Admirals take Game 1, Win 2-1 Over WBS Penguins

Tonight was Ryan Craig's first AHL playoff game. I think it's safe to say he wasn't happy with his team's performance tonight.

The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins dropped the first game tonight, 2-1 to the Norfolk Admirals on a night where the Penguins looked flat and unaware of where the puck was most of the night.

The teams played a scoreless first period before Mattias Ritola roofed a puck past Thiessen 5:23 into the 2nd. The real dagger in the side came with 93 seconds left in the middle frame when a Ritola shot from outside deflected off of former Penguin Marc Antoine Pouliot and past a screened Thiessen.

The Penguins played a better third period, out shooting the Admirals 13-6, but were unable to convert on any of their power play chances tonight. Keven Veilleux tapped home a rebound of a Geoff Walker shot with 1:47 left to make it a game but too little too late. They couldn't get the equalizer and drop the first game in the best of seven series.

Tomorrow the Penguins get a chance to even up the series before heading to Norfolk for three straight games. I'll throw up a preview sometime tomorrow afternoon. Fans need not be discouraged though, the Penguins just didn't get to their game tonight. Expect them to come out firing on all cylinders tomorrow night.