Norfolk Admirals Weekly Release #12

Norfolk looks to extend win streak with three in a row at home

NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk Admirals dropped two games against the Atlanta Gladiators earlier this week before returning to Scope Saturday night for the bounce-back win, followed by another win on the road against the Wheeling Nailers Sunday afternoon.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Admirals suffered back-to-back losses to Atlanta. The first meeting of the season between the two teams resulted in a 4-0 shutout at Infinite Energy Arena. The board remained scoreless through 31 minutes of play before Atlanta was able to hit twine with a one-timer from the slot by Justin Buzzeo at 11:44 of the second. Minutes later, Brad Navin went top shelf at 12:35 to push the Gladiators into a 2-0 lead. A minute and four seconds later, Garry Nunn netted a power-play goal at 13:39 in the middle frame. The final goal of the night was an empty-netter by Brock Higgs with just 30 seconds left in regulation, resulting in a 4-0 shutout.

Norfolk faced the Gladiators again on Wednesday and posted an overtime loss, 4-3. Just 27 seconds into the game, the Admirals were first to light the lamp after forward Alexandre Ranger fed a pass from the left wall to Nick Pageau at the blue line. Pageau's shot fooled Gladiators goalie Matt Ginn for the early 1-0 lead. Norfolk jumped out to a two-goal lead after Ben Betker's attempt on net was knocked down in front, but Steven Whitney was there to collect the loose puck and shove it in at 1:56 in the opening period. Atlanta cut Norfolk's lead in half at 7:03 with Higgs' effort from the doorstep slid by a stick-less Nic Riopel. At 17:37, Patrick D'Amico netted the equalizer knotting the score at 2-2 at the end of the first. The Admirals regained the lead 57 seconds into the middle frame as Ranger found room between Ginn's pads. The Gladiators responded by capitalizing on another power-play opportunity when Garry Nunn tallied at 17:26 of the second period, evening out the score, 3-3. A scoreless third period led to overtime, and at 2:44 of the extra skate, Derek Nesbitt lifted the puck from the slot into Norfolk's net, and the Gladiators escaped 4-3 in overtime.

The Admirals had a chance for redemption when they hosted Atlanta at Scope Saturday night. No goals in the first gave way to an eventful second as Atlanta struck just 30 seconds in with a goal from Nesbitt. At 5:12, Alexis Loiseau evened things up, 1-1, when he pounced on a loose rebound at the backdoor. The Gladiators regained the lead at 10:17 in the second when Nesbitt netted his second goal of the night, but Norfolk responded at 14:39 after Betker's shot was denied and Jonathan Lessard swept the rebound home for a 2-2 game. The Admirals moved ahead for good three minutes into the third when Sam Noreau drove a shot from in front of the blue line that was redirected by captain Jordan Hill for Hill's third of the season. Ty Rimmer took care of the rest and closed out a 3-2 victory for the hosts.

On Sunday, Norfolk posted their second straight win with a 5-3 result against the Wheeling Nailers at WesBanco Arena. Just 26 seconds into the game, Steven Whitney put Norfolk's first mark on the board by following his own shot and planting a second-chance effort past Wheeling's netminder Franky Palazzese. The Nailers responded with two goals from Anton Zlobin at 16:54 and then again just 1:16 later, giving the Nailers a 2-1 lead by the end of the first. Just 58 seconds in the middle frame, Norfolk tied things up at 2-2 as Lessard used a nifty move off Michael Pelech's feed to pull Palazzese out of position. Devin Mantha recorded his first goal as an Admiral at 9:40 of the middle frame for a 3-2 lead the visitors never relinquished. Norfolk gained the two-goal advantage 28 seconds later with Lessard's second goal of the game, and Scott Allen's marker on the man advantage blew the game wide open, 5-2. Less than a minute later, Matia Marcantuoniscored for the Nailers, cutting Norfolk's lead to 5-3 at 17:07 in the second. An empty third period resulted in a 5-3 win, the second straight for the Admirals on the weekend.

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 Norfolk Admirals away games during the 2015-16 season.

STANDINGS UPDATEAt 12-21-1-1 (26 points), the Admirals are 5th in the East Division and are in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. Below are the current ECHL Eastern Conference standings:

http://echl.com/stats/statdisplay.php?type=standings&subType=1&season_id=37&league_id=1&division_id=-1&confId=0

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 AHEADWed., Jan. 6 ... vs. Orlando Solar Bears (Toronto Maple Leafs) ... 7:15 p.m.Fri., Jan. 8 ... vs. Cincinnati Cyclones (Nashville Predators) ... 7:30 p.m.Sat., Jan. 9 ... vs. Cincinnati Cyclones (Nashville Predators) ... 7:15 p.m.

ADMIRALS SPOTLIGHT• The National Hockey League recognized former Admirals netminder John Gibson on Monday as the league's Rookie of the Month for December after the Pittsburgh native posted a 5-3-1 record last month. Gibson impressed with a 1.62 goals-against average (GAA) and .929 save percentage (SV%) in addition to three shutouts in 10 total appearances. Overall, he's 8-4-2 with a 1.63 GAA and .932 SV% in 15 games this season, and leads the league in GAA.

ADMIRALS’ LOG• Ty Rimmer returned to Norfolk in a big way over the weekend by turning in two wins in his first two appearances since coming back from AHL Bakersfield. The Edmonton product made 33 saves in a 3-2 victory for the Admirals over Atlanta on Saturday, and followed up that performance by weathering the storm that was the Wheeling Nailers in a 5-3 win at WesBanco Arena on Sunday. He's now won his last four games in net for Norfolk.• Jonathan Lessard has been popular on the scoresheet in the last week with three goals in the past two games. Lessard tied the game at 2-2 with his goal in the second period on Saturday, and recorded a pair of goals, including the game-winner, at Wheeling two days ago. His nine goals this season are second-most on the team.

NORFOLK LEADERSGoals: Tommy Mele, Alexandre Ranger (10)Assists: Charles-Olivier Roussel (17)Points: Steven Whitney (22)Games: Five players tied (35)PP Goals: Scott Allen, Nick MacNeil, Alexandre Ranger (3)SH Goals: Alexis Loiseau, Michael Pelech, Alexandre Ranger (1)+/- Rating: Ben Betker (3)PIM: Samuel Noreau (104)GAA: Nic Riopel (2.86)Spct: Ty Rimmer (.916)Wins: Ty Rimmer (8)Losses: Ty Rimmer (10)GPl: Ty Rimmer (20)Minutes: Ty Rimmer (1101)

ABOUT THIS WEEKEND’S MATCHUPSThe Admirals (12-21-1-1) will host the Orlando Solar Bears (12-14-2-3) on Wednesday for the first time at Scope this season. Both teams, ranked fifth in their respective divisions, met back in October for a two-in-two, in which Norfolk fell in both by three goals. The Solar Bears bring with them forward Eric Faille, who is tied for the fourth-most goals in the league with 14, and is top-15 in the ECHL in points with 29. Faille will certainly look to continue to cruise along at the current pace which has seen him score two goals and three assists in the last four games. The Admirals can't draw from statistics to determine which goalie they'll see. Contrary to the norm, Orlando uses a goaltender-by-committee approach that feature Rob Madore and Ryan Massa. Both have played in 16 games, but even though Madore has the better GAA (2.93) and SV% (.912), Massa leads with two more wins (7). The Norfolk penalty kill must click in the face of an Orlando power play that is second in the ECHL on the road, converting at a 27.8% clip. When a man down at home, the Admirals clear 84.7% of penalties, which is 10th in the league.

ORLANDO LEADERSGoals: Eric Faille (14)Assists: Eric Baier, T.J. Foster, Brady Vail (16)Points: Eric Faille (29)Games: Eric Baier, Mark Louis, Johnny McInnis (31)PP Goals: Johnny McInnis (4)SH Goals: Eric Baier, Brady Vail (2)+/- Rating: Eric Baier (9)PIM: Mark Louis (55)GAA: Rob Madore (2.93)Spct: Rob Madore (.912)Wins: Ryan Massa (7)Losses: Rob Madore, Ryan Massa (7)GPl: Rob Madore, Ryan Massa (16)Minutes: Rob Madore (942)

This will be the first meeting of the season between the Admirals and the Cyclones (15-11-2-2). Cincinnati, who is seventh in the Western Conference, are lethal on the power play and own the ECHL's third-best unit. Nick Huard is tied for second among all players with seven power-play goals, and leads the Cyclones in points and assists. A team that has won just four of its last 10, Cincinnati has struggled lately to find a rhythm at the offensive end, varying from hot to cold seemingly on a game-by-game basis. The Cyclones split a two-game set with South Carolina last weekend, and has alternated between one goal and four over the previous four contests. Consistency is a trait that each side is in search of, and will be a step closer to acquiring it with victories in Hampton Roads this weekend.

CINCINNATI LEADERSGoals: Jack Downing (14)Assists: Nick Huard (16)Points: Nick Huard (26)Games: Four players tied (30)PP Goals: Nick Huard (7)SH Goals: Andrew Yogan (2)+/- Rating: Joe Wilson (12)PIM: Seth Ambroz (42)GAA: Brandon Whitney (2.95)Spct: Brandon Whitney (.902)Wins: Brandon Whitney (6)Losses: Neil Conway, Brandon Whitney (4)GPl: Brandon Whitney (11)Minutes: Brandon Whitney (610)

**UPCOMING EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS**

January 6 - Family Fun Pack, Student Rush NightFamily Fun Pack: four hot dogs, four sodas, four popcorns, and four tickets for just $54!

Student Rush: With a college or high school student ID, you can purchase a White Level ticket for just $10 on game day starting at 2 p.m. Plus you will receive a buy one get one ticket for a future Student Rush Night. Available only at the Scope Box Office.

January 8 - Pucks and PawsYour dog is probably a hockey fan, so give it what it wants! The Admirals welcome dogs and their owners to Scope for a night of hockey with your furry friend. To bring your dog, owners must sign a waiver, submit a $5 donation for area SPCA establishments and the Chesapeake Humane Society, and present vaccination records upon admission. Dogs must remain on a leash and with owner throughout the night, and must sit in the specially designated section in the Red Level. For more information, contact the Admirals Administrative offices at 757-640-1212.

January 9 - College Alumni NightWear your school colors for College Alumni Night at Scope. The Admirals encourage all alumni, no matter the school, to proudly represent your college or university. Representatives from local institutions will be in attendance to share information about their respective school.

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.