A come-from-behind win for the Amherstburg Admirals resulted in them doubling the number of wins from last year.
Defenceman Jack Bulmer scored shorthanded to lift the Admirals to a 3-2 win over the Dresden Kings last Saturday night at the Libro Centre. With the win the Admirals picked up their 20th win of the season. Last year, they had just ten over the 42-game schedule.
Down 2-1 at the end of the second period, Bulmer crashed the net with less than five minutes to go to give the hosts a critically needed two points for the win.
“It was a risky play but I’m a kind of risky player. We caught them sleeping a little, so I took advantage of it,” said Bulmer.
After three years with the Essex 73’s, he joined the Admirals at the start of this season for his final year as a junior. Saturday’s game was his 144th regular season contest.
“I’ve always been an offensive player, I like to contribute. I was a forward when I was younger,” said Bulmer.
After the Kings’ Blake Stevens opened the scoring, Bulmer’s pass to Drew Booker tied the game. The opening period saw the Admirals get a few good scoring chances.
Stevens, with his second on the night, gave the visitors a one-goal margin after 40 minutes but it was all Amherstburg in the third. Just 6:16 into the final period, Rory Sandison teamed with linemates Booker and Brett Jones to tie it up and set the stage for Bulmer’s winner. A lot of hard work on that goal came from defenceman Declan McGrath.
“We started slow, but I thought the last five or six minutes of the second period we were better and came out really good in the third,” said Amherstburg head coach Zack Gervais.
Heading into the final week of the regular season, it’s a four-team log jam in the middle of the eight-team Stobbs Division with Amherstburg, Mooretown, Wheatley and Blenheim jockeying for playoff position.
Gervais said that Bulmer’s shorthanded winner was a gamble but necessary to get the win.
“At that point in the game we realized the standings and we need two points so we were playing super aggressive in the third. We had 20 shots and they had four, it was desperation for us.”
Admirals goalie Russell Vaughan made a huge third period save when the game was tied and picked up his 13th win.
Prior to Saturday’s game, the Admirals held a special ceremony to honour their graduating players. Brown was recognized along with Bulmer, captain Darby Drouillard, and Ryan Clark.
“It was pretty cool to get a win at home in front of my parents. For all the older guys it was sweet and it gave us a chance to get third place,” said Bulmer.
Amherstburg travels to Mooretown Saturday for their final regular season game before preparing for the playoffs. On Feb. 4, Sandison had the lone goal in a 6-1 loss to the division leading 73’s.
SLAPSHOTS: With his three assists on Saturday, Booker now has nine multi-point games. Sandison, who leads the rookies in scoring, has a four-game point streak going… Maxton Evans filled in on the blueline for a somewhat depleted lineup.
Bulmer’s shorthanded goal lifts Admirals over Kings
By Fred Groves
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