Norfolk Admirals Weekly Release #1

Saturday's bounce-back performance garners opening weekend split

NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk Admirals opened the 2015-2016 season by splitting a two-game home series with the Wheeling Nailers (1-1-0). The Admirals played a physical brand of hockey, as they wrapped up the first weekend ranking third in the ECHL in penalty minutes (PIM). However, Norfolk also gave up a lot of shots, forcing goaltender Ty Rimmer to face 75 Wheeling attempts on net.

The Nailers took the first contest on Friday night, 3-0. Norfolk outshot Wheeling, 10-9, in the opening frame before a 20-shot bombardment from the Nailers in the second period, one of which found the net for a lead the visitors would never relinquish. Norfolk suppressed the Wheeling attack in the third, but the Nailers managed one more goal from Ty Loney (his second of the game) as well as an empty-netter to seal the win.

The Admirals' forwards awoke on Saturday night in a big way. Norfolk used an even-strength goal, a power-play goal, and a shorthanded goal to go up, 3-0, after the first 20 minutes against Wheeling. Greg Chase tallied the first Admirals' marker of the season on a rebound putback, Mathieu Brisebois converted on the man advantage, and Michael Pelech swooped in on net to roof a backhander while Alexandre Ranger sat for roughing.

A total of four different Admirals notched their first goal of the season, including Maxime Legault, whose empty-net strike put the Nailers away for good and gave Norfolk it's first victory of the season, 4-2. Despite giving up a loss, Admirals goalie Ty Rimmer was arguably the best player throughout the weekend for Norfolk, saving a combined 71 shots on 75 total attempts.

ON THE RADIO/INTERNETAll regular-season games will air live on 1650 AM WHKT "The Answer" and online at 1650theanswer.com. ECHL.TV will also carry online video of every Admirals game on a pay-per-view or season pass basis. Fans can log in to watch, listen or get more information about ECHL.TV's online audio and video features at ECHL.TV. Also, Buffalo Wild Wings on Monticello Avenue in Norfolk and Laskin Road in Virginia Beach will show all 36 Norfolk Admirals away games during the 2015-16 season.

STANDINGS UPDATEAt 1-1-0 (2 points), the Admirals are tied for 3rd place in the East Division and are tied for 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. Below are the current ECHL Eastern Conference standings:

Click here for complete ECHL standings

Eight teams in each conference shall qualify for the 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Following the conclusion of each team's 72-game regular season, the three division winners in each conference will be seeded 1-3 (in order of regular-season points) and the next five best teams (in order of regular-season points) will be seeded 4-8.

THE ADMIRALS’ WEEK AHEADThu., Oct. 21 … at Florida Everblades (Carolina Hurricanes/Tampa Bay Lightning) … 7:30 p.m.Fri., Oct. 22 … at Orlando Solar Bears (Toronto Maple Leafs) … 7 p.m.Sat., Oct. 24 ... at Orlando Solar Bears (Toronto Maple Leafs) ... 7 p.m.

ADMIRALS SPOTLIGHT• Former Admirals Chris Wagner and Josh Manson each made the Anaheim Ducks' roster out of preseason camp. It is the first time for both players to be retained on an NHL roster coming out of training camp. Wagner has gotten into one game of action while Manson has seen three. Both are scoreless so far this season.

ADMIRALS’ LOG• Perhaps the unofficial MVP of last weekend, Norfolk goaltender Ty Rimmer denied 71 of 75 total shots from Wheeling over two games. Rimmer allowed one goal to the Nailers in the second period on Friday night and one more in the third to finish with 33 saves on 35 opportunities. The very next night, the Edmonton native topped those marks, making 38 saves on 40 shots in his first win of the year. He ranks second in the entire league in saves and is sixth in minutes.• Rookie Greg Chase notched his first professional point on Saturday night with a goal to open the scoring for Norfolk. The seventh-round selection of Edmonton's has one of four Admirals goals so far this season. Another rookie, Alexis Loiseau, also earned his first professional point Saturday night with an assist on the second goal of the evening.

NORFOLK LEADERSGoals: Four players tied (1)Assists: Five players tied (1)Points: Maxime Legault (2)Games: Several tied (2)PP Goals: Mathieu Brisebois, Maxime Legault (1)SH Goals: Michael Pelech (1)+/- Rating: Marciano, Pelech, Verpaelst (1)PIM: Michael Pelech, Gabriel Verpaelst (9)GAA: Ty Rimmer (2.02)Spct: Ty Rimmer (.947)Wins: Ty Rimmer (1)Losses: Ty Rimmer (1)GPl: Ty Rimmer (2)Minutes: Ty Rimmer (119)

ABOUT THIS WEEKEND'S MATCHUPSThe Admirals (1-1-0) gear up for a three-game road trip that takes them through the state of Florida. They will be facing the top two teams in the South Division. Their first stop will be on Wednesday, October 21, as the Admirals travel to South Florida to battle the Florida Everblades (2-0-0) at 7:30 p.m. The Orlando Solar Bears welcome Norfolk for a Thursday-Saturday series to end the road trip. The Bears won their first and only game thus far when they doubled up Greenville, 6-3, last Saturday. Norfolk will have its hands full trying to slow down both offenses that managed to get off to a fast start last weekend. A defense that gave up 75 shots over two games must tighten defensively to find success on the road this week. Norfolk netminder Ty Rimmer ranks second in the ECHL in saves with 72, and ties for sixth in minutes played.

FLORIDA LEADERSGoals: Kevin Lynch, Ethan Werek (2)Assists: Matt Marquardt (3)Points: Kevin Lynch (4)Games: Several tied (2)PP Goals: Kevin Montgomery, Ethan Werek (1)SH Goals: N/A+/- Rating: Kevin Lynch (4)PIM: Mike Cornell (21)GAA: Anthony Peters (1.00)Spct: Anthony Peters (.967)Wins: Daniel Altshuller, Anthony Peters (1)Losses: NoneGPl: Daniel Altshuller, Anthony Peters (1)Minutes: Daniel Altshuller (62)

The opening weekend was only positive for the 'Blades, as the club put up six goals in their opener and four more in an overtime win versus Atlanta. Florida is first in the South Division, and leads the ECHL in goals with 10 after just two games played. Eight different Everblades have found the back of the net this year, and two have done it twice. They are led by forward Kevin Lynch with two goals and two assists to go along with a team-leading plus-4 rating. It's evident that Florida loves to share the puck and wants to extend the defense in the attacking zone. A whopping eight players have at least two assists, and winger Matt Marquardt leads the bunch with a trio of helpers. All but one player have a negative plus/minus, leading to the conclusion that Florida will make you pay in your own end but not before they secure their own net first. Don't be fooled by their numbers offensively. They blend finesse with physicality, leading the Eastern Conference in penalty minutes (63).

ORLANDO LEADERSGoals: Matt Rupert (2)Assists: Johnny McInnis, Brady Vail (3)Points: Brady Vail (4)Games: Several tied (1)PP Goals: Brady Vail (1)SH Goals: Eric Baier, T.J. Foster (1)+/- Rating: Baier, McInnis, Vail (2)PIM: Clapperton, Miller, Vail (2)GAA: Rob Madore (3.00)Spct: Rob Madore (.885)Wins: Rob Madore (1)Losses: NoneGPl: Rob Madore (1)Minutes: Rob Madore (60)

In the Solar Bears' season opener alone, eight different skaters registered a point, and five of them recorded two or more points. Brady Vail's four-point night (1g,3a) led the way and Johnny McInnis followed him with three assists. Vail is tied for second in the ECHL in points, and he and McInnis share second with several others in the assists category. Matt Rupert scored twice and three others tallied a marker in an offensive explosion to begin the year. Orlando turned 30 shots into six goals, so lower quality looks at the net could be key in halting the Solar Bears' momentum on the attack. Defensively, Orlando does have holes, or at least showed some against Greenville last Saturday. The Swamp Rabbits deposited three pucks behind goalie Rob Madore, all at even strength. Norfolk proved in the first period on Saturday night that they can generate scoring chances at any strength, so the Admirals must take advantage of any quality opportunities on Madore if the Solar Bears continue to roll on offense.

**UPCOMING EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS**

Friday, October 30 vs. Quad City MallardsOn the eve of Halloween, the Admirals thank our military for their service by offering $11 Red Level tickets. Military groups are also strongly encouraged to attend as groups will receive $9 Red Level tickets. Contact Charlie Colon (x23) or Sami Hamad (x24) at the Admirals' Administrative Office (757-640-1212) to schedule your group today.

The Zombie A-Hockey-Lypse returns to Scope once again! Kids 13 and under can arrive early to participate in trick-or-treating from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Meeting Room 4 on the bottom concourse. Fans of all ages are encouraged to wear their costume to Scope, and a Post-Game Skate with the Admirals will follow to cap off the first month of the new season. The post-game skates are an excellent opportunity to get autographs from and take photos with your favorite Admirals right on the ice at Scope!

TICKETSIndividual tickets are on sale now at the Scope Box Office, all Ticketmaster Outlets, charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000, and online at ticketmaster.com. Don’t miss a minute of Admirals action by purchasing your season tickets today. Stop by the Admirals’ Administrative Offices at Scope, call (757) 640-1212 weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or visit norfolkadmirals.com anytime.