GLENS FALLS, N.Y. — Earning their first playoff series victory in ten years, the Norfolk Admirals embarked on their next step with a long-awaited series matchup with the Adirondack Thunder in the North Division Finals. Norfolk secured a 7-4 victory over the Thunder in game one, courtesy of a four-goal third period, with Thomas Caron scoring twice to cement the Admirals' win.
Yaniv Perets made his sixth appearance in the crease this postseason for the Admirals. He finished the night with 20 saves off of 24 shots faced in the Admirals' victory.
Just two minutes into the period, the Admirals scored the first goal of the period. Caron was able to tip the puck into the back of the net off the shot from Carson Golder, recording his second goal of the postseason. This early advantage was crucial for the team to withstand the hostile crowd. However, the lead was short-lived as the Thunder managed to equalize the score five minutes later.
Following a costly turnover in the corner, Yushiroh Hirano fired his shot from the slot past the glove of Perets, leveling the score at 1-1. Despite a 5-minute major boarding call on the Thunder, Norfolk was unable to capitalize and score off the power play. Adirondack had two power plays of their own, but the Admirals' defense held firm.
The Admirals maintained control of the period, outshooting the Thunder 13-6, and the score remained 1-1 after the first 20 minutes.
In the second period, both teams scored a total of five goals as the game became more intense. Keaton Jameson scored the first goal of the period for the Admirals, firing his shot from the right-wing circle into the back of the net, making it 2-1. However, their lead was short-lived as the Thunder scored 25 seconds later with a goal from Ryan Wheeler that came off a rebound.
Five minutes into the period, Ryan Smith gave Adirondack the lead with a shot from the middle point. Only two minutes later, Austen Keating tied the game once again with a goal that came off a wacky bounce from a Thunder player's skate, directing the puck into the cage. The score was tied at 3-3 until the home team jumped ahead again with a power-play goal from Smith, his second goal of the evening.
Throughout the latter part of the frame, the Admirals faced penalties, but they were able to withstand them, and the score remained 4-3 in favor of Adirondack after 40 minutes.
During the final 20 minutes of the game, there was a flurry of goals scored, and the Admirals managed to score three unanswered goals to regain their lead. Caron was able to score his second goal of the night just two minutes into the period, as he shot the puck past the goalie's five-hole and into the back of the net. Shortly after, Golder gave the Admirals their lead back, as he skated into the offensive zone and shot the puck blocker-side for a 5-4 lead.
Denis Smirnov had a breakaway opportunity, but he was hooked while taking his shot on goal. Stepan Timofeyev put away the rebound and made it a 6-4 lead for the Admirals. Following this goal, the Admirals locked down their defensive zone and prevented Adirondack from scoring any late-game heroics. As time winded down, Mathieu Roy netted an empty-net goal for his first of the postseason to make it 7-4. Perets made key saves in the period as his team secured the win.
