Norfolk, VA - The Norfolk Admirals started a three-game series against the Trois-Rivières Lions on Wednesday, who are the top-seeded team in the North division. After losing two games last weekend, the Admirals started their Thanksgiving holidays with a 4-0 win against the Lions.
During the first two minutes of the contest, the Admirals were quick to get on the board as Keaton Jameson passed the puck to Danny Katic, who scored a goal to give them a 1-0 lead. Norfolk had a strong start as a team demonstrating a revamped offensive pressure and keeping pace with the Lions.
As the first period approached its midway point, tensions began to rise between the two teams. Despite the competitive play, the score remained 1-0 until five minutes remained in the period when Mathieu Roy scored his eighth goal of the season. He managed to score off a rebound in front of the crease, narrowly beating Joe Vrbetic to make it 2-0. The score remained unchanged for the remainder of the period.
Both teams played fiercely in the middle frame, but the score remained the same after 40 minutes.
The Admirals maintained their advantage throughout the final 20 minutes, fending off any pressure from the Lions. Despite the Lions' best efforts to cut into the Admirals' advantage, Thomas Milic, who was reassigned to Norfolk on Tuesday, prevented any damage throughout the evening.
In the final minutes of the third period, the Admirals scored a pair of insurance goals to secure their victory. Thomas Caron scored his third goal of the season with a one-time pass from Mark Liwiski, making it 3-0. A minute later, Simon Kubicek sniped his shot from the top of the point past Vrbetic to make it 4-0.
As the final seconds dwindled down, Milic secured his second professional shutout with a 28-save performance, putting Norfolk back into the win column.
Sentara Health Three Stars of the Game
1. NOR - T. Milic ( 28 saves off of 28 shots)
2. NOR - K. Jameson (2 assists, +2)
3. NOR - D. Katic (1 goal, +1)
What’s Next
The Norfolk Admirals are set to square off with Trois-Rivières on Black Friday for game two of this weekend's series. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
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