The season couldn't have ended in more painful fashion for the Admirals, who lost to Houston, 4-2, Tuesday night in the seventh and deciding game of the West Division Finals at the Bradley Center.

"It's heartbreaking," said goaltender Jeremy Smith, who gave up the eventual game-winning goal with 1:31 to play. Milwaukee had put the pressure on Aeros' goaltender Matt Hackett on the other end but with all the bodies around the net, Houston's Casey Wellman was able to break away for the score.

"We got a little eager," head coach Lane Lambert said. "We got eager and we got caught. It's disappointing to say the least."

Milwaukee, which needed overtime Sunday to force a seventh game, got on the board first thanks to Gabriel Bourque who scored his seventh goal of the post-season at 8:02 of the first period.

The Aeros drew even with 13 seconds remaining on Cotton Gillies' goal but neither team scored in the second period. Houston took the lead early in the when Smith couldn't get into position in time to stop Carson McMillan's shot.

The Admirals drew even with 11:31 remaining but couldn't get past Hackett despite numerous opportunities leading up to Wellman's goal.

"It was a tight series all the way," Lambert said. "It appeared that this one was going to head into overtime or somebody was going to win it at the end.

"That's part of playoff hockey. There's only one team that can win it and when you don't, it hurts."

In their first game back with Milwaukee after finishing the NHL post-season with Nashville, Halischuk and Blake Geoffrion combined for four points while Smith finished with 32 saves.

Milwaukee won the regular-season West Division and Western Conference Championships for the second time in three years. Houston will advance to the Western Conference Finals, where Hamilton awaits, for the second time in three seasons, eliminating the Admirals in the semis each time.

The 2011-12 American Hockey League schedule will be released in August.