ELLIS OT GOAL GIVES ADMIRALS WIN
Ads Take Two Straight on Trip to Charlotte
Charlotte, NC–Defenseman Ryan Ellis scored the game-winning goal in overtime and Magnus Hellberg stopped 34 shots in goal to lead the Milwaukee Admirals past the Charlotte Checkers 3-2 Sunday afternoon.
Ellis received a pass from Mark Van Guilder out of the left corner and skated toward Charlotte’s net. He deked and slid the puck across the goal line for his fifth goal of the season.
The first period was scoreless, but Hellberg had to make several big saves to keep it that way as Charlotte outshot Milwaukee 15-6 that frame.
The Checkers got on the board first when Eric Baier scored with a wrist shot after receiving a Zach Boychuk pass in the right circle. Baier’s goal was scored at 8:53 of the second period.
Milwaukee tied the game at 11:02 of the second period. Cam Reid was able to get the puck out of the defensive zone to Scott Valentine. Valentine skated along the left wing boards to the left faceoff dot in Charlotte’s zone before he unloaded a slap shot that beat John Muse over his glove inside the right post. The goal was Valentine’s sixth goal of the season.
The Admirals claimed the lead when Daniel Bang scored his eighth goal of the season with a shot from the left circle that went through the legs of the Checkers goalie. Bang was in with Brad Winchester on a 2-on-1 chance and elected to shoot, which gave Milwaukee the 2-1 lead at 16:35 of the second period. Juuso Puustinen and Mattias Ekholm recorded the assists.
Charlotte’s Brody Sutter tied the game at 12:30 of the third period when he slid a rebound of a Beau Schmitz shot through Hellberg’s legs for his third goal of the season.
Admirals defenseman Scott Ford played his 294th game with Milwaukee, which tied Kelsey Wilson for the most games played for the Admirals in the team’s AHL history.
The Admirals visit Grand Rapids Friday before returning home Saturday, April 13 to host the Rockford IceHogs. After that game, comedian and notorious watermelon smasher Gallagher will perform in the lone Milwaukee appearance of his Last Smash Farewell Tour.