NORFOLK, Va. — Home ice hasn't meant much thus far in the Adirondack Thunder and Norfolk Admirals second round playoff series. Norfolk took the first two games in Adirondack and the Thunder returned the favor here in Norfolk, leaving the teams with a 3 game series to decide who moves on the the Eastern Conference Finals.
The game began with a big change for Norfolk. Yaniv Perets has been excellent in goal for the Admirals through 3 games, but it was Oskari Salminen in the crease to start Game 4. Salminen started the postseason for Norfolk with a win, but injured his MCL and has been out, opening the door for Perets. Coach Carr explained the decision to return to Salminen after the game.
"Oskeeri Salminen is our contracted goalie from our main affiliate. He had a 9-4 save percent in the American league last year and I think he was above 92 in the last 6 games for us. This crazy MCL injury happens to him after he shuts the door in TR. He starts this whole playoffs with a win for us so we can't keep him on the shelf for weeks on end. He's got to get a game," said Carr, further expressing his confidence in both goalies.
The Admirals got off to a slow start in Game 4. Andre Ghantous started the scoring for the Thunder 7 minutes and 20 seconds into this one. Ryan Smith followed that up with under 5 minutes to play in the first.
The Admirals came out firing in the middle frame and would dig their way out of that 2-0 hole. Mathieu Roy scored just under 4 minutes in to the period and Stepan Timofeyev followed up with the equalizer.
What happened next was especially deflating following such a hard fought comeback. Less than a minute after Timofeyev's goal, Ryan Smith put the Thunder back up with a goal that Carr called "beyond deflating."
Norfolk would find life in a 5 on 3 power play in the 3rd period, peppering the Adirondack net with shots to no avail. Adirondack tacked on two more in the 3rd to polish off a 5-3 win.
The Admirals get one more at home Saturday night in what is essentially a 3 game series to decide who moves on the Eastern Conference Finals. Carr said he would sleep on the decision of who to start in goal, confer with his staff and make a call in the morning.