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Trois-Rivières, Quebec- With their season on the line and the series at 3-2, the Norfolk Admirals traveled north of the border once again for a must-win Game 6 showdown against the Trois-Rivières Lions. In a back-and-forth slugfest, the Admirals saw their season come to an end, falling 6-3 in Game 6 and 4-2 in the North Division Finals.
Thomas Milic made his ninth postseason appearance for Norfolk, stopping 18 of the 23 shots he faced.
Trois-Rivières opened the scoring just two minutes into the game, as Andrew Coxhead beat Milic top shelf with a wrist shot from the left-wing circle. The Admirals responded quickly when Connor Fedorek blasted home his first goal this postseason off an offensive zone faceoff to tie things up. Shortly after, Justin Young redirected a feed from Josh McDougall out front to give Norfolk a 2-1 lead — his first of the postseason and a key momentum swing for the Admirals.
That score held for the rest of the frame, with Milic making several key stops late to preserve the lead. Lions goaltender Luke Cavallin was sharp as well, turning aside quality chances from Matt Crasa and Ryan Chyzowski. Norfolk outshot Trois-Rivières 10-6 in the opening 20 minutes.
Five minutes into the second period, the Lions capitalized on a loose puck in the Admirals’ defensive zone as Chris Jandric found the net to tie the game at two. Norfolk faced its first penalty kill of the night shortly after when Brandon Osmundson was called for holding. The Admirals successfully killed off the man-advantage, but the momentum began to shift. Midway through the frame, Jakov Novak gave Trois-Rivières a 3-2 lead with a shot from the slot, putting the home side back in front.
With under seven minutes remaining in the period, Osmundson responded in a big way. He buried his fourth goal of the postseason on a slick backhander that beat Cavallin five-hole, tying the game once again at 3-3. Osmundson’s goal would prove to be the final tally of the period, as both teams tightened up defensively down the stretch. After 40 minutes of action, the game remained deadlocked. Norfolk outshot the Lions 11-10 in the second period
Nicolas Guay gave the Lions a 4-3 lead early in the third period, beating Milic with a shot over the right shoulder. The Admirals pushed hard in search of the equalizer, generating pressure throughout the frame, but the score held as the clock wound down. With under two minutes remaining, Trois-Rivières extended their lead on a goal from Anthony Beauregard, sealing the game and the series. The Lions added an empty-net goal from Beauregard for his second goal of the night, extending it to 6-3.
That would hold up as the final score.
Sentara Health Three Stars of the Game
1. TR – A. Beauregard (2 goals, 2 assists, +4)
2. TR – N. Guay (1 goal)
3. TR – C. Jandric (1 goal, 1 assist)
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