RECAP | Admirals Bounce Back Decisively Against Worcester

Worcester, MA - Following a 6-3 defeat in last night's game, the Norfolk Admirals bounced back with a decisive win over the Railers. The Admirals secured a 6-2 victory on Saturday night with two goals in all three periods, including two power-play goals. 

Kristian Stead made his third appearance in the Admirals' cage and had a remarkable performance. He made 34 saves off of 36 shots in the Admirals victory.

During the opening minute of the contest, the Admirals secured their first power-play opportunity of the night, which resulted in Kamerin Nault scoring a goal, his third as an Admiral, to put them ahead 1-0. The goal was made possible by the efforts of Brady Fleurent and Denis Smirnov, who gained possession of the puck before Nault fired it into the back of the net. Just five minutes later, Stepan Timofeyev deflected a shot from Fleurent to score the Admirals' second goal of the night, his seventh goal of the year, and extend their lead to 2-0.

Worcester managed to get on the board with nine minutes left in the first period, courtesy of Blade Jenkins' shot from the slot, which scored his 11th goal of the season. The first period remained competitive, with both teams trading blows, even with one another in shots on goal at 12 apiece. However, the score remained 2-1 in favor of Norfolk.

The Railers began the second period with a strong forecheck despite being short-handed, but Stead made several crucial saves to keep his team ahead. Three minutes into the middle frame, Aaron Miller extended the Norfolk lead to 3-1, scoring off a backhand shot after gaining possession of the puck and beating his defenders.

The Admirals secured another power-play chance past the halfway point of the period, and Carson Musser scored his fourth goal of the season, receiving a pass from Danny Katic in the slot and going bar-down on John Muse. The Railers added another goal in the latter part of the period, courtesy of Jenkins, who scored for the second time that evening. Despite being outshot by the Railers 16-9 in the period, the Admirals maintained their two-goal cushion at the end of the second period.

During the third period of the game, Stead's exceptional performance persisted as he withstood multiple opportunities, thereby maintaining his team's lead. Five minutes into the period, Brandon Osmundson made an excellent pass up the ice to Danny Katic, who scored his 11th goal of the season by beating Muse through a five-hole shot. Katic has been demonstrating exceptional form in recent games, having scored a goal in each of the last five consecutive games.

Following the goal, the Admirals sustained their high level of performance across all aspects of the game, thereby maintaining their three-goal lead. With only a few minutes left in the match, Andrew McLean capitalized on an empty-net goal, thereby extending their lead to four goals. Norfolk clung to their advantage and emerged victorious with a 6-2 win.

With the victory, Norfolk regained the second position from Newfoundland, who had won earlier.

Sentara Health Three Stars of the Game

1. NOR - K. Stead (34 saves off of 36 shots)

2. NOR - D. Katic (1 goal, 1 assist, +1)

3. WOR - B. Jenkins (2 goals, +1)

What’s Next

The Norfolk Admirals will travel to Glens Flass to face the Adirondack Thunder in the final game of their three-game road trip tomorrow afternoon. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m. from Cool Insuring Arena.