“Now we know that we can beat this team,” Admirals head coach Karl Taylor told reporters following a 3-1 win in Monday’s Game 3.
The Admirals needed some positive reinforcement following two difficult losses to open their Western Conference Finals. And, quite frankly, they also needed that win to get back into the series.
“We have belief, and we feel good about what we’re doing,” Taylor continued. “We’re excited for the next opportunity.”
Taylor turned to Devin Cooley as his Game 3 starter after rookie Yaroslav Askarov had started all 12 of the team’s previous playoff games; the move paid off as Cooley made 28 saves in his first game since April 14.
Cooley has come through in the postseason before for Taylor and the Admirals. In last year’s division semifinals against Manitoba, Cooley stopped 83 of 86 shots over the first two games, then had a 47-save effort to help stave off elimination in the division finals against Chicago, the eventual Calder Cup champion.
Cooley proved to be a reliable partner for Askarov in 2022-23, going 15-8-2 in 26 games with a 2.93 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. And with the Admirals trying to avoid falling behind three games to none to Coachella Valley, Cooley gave his team exactly what it needed, holding the Firebirds to one goal and giving the Admirals enough time to take control of the game.
“He played really calm,” Taylor said. “A really difficult situation for him, but he’s been working very hard, and we ask the guys that don’t [play] to do that so when we do call on them, they are prepared to jump in and do their jobs.
“He was ready to go in a big moment for himself and our hockey team.”
John Hayden cleared waivers Tuesday and has been assigned to the Firebirds by the Seattle Kraken. The forward had surgery for a lower-body injury on March 20, and it is not clear whether he will be an option to play in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals in Milwaukee tonight.
A veteran of 247 NHL games over six pro seasons with Seattle, Buffalo, Arizona, New Jersey and Chicago, Hayden potted a pair of goals in seven games with the Kraken this season before being injured in a game vs. Edmonton on Mar. 18. He also dressed for 47 games with the Firebirds and had 33 points (17 goals, 16 assists).
― Patrick Williams
