Author: Daniel Lavender

Scouting January 14, 2015

Bulldogs: Scouting the Enemy

Clune-1314-1 — This is Rich Clune. He’s kind of like that. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

It wasn’t that long ago since we faced the Hamilton Bulldogs. Upon entering that game the Milwaukee Admirals were on a four game losing streak. They claimed a 4-1 win and would proceed to go on a four game winning streak that storms into Hamilton’s barn tonight.

~Last Time~

Rather than simply re-hash another scout on the Bulldogs lets actually take a gander at just what happened in the game that kick started the Admirals win streak. What was it that the Bulldogs didn’t do? What was that the Admirals did do?

The first thing to note is the simple approach to the game: Defend. Limit high quality scoring chances. Maintain puck control. Be smart when on the puck. Put pucks to the net. Crash the net for rebounds or to establish screens in front of the goaltender. This is all part of “playing the right way” that we’re starting to become accustomed to.

So, what was the result of that approach? The Admirals outshot the Bulldogs in each and every period in the game: 8-5, 10-6, 13-5. Simply put, the Admirals exhausted the Bulldogs in the way the maintained and defended pucks in that game.

The first goal of that game came from a power-play. In some ways, this was a shoulder dropping moment for the team and for fans alike. It was the first power-play goal scored in thirty-two previous chances on home ice. The way it worked? Two forwards, Austin Watson and Joe Pendenza, crashed the net and were looking for a loose puck if Joey MacDonald spilled a rebound out in front of them. Viktor Arvidsson‘s shot hit a post and spilled kindly for Pendenza. Right place. Right time. And he reacts to the rebound faster than defenseman Joe Finley was able to. Goal. Bonus points for knocking the Gatorade off the top of the cage.

Now come a pair of daggers. The Admirals scored twice in the span of 2:04 of ice time to start the second period off.

The first chance was a quickfire two-on-one after Brendan Leipsic stole a puck off of Davis Drewiske and then alluded his diving poke check that sent him off to the races with Arvidsson to his opposite with Greg Pateryn between them. The saucer pass by Leipsic may have been late getting over to Arvidsson but that’s part of why MacDonald was overly committed to Leipsic to his glove-side. The pass popped over Pateryn’s stick and Arvidsson stayed square enough to the feed to push the puck into an open net with MacDonald unable to go post-to-post with his pads fast enough.

Leipsic’s work along the wall helped set up a Taylor Aronson wrister moments later for the second goal in two minutes and the game’s second goal scored by crashing the net. Aronson pulled his best T.J. Brennan impression by skating up off the blue line and into the left wing faceoff circle to wire a shot on goal. The shot got to its intended target. The fact that Aronson shot so quickly, with traffic buzzing around the net, caused MacDonald to fumble a puck in and out of his catching glove and right to the net front pressence of Frédérick Gaudreau. Simple play. Effective play.

The Admirals final goal scored in the contest boils down to two things. One: Mark Van Guilder establishing a perfect screen in front of MacDonald in net. Two: Zach Budish putting in an even more perfect shot to the near post top shelf.

Funnily enough, if you look at the replay, even if the shot gets spilled out to the front of the net the Admirals are still organized for a goal. Rich Clune was unmarked on a drive down the center of the ice. The closest Bulldogs defensemen, Pateryn, never saw him as he skated in from neutral ice as his attention was firmly focus on the puck. The Bulldogs committed three red shirts to Budish on the right wing. The Admirals had their numbers right where that puck was either going or kicking out to.

Hamilton did managed to get a goal of their own from that game. They had a power-play midway through the third period and caught the Admirals penalty kill frozen at their own blue line. The speedy Drayson Bowman was able to get a huge step on Clune as he entered off the left wing. Ian White was no match for the pace. Despite even being the nearest d-man on that wing Anthony Bitetto did a better job getting tight to the shooting angle against Bowman. It didn’t detour what he wanted to do, though. Marek Mazanec was perfectly squared to him but Bowman beat him low and wide blocker side on a wrist shot.

~Tonight~

The Bulldogs enter this game with a record of 16-16-6-0 (38 points) which has them fourth in the North Division. They have the same points total as the Toronto Marlies but their Ontario counter-parts have a game in hand at the moment.

In their last ten games the Bulldogs are a woeful 3-6-1-0 (7 points). They are entering this game having lost their last two games – both of which were on home ice. They fell 2-1 against the Lake Erie Monsters in backbreaking fashion before getting shutout 3-0 by the Oklahoma City Barons and CCM/AHL Player of the Week Richard Bachman.

The Bulldogs haven’t scored a goal in 72:06 of ice time. The Admirals are entering this game with a shutout streak of 129:59 of ice time and counting.

If you were thinking about any one match-up to look out for from last game that would spill into this game it would be that of Triston Grant versus the man he blew kisses to, Finley. Grant appeared to get under Finley’s skin from the opening puck drop all the way to the end of the game. It wouldn’t shock me if these two find each other on the ice yet again tonight.

Another interesting thing to watch out for tonight would be whether or not we see the return of Leipsic to the Admirals lineup. He was a healthy scratch the last two games and was done so in a manner quite similar to that of Pontus Åberg not too long ago. He needed to learn how to, you guessed it, play the right way. Well, the last time Leipsic played against these Bulldogs he scored three assists. It could be the right time to reintroduce the Winnipeg native back into the Admirals lineup.

Expectations? Will the Admirals be able to maintain the success they found last weekend into this three-game road trip? Who would you like to see start in net tonight? Can the Admirals achieve three-straight shutouts?

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

Chatterbox January 11, 2015

The Chatterbox, Vol. 58

Arvidsson-11015-1 — Both Viktor Arvidsson’s goals were YouTube magic in the Admirals 5-0 shutout of the Charlotte Checkers. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

Remember that awful month of December? The Milwaukee Admirals sure don’t. The team is now in second place of the Midwest Division and are four points behind the Rockford IceHogs with two games in hand.

Have you folks noticed the latest buzz words for the Admirals in the last few editions of the Chatterbox? “Do the right things,” and, “Play the right way,” have come up a lot lately from head coach Dean Evason. To me, I equate that to him stating the obvious to the players: keep it simple. The Admirals have massive amounts of forward skill this season and they’ve been caught doing too much individual plays at times. It has lead to the sit down of Pontus Åberg and, for the last two games, Brendan Leipsic.

Playing the right way has meant playing smart, putting pucks on net, crashing for rebounds, and being sharp on defense. The result in the last four games has been four wins with the Admirals outscoring their opponents 14-3.

If playing the right way means being smart with the puck it sure has been paying massive dividends defensively as well. The Admirals posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since Magnus Hellberg did it to end the 2012-13 season. That, like when he and Marek Mazanec did it these last two games, also happened at the end of a three-in-three. The Ads now haven’t allowed a goal in 129:59 of ice time and counting.

After the game I spoke with as many players as I could before the Chatterbox goes dark with the Admirals upcoming three game road trip. This meant tonight’s post game interviews had: Dean Evason, Viktor Arvidsson, Colton Sissons, Miikka Salomäki, Magnus Hellberg, and Anthony Bitetto. Here is what everyone had to say after the game:

Continue reading “The Chatterbox, Vol. 58” →

Game Recaps January 10, 2015January 11, 2015

Four Straight Wins, Back-to-Back Shutouts; Ads win 5-0

Salomaki-11015-1 — The Admirals put laid some hurt down tonight. Their 5-0 shutout moves them within four points of the Rockford IceHogs for the Midwest Division lead. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

The Admirals posted a 5-0 shutout against the Charlotte Checkers Saturday night. Magnus Hellberg made it back-to-back night for the Admirals posting shutouts. He stopped all thirty-one shots he faced and the Admirals offense belted the Checkers en route to the team’s fourth straight win.

“We’ve played the right way now for a bit and got rewarded for it,” said Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason. “We’ve kept the puck out of our net, played simple, yet had really nice opportunities to score goals. Hopefully it sinks in that if you do play that right way you’re going to get chances to score and you keep that puck out of your net.”

In the first period Austin Watson decided to do something he rarely does, fight. After he and Miikka Salomaki pancaked Brendan Woods near the Admirals bench the Checkers winger started to lash out on Salomaki. Watson took exception to this and the two took some swings and had a few noogies before the officials stepped in.

With sixteen seconds remaining in the opening frame Viktor Arvidsson popped in his eleventh goal of the season. The Swede skated in from the left wing on his backhand before spinning at the hashmarks to his forehand and firing a wrister on John Muse. His shot alluded the blocker and clipped the top of Muse’s right pad before hitting the back of the net.

After the first period ended Andrej Nestrasil was given a game misconduct for butt-ending. This gave the Admirals a five minute major power-play to work with to start the second period. With fourteen seconds remaining on the power-play Colton Sissons scored his tenth goal of the season. Ian White teed up Anthony Bitetto for a one-timer that was spilled out by Muse into the net crashing Sissons’ path for a tap in.

After a few careless penalties taken by the Checkers – the Admirals had an extended five-on-three power-play with 1:22 to operate with. Just as was the case on the first power-play goal: White to Bitetto for a one-timer, loose puck, rebound goal for Sissons. It was his second power-play goal scored in 4:07 of ice time and his eleventh goal of the season.

The Checkers had a chance to get something big generated in the late stages of the third period. They had 1:24 of five-on-three power-play to work with and ended up failing to convert.

Immediately following the successful penalty kill the Admirals found the back of the net for a fourth time. Bitetto had his share of howitzers to set up Sissons earlier in the game but managed to find a lane through traffic to bury one of his own. Bitetto’s slap shot tally was his second goal of the season.

Another home game and another fight for Rich Clune. The grit-meister general made it his fourth straight game in Milwaukee with a fight after he and Ben Holmstrom locked up down by the Checkers net. It was a decisive win for Clune who received a big pop from the crowd for his efforts.

The final blow from the Admirals to the Checkers came in the form of a highlight reel play for Arvidsson. The Swede bolted a power move on net from the left wing and managed to maintain puck control on the backhand before tossing it past Muse for his twelfth goal of the season.

“I feel like we’re playing good right now,” said Viktor Arvidsson. “We help each other out and play as a group. We’ve come together and play like a team.”

Hellberg made it back-to-back shutouts for the Admirals. Marek Mazanec was able to win his duel in Rockford last night. And Hellberg followed that performance up by making thirty-one saves in net tonight for his ninth career AHL shutout.

Ramblings: Tonight’s scratches for the Admirals were Mike Liambas, Brendan Leipsic, Garrett Noonan, and Johan Alm. Liambas completed his three game suspension following last night’s game. Leipsic was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive night. Alm has now missed fifteen consecutive games due to an upper body injury.

Thoughts on tonight’s game? Safe to say that this is the Milwaukee Admirals team we saw at the start of the season, right? Who has performed better this season: Marek Mazanec or Magnus Hellberg?

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

News January 10, 2015January 10, 2015

Four Former Admirals to Feature in NHL All Star Weekend

Pekka Rinne made his Milwaukee Admirals return last season on a brief two game conditioning assignment. He has been enjoying one of the best seasons in his career and was rightfully voted to his first ever NHL All Star Game. (Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)

The NHL has just unveiled the players who will be featured in the upcoming 2015 NHL All Star Game. There will be four former-Admirals taking part in the festivities in two weeks time. Those players are Pekka Rinne, Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, and Filip Forsberg.

Rinne is having a Hart Trophy type of season for the Nashville Predators. He has been nothing short of spectacular: 28 wins, 1.98 goals against average, 0.930 save percentage, and 3 shutouts. It is his first ever selection to the All Star Game and he is the first Predators netminder since Tomas Vokoun in 2004 to be selected.

Weber continues to be an all-around beast. He has 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 41 games this season as well as a plus/minus rating of +15. It is Weber’s fourth straight appearance in the All Star Game. As for Suter, he has 22 points (1 goal, 21 assists) in 38 games for the Minnesota Wild. It’s the Wisconsin native’s second ever selection and first since joining the Wild.

Forsberg will sadly not be participating in the actual All Star Game itself but has been named to the YoungStars squad alongside Johnny Gaudreau, Aaron Ekblad, Mike Hoffman, Tanner Pearson, and Jonathan Drouin. They will all compete in the Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition.

Do you feel that Forsberg was snubbed of his place to the All Star Game? Who were some of the other players that you wish were represented?

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Scouting January 10, 2015

Checkers: Scouting the Enemy

FIGHT HELLBERG FIGHT. (Photo Credit: Charlotte Checkers // flickr)

Tonight is the last of the Admirals three games in three days spurt. It’s already been a success with two wins against the Midwest Division leading Rockford IceHogs in the bag. This will be the first time the Charlotte Checkers have come to Milwaukee since the season opener. However, the last time we played against the Checkers it was chaos in Charlotte.

~Remember That Time When Hellberg Face Punched Muse~

We last matched up with the Checkers at the end of November. It was the start of what would become a seven-game losing streak for the Admirals.

Game #1 was televised live on television for all to see and it was mayhem. The Admirals lost 5-4 and the game ended with 108 combined penalty minutes with a line brawl and goalie fight being the headline.

Game #2 was also centered around the action in net. This time it had less to do with goalie fighting and more to do with just how incredible Drew MacIntyre was for the Checkers. The former-Admiral made thirty-nine saves in a 3-2 (SO) contest.

~Names & Numbers Taken~

The main antagonist from the narrative in Charlotte was Rasmus Rissanen. He was everywhere and put himself in the crosshairs of all Admirals after standing up Rich Clune with a knee-on-knee hit. It was Rissanen that triggered the line brawl as well as the subsequent goalie fight because John Muse was trying to get Mike Liambas off of Rissanen which drew in Magnus Hellberg to even the numbers game in the scrap. Keep your eyes peeled for #2 in Charlotte red tonight. He could well be getting a receipt or looking for one of his own.

~As They Stand Today~

The Checkers have a record of 13-18-4-1 (31 points) which puts them fourth in the West Division and thirteenth in the Western Conference… because nothing says West like Charlotte, North Carolina… I digress. In their last ten games they have gone 4-3-2-1 (11 points) and enter on a three game point streak.

Their top scorers are Chad LaRose and Justin Shugg. LaRose leads the Checkers in scoring with 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists). Shugg has played ten less games than LaRose but has an impressive 17 points (12 goals, 5 assists).

MacIntyre continues to play well in net for the Checkers. He has a record of 11-11-3-1 this season with a 2.51 goals against average and 0.918 save percentage. In three games this month he has a 1.99 goals against average and 0.932 save percentage. He stopped 29/30 shots in the Checkers 2-1 win in Grand Rapids against the Griffins last night.

Expectations for tonight’s game against the Charlotte Checkers? Do you feel enough time has passed or will these two brawl it out like the first meeting in Charlotte? Would you reward Marek Mazanec with the start tonight after getting the shutout last night or rest him because it would be his third start in three days?

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

Game Recaps January 9, 2015January 9, 2015

Mazanec and Leighton Steal Show; Ads Steal The Win in OT

Marek Mazanec earned his third career AHL shutout in tonight’s 1-0 (OT) win. (Photo Credit: Rockford IceHogs // flickr)

The Admirals won 1-0 in overtime on the road against the Rockford IceHogs Friday night. It was a dazzling goaltending stalemate between Marek Mazanec and Michael Leighton that held the game scoreless until Austin Watson’s team leading fourteenth goal finished things off in overtime. The Ads have now won three games in a row.

Both the Admirals and IceHogs were unable to find the back of the net through the entirety of regulation tonight. The chances were plenty but both Marek Mazanec and Michael Leighton were stout in net. The Ads matched last night’s season high for shots in a period in the second by peppering in seventeen shots on the back of three power-play opportunities.

The breakthrough wouldn’t come until 2:14 into overtime when Austin Watson scored the game-winner. Watson was flying down the right wing and zipped in a hard shot to the near post that beat Leighton low blocker. The goal for Watson is his team leading fourteenth goal of the season and put an end to Leighton’s Rockford IceHogs franchise best shutout streak that went on for 187:29 of ice time.

Enough superlatives couldn’t be given to both Mazanec and Leighton both from this game. Mazanec earned his third shutout of the season by stopping all twenty-seven shots he faced. Leighton was just as equally up to the task as he had stopped all thirty-four shots he faced in goal right up until Watson scored the game-winner in overtime. Each made highlight reel saves. Each were rightfully voted as the game’s top two stars.

The win is the Admirals third consecutive victory and also, paired with results from around the AHL, sees a big swing in their division standing. Entering tonight the Ads were placed fourth in the Midwest Division. They are now in second after this game and trail the IceHogs for the division lead by six points with three games at hand over Rockford.

You can watch the first period and second period video highlights in the hyperlinks just provided.

Ramblings: Before the game Miikka Salomäki was reassigned to the Milwaukee Admirals after the Nashville Predators activated Taylor Beck and Matt Cullen from injured reserve. Tonight’s scratches for the Admirals were Brendan Leipsic (healthy), Garrett Noonan (healthy), and Johan Alm (upper body). With tonight’s game in the books, Mike Liambas has now officially served all three games of his suspension for his illegal check to the head of Louis-Marc Aubry.

Thoughts from tonight’s game? Are the Milwaukee Admirals back in full swing or what? What do these wins against the Midwest Division leaders do for your confidence in this team after a rough month of December?

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

News January 9, 2015

Predators Activate Two, Salomäki Reassigned to Milwaukee

Miikka Salomäki should be on Cloud 9 as he returns to the Milwaukee Admirals after his great debut with the Nashville Predators. (Photo Credit: John Russell)

I ended my last story on Miikka Salomäki‘s great NHL debut by stating there is no telling how long of a stay he will have up in Nashville. Today the Nashville Predators have an answer to that. They’ve activated Taylor Beck and Matt Cullen from injured reserve and reassigned Salomäki back to the Milwaukee Admirals.

As mentioned previously, Salomäki had a total of 10:49 of ice time, recorded a goal from four shots, and had a game best seven hits. He actually had double the amount of hits of anyone else in the game last night. The 3-2 (OT) win for the Predators over the Dallas Stars meant that they moved into first place overall in the NHL last night with their 27-9-1 record.

How do you feel Miikka Salomäki will perform after having made his NHL debut? Do you feel he has made a statement as the go-to call up from Milwaukee?

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

News January 9, 2015

Miikka Salomäki Scores in NHL Debut

Prior to the Admirals game yesterday, Miikka Salomäki was recalled by the Nashville Predators after both James Neal and Eric Nystrom were placed on injured reserve. He made his official NHL debut in Nashville last night as the Predators beat the Stars in overtime 3-2. Not only that, but Salomäki was able to mark the occasion with his first career NHL goal.

On the night Salomäki had a total of 10:49 of ice time, recorded a goal from four shots, and had a game best seven hits. He had the following to say after the game:

“I have no words,” said Miikka Salomäki. “It was just an awesome feeling. I think you can imagine it. It has been a dream for me to play in the NHL and to have my first game and first goal is so fun.”

There’s no telling just how long of a stay Salomäki will have up in the NHL. What’s certain is that he made the absolute most out of his NHL debut. Having watched his relentless play as an Admiral. I wouldn’t have expected anything less.

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Chatterbox January 9, 2015

The Chatterbox, Vol. 57

Grant-1815-2 — HUGS. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

The Admirals 4-1 win against the Hamilton Bulldogs was a nice result. The team was showing signs of turning a corner and they did that night. Yet, it is a result like the Admirals 4-2 comeback victory over the Midwest Division leading Rockford IceHogs that is exactly what everyone involved in the team is looking for.

Rockford gained their 2-0 lead through some rather fortunate bounces. Rather than kick themselves and say, “here we go again,” whilst pouting the Admirals stuck to their guns and really out-worked a top class team. The shots on goal ended 37-21 in the Admirals favor. When you look at the second period, which broke the IceHogs down, they out shot them 17-7 and outscored them 3-0.

Another highly promising sign from this game was the finish. Which is just that. They finished it. It was a complete end-to-end sixty minute game from the Admirals. The IceHogs could have come out guns blazing in the third period and scored a quick goal and edged things close but they didn’t have the time or puck to accomplish any of what they wanted to do. The Admirals came back from 2-0 down, scored four unanswered goals, and finished that game at 4-2.

After the game I spoke with Dean Evason, Marek Mazanec, Triston Grant, and Zach Budish. Here is what they all had to say after the win:

Continue reading “The Chatterbox, Vol. 57” →

Game Recaps January 8, 2015January 8, 2015

Admirals Comeback To Topple IceHogs; win 4-2

Grant-1815-1 — Triston Grant scored twice in the Admirals 4-2 victory over the Rockford IceHogs Thursday night in Milwaukee. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

The Admirals won 4-2 against the Rockford IceHogs Thursday night. After trailing by two-goals the Admirals came back with four unanswered goals to secure their second win in as many games.

“For us to comeback after being down two, hopefully, slowly things are turning for us here,” said Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason. “We’re doing the right things. We’re not trying to be too pretty. We’re not trying to be too cute here at home. And it shows on the scoresheet and the win/loss column for sure.”

Rich Clune started this contest off by dropping the gloves with T.J. Brennan. The two grappled long after a whistle had been blown and ended with a take down for the Admirals winger. It’s now two fights in two games for Clune.

After Zach Budish flipped a puck up and into the stands the IceHogs scored the opening goal on the power-play. Kyle Cumiskey’s centering pass for Ryan Hartman was deflected off by Colton Sissons. During the scramble for the loose puck Joe Pendenza attempted to make a clear but the puck fell kindly for Philip Danault who scored his fifth goal of the season.

The IceHogs extended their lead in the first period from a man who has hurt them all season long by skating in from the blue line, Brennan. Ville Pokka’s shot from the right point deflected off of Pendenza’s stick and dinked over to the left wing where Brennan was racing in. Last season’s Eddie Shore award winner beat Pontus Aberg to the puck and fired a wrist shot past the glove of Marek Mazanec on the short side post to score his eighth goal of the season and fourth scored against the Ads.

Some flashy work by Viktor Arvidsson set up Triston Grant for his second goal of the season. Arvidsson was surrounded by three red shirts and still managed to pick out Grant stationed behind the defense. The veteran Admiral was all alone in front of Scott Darling and beat him with a wrist shot before he could get closed down.

Echoing the start of the game, the second period began with a scrap. Felix Girard paired up with the game’s opening goal scorer Danault and he just about tackled him to the ice. There weren’t many fists thrown in that match up. Just a quick take down for the first year Admiral.

Grant had entered tonight’s game with only a goal to his name. In the second period he would score his second goal of the night. Taylor Aronson took a pass from the right wing from Zach Budish and threw it on net. Darling spilled Aronson’s shot and right to Grant who popped home his third goal of the season.

“December is kind of behind us,” said Triston Grant. “I think that’s been a learning process for us. There’s been some games in the past that we played really well and we haven’t won. And there’s definitely some games that we weren’t even in the game. We’re trying to lean on each other and make sure everybody brings out their best game. When we do that we’re a pretty good team.”

After some chippiness around the IceHogs bench between Joe Piskula and Garret Ross the game saw its third fight of the night. While the commotion started with Piskula and Ross it ended up being Jonathan Diaby and Cody Bass that paired up. Both removed their helmets and threw down. The fight ended with a take down for Diaby in what was easily his best showing this season in the fighting department.

The Admirals would end the night in net for their former netminder Darling after scoring two goals forty-five seconds apart late in the second period. The Admirals comeback in the second frame also saw a season high for shots in a period as they recorded seventeen shots on goal.

For the second consecutive home game the Admirals managed to score a power-play goal. Clune, working the trapezoid behind the net, pulled off his best Wayne Gretzky impression and passed right to the tape of Austin Watson. The shot surprised Darling and Watson had his thirteen goal of the season.

The kicker for Darling came less than a minute later thanks to a great individual effort by Budish. The Minnesota native was able to jar a puck loose on the right wing from Klas Dahlbeck. Colton Sissons was able to plow through the center lane to give Budish his shooting angle and beat Darling high glove side on a wrist shot for his third goal of the season and sixth goal in six games including his time played for the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. Darling was taken out and replaced in the IceHogs net by Michael Leighton after the Ads scored their fourth unanswered goal.

In the final minute of play, with the IceHogs net emptied in favor of an extra attacker, Ryan Hartman took a run at Mazanec. The Czech goaltender had his back turned and Hartman skated clean through him. Ian White was first man on call to the situation and did his share of grappling. The game ended with seventy-six combined penalty minutes.

“It was a great comeback tonight,” said Marek Mazanec. “We did a great job. That’s what we need to do in this league. No matter what’s on the scoreboard we need to play the same game and hope you’re going to score. That’s what we did.”

Ramblings: Tonight’s scratches for the Admirals were Patrick Cehlin, Garrett Noonan, and Johan Alm. Prior to the game, Miikka Salomäki was recalled to the Nashville Predators following James Neal and Eric Nystrom’s placement on injured reserve. Salomäki made his NHL debut tonight and managed to score a goal for good measure. Alm missed his thirteen consecutive game due to an upper body injury. Mike Liambas has now served two games of his three game suspension for his illegal check to the head of Louis-Marc Aubry.

Thoughts from tonight’s game? Are these the Milwaukee Admirals that we saw at the start of the season? What has changed in the Admirals offense in their last two wins?

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

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