The Milwaukee Admirals lost 4-0 on the road against the Stockton Heat Saturday night at the Stockton Arena.

The story tonight was an Admirals offense that was just a bit out of sorts and a goaltender in David Rittich who was solid when he was needed. This is the second time this season that the Admirals have been shutout. The loss ends a two game form of wins to start the 2017 calendar.

It would be the Heat getting on the board first tonight. Émile Poirier exited the box after serving a cross-checking minor and helped get a rush started down the left wing. He would fall back to the middle of the blueline where he would crank a shot past Jonathan Diaby who screened Marek Mazanec. The shot beat Mazanec low to the blocker and in for Poirier’s fifth goal of the season.

The Heat would extend their lead in the second period and Poirier would be a focal point to that 2-0 lead. Poirier whirled around the right wing circle before snapping a shot from the face-off dot that Mazanec fended off. Poirier followed through with a few whacks at his own rebound before Austin Carroll ultimately delivered the decisive strike up past the glove hand of Mazanec for his fourth goal of the season.

With just over two minutes remaining in regulation the Admirals brought Mazanec to the bench in favor of the extra attacker. This would quickly see Poirier score on the empty net for his second of the night and sixth goal of the season. The Admirals, going for broke, went for the extra attacker push again to deny a shutout but saw Matt Frattin add another empty net tally to record his ninth goal of the season and make it a 4-0 Heat lead.

The game would finish there. It was a thirty-five save shutout for David Rittich. It is the Czech goaltender’s fourth shutout from thirteen appearances this season. He is now second in the AHL in shutouts behind Troy Grosenick of the San Jose Barracuda.

The Admirals will return back to the quite charms of home after yet another lengthy trip. This road trip was more a matter of distance traveled than time away but it can be exhausting all the same. They play against the Charlotte Checkers at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Tuesday night at 7:00 PM CST. After that is done they’re right back on the road the next night for a game against the surging Chicago Wolves.

Ramblings: Since the Milwaukee Admirals played last night there was one roster move made. Frédérick Gaudreau was recalled by the Nashville Predators. Gaudreau was a healthy scratch in last night’s game for the Admirals in the event of such a recall. Therefore, the Admirals marched out the exact same line combination as they did in San Jose: White-Smith-Åberg, Florek-Kirkland-Görtz, Liambas-Girard-Payerl, (rotating)-Army-O’Donnell, Pardy-Carrier, Pinkston-Murphy, Oligny-Dougherty, Diaby. The lone scratch was Cody Bass who missed his fourth consecutive game due to a lower-body injury.

What is your reaction to tonight’s game? Do you feel the depleted roster caught up to the Milwaukee Admirals tonight?

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