6 Is A Fluke, 7 Is A Streak – Admirals Lose To Hershey 5-2

Something is wrong in Norfolk. No Offense, No Defense, sketchy goaltending. No heart, lazy skating, embarrassing. These were some of the phrases I heard tonight at Scope. Yes, something is wrong. If the Admirals won anything tonight it was bragging rights to the 1st Annual Battle of the Bottom. The Admirals are now sitting on the bottom and looking up. There is some hope. I mean really….There is no where else to go but up.

The Hershey Bears came to town tonight. The Bears, like the Admirals are not having a stellar season. Two teams that are traditionally holding the top positions find themselves sitting at the bottom. Well tonight the Bears took home a 5-2 win to put some distance between themselves and the Admirals. The Admirals looked terrible in front of the home crowd and Anahiem Head Coach, Bruce Boudreau. Not a good outing at all. Hopefully Bruce can give them a pep talk and they can get themselves together before coming back home in December.

Game Summary from the Admirals:

NORFOLK – John Mitchell brought the Admirals within a goal of tying the Bears in the third period, but it wasn’t enough as Norfolk (7-11-0-0) fell to Hershey (8-10-1-0), 5-2, on Wednesday night at Norfolk Scope Arena. The same teams meet on Saturday night at Giant Center in Hershey as the Admirals begin a brief two-game road trip.

The Bears took a 1-0 lead 19:05 into the first period. Mathieu Beaudoin sent a pass from the right circle to T.J. Syner in the low slot. Syner redirected the pass beyond the outstretched stick of Norfolk netminder Igor Bobkov and into the net.

Norfolk tied the game at 1-1 midway through the second period on Palmieri’s seventh goal of the season. Peter Holland stole the puck from a Hershey defender behind the net and centered it into the slot. Palmieri one-timed it past Bears backstop Braden Holtby at 7:39.

The Bears re-claimed the lead less than five minutes later. Evan Barlow attempted a wraparound shot that deflected off a Norfolk defender and off Bobkov’s left leg pad. Jon DiSalvatore swept the puck off Bobkov’s pad and sent it over the goaltender’s leg near the post at 12:37.

Hershey’s lead doubled just 51 seconds later. Dmitry Orlov attempted a shot from the left half wall that went wide behind the net. The puck ended up on the stick of Patrick McNeill, who sent a shot from the high slot through a maze of traffic and past Bobkov at 13:28 for a 3-1 lead for the visitors.

Norfolk closed its gap to one goal 6:48 into the third period. Gabe Guentzel sent a shot from the left point through traffic. The puck deflected first off the stick of teammate John Mitchell and then off a Bears defender before eluding Holtby. The goal was Mitchell’s fourth of the season and made the score 3-2 in favor of Hershey.

The Admirals continued to press for the equalizer, out-shooting the Bears in the third period, 12-9, and earning two power plays. Palmieri hit the crossbar with a shot that would have tied the game, as well. However, Garrett Marshall one-timed a pass from Boyd Kane into the net at 16:23, and DiSalvatore iced the win with an empty-net goal at 19:38, as the Bears escaped Norfolk with a 5-2 decision.

Bobkov (3-6-0) stopped 30 of 34 shots in the setback. Holtby made 24 saves on 26 shots for the win.

Norfolk was 0-for-3 on the power play. Hershey was 0-for-2.

The Admirals and Bears face off at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night from Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Tune in at 7:00 p.m. to 102.1-FM, 1490-AM, 1021TheGame.com or AHLLive.com. The Admirals return to Scope on Friday and Saturday, December 14 and 15, against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Three Stars:
1. Patrick McNeill – HER
2. Dmitri Orlov – HER
3. Garrett Michell – HER

 

Hershey Bears 5 at Norfolk Admirals 2 – Status: Final
Wednesday, November 28, 2012 – Norfolk Scope

Hershey 1 2 2 – 5
Norfolk   0 1 1 – 2

1st Period-1, Hershey, Syner 2 (Hamill, Beaudoin), 19:05. Penalties-Guenin Nor (cross-checking), 6:32.

2nd Period-2, Norfolk, Palmieri 7 (Holland), 7:39. 3, Hershey, DiSalvatore 4 (Barlow, Taffe), 12:37. 4, Hershey, McNeill 1 (Orlov, Pope), 13:28. Penalties-Hamill Her (tripping), 2:24.

3rd Period-5, Norfolk, Mitchell 4 (Guentzel, Guenin), 6:48. 6, Hershey, Mitchell 5 (Kane, Potulny), 16:23. 7, Hershey, DiSalvatore 5 (Taffe), 19:38 (EN). Penalties-Rosehill Nor (elbowing), 2:53; Marshall Her (interference), 10:45; Oleksy Her (tripping), 12:49.

Shots on Goal-Hershey 13-13-9-35. Norfolk 7-7-12-26.
Power Play Opportunities-Hershey 0 / 2; Norfolk 0 / 3.
Goalies-Hershey, Holtby 6-6-0 (26 shots-24 saves). Norfolk, Bobkov 3-6-0 (34 shots-30 saves).
A-3,176
Referees-Steve Patafie (85), Jason Rollins (37).
Linesmen-Tom George (61), Mark Hamlett (81).

Admirals Recall Guentzel from ECHL Fort Wayne; Three Others Head to Komets From Norfolk

From The Norfolk Admirals:

NORFOLK – The Norfolk Admirals have recalled defenseman Gabe Guentzel from their ECHL affiliate, the Fort Wayne Komets. In addition, the Admirals have loaned forwards Luca Caputi and Garrett Klotz to the Komets while the Anaheim Ducks, NHL parent club of the Admirals, have reassigned forward Ryan Lasch to the Komets from the Admirals. The announcements were made today by Admirals Assistant General Manager Bob Ferguson.

Guentzel, 6-foot-0, 185-pounds, has appeared in six games with the Admirals this season, recording one assist and six penalty minutes. Guentzel was loaned to Fort Wayne last Thursday and appeared in three games with the Komets, posting one goal and four points. Guentzel netted his first professional goal last Thursday in the Komets’ Thanksgiving Day victory over the Kalamazoo Wings.

Norfolk signed Guentzel to an AHL Standard Player’s Contract on September 21. Last season, the 24-year-old native of Woodbury, Minnesota, appeared in 12 regular season games with the Syracuse Crunch before recording an assist in four Calder Cup Playoff games with Syracuse. An undrafted defenseman, Guentzel joined the Crunch after completing his collegiate career at Colorado College, where he scored 16 goals and 94 points in 156 career games.

Caputi, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound left wing, has appeared in 10 games with the Admirals this season, netting one goal and six points. The 24-year-old native of Toronto, Ontario, split last season in the AHL between the Toronto Marlies and Syracuse Crunch, posting 12 goals and 25 points in 60 games. The fifth-year-pro has appeared in 203 career AHL games between the Admirals, Crunch, Marlies and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, posting 55 goals and 128 points. He has also played 35 career NHL games between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring three goals and nine points. Caputi signed an AHL Standard Player’s Contract with Norfolk on September 21. He was Pittsburgh’s fourth-round choice (111th overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Klotz, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound left wing, has appeared in two games with the Admirals this season, posting two penalty minutes. He made his Norfolk debut on November 12 at Albany. The 24-year-old native of Regina, Saskatchewan, played in 33 games with the Adirondack Phantoms last season, netting two goals and four points with 26 penalty minutes. The fifth-year pro has appeared in 157 career AHL games between Norfolk, Adirondack and Philadelphia, scoring four goals and 11 points with 191 penalty minutes. An undrafted forward, Klotz signed an AHL Standard Player’s Contract with the Admirals on September 26.

Lasch, a 5-foot-7, 170-pound center, has appeared in 11 games with the Admirals this season, scoring one goal and four points with four penalty minutes. The 25-year-old native of Lake Forest, California, made his North American professional debut with the Admirals following two seasons of professional hockey in Europe. Last season, Lasch won the Finnish Elite League (SM – Liiga) scoring title and led all league players in post-season scoring. In 59 games with Lahti in 2011-12, Lasch netted 24 goals and 62 points. Lasch signed a two-year contract with the Ducks on May 31, 2012. An undrafted forward, Lasch appeared in 161 career games with the St. Cloud State University Huskies from 2006-10.

The Admirals return to Scope on Wednesday in the first meeting of the season with the Hershey Bears. The puck drops at 7:15 p.m. in the second Admirals Value Night of the season, with Family Fun Packs and Student Rush Night tickets available.

Admirals Drop Fifth Straight To The Whale 5-2.

Admirals continue to struggle. Offense and Defense is almost non-existent. A few questions that come to my mind are…..How long can this continue with the existing coaching staff? Where are the stars of this team and where is their contributions? What needs to be done to get this ship afloat and sailing on to victory?

From The Norfolk Admirals:

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Norfolk Admirals (7-10-0-0) lost their fifth consecutive game, falling to the Connecticut Whale (8-7-1-0), 5-2, on Saturday night at the XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Admirals return to Scope on Wednesday for their first game of the season against the Hershey Bears.

Chad Kolarik recorded a hat trick for the Whale. John Kurtz and Emerson Etem scored for Norfolk, while Frederik Andersen (4-5-0) stopped 33 of 37 shots. Norfolk is on a winless streak of five or more games for the first time since January 22 – February 3, 2011 (0-4-1-1).

Connecticut took a 1-0 lead just 2:40 into the game with a power play goal. Kolarik sent a shot from the left circle that Andersen stopped. However, Kolarik was able to swat his own rebound under the right leg of Andersen and into the net.

Norfolk briefly tied the game at 1-1 midway through the second stanza. Chris Wagner took a shot from the right circle that Whale goaltender Cameron Talbot kicked into the slot. Kurtz fired the rebound into the net past Talbot at 7:56 for his first goal as an Admiral.

However, the home team reclaimed the lead less than two minutes later. Logan Pyett sent a shot from the right point through traffic. The rebound emerged at the top of the goalmouth to Andersen’s left, where Kolarik was able to bat it past the goaltender’s leg and into the net at 9:28.

Kolarik completed the hat trick 1:04 into the third period. Marek Hrivik sent a shot from the right circle that Andersen stopped. However, the puck trickled behind him in the crease, and Kolarik tapped it into the net for a 3-1 Connecticut lead.

That lead grew to 4-1 just over one minute later. Tommy Grant accepted a pass from Kelsey Tessier in the right circle and sent a shot between Andersen’s legs at 2:18.

Norfolk closed its gap to two goals with Etem’s fourth goal of the season at 13:26. The rookie forward skated around a pair of Whale defenders in the left circle and rifled a shot past Talbot to make the score 4-2.

However, Kris Newbury scored into an empty net with 1:14 remaining in regulation for the 5-2 final score.

Talbot ended the game with 29 saves on 31 shots for the win.

Norfolk was 0-for-3 on the power play. Connecticut was 1-for-6.

The Admirals return to Scope on Wednesday in the first meeting of the season with the Hershey Bears. The puck drops at 7:15 p.m. in the second Admirals Value Night of the season, with Family Fun Packs and Student Rush Night tickets available.

 

Norfolk Admirals 2 at Connecticut Whale 5 – Status: Final
Saturday, November 24, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Norfolk         0 1 1 – 2
Connecticut 1 1 3 – 5

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Kolarik 4 (Hrivik, Thomas), 2:40 (PP). Penalties-Kurtz Nor (interference), 2:21; Hrivik Ct (tripping), 10:56; Smaby Nor (cross-checking), 17:13.

2nd Period-2, Norfolk, Kurtz 1 (Wagner, Lindholm), 7:56. 3, Connecticut, Kolarik 5 (Hrivik, Pyett), 9:28. Penalties-Mitchell Nor (goaltender interference), 0:37; Mitchell Nor (boarding, fighting), 5:45; Segal Ct (instigating, fighting, misconduct – instigating), 5:45; Vernace Ct (closing hand on puck), 14:40.

3rd Period-4, Connecticut, Kolarik 6 (Hrivik, Newbury), 1:04. 5, Connecticut, Grant 7 (Tessier, Bourque), 2:18. 6, Norfolk, Etem 4   13:26. 7, Connecticut, Newbury 7   18:46 (EN). Penalties-Lindholm Nor (closing hand on puck), 6:27; Hendry Nor (boarding), 8:53; Kurtz Nor (roughing), 11:20; Vatanen Nor (misconduct – abuse of officials), 18:46; Holland Nor (fighting, game misconduct – secondary altercation), 19:11; Maroon Nor (fighting), 19:11; Miller Ct (fighting, game misconduct – secondary altercation), 19:11; Parlett Ct (major – charging, fighting, game misconduct – charging), 19:11.

Shots on Goal-Norfolk 10-11-10-31. Connecticut 15-10-13-38.
Power Play Opportunities-Norfolk 0 / 3; Connecticut 1 / 6.
Goalies-Norfolk, Andersen 4-5-0 (37 shots-33 saves). Connecticut, Talbot 7-4-0 (31 shots-29 saves).
A-5,041
Referees-Trevor Hanson (47).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Luke Galvin (2).

Admirals Continue To Struggle Losing to Adirondack 2-1

From The Norfolk Admirals:

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – Peter Holland scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season, but the Norfolk Admirals (7-9-0-0) were unable to come back from a two-goal deficit as they fell to the Adirondack Phantoms (8-8-0-0), 2-1, on Friday night at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The Admirals wrap up their brief two-game road trip tomorrow night from Hartford against the Connecticut Whale at 7:00 p.m.

Goaltender Frederik Andersen (4-4-0) stopped 29 of 31 shots in the defeat. Norfolk has lost four consecutive games.

After a scoreless opening period, Adirondack quickly took a 2-0 lead in the first three minutes of the second stanza. Sean Couturier gave Adirondack a 1-0 lead just 1:23 into the second period with a one-timer from the right circle.

Just 49 seconds later, the lead doubled as Rob Bordson faked a slap shot from the right circle, skated into the slot and sent a wrist shot past Andersen at 2:02.

The Admirals cut their deficit to one goal with only 31 seconds remaining in the second period. Devante Smith-Pelly sent a pass from near the goalmouth to Holland in the right circle. Holland scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season to make the score 2-1 heading into the third period.

The Admirals out-shot the Phantoms, 12-5, in the final frame but were unable to find the equalizer. Munroe ended the game with 25 saves on 26 shots.

Both teams were 1-for-4 on the power play.

The Admirals wrap up their brief two-game road trip tomorrow night from Hartford, CT, against the Connecticut Whale at 7:00 p.m. Tune in at 7:00 p.m. to 102.1-FM, 1490-AM, 1021TheGame.com or AHLLive.com.

The Admirals return to Scope next Wednesday in the first meeting of the season with the Hershey Bears. The puck drops at 7:15 p.m. in the second Admirals Value Night of the season, with Family Fun Packs and Student Rush Night tickets available.

 

If you cant beat them…..BEAT THEM

Norfolk Admirals 1 at Adirondack Phantoms 2 – Status: Final
Friday, November 23, 2012 – Glens Falls Civic Center

Norfolk        0 1 0 – 1
Adirondack 0 2 0 – 2

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Parent Nor (holding), 4:46; Zolnierczyk Adk (holding), 13:43; Mitchell Nor (fighting), 16:59; Schenn Adk (fighting), 16:59; Couturier Adk (cross-checking), 17:47; Smith-Pelly Nor (roughing), 20:00; Zolnierczyk Adk (roughing), 20:00.

2nd Period-1, Adirondack, Couturier 5 (Gustafsson, Akeson), 1:23 (PP). 2, Adirondack, Bordson 1 (Syvret, Gustafsson), 2:12. 3, Norfolk, Holland 9 (Smith-Pelly, Maroon), 19:29 (PP). Penalties-Maroon Nor (interference), 0:05; Clark Nor (fighting), 7:40; McGinn Adk (fighting), 7:40; Palmieri Nor (goaltender interference), 9:43; Holland Nor (boarding), 11:52; McGinn Adk (hooking), 18:43.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Bodie Nor (roughing), 5:49; Smith-Pelly Nor (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 5:49; Lauridsen Adk (roughing), 5:49; Rinaldo Adk (unsportsmanlike conduct, misconduct), 5:49.

Shots on Goal-Norfolk 9-5-12-26. Adirondack 7-19-5-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Norfolk 1 / 4; Adirondack 1 / 4.
Goalies-Norfolk, Andersen 4-4-0 (31 shots-29 saves). Adirondack, Munroe 5-4-0 (26 shots-25 saves).

A-3,283
Referees-Geno Binda (22).
Linesmen-Mike Emanatian (69), Frank Murphy (29).

Pre-Thanksgiving Massacre – Checkers Over Admirals 5-2

Twas the night before Thanksgiving and all thru the Scope the Admirals were getting their clocks cleaned  with their on-ice performance looking like a bad joke. Kinda rough, but it was the truth. The Charlotte Checkers came to town and put on a demonstration of team play and a full 60 minutes of hockey.

From the Norfolk Admirals:

NORFOLK – Peter Holland scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season, but the Norfolk Admirals (7-8-0-0) were upended by the Charlotte Checkers (12-3-0-2), 5-2, on Wednesday night at Norfolk Scope Arena. The Admirals now embark on a quick two-game road trip in Adirondack on Friday and Connecticut on Saturday.

Sami Vatanen also scored for the Admirals, while goaltender Igor Bobkov (3-5-0) stopped 26 of 31 shots. Norfolk fell below .500 for the first time since January 30, 2010, ending a stretch of 202 consecutive regular season games played at or above .500.

The Checkers took a 1-0 lead on their first shot of the contest early in the first period. Zach Boychuk intercepted a Norfolk pass along the left half wall and threaded a feed to Jeremy Welsh in the right circle. Welsh one-timed the puck past Bobkov, glove-side, at 3:58.

Norfolk tied the game at 1-1 less than five minutes later. Ryan Parent sent a spinaround, behind-the-back pass from the right circle to Holland in the high slot. Holland then sent a wrist shot through a screen and past Charlotte goaltender Dan Ellis at 8:25.

Charlotte took a two-goal lead into the first intermission with a pair of goals just 16 seconds apart midway through the first period. The Checkers went ahead, 2-1, at 14:14 with an even strength goal from Sean Dolan. Nicolas Blanchard sent a shot from the left point that Dolan deflected past Bobkov.

The visitors’ lead doubled to two goals on Drayson Bowman’s AHL-leading 11th goal of the season. While on the power play, Bobby Sanguinetti sent a shot from the right point that Bobkov stopped. However, Bowman was waiting on the doorstep and sent the rebound into the net with a backhand shot at 14:30.

Charlotte’s lead increased to 4-1 on a Riley Nash deflection at 14:25 of the second period. Sanguinetti sent a shot from the right point. While stationed in the slot near the right hashmarks, Nash deflected the shot with the puck bouncing off the ice and bounding into the upper portion of the net.

The Admirals came back with a goal of their own just under two minutes later. After Ellis attempted to play the puck in the left corner, Brandon McMillan took it away from him and chipped the puck to Troy Bodie in the left circle. Bodie then fed it across the slot to Vatanen in the right circle for a shot that Ellis stopped. But Vatanen found the rebound and stashed it around Ellis’s outstretched glove and into the net for his third goal of the season. The tally at 15:58 made the score 4-2 in favor of the Checkers.

Charlotte’s Chris Terry re-established a three-goal lead for the visitors before the second period ended. He chipped the puck around an Admirals defenseman at the left point when entering the Norfolk zone, doing so on a quick-developing two-on-one. He snapped a shot from the left circle that went between Bobkov’s legs at 18:57, giving the Checkers a 5-2 lead at the second intermission.

Despite 18 shots by the Admirals and 16 shots by Charlotte, neither team found the back of the net in the third period.

Norfolk was 0-for-2 on the power play. Charlotte was 1-for-4.

Charlotte Checkers 5 at Norfolk Admirals 2 – Status: Final
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 – Norfolk Scope

Charlotte 3 2 0 – 5
Norfolk    1 1 0 – 2

1st Period-1, Charlotte, Welsh 4 (Boychuk), 3:58. 2, Norfolk, Holland 8 (Parent, Maroon), 8:25. 3, Charlotte, Dolan 2 (Blanchard, Soryal), 14:14. 4, Charlotte, Bowman 11 (Sanguinetti, Terry), 14:30 (PP). Penalties-Caputi Nor (interference), 8:42; Clark Nor (high-sticking), 14:24; Soryal Cha (fighting), 16:27; Rosehill Nor (fighting), 16:27; Faulk Cha (interference), 16:53.

2nd Period-5, Charlotte, Nash 3 (Sanguinetti, Jordan), 14:25. 6, Norfolk, Vatanen 3 (Bodie, McMillan), 15:58. 7, Charlotte, Terry 8 (Jordan), 18:57. Penalties-Palmieri Nor (interference), 5:02; Rissanen Cha (roughing), 16:30.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Vatanen Nor (slashing), 18:29.

Shots on Goal-Charlotte 9-6-16-31. Norfolk 12-9-18-39.
Power Play Opportunities-Charlotte 1 / 4; Norfolk 0 / 2.
Goalies-Charlotte, Ellis 5-2-2 (39 shots-37 saves). Norfolk, Bobkov 3-5-0 (31 shots-26 saves).
A-4,597
Referees-Chris Cozzan (18), Jason Rollins (37).
Linesmen-Tom George (61), Mark Hamlett (81)

 

This Week In Admirals Hockey – A Look At The Week Ahead

 

People are going to be busy over the next few days with the Thanksgiving holidays. There are Turkeys to prepare, decorations to be put up, and shopping to be done. Lets not forget one other big component of the weekend. The Admirals have a game tonight against the Checkers.I hope to see a good crowd out at Scope tonight as Norfolk tries to get things back in order against a tough Checkers club.

 

From The Norfolk Admirals:

NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk Admirals look to get back to their winning ways as they play the Charlotte Checkers at home on Wednesday before embarking on a brief two-game road swing this weekend.

The Admirals returned to Scope following a four-game road trip last weekend. On Friday night, Patrick Maroon and Nate Guenin gave Norfolk a 2-1 lead, but Springfield’s Cam Atkinson scored twice in the second period and goaltender Curtis McElhinney stopped 36 of 38 Norfolk shots as the Falcons defeated the Admirals, 3-2. The next night, Chris Wagner and Peter Holland scored, but the Eastern Conference-leading Falcons skated away with a 5-2 victory.

The Admirals host the Western Conference-leading Charlotte Checkers in the first game of the GEICO Challenge Cup on Wednesday night at Scope. It is also the first Admirals Value Night of 2012-13, with Family Fun Packs and Student Rush Night tickets available. Norfolk returns to action after Thanksgiving with a pair of road games, visiting Adirondack Friday and Connecticut Saturday.

STANDINGS UPDATE 
At 7-7-0-0 (14 points), the Admirals are fourth in the East Division and tied for eighth in the Eastern Conference.

	Team	GP	W	L	OTL	SL
1	SPR	14	10	2	0	2	22
2	SYR	14	10	2	1	1	22
3	MCH	15	8	6	0	1	17
4	BRI	14	10	4	0	0	20
5	BNG	13	7	4	1	1	16
6	WBS	15	8	7	0	0	16
7	WOR	15	7	6	1	1	16
8	STJ	16	8	8	0	0	16
9	NOR	14	7	7	0	0	14
10	POR	15	6	7	1	1	14
11	CT	14	6	7	1	0	13
12	PRO	14	6	7	0	1	13
13	HER	15	6	8	1	0	13
14	ALB	13	4	5	0	4	12
15	ADK	14	6	8	0	0	12

Eight teams in each conference shall qualify for the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs. Following the conclusion of each team’s 76-game regular season, the three division winners in each conference will be seeded first through third (in order of regular-season points) and the next five best teams (in order of regular-season points) will be seeded fourth through eighth.

THE ADMIRALS’ WEEK AHEAD
Wed., Nov. 21 … vs. Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes) … 7:15 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 23 … at Adirondack Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers) … 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 24 … at Connecticut Whale (New York Rangers) … 7:00 p.m.

ADMIRALS’ LOG

• Norfolk has lost two straight and seven of its last ten games (3-7-0-0). After winning their first four home games, the Admirals have posted a 1-3-0-0 record at Scope in their last four home games.
• Good starts are critical to Norfolk’s success this season. The Admirals are 7-2-0-0 when scoring first and 4-1-0-0 when leading after one period this season. They are 0-5-0-0 when surrendering the game’s first goal and are 1-4-0-0 when trailing after one period this season.
• The Admirals’ penalty kill has stopped 16 of the last 18 opponent power plays (88.9%).
• Norfolk has allowed a shorthanded goal in four of its last five games.
• With two wins last weekend, Springfield doubled its franchise’s all-time regulation wins total at Norfolk Scope Arena. Norfolk is now 16-4-0-0-1 when playing the Falcons in Hampton Roads.
• The Admirals combined to score three goals in the first periods of last weekend’s two games against the Falcons. Entering the games, Springfield had allowed only three goals in the first period in their first 12 games.
• Friday’s game against Springfield was the first home of the season in which neither Kyle Palmierior Peter Holland registered at least one point. Palmieri (3g, 8a) and Holland (6g, 4a) now have points in seven of Norfolk’s eight home games this season.
• Holland (7g, 7a) leads Norfolk in both goals and points (14).
• Sami Vatanen (2g, 9a) leads the Admirals in assists and ranks third among AHL rookie defensemen in points. Vatanen also ranks third among all AHL rookies in assists.
• All three games the Admirals play this week are against teams outside of the East Division. Norfolk has played just three games (all against Binghamton) against East Division opposition in their 14 games this season.

SCOPING THE COMPETITION – SCOUTING REPORT FOR UPCOMING HOME GAMES

• The Admirals play the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday night at Scope in the first of eight meetings this season. Charlotte is the NHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes. This is Game 1 in the battle to win the GEICO Challenge Cup.
• The Checkers (11-3-0-2, 24 points) lead the South Division, Western Conference and overall AHL standings.
• Norfolk is 5-3-0-0 at home this season while Charlotte is 8-2-0-2 on the road. The Checkers began the season on a nine-game road trip (6-2-0-1).
• Charlotte is currently on a five-game point streak (4-0-0-1) and is 7-2-0-1 in its last ten games.
• The Checkers have the AHL’s third-best offense (3.63 goals per game) and fifth-best defense (2.44 goals against per game).
• Charlotte’s offense tends to awaken after the first period. In 16 games this season, Charlotte has just eight first period goals, but has 23 goals in the second period (T-1st in AHL) and 25 goals in the third period (1st in AHL).
• The Checkers are 5-0-0-0 when trailing after the first period and 3-1-0-0 when trailing after the second period. Only Charlotte, Abbotsford (3-1-0-0), Grand Rapids (3-0-0-1) and Syracuse (2-0-0-1) have winning records when trailing after the first period, while Charlotte joins Grand Rapids (3-0-0-0) as the only AHL teams to have a winning record when trailing after two periods.
• Charlotte has the top power play in the AHL (19/72, 26.4%) and the tenth-best penalty kill (10/71, 85.9%).
• Charlotte is the second least-penalized team in the AHL this season, averaging only 13.56 penalty minutes per game (217 PIM in 16 GP).
• Checkers forwards Drayson Bowman and Zach Boychuk are tied for the AHL lead with 10 goals. Four of Boychuk’s goals are game-winners (1st in AHL).
• Charlotte goaltender Dan Ellis ranks third in goals-against average (1.67) and save percentage (.947) in the AHL. His creasemate Justin Peters is tied for third in the AHL in wins (7).
• Among all AHL defensemen, Checkers blueliner Justin Faulk ranks second in points (15) and fourth in assists (12).
• There are no shared alumni between the current Norfolk and Charlotte rosters.
• Norfolk’s games against Charlotte are the only contests against Western Conference opposition this regular season.

NORFOLK LEADERS
Goals: Peter Holland (7)
Assists: Sami Vatanen (9)
Points: Peter Holland, Kyle Palmieri (14)
Games: Several (14)
PP goals: Patrick Maroon, Kyle Palmieri (3)
SH Goals: Troy Bodie, Chris Wagner (1)
+/- Rating: Nate Guenin (+8)
PIM: Troy Bodie (41)
GAA: Frederik Andersen (2.76)
Spct: Frederik Andersen (.915)
Wins: Frederik Andersen (4)
Losses: Igor Bobkov (4)
GPl: Frederik Andersen (9)
Minutes: Frederik Andersen (501)

CHARLOTTE LEADERS
Goals: Drayson Bowman, Zach Boychuk (10)
Assists: Justin Faulk (12)
Points: Zach Boychuk, Justin Faulk (15)
Games: Several (16)
PP goals: Drayson Bowman, Zach Boychuk (4)
SH Goals: Nicolas Blanchard, Chris Terry (1)
+/- Rating: Jerome Samson (+10)
PIM: Nicolas Blanchard (33)
GAA: Dan Ellis (1.67)
Spct: Dan Ellis (.947)
Wins: Justin Peters (7)
Losses: Dan Ellis (2)
GPI: Justin Peters (9)
Minutes: Justin Peters (505)

ADIRONDACK LEADERS
Goals: Brayden Schenn (8)
Assists: Brayden Schenn (9)
Points: Brayden Schenn (17)
Games: Several (14)
PP goals: Brayden Schenn (3)
SH Goals: Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn (1)
+/- Rating: Oliver Lauridsen (+5)
PIM: Marc-Andre Bourdon (55)
GAA: Scott Munroe (2.57)
Spct: Scott Munroe (.924)
Wins: Cal Heeter, Scott Munroe (3)
Losses: Cal Heeter, Scott Munroe (4)
GPI: Scott Munroe (8)
Minutes: Scott Munroe (443)

CONNECTICUT LEADERS
Goals: Several (5)
Assists: Kris Newbury (9)
Points: Kris Newbury (14)
Games: Several (14)
PP goals: Matt Gilroy, Kris Newbury (3)
SH Goals: Kyle Jean, Kris Newbury (1)
+/- Rating: Sam Klassen (+3)
PIM: Kris Newbury (48)
GAA: Cameron Talbot (2.30)
Spct: Cameron Talbot (.931)
Wins: Cameron Talbot (5)
Losses: Cameron Talbot (4)
GPI: Cameron Talbot (9)
Minutes: Cameron Talbot (495)