On April 14, the Norfolk Admirals announced their schedule and the opponent they will be facing in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. While the Admirals are the higher seed, it will not be a traditional playoff round due to the Virginia International Tattoo event taking place at Norfolk Scope in downtown Norfolk, VA, the same week. The Admirals will be starting the series on the road for the first three games of the series when they face the Trois-Rivieres Lions.
The Admirals clinched their first Kelly Cup Playoff appearance since rejoining the ECHL during the 2015/16 season. They clinched back on March 29 when they defeated the Atlanta Gladiators 5-2 on home ice thanks to big performances from Danny Katic (three assists) and Stepan Timofeyev (two goals). If the home crowd was not already excited while the Admirals were up 4-2, Norfolk goaltender Oskari Salminen gave them even more to be excited for. Salminen would shoot the puck all the way down to an empty Gladiators net to extend the Admirals’ lead to 5-2 at 19:36 of the third period and seal the win.
The Admirals shocked many in the ECHL as just last year, they finished dead last in the league with a 21-46-2-3 record for 47 points. With a switch at the head coaching position after a 1-7 start last year and the Admirals signing an affiliate agreement with the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose during the offseason, there was a different feel to the team to start the season. The Admirals start off hot, going 9-3-1-0 in November. From there, the Admirals continued their winning ways throughout the rest of the season. From what was just a 21-win team last season, the Admirals almost doubled their wins this season, going 41-21-6-1 for 89 points, and finished in seventh place in the ECHL. This was also the Admirals first winning season since rejoining the ECHL. Due to the Newfoundland Growlers being terminated a few weeks ago, the Admirals did not play a full 72-game season.
Admirals Round One Schedule
* indicates if necessary games.
Game 1: @ TR April 17 | 7p.m.
Game 2: @ TR April 19 | 7 p.m
Game 3: @ TR April 20 | 7 p.m.
Game 4: @ Norfolk Scope April 24 | 7:05 p.m.
*Game 5: @ Norfolk Scope April 27 | 7:05 p.m.
*Game 6: @ Norfolk Scope April 28 | 7:05 p.m.
*Game 7: @ Norfolk Scope May 1 | 7:05 p.m.
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