Troy Grosenick was on fire, stopping all 30 shots the Grand Rapids Griffins threw at him on Sunday, securing a 2-0 win for the Milwaukee Admirals at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. This shutout helped the Admirals advance in the AHL playoffs and set the stage for an exciting Western Conference finals showdown against the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Zach L’Heureux lit up the ice early, scoring a short-handed goal just 4:53 into the game while his teammate Roland McKeown was in the penalty box for holding. This marked L’Heureux's eighth goal of the Calder Cup playoffs, making him the leader in goals scored. Cal O’Reilly, celebrating his 100th playoff game, assisted in the crucial play.
Meanwhile, Ryan Ufko added his first playoff goal as a pro, coming in hot at 3:00 into the final period. Marc Del Gaizo and Egor Afanasyev provided the assists for Ufko’s pivotal score.
The Admirals have been on a thrilling playoff journey, going the full five games in their first two series. Now, they face the Firebirds, who knocked them out of the playoffs last season. The Firebirds are coming in strong, having swept the Ontario Reign and riding a six-game winning streak across two playoff series.
Here's the schedule for the high-stakes Western Conference finals:
- Game 1: at Coachella Valley, 9 p.m. Wednesday
- Game 2: at Coachella Valley, 9 p.m. (Central) Friday
- Game 3: at Milwaukee, 7 p.m. Tuesday
- Game 4: at Milwaukee, 7 p.m. Thursday
- Game 5: at Milwaukee, 7 p.m. Saturday, if necessary
- Game 6: at Coachella Valley, 9 p.m. June 10, if necessary
- Game 7: at Coachella Valley, 9 p.m. June 12, if necessary
Grosenick, a 34-year-old Brookfield native, has been a rock in the net, with Sunday marking his third win in four playoff starts. Impressively, he’s the first Admirals goalie to record a playoff shutout since Magnus Helberg did it back in 2013.
The stage is set for an electrifying series. Can the Admirals keep their playoff run alive and overcome the formidable Firebirds? Only time will tell!
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