Rocco Grimaldi scored two goals to lead the Milwaukee Admirals to a 4-2 win over the Manitoba Moose Monday at Canada Life Centre.
The win snapped a two-game winless skid for the Admirals (25-20-3-2). Milwaukee remains in third place in the Central Division with the victory.
Admirals goalie Connor Ingram picked up his 20th victory of the season, stripping 30 shots. The Moose outshot the Admirals 32-20.
Jeff Malott, who scored the overtime winner for Manitoba the previous day against the Admirals, scored the first goal of the game with a power play marker at 3:57 of the first period to give the Moose a 1-0 advantage.
Milwaukee tied the game with a power play goal of its own just 66 seconds later. Matt Donovan slid a pass from the point to Tommy Novak in the left circle. Novak’s cross-ice pass found Grimaldi, who ripped a shot into the goal for his 22nd tally of the year. Grimaldi’s sixth power play goal, assisted by Novak and Donovan, was scored at 5:03 of the first frame.
Manitoba scored another power play goal at :32 of the second period to take the 2-1 lead. Leon Gawanke shot the puck from the left circle into the cage for his eighth goal of the season. Gawanke has recorded 10 points in seven games against the Admirals this season.
Grimaldi scored his second of the game with 1:06 remaining in the second stanza. He received a pass from Cody Glass and breezed past the defense to the goal. He faked backhand, got goalie Philippe Desrosiers to bite, then went back to the forehand to slide the puck into the net for his 23rd goal of the season. Glass and Matt Tennyson were awarded the assists.
The Admirals scored the game-winner at 3:16 of the third period. Milwaukee’s fourth power play attempt had just ended as Malott came out of the penalty box. Cole Schneider had the puck in the left corner and fed the puck to the high slot for Mitch McLain. McLain paused, then whipped a wrist shot past Desrosiers for his 12th goal of the season.
Schneider scored an empty-netter at 18:01 of the third period to seal the victory. It was Schneider’s 20th goal of the season. Glass picked up the lone assist.
The Admirals and Moose play again in Winnipeg on Wed., Feb. 23. The Admirals return home Sat., Feb. 26 to host the Colorado Eagles at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
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