Milwaukee, WI— Cal O’Reilly scored the overtime game-winner to lift the Admirals to a 5-4 win over the Rockford IceHogs Friday at BMO Center.
The Admirals improved to 4-0 in overtime games this season. Four of the team’s six wins have been in the extra session.
O’Reilly converted a Jake Livingstone pass at the right post for the goal at 2:20 in the extra session for his second goal of the season. O’Reilly also had an assist in the game, the 200th in his Admirals career.
Admirals goalie Troy Grosenick, in his 300th career American Hockey League game, stopped 33 shots to earn the win.
Milwaukee stung the IceHogs with a pair of first period power play goals to lead 2-0 after one frame. The first came at 8:34 when the Admirals were enjoying a 5-on-3 man advantage. Joakim Kemell blasted the puck from the top of the left circle over the right shoulder of IceHogs goalie Drew Commesso for his fourth goal of the season. It was his first power play marker. Roland McKeown and Egor Afanasyev picked up the assists.
Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead with a 5-on-4 goal at 10:41 of the first. Fedor Svechkov skated with the puck from the right wing to the area behind the IceHogs goal. Commesso looked to his right to defend, but Svechkov stopped and fed the puck back to the right post (Commesso’s left) and Zach L’Heureux deposited the puck high into the cage. It was L’Heureux’s first career power play goal. Svechkov and Marc Del Gaizo recorded the helpers.
Rockford evened the game at 2-2 with a pair of goals in the second period. Antti Saarela scored off a rebound at 9:29 to get Rockford on the board. The IceHogs tied the game with a 5-on-3 power play goal at 16:04 by Anders Bjork.
The teams traded goals in the third period beginning at 2:37 with Dennis Gurianov scoring his fourth goal of the season to give Milwaukee a 3-2 lead. O’Reilly and Kemell were awarded the assists.
Rockford tied the game 3-3 when Colton Dach backhanded a rebound into the net at 8:49.
Milwaukee’s Roland McKeown scored his second goal of the year with a shot from the left circle with only 1:20 remaining in the third period. Del Gaizo and Afanasyev assisted on the goal.
The IceHogs tied the game, and forced overtime, when Joey Anderson scored with just 11.1 seconds remaining.
The Admirals return home Sat., Nov. 18 to play host to the Chicago Wolves at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
