Admirals Even Series with 5-2 Win Over Firebirds

The Milwaukee Admirals welcomed the Coachella Valley Firebirds back to UMW Panther Arena Thursday evening for game four of the best of seven AHL Western Conference Finals series. 

Admirals backup goaltender Devin Cooley got the nod in net tonight after playing a strong game on Monday to help Milwaukee earn their first win in the series. Joey Daccord started yet again for the Firebirds. 

Game Recap

Devin Cooley was tested quickly by the Firebirds, and the officials had to pause the game just :30 in to confirm the Admirals' goaltender kept the puck out during a net front flurry. The Admirals were on the defensive early, and at 5:13 Jimmy Schuldt got Coachella Valley on the scoreboard first with a slapshot - his fifth goal of the playoffs. 

The goal against seemed to wake up Milwaukee and they began to pressure Daccord, Phil Tomasino batted the puck towards the net and Daccord's save attempt deflected the puck in to tie the game at 10:00. 

The temperature of the game heated up as Spencer Stastney and Tye Kartye headed to their respective penalty boxes for crosschecking and roughing at 13:41. Four on four play was interrupted when Adam Wilsby joined Stastney after being called for interference, but neither team capitalized on the extra ice space. With :19 remaining in the opening period, Kole Lind skated into Devin Cooley and headed to the box for goaltender interference. The period ended with 1:41 carrying over on the Admirals' power play. 

Milwaukee took advantage of the remaining time as the second period began. Isaac Ratcliffe scored at 1:04 to give Milwaukee their first lead of the game. Less than a minute later, Eddie Wittchow scored through net front traffic to make it 2-2. 

A slash by Wittchow earned Milwaukee a brief power play, but the man advantage was interrupted by a holding call on Evangelista at 8:31. The teams played 4 on 4, and then the remaining Firebirds power play was killed off. At 10:39 Ratcliffe was tripped trying to clean up a rebound, and the Admirals got another chance to play a man up. This time Joakim Kemell score his fourth power play goal of the postseason to give the Admirals the lead once more. 

Isaac Ratcliffe was called for a cross check and a high stick at 17:29, and the Admirals spent the rest of the second period killing off a chunk of the double minor. The teams headed into the second intermission with Milwaukee up 3-2 but Coachella Valley carrying over 1:29 of power play time. 

The final period started with a goal - by Milwaukee's Michael McCarron shorthanded at :17 after Mark Jankowski intercepted the puck in the neutral zone and dished it between his legs to McCarron for the two goal lead. The Admirals killed off the remaining penalty, and the penalty killers held strong again at 8:16 as Keaton Thompson served time for hooking. 

The Firebirds pushed hard to get back into the game, but the Admirals and net minder Devin Cooley didn't blink. At 16:22, Joey Daccord headed to the bench to give Coachella Valley an extra attacker. At 17:18 Egor Afanasyev was awarded a goal after drawing a penalty on a breakaway to the empty net.

A last minute scrum resulted in Joakim Kemell needing medical attention and skating off the ice bent over in pain as emotions flared and time expired. The Admirals tied up the series with their 5-2 home win. 

The teams will meet on Saturday at UWM Panther Arena once again for game five. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 pm CST. 

Related Reading:

Trotz on Karl Taylor and Predators Coaching Search: "Karl Was a Factor"

Relationships Were Key In Brunette Hire

Did John Hynes Fail the Preds or Did the Preds Fail John Hynes?