LOST AT SEA

MILWAUKEE – Tomas Jurco scored in his season debut, but the Milwaukee Admirals used a pair of goals from Trevor Smith and a 28-save performance from Juuse Saros to sink the Grand Rapids Griffins 3-1 on Wednesday at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

A Griffins offense that scored three or more goals 10 times this season - including each of their previous five games - was kept at bay by Saros as the Milwaukee netminder secured his AHL-best ninth win of the campaign. The result also extended the Central Division-leading Admirals’ point streak to nine straight.

Smith started the scoring for Milwaukee (11-2-1-1) 4:20 into the opening period when Matt White’s backhanded feed from the left half-boards reached the Admirals captain in stride at the left circle for a snapshot into the top right corner.

The Admirals added to their lead on the power play at the 7:57 mark of the middle frame. Jared Coreau fought off Kevin Fiala’s wrist shot from the right circle, but Smith was on the doorstep to lift the rebound inside the left post for his second goal of the night, snapping a streak of 28 consecutive successful Grand Rapids penalty kills dating back to the first period of an Oct. 29 contest against the Charlotte Checkers.

Vladislav Kamenev gave the hosts a three-goal cushion on the man advantage 7:33 into the third. After receiving Trevor Murphy’s pass at the point, Kamenev skated down to the top of the right circle for a shot that snuck under Coreau’s catching glove.

Jurco got the Griffins (9-6-0-0) on the scoresheet on a 5-on-3 power play in his first game since being assigned by the Detroit Red Wings for conditioning. Robbie Russo’s one-timer from the left point went wide to the short side, but Jurco played the carom off the end boards from a sharp angle into an open net with 4:31 remaining.

Milwaukee finished 2-for-6 on the power play while Grand Rapids converted on 1-of-6 opportunities. Coreau stopped 23-of-26 shots in defeat.

The Griffins return to Van Andel Arena on Friday at 7 p.m. for the first half of a back-to-back home-and-home set against the defending Calder Cup champion Cleveland Monsters.

Notes: Grand Rapids has registered a power play goal in six consecutive games and is 8-2 this season when scoring on the man advantage.

Three Stars: 1. MIL Smith (two goals); 2. MIL Saros (W, 28 saves); 3. MIL Kamenev (power play goal)