If your a Milwaukee Admirals player, all you might want for Christmas, other than a promotion up to Nashville, is for more games to be scheduled against Peoria.

The reasons go far beyond the obvious one–Milwaukee is 5-0-0-0 against the Rivermen this season, with all five wins coming in regulation.

1) Dating back five years in the series, the Admirals own a staggering 26-10-1-4 record against Peoria, in comparison to the Rivermen’s 15-23-1-2 vs. Milwaukee. Over the past five years at the Bradley Center, Milwaukee holds a even more stunning 14-2-1-3 record against Peoria.

2) Last season Milwaukee went 6-3-0-1 against a Peoria team that swept its first round AHL playoff series. The Admirals also won the teams’ last meeting a year ago (a 4-3 decision on April 9). The Rivermen’s last win in the series dates back to April 3, making it six in a row for Milwaukee. In those six wins, Milwaukee has averaged 3.5 goals. Meanwhile, the more offensively talented Rivermen have only averaged 1.5.

3) Milwaukee’s past five years records vs. other divisional foes: vs. Chicago 20-20-3-3, vs. Rockford 21-15-2-3, vs. Charlotte 1-2-0-1.

Those numbers show an obvious trend that Milwaukee simply plays well against Peoria.

Though it might get old for Admirals fans, Milwaukee would likely favor another four to seven meetings against the Rivermen this upcoming postseason. However, the current AHL playoff format sadly makes a postseason meeting between the two teams a little less likely than in years past.

PS. In case you are wondering, Milwaukee’s next game against Peoria, January 1st at the Bradley Center.

The mass exodus from Nashville continues this week as Kyle Wilson becomes the third Predator who has played multiple NHL games to be sent back to Milwaukee. Both Jon Blum and Blake Geoffrion were each assigned to the Admirals on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

Wilson dressed for five contests in Nashville, failing to register a point while averaging 8:08 of ice time per game.

Prior to the call up, Wilson managed four goals and 14 points in 17 games in Milwaukee.

So Roundtable . . . If you were Admirals coach Ian Herbers, where do you slot in Blum, Geoffrion and Wilson into the Milwaukee line up? Would you expect the Admirals to play a more aggressive offensive game with these three players?

On the heels of Monday’s news of Jon Blum’s reassignment to Milwaukee, the Nashville Predators assigned another regular to their American Hockey affiliate this afternoon, announcing that forward Blake Geoffrion has been sent back to the Admirals after his was activated off of injured reserved.

Like Blum, Geoffrion has been unable to carry over his strong end to the 2010-2011 season into this year’s campaign with Nashville, managing just two assists in 19 games for the Predators to date.

As of late Geoffrion has been sidelined with an “upper-body ailment”, meaning this reassignment might be more along the lines of an injury rehabilitation rather than a significant demotion.

Geoffrion was at his offensive best just at around the time of his initial call up from Milwaukee, where he managed 11 goals and 37 points in 45 games last season. This might be just the spark the former Hobey Baker winner needs to reignite his offensive game.

Geoffrion’s spot on the Admirals roster is taken from defenseman Taylor Aronson, who was sent down to the Cincinnati Cyclones to clear space.

So Roundtable . . . First Blum and now Geoffrion (both full time Predators out of training camp), what is your take on Nashville’s recent personnel decisions? Ready to break out your number five jersey?

Taking a quick look at the statistics, it might seem obvious who has been the most valuable defenseman on the Admirals so far this season. Through 20 games of his first full professional season Ryan Ellis’ numbers stand out (4 goals, 11 assists and 15 points).

Yet, I shall argue that Tyler Sloan–not Ellis–has been Milwaukee’s top blueliner.

Here is my case for Sloan. Through 17 games Sloan has just four points, but carries a plus/minus rating of +10 (tops for Milwaukee defensemen, and second on the Admirals behind Ryan Thang).

However, it is the intangibles that set Sloan apart. Sloan’s superior plus/minus rating comes despite playing against the other team’s top lines most nights. And Sloan’s play brings with it the experience of playing 99 games over the past three seasons in the NHL for the Washington Capitals (and four additional games in the playoffs).

Paired alongside Ellis, Sloan allows the rookie the chance to develop in the AHL with a more than capable wing man at his side. Plus when Milwaukee made a coaching change last week, Sloan, who went through a similar change with Hershey, could help guide his younger teammates through the transition.

Nothing against Ellis, I think he is going to be a great NHL player (and even a potential star), but right now if I had to choose one defenseman on Milwaukee to be on the ice for a 2-on-1 against, I would pick Tyler Sloan.

Coming as little surprise, Ian Herbers was named Milwaukee’s new head coach Monday afternoon, replacing the departed Kirk Muller, who left to take over the head coaching duties of the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL.

Herbers becomes Milwaukee’s sixth coach in the franchise’s American Hockey League history. His debut as the Admirals bench boss will take place Tuesday night against Abbotsford.

The promotion for Herbers comes after two-plus seasons as an assistant coach with the Admirals. On an interim basis Nashville’s Director of Player Development Martin Gelinas will serve as Herbers assistant coach.

So Roundtable . . . What do think of today’s monumental events? Is Ian Herbers ready to take over as Milwaukee’s head coach after being passed over during the offseason in favor of Kirk Muller? Are you happy for Muller, or dissappointed that he left the Admirals after just 17 games?

In my humble opinion Milwaukee’s 3-1 win over San Antonio on Sunday afternoon was the Admirals’ most complete effort of the season to date.

Here are five reasons why:

1) Despite playing in Grand Rapids the night before, Milwaukee had its skating legs for sixty minutes in Sunday afternoon’s matinee.

Yes, San Antonio was playing in their fourth game in six nights, but Milwaukee played a road game in Grand Rapids the previous night and had to travel back for Sunday’s matinee (their third game in three nights). Rather than use excuses, the Admirals gave a 60-minute effort and never allowed any signs of life to a team that won its previous two games in their own 3-in-3.

2) Milwaukee pushed a tenacious defense on San Antonio’s defense.

The Admirals’ forecheck was a relentless Sunday afternoon, bottling the Rampage in their own zone for extended periods. Milwaukee constantly checked San Antonio’s defense and won most of the battles for loose pucks.

3) Defensively, Milwaukee allowed the Rampage few chances against and the entire team competed in both ends of the ice.

Effective defense at the professional level requires a commitment from every player on the ice. Milwaukee’s whole roster provided that Sunday afternoon allowing San Antonio just a handful of scoring chances and only limited minutes in the offensive end. The only goal the Rampage scored was on a brilliant individual effort by Bracken Kearns off his own rebound, a hard goal to fault any Admiral on.

4) Every Milwaukee player executed their role to perfection.

Milwaukee’s scores scored, their checkers checked, their defensemen smothered away San Antonio’s offensive chances and the entire squad skated effectively in transition. All that was missing was a fight from the Admirals’ scrappers, but in all Milwaukee took just three penalties– a near perfect way to play with a lead.

5) When the saves needed to made, goaltender Jeremy Smith made them.

Jeremy Smith had a quiet game in the Admirals’ net, making just 14 saves on 15 shots. Sometimes limited shot games can be difficult on a goaltender, who can struggle to find rhythm while seeing rubber few and far between. Smith stayed in the game the whole way, making the saves when he needed to, while allowing few rebound opportunities.

Milwaukee’s opponent for Friday night’s game at the Bradley Center should look plenty familiar on Admirals fans’ ticket stubs. Milwaukee will be taking on . . . you guessed it . . . Chicago, for the fifth time in their first 13 games.

If it seems like Milwaukee plays the Wolves every other game, you would actually not be that far off.  The Admirals have actually had at least one game against Chicago every other weekend to date. Incredibly, tonight’s game ends that streak by giving the two teams a game on consecutive weekends.

So far the four prior contests produced positive results for Milwaukee, as the Admirals own a 3-1-0 record against the Wolves in 2011-2012. However, the teams’ most recent contest (last Saturday) resulted in 6-3 drubbing by Chicago at the Bradley Center.

After tonight’s fifth game against the Wolves, Milwaukee still has two more home games against Chicago in the 2011 calender year (Saturday, December 10 and Wednesday, December 28). Yet strangely, Milwaukee has yet to play division rival Rockford and will only face the Ice Hogs three times before New Years rolls around.

So Roundtable . . . What do you think of the Admirals’ schedule to date? Is its unbalance making you unbalanced? Are you getting sick of facing Chicago?