Tootoo time for Admirals
By Curtis Claassen
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To say it has been a good week for Milwaukee Admirals player Jordin Tootoo would be an understatement.
In game one of the West Division Final against the Houston Aeros, Tootoo scored the game-winning goal with just 14 seconds remaining to lead the Admirals to a 5-4 victory.
If that wasn’t enough, he followed an absolutely thrilling finish with a three-goal hat trick in game two of the series, as the Admirals demolished Houston 7-0. The Admirals now lead the best-of-seven series 2-0 with the series heading to Houston for the next three games.
In game one, the fans at the Bradley Center saw one of the craziest finishes to a game in recent memory. With less than five minutes to go and the Aeros leading 3-2, no one could have imagined the barrage of scoring that would take place in such a short amount of time.
Greg Zanon fired a shot that ricocheted of a Houston Aeros skate and into the goal with 4:23 remaining, tying the game at 3. But the two teams were just getting started.
Just a little over a minute later, the Admirals would take the lead when Darren Haydar continued to come up with clutch plays in this playoffs, beating goaltender Josh Harding high to the short side.
However, the game would take a turn once again after a Scottie Upshall penalty with just under three minutes helped lead to a power play goal by Houston’s Patrick O’Sullivan with just 1:52 remaining, tying the game at 4.
The game appeared to be heading to overtime but the Admirals would have one last chance and boy did they take advantage of it. A hustling Upshall was able to control a clear attempt by the Aeros, who then passed it ahead to a streaking Rich Peverly down the left side of the ice.
Peverly calmly sent a pass across the ice to the right post where Tootoo was waiting and he tapped in the game-winning goal with only 14 seconds remaining, sending the Bradley Center crowd into a state of delirium.
It was a game for the ages, as the Admirals would win 5-4 and take a 1-0 lead in the series, definitely grabbing the early momentum.
It appeared as if the last-second victory in game one propelled the Admirals in game two, where they would dominate from the opening face-off in front of a highly energetic crowd at the Bradley Center.
The Admirals cruised to a 7-0 victory, yet the Houston Aeros out-shot Milwaukee 32-31. The highlight of the night though would once again be by Tootoo, who for the third straight game since joining the Admirals, had himself an exceptional performance.
Tootoo scored a hat trick, giving him five goals in the last three games. Upshall would waste no time getting the party started, scoring a goal just five minutes into the game. Shea Weber scored the next two and Tootoo scored the next three.
Those six goals came from the three guys who returned from Nasville just one week ago. Ten different Admirals chipped in with assists.
The next game in Milwaukee would be game six this Saturday, if necessary.


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