Admirals bitten by the Wolves at home, 8-4

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Admirals allowed a season-high eight goals and lost for the ninth time in their past ten games, falling to the Chicago Wolves 8-4 in Amtrak Rivalry Action Friday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Despite the cold streak the Ads still hold down the seventh spot in the Western Conference playoff race with 74 points, one point up on eighth place Hamilton and three ahead of ninth place Toronto and Chicago.

Milwaukee will look for revenge tomorrow night as the Ads and Wolves finish a home-and-home series at the Allstate Arena.

It was the Wolves who got on the board first, scoring a shorthanded tally just 3:09 into the game when Nathan Longpre found a streaking Jeremy Welsh alone in the slot and Welsh lifted a backhand top shelf past the blocker of Ads goal Marek Mazanc.

Pontus Aberg leveled the score for Milwaukee at the seven minute mark of the opening stanza. Aberg, Joe Pendenza and Austin Watson created sustained pressure in the Wolves zone before Aberg finally collected a loose puck on his backhand, moved it forehand and beat Chicago netminder Jordan Binnington. It was Aberg's first goal since January 31st against Grand Rapids.

The Wolves regained the lead with just over eight minutes remaining on a power-play goal by Magnus Paajarvi, his sixth tally of the season.

Chicago pumped their lead up to two just 27 seconds into the second period when Adam Cracknell was all alone in front of the Milwaukee net and found a loose puck that he slipped by Mazanec.

Eric Robinson's first pro goal pulled the Ads back within one at 4:33 of the second. Mark Van Guilder won a battle for the puck right behind the Chicago net and centered a pass to Robinson high in the slot and he fired a one-timer past the glove of Binnington.

Fellow newcomer Gary Steffes tied the score at three and broke an 0-for-39 power-play slump for the Ads with his first goal in a Milwaukee sweater at 6:30 of the second. Positioned right between the circles, Steffes redirected a pass from Colton Sissons and into the back of the Chicago net.

It was the Ads first power-play goal since March 4th at Lake Erie, a span of 10games.

However just as fast the Ads tied it, Chicago rebuilt their two-goal lead with goals from Jacob Doty at 9:01 and Cracknell at 10:28 to make the score 5-3.

Mike Liambas made things interesting for Milwaukee, pulling the team within a goal at 5-4 at 7:19 of the third period. Liambas grabbed the rebound of a Zach Budish shot right in front of the Chicago net and lifted a backhander over Binnington's shoulder for his fifth of the year.

But a impressive goal by Paajarvi made it 6-4 in favor of the Wolves. A deflected puck went high into the air and just before it landed Paajarvi golfed it from the right hashmarks into the top-left corner with just over nine minutes left in the game.

A pair of empty-net goals by the Wolves gave them their fourth straight win over the Ads. Chicago now leads the Amtrak Rivalry 13 points to 10 with three games to play.