RECAP | Admirals Get A Point in OT Defeat Against Utah

West Valley City, UT- Coming off a series victory against the Reading Royals, the Norfolk Admirals packed their bags and traveled across the country for a three-game series with the Utah Grizzlies. In the opening contest, it was the Grizzlies who mounted a three-goal comeback in the final three minutes to eventually win in overtime 5-4 against Norfolk.

Oskari Salminen made his 8th appearance in the cage for the Admirals. He showcased a gritty Saturday night effort with 30 saves from 34 shots in the Admirals' loss.

During the initial 20 minutes of the game, the Admirals quickly established their authority. Three minutes into the game, Stepan Timofeyev passed the puck to Andrew McLean, who made some impressive moves driving to the net and scored the first goal of the game with a backhand shot. This was McLean's seventh goal of the season, giving Norfolk a 1-0 lead. Despite Utah's aggressive forecheck, goalie Salminen made eight saves to keep his team's lead.

Danny Katic almost scored for the Admirals with a tap-in, but Dante Giannuzzi made the save. However, Katic redeemed himself soon after, scoring a goal from the left-wing circle after the face-off to give Norfolk a 2-0 lead. The Admirals outshot Utah 9-8 in the first period as they led by two.

Three minutes into the second period, Keaton Jameson returned to Utah, his former team, and scored a goal with his powerful shot from the left-wing circle. His goal extended Norfolk's lead to three. Utah's forecheck became more aggressive following the goal, but Salminen made some key saves to keep his team's lead. He made several important saves, including a breakaway stop from his stomach and rear-end, to maintain his team's lead.

The Grizzlies finally scored late in the period, with Cole Gallant's shot in front of the net breaking up Salminen's shutout bid. Despite Utah outshooting Norfolk 16-7 in the middle frame, the score remained 3-1 in favor of the Admirals going into the final period.

Jameson scored his second goal of the night and 11th of the year to increase Norfolk's lead to 4-1, four minutes into the third period. The Admirals held on to their lead until the final few minutes of the game when Utah made a comeback, scoring three goals in just 68 seconds. Kyle Mayhew, Dylan Fitze, and Josh Wesley all scored to tie the game at four with less than two minutes remaining.

Denis Smirnov had a chance to win the game but his shot was stopped, and the game went into overtime. In overtime, McLean was penalized for slashing, forcing the Admirals to play shorthanded. Wesley scored his second goal of the night with a powerful slapshot, beating Salminen and securing the victory for Utah.

The Admirals now sit at 34-19-5-1 on the year, and the team remains in second place in the ECHL North Division with 74 points.

What’s Next

The Norfolk Admirals will face the Grizzlies again tomorrow at 5:10 p.m. for their second-weekend game in their trip out west.