Photo: L. Todd Spencer | The Virginian-Pilot
This weekend the Admirals played host the the AHL’s Atlantic Division leading Providence Bruins.The Admirals had their defense bolstered by the return of Hampus Lindholm and Nate Guenin. While the defense was uh…”stronger”, the offense was still lacking. Peter Holland and Pat Maroon are still up with the Ducks.
Photo: John Wright
This was also the Hall of Fame weekend. ECHL Admiral Brian Martin and AHL Admiral Marty Wilford were inducted into the Admiral’s Hall of Fame. Normally you would find the Admirals try to make a nice presentation of the event, but this year it just seemed that nothing was really put into the presentation. The original Admiral, Dennis McEwan was the only member of the Admirals front office to be part of the ceremony.While he did a great job, it would have been nice to have the the Ken Young, the owner of the team,or even Joe Gregory on hand to make the presentation. This was really a lackluster event.
Back to the Hockey. Friday nights affair was all Bruins. There was more excitement in the stands than on the ice. The recently bolstered defense fell apart and made Bobkov look like an ECHL goalie. The Admirals offense was just as bad, unable to find the back of the net and fell 3-0. Saturday nights affair started off with a bang with 2 early fights to get things going. Troy Bodie returned to the lineup and got back into the thick of things with the second fight of the night. Norfolk was not going to let what happened Friday night happen again Saturday night. They made a fight of it, but the Bruins would not step aside. It took a shootout to get things done, but the Admirals squeeked out a 3-2 win.
From The Norfolk Admirals:
February 22, 2013
Providence Shuts Out Admirals
NORFOLK – Niklas Svedberg stopped 21 shots and Graham Mink scored twice as the Norfolk Admirals (22-25-3-1) were shut out by the Providence Bruins (31-17-0-3), 3-0, on Friday night at Norfolk Scope Arena. The same teams face off again tomorrow night at Scope at 7:15 p.m.
Norfolk was shut out for the fifth time this season. Admirals goaltender Igor Bobkov (10-15-0) stopped 16 of 19 shots and took the loss before being replaced by Frederik Andersen (10-10-1) 8:07 into the second period. Andersen stopped all 13 shots he faced in relief. All of Providence’s offense came on special teams, as the Bruins scored twice on the power play and once while shorthanded.
Providence took the lead 16:17 into the contest on Mink’s first goal of the contest. While on the power play, Matt Bartkowski sent a low wrist shot from the high slot that Mink deflected from the low slot. Mink sent the puck up and under the crossbar for a 1-0 Bruins lead.
The lead doubled for the visitors with another Mink power play goal just 46 seconds into the second period. Colby Cohen sent a shot from the left point that Bobkov stopped. However, Mink found the rebound in the goalmouth and scored to increase Providence’s lead to 2-0.
That lead grew to three goals just over seven minutes later as the Bruins scored shorthanded. Bartkowski picked off a Norfolk pass and sent the puck to former Admiral Trent Whitfield. The Providence captain sent a wrist shot from the left circle over Bobkov’s right shoulder at 8:07 for a 3-0 lead.
Providence goaltender Niklas Svedberg (25-6-2) earned his 25th win of the season – tops among AHL rookie netminders.
Norfolk was 0-for-3 on the power play. Providence was 2-for-5.
Three Stars:
1. Graham Mink – PRO
2. Niklas Svedberg – PRO
3. Matt Bartkowski – PRO
Providence Bruins 3 at Norfolk Admirals 0 – Status: Final
Friday, February 22, 2013 – Norfolk Scope
Providence 1 2 0 – 3
Norfolk 0 0 0 – 0
1st Period-1, Providence, Mink 4 (Bartkowski, Caron), 16:17 (PP). Penalties-Cohen Pro (hooking), 1:40; MacKinnon Pro (tripping), 5:43; Mitchell Nor (unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:40; Irwin Nor (delay of game), 19:58.
2nd Period-2, Providence, Mink 5 (Cohen, Bartkowski), 0:46 (PP). 3, Providence, Whitfield 4 (Bartkowski), 8:07 (SH). Penalties-Svedberg Pro (tripping), 7:23; Letourneau-Leblond Nor (high-sticking), 15:56.
3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Letourneau-Leblond Nor (major – charging, game misconduct – charging), 6:50; served by Mink Pro (bench minor – too many men), 8:02; MacKinnon Pro (roughing), 9:56; Vatanen Nor (roughing), 9:56; Hendry Nor (interference), 16:56.
Shots on Goal-Providence 12-10-10-32. Norfolk 5-9-7-21.
Power Play Opportunities-Providence 2 / 5; Norfolk 0 / 3.
Goalies-Providence, Svedberg 25-6-2 (21 shots-21 saves). Norfolk, Bobkov 10-15-0 (19 shots-16 saves); Andersen 11-10-1 (13 shots-13 saves).
A-5,602
Referees-T.J. Luxmore (49).
Linesmen-Mark Hamlett (81), Scott Pomento (25).
February 23, 2013
Hendry Proves It’s Better to Give Than Receive
NORFOLK – Frederik Andersen made 37 saves and Jordan Hendry gave the Admirals the win on his 29th birthday with the game-winning conversion in the sixth round of the shootout, as the Norfolk Admirals (23-25-3-1) defeated the Providence Bruins (31-17-0-4), 3-2, on Saturday night at Norfolk Scope Arena.
Hendry, who has played 239 career AHL games, scored on his first career AHL shootout attempt. He has two goals and seven points in 38 games with the Admirals this season. Brandon McMillan tied the contest at 2-2 with just 4:26 left in regulation, while Dan Sexton opened scoring in the game for the Admirals. Andersen (11-10-1) stopped 37 of 39 shots through regulation and overtime before denying five of six Providence shooters in the shootout. The Admirals have won eight of their last 13 games (8-4-1-0).
The Admirals will visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday night before returning to Scope to host the Charlotte Checkers next Friday night at Scope.
Norfolk went ahead, 1-0, on Sexton’s fourth goal of the season. Luca Caputi sent a pass across the crease to Sexton, who shot it past the right leg of Providence goaltender Michael Hutchinson at 6:49 for a five-on-three power play goal.
The Bruins tied the game early in the second period. Bobby Robins’ initial shot was blocked by Andersen, with the netminder reaching out with his glove in an attempt to cover the puck. However, it was knocked loose by Justin Florek to Christian Hanson, whose backhand shot hit the post. The puck then caromed off the post towards the crease, where it caromed again off a Norfolk defender and went into the net. Hanson’s goal at 4:11 tied the game at 1-1.
Providence took a 2-1 lead 9:24 into the final frame. Kevan Miller sent a shot from the right point that deflected off an Admirals defender and eluded Andersen.
The Admirals tied the game with 4:26 left in regulation. Emerson Etem attempted a wraparound shot from behind the net that wound up on the stick of Sexton. Hutchinson made a lunging save to deny Sexton’s shot. However, McMillan scored his fourth goal of the season on the rebound to tie the game at 2-2.
After a scoreless overtime, the teams exchanged goals in the fourth round of the shootout, with Caputi scoring for Norfolk and Graham Mink converting for Providence. In the top of the sixth round, Hendry rifled a shot off the crossbar and into the net, while Andersen stopped Nicolas Tremblay to seal the win.
Michael Hutchinson (6-11-2) stopped 31 of 33 shots through regulation and overtime before allowing two goals on six shots in the shootout.
Norfolk was 1-for-4 on the power play. Providence was 0-for-6.
Three Stars:
1. Frederik Andersen – NOR
2. Brandon McMillan – NOR
3. Dan Sexton – NOR
Providence Bruins 2 at Norfolk Admirals 3 (SO) – Status: Final SO
Saturday, February 23, 2013 – Norfolk Scope
Providence 0 1 1 0 – 2
Norfolk 1 0 1 0 – 3
1st Period-1, Norfolk, Sexton 4 (Caputi, Vatanen), 6:49 (PP). Penalties-Randell Pro (fighting), 0:07; Letourneau-Leblond Nor (fighting), 0:07; Robins Pro (fighting), 0:38; Bodie Nor (fighting), 0:38; Cunningham Pro (holding), 5:32; Whitfield Pro (tripping), 5:49; McMillan Nor (slashing), 7:40; Guenin Nor (slashing), 8:40; Florek Pro (hooking), 11:39; Irwin Nor (hooking), 14:27.
2nd Period-2, Providence, Hanson 7 (Florek, Robins), 4:11. Penalties-Vatanen Nor (delay of game), 12:32; Clark Nor (roughing), 17:01.
3rd Period-3, Providence, Miller 1 (Bartkowski, Spooner), 9:24. 4, Norfolk, McMillan 4 (Etem, Sexton), 15:34. Penalties-Miller Pro (roughing), 5:08; McMillan Nor (roughing), 5:08; Irwin Nor (hooking), 18:50.
OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Whitfield Pro (high-sticking), 4:47.
Shootout – Providence 1 (Spooner NG, Cunningham NG, Whitfield NG, Mink G, Krug NG, Tremblay NG), Norfolk 2 (Brittain NG, Mitchell NG, Etem NG, Caputi G, Vatanen NG, Hendry G).
Shots on Goal-Providence 10-18-11-0-0-39. Norfolk 10-9-11-3-1-34.
Power Play Opportunities-Providence 0 / 6; Norfolk 1 / 4.
Goalies-Providence, Hutchinson 6-11-2 (33 shots-31 saves). Norfolk, Andersen 11-10-1 (39 shots-37 saves).
A-6,919
Referees-T.J. Luxmore (49), Jason Rollins (37).
Linesmen-Mark Hamlett (81), Scott Pomento (25).
The first period was a back and forth scoreless affair. Providence would open up the scoring at 12:35 of the second on a Josh Hennessy slap shot that was deflected into the Admirals net, by one of Norfolk’s own defenders. The Admirals would tie the match up at one each on a Pierre-Cedric Labrie deflectio of a Radko Gudas shot that beat Bruin goalie Anton Khudobin. The goal was Labrie’s fifth of the season.
The Admirals took a 2-1 lead on Richard Panik’s third goal of the season at the ten minute mark of the third period. James Wright came out of hibernation at the 12:40 mark when he took a panick pass in the low slot and shot it past Khudobin for a 3-1 Admirals lead. Providence put on the pressure and closed to within a goal with 14 seconds remaining when Craig Cunningham scored for Providence. The Admirals held on went home with the 3-2 win.
The Admirals opened scoring 7:34 into the first period with a goal from Blair Jones. Cory Conacher sent a pass from the right circle to Matt Fornataro in the slot. Fornataro’s shot hit the leg of Providence goalie Michael Hutchinson and rebounded to the left circle and Blair Jones. Jones shot the puck past Hutchinson’s right leg his first goal of the season and a 1-0 Norfolk lead.
Radko Gudas scored his fourth goal of the season nine minutes into the third period to give the Admirals a 4-1 lead. Charles Landry and the Bruins Zach McKelvie squared off for the games only fight. Landry is not known as a fighter handled himself quite nicely. J.T.Wyman scored a shorthanded, empty-net goal with 1:30 remaining to seal the Admiral victory.
