MILWAUKEE — Playoff season is red-hot in Milwaukee as the Admirals storm back with a 3-1 win to take game 3 of the Western Conference finals against the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
TMJ4 was live this morning from Panther Arena with a look at the game and what's ahead for the team as they fight for the Calder Cup.
What a game! Thanks to a superstar run by goalie Devin Cooley, this was Milwaukee's first win in the best-of-seven series. Now, the team gears up for the game 4 which is set for right here on Thursday night.
Marking his first game back in 45 days, Cooley stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced to keep the Firebirds on ice. 22 of those stopped shots came in just the first two periods, which is even more impressive since stats show Coachella was the highest-scoring team in the AHL regular season. Pair that with some stellar shots from his teammates Keaton Thompson, Marc del Gaizo and Joakim Kemell and Cooley says he's excited for what's to come in the series.
"Yeah, I mean, I don't know all the system's stuff, it's just my job to stop the puck. But I thought they were incredible and I thought it was our best game of the series by far. They didn't really have much, I made a few saves here and there but for the most part but I thought they made my first game back in a long time really easy," said Milwaukee Admirals goaltender Devin Cooley.
Now, the Admirals look ahead to Game 4, which is set to start at 7 p.m. Thursday night, right here at Panther Arena.
"SEE YOU ON THURSDAY"
— x - Milwaukee Admirals (@mkeadmirals) May 30, 2023
- Keaton Thompson, probs pic.twitter.com/OGkScUr5ve
Milwaukee Admirals press release:
Milwaukee, WI—Playing in his first game in 45 days, Devin Cooley stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced to help guide the Admirals to a 3-1 win over the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Monday night at Panther Arena.
Cooley had yet to see game action in the post-season but stopped 22 shots over the first two periods against Coachella, who was the highest scoring team in the regular season in the AHL.
The win for Milwaukee was their first in the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals, which Coachella now leads 2-1 with game three set for Thursday night at 7 pm.
Keaton Thompson paced the offense with a goal and an assist, while Marc Del Gaizo and Joakim Kemell both lit the lamp for the Admirals, who outshot the Firebirds 37-29.
After a scoreless first period, Coachella got on the board first when Shane Wright found a loose puck in the Milwaukee crease and shoveled it in at 4:08 of the second.
Del Gaizo tied things up for Milwaukee with his fourth goal of the post-season 7:13 into the frame. His shot from the right point found its way through traffic and past a screened Joey Daccord. The goal also extended his Del Gaizo’s point streak to four games.
Kemell’s team-leading seventh of the post-season gave the Ads their first lead since game one with 3:52 to play in the sandwich frame. He carried the puck into the Coachella zone, toe dragged, and release one of his patented rockets past Daccord.
Thompson gave the Ads some insurance 5:39 into the third period when his shot from just inside the blueline got through traffic and into the Firebirds net.
The Firebirds pulled Daccord in favor of an extra attacker for the final 1:42, but Cooley and the Ads defense proved up to the task and they came away with the win.
The series continues on Thursday night at 7 pm with game four, followed by game five on Saturday night at 6 pm at Panther Arena.
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