Admirals get caught in Moose trap

MILWAUKEE -- The Admirals gave up four unanswered goals to drop their second straight game in a 4-1 loss to the Manitoba Moose at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Saturday night.

Milwaukee has scored just two goals over their past two games after scoring 24 in the six previous.

Less than five minutes into the game Max Gortz put the Ads in the lead with his 11th goal of the year. With Gortz stationed in front of the net Kevin Fiala sent a backhand pass from the backwall right to him. Gortz held the puck for a moment to pull Manitoba goalie Connor Hellebuyck out of position before sidestepping him and dumping the puck into a wide open net.

However, just 19 seconds later Manitoba evened the score at one when Brandon Kitchon fired a wrister from the top of the right dot that found its way through traffic and by Marek Mazanec.

After a scoreless second period, former Admiral Matt Halischuk redirected a shot from Julian Melchiori past Mazanec just 32 seconds into the third to give the Moose a 2-1 advantage. Halischuk has six goals on the season and four have come against his former mates.

A two-one-one with John Albert and Halischuk resulted in an Albert goal at 9:35 of the final frame to push the Moose lead to 3-1.

Milwaukee had a number of opportunities in third, including two power-plays, but they could solve Hellebuyck.

The Admirals get right back at it tomorrow when they play host to the Iowa Wild at the BMOHBC at 3 pm in the team's annual Purina Dog Day Afternoon.