The Admirals 4-1 win against the Hamilton Bulldogs was a nice result. The team was showing signs of turning a corner and they did that night. Yet, it is a result like the Admirals 4-2 comeback victory over the Midwest Division leading Rockford IceHogs that is exactly what everyone involved in the team is looking for.

Rockford gained their 2-0 lead through some rather fortunate bounces. Rather than kick themselves and say, “here we go again,” whilst pouting the Admirals stuck to their guns and really out-worked a top class team. The shots on goal ended 37-21 in the Admirals favor. When you look at the second period, which broke the IceHogs down, they out shot them 17-7 and outscored them 3-0.

Another highly promising sign from this game was the finish. Which is just that. They finished it. It was a complete end-to-end sixty minute game from the Admirals. The IceHogs could have come out guns blazing in the third period and scored a quick goal and edged things close but they didn’t have the time or puck to accomplish any of what they wanted to do. The Admirals came back from 2-0 down, scored four unanswered goals, and finished that game at 4-2.

After the game I spoke with Dean Evason, Marek Mazanec, Triston Grant, and Zach Budish. Here is what they all had to say after the win:

Dean Evason on Mazanec’s breakaway save to keep the Ads in the game:

Evason talks about overcoming the 2-0 deficit to Rockford:

Evason describes the second period shooting gallery for the Admirals:

Evason on the Admirals home power-play getting another goal:

Evason talks up Grant:

Evason discusses carrying momentum into the last two games of the three-in-three:

Marek Mazanec describes getting run by Ryan Hartman at the end of the game:

Mazanec talks about the Admirals comeback:

Triston Grant on crashing the net:

Grant on how badly he wanted the hat trick:

Grant talks about the team putting December behind them:

Grant focused on improving as the team battles for their playoff spot:

Zach Budish on scoring a goal in six straight games (ECHL & AHL):

Budish breaks down his goal:

Budish on the Admirals response to trailing 2-0:

Budish talks up the follow up game in Rockford:

Comments from the comments? What are you expecting out of the second clash between the Admirals and IceHogs Friday night in Rockford?

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