NORFOLK, Va. (WTKR) — The wait for a playoff series win will have to wait one more day for the Admirals.
Norfolk fell behind Trois-Rivières by two goals twice on Saturday night and could never climb back over the hump, losing 4-2 to force a game six in their best of seven series in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Jeff Carr's team still leads the series 3-2 going into Sunday's game.
The visitors quieted the Norfolk Scope crowd with Chris Jandric power play goal six minutes into the game to take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Out of the locker rooms, Trois-Rivières surged ahead 2-0 on a Jakov Novak wrister.
Five minutes later, however, Norfolk got on the board on a backhander from Danny Katic to make it 2-1.
A scary incident followed just a few minutes later. Chasing a puck into the corner, Admirals defenseman Darick Louis-Jean was hit from behind by Jonathan Yantsis, sending him head first into the boards and leaving him on the ice for several minutes.
Yantsis was handed a match penalty and ejected from the game.
Louis-Jean was stretchered from the ice but a team source told News 3 he did have feeling in all of his extremities. He gave the crowd a wave as he was being taken off the ice.
Following the hit, the Admirals got the game even again on a feed to Austen Keating right in front of Zachary Émond. Less than 30 seconds later, however, Novak would once again find the back of the net and give Trois-Rivières a 3-2 lead after two periods.
A Nicolas Guay goal six minutes into the third period would give the visitors some breathing room and Norfolk was unable to mount a comeback.
Émond ended the game with 24 saves, stifling the Admirals attack after the two second period scores.
Norfolk got a 26-22 shots on goal advantage but didn't take advantage of 18 penalty minutes for the Lions. The Admirals would go 0-5 on the power play in the game.
Game six is set to drop the puck at 7:05 on Sunday, Norfolk still only needing one more win to close out the first round matchup.
