The Norfolk Admirals used a four-goal third period to skate past the Adirondack Thunder in Game 1 of the North Division Finals. Forward Carson Golder led all skaters with four points in the win.
The Norfolk Admirals used a four-goal third period to skate past the Adirondack Thunder, 7-4, in Game 1 of the North Division Finals on Friday.
Norfolk forward Carson Golder led all skaters with four points (1-3-4) in the win, while goaltender Yaniv Perets made 20 saves on 24 shots on goal.
Six different skaters found the back of the net for the Admirals, including two goals from forward Thomas Caron, who tied the game at 4-4 less than two minutes into the third period.
Adirondack goaltender Isaac Poulter conceded a season-high six goals before Jeremy Brodeur took over seven minutes into the third period.
Caron opened the scoring for Norfolk at the 2:01 mark of the first period after deflecting Golder's centering feed. Five minutes later, Adirondack tied the game on Yushiroh Hirano's second goal of the postseason. The Admirals and Thunder went into the locker room tied after 20 minutes.
In the middle frame, the two teams combined for five goals. Norfolk briefly took the lead on Keaton Jameson's goal less than one minute into the frame. Adirondack scored two straight goals to take a 3-2 lead, with Ryan Wheeler and Ryan Smith finding the back of the net.
Austen Keating tied the game for Norfolk two minutes later after his backhanded centering pass deflected off an Adirondack defender and into the back of the net. However, Smith scored his second of the game with just over six minutes left in the period to give the Thunder a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes.
Coming into Friday's matchup, the Thunder had outscored their opponents 7-3 in the third period. However, Norfolk flipped the script.
In the third period, Caron started a run of four straight goals for the Admirals at the 1:45 mark of the frame. Golder put Norfolk in front unassisted on a wrister from the high slot. Stepan Timofeyev found the back of the net for the second time this postseason on a wild rebound in front of the Adirondack net.
With the Thunder net empty, Mathieu Roy provided the dagger on a shot from above the blue line.
Highlights