It could have been another one of those wild “School Day” games that match the intensity level that the crowd provides but the Milwaukee Admirals ended up falling 5-3 to the Cleveland Monsters. The Admirals had a great start with lots of pace and energy that earned them power-play chances. Those power-plays were filled with sustained attacking pressure. But Anton Forsberg was solid throughout a scoreless opening period where the Admirals outshot the Monsters 9-3.
Perhaps that was a small sign that things could go poorly for the festivities but the offense out of nowhere for the Monsters mounted in the second period to a 3-0 lead and then they snagged an extra tally from John Ramage just 1:04 into the third period.
What you appreciate from that point until the very end is the same old Admirals resiliency that has shown up from the start of the season. The team bagged two consecutive power-play goals from their two hottest players and then proceeded to get on the board at even strength from the most unlikely of sources. They had 8:43 of regulation to find a fourth goal that could have completed the 4-0 comeback but it wasn’t enough time.
The great news is that there isn’t too long of a rest period on today’s result. The Admirals are back to work Friday and Saturday night. At the very least -again- you appreciate the way they finished today. If the Admirals can bottle up what they had towards the end of today’s game and play a full sixty-minutes that way – that’s when this year’s group could become special.
Comments on the comments? Are the Milwaukee Admirals incapable of playing a complete sixty-minutes of hockey this season? How important is it for the Admirals to get solid performances and results from both games this weekend?
The Milwaukee Admirals lost 5-3 against the Cleveland Monsters at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Wednesday morning.
In the third “School Day” game in Admirals’ history the team saw a third period rally come up short. The Admirals trailed by a four-goal margin but managed to get it to a one-goal game with over eight minutes remaining in regulation. Unfortunately, the deficit that came from a poor second period was too much to overcome and the Admirals –for the first time– lose in their AM game.
“A lot of times, when we get down like that, we don’t give teams anything until we give teams everything,” stated Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason. “That’s what we did tonight.”
The game’s opening goal wouldn’t come until the start of the second period. A hard rush to the net by Joe Devin saw a puck fall off his stick but stay in stride for Akim Aliu to put a wrister past the blocker of Jonas Gunnarsson from the low slot for his second goal of the season.
The Monsters would extend their lead to 2-0 later in the second period off of a Brett Gallant rebound. John Ramage threw a puck towards the net from the high right wing circle that was knocked down in front of Gunnarsson. The first man to react to and find the loose puck was Gallant who quickly zipped a shot up into the net for his third goal of the season.
It wouldn’t get much better for the Admirals as their second period woes continued. The Monsters would pass into a two-on-one chance from the face-off circles. Alex Petan passed off from the left wing to the backdoor of Gunnarsson where Miles Koules smacked in a one-timer for his first career AHL goal to make it 3-0 Monsters.
To start the third period the Monsters surge continued. Sonny Milano delivered a low shot that Gunnarsson kicked out towards the right wing. Ramage was able to step up from the blueline and hit the rebound like a setup pass for a slap shot that ripped into the net for a 4-0 Monsters lead from Ramage’s fourth goal of the season.
“It’s not on our goalie,” said Evason. “[Gunnarsson] was real good. Two off the bar. One is an empty net. We can’t give those up.”
The Admirals would finally get on the board in the third period from their power-play group that had several sustained attacks throughout the contest. Alex Carrier passed low for Trevor Smith who quick upped the puck back into the right wing circle for Frédérick Gaudreau to step into a one-timer and score his eighteenth goal of the season.
After a Jordan Maletta slashing minor the Admirals scored their second successive power-play goal. It was a tic-tac-toe passing play from Gaudreau to Smith and off to the left wing circle where Pontus Åberg launched a one-timer past Anton Forsberg to record his nineteenth goal of the season.
In typical Cardiac Kids fashion the Admirals weren’t going to go away quietly and Petter Granberg’s first career goal with the Admirals made it a one-goal game. Gaudreau had worked himself into a near breakaway rushing down the left wing. As he came barreling down on Forsberg he lost the handle of the puck but Mike Ribeiro gathered it up, swung around the net, and found Granberg atop the right wing circle for a one-timed bomb. Following Granberg’s goal the Monsters used their timeout.
“It just takes one bounce, one goal, or one hit to get us going,” said Admirals captain Trevor Smith. “Last week when [Liambas] and [Florek] had a couple of big hits and they got us going. Something sparked the team and we started to turn it on. It’s nice to know you’re never out of a game.”
It then came time for a dust up. Mike Liambas matched up with Gallant and the two had a quick frenzy before the Monsters’ scrapper went for a takedown. That probably should lean more to Gallant in the fight cards for the finish.
Gunnarsson would come off for the extra attacker with fifty-eight seconds remaining in regulation. The Admirals struggled to setup shop to record the game-tying goal and, before time expired, Sonny Milano was able to score on the empty net for his thirteenth goal of the season to put the game at its 5-3 final.
“You can’t say enough about our resiliency and we just ran out of time,” said Evason. “We really did run out of time. We still had some great looks to get that fourth one. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get set on our six-on-five but we did a lot of good things all night. We just ran out of time. But our will and our want was there.”
The Admirals will finish off their four-game homestand this weekend with big crowds and promotions in the cards. The Rockford IceHogs will arrive Friday night at 7:00 PM CST which will be followed by a post-game concert by Cheap Trick. Saturday night at 6:00 PM CST the Admirals will be hosting the Chicago Wolves as well as their annual Teddy Bear Toss night which will also see the first 5,000 fans receive a Juuse Saros bobblehead. The giveaway on Saturday night is limited to one bobblehead per person not per ticket.
Ramblings: Since the Milwaukee Admirals last played there was a lone roster move of note. Rick Pinkston was once again added on loan from the Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL. This morning’s line combinations were: Salomäki-Ribeiro-Gaudreau, White-Smith-Åberg, Kirkland-Kamenev-Payerl, Richard-Florek-Liambas, Oligny-Carrier, Murphy-Granberg, O’Brien-Dougherty. Today’s scratches included: Derek Army (healthy), Adam Pardy (compound fracture to left arm), and Rick Pinkston (healthy), Pardy, who missed his twentieth successive game today, has returned to skating but a time table on his return to game action isn’t known yet. Today’s attendance was 6,766.
What was your reaction to this morning’s game? Where did the second period sour? Because the Admirals start and finish were strong. Would it be safe to tip your cap to Anton Forsberg today and just move on for Friday’s game?
It’s Hockey Night- no, it isn’t actually. The Milwaukee Admirals third ever “School Day” game takes place Wednesday at 10:30 AM CST which means getting the pre-game scout sooner. I tend to publish and filter material out at the 7 AM hour but that’s the time I’ll be hitting rinkside and setting up shop. Once again, it’ll be odd having a game start that early – end that early – but he so incredibly loud. These last two games with the kiddos out in mass have been brilliant spectacles that –I hope– create lifelong fans.
The opponent that the Admirals have in front of them for the festivities just so happened to be the first team to compete with them during the inaugural “School Day” game. They were the Lake Erie Monsters then and lost 6-3. That team would go on to win the Calder Cup last season and change their name to the Cleveland Monsters. Perhaps, as this season has gone, they might want to consider a return to the Lake Erie name.
The Monsters hold a record of 25-24-3-4 (57 points, 0.509 points percentage) which has them resting in fifth place in the Central Division and tenth in the Western Conference standings.
In their last ten games the Monsters have won twice from a stretch that had them endure eight road games – seven of which came in succession. In five of the last six games the Monsters have allowed 4 goals. That being said – holding any sort of a win over the Grand Rapids Griffins is a good thing and they earned a 4-1 win on their return to home ice following that marathon seven game road trip. I can’t imagine you see a team as good as the Griffins allow 48 shots on goal in a three period game very often.
You could then think that defensively things have been the sore spot while the offense is doing its best. It’s actually the other way around. The Monsters allow less goals per game (2.80) than the Admirals (2.84). Yet, the Monsters have scored the fewest goals (135) in the entire AHL this season.
They weren’t all that mind blowing offensively last season either, (2.78 goals per game), but were able to match that with excellent goaltending and defense – allowing 2.47 goals against per game. Their current 2.41 goals per game isn’t near good enough. And that is only made all the more prevalent in recent games in which the defense has been torn apart.
If it wasn’t hard enough for the Monsters lately they will be without some of their top scoring talent. T.J. Tynan leads the Monsters in scoring this season with 30 points (7 goals, 23 assists) in 55 games but was recalled on an emergency basis by the Columbus Blue Jackets where he joins the Monsters third leading scorer, Oliver Bjorkstrand, at the NHL level.
In net the Monsters should have Anton Forsberg between the pipes but, in the off-chance that isn’t the case, he does have two friends that played their trade with the Admirals’ ECHL affiliate the Cincinnati Cyclones: Brad Thiessen and Michael Houser.
Statistically speaking, Forsberg is having a rebound season for the Monsters. He has a 2.25 goals against average, 0.927 save percentage, and 2 shutouts. It is the best he has played since the 2014-15 season with the then Springfield Falcons. Yet, his record for the Monsters this season does speak to the bigger team problem in front of him. Forsberg is 16-12-1-2 from 34 appearances this season.
UPDATE. Tynan has been reassigned to the Monsters from the Blue Jackets at the sparking 8 AM hour ahead of this morning’s game.
What are your expectations for the “School Day” game between the Admirals and Monsters? Will it be as crazy as the last two that the Admirals have played? Is there a chance that the AM start time will allow the Admirals to play a more instinctive game?
The first ever Milwaukee Admirals “School Day” game held at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena featured a perfect storm of an atmosphere created by the fans and one made from a brilliant overtime win for the Admirals over their Amtrak Rivals. (Photo Credit: Sara Stathas)
Last season, the Milwaukee Admirals had their first ever “School Day” game which featured a 10:30 AM CST start time. The game took place on 11/11/15 against the then named Lake Erie Monsters at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. It was an adventurous project as far as logistics of bringing in various schools and moving them in and out effectively. It ended up being one so successful that it made all the sense in the world for the Admirals to do it twice this season at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
In that inaugural event the Admirals attendance was a solid 12,972. That alone was fantastic but the grand total of 11,047 students in attendance that day was even more so. The crowd was treated to a rowdy 6-3 win for the Admirals in a game that lived up to the energy provided in the building that morning.
When it came time to attempt doing the feat once again, but at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, it was yet another successful blending of atmosphere created by the school crowd in attendance as well as the way the game transpired.
The Admirals second “School Day” game took place on 11/9/16 and pitted them against their Amtrak Rivals the Chicago Wolves. It was once again a 10:30 AM CST start time and this go around saw an attendance of 8,631 fans. It has been said time and time again by players that the “O’Reilly Auto Parts Minute of Madness” segment that day was one of the loudest atmospheres that they’ve participated in. And it was something that ended up holding from that point forward. The youngsters in attendance knew how to become part of the game. They certainly didn’t hurt the Admirals in the proceedings, either.
In an early glimpse into just how this year’s Admirals squad goes about their business – the Admirals came from behind, forced overtime, and ended up winning 5-4. Much like the inaugural event the frenzied “AM” crowd filled with children from various schools were treated to not just a hockey game – but a great hockey game.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
What is perhaps best about these events that the Admirals have put on since last season is its ability to create lifelong fans out of those who may have never encountered the sport of hockey prior to attending the “School Day” game. I’ve always felt that the sport lends itself very well for first-time viewers as the game is rather self explanatory, there are minimal stoppages or breaks in the action, and -for in Arena entertainment- when there is a stoppage there is still fun to be had. The sport of hockey is such a humble one and bringing in schools as the Admirals do, seeing that they are educated them on the game, and allowing them to see it in person is a humble gesture as well. I can create a lifelong fan or even see those watching want to try and play the game themselves. It is a really fun sight to sit back and watch kids seeing the sport for possibly the first time and gravitate to it.
Around the American Hockey League it feels like more and more teams are getting these sorts of events organization throughout a yearly schedule. I completely understand the business sense of it: weekday game crowd turning into a big boom. That said, the ramifications of having these games far exceed an attendance total or bottom line. To know that the next super fan for the sport of hockey could be invented under your team’s banner is such a rewarding accomplishment. To get communities actively excited about hockey, being active and going out and participating in the sport itself, is rewarding.
If you just so happened to be -not- working tomorrow or “sick” and are attending the game tomorrow morning I ask of you to do a favor. I want you to really look around when you’re in your seat inside the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. What you’re seeing and hearing is the next wave of fans. That’s a pretty special feeling.
Have you attended either of the Milwaukee Admirals’ “AM” games? What did you think of the experience and crowd atmosphere? Would you be in favor of more “AM” games or do you feel that having two games, such as this season, is the sweet spot?
You will hear me say as much to Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason. It isn’t everyday when you see the Admirals out-worked or out-competed. The Manitoba Moose did that last night and really grinded up the Admirals with physical, smart, and fast paced hockey. The Admirals really didn’t seem like they deserved to earn a point with how well the Moose played. But, once again, that just wasn’t allowed to be.
The opening shift goal allowed bug on home-ice has been bucked as of last night but the past three games at home the Admirals have fallen behind by two goals on four different occasions in those contests only to earn a win. It was 2-0 with the clock ticking down on the third period and then the Admirals found a serious lift. Matt White scores right before a power-play expires and that breakthrough against the fortress that the Moose defense with Eric Comrie in net had laid down appeared to tilt the game until the finish.
There are plenty of talking points from that game. Let me try and run through some of the biggest ones first.
Miikka Salomäki made his return from a lower-body injury last night. He had been out of the lineup since 12/2/16 and it was the first game he had played in full since the season opener with the Nashville Predators. Needless to say, there has been some significant down time and at day’s end the biggest issue that would be facing him was getting his timing back at game-speed.
“Oh, it felt great,” smiled Salomäki. “It’s been awhile since I played last time. I felt pretty good. I felt better and better all the time. I didn’t feel great but it was good. I hope I’m better in the next game and better in every game now. I think I’m getting better all the time.”
The great news for Salomäki is that he now has his legs back under him and his conditioning around that is top notch. Once he is settled back into the rhythm of a game, works the timing down again, and is able to feel comfortable delivering hits as he is well known for – that’s when he once again becomes that player that had him doing great work last season in the NHL.
He wasn’t doing anything all that poorly last night but he’s someone that I’ve had the chance to watch for awhile now and he was playing at about 50% of what I’m used to. It makes sense, though. He’s been hurt for a long time. Yet that still doesn’t mean he wasn’t shy of delivering the flash when called upon. Oddly, I feel as if there was a parallel to how Salomäki needed to settle into the game and work things back out much like the Admirals themselves needed to do against the Moose last night. That comparison is made all the more amusing when give how he ended up being the man to equalize for the team on an astonishingly good breakaway goal.
“I got that breakaway so fast, ” Salomäki laughed. “It surprised me like, “oh wow, how did I get this breakaway?” I’ve done that [move] a couple of times before.”
Lastly on the topic of Salomäki. I incorrectly stated the rules of his conditioning assignment with the Admirals yesterday. Thankfully a person close with the team informed and corrected me that after the NHL’s Trade Deadline that there are alterations in the process.
The duration of Salomäki’s stay with the Admirals can be no longer than three games or six consecutive days. That being the ruling it would be a safe assumption that the Finn would be here for the three games available to him with the Admirals unless the Predators see fit to recall him sooner to join the team in their Californian road trip. That said, their roster is already stacked at forward and Salomäki could badly use the game time to get all the rust off. The next should prove to see if he plays the duration allotted or not.
Mike Ribeiro is the next major talking point and he, to an extent, has been almost in every game since he arrived through the waiver wire process from the Predators. It would be very easy for someone in his position to have taken that poorly, potentially refused AHL assignment, or arrived to the Admirals with a sour attitude. That just hasn’t happened at all.
“He has been phenomenal,” stated Evason of Ribeiro. “I know people have heard different things of Mike Ribeiro. He has been the perfect teammate. He’s worked hard everyday – in practice, games. He has been so good for us. He competes. He’s a hockey player. You don’t play that many hockey games and score that many points for that long in the greatest league in the world and not be good. He is really really good. I’m disappointed he never got a shot at going somewhere else this year, as far as a trade, but if he has to be somewhere in the AHL I’m glad he is with the Milwaukee Admirals.”
I got that sense from Day 1 when he arrived with the Admirals. And if that quote from the Admirals head coach wasn’t enough to sum things up certainly the celebration that followed by the Admirals for Ribeiro should have. You would have thought Ribeiro were a veteran leader of the Admirals roster for awhile now. This team has tremendous respect for Ribeiro the player and person.
“He’s just a great leader,” said Frédérick Gaudreau. “He’s a positive guy. He’s a funny guy. He fits so well on the team. We’ve got to give him a lot of credit for coming here and being that positive energy on the team. You all saw it at the end everybody was so happy for him. And there is a reason for that. Because he is a great guy.”
While the pace to Ribeiro’s game might have never been electric, and it hasn’t gotten better as a now 37-year old, his instincts, passing ability, and skill are every bit as good as they always have been. For him to have come to the Admirals with the right attitude and be lending those skills while passing them on to the younger crop of talent in the pipeline is a big bonus – perhaps even an unexpected one.
I’m sure the “want” to have been dealt elsewhere and still be playing in the NHL was there for Ribeiro at the NHL Trade Deadline. That didn’t happen. But, just because it didn’t, that doesn’t change reality. He’s a member of the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL. And he’s taking that very much in stride while being another veteran presence on a very young roster.
Some other bullet point topics worth getting across: Marek Mazanec was huge for the Admirals still being in a position to win last night. His last two outings on the road trip may have been rough but he was crucial in that game being the win that it turned into. While it didn’t get an immediate response the fight from Adam Payerl was one of the better ones that the Admirals have had this season. Andrew O’Brien, to me, was the best player on the ice for the Admirals last night… and I’m man enough to say right now that I believe it is the Admirals who got the best of the Max Görtz trade now. Pontus Åberg, who has been hot for the Admirals, played one of his roughest games in a long time – but may have been caught out trying to do too much against a Manitoba defense that gave everyone issues last night.
Last night’s post-game interviews were with Evason as well as Ribeiro, Gaudreau, and Salomäki. Here were their comments following the Admirals 3-2 overtime win against the Moose.
Comments on the comments? Specifically here in Milwaukee, have your feelings regarding Mike Ribeiro changed in the time you have had to watch him play as a member of the Milwaukee Admirals?
The Milwaukee Admirals won 3-2 in overtime against the Manitoba Moose at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Saturday night.
This was perhaps a game that the Admirals didn’t have any right earning a single point tonight. The Moose had them thoroughly out-worked on the evening but yet another multi-goal comeback in the third period saw the Admirals force overtime and then win eight seconds in through Mike Ribeiro to take the win over the Moose.
“He has been phenomenal,” smiled Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason. “I know people have heard different things of Mike Ribeiro. He has been the perfect teammate. He’s worked hard everyday – in practice, games. He has been so good for us.”
The Admirals didn’t make it easy on themselves in tonight’s opening period. They took three trips to the penalty box and the last occasion saw the Moose capitalize with a power-play goal. Kyle Connor skated off the left wing circle in towards the slot where a shot pass from the right point by Jack Roslovic went off his tape for a redirect. The goal for Connor was his sixteenth of the season.
It felt as though the Admirals badly needed some energy or a spark. This is where Adam Payerl stepped in with a fight against Scott Kosmachuk which ended in a flurry for the Admirals’ alternate captain. That was a decisive win for Payerl in the scrap that could almost go as a 10-8 in your fight cards with the punching advantage and knockdown to finish it.
The game wouldn’t see another goal until the third period and it was almost a carbon copy of the opener. J.C. Lipon fired a shot from the right wing wall that went to the net for a crashing Connor off the back post for a deflection past Marek Mazanec. It was Connor’s second tally of the night and seventeenth of the season.
Matt White would finally inject some life into the Admirals with a goal midway through the third period. As the Admirals were on their third power-play of the evening White had a solid angle down the left wing with Justin Kirkland screening Eric Comrie in net. He snapped a shot glove-side across the screen to get the Admirals on the board on the power-play with his eleventh goal of the season.
It was already a big night for the organization as Miikka Salomäki was making his return to game action after having been sidelined since December with a lower-body injury. The Finn marked his return with a breakaway goal and a dazzling one at that. Mike Liambas sent Salomäki loose and he dangled to a backhander which floored Comrie. All Salomäki needed to do was elevate past the glove and he did for his first goal scored in just his fourth game of the 2016-17 season to tie things up at 2-2. The goals for the Admirals were scored 1:32 of ice-time apart.
“Third period was phenomenal,” said Evason. “First two we got outworked, out-battled, and out-competed. And complete credit to them. We were trying.”
Tonight’s game, much like the first time these two met, needed overtime to decide it. Mike Ribeiro won the draw in overtime and proceeded to skate downhill for a two-on-one with Frédérick Gaudreau to the left wing. Ribeiro patiently waited for a gap, skated across into the slot, and snapped a shot into a wide open net as he had Comrie completely frozen to record his third goal with the Admirals and give them the 3-2 win in overtime.
“I was thinking pass,” said Ribeiro of the game-winning goal. “I was thinking pass, go backdoor with [Gaudreau], but [Gaudreau] was skating on his backhand there so I just decided to keep it and cut to the middle. The goalie was out – really out. I just happened to have a really open net there. It feels good to score in overtime.”
The Admirals next play on Wednesday morning at 10:30 AM CST for their second school day game of the 2016-17 season. They will be playing against the Cleveland Monsters on that day. The Admirals will then complete their four game homestand by facing the Rockford IceHogs and Chicago Wolves on Friday and Saturday next weekend.
Ramblings: Since the Milwaukee Admirals last played there were two roster moves of note. The team released defenseman Rick Pinkston from his PTO Contract on Thursday. It is expected he will be rejoining the Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL very soon. Miikka Salomäki was officially assigned to the Admirals from the Nashville Predators on a conditioning assignment late this afternoon. He is able to play for the Admirals on loan from the Predators for three games before being required to be returned to the NHL. Salomäki will be wearing #10 with the Admirals on his conditioning assignment as his traditional #20 currently is held by Derek Army. Tonight’s line combinations were: White-Smith-Åberg, Richard-Ribeiro-Gaudreau, Salomäki-Kamenev-Payerl, Florek-Kirkland-Liambas, Oligny-Carrier, Murphy-Granberg, O’Brien-Dougherty. Tonight’s scratches were: Derek Army (healthy) and Adam Pardy (compound fracture to left arm).
What was your reaction to tonight’s game? Do you feel that the Milwaukee Admirals tend to play down to their competition level at times? Where did that comeback happen tonight?
It has been a very unfortunate season for Miikka Salomäki. He broke his hand blocking a shot only two-games into the NHL season and ended up suffering a lower-body injury on his first period back in game action while on conditioning assignment in early December.
Today the Nashville Predators have announced that Salomäki will be joining the Milwaukee Admirals for the second time this season on a conditioning assignment. The duration of the stint can last no-longer than fourteen consecutive days and, with the structure of the Predators roster at the moment, it would be safe to assume the Finn stays for the full two weeks on assignment. It will allow Salomäki to get plenty of rust off and get sharp before the Predators are forced to make serious decisions with how they tinker with their NHL roster once he comes back fully fit.
In his career with the Admirals the native of Raahe, Finland has played a total of 118 games while producing 70 points (28 goals, 42 assists). He was the Admirals leading scorer during the 2013-14 season which was his first professional season playing in North America.
As a member of the Predators in the NHL, Salomäki has logged 64 games and has scored 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists) while dishing out 177 hits in that time. The only player with more hits than him in Nashville last season was Shea Weber. Yet, one must wonder if recent injuries might mean the “bull in a china shop” nature needs to be roped in a little bit.
The extent of Salomäki’s stay would see him down for a maximum of 3 games.. That would afford him the chance to play tonight as well as Wednesday and next Friday. He will be wearing the #10 with the Admirals as his more familiar #20 is currently held by Derek Army.
After spending their last four games on the road the Milwaukee Admirals get to settle in for these next four games at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. There are twenty games remaining in the regular season. Of that total there are thirteen home games awaiting the Admirals en route to the finish line and the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. The mantra for the Admirals last homestand was to create a home-ice advantage. This should be the continuation of that process.
Truth be told, the Admirals last homestand was a bit of an adventure that fortunately saw the results trend back into the positive. The Admirals won all three games last homestand but also allowed an opening shift goal in each game and needed to claw back from multiple goal leads against the Charlotte Checkers three times in two games. Resiliency has been this year’s buzzword. It would be far more relaxing for everyone if they could simply play a solid and consistent sixty-minutes of hockey.
What is a great sign is that the “defense first” approach for the Admirals is starting to get into place. The team’s ability to score goals of late has come from managing their defensive half of the ice correctly and making plays in transition. There are a few hiccups here and there. The last game may have had its share of bad luck -but- a game the likes of their 6-2 loss against the Grand Rapids Griffins a week ago stands out for what needs to be improved. For the most part? Those mistakes were corrected earlier this week on the road in Charlotte. It’s important the Admirals build on that.
In front of the Admirals tonight stands the Manitoba Moose who have not appeared on the schedule since the end of November. The Admirals lost 4-3 in overtime to the Moose back on 11/26/16. The Admirals roster that night featured seven players who are either no longer on the roster or available due to injury: Jonathan Diaby, Tylor Spink, Max Görtz, Félix Girard, Harry Zolnierczyk, Cody Bass, and Adam Pardy.
The Moose hold a record of 23-27-3-4 (53 points, 0.465 points percentage). They are coming off of a 5-3 win for the “Battle of the Central Division Basement” on the road against the Rockford IceHogs last night. Things were sailing along in that game at a 4-0 scoreline until they conceded three power-play goals in a span of 3:20 of the start of the third period. So, while the Admirals were resting yesterday, the Moose were in a bit of a scrap.
In the scoring department the Moose are spearheaded by three AHL rookies: Jack Roslovic leads the team with 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists) in 48 games. He is followed by the likes of Dan DeSalvo and Kyle Connor. DeSalvo has 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) in 47 games. Connor has 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 36 games – which is good for the best points per game average and most goals scored on the Moose roster.
With goaltending the Moose have been rather straightforward as to who they roll out time and time again: Eric Comrie. The 21-year old goaltender has appeared in two-thirds of the team’s contests in the 2016-17 season: 14-19-3-2 in 38 games with a 2.72 goals against average, 0.914 save percentage, and 2 shutouts. He stopped 38/41 shots on goal in last night’s win for the Moose in Rockford only allowing goals from power-plays.
Final Notes: The Admirals are on a home point streak of 4-0-1-0… The Moose have won their last two road games but are 4-5-0-1 from their previous ten… The Moose have a better road power-play (15.2%) than the Admirals (15.0%) but the second worst road penalty kill (74.8%) in the entire league… Since 1/28/17 both Pontus Åberg and Frédérick Gaudreau have combined for 29 points (18 goals, 11 assists)…
What are you expecting out of tonight’s game given how long it has been since the Milwaukee Admirals and Manitoba Moose have last played? Will the Moose having played last night be a positive or a negative? Who gets the net tonight: Marek Mazanec or Jonas Gunnarsson?
Today for the Milwaukee Admirals was the first day back to practice in Milwaukee after a four game road trip. The team is fresh off of a month of February that saw them go 8-3-1-0. What’s best, perhaps, is that after the recent road trip they now only have seven road games left this season with a hefty thirteen games to be played at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
The line combinations for today were precisely the same as they have been for a long time now. I feel as though that is a big factor for results coming up positive for the Admirals in recent weeks. Not jumbling up lines means more stability and fluidity among the group and that is a luxury in the AHL to have a roster set as the Admirals have been able to do.
Not present in today’s practice was defenseman Rick Pinkston. He has been released once again from his PTO Contract after having done so late last month only be be re-signed three days later. It is likely that this move comes now that the NHL Trade Deadline has passed and the need for potential flexibility is no longer required. I suspect he reports right back to the Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL in due time.
Comments on the comments? How do you see the final push for the Milwaukee Admirals entering the playoffs going with so many home games ahead? Will the upcoming home ice advantage that the Admirals have coming provide the spark for them to get hot at the right time?
The Milwaukee Admirals lost 5-4 in an eight round shootout on the road against the Charlotte Checkers at the Bojangles’ Coliseum on Wednesday night.
If you like crazy games this one certainly hit you over the head while laughing at you from the opening puck drop. There were four-goals scored inside of four minutes of hockey with goals being scored seconds apart from each other in the process. That set the stage for a wild and insane contest that required eight rounds of the shootout tonight before Kris Newbury scored the game-winner to give the Checkers their first win over the Admirals on home ice since 11/30/14 in which they also won via a shootout.
The opening four-minutes of tonight’s game offered some of the most bizarre end-to-end hockey of the season. The Admirals scored twice inside two minutes in a span of thirteen seconds which was followed 1:11 of ice-time later by a pair of goals scored by the Checkers separated by twenty-four seconds.
Pontus Åberg’s hot run continued with a goal to start the night. Trevor Smith’s intercept in the Admirals defensive zone put Åberg on the rush where he would deke defenseman Dennis Robertson out of his skates before scoring on the two-on-one attack from the right wing circle on a wrister for his eighteenth goal of the season.
After the following face-off, Anthony Richard made a very heads up defensive play using his speed to pressure and generate a turnover inside the attacking zone for the Admirals. This then allowed for Frédérick Gaudreau to pick things up, skate towards the right side of the slot, and whip a wrister of his own high-glove past Alex Nedeljkovic to record his seventeenth goal of the season and make it 2-0 Admirals.
1:11 of ice-time later the Checkers scored their opening goal with some controversy. Marek Mazanec had been bumped into by Connor Brickley hard enough to knock the Czech’s goaltending mask off. As the mask was coming off Danny Kristo scored through traffic for his seventh goal of the season. You can thank the AHL for not having goaltender interference as a reviewable play in their rule book.
Perhaps it was the Admirals stewing a little bit over the non-call or perhaps it was simply the way the opening four minutes of the game went – but – the Checkers scored again twenty-four seconds later. Robertson was able to redeem himself after being made a fool of on the game’s opening goal by cranking a hammer shot from the high left point that deflected off traffic in front for his fourth goal of the season. It was a 2-2 game with the Admirals recording two shots on goal, the Checkers recording three shots on goal, and it was only 3:25 into the game.
That wouldn’t be the end of the first period scoring, either.
Philip Samuelsson tried a centering pass from below the goal line that deflected off the skate of the net-front defending Trevor Murphy and past Marek Mazanec to his left pad for the Swede’s second goal of the season. The Admirals would then pop a puck through Nedeljkovic on a completely harmless shot by Justin Florek that went in as his seventh goal of the season and end of the night for Nedeljkovic after allowing three goals from nine shots in 17:32 of work.
In the second period things would stabilize by quite a lot. The Checkers would continue pressuring by recording thirteen second period shots on goal but it was the Admirals skating into the intermission with a 4-3 lead.
After Jake Chelios was called for a tripping minor the Admirals cashed in with a power-play goal from Vladislav Kamenev. The Russian unleashed his Tsar Bomba of a slap shot that flew through Daniel Altshuller for his fourteenth goal of the season to get the Admirals back out in front.
The Checkers first shot registered on target in the third period wouldn’t come until half way through the frame. It would result in the game equalizing at 4-4 with Andrew Poturalski jamming home the rebound from a Roland McKeown wrap-around attempt to score his fourteenth goal of the season.
This game would go past overtime which featured a power-play for the Checkers to start it and one for the Admirals to finish it. Both teams went bust and then proceeded to go eight rounds deep tonight in the shootout. Ultimately, the game would be decided by Kris Newbury in the bottom of the eighth round on a snap shot to the glove-side of Mazanec off the post and in for the game-winner tonight.
It was the first time in two-seasons at the Bojangles’ Coliseum that the Checkers earned a win over the Admirals on their home ice and it took them, much like tonight’s shootout, eight tries to do it. The Checkers are now 1-6-1-0 against the Admirals at their new barn.
You must give credit where credit is due tonight for Altshuller. The Checkers netminder came on at the end of the first period in relief and proceeded to give his team a calming influence in net and only allowed the power-play goal by Kamenev against twenty-four shots faces tonight while denying six of eight attempts in the shootout.
The Admirals are now set for a return back home to Milwaukee. There are twenty-games remaining in their regular season and thirteen of those games will take place at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. They now have a four-game homestand which begins this Saturday night at 6:00 PM CST when they face-off against the Manitoba Moose.
Ramblings: Today was the NHL’s Trade Deadline and the Nashville Predators did make some moves. The lone acquisition by the Predators saw them acquire P.A. Parenteau from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a sixth round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. The Predators then made paper transactions by reassigning and quickly recalling Juuse Saros and Kevin Fiala in an effort to make both eligible for this year’s AHL Calder Cup Playoffs as members of the Milwaukee Admirals. Tonight’s line combinations remained unchanged as has been the case for the past few games: White-Smith-Åberg, Richard-Ribeiro-Gaudreau, Kirkland-Kamenev-Payerl, Florek-Army-Liambas, Oligny-Carrier, Murphy-Granberg, O’Brien-Dougherty. Tonight’s scratches included both Adam Pardy (compound fracture to left arm) and Rick Pinkston (healthy).
What is your reaction to tonight’s game? How bizarre were those opening four-minutes and what are your thoughts on the AHL not having a capacity to replay goaltender interference? The Admirals claimed all but three points on this four-game road trip: was it a positive one?
Admirals Roundtable 