The Milwaukee Admirals were unable to overcome the Rockford IceHogs despite outshooting them 28-19 during the game held Saturday, February 7, at Panther Arena. The match showcased a physical battle with numerous penalties and ended in a 3-1 loss for the Admirals.
Penalties and Early Goals Set the Tone
The intense rivalry continued with 110 penalty minutes in the first period alone, fueled by two fights occurring just 22 seconds after the game began. Zach L’Heureux gave Milwaukee the early advantage by converting on a breakaway and scoring five-hole past Rockford’s goalie Drew Commesso. However, Rockford swiftly responded late in the period with back-to-back goals from Gavin Hayes and Kevin Lombari within 26 seconds, flipping the score to 2-1 going into the second period.
IceHogs Extend Lead Despite Admirals’ Efforts
Midway through the second, Nick Lardis increased Rockford’s lead to 3-1 with a quick shot past Admirals’ goalie Matt Murray. In the final minutes, Milwaukee pulled Murray to add an extra attacker, hoping to close the gap, but the strategy failed to produce the desired result. Joakim Kemell nearly sparked a comeback when his shot struck the post, but the Admirals never regained sufficient momentum to alter the outcome.
Upcoming Schedule and Next Steps
With the AHL All-Star break approaching this week, Milwaukee will soon face Rockford again for consecutive games on February 14 and 15. Following those matchups, the Admirals return to Panther Arena to host the Texas Stars on Wednesday, February 18. How they regroup after this setback will be critical for their push in the coming weeks.
“Zach L’Heureux opened the scoring for Milwaukee after he collected a loose puck in the Ads zone and capitalized on the mistake by converting on a breakaway breaking and beating Rockford Goalie Drew Commesso five-hole.” — Zach L’Heureux
“The last time the Admirals and the IceHogs faced off, the game totaled 126 penalty minutes, and that trend continued with 110 penalty minutes in the first period alone, including a pair of fights just 22 seconds after puck drop.” — Source from Milwaukee Admirals
“Even after Joakim Kemell rang a shot off the post to try and spark a late rally.” — Joakim Kemell
