Milwaukee, WI–Cal O’Reilly recorded four points to lead the Milwaukee Admirals to a 4-1 win over the Chicago Wolves Saturday at Allstate Arena.
The win was Milwaukee’s first of the season (1-1-0-0).
O’Reilly, the Admirals all-time leading scorer in the team’s American Hockey League history, posted points in each of the three periods, including the game-winning goal.
Admirals goalie Matt Murray was sharp in his Milwaukee debut. Murray stopped 31 shots to pick up his first win of the season.
Milwaukee scored its first goal of the season, and first of the game, at 17:03 of the first period. Kieffer Bellows intercepted a neutral zone pass and skated to the net. His shot was kicked aside by Wolves goalie Spencer Martin, but Bellows corralled the rebound. He then sent a pass on the left wing rim behind the Wolves net to Cal O’Reilly. O’Reilly moved the puck to a wide-open Joakim Kemell for the goal from the front of the net.
The Admirals grabbed a 2-0 lead with a power play goal at 7:01 of the second period. Vinnie Hinostroza sent a pass from the right wing wall behind the Wolves net for Zach L’Heureux. L’Heureux then passed the puck to O’Reilly at the goal mouth. O’Reilly deked to his backhand and gently slid the puck past the outstretched left leg of Martin for the tally.
Chicago scored a power play goal of its own at 13:07 of the second period to make it 2-1. Ryan Suzuki chased a loose puck which caromed out of the left corner into that circle and slapped a shot off the post and in for his first goal of the year.
Bellows scored his first goal of the season after receiving a breakaway pass from O’Reilly at 5:21 of the third stanza. O’Reilly intercepted a pass at the Milwaukee line and found Bellows streaking up the middle. Bellows snapped a wrist shot past the blocker of Martin.
Milwaukee iced the win when Reid Schaefer scored an empty-net shorthanded goal at 17:47 of the third. O’Reilly picked up the lone helper.
Milwaukee resumes play Fri., Oct. 18 at Rockford. The Admirals will open the home portion of the schedule when the team hosts Rockford Sat., Oct. 19 at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.