Author: Daniel Lavender

News

Goalie Bonanza Continues with Pekka Rinne
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Pekka Rinne was under the impression we didn’t have enough goaltending news lately so he did something today.

Welcome to the latest and greatest post on the newly renamed Goaltenders Roundtable (I know, I know.). The latest news out of Nashville camp is that Pekka Rinne returned to team practice for the first time since late October. About two weeks ago we had discussed the news of Rinne returning to the ice in full-gear. That was about a fifteen-minute skate around more than anything. Today, he actually participated in a proper team practice.

Other snippets from his return to practice include (A) he skated for around an hour (B) there is still no time table for his official return.

UPDATE: An even bigger snippet just came in the form of some quotes from the man himself courtesy of David Boclair of the Nashville Post:

“It feels great to be on the ice with the boys, just taking shots,” said Pekka Rinne. “It’s been a long time. So it feels great.”

“I don’t want to come back and be 80 percent or anything like that. I want to be strong,” Rinne said. “I want to be able to help this team. As of right now, I feel great and I’m just super-excited and can’t wait to get back between the pipes.”

“You have to listen to the doctors and listen to your own body,” Rinne said. “It’s been a tough go at times but now I’m enjoying this, being back on the ice and feeling good. There’s not really a set timetable. I’m sure each day you kind of feel how it goes and how it reacts.”

As far as this news goes – it’s a nice sign for the Predators and Pekka Rinne that he has taken another step forward in his recovery process. This does act as another interesting aspect to what happened today though in the world of the Milwaukee Admirals.

As mentioned earlier today, the Admirals re-upped Hannu Toivonen with a new PTO contract. This means the Admirals currently have three fit goalies on the roster. That typically doesn’t happen without another move looming in the background. I’ve heard nothing of an injury to Marek Mazanec (not yet anyways). And Scott Darling is not only back in Milwaukee but in uniform reading to the kiddos (as was Taylor Beck, Charles-Olivier Roussel, Vinny Saponari, and Zach Budish — Good Guy awards all-round).

When I heard of today’s news for Toivonen I assumed another body went down or a trade is in the works. If Mazanec is healthy and Rinne is close to returning… what do you think that means could happen next when, between the Predators and Admirals, there are currently seven goalies (Rinne, Hutton, Dubnyk, Mazanec, Darling, Toivonen, and Hellberg). See why I might think an actual move could be rumbling? This could easily be swayed off to pure speculation on my part if, when I got to practice tomorrow, I find out Mazanec is actually injured – hence the need to call up Darling a day before he could play another game in the ECHL before joining the Admirals – and the need to re-sign Toivonen.

Something is up. Injury? Trade? There are far too many numbers at one position right now With the possible returns of Rinne and Hellberg between the NHL and AHL – it will only grow.

What is your impression of the amount of goaltenders in NHL/AHL camp right now? How does this shake out? Does Pekka Rinne’s return to the ice say a trade could be imminent for anyone beneath him on the system’s depth chart?

News

Toivonen signs Hannu PTO
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This is Hannu Toivonen. He’s clearly just as stoked for the US hockey team as he is Finland. (Photo Credit: Andy Morrison)

We have ourselves a curveball to start off the morning. The Milwaukee Admirals and goaltender Hannu Toivonen have decided on another PTO contract that will keep him around for that little while longer.

Toivonen has only played in three games with the Admirals and made one start. In all of those situations he held up rather well. He won the game he started. He stopped all six shots in relief of Marek Mazanec in his last outing. And his first outing saw him get thrown into the firing line of the shootout after Magnus Hellberg went down with injury in San Antonio.

Yesterday the AHL listed Toivonen on the Admirals transactions list as released from PTO. Which, at the time, made sense because of the news that Scott Darling was recalled after a three game stint with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. Darling was making his return to game action after missing a month’s worth of hockey due to a lower-body injury.

So, Darling is back in camp. Toivonen has signed back on to remain in camp. And Mazanec is also in camp. Barring any news to come soon after this, totally plausible due to what I’m about to say, the Admirals will have three functional and fit netminders on their roster. Perhaps I’ll find out more on this when I drop by after tomorrow’s practice – or even sooner than that. I will give an update should I find out anything extra. Until then, continued Hannu puns are very welcome in the comments.

Smart move to keep Hannu Toivonen around? What do you think this means for the Admirals goaltenders? 

News

Simon Moser And The Next Big Step
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Austin Watson wonders if we’ll be seeing the likes of Simon Moser in Milwaukee after his efforts in Sochi. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

Latvia managed to knockout Switzerland from the Olympics yesterday by the final score of 3-1. This meant the end of the Sochi games for Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi and Milwaukee Admirals winger Simon Moser.

For a team that really lacked firepower (scoring three goals the entire tournament) and relied upon the strength of their defense (two shutouts from Jonas Hiller) I believe a real bright spot for the Swiss came in the form of Moser.

I watched all of their games with a keen eye for him and was very impressed by what I saw. Despite not picking up much in the way of scoring, a problem for the Swiss squad in general, he looked better than he even did as an Admiral. I felt as if there wasn’t a single bad shift for Moser during his Olympic run. Offensively, he was doing a great job creating plays and working around the net. He looked big, fast, strong, and wasn’t shy to throw a puck to the net if he saw a good enough chance. While his go-to Olympic moment will no doubt be his game-winning goal against Latvia in the opening game – he had so many more bright spots skating forward that it’s actually a shame he and that team failed to score more than they did.

When it came to his defense, just like the whole Switzerland team, he was doing very smart and responsible work in his own half of the ice. He was also good in the neutral zone work. His size in particular seemed to help out in that area of the ice – Olympic ice – wider ice – and he disrupted plays nicely.

Moser’s Olympic statline: 4 games, 1 goal, 8 shots on goal, 2 penalty minutes, a plus/minus of +1, and he averaged 15:11 time on ice per game. Only four other forwards for Switzerland played more minutes during tournament than him: Nino Niederreiter, 68:20 TOI… Martin Pluss, 67:42 TOI… Damien Brunner, 66:04 TOI… Roman Wick, 65:50 TOI… Simon Moser, 60:45 TOI…

This entire Olympic run for Moser comes right after his first career games in the NHL. With the Predators he played in 3 games and scored his first career NHL point (an assist). With the Admirals, he has played in 40 games this season and produced 25 points (8 goals, 17 assists). His role with Team Switzerland in Sochi was actually quite identical to the way he played in Milwaukee. He was asked to play in multiple facets, performed a two-way game, and worked smartly on both sides of the puck.

It begs to be said. Should we really expect Simon Moser to return to the Admirals after all this? My answer: No.

The next big step for Moser is to perform in the NHL as he did in the Olympics. When it comes to his offensive game I wouldn’t necessarily even point to his Admirals numbers. In no way do I expect for him to be a figure on the Predators power-play. What you’ll get and love from a guy like Moser, when it comes to the NHL level, is a smart third line winger that makes good plays defensively, can skate up ice, battle strength-for-strength on the forecheck, and can bag the odd point here and there with his creativity. Should those attributes manifest themselves, as they have in Milwaukee and Sochi, Moser should settle into Nashville nicely for the rest of the NHL season.

Were you able to watch Simon Moser and Team Switzerland during the Olympics? What did you think of Moser’s play in Sochi versus in Milwaukee? Did the bigger rinks help his game? Have we seen the last of Moser in an Admirals uniform?

News

The Beard Is Back In Town: Scott Darling Recalled
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Scott Darling won the CCM/AHL Goalie of the Month award for his work in December. He’s been out for a month with a lower-body injury. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

The Cincinnati Cyclones are set to play tomorrow night in Indiana against the Evansville IceMen. There was some pondering on my part of that meant one last rehab game for Scott Darling before this weekend’s three-in-three for the Admirals. Ponder no more! This afternoon he has officially been recalled to the Ads roster.

During his return from a lower-body injury he made three starts with the Cyclones of the ECHL. He won two, lost one, had a 2.62 GAA, and a 0.908 SV%. That statline is only slightly mucked up from his last outing where he conceded four-goals from twenty-one shots against the Kalamazoo Wings. Even still, he was the runner up for the ECHL Goalie of the Week. With the Admirals, Darling has played in fifteen games, won eighth, has a 2.18 GAA, a 0.930 SV%, and a team-best three shutouts.

This only surprises me in the sense that he will miss one more chance to play a game with the Cyclones in the ECHL before joining the Admirals. What should that tell us? He’ll probably start Friday night under good rest. Had he played Wednesday and joined the next day… he may have missed morning practice on Thursday… and might be a slight bit off sync come game day. This tells me enough that he’s going to make a dent this weekend – and the team hope that he does.

When Darling makes his return to the ice for the Admirals he’ll also have a different look about him. No, the beard is staying for good (at least I’ve told him it should). But, he has brand new Admirals goaltending gear. I give the set an A+ for retro stripy goodness!

UPDATE: Per TheAHL.com, Hannu Toivonen has officially been released from his PTO with the Milwaukee Admirals.

Will Scott Darling start on Friday? Should he have played one more game in the ECHL before being called up? What should this do for Marek Mazanec?

News, Numbers

By The Numbers: The Admirals Offense
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Anthony Bitetto is just one of many Admirals struggling to find the back of the net recently. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

Yesterday we took a look into the numbers of Marek Mazanec this season. Today, let’s take a gander at the up-and-down Admirals offense.

I feel as if these last few games, in particular, have been erratic for the team. Some nights there have been limited shots. Then there are other nights when the shots have been there but the finishing touch isn’t.

A player that comes to mind when I pieced this “numbers”story together is our photo boy for this one, Anthony Bitetto. Remember how hot his start to the season was? He started off the 2013-side of the calendar with 9 goals in 29 games – 6 of which were scored on the power-play. Ever since the calendar switched to 2014 – Bitetto has failed to score a single goal from 19 games played. When I see such a sudden drop off it makes me wonder if teams around the league are solving something in the Admirals offense? …or if it is simply a case of the team’s inability to finish at a high percentage? Let’s take a look at the team’s stats from open-play this season.

October
4-0-2-0 Record, 15 goals, 156 shots, 3/27 PP
9.62 Shooting Percentage, 11.1 PP%

Oct. 11 @ Abbotsford: 2 goals, 26 shots, 0/4 PP.
Oct. 12 @ Abbotsford: 1 goal, 28 shots, 0/4 PP.
Oct. 18 @ Grand Rapids: 3 goals, 20 shots, 2/5 PP.
Oct. 19 vs. Chicago: 2 goals, 32 shots, 1/7 PP.
Oct. 26 vs. Texas: 4 goals, 23 shots, 0/4 PP.
Oct. 30 vs Texas: 3 goals, 27 shots, 0/3 PP.

November
5-5-2-1 Record, 32 goals, 405 shots, 11/68 PP
7.90 Shooting Percentage, 16.8 PP%

Nov. 1 vs. Rockford: 4 goals, 38 shots, 2/7 PP.
Nov. 3 @ Iowa: 5 goals, 27 shots, 2/8 PP.
Nov. 8 @ Texas: 4 goals, 28 shots, 3/8 PP.
Nov. 9 @ Texas: 4 goals, 38 shots, 1/6 PP.
Nov. 10 @San Antonio: 2 goals, 33 shots, 1/3 PP.
Nov. 13 vs. Grand Rapids: 2 goals, 32 shots, 0/4 PP.
Nov. 15 vs. Chicago: 3 goals, 26 shots, 1/6 PP.
Nov. 16 @ Iowa: 1 goal, 34 shots, 0/5 PP.
Nov. 19 vs. Abbotsford: 3 goals, 40 shots, 1/5 PP.
Nov. 20 @ Grand Rapids: 0 goals, 16 shots, 0/5 PP.
Nov. 22 vs. Chicago: 2 goals, 31 shots, 0/3 PP.
Nov. 27 @ Rockford: 1 goal, 34 shots, 0/4 PP.
Nov. 30 @ Charlotte: 1 goal, 28 shots, 0/4 PP.

December
7-3-1-0 Record, 31 goals, 332 shots, 10/48 PP
9.34 Shooting Percentage, 20.8 PP%

Dec. 1 @ Charlotte: 2 goals, 27 shots, 0/4 PP.
Dec. 6 vs. Oklahoma City: 5 goals, 44 shots, 1/7 PP.
Dec. 12 vs. Oklahoma City: 4 goals, 37 shots, 2/3 PP.
Dec. 13 @ Grand Rapids: 2 goals, 26 shots, 0/2 PP.
Dec. 14 @ Grand Rapids: 0 goals, 31 shots, 0/9 PP.
Dec. 20 vs. San Antonio: 4 goals, 33 shots, 3/5 PP.
Dec. 21 @ Rockford: 3 goals, 31 shots, 1/7 PP.
Dec. 22 @ Chicago: 1 goal, 25 shots, 1/3 PP.
Dec. 26 vs. Grand Rapids: 4 goals, 24 shots, 0/3 PP.
Dec. 27 vs. Charlotte: 2 goals, 31 shots, 0/3 PP.
Dec. 29 @ Iowa: 4 goals, 23 shots, 2/2 PP.

January
5-5-1-2 Record, 35 goals, 408 shots, 12/61 PP
8.58 Shooting Percentage, 19.7 PP%

Jan. 3 @ Lake Erie: 2 goals, 14 shots, 0/4 PP.
Jan. 4 @ Lake Erie: 1 goal, 23 shots, 0/4 PP.
Jan. 6 vs. Iowa: 3 goals, 31 shots, 2/3 PP.
Jan. 11 vs. Chicago: 1 goal, 26 shots, 1/7 PP.
Jan. 12 vs. Lake Erie: 6 goals, 32 shots, 3/7 PP.
Jan. 16 @ San Antonio: 4 goals, 37 shots, 1/4 PP.
Jan. 18 @ Oklahoma City: 1 goal, 33 shots, 0/4 PP.
Jan. 19 @ Oklahoma City: 4 goals, 45 shots, 1/8 PP.
Jan. 21 vs. Toronto: 3 goals, 46 shots, 3/11 PP.
Jan. 24 vs. Rockford: 3 goals, 36 shots, 0/3 PP.
Jan. 25 @ Rockford: 1 goal, 27 shots, 0/1 PP.
Jan. 26 vs. Rockford: 3 goals, 28 shots, 1/3 PP.
Jan. 31 @ Iowa: 3 goals, 30 shots, 0/2 PP.

February, In Progress
2-3-0-2 Record, 15 goals, 180 shots, 3/25 PP
8.33 Shooting Percentage, 12.0 PP%

Feb. 1 vs. Grand Rapids: 2 goals, 31 shots, 0/3 PP.
Feb. 5 vs. Hamilton: 4 goals, 28 shots, 1/5 PP.
Feb. 7 vs. Utica: 0 goals, 21 shots, 0/1 PP.
Feb. 9 vs. Chicago: 3 goals, 27 shots, 1/3 PP.
Feb. 14 vs. Iowa: 1 goal, 28 shots, 1/4 PP.
Feb. 15 @ Chicago: 3 goals, 26 shots, 0/5 PP.
Feb. 16 @ Chicago: 2 goals, 19 shots, 0/4 PP.

Overall Report
23-16-6-5 Record, 128 goals, 1481 shots, 39/229 PP
8.64 Shooting Percentage, 17.03 PP%

Now, I know what you’re going to be thinking next. These numbers, stats, and figures on the Admirals offense are all jolly exciting. But what on Earth do they even mean? Well, let me give you the official AHL measuring stick to bring this all into proper perspective.

AHL League Averages
9.31 Shooting Percentage, 17.796 PP%

The Milwaukee Admirals are below the AHL league averages when it comes to shooting and the power-play. Add a goaltender, who has been forcing his team to find two or three goals per game to have a chance, and you get the constant win one, lose one, win one sort of behavior the Admirals have battled through this season. The firepower just hasn’t been able to push them over the top for a decent enough stretch of games.

Two of the more successful months this season for the team, October and December, came when they were shooting at a percentage above league average. Since that calendar turned to 2014, much like Mr. Bitetto, the whole team’s ability to finish at a high rate has been lacking. I don’t think I could even care who is in the net for the Admirals if the team continues to fire nearly a percentage point below league average when it comes to shooting. It’s just not good enough. I can safely imagine the coaches and players are fully aware of that sentiment. It’s time for the ship to sail with its guns blazing as the playoff push comes into picture. Either that, or the team will need to play defense at a clip that makes this offense win games.

What can the team really do to turn things around offensively? Is this the Admirals own doing or more to do with teams breaking them down more and more as the season progresses? What worked best in those 2013 months of the season that hasn’t followed in 2014?

News

AHL Line Brawl Extravaganza

When the Admirals were busy playing yesterday against the Chicago Wolves I missed out on a wee bit of fun that our pals out in the Eastern Conference were up to. The Adirondack Phantoms and Portland Pirates had themselves a line brawl: complete with a goalie fight and a minor bench clearer.

Want to know the end result of all the paperwork for the poor officials? 329 combined penalty minutes. Why, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say the league might just be reviewing this one. While they do that – let’s look back on some other good ol’ AHL donnybrooks from the past few seasons.

Binghamton Senators vs. Norfolk Admirals: 120 combined PIM’s.

Rockford IceHogs vs. Chicago Wolves: 174 combined PIM’s.

Grand Rapids Griffins vs. Rockford IceHogs: 230 combined PIM’s.

Rockford IceHogs vs. Milwaukee Admirals: 166 combined PIM’s.

If there are any others that need adding to the mix: post a comment and I’ll add it instantly!

News

Scott Darling and the Comeback Trail
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“You guys remember me and my luscious beard, right?” (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

This afternoon Scott Darling made his third start in net for the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL since returning from an injury that sidelined him for one month. For those that don’t necessarily follow the Cyclones all that heavily – allow me to fill in how he has been doing.

Feb. 14 @ Fort Wayne: W, 3-2 (SO): 35 saves, 2 GA, 5-7 saves in shootout.

Feb. 15 @ Toledo: W, 5-2: 27 saves, 2 GA.

Feb. 17 vs. Kalamazoo: L, 4-3: 17 saves, 4 GA.

In his first game back he was sensational. In his second game back, outside of giving up two goals in fifty-seconds of the first period, he was also really good. Today, he was brought back down to Earth ever so slightly.

For those also wondering if there could be yet another start for Darling prior to the Admirals three-in-three this weekend: the Cincinnati Cyclones will be playing on the road against the Evansville Icemen on Wednesday night. After that? Cincinnati plays on the road against the South Carolina Stingrays Friday night. They do not play Saturday or Sunday – which are days when the Admirals will be on the road.

How do you rate Scott Darling’s first few games in his return from injury? Does he need more time in the ECHL before returning to the Admirals? When would you call him back up?

News, Numbers

By The Numbers: Mazanec
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Since January, it has been all Marek Mazanec. Is that a positive or a negative? (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

Marek Mazanec was pulled from yesterday afternoon’s Admirals game where he conceded three goals on twenty shots. The final straw, the reason why he was pulled, came in the third period when two Wolves goals were scored in rapid succession. He has now allowed three goals in his last four starts – all of which resulted in losses. To say it as eloquently as possible: it just hasn’t looked quite like Marek Mazanec lately.

I think one of the more oddball stats of this entire season has been that, in his AHL time with the Admirals, Mazanec has allowed at least two goals per game. In the NHL, that wasn’t the case. He had four NHL games in which he conceded less than two goals – two of those were shutouts.

So, what is the deal with our 22-year old Czech netminder? Why don’t we check out the statistical breakdown of all of his games this season, AHL and NHL, and see what we make of it.

October, 2013

Oct. 18 @ Grand Rapids: W, 3-2: 24 saves, 2 GA.
Oct. 26 vs. Texas: W, 4-2: 27 saves, 2 GA.
Oct. 30 vs Texas: W, 3-2 (OT): 33 saves, 2 GA.

November, 2013

Nov. 1 vs. Rockford: W, 4-2: 28 saves, 2 GA.
Nov. 3 @ Iowa: W, 5-2: 28 saves, 2 GA.

Nov. 5 – Called Up To Nashville

Nov. 8 @ Winnipeg: ND, 5-0: 22 saves, 2 GA.
Nov. 12 @ New York: L, 3-1: 30 saves, 3 GA.
Nov. 15 @ Pittsburgh: L, 4-1: 21 saves, 4 GA.
Nov. 16 vs. Chicago: W, 7-2: 39 saves, 2 GA.
Nov. 19 @ Detroit: W, 2-0: 27 saves, 0 GA.
Nov. 21 @ Toronto: W, 4-2: 24 saves, 2 GA.
Nov. 23 vs New York: L, 2-0: 32 saves, 2 GA.
Nov. 25 vs. Phoenix: W, 4-2: 29 saves, 2 GA.
Nov. 27 @ Columbus: W, 4-0: 19 saves, 0 GA.
Nov. 28 vs. Edmonton: L, 3-0: 25 saves, 2 GA.
Nov. 30 vs. Philadelphia: SOL, 3-2: 22 saves, 2 GA.

December, 2013

Dec. 3 vs. Vancouver: L, 3-1: 30 saves, 3 GA.
Dec. 5 vs. Carolina: L, 5-2: 9 saves, 4 GA.
Dec. 7 @ Washington: L, 5-2: 28 saves, 5 GA.
Dec. 12 @ Tampa Bay: ND, 4-2: 19 saves, 0 GA.
Dec. 21 vs. Montreal: ND, 4-3 (OT): 2 saves, 3 GA.
Dec. 23 vs. Boston: L, 6-2: 25 saves, 4 GA.
Dec. 28 vs. Los Angeles: W, 3-2: 26 saves, 2 GA.
Dec. 30 vs. Detroit: W, 6-4: 21 saves, 4 GA.

January, 2014

Jan. 2 @ Boston: OTL, 3-2: 22 saves, 3 GA.
Jan. 4 @Florida: SOL, 5-4: 25 saves, 4 GA.
Jan. 7 vs. San Jose: W, 3-2: 26 saves, 2 GA.
Jan. 9 vs. Anaheim: L, 4-3: 24 saves, 4 GA.
Jan. 11 vs. Ottawa: SOL, 2-1: 20 saves, 1 GA.
Jan. 12 vs. Minnesota: L, 4-0: 19 saves, 4 GA.

Jan. 17 – Reassigned to Milwaukee

Jan. 18 @ Oklahoma City: L, 2-1: 23 saves, 2 GA.
Jan. 19 @ Oklahoma City: SOL, 5-4: 21 saves, 4 GA.
Jan. 21 vs. Toronto: W, 3-2: 25 saves, 2 GA.
Jan. 24 vs. Rockford: W, 3-2: 28 saves, 2 GA.
Jan. 25 @ Rockford: L, 2-1: 29 saves, 2 GA.
Jan. 26 vs. Rockford: OTL, 4-3: 39 saves, 4 GA.
Jan. 31 @ Iowa: W, 3-2 (OT): 24 saves, 2 GA.

February, 2014, In Progress

Feb. 1 vs. Grand Rapids: SOL, 3-2: 35 saves, 2 GA.
Feb. 5 vs. Hamilton: W, 4-2: 28 saves, 2 GA.
Feb. 7 vs. Utica: L, 3-0: 28 saves, 3 GA
Feb. 9 vs. Chicago: SOL, 4-3: 31 saves, 3 GA.
Feb. 14 vs. Iowa: L, 3-1: 27 saves, 3 GA.
Feb. 16 @ Chicago: L, 3-2: 17 saves, 3 GA.

Overall Report

Total Record: 17-15-2-6 (42 points from 40 decisions)
NHL Record: 8-10-1-3 (20 points from 22 decisions)
AHL Record: 9-5-1-3 (22 points from 18 decisions)

Total Goals Against Average: 2.62 GAA. (NHL, 2.80 GAA… AHL, 2.43 GAA…)

Total Save Percentage: 0.910 SV% (NHL, 0.902 SV%… AHL, 0.918 SV%…)

Total Goal Differential: 108 Goals Allowed by Mazanec (NHL/AHL) vs. 103 Goals Forced from the team in front of him when he plays (54 NHL, 49 AHL): -5 Goal Differential for Mazanec.

Amount of Consecutive Starts Made: 37 games started consecutively during the course of this season (21 NHL, 16 AHL).

Three-In-Three starts: 1, in AHL (1/24 vs. Rockford… 1/25 @ Rockford… 1/26 vs. Rockford).

Two-In-Two starts: 5, in the NHL and AHL (11/15 @ Pittsburgh… 11/16 vs. Chicago… // 11/27 @ Columbus… 11/28 vs. Edmonton… // 1/11 vs. Ottawa… 1/12 vs. Minnesota… // 1/18 @ Oklahoma City… 1/19 @Oklahoma City… // 1/31 @ Iowa… 2/1 vs. Grand Rapids…)

Amount of NHL/AHL Games Played In: 43 games.

Amount of Games Played In for Plzen HC in the 2012-13 season: 21 games.

AUDIO: Mazanec after the conclusion of his three-in-three against Rockford (Part 1):

AUDIO: Mazanec after the conclusion of his three-in-three against Rockford (Part 2):

So, I don’t know about you folks, but what I see when I look at everything laid out in front of me like this is that Marek Mazanec is being used as a workhorse – in his first North American professional hockey season – and he is being stretched to the limit Again, it is only his first professional North American hockey season. I feel some agitated in his recent play might just happen forget about that. Last season, Magnus Hellberg battled through his struggles with the higher tempo game with smaller ice – and delivered with a great finish to the season. Big difference was, Hellberg was in no way shape or form asked to carry such a load, AHL and NHL, so quickly.

Mazanec has shown plenty of talent this season. I only feel that there is far too much weight being put on top of him all while his past experience doesn’t compare – not to the AHL level – and certainly not to the NHL level. You can easily wag your finger at his NHL numbers, his NHL Rookie of the Month award for November, and say – why not Milwaukee? Well, just as easily, the caliber of players in front of him to help out defensively and offensively aren’t up to par but, even more so, Mazanec really hasn’t had a goaltender to push him and make him earn his net since Hellberg at the start of pre-season camp.

I feel that the sooner we see a Scott Darling return, or even a Hellberg, the better off things will be for the Admirals and all goaltenders involved. Goalies want to play as much as possible – without question. But that’s exactly why having an option 1-A and 1-B to pick from as a starting goalie raises the internal competition meter up and brings out the best of the group. Not to mention, as this season drags down to the finish – you’re not going to want a rookie netminder like Mazanec to have flamed out before April because he has played every-other or more games for the Ads.

At some point this week I expect the Admirals will recall Darling from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL after he won two games (in two days) in his return from a lower-body injury. For all we know, the situation that I just brought up takes place as soon as this weekend where, you guessed it, a three-in-three will be played. Should that happen… who starts Friday in Milwaukee and how do you balance out the rest of the weekend?

What are your thoughts on Marek Mazanec’s season to date? Is he being overworked? Are we expecting too much from him?

Game Recaps

Biting Back; Wolves win 3-2

The Admirals lost 3-2 in Rosemont against the Chicago Wolves Sunday afternoon. A lightning strike by the Wolves in the third period, scoring two goals in twenty-eight seconds, proved to be the kicker today. Ads goals by Vinny Saponari and Colton Sissons weren’t enough – as the Admirals officially lose the Amtrak Rivalry series this season to the Wolves.

“That’s the way these games have gone against this team,” said Milwaukee Admirals assistant coach Stan Drulia after the game on Sports Radio 1250 WSSP. “It’s been a break, or a bounce, or something for one of us to get that extra goal.”

Despite the Admirals being outshot mightily in the first period, 13-3, they were the ones to score first. Vinny Saponari made a great play skating in from the left wing and hard to the net to beat AHL All Star netminder Jake Allen over the left shoulder for his ninth goal of the season.

There were plenty of penalties exchanged in this game and, for the first time all season against the Admirals, the Wolves were able to bite on the power-play. Michael Davies spun away from Scott Ford, moved in towards Marek Mazanec from the far faceoff circle, centered a shot to the goal mouth and it found a way in. It’s Davies fourth goal of the season. That was the Wolves first power-play goal from thirty-two chances against the Ads this season.

In the third period things got out of hand fast and it all starts with a blunder from Mazanec. It’s been rare at times to look at Mazanec and think “he’s a rookie” but this was perhaps his first real big rookie mistake as an Admiral. With the puck behind his net, he skated in around the cage and tried to play the puck out in front of the net. The error from Mazanec went right to Cody Beach who scored easily for his second goal of the season.

“Obviously it hurts,” said Drulia. “You’re in a 1-1 game. [Marek Mazanec] plays the puck so well. Beach gets fortunate enough to knock it out of the air but we could have got back to [Mazanec] a little bit quicker to give him a little bit more time with the puck.”

The trend of conceding quick goals continued again tonight. The past two games goals were scored within a minute of an Admirals goal. Tonight the Ads conceded back-to-back goals to the Wolves in the space of twenty-eight seconds. After a short set up from Davies – Jani Hakanpaa banged in a one-timed rocket to make it a 3-1 game. It was Hakanpaa’s third goal of the season. It was also the end of Mazanec’s night in net as he was pulled for Hannu Toivonen after conceding his third goal from twenty shots.

After the goalie-swap, the Admirals had a quick goal of their own. Colton Sissons whistled a knuckle puck past Allen for his nineteenth goal of the season only twenty-nine seconds after the Wolves had scored. It was yet again a one-goal Admirals against the Wolves hockey game.

The Ads emptied their net with 1:07 remaining in regulation. In the closing seconds of the game they had two near chances to equalize and force overtime. Taylor Beck had a shot that hit the side of the net. Austin Watson rang one off of the crossbar. The Wolves were able to survive the final second threat and win by the final of 3-2… all Amtrak Rivalry games this season, and there have now been eighth of them, have been decided by one-goal.

Ramblings: This was the Milwaukee Admirals fifth three-in-three scenario of the season. They have yet to win the final leg of the three-in-three this season, 0-2-2-1. Anthony Bitetto, who was the lone scratch yesterday, was a late addition to today’s starting roster and took the place of Zach Budish. By doing so, the team dressed seven defensemen – something they’ve been doing a fair bit this season. Mike Liambas celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday today (send your well-wishes here, @mliambas).

Thoughts from this game? What do we all make of the recent string of performances for Marek Mazanec? Is it safe to assume Scott Darling will return to the Admirals and start this Friday? The offense was again rather well tamed throughout this game – what needs to change to spark some quality scoring chances for the team?

Game Recaps

Amtrak Thrills Continue; Ads win 3-2 in OT

The Admirals won 3-2 in overtime on the road against the Chicago Wolves Saturday night. Austin Watson scored the game-winner with twenty-two seconds remaining in OT to end the Admirals three-game losing streak. Hannu Toivonen made his first start of the season for the Ads and made twenty-eight saves in the OT win. 

The Admirals were able to score the opener from a rare even-strength goal by Filip Forsberg. Austin Watson did the dirty work and fired a shot off of Matt Climie’s pads – spilling the puck into the net front presence of Forsberg. It’s Forsberg’s eighth goal of the season with the Admirals and his third scored from even-strength play.

Much like last night’s contest against the Iowa Wild, the opponent quickly flipped the script seconds after an Admirals goal for one of their own. A mere thirty-one seconds after Forsberg’s opening goal a shot from Ty Rattie ricocheted off some bodies in front of Ads netminder Hannu Toivonen. The puck, which squeaked past Toivonen, was given a tap in from Shane Harper his seventh goal of the season.

We did have a quasi-fight between Mathieu Tousignant and Mark Cundari. I would say this was slightly like last night’s bout for Mike Liambas. The real victor would be the helmets – if anything. It was quick and nothing really seemed to land flush. Helmets, 1. Players, 0.

The Wolves took the lead in the second period off of a beautiful play by Ty Rattie. Vinny Saponari deflected a point shot and Rattie, from the left wing faceoff circle, smashed it baseball-style. The midair shot has enough juice on it to beat Toivonen to make it a 2-1 game. It was Rattie’s nineteenth goal of the season – and undoubtedly his best this season.

Five minutes later the Ads tied things up 2-2 from an odd man rush. Colton Sissons and Vinny Saponari broke into the zone on a two-on-one. Saponari passed over to Sissons whose shot hit crossbar and down for his eighteenth goal of the season.

For the fifth time in seven contests of this season’s Amtrak Rivalry – we headed into overtime. In those previous contests the Admirals had only won a single contest – Nov. 22, 3-2 (SO). With just twenty-two seconds remaining in overtime Austin Watson won it with a blind backhanded shot to the front of the net that took a deflection off a defenseman’s skate and past Climie near post. It’s Watson’s thirteenth goal of the season – and perhaps one that could jump start the Ads. The win tonight ended a three-game losing streak.

Ramblings: Hannu Toivonen made his first start as an Admiral tonight, first appearance in net since subbing in for Magnus Hellberg in San Antonio on Jan.16 (stopped four of six in a shootout loss – where he faced no shots in regulation or overtime), first start since Jan. 12 with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL (a thirty-three save shutout), and first AHL start since Apr. 10, 2011 with Rockford in Chicago (a thirty-seven save overtime win). Anthony Bitetto was a healthy scratch tonight. Scott Darling made his second start in as many days and won again. Darling made 27 saves in a 5-2 Cyclones win.

Thoughts from tonight’s game? What do you make of Hannu Toivonen’s performance tonight? Is this the sort of a game that can give the Ads a boost moving forward?