The Adirondack Thunder came into Saturday Night looking to take all three games in Norfolk after the Admirals would take the opening two games in Glens Falls, as Adirondack, with a win, would be heading back home with a chance to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals. In the opening minutes, things would get a little strange as the Thunder took a penalty less than a minute but would end up killing it off to avoid a rather than-ideal start. At the 11:10 mark of the opening frame, the referees headed to the scores table, and after a five-minute delay, it was discovered that Norfolk’s Gehrett Sargis, who was playing in the game, was not on Norfolk’s lineup card and would be sent off and Norfolk would have to play the rest of the game a man short. Adirondack, despite taking two penalties in the opening frame, would keep Norfolk off the board as we’d be scoreless after the opening 20.
Norfolk would open up the scoring in the second, as Josh McDougall was given a wide-open lane to walk in and score on Isaac Poulter at the 10:24 mark of the middle frame. Adirondack would outshoot Norfolk 13-6 in the middle frame but would have nothing to show for it. The final 20 minutes would be pivotal as the winner of Game 5 would head to Glens Falls with a chance to head to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Thunder would tie the game up as Yushiro Hirano would somehow get his stick on a shot from Tristan Ashbrook and beat Yaniv Perets five-hole at the 12:02 mark, and just over two and a half minutes later, it would be Ryan Smith who, for the third straight night would pick up the game-winning goal. Norfolk did have their chances in the final minutes as Colin Felix took a penalty with 3:03 to go, but Adirondack would kill it off as they finished the night four for four on the PK. Isaac Poulter made 21 saves for his fifth win of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Adirondack, with a win on Tuesday or Wednesday, would meet the Florida Everblades in the Eastern Conference Finals in a rematch of the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals.
