(Editor’s Note: We’ll have post-game audio tomorrow….We’re enjoying the Styx show tonight)
It’s good to get a laugher every now and then.
Jeremy Smith was solid in net, and the offense showed up in a big way, as the Admirals shutout the Chicago Wolves 6-0 on Saturday night.
Smitty was playing his first game after coming back from a tweeked-non-specific injury, and stopped all 27 shots he faced for his fifth straight win.
The Admirals outshot the Wolves 18-6 in the first period, picking up right where they left off last night in that category. Only tonight, they converted some more of those shots.
37 seconds after coming out of the penalty box, Zack Stortini put the Ads on the board at 9:34. He took a nice cross-ice pass from Mark Van Guilder that missed a couple of Wolves’ sticks on its way across the slot. Stortini was near the bottom of the near circle, and he chipped it far-side past Matt Climie.
Later in the period, Matt Clackson was given a double-minor for high sticking, and then Nolan Baumgartner boarded Stortini, setting the Ads up for a 5-on-3 power play.
At 16:31, Victor Bartley fired a shot from the top of the far circle that beat Climie through a Stortini screen. But what I’d like to highlight is what a good shift it was. Bartley did a nice job playing goaltender at the blue line, blocking multiple clear attempts.
The second period started with the Wolves on an extended power play due to Teemu Laakso’s 2nd and 3rd penalties of the game…but the Ads PK did a nice job blocking shots and not allowing prime scoring chances.
The Wolves did dominate the play for a good chunk of the period, but Ben Ryan was the only person to score in the frame. After he tipped a Victor Bartley shot on net, he poked the unsecured puck below Climie’s arm pit.
The Ads sailed away in the third period with three more goals. Juuso Puustinen led a 2-on-1 rush with Kevin Henderson against former Admiral Mark Matheson. Puustinen’s feed across the slot was deflected by Matheson, but it still made its way through to Henderson, who was able to control and fire past Climie for his first with the Admirals.
After a scuffle in front of Jeremy Smith netted the Ads a power play, Chris Mueller was able to ‘Fury The Fury’ on a play where he skated along the goal-line, and flipped the puck around and over Climie.
And then while Tyler Sloan was serving a tripping penalty, the Admirals cleared the zone just after the face-off, and Kevin Henderson won the race for the puck against Adam Polasek, who kind of lost his balance for a moment in front of the Milwaukee bench. Henderson went in all alone and beat Climie five-hole.
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Notes:
– A very strong game for both Ben Ryan and Kevin Henderson — two guys that may or may not be on the clear day roster on Monday. Ryan had some great chances, and it was great to see him convert on his goal. And Henderson….man, he shifted into another gear on the shorthanded goal.
– Didn’t see it happen…but I’m told someone tossed something into the Wolves penalty box. Not cool. Ever. Doesn’t matter who it is. Not cool.
– Special teams: Chicago went 0-6 on the power play. Ads went 2-4.
– Playoff picture: Ads sit in 9th place after tonight with 64 points. Houston is in 8th with 64 points, having played one less game. Peoria and Chicago have 65 points. San Antonio and Abbotsford have 67 points. 4th place in the conference is just three points ahead of us.
– I hope this game quiets the people who like to say that the Admirals play bad in front of big crowds.
– Styx is opening with Blue Collar Man.
QUESTIONS:
– Was this as close as you’ve seen to the cliched “60 minute game”?
– This was the last audition for Henderson and Ryan before the clear day roster. Do you think either of them make it?
– Should we consider re-naming Johnson’s Office something like Teemu’s Tent? Or something along those lines? The amount of trips he’s taking lately, it may be time to pass the torch….
– Were the Admirals that good or were the Wolves that lackluster? Do you think that Climie played a lot better than the score suggested?
– Do you miss Dennis DeYoung?
Admirals Roundtable 
The Laakso Lounge
The Wolves are going down the drain. They have one point in five games. Milwaukee has won 9 of the last 12 points. Well done Henderson, Ryan and Storts!
Rename Timmerman as Henderson Field. Check out Guadalcanal in WWII if you don’t get it.
Steve Martinson tossed a water bottle into the penalty box and he ate some of Shawn Antoski’s fist for doing it. It is still on YouTube. Never ever do that people. Milwaukee fans should not act like Chicago fans. About 10 years ago a lady with their booster club tossed a bottle on the BC ice after a Wolves penalty. She was surprised a minute later by two local cops who walked her out.
Great full game effort tonight! Hendersons hard work finally got in the net he has brought a lot of little things to the ice since being brought in, chippy stabs at pucks, good forechecking and solid defense. Finally he got rewarded and found pay dirt please put him on the clear day roster! I’ve always felt the team plays poor in front of big crowd but tonight they brought 100% effort so maybe ill get off that soap box for now. Let’s keep rolling and see how it plays out!
Whatever it was that was thrown in the box, it looked like some kind of flyer or piece of paper. Duco tried throwing it back, but couldn’t get past that damned gravity fighting against him! What’s the deal with Clackson? Menstruating? Missed his afternoon nap? Or just a bad day? Very surprised Stortini didn’t drop the gloves with him.
I think Henderson makes the clear day roster. Ryan….ehhhh not so much…. I think once we get Latta back, Ryan’s the casualty, and when/if Bourque comes back, Champagne’s the odd man out. Champagne’s relatively invisible. Doesn’t do anything wrong, but doesn’t do anything to special either. The good news for him is that it looks like Nashville should make it pretty far in the playoffs, so he should have a roster spot for a while! Henderson’s versatility makes him the favorite out of those three.
If I understand the clear day guidelines correctly is there any advantage to rostering Ryan and Henderson? You roster Ellis and Bourque, knowing there not coming back anytime soon, and then replace them with Henderson and/or Ryan basically giving yourself a 24 man potential roster. If you roster them now you completely eliminate any possibility of 2 of your top prospects playing if there was an unthinkable Nashville meltdown. I also think we’ll probably see a healthy dose of Austin Watson if his season ends before the Admirals. As for Climie, the score would’ve been about 12-0 if he wasn’t playing, he is still one of the best but got little support from his teammates, it would be nice to see him in a Milwaukee uniform if Nashville decides to move Lindback. It was also refreshing to see every puck bounce the Admirals way, it seemed like they never got a lucky break when they were losing.
I love watching the Wolfkeeper boards blow up when the Admirals beat the Wolves. Apparently their ship is sinking, they need to fire their coach, and bring back the redfaced gumchucker.
Glenn – you are correct, at least in my thinking. Nashville made that paper transaction for Bourque so he can be on the Admirals’ clear day roster. If they have no intention of doing so, there was no reason for that transaction. He and Ellis will be on the clear day roster. Henderson may have earned a spot with his play in the last week or two. As someone stated earlier, perhaps Champagne should be the odd man out here and not Henderson. Ben Ryan is the “fill in.” :)