As the Wheeling Nailers set their sights on the Kelly Cup, their journey hit an early snag in Game 1 of their series against the Norfolk Admirals, ending in a tough 4-0 defeat.
The game kicked off with Wheeling taking the reins, outshooting Norfolk 16-8 in the opening period. But the scoreboard told a different story. Darick Louis-Jean struck first for the Admirals at 5:44, and Brady Fleurent doubled their advantage with a goal at 13:58.
The second period saw a shift in momentum, with Norfolk flipping the script to dominate the shot count 12-6. Despite the offensive push, neither team could find the back of the net.
Norfolk widened the gap in the third period at 3:41 when Grant Hebert notched his first of the series, bringing the score to 3-0. Hebert was in the thick of it, recording two assists on the night, playing a crucial role for the Admirals.
The final nail in the coffin came from Jack O'Leary, who sealed the game with an empty-netter at 19:21. Brady Fleurent added to his stellar performance with his second assist, bringing his tally to three points.
Hank Crone also made his presence felt, assisting on the first two goals and being one of the few with multi-point contributions.
As the dust settled, both squads walked away with 29 shots apiece, yet neither could crack the code on power plays—Wheeling went 0-for-3, while Norfolk ended at 0-for-4.
With Norfolk leading the best-of-seven series 1-0, both teams look forward to clashing again in Game 2, set for Thursday night. It's still early days, and the Nailers will be keen to regroup and come out swinging to keep their Kelly Cup dreams alive.
