The Milwaukee Admirals head into a decisive game five against the Texas Stars following a 2-1 overtime victory in game four of the Central Division Finals series. Milwaukee’s late-game comeback marked the team’s 16th elimination game victory under head coach Karl Taylor.
Texas took an early lead mere seconds into the first period after their top scorer, Justin Hryckowian, scored his sixth playoff goal. The assists went to captain Curtis McKenzie and Cameron Hughes.
Milwaukee’s Navrin Mutter and Kyle Marino made Texas aware of their physical nature, forcing a brawl that resulted in 10 penalty minutes.
The Admirals faced three penalty kills during regulation play and succeeded on each attempt. Milwaukee sought short-handed goal opportunities during the kills to even the score. The Admirals remained vigilant in their defensive zone despite Texas outshooting them.
The chances of surviving game four looked slim for the Admirals with only seven minutes remaining in regulation play. A savior goal from Milwaukee Admiral all-star Joakim Kemell secured a tie for the team and forced overtime.
There was consistent pressure in the offensive zone and infectious energy from a roaring crowd which helped Milwaukee maintain momentum. Milwaukee outshot Texas 6-1 in the 12-minute overtime period. Ryder Rolston called the game with his first professional career postseason goal, assisted by Chase De Leo and Jake Livingstone.
Rolston joined the Admirals in November 2024 following a trade between Milwaukee’s parent club and the Nashville Predators. In his first postseason appearance, Rolston earned an assist on Marc Del Gaizo’s goal in game two of the Central Division Semifinals series against his former team. Midway through game three, Rolston suffered an injury and sat out of the final games in that series. He rejoined the line-up in game three on Wednesday, May 21 against Texas.
Since departing the Rockford IceHogs to join the Milwaukee Admirals in November 2024, Rolston has had a career-high season. In 57 regular season games with the Admirals, Rolston totaled 31 points with 13 goals and 18 assists. Previously with the IceHogs, he scored 20 points in 68 games.
“[The coaching staff has] given me the opportunity to just play my game,” Rolston said in a post-game interview. “Obviously, I’ve gelled with a lot of guys in the locker room, and I couldn’t be happier to be a Milwaukee Admiral.”
The Milwaukee Admirals are prepared to take on the Texas Stars in game five on Sunday, May 25. In the past two postseason meetings between the Admirals and Stars, Milwaukee won game five to advance to the Western Conference Finals.