Slow start too much for Admirals to overcome, fall 5-2 to Penguins

MILWAUKEE --  Anthony Richard and Duncan Siemens scored goals for the Admirals but it wasn’t enough as they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday night at Panther Arena.

The loss the was the fourth straight for Milwaukee, who will look to right the ship on Saturday afternoon when they host Chicago at 1 pm.

Wilkes-Barre controlled the first period, outshooting the Admirals 14-8 and scoring three times. Sam Lafferty picked up his first of the night with a power-play tally from the right circle that clanged off the post and in 5:22 into the game.

Jimmy Hayes made it 2-0 midway through the first and then Lafferty split the Admirals defense and converted a semi-breakaway with 3:19 remaining in the opening stanza to stake the Penguins to a 3-0 lead.

After Sam Miletic gave Wilkes-Barre a four-goal lead, Richard got the Admirals on the board with his 18th tally of the year and his first shorthanded. The play started when Ads defenseman Jarred Tinordi backhanded the puck from his own blueline high in the air through the neutral zone. From there Richard gathered it and went racing in on John Muse, sending a wrister over the goalie’s left shoulder.

Duncan Siemens first goal as an Admiral with 5:47 to play was the team’s second goal of the night. The goal came just 44 seconds after Wilkes-Barre’s Joe Blandisi scored.

The Admirals have a quick turnaround as they play host to the Wolves tomorrow afternoon at Panther Arena. The first 2,500 fans will take home an Admirals/Brewers reversible floppy hat, courtesy of the Milwaukee Brewers.