Quick start to third period leads Admirals to 4-1 win over Grand Rapids Griffins
MILWAUKEE -- Two tallies in the first 97 seconds of the third period helped break open a one-goal contest and lead the Admirals to a 4-1 win over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Tuesday night, March 29th at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
The win extended the Admirals lead in the Central Division to five points with eight games left in the regular season and it also lowered Milwaukee's magic number to clinch a spot in the post-season to three.
Juuse Saros continued his impressive play, stopping 28 of 29 shots for his ninth win in his past 11th starts and his 24th victory on the year.
Vladislav Kamenev got the Ads on the board first with a power-play goal with 4:14 remaining in the first period. Taylor Aronson passed from the blueline to Kamenev on the right point. He held the puck form a moment before ripping a slapper past Griffins goalie Jared Coreau.
Matt White pushed Milwaukee's lead to 2-0 with his 10th goal of the year at the 5:58 mark of the second period. White was stationed out in front of the Grand Rapids net and Aronson chased down a puck in the corner before passing to an unguarded White, who chipped it by Coreau.
It wasn't long, however, before the Griffs got one back as the team's leading scorer Andy Miele scored at 8:20 of the middle frame to cut the lead to 2-1.
A quick start out of the gate in the third period pumped the Admirals lead to 4-1 off goals from Stefan Elliott and Max Reinhart. Elliott's tally came just 27 seconds into the period when he stickhandled into the Grand Rapids zone before firing a wrister that beat Coreau high-glove side. Just over a minute later a Pontus Aberg poke-check sprung Max Reinhart on a breakaway and he went high-glove side for his team-best 20th goal of the season.
After giving up two power-play goals in their last outing the Ads PK unit was on-point, killing off all five Grand Rapids PP chances, including a five-on-three the last minute of the first period.
The Ads look to continue their seven-game point streak on Saturday night when they host the San Antonio Rampage at 7 pm at the BMOHBC.