The Milwaukee Admirals lost 3-1 in their pre-season finale tonight against the Chicago Wolves at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. Focus next shifts to a week long build of practice in Milwaukee before the 2017-18 season officially begins this coming Saturday. The Admirals will travel to face the Iowa Wild Saturday and Sunday at the Wells Fargo Arena.

In the opening period things were rather calm if you ignored the crap between Cody Bass and Mike Brown. The speed element for both sides defensively was impressive. It wasn’t until Anders Lindbäck was heavily screened that the Wolves found a breakthrough on a long range shot by Kenney Morrison. That was followed by a power-play tally by Brett Sterling that flew over the glove-side of Lindbäck.

The Admirals were very limited offensively tonight. To be blunt: it was rather sloppy. There was really a moment in the first period that shined but there were some chances in the second period that all went begging. Bobby Butler and Trevor Smith had an oddman rush that went bust with the Admirals captain whipping a shot above the crossbar. Pierre-Cédric Labrie and Emil Pettersson had a few good looks while the team was shorthanded by Maxime Lagacé cleaned up for the Wolves. The Wolves netminder followed that up stopping a one-timed blast from Jack Dougherty  cold moments later in the second period. The attacks just weren’t there for the Admirals.

Still, some credit is due on the part of the Wolves and especially Lagacé. Early in the third period the Admirals had a great opportunity to get on the board when Pettersson smashed a one-timer from the right wing circle. Lagacé got the save with his left toe and then gloved down an immediate follow up by Smith from point blank range. It was a phenomenal save from Lagacé.

Smith did get the goal back, though. It was a good job on the Admirals captain to find space in the slot and a quick feed by Butler to pick him out. Unfortunately, this good bit of work for the Admirals was quickly met with a bench minor for too many men on the ice and Sterling instantly made them pay for it. It was a sequence that summed up tonight’s contest. The Admirals weren’t all there tonight and the Wolves had it when they needed it.

Tonight’s post-game interviews were with Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason as well as Smith and Bass. Here is what the trio had to say following the pre-season finale.

What were your thoughts on tonight’s game? Was the sloppy play troubling to you or can you shrug it off as a pre-season game? How did some of the new players look in their Milwaukee debuts?

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along on Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.