Author: Daniel Lavender

Scouting

Wolves: Scouting the Enemy
(Photo Credit: Ross Dettman)

The window for the Milwaukee Admirals to make the 2018 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs narrowed to an extreme last night. The Rockford IceHogs earned a 3-2 shootout victory on the road against the Texas Stars. That result, paired with a 3-0 shutout defeat from the Grand Rapids Griffins on the road to the Tucson Roadrunners, pushed the IceHogs into third place based on head-to-head record against the Griffins.

The IceHogs and Griffins magic number to clinch a spot is down to 3. If both win tonight and the Admirals lose – the Admirals will be officially eliminated from playoff contention.

With the IceHogs win last night we have reached the point where that fourth placed team can’t win for the rest of the season while the Admirals must run the table. The Admirals will never be able to take the first tiebreak scenario or regulation/overtime wins (ROW) so a loss of any kind tonight with wins from both – that will be enough. The Admirals need to win out and receive huge amounts of help to keep their playoff hopes alive.

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Chatterbox

Chatterbox, Vol. 271
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

The Milwaukee Admirals Tuesday-Wednesday setup was always going to a test following their 6-2 loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday. I expected some push back on the Admirals part. What I did not expect was seven first period goals scored in those contests against the Chicago Wolves and Cleveland Monsters. The Admirals, when they get it right, are so much fun to watch play. Their pace out of the gates on defense and offense to beat the Monsters 6-3 was outstanding.

The only buzzkill came down in the state of Texas where the Rockford IceHogs won again to make things that much more difficult. There are five-games remaining for both the Admirals and IceHogs and the difference remains five points for the fourth spot in the Central Division. The Admirals might be playing their best hockey of the season -but- so might the IceHogs. It is beginning to feel like the Admirals will run out of time.

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Scouting

Monsters: Scouting the Enemy
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

The Milwaukee Admirals earned a 4-3 shootout win last night on the road against the Chicago Wolves. It’s important to take as many points as possible at this point. Last night it was against the top team in the Central Division. Tonight it’s a game against the bottom team in the Central Division. That said, the Cleveland Monsters are coming off of a 4-0 shutout on the road last night against the Iowa Wild. There are no push overs or guarantees in this division. The Admirals need to keep running the table to give themselves a chance.

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Game Recaps

Shooting It Out Again; Admirals Outlast Wolves 4-3
(Photo Credit: Ross Dettman)

The Milwaukee Admirals won 4-3 in a shootout on the road against the Chicago Wolves at the Allstate Arena on Tuesday night.

After a frantic six-goal first period between the Admirals and Wolves: this game ended up needing a shootout. It has oddly been the Admirals bread and butter this season. The lone shootout goal would be picked up by the Admirals captain Trevor Smith as Anders Lindbäck denied all three attempts. The Admirals are now 11-1 in the shootout in 2017-18.

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News

Predators Sign Niclas Westerholm to Entry-Level Contract
(Photo Credit: YLE Urheilu)

The Nashville Predators have signed goaltender Niclas Westerholm to a three-year entry-level contract. This news follows yesterday’s entry-level signing of Tanner Jeannot by the Predators. Westerholm, a Finnish native, now joins Troy Grosenick as a goaltender under contract for next season who could potentially be in the Milwaukee Admirals net for the 2018-19 season.

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Scouting

Wolves: Scouting the Enemy
(Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)

The Amtrak Rivalry is about to burst into life. The Milwaukee Admirals will see the Chicago Wolves for three of the next five contests. The Admirals suffered a massive setback last time out when they lost 6-2 against the Grand Rapids Griffins. They can not afford to slip up anymore if they are to make it into the Calder Cup Playoffs this year. The Wolves are looking to punch their ticket and pull a fast one on the Manitoba Moose by winning the Central Division with a strong last season push. These two have a lot to play for. These games will be extremely intense.

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Feature

Admiral of the Month: March
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

It might have ended on a sour note but the month of March was one of the strongest runs of form for the Milwaukee Admirals during their 2017-18 season. The Admirals went 9-5-0-0 (18 points, 0.643 points percentage) in March. It was their most successful month since October when they went 5-2-0-0 record (10 points, 0.714 points percentage) to open up the season. And you couldn’t help but see a few key figures step up even more with the pressure of the playoffs looming over each and every game.

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Chatterbox

Chatterbox, Vol. 270
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

Why? Why, time after time after time after time, is it always the Grand Rapids Griffins? The only evidence that I have at this point are the results over time -but- I firmly believe the Milwaukee Admirals mentally get shutdown within these games as they happen. There will be some good spurts. They might even win some regular season games. But when the chips are down and it is time to deliver with everything on the line – nothing.

The Admirals archenemy in Grand Rapids swept them out of the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs the last two straight seasons. They might have just solidly struck a nail in the Admirals 2017-18 coffin with last night’s 6-2 blowout. The Rockford IceHogs found the strength to rally back in the third period and beat the San Jose Barracuda. The Admirals could not do the same against the Griffins. The gap has widened and time isn’t on the Admirals side one bit for games like last night.

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