On Saturday night, the Norfolk Admirals and Toledo Walleye met for the last time this season. On Friday night, the Walleye took a 5-1 win over the Admirals thanks to a four-goal third period after what was a tremendous game.
Early in the first period, the Walleye were doing a great job of moving themselves and the puck in the Admirals zone. However, the Admirals stuck with the Walleye and prevented any shots from getting through. Throughout the first, it played out just how game one of the weekend did – physical. Just 6:43 into the game, Toledo struck first as Brandon Hawkins scored his first of what would be two goals of the night. Throwing a shot on net from a bad angle beat Dante Giannuzzi five hole.
The rest of the first period was fast-paced with a ton of back-and-forth play, but Toledo would head into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.
First Period Stats
Shots
Norfolk: 11
Toledo: 9
Powerplays
Norfolk: 0/2
Toledo: 0/0
Right out of the gate in the second period, the Admirals knotted the game at one just 15 seconds in. Carson Musser threw a shot on net from the blueline with Denis Smirnov standing in front of the net. Smirnov got just enough of a tip on the puck to put it past the glove of Jan Bednar. The game did not stay tied for long. At 5:33, Carson Bantle gave Toledo it’s lead back with his first of two goals. Much like Friday night’s game, it was raining goals for Toledo as it tacked on another just 1:20 later thanks to Jed Pietila. It did not end there as the aforementioned Hawkins tallied his second goal at 12:46, giving the Walleye a 4-1 lead heading into the second intermission. The second period was all Walleye as they limited the Admirals chances, giving them just two shots the entire period.
Second Period Stats
Shots
Norfolk: 2
Toledo: 11
Powerplays
Norfolk: 0/1
Toledo: 1/1
Early in the third period, the Walleye extended their lead as Griffin Ness tallied his fourth goal of the season for four unanswered goals just 2:13 in. The Admirals finally got on the board again as Stepan Timofeyev made no mistake of his breakaway opportunity to make it a 5-2 game. It would not matter, however, as the Walleye tacked on an empty-net goal from Bantle with 4:25 left to go in the game, sending Admirals’ fans home upset.
Third Period Stats
Shots
Norfolk: 8
Toledo: 12
Powerplays
Norfolk: 0/0
Toledo: 0/2
Three Stars
- Brandon Hawkins
- Carson Bantle
- Tyler Spezia
Next Up
With the loss and Wheeling Nailers win, the Admirals now sit in second place with a 6-4-3 record, two points behind Wheeling, and two points ahead of the Adirondack Thunder.
The Admirals finish off their homestand when they welcome the Reading Royals on Wednesday night (Nov. 20) for a 7:05 p.m. puck drop.
The Walleye sit with a 9-3-1 record which keeps them in first place in the Western Conference by three points.
Toledo will be back home at Huntington Center on Friday (Nov. 22) and Saturday (Nov. 23) when they welcome the Orlando Solar Bears for a two-game set.
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