CEDAR PARK, TX - The Admirals jumped out to an early first period lead, but it was Texas who scored the contest’s final three goals as Milwaukee dropped a 6-3 decision in game one of the Western Division Semifinals on Thursday night, May 2.
The Ads will look to level the best-of-five series on Saturday night with game two at 7 pm at the H-E-B Center.
The Admirals got ahead early courtesy of goals from Phil Tomasino and Fedor Svechkov. Tomasino got the scoring going when he stripped the puck from a Texas defender at the Milwaukee blueline and then raised in on a breakaway eventually pulling Stars goalie Remi Poirier out of position and sliding the puck past his left leg at 6:17 of the first.
Svechkov pushed the Ads lead to two with 9:03 to go in the first as he collected the rebound of a Joakim Kemell shot and push it five-hole past Porier.
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However, the Stars scored the next three goals starting with a wrister from their captain Curtis McKenzie at the 12:52 mark of the opening frame that sailed over left shoulder of Milwaukee goalie Yaroslav Askarov.
Matthew Seminoff tied the score at two early in the second period and that was followed by a goal from Emilo Pettersen at 8:28 to give Texas the lead at 3-2.
The Admirals would respond and knot the score with 1:45 to go in the sandwich frame on Cal O’Reilly’s 16th career Calder Cup Playoff goal. O’Reilly led a rush into the Milwaukee zone and his centering pass went off a Stars defenseman and into the net to make it a 3-3 contest.
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Unfortunately for the Admirals that was the end of their scoring as Matej Blumel potted the eventual game-winner at 4:27 of the third period for the Stars. Pettersen got his second of the game at 12:53 of the third and Mavrik Bourque put the game out of reach with an empty netter with 38 seconds to go.
The two teams get back at it on Saturday night fore game two before the series shifts to Milwaukee for games three, four, and five beginning Wednesday May 8th at 7 pm at Panther Arena.