(Photo credits:  Eric W Kent)

Anders Lindback got the start for the fourth time in five days, and had some good moments and bad moments, as the Admirals lost to the Rockford IceHogs 4-3 in overtime Saturday night.

The Admirals never led in the game, coming back from three one-goal deficits, but still managed to get out of town with a point in the standings.

After putting his whistle away in the 3^rd period, Shaun Davis whistled Teemu Laakso for a cross-checking call 1:34 into the overtime period.  The IceHogs converted with a Ben Smith goal from down low, that popped over a down Lindback.

Here’s Coach Lambert on the overtime period.

“The first thing I saw was a bad call, from a guy driving to the net who gets pushed off balance.   And then I saw our guy get picked twice, on a set play that they run…that’s interference.  And then I don’t know how the puck went in the net.”

Here’s the penalty, and the goal…

Evan “Don’t Taze Me” Brophey opened the scoring just 42 seconds into the contest with a shot that Lindback had trouble tracking.

The Admirals answered back with a power play goal by Kelsey Wilson.  After Aaron Johnson’s shot from the point was saved but not covered, Wilson finished the job in the crease.

Rob Klinkhammer was the best player on the ice for both teams tonight, and he shifted into another gear past Admiral defenders on multiple occasions.  In the second period, one led to a shot wide of the net.  A couple minutes later, it was a goal.

Ryan Flynn answered back later in the period, skating with the puck from the near boards to the slot, and his backhander beat Alec Richards.  Richards had Dylan Hunter in front of the net to worry about, that may have helped open some space for the shot.

The 3^rd IceHogs goal is just unacceptable.  A shot from Jeff Taffe deflected off of Scott Ford’s skates and bounced softly right on net.  Easy glove and cover, right?  Wrong.  Lindback couldn’t cover it, and Klinkhammer was Johnny-on-the-spot for his second goal of the game.

“I didn’t like the third goal,” Coach said after the game.  “I don’t know if I necessarily like any of the goals.  I thought he struggled with his rebound control  and he struggled playing the puck.  I think it caught up with us in the end.”

The Admirals tied the game again with a Mike Bartlett goal at 10:53 of the third period.  Ryan Flynn had a shot, and the rebound went through the defenders skates at the left post.  Bartlett was there to bury it.

Lines were shuffled tonight, and that Bartlett – Hunter- Flynn line was OUTSTANDING.  And Coach agrees.

“Bartlett, I thought was his best game of the year by far. Flynn wasn’t far behind him, and Hunter is a solid and responsible guy.”

NOTES:

Asked after the game how much longer he expected to have Lindback on the roster, Coach Lambert said, “He’s going to be here for about 45 minutes and then he’s going back.”

Roman Josi left the game with an injury.  They’re calling it a lower body injury, and don’t know what the outlook is.

Houston won tonight, so the Aeros now sit one point back of the Admirals in the standings, and have played three more games.

DISCUSSION POINTS:

How would you grade Lindback?

With Blum in Nashville and Josi possibly hurt, that really puts a dent in the defensive corps.   Is it Scott Lehman time, or do you think the Admirals sign someone else to a PTO?