Winnipeg, MB–Milwaukee netminder Matt Murray stopped 42 shots to guide the Admirals to a game one 4-1 win over the Manitoba Moose in the best-of-three first round series on Wednesday night.

The 42 saves for Murray ties a playoff career high and is the most by an Ads netminder in a playoff game since Devin Cooley made 47 saves in a win over Chicago on May 25th, 2022.

Reid Schaefer, Brady Martin, Kevin Gravel, and Cole O’Hara scored the goals for the Ads, who won on the road in a post-season game one for the first time since April 28th, 2023 which also happened to be against Manitoba.

The Admirals got on the board first when Schaefer redirected a shot from Jordan Oesterle at 9:18 of the first period. Cole O’Hara also picked up an assist on the play.

Milwaukee’s lead went to 2-0 when Martin, the Preds first-round pick in 2025, scored his first pro goal less than three minutes later. Tanner Molendyk’s outlet pass went from the Ads zone to the far blueline where Zach L’Heureux one-touched it to Martin, who split two Manitoba defenders and beat Thomas Milic five-hole.

Gravel, the Admirals Captain, picked up his third career playoff goal to push the team’s advantage to three at 6:45 of the second period when his shot from the left point got past a screened Milic.

Manitoba got on the board at the beginning of the third period when Parker Ford lifted a backhand from in tight over Murray’s pad the 4:14 mark to make the score 3-1.

However that was as close as the Moose would make it as Murray was impressive down the stretch for the Ads, making 15 of his 41 saves in the third period. Cole O’Hara sealed things up with an empty net goal with 1:19 to go in the game.

The Admirals will look to close out the Moose when they play game two on Friday, April 24th at 7 pm.