By Ken Peacock
What a difference a night makes. After dominating the Falcons last night the Norfolk Admirals (27-18-1-2) gave up three goals in the final period to lose to the Springfield Falcons (22-22-1-2), 4-2, Sunday afternoon in Springfield. The Admirals return to Scope for a weekend set against the Adirondack Phantoms on Friday and Saturday nights.
Springfield took a 1-0 lead halfway thru the first period. With one Admiral in the penalty box and another on the way with a delayed penalty, the Falcons pulled their goalie for a six on four advantage. Brent Regner passed to Cam Atkinson in the left corner. Atkinson passed to Matt Calvert in the slot, who then put the puck past Dustin Tokarski at 9:52.
Photo by David Molnar
Norfolk bounced and took its first and only lead of the game in the second period. Pierre-Cedric Labrie’s scored his eighth goal of the season and tied the game at 1-1. Labrie received a Trevor Smith pass and shot it over the right side of Falcon goalie, Paul Dainton at 14:40. Michel Ouellet notched his tenth goal of the season four minutes later on a power play opportunity. Mike Kostka fired in a shot from the right point that rebounded out to Ouellt who fired the puck past Dainton to give the Admirals the 2-1 lead at 18:44 of the second period.
Springfield tied the game at 2-2 twelve minutes into the third. Defenseman Patrick Cullity snapped off a one-timer to beat Tokarski. Maksim Mayorov would put the Falcons ahead 3-2 just 30 seconds later. Mayorov took a rebound from an Andrew Joudrey shot and quickly deposited in the back of the net. Former Admiral Martin St. Pierre added the insurance goal three minutes later to make it 4-2. Springfield held on for the remainder of the period and sent Norfolk home with the loss.
Dustin Tokarski (19-11-0) stopped 27 of 31 shotsfor the loss, Paul Dainton (5-3-0) stopped 24 of 26 shots for the win. Norfolk was 1-for-4 on the power play. Springfield was 1-for-8.
Norfolk Admirals 2 at Springfield Falcons 4 – Status: Final
Sunday, February 5, 2012 – MassMutual Center
Norfolk 0 2 0 – 2
Springfield 1 0 3 – 4
1st Period-1, Springfield, Calvert 10 (Atkinson, Regner), 9:52 (PP). Penalties-St. Pierre Spr (high-sticking), 4:37; Panik Nor (interference), 7:52; Garlock Spr (checking to the head), 7:52; Kostka Nor (hooking), 9:52; Conacher Nor (slashing), 17:02.
2nd Period-2, Norfolk, Labrie 8 (Smith, Barberio), 14:40. 3, Norfolk, Ouellet 10 (Kostka, Oberg), 18:44 (PP). Penalties-Gudas Nor (roughing), 2:04; Blomqvist Spr (roughing), 2:04; Angelidis Nor (elbowing), 12:14; Prout Spr (roughing), 17:55.
3rd Period-4, Springfield, Cullity 1 (Calvert, Amadio), 11:29. 5, Springfield, Mayorov 5 (Joudrey, Regner), 11:59. 6, Springfield, St. Pierre 9 (Giroux), 15:16. Penalties-Kostka Nor (cross-checking), 1:51; Ashton Nor (tripping), 6:09; Conacher Nor (holding), 9:02; Giroux Spr (tripping), 12:10; served by Labrie Nor (bench minor – too many men), 17:21.
Shots on Goal-Norfolk 6-11-9-26. Springfield 11-11-9-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Norfolk 1 / 4; Springfield 1 / 8.
Goalies-Norfolk, Tokarski 19-11-0 (31 shots-27 saves). Springfield, Dainton 5-3-0 (26 shots-24 saves).
A-2,363
Referees-Darcy Burchell (42), Jean Hebert (43).
Linesmen-Glen Cooke (6), Brent Colby (7).
