Game at a glance: Admirals 4, Worcester 2

After being badly outclassed through two periods, the Sharks followed a time-honored hockey tradition - if you can’t beat 'em, try to beat the crap out of 'em. More than 150 penalty minutes later, the only disappointment was that the Admirals Hall of Famers weren’t being honored this Friday instead of last. Because fiesty former coach John Brophy would have loved this.

Having a brawl

With Worcester trailing 4-1 after 40 minutes, Sharks center Mike Iggulden jumped Norfolk’s Karl Stewart immediately after the third period’s opening draw. Within seconds, all 10 skaters had their gloves off and were paired up and swinging away.

’’They came out and played like goons, but we matched 'em,’’ Stewart said. '’Stuff like that is fun because it brings the boys together. You saw (Adam) Heinrich and (Kyle) Wanvig high-fiving each other right in the middle of it.

’’But it’s even more fun when you’re winning.’’

Everybody else is doing it

Even Worcester netminder Thomas Greiss and his Norfolk counterpart Jonathan Boutin got in on the fun, as the two skated to center ice in the middle of the donnybrook and treated fans to a rare goalie fight. Boutin scored with a pair of clean right hands before taking Greiss down, and with referee Dean Morton and his two linesmen consumed with the five other fights going on, the Norfolk goalie could have continued his beatdown without interference. But at the request of Greiss, the skirmish came to a quick end, with the two players tapping each other on the shoulder before skating away.

’’I asked him if he wanted to go again, and he said no,’’ Boutin said. '’So I let him go.’’

Military tribute

Stewart said that given the way his teammates protected each other, it was fitting all the fighting happened on Military Appreciation Night at Scope.

’’We’re taking tips from the Army, Navy, Air Force,’’ he said. '’We stick together. You fight one of us, you have to fight all 22 of us.’’

Slippery when wet

Towards the end of the melee, Admirals trainer Tommy Alva slipped on the ice and remained down for several seconds. A team official said Alva wound up with a large bump on his face but otherwise appeared to be fine. Still, as a precaution he was taken to a hospital for further evaluation.

Oh, yeah, the game

The violence of the third period - which included 154 penalty minutes - obscured a dominant second period by the Admirals (18-29-2-4), who scored three times by continually burning the Sharks with odd-man rushes.

The second period also included the play that foreshadowed the wild final 20 minutes - a vicious Stewart check into the boards on T.J. Fox that left the Sharks forward dazed and in a heap on the ice. No penalty was called and no Worcester player retaliated.

Scoring summary

Wanvig, Norm Milley, Mario Scalzo and Paul Szczechura scored goals for the Admirals, who actually had to rally from an early 1-0 deficit. Blair Jones added three assists.

Wanvig notched his team-leading 16th tally of the season. Szczechura’s goal was his 11th and ninth in 13 games since joining the Admirals.

Next up

What should be an extremely interesting rematch with the Sharks tonight at 7:15 p.m. to wrap up a six-game Admirals homestand.

Paul White, 757-418-1447 or paul.white@pilotonline.com