I’m not sure you can define last night’s 5-2 loss for the Milwaukee Admirals to the Texas Stars on home ice as anything more than disappointing. The first period effort for the Admirals was outstanding. Everything away from that ended up becoming rattled, unorganized, discombobulated, and forgetful of defensive responsibility. In other words, the script of that first period turned and stayed turned for the rest of regulation.

What can be lost in all of our own disappointment of a match-up that seemed primed to get the Admirals a playoff berth this weekend is that the Stars exited the first intermission and layered together a very complete and effective game. The Stars looked caught in a spin-cycle at times in the first period. And it almost felt like it was their first game together as a team. The Admirals used that to their advantage to get a 2-0 lead in the first period but that was all the Stars allowed from that point forward. Their defense made passing and shooting tricky. And it created some counter attacks that led directly to goals – that was exactly how they made it a 2-2 game.

So, yes. That one stings a bit. And, it is no free pass, but around the AHL’s Central Division last night there were other wacky scores that played out. The Rockford IceHogs defeated the Grand Rapids Griffins 4-1 at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The Cleveland Monsters defeated the Chicago Wolves 5-2 at the Allstate Arena.

Unlike the aforementioned teams above the Admirals get a chance at redemption to the lowly team that banged them up last night. And I feel that’s the benefit to what the Admirals have ahead of them this afternoon. They know where they made mistakes. They -should- know how and why they made those mistakes. And they get to correct them instantly against the team they made them against and lost out to. The Stars are on the last of a three-in-three weekend. The Admirals do not play again until Friday after today’s game. They should play the game extremely hard today and suffocate the Stars with brute force and puck pressure. The less chasing the Admirals need to do – the better it will be for them.

After the game I caught up with Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason. I also had the chance to speak with defensemen Petter Granberg and Trevor Murphy. Here were last night’s post-game interviews.

Comments on the comments? How will the Milwaukee Admirals respond to a performance such as last night? Do you feel there is a benefit to be gained being exposed now rather than in the playoffs? Will the Admirals manage to clinch a playoff spot today or will it end up happening will they sit this coming week?

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