ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Goalie Anders Lindback stopped 29 shots to lead the Milwaukee Admirals to a 4-3 shootout win over the Chicago Wolves Tuesday, April 3 at Allstate Arena.
Lindback denied all three Wolves shooters in the skills competition and improved his record to 10-1 in shootouts this season. The Ads have won 11 games in a shootout, while losing just one, during the campaign.
Milwaukee’s Trevor Smith scored the only goal for either team during the shootout to give the Admirals an important win. The Admirals trail fourth-place Rockford for the final playoff spot in the Central Division by five points with six games remaining.
Both clubs had a chance to win the game in overtime as Chicago’s Teemu Pulkkinen and the Admirals Anthony Richard had breakaways. Pulkkinen hit the crossbar while Richard was stopped by Wolves goalie Oscar Dansk.
The teams combined for six goals (three apiece) in a wild first period. Milwaukee took the first lead of the game at 1:50 of the first period when Anthony Richard swooped to the net from the right circle and snapped a shot into the goal for his 18th marker of the season. Smith picked up the assist.
The Wolves tied the game when Pulkkinen was sprung on a breakaway by a Beau Bennett pass at 8:48 of the first period.
Admirals defenseman Frederic Allard reclaimed the lead for his team when he finished off a three-man weave with a shot from the left circle which found the net. Allard’s sixth goal of the year was assisted by Harry Zolnierczyk and Frederick Gaudreau. Zolnierczyk’s assist was the 100th in his American Hockey League career. Another milestone in the game for Zolnierczyk: it was his 350th career AHL game.
Chicago tied the game when Brett Sterling scored his 13th goal of the season at 11:44 of the first period then the Wolves took the lead on a Paul Thompson deflection at 12:41.
The Admirals knotted the game again at 17:03 of the first period. Richard skated into the offensive zone and dropped the puck at the right circle for Bobby Butler. Butler’s low shot went into the cage for his team-leading 24th goal of the season.
The Admirals will return home to Panther Arena to host Cleveland Wed., April 4.