Milwaukee, WI—Anthony Richard scored with just 35 seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Admirals to a 4-3 win over the Cleveland Monsters on Friday night at Panther Arena.
Late in the 3-on-3 session, Richard corralled a loose puck in the Ads zone and raced up ice, getting behind the Monsters defense and slipped it five-hole past Cleveland goalie Cam Johnson. It was Richard’s fourth goal of the season and his first in OT.
The win kicked-off a three game homestand for Milwaukee and also snapped a three-game losing skid.
After the Monsters grabbed an early 1-0 lead, Graham Knott knotted the score at one with his fourth of the season. The play started when Anthony Richard tried a wrap-around that was denied by Johnson. Knott eventually found the loose puck and jammed it home at 8:12 of the opening stanza.
Reassigned by Nashville one day earlier, River Falls native Tommy Novak scored his first of the season with a power-play marker at the 2:29 mark of the sandwich stanza. Rocco Grimaldi carried the puck around the Monsters net and found Novak open in the left face-off circle and he fired a shot over Johnson’s left shoulder for a 2-1 Milwaukee lead.
The duo would reverse the goal/assist later in the second when Novak sent a cross-ice pass to Grimaldi, who blasted it home for his 11th led-lighter of the campaign.
However, the Monsters would battle back and tie the score at three before the period was finished on goals from Brendan Gaunce and Josh Dunne.
Despite a combined 23 shots on goal in the third period neither team was able find the back of the net, setting the stage for Richard’s heroics.
Richard, Grimaldi, and Novak all finished with a goal and an assist, while Cole Smith chipped in a pair of helpers to pace the Ads offense. Connor Ingram stopped 25 of 28 shots to pick up the win in net for Milwaukee.
The Admirals get right back at it on Saturday night when they play host to the Rockford IceHogs at 6 pm at Panther Arena.
