NORFOLK, VA- The 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs got underway on Wednesday night. Unfortunately for the Wheeling Nailers, they came away empty-handed in both the win column and the goals column.
Thomas Milic turned in a 29-save shutout for the Norfolk Admirals, who got three points each from Brady Fleurent and Grant Hebert to win game one of the North Division Semifinal Series, 4-0 at Norfolk Scope Arena.
Wheeling outshot the Admirals, 16-8 in the first period, but a couple of bounces gave the home team a 2-0 advantage. The opening marker came off of an offensive zone face-off win, which led to Darick Louis-Jean letting a wrist shot go from the right point. The shot dinged off of the right post, off of Sergei Murashov, and in over the goal line. Norfolk got its second goal with 6:02 remaining. Hank Crone sauced a pass to Brady Fleurent, who broke into the right circle, and sent his shot trickling through Murashov’s legs.
Neither team scored in the middle frame, which started with the Nailers killing back-to-back penalties in the opening eight minutes. The next goal could have been a big one to turn the momentum for Wheeling, but it was the Admirals who made it 3-0 at the 3:41 mark of the third. Colton Young got the first touch on a puck in the trapezoid, which allowed Fleurent to set up Grant Hebert in the slot. Hebert shifted from his forehand to his backhand and flipped a shot into the right side of the cage. Jack O’Leary added an empty netter in the final minute for a 4-0 final score in Norfolk’s favor.
Thomas Milic was perfect on 29 shots to earn the shutout win for the Admirals. Sergei Murashov made 25 saves on 28 shots in the defeat for Wheeling.
The Nailers and Admirals will play game two of the North Division Semifinal Series in Norfolk on Thursday at 7:05. The remainder of the series will then shift to WesBanco Arena. All contests in Wheeling will begin at 7:10, and the game dates are April 23, 25, 26, 28, and 29. Games five, six, and seven on April 26, 28, and 29 are if necessary, depending on the results of the series to that point. Tickets for the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs are available by calling (304) 234-GOAL or visiting wheelingnailers.com. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
