Norfolk, VA (COURTESY OF THE NORFOLK ADMIRALS) – Following a glorious playoff-clinching night, the Norfolk Admirals returned to the ice at Norfolk Scope for the final time this weekend with one more contest with the Atlanta Gladiators. Thanks to a four-goal performance by Brady Fleurent and a shutout by Yaniv Perets, the Admirals were able to sweep the weekend series against Atlanta with a 6-0 victory.
Perets finished the night with 27 saves off of 27 shots as he pitched his second shutout of the season.
During the opening period of the game, the Admirals dominated the game with multiple goals made by Fleurent. The first goal was scored just 90 seconds into the action, as Fleurent positioned himself in front of the net and tapped the puck in under the legs of Josh Boyko, giving the Admirals an early 1-0 advantage. Despite the Admirals’ efforts to continue their forecheck, the Gladiators were determined to engage in physical play and the game became increasingly intense.
As the game progressed, both teams became more aggressive, with hard hits being dished out on the ice. However, the Admirals managed to maintain their one-goal lead until the latter half of the period when Fleurent scored his second goal of the evening. He skillfully put away a back-door feed from Denis Smirnov, during an Admirals’ power play, to extend their lead to 2-0. The period ended with a score of 2-0, with Norfolk holding a 9-5 shot advantage.
Fleurent continued to shine in the second period, as the Admirals extended their lead. At the five-minute mark of the middle frame, Fleurent scored his third goal of the game, despite Atlanta being on the power play. He gained possession of the puck in the left-wing circle and fired a shot past Josh Boyko’s glove, putting the Admirals up 3-0. With less than eight minutes remaining in the period, the Admirals added a fourth goal off a penalty kill. Brandon Osmundson deflected the puck into the back of the net off a pass from Andrew McLean, scoring his ninth goal of the year and securing a short-handed goal.
Fleurent continued to dominate the game, scoring his fourth goal of the evening and 12th of the season with less than four minutes left in the period. He beat Boyko again with a shot on his glove side, cementing the Norfolk lead at 5-0. Throughout the period, the Admirals controlled the pace of the game, and at the end of the period, they held a commanding 5-0 advantage.
In the last 20 minutes, the Admirals scored another goal and continued to dominate the game. Seven minutes into the period, Stepan Timofeyev received a pass from Kamerin Nault, skated towards the net, and scored his 18th goal of the season with a forehand-backhand move, bringing the score to 6-0. After the goal, tensions between both teams increased, but the score remained unchanged for the rest of the game as the Admirals secured a shutout victory on Saturday night.
With the win, make it ten straight wins on home ice as the Admirals have played stellar in front of their home fans. Norfolk improved their record to 39-21-5-1 and now has 84 points in the ECHL North Division, making them the second seed in the division right behind Adirondack, the first-place team.
Sentara Health Three Stars of the Game
1. NOR – B. Fleurent (4 goals, +3)
2. NOR – Y. Perets (27 saves off of 27 shots)
3. NOR – B. Osmundson (1 goal, 1 assist, +3)
What’s Next
Norfolk will continue their homestand next week with a three-game series against the Reading Royals. These will be the final home games of the regular season. The first game is scheduled for Wednesday at Norfolk Scope, with the puck drop set for 7:05 p.m.