The Milwaukee Admirals faced the Texas Stars in games one and two of the Central Division Finals series on Thursday, May 15 and Sunday, May 18. The series is tied 1-1.
This contest between the Admirals and Stars marks the third consecutive postseason match-up between the teams. Previously in the 2023 playoff campaign, the second-seed Admirals upset the first-seed Stars in a 3-2 Central Division Finals series. In the 2024 playoff campaign, the first-seed Admirals defeated the second-seed Stars in a 3-2 Central Division Semifinals series. In that series, the Admirals started away 0-2 and completed the reverse sweep at home.
The Admirals entered this year’s division finals series after defeating the fifth-seed Rockford IceHogs with a power play goal in overtime of game five. The Stars entered the series undefeated after beating the third-seeded Grand Rapids Griffins 3-0.
Game One: Thursday, May 15
The Texas Stars defeated the Milwaukee Admirals 4-2 in game one of the series. Texas outshot Milwaukee 28-25 during the match-up, but Milwaukee narrowly outshot Texas in periods two and three.
The first goal came from Texas’s Matthew Seminoff three minutes into the first period. Seminoff’s goal was his first of the postseason, and Justin Ertel earned the assist.
Five minutes later, Milwaukee earned the first power play of the series from a slashing penalty to Texas’s Justin Hryckowian. It took six seconds for Milwaukee’s all-time leading scorer, Cal O’Reilly, to tie the game. Mark Friedman and Joakim Kemell earned the assists on O’Reilly’s power play goal.
Milwaukee earned another power play midway through the first period, but they struggled in the offensive zone and netted only two shots on goal.
At 14:35 of the first period, Milwaukee’s Friedman earned a minor penalty for boarding. Twenty seconds later, Kemell joined him, giving Texas a two-man advantage. Two seconds before Friedman’s penalty expired, O’Reilly earned a penalty. Milwaukee succeeded in their 3-on-5 penalty kills.
Texas’s Hryckowian—assisted by Matěj Blümel and Kole Lind—scored a goal with four seconds remaining in the first period. Hryckowian scored again four minutes into the second period to take Texas to a 3-1 lead. Lind and Cameron Hughes earned the assists on his second goal.
Blümel scored five minutes into the third period, shooting the Stars to a three-goal lead over the Admirals. Luke Krys and Hryckowian earned the assists.
Milwaukee’s Friedman reduced the goal deficit to two with a goal assisted by Turner Ottenbreit and Jesse Ylönen.
Milwaukee’s goaltender Matthew Murray took to the bench with under two minutes remaining in regulation play. The extra body in the offensive zone allowed the Admirals to net two shots on goal, but they could not complete the comeback.
Game Two: Sunday, May 18
Milwaukee tied the series in a 6-4 win against Texas. Sunday’s win marked the second game-two win on the road in their American Hockey League franchise history.
Milwaukee’s success in game two came from strengthened offensive play and drawing penalties on Texas. Milwaukee outshot Texas 29-20, with Texas narrowly outshooting them in the third period. Both teams earned four power players throughout the game, with Milwaukee earning the first power play at 9:27 of the first period. Milwaukee netted one shot on goal during the power play.
Milwaukee’s Ylönen scored at 18:30 of the first period. Milwaukee’s captain, Kevin Gravel, earned his first assist of the 2025 postseason.
Texas’s Lind evened the score at 5:33 of the second period with a power play goal. Hryckowian and Hughes earned the assists. Hryckowian took the Stars to a one-goal lead at eight minutes. Texas’ captain, Curtis McKenzie, and Trey Taylor earned the assists. Hryckowian’s goal was his third of the series and fourth of the postseason.
At 14:38 of the second period, Milwaukee’s Kemell tied the game at 2-2 with a goal from Jake Lucchini and Chase De Leo. The same line earned a goal at 3:33 of the third period, with Chase De Leo scoring the goal, Lucchini earning the primary assist and Kemell earning the secondary assist. Ylönen scored his second goal of the game less than two minutes later. Ozzy Weisblatt and Specner Stastney earned the assists.
Milwaukee’s Lucchini earned his first professional postseason goal at 12 minutes into the third period. Keifer Bellows and Ryan Ufko earned the assists. Lucchini’s goal was the game-winner.
The third period saw three more goals. Milwaukee’s Weisblatt scored an unassisted insurance goal at 13 minutes. Texas’s Lind earned a hat trick after scoring two goals, bringing the game to its final score of 6-4 Milwaukee. Hughes and Kyle Capobianco assisted his second goal of the game, and Blümel and Arttu Hyry assisted his third goal.
What’s Next?
The Central Division Finals heads to the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena for all of the remaining games in the best-of-five series. Game three will be Wednesday, May 21, and game four will be Friday, May 23. If needed, game five will be Sunday, May 25.
The winner of this series will advance to the Western Conference Finals. The opponent will be the winner of the Pacific Division Finals. The first-seed Colorado Eagles and second-seed Abbotsford Canucks are tied 1-1 in that series, with the remainder of the games being played in Colorado.