Admirals fall to the IceHogs, 4-2

MILWAUKEE -- Three power play goals helped the Rockford IceHogs defeat the Milwaukee Admirals Saturday night in Rockford, 4-2.

Rockford scored first when Peter LeBlanc redirected a Brandon Pirri pass into the net at 10:35 of the first period. On the power play, the IceHogs Pirri passed the puck to the top of the crease where LeBlanc was able to tip the puck into the net.

Milwaukee tied the game with a power play marker of its own at 13:57 of the first period. Blake Geoffrion fed a pass from the right wing boards to Ryan Ellis at the point. Ellis fed Jon Blum for a slapshot from the middle of the blue line. With Ryan Thang providing traffic in front of Rockford goalie Carter Hutton, Blum’s shot snuck past the left glove of Hutton into the net for his first goal with the Admirals this season.

Rockford fired 19 shots on goalie Jeremy Smith in the first period, a season high by an Admirals opponent. The IceHogs also finished with 44 shots on goal in the game, the most by an Admirals opponent in a game this year.

The IceHogs took the lead with another power play goal at 4:57 of the second. Rostislav Olesz moved the puck from the left circle to the right for a Pirri one-timer past Smith. Rockford extended the lead when Brandon Bollig carried the puck into the Admirals zone on the left wing and sent a wristshot over the right shoulder of Smith at 15:15 of the second period.

Pirri scored his second power play goal of the game when he rimmed the puck from the red line behind Smith. Smith went behind the net to handle the puck but it hit a seam in the glass and bounced back in front of the open net for Pirri to tap in at 9:58 of the third period.

Blum scored his second of the game at 19:05 of the third period when his shot from between the circles made the net. Taylor Beck and Teemu Laakso recorded the helpers.

Milwaukee returns home Sunday, Dec. 18 at 5:00 pm against Peoria.