One Affiliate Is Doing Well

There likely aren't a lot of people paying attention to the Winnipeg Jets' ECHL affiliate, but the Norfolk Admirals have one series in the books after they dispatched the Wheeling Nailers tonight. The third-seeded team in the North Division standings upset the second-seeded team in five games as Norfolk will move on while Wheeling will head home and examine where things went wrong. With the Jets having a handful of prospects with the Admirals, the future may be bright for the Moose and the Jets if a first-round victory is proof of their talents. The Admirals will head north for their next series after winning tonight in Wheeling, Pennsylvania!

Three points separated Wheeling and Norfolk in the standings at the end of the season, so it appeared that the two teams might be in for a long battle. Instead, the Admirals opened the series with back-to-back shutouts and three-straight wins as Wheeling had no answer for Norfolk's stifling defence and goaltending as they took a stranglehold on the series over the week that the first three games were played. With the series clearly in Norfolk's favour, the only question seemed to be whether they would win in Wheeling or in Norfolk.

Before we get to tonight's game, it should be noted that Moose defender Darick Louis-Jean was solid throughout the series as he posted three goals and two helpers while being good at both ends of the ice. Moose goaltender Thomas Milic picked up three wins in four games while posting a 1.25 GAA and a .961 save percentage, and future Moose netminder Domenic DiVincentiis is 1-for-1 in playoff games as he picked up the series-clinching win while posting a 2.00 GAA and a .935 save percentage. While most of the scoring came from players signed by the Admirals, it's pretty clear the goaltending played a large part in helping Norfolk advance.

Game One saw Milic turn in a 29-save shutout while all of Darick Louis-Jean, Brady Fleurent, Grant Hebert, and Jack O'Leary all had tallies for the Admirals in the 4-0 victory. The Admirals would repeat the same performance in Game Two as Darick Louis-Jean, Ben Zloty, Denis Smirnov, and Sean Montgomery found the back of the net while Milic stopped all 33 shots he faced as Norfolk swept the two games at home to start the series. The next three games would be played in Wheeling, so the Admirals had the advantage as they hit the road.

It would be six days after Game Two that the third game got underway in Wheeling, but the Admirals didn't slow down. Denis Smirnov and Sean Montgomery put Norfolk up 2-0 before Milic surrendered his first goal in the series at the 15:56 mark of the second period - 155:56 of shutout hockey! Ryan Chyzowski would add one more goal before the end of the period as Norfolk held a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes. Add in third period goals by Colton Young and Brandon Brodzinski, and Norfolk had a 3-0 series lead thanks to a 5-1 victory in Game Three. It was do-or-die for Wheeling at this point.

Game Four went last night as the Nailers had to win to keep the series going, and they found the back of the net just 2:05 seconds into the first period, but that goal would be erased 42 seconds later by Norfolk's Ryan Chyzowski. Wheeling would add another goal in the frame, and they'd add two more in third period as the Admirals faltered in Game Four by a 4-1 score, but the series was still clearly in their favour at a 3-1 count. However, Game Five would be the third game in three nights, so it was expected that we might see changes.

That brought us to tonight's Game Five contest where Domenic DiVincentiis got the start for the Admirals, and he was sensational in the blue paint. Denis Smirnov and Brandon Osmundson scored 53 seconds apart to put Norfork up 2-0 by the 4:00 mark, but Wheeling would get one back when David Jankowski found room past DiVincentiis as Norfolk took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Colton Youn restored the two-goal lead early in the third period, Wheeling cut it to a one-goal lead, but Norfolk would close out the series with goals by Young and Darick Louis-Jean for the 5-2 win!

Norfolk was posted some impressive numbers in closing out the series. They were 4-0 in games where they scored first, they only allowed seven goals in five games while posting two shutouts, and they allowed just one power-play goal while being shorthanded 12 times. Norfolk didn't really struggle in scoring goals they outscored Wheeling 7-3 in the first period, 4-1 in the second period, and 8-3 in the third period. They were 3-of-18 on the power-play which isn't great, but they won the special teams battle in this series!

The Admirals will now head north of the border for their next series as the top-seeded Trois-Rivières Lions await. The Lions were dominant in sweeping the Reading Royals, ourscoring them 17-7, but needing double-overtime in Game Three for the win. Alex Beaucage has four goals and seven points, Xavier Cormier has seven helpers, and Nicolas Guay has three goals and five points. Luke Cavallin won all four games in the Trois-Rivières crease, posting a 1.59 GAA and a .945 save percentage. The Lions finished the season with 98 points.

Games One and Two will happen on May 2 and 4 in Trois-Rivières, and I suspect that these games will be a battle as both teams look to grab the lead in the series. Games Three through Five will happen in Norfolk on May 8, May 9, and May 11, respectively. Game Five may not be necessary, and both Games Six and Seven may not be necessary either as the series shifts back to Trois-Rivières on May 13 and 14. Whichever team wins this series will face the winner of the ECHL South Division with a Kelly Cup berth on the line.

With Winnipeg up 2-1 on St. Louis, we'll see if they can follow their ECHL affiliate's lead in taking a stranglehold on their series tomorrow. Thanks to Norfolk's five-game win over Wheeling, they'll have a week off to get ready for their visit to Quebec. I'm hoping they can earn a split in La Belle Province so they come home to Norfolk with a shot to close out the series, but the Lions have been impressive all season. This series should be a beauty beginning next Friday!

Here's hoping the kids can keep the momentum rolling!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!