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After a five-game road trip, the Peoria Rivermen returned home and beat the Milwaukee Admirals 4-3 on Friday night at Carver Arena. It was their franchise-best seventh consecutive win on home ice and their 20^th overall home victory. Julian Talbot scored two goals in the second period to help the Rivermen defeat the first-place Admirals.

 

The Rivermen had lost five-straight games to Milwaukee before Friday’s win and did it by pushing four goals past Mark Dekanich for the first time since they did it on Feb. 8 in a 5-4 loss. Dekanich entered play with the third best goals-against average in the American Hockey League a 2.06. It was the third consecutive regulation loss for Milwaukee, a first for the Admirals this season.

 

The 4-3 final score marked the sixth-straight one-goal game for the Rivermen, who are 3-1-2 in those games and 20-9-4 overall in one-goal contests. A win combined with a shootout loss for Houston puts the Rivermen just two points behind the Aeros for second place in the West Division.

 

Peoria grabbed the early lead on the 10^th of the season for Carl Corazzini at 5:36 of the first. With helpers credited to Curtis Fraser and Justin Fletcher, Corazzini cut from the boards to the slot and snapped it between the legs of Dekanich. It was his third goal since being acquired from Springfield and the assist for Fletcher was his 13^th point in his last 13 games.

 

The second period saw a combined five goals and 26 shots and helped the Rivermen take a 4-2 lead. Talbot’s first goal came on a penalty shot, at 5:40 of the second period, following being pulled down on a breakaway by Scott Ford. It was the third penalty shot of the season for the Rivermen who are two-for-three after Talbot ripped it under the blocker of Dekanich for his 17^th of the season. 

 

Milwaukee quickly responded as Ryan Maki tapped one home just 61 seconds later. Manny Legace, who finished with 23 saves, turned the puck over behind the net and Maki was able to push it in before Legace could get back into his crease. 

 

Steve Regier found the back of the net for the second time in as many nights by redirecting a Ryan Reaves shot into the goal on a three-on-two. Cam Paddock went crashing into the goal just seconds after the puck crossed the line but Jamie Koharski was there to determine the goal. 

 

The Rivermen’s only power-play goal came at 14:05 after a nicely designed play between Steve Wagner, Nicholas Drazenovic and Talbot. Wagner found Drazenovic in the right circle before Talbot put a backhand shot on goal. Following the initial save, his second backhanded shot found the net and gave the Rivermen their most comfortable lead of the game at 4-1.

 

Again the Admirals had the answer as they scored just 43 seconds later. Mark Santorelli fed Mike Santorelli who blasted a shot under the bar to close the game before the end of the second period. Peoria survived a Jed Ortmeyer power-play goal at 11:59 of the third to win the game 4-3.