Author: Daniel Lavender

Scouting February 9, 2017

IceHogs: Scouting the Enemy

Tuesday’s game was a bit of a let down given last weekend’s results. The Milwaukee Admirals dropped a 4-1 game on home ice to the Cleveland Monsters with a rough first period being a major tipping point. What you liked out of the game was the finish. The Admirals outshot the Monsters 31-13 in the final two periods of play. If the Admirals can get a complete game? It should do them well. A solid focus on a quality first period will go a long way to seeing that through.

That should be the thought process for this entire weekend. The Admirals play three games in three days with two contests against tonight’s opponent, the Rockford IceHogs, sandwiching an Amtrak Rivalry game against the Chicago Wolves.

The IceHogs enter tonight’s game with a record of 14-23-8-3 (39 points, 0.406 points percentage). They are winless in their last 8 games going on a run of 0-3-5-0 during that skid. They hold the worst record in the Central Division, Western Conference, and entire AHL.

I had asked the last time I did a Scouting the Enemy on the IceHogs just how are they this bad? Well, the game that followed showed plenty of why they are. They did force overtime late before losing 4-3 in overtime. The result alone wasn’t the story. I saw an IceHogs team that lacked any sort of composure, often times structure, and seemed far more engaged in post-whistle behavior than in-game success.

I suppose then the IceHogs struggles go into a little belief of mine that most teams are a reflection of their head coach. Last game the IceHogs head coach, Ted Dent, ended up getting an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that forced his team into a full two-minute five-on-three penalty killing situation that the Admirals cashed in from. He then went postal after the first period and earned himself a game misconduct.

If the head coach doesn’t have the ability to lead by example and direct order – why should that team be anything other than what it is? And do you know what the definition of insanity is? It’s doing the exact same thing over and over again expecting things to change. In Rockford it has been that way for a very, very, very, very long time.

This season the IceHogs have allowed the second most goals in the entire league. They have allowed 3.39 goals against per game and are only popping in 2.31 goals per game. Their power-play is ranked twenty-sixth in the AHL (14.8% overall). And their penalty kill is the second worst in the AHL (77.5%).

The IceHogs do rank highly in an overall AHL category. They are third in the entire league when it comes to fighting majors with 26 which trails the Albany Devils (35) and Ontario Reign (27). Michael Latta is already two fighting majors away from becoming the first player to face AHL disciplinary measures under the new fighting policy.

Spencer Abbott leads the IceHogs currently in scoring with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists). He is followed closely by Mark McNeill with 26 points (6 goals, 20 assists) and Sam Carrick with 21 points (9 goals, 12 assists). Their top scoring defenseman this season his Ville Pokka who has contributed 19 points (2 goals, 17 assists). Despite all that offensive output these four players have a combined plus/minus rating of -62.

In net the IceHogs have three options: Mac Carruth, Jeff Glass, and Lars Johansson. It has been tough sledding for all three as not one of the IceHogs goaltenders feature a save percentage at or above 0.900. Johansson is statistically the best of the group and nearly has that last sentence wrong: 8-11-4-0 from 26 appearances with a 2.85 goals against average, 0.899 save percentage, and a shutout. In his last three starts he has suffered overtime losses.

Expectations for tonight’s game as well as this whole weekend? How vital is it for the Milwaukee Admirals to set the right tone for this three-in-three weekend immediately in tonight’s first period? Will there be a continuation of nasty behavior between the Admirals and IceHogs tonight and Sunday?

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

Chatterbox February 8, 2017

Chatterbox, Vol. 175

Firstly, apologies to those who typically expect Chatterbox up in the morning the day after a home game. I feel like it was just circumstantial enough last night where it could be pushed back because: the Milwaukee Admirals lost 4-1 at home the the Cleveland Monsters, all players would be going on the ice right after the loss to participate in Camera Night where they would be interacting with fans, and practice was scheduled for today.

Rather than nudge fans aside to do an interview with players on the ice, or do them before or after, I just assume let the players be and get the full scoop today. Which – I did. As I’m seeing from all the fan photos being sent my way on Twitter that I’m sharing back throughout the day. I must say, Camera Night looked to be a nice success for all fans who attended. As you’ll hear in interviews you fans also gave your favorite players a welcome boost following a tough night.

About last night’s game then. It was bad to start with but did pick up near the end of the night. The problem of course with that is that it is far too little far too late and that effort was needed from opening puck drop if they were really going to trouble Anton Forsberg in net for the Monsters. The Admirals struggled connecting passes and were out of sorts defensively. It was all at its peak worst in the opening twenty minutes and that’s where the game saw a 3-0 Monsters lead with a lead in shots on goal by a margin of 18-8. You can’t really expect to do that poorly so early and get back… in hockey, anyways.

What I did start appreciating more and more as I let that game sit in my head since it was played was the finish. The Admirals showed great fight and push back. In the final 40-minutes of hockey the Admirals outshot the Monsters 31-13 and the game rested on a scoreline of 1-1 in that span. What that again shows is how rough the first period ended up being for the overall picture. While the result stands, and is tough to swallow, the ending at least showed what you would want. The Admirals a few weeks back perhaps may have hung their heads after the first period and sputtered in place even longer. The scoreline could have been even worse if that were the case. But it wasn’t. The Admirals regrouped, battled hard, kept their approach far more simple and direct, and were just coming up empty on a nice night for Forsberg who stopped 38/39 shots. I’d hope the reminder then goes without much saying: play a complete 60-minute game.

The lone issue that may have raised a few red flags in the finish last night was Kevin Fiala taking a spearing major. I can’t say I saw enough of what really happened when it went down live. And, as there really won’t be a replay to show what happened, that’s all I have to go on. What I can say of the matter is that Fiala versus the Monsters has been brewing long enough that it spans an affiliate move through their organization. When he scored in overtime back on 4/1/15 he skated right up to Andrew Agozzino (now of the Chicago Wolves) and celebrated right in his face. That was when they were affiliated with the Colorado Avalanche. Last season they became the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets which they remain today. The bad blood exists and persists following the Admirals Inaugural School Day Game on 11/11/15 where Fiala ran over Joonas Korpisalo, earned a charging and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the play, and proceeded to be targeted the rest of the game ending with Brett Gallant checking him to the head and Fiala promptly flipping off the Monsters bench prior to skating off the ice to the locker room.

That’s the history between Fiala and the Monsters. It’s not pretty and you can understand why both sides get after one another. What I see of the matter is that Fiala is an immensely competitive player. You want that. And you need that type of attitude at times to really excel. The problem is allowing it to be channeled in the wrong ways. Against the Monsters? It just comes out badly for Fiala. He winds them up. They wind him up. And no one really wins.

Perhaps it would have been forgotten about should Fiala have fought someone on the Monsters roster last season but he also doesn’t need to do that. It’s not part of his game. If someone else answers the bell for him you’d hope that would be enough. The Monsters just don’t seem to have forgotten.

Fiala has shown great strides in maturity this season. Last night was a case of seeing him allow emotions and his competitive attitude get the better of him. The incident, as so happens with all game misconducts, will be reviewed by the league for potentially further disciplinary actions. Should that be the case it will have been the second time Fiala was suspended by the AHL after a fracas with the Monsters. The Admirals see that team two more times before the season ends. Both of those games will be in Milwaukee – the location where Fiala has lashed back out twice now. It would do him well to focus less on the opponent and more of his own team. No talking. No reaction. Just allow his work rate to do all the chirping for him.

Oh, and then there is Mike Ribeiro. It really is hard for me to truly assess his Admirals debut given how everyone had a rather sloppy night. I would say though that he looked better and more comfortable as the game progressed. It should be far better for him moving forward as the Admirals have a three-in-three weekend in front of them. He should be much sharper with the extra games under his belt.

Today’s practice was all about skill drills as the team broke out the props and segmented into three groups while rotating through various set pieces. I feel like that was the perfect way to get back to basic mechanics while also keeping things light for the group. Ribeiro was once again extremely active in chatting with everyone and seems to have quickly taken up a leadership role when it comes to communicating with the youngsters of the Admirals.

As far as the, “how is he going to handle clearing waivers and going to the AHL,” question is concerned.. mind you, I had my concerns too.. I’m really impressed by all I’ve seen. He is doing the right things as a veteran player down in the AHL would be expected to. As games pick up, I’m optimistic that his performance in-game action will also speak to the ability that he does have. Ribeiro could be a big benefit to the Admirals down the stretch.

After practice was completed I did get tons of interviews collected. Derek Army was a big time fan request with his following that has shifted from Wheeling to Milwaukee. I also had the opportunity to speak with Nashville Predators Director of Player Development Scott Nichol who was leading today’s practice. I then spoke with Ribeiro as well as Andrew O’Brien. Busy day of talking. Let’s get to listening:

Comments on the comments? How do you expect this weekend’s three-in-three to shake out? Given how the last game against the Rockford IceHogs was are you anticipating even more fireworks Friday and Sunday?

Game Recaps February 7, 2017February 7, 2017

Chased Off By Monsters; Ads Lose 4-1

The Milwaukee Admirals lost 4-1 against the Cleveland Monsters at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Tuesday night.

Things never looked right for the Admirals from the moment this game dropped its first puck. The passing was sloppy. The defending was sloppy. And the scoring chances were minimal and all lacked any sort of quality. After a nice result on the road in Grand Rapids it feels like the Admirals are right back to the drawing board.

“We did the exact same thing against this group last time. We gave them four goals,” said Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason after the game.

John Ramage took a seat for a holding minor to give the Admirals the game’s first power-play. A poor decision by Trevor Murphy to feed back to a guarded Alex Carrier resulted in a shorthanded breakaway for Sonny Milano that ended with a backhander stick-side of Marek Mazanec. It was Milano’s tenth goal of the season and snapped a goalless drought of 146:15 for the Monsters who had been shutout in their previous two games.

“As soon as that goal goes in, and usually our group is pretty resilient, it looked like a real let down,” said Evason. “Hard obviously to get down like that and not be able to battle back.

The Monsters would make good on the opposite side of special teams when given their first crack on the power-play. A slick series of passes ended with Daniel Zaar threading a pass between the skates of Andrew O’Brien to a wide open Oliver Bjorkstrand for a tap-in on the backdoor to Mazanec’s glove-side. The goal for Bjorkstrand was his thirteenth of the season.

It took the Monsters just 1:09 of ice time to give themselves a 3-0 first period lead. Joe Pendenza worked off the right wing wall to get a puck loose off of Alex Carrier and proceeded to rush in on goal. The former Admiral was able to push a puck towards his opposite wing where Milano was racing down the low left wing and hit his shot first-time. Mazanec wasn’t able to cover post-to-post and Milano had his second tally of the opening period and eleventh goal scored on the season.

The second period would see the Monsters extend their lead even further. Another blown defensive coverage by the Admirals ended with the Monsters getting a three-on-one low in front of Mazanec. Markus Hännikäinen passed off to Bjorkstrand who waited, waited, and waited some more before finally shooting along the ice to score under the pads of Mazanec for his second of the night and fourteenth of the season.

Justin Kirkland really isn’t much of a fighter but that didn’t seem to stop Jaime Sifers from tracking him down back to the Admirals bench and starting a scrap. The two had a brief chat in the Admirals attacking zone but Kirkland looked to be nearing the boards for a change when Sifers grappled him. The two had a brief flurry but the tilt went right to the ground before anything heavy actually landed.

In the closing stages of the second period the Admirals finally found a breakthrough on the power-play. Matt White snapped a pass from the left wing wall to the net front presence of Justin Florek who quickly put a shot on goal. Anton Forsberg handled the initial shot but the puck flicked up on him and allowed Derek Army to sneak in and push the puck over the line for his fifth goal of the season.

Another fight broke out in the closing minutes of the third period. Vladislav Kamenev took his frustrations out on John Ramage as a puck battle along the left wing wall escalated into Kamenev roughing up the Monsters defenseman. That was a clear win for the angry Russian in the fight department. That’s a 10-9 round for Kamenev.

The bad blood continued as Kevin Fiala’s reputation against the Monsters revved up to a new level. He was called for a spearing major and a game misconduct. A pile up took place around Fiala but thankfully tempers cooled and no line brawl broke out – it very easily could have gotten out of hand.

The game would end at the 4-1 scoreline as the Admirals held the Monsters off on the resulting major against Fiala that saw out regulation. The Admirals have two more home games in front of them following tonight. They play against the Rockford IceHogs on Friday night at 7:00 PM CST and then see the Chicago Wolves on Saturday night at 6:00 PM CST.

Ramblings: Since the Milwaukee Admirals played on Saturday night there were a handful of roster moves made in the organization. Mike Ribeiro cleared waivers and was assigned by the Nashville Predators to the Admirals. He first reported on Monday and participated in morning practice. The Predators then swapped out Marek Mazanec and Juuse Saros again following the young Finn’s start in Grand Rapids on Saturday night. This morning the Predators recalled Pontus Åberg from the Admirals and placed Harry Zolnierczyk on injured reserve. In awards news, Frédérick Gaudreau was named the CCM/AHL Player of the Week yesterday. Tonight’s line combinations were: Kirkland-Smith-Fiala, Florek-Ribeiro-Gaudreau, Richard-Kamenev-White, Pinkston-Army-Payerl, Oligny-Carrier, Murphy-Granberg, O’Brien-Dougherty. Tonight’s scratches included: Mike Liambas (upper-body) and Adam Pardy (upper-body).

What was your reaction to tonight’s game? How did the Milwaukee Admirals manage to look so out of sorts tonight? Do the Cleveland Monsters simply have the Admirals number? Is another punishment level practice in order for tomorrow?

News February 7, 2017

Pontus Åberg Recalled by Nashville

The Nashville Predators have placed Harry Zolnierczyk on injured reserve and recalled Pontus Åberg from the Milwaukee Admirals. The two teams play tonight at home with the Predators playing against the Vancouver Canucks and the Admirals against the Cleveland Monsters.

Åberg has been enjoying one of the best spells of hockey in his pro career as of late. He has been getting tasked with double shift duty on a near nightly basis given how well he has been performing. This season with the Admirals he has produced 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists) in 33 games. He leads the team in goal scoring by a pair of goals ahead of team captain Trevor Smith. The Swede has played 11 games this season as a member of the Predators. Åberg has scored 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) in that time.

Scouting February 7, 2017

Monsters: Scouting the Enemy

One of my favorite soundbites from yesterday’s practice was from Pontus Åberg. He was highlighted tonight’s game against the Cleveland Monsters by saying, “We owe them.” And he is absolutely right.

The last time these two teams met the Admirals lost 5-2 to the Monsters on home ice. It was that game that triggered a punishing practice and demand for the Admirals to get back to a “defense first” mentality and to play as a team rather than as individuals. Don’t think for a second that the previous meeting between the two teams won’t add extra motivation for the Admirals tonight.

The Monsters enter tonight’s game with a record of 20-18-2-3 (45 points, 0.523 points percentage). They are in fifth place of the Central Division and eleventh place in the Western Conference standings. They have gone 3-5-1-1 from their last 10 games. They have also been shutout 3 times in their last 6 games including a goalless drought of 145:21 of ice time that is active upon puck drop tonight.

Needless to say, the Monsters offense has been a big problem. What is odd about it though is the team has stayed in tact throughout the process. The Monsters have plenty of players that can deliver the goods. They just haven’t.

Offensively, the Monsters do have 5 players with 20 points or more this season: T.J. Tynan, 25 points (5 goals, 20 assists)… Sonny Milano, 22 points (9 goals, 13 assists)… Alex Broadhurst, 22 points (9 goals, 13 assists)… Oliver Bjorkstrand, 21 points (12 goals, 9 assists)… Daniel Zaar, 20 points (8 goals, 12 assists)…

Out of those names the Monsters have produced just 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) since they play last played against the Admirals – all of which came during a 4 game homestand.

In net the Monsters currently have Anton Forsberg and Brad Thiessen. The Swede has the edge over the Canadian in terms of games played in the AHL this season but their numbers are really close. Forsberg has a record of 13-10-0-2 in 27 appearances for the Monsters this season with a 2.28 goals against average, 0.925 save percentage, and a shutout to his name. Thiessen has a 1-3-1-0 record from 5 appearances as a member of the Monsters this season where he has put up 2.21 goals against average, 0.926 save percentage, and also has a lone shutout.

Expectations for tonight’s game? How do you feel Mike Ribeiro will play for the Milwaukee Admirals? Given the weekend results how important is this week for the Admirals to take advantage of a solid homestand?

Chatterbox February 6, 2017

Chatterbox, Vol. 174

Mike Ribeiro taking a moment to soak in the surroundings of the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena prior to stepping on the ice for the first time. (Photo Credit: Daniel Lavender)

This morning’s practice from the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena was an exciting one. Mike Ribeiro was on-hand for his first day of work as a member of the Milwaukee Admirals after having cleared waivers and being reassigned to the AHL by the Nashville Predators. Marek Mazanec was also a participant after being reassigned late last night.

The overwhelming focus for several people will be Ribeiro. Was he going to report? How would he handle the situation if he did? And, all of the various other questions, leaned towards negative headspace aspect of what Ribeiro could be like having the last few days that he has had.

I was kicked back in the seats for practice and saw Ribeiro’s first moments in the rink. I can honestly say my worries were lifted instantly because seeing his face light up with a huge smile as he viewed the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena said enough for me. He looked genuinely happy to be at the rink and that translated into his first practice with the team. He was very active in communicating with players and looked to be nothing but positive in the way he was conducting himself.

Fiala-Smith-Åberg
Florek-Ribeiro-Gaudreau
White-Kamenev-Richard
Army-Kirkland-Payerl

Oligny-Carrier
Murphy-Granberg
(Pinkston) O’Brien-Dougherty

Mazanec
Gunnarsson

Ribeiro was paired with Justin Florek and the newly named CCM/AHL Player of the Week Frédérick Gaudreau. It is worth noting that Mike Liambas was an absentee from practice today. I did not find out as to why the was the case but Derek Army filled into his place.

After practice I was able to get several interviews conducted. I had the joy of getting to do them alongside the great Tim Van Vooren of FOX 6 as well. Here were all of today’s interviews following Monday practice.

Comments on the comments? What is your general reaction and feeling of Mike Ribeiro as a member of the Milwaukee Admirals? Do you feel like his presence could be a huge boost to the group?

News February 6, 2017

Gaudreau Named CCM/AHL Player of the Week

It was a successful return to action for the Milwaukee Admirals out of the AHL All-Star break. They defeated the Rockford IceHogs 4-3 in overtime on home ice Friday night and followed it up with a 5-4 win on the road against the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday night. Frédérick Gaudreau played a large part in the weekend’s success for the Admirals and the league has recognized him by awarding him the CCM/AHL Player of the Week.

Press Release via AHL:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Milwaukee Admirals forward Frederick Gaudreau has been selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Feb. 5, 2017.

Gaudreau registered four goals and one assist for five points in two games last week, including his second career AHL hat trick.

On Friday evening, Gaudreau scored three times in regulation, took a team-leading five shots on goal and was named the game’s first star as Milwaukee defeated Rockford in overtime, 4-3. It was Gaudreau’s first multi-goal game of the season and the first hat trick by an Admirals skater since last February.

Then on Saturday, Gaudreau picked up another goal and added an assist as the Admirals defeated Grand Rapids, 5-4, to close to within five points of the first-place Griffins in the Central Division.

In his third professional season, Gaudreau has recorded 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points in 35 games with Milwaukee this season. The 23-year-old from Bromont, Que., signed as a free agent with Nashville on Jan. 5, 2016, and made his NHL debut with the Predators earlier this season, tallying one assist in nine games. Gaudreau, who represented Milwaukee at the AHL All-Star Classic in 2016, has totaled 29 goals and 48 assists for 77 points in 153 career AHL games, all with the Admirals.

In recognition of his achievement, Gaudreau will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Admirals home game.

News February 6, 2017

Saros Returns to Nashville; Mazanec to Milwaukee

The Nashville Predators have recalled Juuse Saros from the Milwaukee Admirals. The move comes complete with the reassignment of Marek Mazanec from the Predators to the Admirals. The two swapped places on Saturday when the organization had duel bouts against the Detroit Red Wings organization.

Saros was assigned briefly with the intent to get him back in net after a break in game action with the Predators. He stopped 22/26 shots on goal as the Admirals earned a 5-4 victory on the road against the Grand Rapids Griffins. It was the Admirals first win in the Van Andel Arena against their division rivals in over two-years. In the process, Saros improved his 2016-17 AHL record in the process to 12-2-0-0 from 14 starts. In his AHL career he has won 78.8% of his 52 starts in net.

Mazanec had a great seat in the Bridgestone Arena on Saturday night as he was backing up Pekka Rinne on the evening against the Red Wings. The story of that game is a very familiar one for Admirals fans who remember the name Petr Mrázek. The Red Wings goaltender put on a clinic and earned a 42-save shutout in a 1-0 contest.

Both the Admirals and Predators return to action on Tuesday night on home ice. The Admirals will be hosting the Cleveland Monsters at 7:00 PM CST. The Predators will be seeing the Vancouver Canucks at the same start time in Nashville.

Game Recaps February 4, 2017February 5, 2017

Two-Year Drought Ends; Admirals Win 5-4 in Grand Rapids

The Milwaukee Admirals won 5-4 on the road against the Grand Rapids Griffins at the Van Andel Arena on Saturday night.

It has finally happened. The Admirals have ended a two-year long skid of losing games on the road in Grand Rapids. It ends a spell spanning the playoffs and regular season of ten straight defeats for the Admirals on the road against the Griffins. Their last win came back on 1/31/15.

Tonight’s story was all about the line of Kevin Fiala, Trevor Smith, and Pontus Åberg. The trio were on the ice for four of the Admirals five goals scored tonight. Both Fiala and Åberg had multi-goal performances with the Swede netting a beauty that became the game-winner in the third period.

The Admirals got on the board early in the first period courtesy of Kevin Fiala’s fourth goal of the season. Fiala was making a pass from behind the net for Trevor Smith but it deflected off of defenseman Joe Hicketts, popped up in the air, and rolled down the back of netminder Jimmy Howard and in.

Following a tripping call against Conor Allen the Admirals would extend their first period lead with a power-play goal. Pontus Åberg was stationed low in the left wing circle and was trying to hit Smith with a pass on the back post. Much like Fiala’s goal the puck went in off a defender, this time Nathan Paetsch, rather than the tape of Smith’s stick. The goal was Åberg’s thirteenth goal of the season.

It didn’t take long after the Admirals power-play goal for the Griffins to get a response. Just 1:05 of ice-time later a shot from the left wing circle by Kyle Criscuolo flipped over the glove of Juuse Saros and so quick in and out of the net that the goal light never even came on. It was Criscuolo’s twelfth tally of the season.

With seconds remaining in the opening period the Admirals had an attacking zone face-off that proved the importance of playing until the horn sounds. Vladislav Kamenev won the draw, Justin Florek rifled a shot direct from the face-off win, and the shot deflected off the pads of Howard into the path of Frédérick Gaudreau who scored five-hole with 1.8 seconds remaining in the first period. It was Gaudreau’s tenth goal of the season and fourth scored inside of twenty-four hours.

The Griffins had some quality attacking pressure in the second period. As the game crossed the midway point they pulled back a goal to make it a 3-2 game. Matt Lorito delivered a beautiful pass from the right wing that hit Brian Lashoff as he rushed from defense to the back post. The tap in for Lashoff resulted in his third goal of the season.

It took the Admirals 1:09 of the third period to get their two-goal lead back. Smith was battling for a loose puck in front of the net which forced Howard to scramble out of position. The puck would kick loose and Fiala cradled it and then raced around the net to score a wrap-around for his second of the night and fifth of the season.

Just under two-minutes later the Griffins pushed right back. Tyler Bertuzzi snapped a stiff shot from the left wing wall that saw a deflection from Colin Campbell out in front of Saros. The Admirals bench was signaling that it might have gone in from a high stick. Unfortunately that isn’t reviewable in the AHL and Campbell recorded his fifth goal of the season.

Andrew O’Brien and Eric Tangradi became push-happy after a post-whistle scrum in front of the Admirals goal crease. The two were given roughing minors and ten seconds later the Admirals scored. Åberg stole a puck with lightning reflexes off of Paetsch and burned Mitch Callahan down the right wing before whipping a forehanded shot across the stick side of Howard for his second goal of the game and fourteenth of the season.

Alex Carrier would get called for interference near the ten minute mark of the third period. The Griffins would score on the power-play to cut the Admirals lead to 5-4. Ben Street hit a blast from the left point and the net front screening Tangradi put a stick to the puck as it snuck through Saros. The Admirals, as well as the young Finn in net, were insistent on goaltender interference on the part of Tangradi prior to the Street shot. The goal would stand and it was Tangradi’s fifth goal of the season.

There was just one minute remaining in regulation when O’Brien was attempting to chip a puck off the glass and out of the Admirals defensive zone. He ended up flipping his clearance over the glass and earned a delay of game penalty which game the Griffins a power-play chance to go with the empty net and extra attacker. That may have actually served the Admirals penalty kill will because they managed to get a few clearances and it helped see time expire. The Admirals would hold to a 5-4 win.

Considering the talent in net it was slightly surprising to see both Saros and Howard in a goal fest. Saros stopped 22/26 shots on goal while Howard stopped 24/29. The win for Saros was his twelfth win from fourteen starts in the AHL this season. In his AHL career Saros has won 78.8% of his fifty-two career starts.

The Admirals are now set for a return to home ice. They will start a three-game homestand on Tuesday night when the Cleveland Monsters turn up. Friday night the Admirals see the Rockford IceHogs and then on Saturday night the Chicago Wolves come back into the Admirals schedule.

Ramblings: Prior to tonight’s game the organization was pretty busy. Marek Mazanec and Juuse Saros traded places for the sixth time this season. The move was aimed at getting Saros time in net while Pekka Rinne holds fort briefly. Mike Ribeiro officially cleared waivers this afternoon and was promptly reassigned by the Nashville Predators to the Milwaukee Admirals. Ribeiro did not join the Admirals tonight in Grand Rapids but is expected to arrive and participate in practice Monday in Milwaukee. Prior to action tonight, the Predators then acquired Vern Fiddler from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a fourth round draft pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. Tonight’s line combinations were: Fiala-Smith-Åberg, Florek-Kamenev-Gaudreau, Richard-Kirkland-White, Liambas-Army-Payerl, Oligny-Carrier, Murphy-Granberg, O’Brien-Dougherty. Tonight’s scratches were: Adam Pardy (upper-body), Rick Pinkston (healthy), Mike Ribeiro (reassigned this afternoon to team).

Thoughts on tonight’s game? How impressive and important of a result was this for the Milwaukee Admirals? Is this team, which is getting stronger as the Nashville Predators are getting healthier, ready for a big push?

News February 4, 2017

Mike Ribeiro Clears Waivers; Assigned to Admirals

If this news day wasn’t exciting or frantic enough there is yet another twist to deliver. The Nashville Predators placed Mike Ribeiro on waivers yesterday following news that he demanded a trade. He has since cleared waivers and has been assigned by the Predators to the Milwaukee Admirals.

Press Release via Nashville Predators:

Nashville, TN – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Saturday that the club has activated defenseman Roman Josi from injured reserve and assigned forward Mike Ribeiro to Milwaukee (AHL).

Josi has missed the previous nine games due to injury. He has earned 22 points (5g-17a) in 42 games this season, and is third on the team in power-play points with nine. Josi ranks 10th among NHL defensemen and fourth in the team in shots on goal (124). He is first on the team – and ninth in the NHL – in average time on ice per game (25:14).

The Preds return to the ice tonight against Detroit at Bridgestone Arena. The game will be televised at 7:00 p.m. CT on FOX Sports Tennessee and can be heard on the Predators’ flagship radio station, 102.5 The Game.

Whether or not Ribeiro reports to the Admirals is the next question that crops up. What you would ideally hope for is that the 36-year old Montréal native joins the group, plays a veteran leadership role, and does well enough at the AHL level that it carriers him back up to where he would prefer to be playing. That’s is a question mark though.

Ribeiro has 25 points (4 goals, 21 assists) in 46 games with the Predators this season. In his NHL career he has played 1,074 games while contributing 793 points (228 goals, 565 assists). He has played 103 career games in the AHL where he has 90 point (35 goals, 55 assists). His last AHL games came during the 2002-03 season and he only played 3 games in that time.

The Admirals are on the road playing against the Grand Rapids Griffins tonight at 6:00 PM CST. It’s unclear at this point if Ribeiro will be joining the team tonight or at all.

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