RECAP | Perets Shines in Admirals Game 2 Victory Against Thunder

Glens Falls, N.Y.- After securing the 1-0 series lead last night, the Norfolk Admirals took the ice in Cool Insuring Arena for the second installment of their best-of-seven series with the Adirondack Thunder. Three third-period goals and a stellar goaltending effort from Yaniv Perets propelled the Admirals to a 5-2 victory.

Perets made his seventh appearance in goal this postseason for the Admirals. He finished the night with 41 saves off of 43 shots faced as he earned the No. 1 star in the Admirals win.

During the game's opening minutes, the opposing team demonstrated superior forechecking and relentlessly pelted Perets with shots. He faced a total of 18 shots in the first period, all of which he successfully turned away while standing firm in the blue crease. Meanwhile, the Admirals took some time to get into the game, but eventually managed to create some good opportunities, eventually scoring the first goal of the game.

With less than eight minutes left on the clock, the Admirals were awarded a power play. Shortly thereafter, Keaton Jameson capitalized on the rebound from Carson Golder's shot that had ricocheted off Poulter's pad. This goal gave Norfolk a 1-0 lead. Golder has been an exceptional player in this series, scoring five points, while Jameson has managed to record a goal in back-to-back games. Despite numerous opportunities, the Thunder were unable to solve Perets and score on their power plays.

Although Adirondack outshot the Admirals 18-11 in the opening period, Norfolk managed to maintain a one-goal lead. At the beginning of the second period, Adirondack had a high-quality chance to tie the game, but Perets made a crucial save with his blocker, keeping the score at 1-0. The home team had momentum throughout the middle period, playing well on their forecheck. The Admirals had some excellent opportunities to increase their lead to 2-0, but the score remained 1-0 until the latter half of the period.

With nine minutes left, the Thunder capitalized on a three-on-two situation and managed to solve Perets, tying the game with a Yushiroh Hirano back-door tap-in. Perets' effort during the middle 20 minutes should not go unnoticed, as his performance prevented any further scoring, keeping the score at 1-1. With only three minutes left on the clock, Norfolk regained the lead.

Brady Fleurent took possession of the puck at the opposing blue line and then passed it to Stepan Timofeyev, who was streaking toward the net. Timofeyev then fired a shot into the back of the net, marking his third postseason goal. Despite being outshot 11-7, Norfolk took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission.

Adirondack tied the game once again just two and a half minutes into the third period, with a goal scored by Tristan Ashbrook, bringing the score to two-all. Despite the equalizer, Norfolk remained unfazed and continued to play their brand of hockey. With 13 minutes left in the game, Danny Katic took advantage of a loose puck and blasted his shot from the right-wing circle to make it 3-2. The Admirals continued to put pressure on the Thunder, leading to two additional goals later in the game.

At the four-minute mark, Austen Keating made a spectacular deflection to score a goal off Dmitry Kuzmin's shot, extending the Admirals' lead to 4-2. Perets made several critical saves in the last few minutes of the game, maintaining the two-goal lead. The captain, Mathieu Roy, added to the team's lead by scoring his second consecutive empty-net goal, bringing the final score to 5-2.

Norfolk leads the best-of-seven series 2-0.

Sentara Health Three Stars of the Game

1. NOR - Y. Perets (41 saves off of 43 shots faced)

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

3. NOR - A. Keating (1 goal, 1 assist, +1)

What’s Next

The upcoming three games in the Admirals series will take place at Norfolk Scope, where the team will be hosting the Thunder. These games are being referred to as 'Whiteout the Scope,' and the Admirals aim to secure victory on their home ice. Game three is scheduled for Wednesday evening, with puck drop at 7:05 p.m.