devils' all-time AHL point getter.

Before Perkovich's goal, the team turned up the physical play. Louis Robitaille laid a crushing check and dropped the gloves and momentum seemed to sway in the home team's favor.

It was the complete opposite during the first period, when the Admirals jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Ty Wishart struck first with a power-play goal at 5:41. The play started with an offensive-zone faceoff win by Blair Jones, who won it back to Marc-Antoine Pouliot. From there the play progressed to Wishart for a slap shot from the point. The goal was his third of the season.

Another power-play tally, including the same trio, gave the Admirals a 2-0 lead at 2:54 of the second period. This time the play, in tic-tac-toe fashion, went from Poiliot to Wishart to Jones, who buried a one-timer into a gapping net.

"They outskated; they outplayed us in the first," Kowalsky said. "They got a power-play goal, but you spend a period of hockey and towards the end of the period we got going a little bit. We have to respond - especially at home."

Norfolk capitalized for three power-play goals and Szczechura's wrist shot from the high slot snuck by Mike McKenna's shoulder and sealed the win.

McKenna made 29 saves, while Tokarski made 20 stops and improved his record to 3-0-0-0.

The Devils hit the road for a four-game trip, beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 27 with a 7 p.m. game against Hartford. The team returns to the Times Union Center on Saturday, Nov. 6 for a 7 p.m. outing against Rochester.

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American Hockey League Stories from October 23, 2010


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