The Admirals became the last team to book their ticket to the third round where they will take on the Grand Rapids Griffins
The Milwaukee Admirals advanced to the third round of the Calder Cup Playoffs Sunday night with a Game 5 win over the Texas Stars.
Their victory, which booked them a third round matchup against the Grand Rapids Griffins, was the last game of the second round.
With the series initially beginning on May 2, it was the Stars who came out of the gate with energy. Taking an early two game lead in the series, the Stars held the Admirals to four goals in the first two games while they put up 10.
In what looked like it could be a quick series, the Admirals, with their backs against the wall, began to crawl their way back into the series.
Milwaukee took Game 3 by a score of 5-3, with Zach L'Heureux and Marc Del Gaizo playing major roles in the victory. L'Heureux was named first star of the game, notching a goal and adding three assists while Del Gaizo scored twice.
In Game 4, with Reid Schaefer sitting out due to suspension, the Admirals came out of the gates hot in the first period thanks to L'Heureux once again. Putting up two goals in the first ten minutes of the game, the Admirals held the Stars to just four shots in the opening frame.
Although the Stars came out in the second period and cut the deficit in half, Troy Grosenick proved to be too much and the Admrials added two more in the third to take Game 4 by a score of 4-1.
With the deciding game last night, Zach L'Heureux decided to be a difference maker again, scoring two goals in the first minute of the game.
The Stars answered back on a power play goal by Matej Blumel less than five minutes later but the Admirals added one (off the stick of Cal O'Reilly) to head into the first intermission up 3-1.
The second period saw no goals scored but the Stars were leading in the shot department 20-15 heading into the third period.
Seemingly with momentum on their side, the Stars scored another power play goal less than two minutes into the third off a shot from Oskar Back to pull within one.
With the Admirals having taken five penalties to the Stars' one, the Admirals would be rewarded with another power play opportunity just under seven minutes into the third when Back took a slashing penalty.
In what proved to be the killer of any hope for a Stars comeback, the Admirals scored on the power play with Fedor Svechkov being the hero to put the Admirals back up by two.
Reid Schaefer added an empty netter and the Stars scored with two minutes remaining but the Admirals took home Game 5 with a 5-3 victory.
The Admirals open their series against the Griffins on Wednesday.
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