Chatterbox, Vol. 192 will go down as the Chatterbox that never was. For those unaware of why the short and sweet of it is that my main hub for work, laptop, suffered a catastrophic failure and cleaned out all files. I’m in the process of seeing if there is a way to recover the guts I need of that hard drive but I am also in the process of writing to you now on a brand new laptop. You’re never shy some serious speed bumps in the AHL and that extends to the individuals around the rink as well as the players.

As far as the game on Sunday went. I’ve had a load of time to process it and the more I sit and think of it the better I feel of the Milwaukee Admirals effort against the Grand Rapids Griffins. Yes, the lost 3-2. But, what they were able to accomplish against a team as good as the Griffins without the likes of a Jimmy Oligny or Justin Kirkland and really digging down deep as the game progressed was extremely nice to see.

That game was a playoff caliber game. Both sides were very fatigued. The Griffins were in on another three-in-three weekend. The Admirals may as well have been on the last of a four-in-four weekend considering the travel from Manitoba to Milwaukee on Saturday. Yet, the fatigue factor really only sapped the Admirals in that first period and they looked better as the game developed. The result may have eluded them but having a playoff atmosphere contest now ahead of the actual playoffs, and losing, does shed light on a bigger picture and the lessons needed to be learned from – today. It will be fascinating to see tomorrow, in Grand Rapids when fatigue won’t be an issue for either side, how both the Admirals and Griffins handle business.

Richard-Ribeiro-Gaudreau
White-Smith-Aberg
Kelleher-Kamenev-Payerl
(Pinkston) Florek-(Army) Perfetto-Liambas

Pardy-Carrier
O’Brien-Granberg
Murphy-Dougherty

Mazanec
Gunnarsson

At today’s practice these were the line combinations. It was certainly a hodgepodge on that fourth line as far as who is where. It looks like Stephen Perfetto could play his natural position at center at the expense of Derek Army tomorrow night – but time will tell. Rick Pinkston did rushes as a winger on that line as well as doing some defensive work but was likely just keeping active.

Speaking of Perfetto and Pinkston, the two lined up alongside Kirkland for a series of rush drills as sort of a fifth line for the Admirals today. It seems likely that Kirkland is still in the comeback trail and is a touch out of the picture for tomorrow night with Kelleher moving into his line with Vladislav Kamenev and Adam Payerl while Perfetto and Army are looking to center the fourth line.

The biggest news of the day would be the return to full-practice and potentially game action for Adam Pardy. The veteran defenseman has missed the last twenty-nine games after suffering a compound fracture to his left arm in a collision into the boards back on 1/18/17 on the road against the Charlotte Checkers. He should hopefully be rejoining the team in action tomorrow night and do so alongside his ol’ defensive partner Alex Carrier. Those two worked tremendously well together at the start of the season. It would be a great boost having that tandem back.

Oligny was a noticeable absentee from today’s practice. He suffered an injury late in the third period in the Admirals game on Friday night on the road against the Manitoba Moose. There isn’t a time table as of yet but the return of Pardy could help see that he get fully fit without the Admirals getting as hurt as they would have been in the process. Pinkston did alright on Sunday night in his place but you’d certainly prefer an Oligny or Pardy in action.

After today’s practice concluded I caught up with Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason as well as the wingers of the “ET LE BUT” line Frédérick Gaudreau and Anthony Richard. These were today’s comments before the team geared up for a bus ride to Grand Rapids.

Comments on the comments? How do you feel that the Milwaukee Admirals are stacking up ahead of the playoffs? How big will the return of Adam Pardy be for this Admirals defense?

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