Admirals Win A Close One, The 2-1 Win Pushes The Streak To 23

NORFOLK, Va. – Mark Barberio’s power play goal midway through the third period broke a 1-1 tie as the Norfolk Admirals (50-18-1-2) defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (41-23-2-5), 2-1, on Tuesday night at Norfolk Scope Arena. With the victory, Norfolk clinched the #1 seed in the AHL’s Eastern Conference, tied its franchise record of 50 wins in a season and extended their professional hockey record winning streak to 23 consecutive wins.

The Admirals conclude the home portion of the 2011-12 regular season schedule on Friday and Saturday nights against the Binghamton Senators.

Michel Ouellet also scored on the power play. Goaltender Dustin Tokarski (30-11-0) earned his 30th win of the season – and 11th consecutive win – by stopping 25 of 26 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton shots.

Photo: Stephen M. Katz / The Virginian-Pilot

The Admirals took a 1-0 lead 8:08 into the game on the power play. Barberio started the play behind his own net with an outlet pass that Richard Panik tipped at the center ice faceoff circle right onto the stick blade of Ouellet. The veteran forward then cut through the left wing before sending a shot over a diving defender and the left shoulder of Penguins goaltender Scott Munroe for his fifteenth goal of the season.

The Penguins tied the game at 1-1 late in the second period. Alex Grant corralled a Norfolk clearing attempt at the left point. He then sent a wrist shot that deflected off the heel of Bryan Lerg’s outstretched stick in the left circle and eluded Tokarski at 14:23.

Barberio’s goal came on Norfolk’s sixth power play of the game 12:23 into the third period. As Tyler Johnson won a faceoff in the left circle, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton center’s stick broke. Johnson tipped the puck back to Barberio, who then isolated on the defender with the broken stick. Barberio faked a shot before sending a high wrist shot through traffic and past Munroe for his twelfth goal of the season and a 2-1 Norfolk lead.

The Admirals defense, led by Tokarski, shut the door on the Penguins the rest of the way despite several scoring chances after the visitors pulled Munroe in favor of the extra attacker.

Munroe (18-9-3) ended the game with 21 saves on 23 shots.

Norfolk was 2-for-7 on the power play while stopping both Wilkes-Barre/Scranton man advantage opportunities.

 

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 1 at Norfolk Admirals 2 – Status: Final
Tuesday, April 3, 2012 – Norfolk Scope

W-B/Scranton 0 1 0 – 1
Norfolk             1 0 1 – 2

1st Period-1, Norfolk, Ouellet 15 (Panik, Barberio), 8:09 (PP). Penalties-Gudas Nor (boarding), 2:25; Craig Wbs (holding), 7:24; Walker Wbs (roughing), 8:26; Picard Nor (boarding), 8:26; Conacher Nor (unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:23; Despres Wbs (hooking), 18:11.

2nd Period-2, W-B/Scranton, Lerg 25 (Grant), 14:23. Penalties-Grant Wbs (tripping), 8:53.

3rd Period-3, Norfolk, Barberio 12 (Johnson), 12:23 (PP). Penalties-Strait Wbs (boarding), 2:36; Thompson Wbs (roughing), 6:12; Strait Wbs (delay of game), 11:56; Petersen Wbs (tripping), 13:10.

Shots on Goal-W-B/Scranton 9-10-7-26. Norfolk 8-7-8-23.
Power Play Opportunities-W-B/Scranton 0 / 2; Norfolk 2 / 7.
Goalies-W-B/Scranton, Munroe 18-9-3 (23 shots-21 saves). Norfolk, Tokarski 30-11-0 (26 shots-25 saves).

A-4,194
Referees-T.J. Luxmore (47), Steve Patafie (85).
Linesmen-Francis Trempe (56), Alex Stagnone (7).

The Streak Moves To 22 As The Norfolk Admirals Melt The IceCaps 2-1

NORFOLK, Va. – Goals by Ondrej Palat and Philip-Michael Devos helped to erase a one-goal deficit, as the Norfolk Admirals (49-18-1-2) defeated the St. John’s IceCaps (39-21-5-3), 2-1, on Friday night in front of 7,348 fans at Norfolk Scope Arena. The Admirals’ extended their winning streak to 22 games after completing the two-game sweep of St. John’s.

Norfolk’s longest homestand of the season continues on Tuesday night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Jaroslav Janus (20-8-2) extended his Norfolk franchise record winning streak to 12 games by stopping 20 of 21 shots.

St. John’s opened the scoring just 2:11 into the game. The IceCaps took advantage of a four-on-three power play when Aaron Gagnon collected a rebound and snuck it past Janus to give the visitors the 1-0 lead.

Norfolk answered back to knot the game at 1-1 with less than five minutes to go in the second period. Moments after a Norfolk power play expired, Palat passed to Alex Killorn at the right half boards. Killorn’s pass deflected off the skate of Alexandre Picard, who then spun around drawing IceCaps goaltender David Aebischer to one side of his crease. Picard then passed to his right to Palat, who buried a shot into the open net for his ninth goal of the season at 15:42.

Photo: L. Todd Spencer / The Virginian-Pilot

The Admirals took the lead for good midway through the final frame. After Aebischer attempted to cover a loose puck, Pierre-Cedric Labrie was able to knock it loose in the right corner. Labrie then spotted Devos alone in the low slot, and Devos shot the puck past the diving Aebischer to make his sixth goal of the season the game-winner at 10:46.

Despite a St. John’s six-on-five attack for close to two minutes at the end the game, the Admirals held on for the 2-1 victory – their 22nd win in a row overall and their 16th consecutive win in regulation.

Aebischer (14-10-2) stopped 25 of 27 shots in the loss.

Norfolk was 0-for-6 on the power play while stopping two of three St. John’s power play opportunities.

Fight Of The Night: Jeff Dimmen Vs. Carl Klingberg

St. John’s IceCaps 1 at Norfolk Admirals 2 – Status: Final
Friday, March 30, 2012 – Norfolk Scope

St. John’s 1 0 0 – 1
Norfolk      0 1 1 – 2

1st Period-1, St. John’s, Gagnon 13 (Redmond, DeSantis), 2:11 (PP). Penalties-Negrin Stj (hooking), 0:55; Picard Nor (goaltender interference), 1:16; Barberio Nor (slashing), 1:55; Lunden Stj (fighting), 5:22; Neilson Nor (fighting), 5:22; Murray Stj (slashing), 8:13; O’Neill Stj (boarding), 17:00.

2nd Period-2, Norfolk, Palat 9 (Picard, Killorn), 15:42. Penalties-Klingberg Stj (fighting), 9:40; Dimmen Nor (fighting), 9:40; Panik Nor (roughing), 9:55; Gregoire Stj (interference), 13:33; DeSantis Stj (cross-checking, misconduct – abuse of officials), 16:27; Murray Stj (misconduct – abuse of officials), 20:00.

3rd Period-3, Norfolk, Devos 6 (Labrie, Conacher), 10:41. Penalties-Kulda Stj (holding), 2:33; Cormier Stj (fighting), 12:28; Gudas Nor (fighting), 12:28.

Shots on Goal-St. John’s 7-5-9-21. Norfolk 6-11-10-27.
Power Play Opportunities-St. John’s 1 / 3; Norfolk 0 / 6.
Goalies-St. John’s, Aebischer 14-10-2 (27 shots-25 saves). Norfolk, Janus 20-8-2 (21 shots-20 saves).
A-7,348
Referees-Terry Koharski (10).
Linesmen-Scott Pomento (25), Tom George (61).

Admirals Score A 2-0 Shutout Over The IceCaps, Streak Moves To 21

Photo - Ken Peacock

NORFOLK, Va. – Dustin Tokarski stopped all 32 shots he faced and Ondrej Palat scored the game-winning goal in his team’s 21st straight win on his 21st birthday as the Norfolk Admirals (48-18-1-2) shut out the St. John’s IceCaps (39-20-5-3), 2-0, on Wednesday night at Norfolk Scope Arena.

The same two teams meet Friday night at Scope at 7:30 p.m. in Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Night.

Richard Panik also scored as Norfolk tallied all its offense in the second period. Tyler Johnson assisted on both Norfolk goals, extending his point streak to 13 games but seeing his franchise-record goal-scoring streak end at nine games.

After a scoreless opening period, the Admirals broke the ice 12:27 into the second stanza on a shorthanded tally by Palat. While the IceCaps were on a power play, Johnson stole the puck in the Norfolk zone near the right point and chipped the puck around a defender to himself in the neutral zone, creating a two-on-one break with Palat. Instead of passing to Palat, Johnson dropped a pass to Mark Barberio in the right circle for a shot that bounced off IceCaps goaltender David Aebischer. Palat found the rebound on top of the goalmouth and backhanded a shot into the net while falling backwards for his eighth goal of the season.

Photo - Ken Peacock

Norfolk used a power play tally just over five minutes later to double its lead. After Johnson won a faceoff in the right circle, Michel Ouellet shuffled the puck to Panik, who was being held by St. John’s defenseman Arturs Kulda. Panik sent a shot that banked off the skate of a St. John’s defender and trickled between the legs of Aebischer. Panik’s 19th goal of the season gave the home team a 2-0 lead at 17:34.

That was more than enough offense for Tokarski, who turned aside 32 shots – including 12 in the second period and 11 in the third period – for his fifth shutout of 2011-12.

Aebischer (14-9-2) stopped 25 of 27 shots – many in spectacular fashion – but was saddled with the loss.

Norfolk was 1-for-4 on the power play while turning aside all five St. John’s man advantages.

The same two teams meet Friday night at Scope at 7:30 p.m. in Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Night.

Three Stars:
1. Dustin Tokarski – NOR
2. Tyler Johnson – NOR
3. David Aebischer – STJ

 

St. John’s IceCaps 0 at Norfolk Admirals 2 – Status: Final
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 – Norfolk Scope

St. John’s 0 0 0 – 0
Norfolk      0 2 0 – 2

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Neilson Nor (cross-checking), 9:05; Murray Stj (cross-checking), 14:15; Gudas Nor (interference), 17:25.

2nd Period-1, Norfolk, Palat 8 (Barberio, Johnson), 12:27 (SH). 2, Norfolk, Panik 19 (Ouellet, Johnson), 17:34 (PP). Penalties-Labrie Nor (charging), 6:38; Jackson Nor (high-sticking), 11:59; O’Neill Stj (tripping), 17:28; Kulda Stj (holding), 17:34.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Clark Stj (hooking), 9:53; Devos Nor (hooking), 12:57.

Shots on Goal-St. John’s 9-12-11-32. Norfolk 6-11-10-27.
Power Play Opportunities-St. John’s 0 / 5; Norfolk 1 / 4.
Goalies-St. John’s, Aebischer 14-9-2 (27 shots-25 saves). Norfolk, Tokarski 29-11-0 (32 shots-32 saves).
A-3,549
Referees-Jason Rollins (37), Terry Koharski (10).
Linesmen-Bill Lyons (27), Mark Hamlett (81).

Twenty Wins In A Row…….Tokarski And The Admirals Down The Devils 4-3

- John Wright / Norfolk Admirals

NORFOLK, Va. – Dustin Tokarski made 34 saves to earn his Admirals-record 76th career win as the Norfolk Admirals (47-18-1-2) defeated the Albany Devils (28-28-6-5), 4-3, on Saturday night at Norfolk Scope Arena. With the victory, Norfolk built on their professional hockey record with their 20th consecutive win.

The Admirals continue their final homestand of the season on Wednesday and Friday nights against the St. John’s IceCaps at Scope.

Norfolk has now won 20 consecutive games since February 10, 2012, vaulting into first place in the entire American Hockey League. The Admirals have not lost a game since a 4-2 road setback to the Springfield Falcons on Super Bowl Sunday on February 5, 2012.

Dustin Tokarski (28-11-0) stopped 34 of 37 shots as he stretched his personal winning streak to nine games and recorded his 76th career victory as an Admiral. The win moved Tokarski (76-56-7) past Michael Leighton (75-52-17) for first place on the Admirals’ all-time wins list.

- Ross Taylor / The Virginian-Pilot

Alex Killorn scored his first professional goal while Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Alexandre Picard also scored in the contest.

Palat’s seventh goal of the season gave the Admirals a 1-0 lead exactly one minute after the opening faceoff. After a failed clearing attempt by Albany, Palat gathered the loose puck and skated out from the right half boards. From just inside the high slot, Palat sent a shot over the glove of Devils’ netminder Keith Kinkaid.

Albany answered back later in the first period to even the game at 1-1 with a goal by Vladimir Zharkov. In the midst of a Norfolk power play, Zharkov caused a turnover at the Devils’ blue line and broke in alone on Tokarski. Zharkov sent a shot from the slot that trickled past Tokarski at 13:29.

The visitors opened a 2-1 lead on a power play goal by Mattias Tedenby just before the midway point of regulation. With less than a minute remaining on an Admirals penalty kill, Tedenby fired a slap shot from inside the right faceoff circle past a screened Tokarski at 8:42 of the second period.

- Ross Taylor / The Virginian-Pilot

Norfolk knotted the game at 2-2 on Killorn’s first professional goal. With less than five minutes remaining in the second period, Conacher sent a feed from the left corner to Killorn in the left circle. Killorn then skated around Kinkaid and sent a backhander over the netminder’s glove at 15:02.

The Admirals took the lead for good 1:06 into the final frame on a power play. Mark Barberio sent a pass from the left point to Richard Panik in the slot. Panik then bumped the pass over to Johnson in the bottom of the left circle, and Johnson buried a slap shot into the top-left corner of the net for his 29th goal of the season and a 3-2 lead.

Norfolk’s lead doubled with just over six minutes remaining in the third. From the left faceoff circle, a pass from Palat split a pair of Devils’ defensemen on its way toward the goalmouth to Kinkaid’s left. Picard tapped the back-door pass behind Kinkaid for his sixth goal of the season at 13:55.

In the final minutes with Kinkaid pulled in favor of an extra attacker, Albany’s Matt Anderson capped off the scoring with a six-on-five goal at 18:39. However, that would be the only one of Albany’s 13 third-period shots that solved Tokarski, as Norfolk held on for the 4-3 win.

Kinkaid (15-17-3) stopped 35 of the 39 shots he faced in defeat.

Norfolk was 1-for-4 on the power play. Albany was 1-for-5.

Albany Devils 3 at Norfolk Admirals 4 – Status: Final
Saturday, March 24, 2012 – Norfolk Scope

Albany 1 1 1 – 3
Norfolk 1 1 2 – 4

1st Period-1, Norfolk, Palat 7   1:00. 2, Albany, Zharkov 15   13:29 (SH). Penalties-Barberio Nor (boarding), 5:18; Harrold Alb (roughing), 12:15.

2nd Period-3, Albany, Tedenby 4 (Gelinas, Whitney), 8:42 (PP). 4, Norfolk, Killorn 1 (Conacher, Devos), 15:02. Penalties-Oberg Nor (tripping), 4:46; Whitney Alb (roughing), 6:07; Ouellet Nor (throwing equipment), 7:08; Nagy Alb (roughing), 12:36; Neilson Nor (roughing), 12:36; Panik Nor (goaltender interference), 16:01; Urbom Alb (interference), 19:36.

3rd Period-5, Norfolk, Johnson 29 (Panik, Barberio), 1:06. 6, Norfolk, Picard 6 (Palat, Kostka), 13:55. 7, Albany, Anderson 10 (Mills, Harrold), 18:39. Penalties-Gudas Nor (tripping), 8:29; Gelinas Alb (hooking), 11:52.

Shots on Goal-Albany 14-11-12-37. Norfolk 17-10-12-39.
Power Play Opportunities-Albany 1 / 5; Norfolk 0 / 4.
Goalies-Albany, Kinkaid 15-17-3 (39 shots-35 saves). Norfolk, Tokarski 28-11-0 (37 shots-34 saves).
A-7,416
Referees-Jamie Koharski (84).
Linesmen-Scott Pomento (25), Mark Hamlett (81).

Nothing To Do Today? How About A Norfolk Admirals Game?

By Ken Peacock

You can’t say you don’t have anything to do today. Really? It’s supposed to rain today so there is no sense in getting something started that you are not going to be able to finish.

So what can you do?

Lets see….. How about you and 6,000 to 7,000 of your friends head on down to Norfolk for a hockey game. Sound good?

Tonight the Norfolk Admirals will take on the Albany Devils once more. The guys won last night in a hard-fought defensive battle to increase the win streak to 19 games. Tonight you and your friends could see that streak increase to 20 straight. The Admirals are playing every game like it’s an elimination game. We are talking non-stop action to the very end. The regular season is coming to close and we want to go into the playoffs as the Kings of the AHL.

Come on down to the game tonight and support your Norfolk Admirals. Tonight they will be wearing special jerseys that will be auctioned off to benefit the MDA. These are one of a kind jerseys that can be yours if you have the winning bid. Come see a game and stay after for the auction. Everyone can win tonight!

 

Admirals Hockey … Why We Love It!

Check out this nice piece from The Virginian-Pilot and PilotOnline.com

Thanks to Brian Clark and L. Todd Spencer for putting this together.