Milwaukee Admirals power past Griffins
(Courtesy: Milwaukee Admirals)
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Admirals scored a pair of first period power-play goals and raced out to an 4-0 lead as they cruised to a 4-2 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday night.
Milwaukee picked up goals from Zach Sanford, Egor Afanasyev, Roland McKeown, and Captain Cole Schneider, while Devin Cooley stopped 28 shots as the Admirals won for the third consecutive game.
Just like Friday night, the Admirals got out to a quick start, thanks in large part to their power-play. And just like Friday night, it was Sanford who scored the team’s first goal, tallying his seventh of the year and second on the PP. Sanford found the rebound of a Marc Del Gaizo shot, outmuscled a Griffins defender and goalie Alex Nedelijkovic and swept the puck into the cage at 7:05.
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Afanasyev picked up his 10th of the season as the Admirals converted on their fifth consecutive power-play at the 9:12 mark of the first. With former Admiral Matt Luff in the box for tripping, Afanasyev fired a snapper from the left point that made it by a screened Nedelijkovic for a 2-0 advantage.
McKeown and Afanasyev played a little give and go with McKeown converting into a wide open net with 2:39 left in the first and three-goal Milwaukee advantage.
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Schneider turned defense into offense early in the second to make it 4-0. Schneider blocked a shot from the point and the puck deflected off his shins and down towards the Grand Rapids zone. He won a foot race to the puck and fired a shot from the left dot for his 15th of the season and 73rd of his Admirals career.
Simon Edvinsson spoiled Cooley’s shutout bid with a 5-on-3 goal for Grand Rapids 5:03 into the third period. The Griffins’ Jasper Weatherby scored at 8:47, but the Admirals defense and Cooley shut the door from there to pick up the win.
The Admirals continue their season-long six-game homestand with a rematch against the Griffins on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.