Chicago, IL— The Admirals limited the Chicago Wolves to just 18 shots on goal, and Troy Grosenick stopped them all, in the Admirals 5-0 win over the Chicago Wolves Saturday at Allstate Arena.
Milwaukee has won ten straight games and hasn’t lost since Dec. 31 at Rockford. In that span, Admirals goalies Grosenick and Yaroslav Askarov have combined for five shutouts and have allowed just 14 goals against. The shutout was the second of the season for Grosenick.
Individually, Grosenick tied an Admirals franchise record with his 10th straight victory. The record was set by Frank Caprice in the 1988-89 season and equaled by Brian Finley in the 2003-04 campaign.
The win was Karl Taylor’s 184th as heads coach of Milwaukee. That moved hjm into sole possession of second place on the Admirals AHL wins list. Claude Noel won 183. Dean Evason is the Admirals AHL wins leader among coaches with 242.
During its five-game winning streak, Chicago hadn’t allowed a first-period goal. Milwaukee tallied twice in the first stanza on just four shots. The Wolves only managed four shots on goal, too.
Playing his 100th game as an Admiral, defenseman Adam Wilsby scored the first goal of the game at 8:18 of the first period. A clearing attempt was held in at the left point by Wilsby as Egor Afanasyev went to the front of the goal to screen the Chicago goalie. Wilsby blasted a slap shot that went to the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season.
Milwaukee scored its second goal at 13:37 of the first frame. Marc Del Gaizo fed a pass to Liam Foudy who raced into the Chicago zone. Foudy tried to make a move at the right circle and was thwarted. He then spun and sent a wrist shot over the right shoulder of goalie Adam Scheel for his third marker of the year.
The Admirals kept the offensive pressure going in the second period. During a stretch of 4-on-4 play, Fedor Svechkov carried the puck toward the Chicago net. He was forced to his right. From the goal line he sent the puck into the crease and it caromed off a Wolves defender into the net at 7:02. The goal was Svechkov’s 12th of the season and was assisted by Spencer Stastney and Wilsby.
Defenseman. Jake Livingstone scored his first professional goal at 9:40 of the second period. Afanasyev skated with the puck toward the Wolves left corner. He spied Livingstone alone in the slot and fed the defenseman a pass. Livingstone loaded the shot and rifled it past the stick of Scheel. Afanasyev and Mark Jankowski were awarded the helpers.
Former Admirals forward Rocco Grimaldi had a chance to get Chicago on the board when he was awarded a penalty shot at 15:38 of the second period, but Grosenick made a glove save to keep the Wolves goalless.
Jankowski closed the scoring at 9:35 of the third period with his 15th goal of the season. Juuso Parssinen and Afanasyev picked up the assists.
Milwaukee finished with 33 shots on goal.
The Admirals return home for five straight games beginning Tues., Jan. 30 against the San Diego Gulls. The face-off is scheduled for 6:30 pm at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
