Admirals edge Rivermen, 3-2

PEORIA, ILL – A wild and wooly game brought hundreds of stuffed animals

onto the ice but the Milwaukee Admirals did not leave the Peoria Rivermen feeling warm and fuzzy Saturday night after a 3-2 victory by the visiting Admirals. Three goals were scored in a space of 39 seconds in the third period at Carver Arena to disappoint 6339 fans on “Teddy Bear Toss Night.’
 
Teemu Laasko set Milwaukee up for a first period lead when Rivermen goaltender Jake Allen left Laasko’s shot as a rebound for Mark Van Guilder. Van Guilder backhanded the leftover behind Allen for the first goal of the game.
 
After no scoring in the second period, the third period would be a wild ride. The Rivermen got a chance during a power play midway through the third period. Behind the net, Cade Fairchild, just back after making his NHL debut with St. Louis, put the puck on a tee for Jonathan Cheechoo. Cheechoo then put a spinning shot over the right shoulder of Milwaukee net minder Atta Engren to tie the game.
 
Zack Stortini put Milwaukee back out in front with a power play goal at 14:50 of the third period as he buried a Laasko rebound over the glove of Allen.
 
Twenty seconds later, on another power play, TJ Hensick threaded a needle as he shot the puck through the legs of Milwaukee’s Victor Bartley and past a screened Engren to tie the game again.
 
But that wasn’t the end of it. Twenty-nine seconds later, Gabriel Bourque filled an open net before Allen could get back into position to put Milwaukee back into the lead, 3-2 to end the scoring.
 
Milwaukee’s Michael Latta and Peoria’s Mark Cundari dropped the gloves in the third period for the only fight of the game. There were a lot of wild punches, but Cundari connected with a few rights that really rocked Latta.
 
Shots on goal went to the advantage of the victorious Admirals, 34-31. Milwaukee scored once on five power play opportunities while the Rivermen lit the lamp twice during four man-advantages.
 
NOTES: The stuffed animals that were thrown onto the ice after the first Rivermen goal were donated to the Salvation Army…The Rivermen are back on the ice Sunday with a 5PM game against the Chicago Wolves.
  Contact the author: Shaun.Bill@ProHockeyNews.com