MILWAUKEE, Wisc – What a difference a game makes. After the Chicago Wolves took the first two games of their first-round series against the Milwaukee Admirals, the Ads dominated every aspect of the game Saturday and came away with a 6-0 victory.
Milwaukee tweaked its lineup, inserting four new players, including Hobey Baker winner Blake Geoffrion, who signed an Amateur Try-Out with the team two days earlier. He made an immediate impression, scoring twice in his first professional game. Geoffrion has the genes — his grandfather was Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion and his great grandfather was Canadiens legend Howie Morenz, while his father Danny was drafted eighth by Montreal in the 1978 Draft.
The scoring didn’t start until late in the first period, when Milwaukee’s Chris Mueller aggressively stickhandled from the side of the net on power play until finally sweeping the puck past Chicago netminder Peter Mannino.
Geoffrion got his first of the night just 21 seconds into the second period, after Marty Murray dropped a pass back to the youngster, who got the wrist shot in. Thirteen minutes later, with a scrum for the puck in front of the Wolves net, Mannino was caught too far out in front of the net as Mike Santorelli was able to place the Admirals up by three. With 3:35 left in the period, Alexander Sulzer fired a sharp angle puck to give the Admirals an insurmountable score on the power-play.
Former Milwaukee Admiral Drew MacIntyre came in to replace Mannino and was able to close out the period. But it only got worse in the third. Geoffrion got his second as a battle for the puck in the crease went to Milwaukee. The final goal of the game went to right wing Andreas Thuresson, whose shot was slowed down in the slot by a deflection, straight through to the top of net.
Milwaukee’s Mark Dekanich stopped all thirty shorts he face. Maninno got the loss.
“Their power play was outstanding tonight,” said Wolves head coach Don Lever. “We lost a bit of composure after the second goal and we couldn’t recover.”
The Admirals went four for nine on the power play — the most the Wolves have yielded in the postseason. The 47 shots by Milwaukee is also a playoff record for most shots allowed.
Three Stars were: Chris Mueller (Milwaukee), Third Star with the game winner; Mark Dekanich (Milwaukee), Second Star with the shutout; and Blake Geoffrion (Milwaukee), First Star with the two goals in his professional debut.
West Division Semifinal – Series “G” (best-of-7) W1-Chicago Wolves vs. W4-Milwaukee Admirals Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 14 – Milwaukee 5 at Chicago 6 Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 16 – Milwaukee 0 at Chicago 3 Game 3 – Sat., Apr. 17 – Chicago 0 at Milwaukee 6 Game 4 – Mon., Apr. 19 – Chicago at Milwaukee, 7:00 *Game 5 – Wed., Apr. 21 – Milwaukee at Chicago, 7:00 *Game 6 – TBA – Chicago at Milwaukee, 7:00 *Game 7 – Mon., Apr. 26 – Milwaukee at Chicago, 7:00
Chicago Wolves leads series 2-1
Contact Matt.Chin@prohockeynews.com
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