Admirals edge the IceHogs, 4-3

MILWAUKEE -- Kevin Henderson scored the game-winning goal 1:45 into overtime and Gabriel Bourque lit the lamp twice to help the Milwaukee Admirals defeat the Rockford IceHogs on 4-3 on Friday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Henderson’s goal started when defenseman Victor Bartley dropped a pass off for him at the right face-off dot. Henderson fanned on an initial shot, which served to freeze Rockford goalie Carter Hutton just enough that when the Milwaukee forward regained control he fired a quick shot five-hole for his first career overtime marker.

Milwaukee had built a 3-1 second period lead when Michael Latta picked up his fourth of the season at the 11:02 mark of the second. However, the IceHogs battled back, pulling to within one with just eight seconds left in the middle frame on a Brandon Pirri goal off the face-off. They tied score at 4:04 of the third on a Martin St. Pierre one-timer from the top of the left circle, which set the stage for Henderson’s OT heroics.

It took Rockford just 40 seconds to grab a 1-0 lead when Nick Leddy beat Milwaukee goalie Jeremy Smith with a slapper.

However, Bourque tied the game up for Milwaukee and unleashed an avalanche of teddy bears with his fourth goal in as many games at the 7:04 mark. After a Taylor Beck attempt was stopped by Hutton, Bourque jumped on the puck and crammed it home for the power-play tally. The teddy bears were thrown as part of the U.S. Cellular Teddy Bear toss and all the bears were collected and donated to needy children in the Milwaukee area.

Bourque struck again at the 11:34, again on the power-play. Defenseman Ryan Ellis walked the puck in from the right point and chipped it over to Bourque. The puck tipped off of Bourque’s stick up in the air and just before it landed he swatted it by Hutton.

Bourque now has five goals in his past four games and it was is second two-goal game in his past three contests. He has seven red-lighters on the season which is third on the team in spite of the fact that he has played in just 12 games because of injury.

The Admirals get back on the road tomorrow night when they are in Peoria to face the Rivermen. Milwaukee returns to the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Sunday afternoon at 5 pm when they host the Hamilton Bulldogs.