By Brian Smith
Philadelphia Phantoms Correspondent

NORFOLK - Eric Chouinard had a goal and an assist in his first game back in the lineup after missing six contests due to injury, but it wasn't enough to overcome two goals and an assist from Norfolk's Nathan Barrett as the Phantoms fell 4-2 to the Admirals on Wednesday night.

The Phantoms drew first blood on a 5-on-3 power play opportunity 3:50 into the opening frame. Freddy Meyer's blast from the high slot was kicked away by Admirals goaltender Corey Crawford, but the long rebound out to the top of the left circle came right back to Meyer. He made good on the second shot to give Philadelphia the 1-0 lead. Chouinard got an assist, along with Brent Kelly.

The Admirals then took a 2-1 lead on two quick goals. At the 7:41 mark, Carl Corrazini launched a blast from the slot that beat Phantoms goaltender Martin Houle. Then, less than three minutes later, Nick Kuiper let fly a shot from the point that Houle stopped. Houle then made another save on a rebound attempt by Ajay Baines, but he couldn't stop three in a row when Barrett found the second rebound and flipped it home for the 2-1 Norfolk lead.

The Phantoms tied the game up at the 13:31 mark of the period. Dan Cavanaugh fired a shot from the high slot that Crawford stopped, but it bounced onto the stick of Chouinard. The veteran winger grabbed the rebound, pulled it to his right and backhanded it past Crawford for his first goal of the year, tying the game at 2-2.

But Norfolk regained the lead at 15:17 of the second period. While working near the left post, Milan Bartovic was able to get his blade on a loose puck and poke it past Houle for a 3-2 lead.

The Admirals finished off the scoring later in the period while on the power play. Barrett wound up from the top of the left circle and unleashed a perfectly-placed cannon blast that squeaked through a little spot over Houle's glove and found its way into the upper corner at 17:29.

Houle faced 35 shots from the Admirals, including 29 in the first two periods, in suffering his first AHL loss. Crawford took the win by turning away 21 of 23 Phantoms opportunities. Philadelphia was 1-for-6 on the man advantage, while Norfolk was 2-for-6.