Manitoba Shocks Admirals in Third

Nov 10, 2007

For the second tie in eight days the Milwaukee Admirals blew a lead after two periods and lost to the Manitoba Moose Saturday, 4-3, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

 

Eight days prior, the Admirals held a 3-0 lead only to fall to the Moose 6-3 at the Bradley Center.

 

The Admirals beat the Moose last night 2-1.

 

Tonight’s game started in much the same way as last night’s with Manitoba having several good scoring chances right after the opening faceoff. Like Maxime Daigneault the night before, Milwaukee goalie Pekka Rinne stopped everything he saw in the first period (14 shots).

 

Milwaukee finally struck for the first goal of the game at 8:10 of the second period when Moose defenseman Jimmy Sharrow coughed up the puck behind his own net after being pressured by Milwaukee’s Cal O’Reilly. O’Reilly used one hand to move the puck to John Vigilante on the left post. An easy move to the backhand beat goalie Drew MacIntyre and gave the Admirals the lead. It was Vigilante’s fourth goal of the season with the lone assist awarded to O’Reilly.

 

The Admirals tallied a power play goal at 11:37 of the second when Cody Franson converted a backdoor pass from Rich Peverley for his first goal of the season, and of his pro career. Peverley’s pass from the top of the left circle went to Franson on the right post for the tap. Peverley and Janne Niskala were awarded the assists.

 

A Milwaukee turnover led to a goal by veteran Mike Keane at 17:33. Keane, on a breakaway, was able to fire a wrist shot from the top of the right circle past Rinne just as Janne Niskala closed the gap.

 

While Manitoba was still celebrating the goal on the bench, the Ads scored on the ensuing faceoff. Matt Ellison carried the puck into the left circle in a 2-on-1 with Peverley in the slot. Ellison finally shot and beat MacIntyre to give Milwaukee a two-goal cushion again at 17:44. Ellison’s fifth goal of the season was assisted by Jason Guerriero and Peverley.

 

It was all Manitoba in the third. Mason Raymond’s wrap-around at 5:05 put the Moose within one. Michael Grabner converted a pass out of the right corner at 7:04 to tie the game. Then, Nathan McIver scored his first goal of the season with a wristshot from the left point that Rinne never saw with traffic in front. The winner came at 10:18 of the third.

 

The Admirals record dropped to 8-4-1-0. The loss ended a two-game winning streak.

 

The Admirals return to action when the team hosts San Antonio Friday at 7 p.m.