Hockey: Admirals ‘awful’ in loss to Wolves.

For the first time this season, the Milwaukee Admirals have lost three straight games in regulation.

Mistakes are the reason for the latest one, as two turnovers and a costly penalty — as well as two empty-net goals — helped Chicago to a 5-2 win Monday in front of 5,944 people at the UW Milwaukee Panther Arena.

“We were awful,” Milwaukee coach Dean Evason said. “You're right about the turnovers, stupid penalties, trying to do too much offensively. That is the worst we’ve played all year. We talked to the group that we hope to heck this is rock bottom for us.”

After Chicago broke a 1-1 tie with 2 minutes, 44 seconds left in the second period on a power-play goal from Samuel Blais as a result of a holding penalty on Matt White, the Wolves took a 3-1 lead when Jonathan Diaby’s pass from his own zone was intercepted by Blais. He quickly fired a shot past goalie Marek Mazanec with 10:18 remaining in the third period.

“We’ll have to look at it on the tape and see if (Diaby) was trying to do the right thing,” Evason said.

Chicago added two empty-net goals in the final 2:37, sandwiched around a power-play goal

“That is the worst we’ve played all year. We talked to the group that we hope to heck this is rock bottom for us.” DEAN EVASON ADMIRALS COACH

by Milwaukee’s Vladislav Kamenev.

It was just one of five shots in the final period by the Admirals, who won the first three games of the season against the Wolves but have lost the last three — including an 8-4 drubbing in Illinois on Thursday.

“(Tuesday) we’ll come to work and hopefully put some sort of positive spin on this,” Evason said.

Brett Sterling gave Chicago a 1-0 lead with a goal 2:20 into the game thanks to a Milwaukee turnover at its own blueline.

The Admirals tied it with 13:27 to go in the second when Trevor Smith scored for the fifth time in his last seven games for his team-high 10th goal. He was on a 2-on-1 breakaway when he shot the puck in from the left circle.

“But after that, we went back to doing the same kind of things,” Evason said. “Trying to be too cute, trying to be too pretty, trying to make too many plays as opposed to just getting it at the net and simplifying our game.”

Bass sits out: Cody Bass did not play as a result of his suspension for a boarding incident against Grand Rapids on Wednesday.

Admirals Cup: Whitefish Bay/Nicolet/Shorewood defeated Cedarburg, 8-3, and Arrowhead beat Homestead, 5-2, in the semifinals of the high school tournament earlier in the day at the Arena.

Arrowhead (10-1) won its ninth game in a row by halting Homestead’s seven-game winning streak. The Warhawks scored the final four goals against the Highlanders (8-2) and got a goal and an assist from both Caleb Beversdorf and Tyler Trivett.

Bay/Nicolet/Shorewood (3-5-2) has won back-to-back games after going seven straight games without one. Miles Torbica had a hat trick against the Bulldogs (4-5).

The Warhawks and the Storm will play for the championship at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday.