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AHL Norfolk Admirals

Whitney ends Norfolk's rally in overtime for 4-3 victory

March 27, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Norfolk Admirals News Release


NORFOLK, Va. - Kevin Gagne's goal with 1.8 seconds remaining in regulation completed a two-goal comeback for Norfolk Friday night at Scope Arena, but the Albany Devils won it in overtime, 4-3.

For the third game in a row, the opponent got on the board first, and took only four minutes to do so. Beginning in their own zone, the Devils pushed the puck up the left side boards through some Admirals pressure. Colby Robak was there to slow the play briefly at the Norfolk blue line, but lost his balance and fell to the ice. Albany's Joe Whitney took advantage of the gaffe and a two-on-one advantage, whipping the puck over the glove of Jason LaBarbera for a 1-0 lead at 4:11.

Ten minutes later, Norfolk captain Dave Steckel knotted up the game. Max Friberg picked the puck out of a scrum behind the net, and curved around the right side before snapping a no-look backhand pass through Corbin McPherson's legs. A wide-open Steckel directed the puck from the opposite edge of the crease past Devils' goaltender Scott Wedgewood. Stefan Noesen also assisted at 14:05, and the 1-1 score lasted into the first intermission.

The second period nearly concluded scoreless, but Raman Hrabarenka and the Devils' power play had different ideas. Setting up a cycle, Scott Timmins took control of the puck in the left circle and made a cross-ice pass to Whitney. Finding no shooting lane, Whitney gave to Hrabarenka at the blue line for an attempt on net. The shot found its way through traffic and into the twine with just one second remaining to send Norfolk into the intermission down, 2-1.

Timmins registered his second point of the night with a goal in the final frame. Caroming around the boards in the Devils' end, the puck skidded past the Norfolk defense to Seth Helgeson. Helgeson advanced and hit Timmins as the center left the penalty box. Timmins went far post to LaBarbera's glove side at 12:10, increasing the Devils' lead to 3-1.

Deep in Albany's end as the five-minute mark passed, Robak curled off the wall toward the net. He lost possession, but Noesen tipped the loose puck to Friberg closing in at the left post. Friberg swatted an open look beating Wedgewood cleanly to cut Albany's lead to 3-2 at 16:03.

The final minutes of regulation was a frenzy with much of that time spent in the Admirals' favor. As the clock wound down, Robbie Czarnik shoveled the puck from behind the Devils' cage to Friberg at the goal line. Friberg one-touched a feed to Kevin Gagne, who buried the game-tying goal with just 1.8 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.

Unfortunately for Norfolk, the extra frame didn't go their way. Right as Whitney's minor penalty expired, the puck ricocheted out to neutral ice. Whitney skated into the Norfolk zone with Rod Pelley, and wristed a shot on net at 6:39 to escape the Admirals, 4-3.

Wedgewood saved 29 of the 32 Admirals' shots he faced, while LaBarbera turned aside 30 of 34 Devils' attempts. Albany went 1-for-7 on the power play, and Norfolk went scoreless on their six opportunities.

The Admirals and Devils face off again tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m. on Muscular Dystrophy Association Jersey Auction Night for the final time of the 2014-15 season.

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