The Nashville Predators have officially recalled Frédérick Gaudreau from the Milwaukee Admirals. This news follows that of Marek Mazanec being recalled Thursday – the day after the Admirals were eliminated from the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs.
Gaudreau’s work since the 2015-16 season with the Admirals has been among the top of the top. His skill level as well as defensive and skating abilities were easy to spot when he arrived from the QMJHL as an undrafted AHL signing prior to the 2014-15 season but his offense jumped up in his sophomore campaign and increased even further this past season.
During the 2016-17 season, Gaudreau produced 48 points (25 goals, 23 assists) in 66 games with the Admirals in the AHL. He also logged his first career games in the NHL as a member of the Predators where he tallied an assist from 9 games. The soon to be 24-year old forward finished the Admirals recent playoff run as their leading scorer with 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist) in 3 games.
Prior to traveling from Milwaukee to Nashville we had the chance to speak with Gaudreau during the Admirals’ Exit Day. These were his comments on the Admirals season and more.
The sad times keep on rolling as today is Exit Day for the Milwaukee Admirals. This is the last time that the 2016-17 team will be together and everyone is getting exit interviews with the coaching staff and much more to reflect on the past season before dispatching. Some are due for Nashville. Some are heading home but still back next season. And most could be on the way to new phases of their careers.
There is a very good case in most interviews conducted by myself today that I make mention that this is the saddest day of the season and that what made this season so great were the people associated with it. It all comes to light on a day like today when everyone is saying their goodbyes with uncertainty in the air. I feel like if this group had the option to stay together and win together next season they would all want to be back. I’m not sure I have ever seen a more tightly knitted Admirals group.
I put word out yesterday on Twitter to try and get fan feedback on who everyone would like to hear from on Exit Day. I tried to get as many as I possibly could with the 2016-17 group and finished off with a solid sixteen interviews. It is a massive listen but you can scan one-by-one the names of everyone I had the chance to speak with today. I tried to get them all. And that included Vladislav Kamenev – who obliged.
The Nashville Predators have recalled Marek Mazanec from the Milwaukee Admirals following their elimination from the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs last night. More names of the “Black Aces” are expected to come in the near future.
This season could just as easily been one to forget for Mazanec after having won the back-up role to Pekka Rinne in pre-season camp only to lose out to Juuse Saros by December. It wasn’t a forgettable campaign for the 25-year old Czech native. He came to Milwaukee with a great attitude was very much the backbone of the Admirals.
Mazanec went 27-17-3-1 this season from 47 appearances with a 2.65 goals against average, 0.912 save percentage, and 3 shutouts. In his AHL career with the Admirals he has 82 wins from 165 appearances with 11 shutouts and -offensively- has 11 assists to his name. He very much should be considered in the discussion for one of the best all-time Milwaukee Admirals goaltenders. This recall comes after the Admirals season ends and, with the completion of the 2016-17 season, Mazanec’s contract will also end.
Last night’s result was one that I have been dreading for awhile now. The 2016-17 season for the Milwaukee Admirals is over. It was my fifth around the team and fourth as Editor-in-Chief of Admirals Roundtable. It feels like the more I’m around the Admirals the more playoff exits such as last night sting. And this season it especially hurt to watch it finish so fast.
I said as much in today’s Chatterbox: this year’s team was a special one. While many get to view the on-ice product and talent associated on that level I’m fortunate to get to see that perspective as well as the behind the scenes views to get to know the team that little bit more. I always try to share that perspective as much as I can through interviews but lost in it can be some of the banter or other sights and sounds that come with being around a hockey team for a full-season up close.
This year’s Admirals team was a favorite of mine. The people associated with the team were all such good people and being around a group so upbeat like that is infectious. What you would hope for in an AHL affiliate is to create a positive environment for all the clashing of age, talent levels, personalities, and nationalities to come together and find a level of success through it. They came together immediately. It’s something that hasn’t always been true but you could see it quickly. And it’s why there were so few bad stretches over the course of this past season.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
I think part of what was as crushing as being eliminated from the playoffs last night for the Admirals was realizing that group of people likely isn’t coming back next season. At first glance, there are 14 players that are at the end of their contracts with the completion of the 2016-17 season: Derek Army, Justin Florek, Frédérick Gaudreau, Jonas Gunnarsson, Mike Liambas, Marek Mazanec, Andrew O’Brien, Adam Pardy, Adam Payerl, Stephen Perfetto, Rick Pinkston, Mike Ribeiro, Mark Visentin, and Matt White. As great as it would be for those names to return the chances of so much as half of those names coming back are slim. The off-season coming up for the Nashville Predators and their AHL affiliate could very well be a busy one. Whether it be positive or negative isn’t known yet. What is known is that this year’s group was positive and deserved more than to be swept out of the playoffs. It’s sad that it ended early but those who were part of this year’s team all became better for having been part of it.
For all the players who took the time out after practices and games to provide interviews here on Admirals Roundtable: thank you for doing so. For the coaching staff and more associated around the team rinkside – Dean Evason, Stan Drulia, Scott Ford, David Rook, Scott Nichol, Ryan Costello, Doug Agnew, Jason Nordby, and the Equipment Crew of Kris, Adam, and Q – thank you for your time, the banter, and the insight.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Of course, thank you mentions wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the entire Milwaukee Admirals front office. This season was an adventure for the entire staff of the Admirals behind the scenes as they all embarked on this new adventure with the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. It was always going to start as an adventure with Year-One featuring growing pains and learning experiences that all can be improved over time. I greatly enjoyed the return to the MECCA this season. I know it will be even better over time through fan feedback and the years of improvements still to come to renovating the classic venue which immediately felt like -home- for the Admirals this season.
(Photo Credit: Jeremy K. Gover)
And now to end on the personal note. I’ve had moments this season where I slipped away from the byline. There was a reason for doing that. This past season was quite possibly my last. It has been an immensely draining season for myself behind the scenes and one that has had me mentally burned out. I’ve been chasing a dream since I was 14-years old. I turn 29-years old this July and have spent the last five seasons with the Admirals living out my dream. Yet, reality has kicked the crap out of me all season long and the need of full-time work has taken over the hope for full-time work. I’ve lost the hope for full-time work. I really have. And while I’ve treated Admirals Roundtable as a full-time job for these past four seasons – it was never meant to be treated as such. If there was a happy medium? That would be great -but- I still need to detach and find it. If this season really was the last for me? It was the last season for me. I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish. I can’t think of anything more I could have done or things I would do differently. I am forever grateful to everyone who I’ve come across on this journey. I have met such great people and it is those relationships that have made my pursuit of this dream of mine even more of a dream worth chasing.
I suppose the end message here is that I don’t know what the future holds. Not for exactly what the Milwaukee Admirals will look like for the 2017-18 season or if myself will be there to cover it. I do know that the ride that was the 2016-17 season was a great one. I want to thank everyone for being part of it. This has been a hugely memorable one for me. And that’s courtesy of all of you.
Cheers,
Daniel Lavender
Editor-in-Chief
Admirals Roundtable
The Milwaukee Admirals 3-2 defeat in overtime last night on home ice against the Grand Rapids Griffins is a difficult one to take on many levels. It ends the 2016-17 season on an all to familiar note here with the Admirals but also one that stinks of last season when the Griffins got the better of an Admirals group that could have displayed that little bit more that they know they can show.
Above all, and what sticks with me, is that this year’s Admirals team was a special one from the beginning. It gelled immediately. There was this wonderful blending of veteran leadership, high level skill, size and grit, players on the cusp of being NHL talent, and prospects that came more and more into their own. Beyond all of that: this was a Milwaukee Admirals team filled with tremendous people.
I want to say, in my four seasons here on Admirals Roundtable, going into the locker room after that loss and seeing the team is the most difficult thing I’ve had to see. They were heartbroken. They knew this year’s team deserved better than what it had just been dealt. All the individual stories. All the ups-and-downs as individuals. The team coming together and battling for seven months. Gone. It all stopped in its place after a best of five series in three games.
A lot can be said of the Admirals playoff track record. Their last victory in the playoffs came four-years ago today when the Admirals defeated the Texas Stars 2-0 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center with Magnus Hellberg earning a 23-save shutout. The Admirals would lose the next two games of that series to be eliminated from the 2013 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. Ever since? The Admirals were swept by the Toronto Marlies in 2014. They failed to make the playoffs in 2015. They were swept by the Griffins in 2016. And have been swept -again- by the Griffins in 2017. The Admirals have lost eleven consecutive playoff games – and that will carry into their next playoff series in the future with a chance to become even uglier.
(Photo Credit: Shane Abbitt)
What I very much hope that fans realize is the big picture that comes with AHL hockey and the Milwaukee Admirals. Would it be nice for the players, the coaching staff, and the fans to celebrate a Calder Cup? Absolutely. Is that the grandest prize of them all to win? No, but the AHL being a league of constant learning and development affords the opportunity to gear players and coaches alike towards an eventual end goal of being Stanley Cup caliber talent. Every season is different. Every series is different. And every game played is different. With these playoff losses and early exits come disappointment but also opportunity to learn and to grow. The Admirals may not have much to show for the immense amount of work that they’ve put in these last few seasons but all you need to do is look at the Nashville Predators to know that the Admirals are very much not failing in their mission of preparing players for the NHL futures they aspire for.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
This third straight playoff exit by way of being swept? It sucks. It hurts. And it’s a shame when asking the “what if” of it all. But the platform for future success is there. The Predators and Admirals are joined at the hip for a further five-seasons. What the organization is doing is striving for the future. It’s built for the future and starving for top to bottom success in the years to come. The Predators haven’t won a Stanley Cup in their history as a franchise yet. The Admirals haven’t won a Calder Cup since 2004. The reason for optimism that both can change that in the coming years far outweighs the thought that both will continue to be stuck in place. The Admirals being eliminated in the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs could be a factor in helping both accomplish just that. There are lessons to be learned from many because of it. And the experience is important.
After last night’s game I spoke with Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason. I then caught up with Adam Pardy, Justin Kirkland, and Trevor Smith. These were last night’s post-game comments.
Comments on the comments? What does the future hold for this Milwaukee Admirals team? Should the organization look to bring back as many of the puzzle pieces as possible for the 2017-18 season?
The Milwaukee Admirals lost 3-2 in overtime against the Grand Rapids Griffins at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Wednesday night. The Admirals have been eliminated from the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. The Griffins will play against the Chicago Wolves in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.
In the second game of the series to reach overtime the same result played out. The Griffins were able to sneak a puck past Marek Mazanec but this time it was Kyle Criscuolo playing the overtime hero as he scored the game-winner and series clincher from a net front redirect.
“We were extremely proud and happy of how we played all year,” said Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason after the game. “And that includes these last three hockey games. We lost in overtime in Game 1. We lost a 3-2 game in Game 2. We lost in overtime in Game 3. You can’t be disappointed in your group if you believe that they played their asses off. They were committed. They played for each other. And they just didn’t get the job done.”
This game wouldn’t get an opening goal until the second period. The Griffins were awarded power-play for tripping moments after they got away with a trip defending Mike Ribeiro. Yet, a strong penalty kill from the Admirals ended with a goal just as Justin Florek was stepping out of the box. Justin Kirkland left a puck back on the left point for Trevor Murphy who stepped up, measured a wrister, and shot high stick side on Jared Coreau to get the Admirals ahead 1-0.
With 2:06 remaining in the second period the Griffins had a near chance on a jam play to the net that required video review. It was confirmed as “no goal” but Derek Army did receive a delay of game call on the play which helped setup a Griffins power-play goal moments later. Alex Carrier attempted to get a zone clearance was held and Evgeny Svechnikov’s follow up shot was blocked down en route to the net. Tomas Nosek was first man to react on the loose puck and zipped it past Marek Mazanec to level things up at 1-1.
In the closing minutes of the third period Murphy smashed home from the left wing again. Anthony Richard emptied his gas tank to win a loose puck down the right wing and threw into the empty left wing corner. Ribeiro would arrive and leave a touch pass behind for Murphy to unleash a howitzer through Coreau for his second of the night and put the Admirals back on top 2-1.
The Griffins would equalize with 3:38 remaining in regulation. The Griffins won a face-off back to the right point where Robbie Russo tagged a shot pass into the high slot for Matt Lorito that alluded Mazanec in net to make it a 2-2 game.
Stress would heighten further as a Richard clearance attempt fluttered over the glass for delay of game with 1:43 remaining in regulation. The Griffins would burn their timeout to draw up a play but time would expire and their power-play would be cut short by the ending of the third period. The Admirals would finish the rest off to begin overtime.
As overtime hauled on the Admirals woes from the long change period seemed to tickle over. The Griffins sustained countless waves of attacks and finally were rewarded for their relentless pressure. Dan Renouf’s shot from the left point was harshly redirected right on the doorstep of goal in front of Mazanec to get the game-winner in overtime and complete the Griffins second successive opening round playoff sweep of the Admirals.
With the loss tonight the Admirals have been swept out of the opening round of the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs for a third successive appearance. They have lost eleven consecutive playoff games and see the end of their 2016-17 season in the same crushing circumstances as last season with the Griffins advancing at their expense. In the coming days here on Admirals Roundtable we will be fulfilling our end-season recap material while supporting the Nashville Predators continued run through the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Ramblings: Since the Milwaukee Admirals last played on Sunday there were no changes made for the Admirals roster but they did tinker with the line combinations for tonight’s game: Richard-Ribeiro-Gaudreau, Perfetto-Smith-Payerl, White-Kamenev-Kirkland, Florek-Army-Liambas, Pardy-Carrier, O’Brien-Granberg, Murphy-Dougherty. Tonight’s scratches were: Bass (lower-body injury), Girard (healthy), Kelleher (undisclosed injury), Moy (healthy), Pinkston (healthy), Trenin (healthy), and Visentin (healthy). Andrew O’Brien returned to the Admirals lineup after having missed the last six Admirals games with an undisclosed injury.
What were your thoughts on tonight’s game? Where could the Milwaukee Admirals have won this series or were they just a few bad breaks against the Grand Rapids Griffins away from being in a similar position in the series?
The Milwaukee Admirals returned to practice and the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena this morning ahead of Game 3 tomorrow night against the Grand Rapids Griffins. The Admirals are up against the sword right now trailing 2-0 in the best-of-five opening round series and are hoping to fight back on home ice.
There were quite a few changes in the lines this morning. Tyler Moy appears to be out with Stephen Perfetto checking in. Moy skated the full practice and an additional skate-around long after practice completed alongside Tyler Kelleher who only skated in that session. Kelleher was the lone odd-man out in today’s main session as Andrew O’Brien did a full skate with the team alongside Rick Pinkston.
Above all, what I was hoping to see today I did catch. This Admirals group does not look deflated or downtrodden. They looked loose, revved up, and ready to go. There have been times in the past when I’ve seen an Admirals team look like the life was sucked out of them when going down 2-0. That is not the case right now and their focus is firmly set on a step-by-step basis. That first period tomorrow night should say a lot for how the rest of the game will go. The Admirals are looking to come out hard to set a tone.
After practice was completed I had the opportunity to speak with Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason to get his insight into the series and what to expect out of the group tomorrow night. I also chatted with Trevor Smith, Jack Dougherty, Mike Liambas, and Cody Bass to get their thoughts on the games in Grand Rapids and tomorrow’s crucial Game 3.
Comments on the comments? Is this Milwaukee Admirals team capable of coming all the way back from 2-0 down against the Grand Rapids Griffins?
Tyler Bertuzzi is a lightning rod of attention on the ice for all the wrong reasons when he faces the Milwaukee Admirals. And that is how he finds success for the Grand Rapids Griffins time and time again. (Photo Credit: Mark Newman)
Do the Milwaukee Admirals miss the services of Pontus Åberg? No. Do the referees in charge of the series matter? No. Do the calls being made in this series go firmly against the Admirals? No. Do the Admirals trail the Grand Rapids Griffins after the first leg of the best of five series? Yes, and they are one more defeat from a third successive playoff exit by way of sweep and eleven consecutive playoff defeats.
Anyone who has followed this year’s Admirals closely can say that the team is a special one. There is a great balance of quality leadership and great young talent all meshed together. When all pieces to the puzzle come together the Admirals can be a devastating team to play against through their high speed and skill level as well as being physical on defense with great goaltending to support it.
The Admirals are not down 2-0 to the Griffins in this opening round best of five series because of any one specific loss of those great attributes. There have been times when Marek Mazanec has really shouldered the weight in net. There have been smart defensive reads that have been very disruptive against Griffins attacks. And the Admirals offense has shown moments where they can be relentless.
Why the Admirals aren’t making a dent on the Griffins comes down to momentary lapses in all of those great attributes not coming good as well as the Admirals doing the number one thing that they couldn’t allow the Griffins to do in this series in order for them to have success. The Griffins are under the Admirals skin.
With any divisional match-up there are great rivalries founded on the constant battles held throughout a season. While there is great turn-over in the AHL many divisional rivalries can really last out down to how strong the affiliate clubs are for so long. That’s what the Admirals and Griffins has been with the Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings both scouting, drafting, and developing so well for so long. In part, this rivalry comes mainly down to sheer dominance and having the say of who is superior. The other part comes from something the Griffins excel in: talking, talking, and more talking.
Whether it be Tyler Bertuzzi, Mitch Callahan, Colin Campbell, Joe Hicketts, or Dylan McIlrath – the Griffins talk a ton after a whistle, in scrums, at face-offs, and around the bench. That nature of their team has been blatant since the 2015-16 season. It worked then. It works now. And the Admirals play up to it by disregarding what it is they do well to play into the Griffins antics.
As all of the talking gets played up what the Griffins get to do is allow their skill players and veterans to dictate and pace the game. The Admirals are fighting a different battle on the ice and losing the most important one. The style in which the Griffins play, to me, is never one that will win a Calder Cup because a far more heads-up and mature team will come in, ignore the talking, and play their own game much like the Lake Erie Monsters did a season ago. The Admirals need to be that team. But they aren’t right now. They are letting the Griffins pull their strings time and time again.
The great news that shouldn’t be lost one bit by how the first two games of the series played out is this: the Admirals host Game 3 on Wednesday night at 7:00 PM CDT. This series isn’t over. The Admirals are still as special of a team as everyone knows that they are and can be. They just need to smooth out a few areas of their game and -most importantly- kill the talking with deafening silence. The Admirals chirp back at the Griffins banter needs to be voiced by the scoreboard and the fans at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
For the Admirals to put everything together and take Game 3 provides them the exact same atmosphere, ability, and opportunity in Game 4 on home ice. That is when this series sees pressure sway but that can only truly happen if the Admirals let go of the talking, let go of the post-whistle run ins, and stick to their strengths. The Admirals are still alive in this series. It is on them to keep it that way on Wednesday night.
The Milwaukee Admirals lost 5-2 against the Grand Rapids Griffins on the road at the Van Andel Arena on Sunday afternoon. The Admirals trail the Griffins 2-0 in the best of five opening round series of the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs and are up against the sword needing to win out from this point forward.
This game showed the good, the bad, and the ugly of this Admirals-Griffins rivalry. There were lots of chippy moments and penalties. The Griffins would overwhelm the Admirals in the first two periods. Despite a solid push in the third period for the Admirals they fell for the tenth consecutive time in the playoffs and now face elimination as they return to Milwaukee for Game 3.
It would take the Griffins just twenty-five seconds to score the game’s opening goal. Eric Tangradi let a wrister fly from the high left wing circle that floated past Marek Mazanec stick-side.
Thankfully, the Admirals wouldn’t be caught off guard with the quick strike by the Griffins. The Admirals surged towards the net and Vladislav Kamenev was able to get a second chance opportunity pushed past Jared Coreau to make it a 1-1 game just 1:42 of ice-time after the Griffins tally.
The Griffins would finish the first period up 2-1. Samuel Girard has a puck hop up on his stick as he was looking to move up the right wing out of the Admirals defensive zone. Evgeny Svechnikov was quick to pounce on the mistake and swiftly passed back into the slot where Axel Holmström opened up to one-time the feed and score his second goal since coming over from Sweden to put the Griffins back in front.
In the second period the Griffins would add to their lead. Tyler Bertuzzi exited the penalty box and was quick to start an odd-man rush after serving a goaltender interference minor. He swung out right wing, held a shooting position, and then snapped a shot to the near post that beat Mazanec high glove to make it a 3-1 Griffins lead.
It felt like the majority of the third period was spent in attack for the Admirals. They finally got a reward for all that pressure after a fantastic pass by Mike Ribeiro from the left point found Frédérick Gaudreau above the ring wing circle that would end with a wrister buried high glove on Coreau to make it a 3-2 game on Gaudreau’s third goal of the playoffs.
For all the pressure the Admirals were building they had a chance following a Griffins icing call with 1:34 remaining in regulation. The Admirals used their timeout to draw something up and bring Mazanec to the bench to work with the extra attacker. Ultimately, it would go bust as the Griffins would get a puck to neutral ice and score on the empty net with Bertuzzi to make it a two-goal game. The Admirals would again go empty net only to see Matthew Ford score an empty netter as well to see this game through to its 5-2 final.
The story of today’s game felt very much written by the opening two periods. The Griffins played aggressively and had the Admirals flustered both during the run of play and after whistles had blown. The Griffins are very much under the Admirals skin and the majority of today’s penalties were of the roughing variety. That is the Griffins style of hockey. It isn’t the Admirals style. And the Admirals falling into that trap now has them in an even bigger one with a 2-0 series hole needing to win out to survive.
This series now shifts to Milwaukee. Game 3 takes place on Wednesday night at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena with a 7:00 PM CDT face-off. The Admirals must win-out to advance to Round 2 of the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. A win on Wednesday night would mean hosting Game 4 in Milwaukee on Friday night at 7:00 PM CDT.
Ramblings: Since the Milwaukee Admirals played Game 1 there were no changes made for their roster. The Nashville Predators did find out who their opponent will be in Round 2 of the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, however, and it will be an all grown-up Amtrak Rivalry series against the St. Louis Blues. Today’s line combinations for the Admirals were: Richard-Ribeiro-Gaudreau, White-Smith-Moy, Kirkland-Kamenev-Payerl, Florek-Army-Liambas, Pardy-Carrier, Murphy-Granberg, Girard-Dougherty. Today’s scratches for the were: Bass (lower-body injury), Kelleher (undisclosed injury), O’Brien (undisclosed injury), Perfetto (healthy), Pinkston (healthy), Trenin (healthy), and Visentin (healthy).
What were your thoughts about Game 2? Is the Grand Rapids Griffins ability to get under the Milwaukee Admirals skin the difference in this series? What do the Admirals need to do in order to fight off elimination Wednesday night in Milwaukee?
The Milwaukee Admirals and Grand Rapids Griffins are very similar teams that always seem to push each other hard. That remained true last night with Game 1 of their opening round playoff series needing overtime. The Griffins would win 4-3 on the night to take a 1-0 lead in the best of five series but there is still plenty to like from what the Admirals did to start the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs.
~Full Strength~
When last night’s game was played at five-on-five it was hard to not like the work rate that the Admirals were delivering against the Griffins. It felt like that was a small rarity in the game when both sides weren’t working a power-play or penalty kill but the Admirals rolling their lines looked to hold their own alongside the Griffins.
The Admirals defense in particular was very good and forced most shots from out wide. The area that the Admirals will want to be aware of, should they continue forcing wide shots, is that the Griffins were smart enough to start putting low shots to the net and fighting for second and third chance opportunities around the net. It generated the best and most successful chaos for the Griffins offense and its on the Admirals to not only defend wide but at their net to clear out both sight lines and the rebound chances the Griffins are looking for.
If we could go back to the penalties for a moment. I’d be shocked if either team liked their games last night almost purely because of the amount of penalty troubles both put themselves into. It didn’t entirely make and break moments in the game – but it really could have should one of those power-plays uncorked more to the net and made the goaltenders work even harder. For the Admirals to give the AHL’s top power-play seven chances is a recipe for disaster. They need to play smart and keep the game at five-on-five.
~The Freddy Gaudreau Show~
Yes, it might hurt not having the Admirals top player in Pontus Åberg around for the Calder Cup Playoffs. I get that. However, Åberg 100% deserves to be where he is now competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Plus, that absence for the Admirals creates competition and forces everyone else on the team to step their game up. The man to do just that last night was the forward scoring step-for-step with Åberg at the end of the regular season, Frédérick Gaudreau.
Since Åberg’s recall to the Nashville Predators his spot on the left wing of the Admirals top power-play unit has been given to Gaudreau with Justin Kirkland slotting in as the net front presence where Gaudreau was. It took the Admirals four seconds of their second power-play opportunity last night to get a Trevor Smith face-off win back to Alex Carrier and a pass off left wing for Gaudreau to swat like a guided missile past Jared Coreau.
(Photo Credit: Mark Newman)
The next two goals that the Admirals scored were great examples of Gaudreau’s best attributes: speed, intelligence, and skill. His ability to skate is fantastic and it put him in positions to fly on both the rush and breakaway for those two goals but what I appreciate so much is him knowing that he had numbers with him to pick out Petter Granberg and also the quickness in reading Joe Hicketts to blaze out from defending on a penalty kill to a shorthanded breakaway. He had the slick skill to get a pass to the tape of Granberg and beat Coreau on his breakaway. Gaudreau had a fantastic night and, rightfully so despite the loss for the Admirals, was named the last night’s First Star.
And, for perspective sake, the Admirals scoring three goals in a playoff game last night was the most that they have scored since 5/8/11 when the Admirals defeated the Houston Aeros 5-4 in overtime. The players who scored points on the opening goal of that game were Ryan Ellis (goal), Roman Josi (primary assist), and Ryan Thang (secondary assist).
Continuing perspective: Gaudreau scoring three points last night meant that he has already scored more points than anyone in last year’s playoff series against the Griffins by two points. Plus, Gaudreau matched the Admirals playoff leading scorer in 2014’s playoff run Bryan Rodney and surpassed 2013’s playoff leading scorer for the Admirals Zach Hamill who played in four games. And Gaudreau also matched 2012’s leading playoff scorer for the Admirals Kyle Wilson. You must go back to that 2011 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs that saw multiple Admirals scoring more than just three points in the playoffs with the help of having a long run.
~The Drought~
Speaking of long runs. This streak that the Admirals have going on right now is a sad one. The last time the Admirals won a playoff game was during the 2013 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs and they accomplished that during Game 2 on 4/27/13 in a 2-0 shutout victory over the Texas Stars. They have now lost every playoff game since which includes being swept out of their previous two playoff entries in 2014 and 2016. The Admirals have lost nine consecutive playoff games.
During this run the Admirals have been outscored 30-11 and shutout twice. You have to go back to just prior to the Admirals last playoff win, Game 1 of their 2013 series against the Stars, to find the last time they were in an overtime game. This run has all come during the reign of Dean Evason as head coach of the Admirals. And that is unfortunate because I know how well respected by the players that he is and you can look no further than the Predators roster right now and see how his influence with the Admirals is so positive.
~Final Ramblings~
The Admirals playoff winless drought, for me, is one of sheer frustration. Many of the games slapped down in the losing streak haven’t been that bad or sloppy. There have been some rough ones, no doubt about that, but last night’s effort just wasn’t one of them. The Admirals last night showed some of the best fight and competitiveness that the Admirals have produced in the Calder Cup Playoffs in quite some time. There was a spark there that just didn’t ignite into an inferno. And both teams can say that.
There is still much to be done in this series. Neither the Admirals nor Griffins played to the best of their ability. Eventually that quality will shine through from one or both teams before this series is done. Game 1 simply planted the groundwork. Now it’s down to who can execute the best from this point forward that really decides the series.
How will Game 2 of this series for the Milwaukee Admirals be different? Do you feel that the Admirals are capable of taking a game in Grand Rapids and, at this stage, would you consider it highly important that they do so rather than having a possible Game 5 at the Van Andel Arena?
Admirals Roundtable 