Author: Jason Karnosky

Game Recaps

The Admirals Let Down, Fall 3-2 in Overtime to Houston in Game 4

If Houston’s players were disappointed about their effort in a Game 3 loss to Milwaukee, they sure took out their frustration on the Admirals in Game 4.

Despite a final score sheet reading a 3-2 overtime victory for the Aeros, Thursday night’s only AHL game had no business being that close.  Milwaukee was out shot 33-13, leaving goaltender Jeremy Smith as perhaps the only reason why the Admirals were just a sudden death goal away from taking a commanding 3-1 series lead.

“(Houston) played like a desperate team,” Milwaukee assistant coach Ian Herbers told Aaron Smith after the game.  “We bent, but had a chance to pull it out in the end.  (Unfortunately) we came out on the short end of the stick.”

Carson McMillan’s second goal of the playoffs at 3:35 over the extra session competed the series tying victory for Houston after Milwaukee came back from an early 2-0 deficit.

“We gave ourselves a chance to win,” Herbers said. “But we couldn’t get it going in overtime.”

It took less than two minutes into the game for Houston to open the scoring.  After Jed Ortmeyer’s innocent shot from the right corner was mishandled by Smith, Colton Gilles buried the rebound.

The play came off of a turnover by Milwaukee defenseman Scott Ford.  Tuesday night, it was the Admirals forcing all of the turnovers.  Game 4 was obviously a different story.

Eight minutes later, the Aeros version of Steve Begin, Patrick O’Sullivan, made it 2-0, scoring a power play goal after a fortunate bounce of the end boards from Chad Rau’s initial shot.

“We weren’t pleased with how were playing after the first period,” Herbers said.  “We needed to be sharper.  It easily could have been three or four to zero there.”

A resilient Admirals squad managed to claw back to the tie the game by making the most of their limited opportunities.

Andreas Thuresson showed some veteran smarts by scoring the Admirals first goal at 14:28, finding a dead spot in the high slot and taking a pass from Kelsey Wilson.  Thuresson’s snipe found nothing but net above the right shoulder of Aeros goaltender Matt Hackett.

Milwaukee made it a 2-2 game by finally scoring a power play goal, their first of the series after an 0-16 run.  Aaron Johnson picked up his first tally of the playoffs when his slap shot deflected in off Warren Peters.

But Houston never quit, dominating the limited overtime session to tie the West Division final at two games a piece.

Credit on this night goes to Aeros coach Mike Yeo, who was verbally frustrated with his club after Game 4.  Much like the seachange for Milwaukee from Game 2 to Game 3, Yeo managed the same turnaround for Houston from Game 3 to Game 4.  Strangely, there has yet to be a game in this series where both teams played great.

Hackett need just 11 saves for the win, hardly breaking a sweat.  Maxim Noreau was Houston’s best player on the night, controlling the play from his own blueline and finishing with two assists.

Smith finished with 30 saves on 33 shots to finish as the tough luck loser.  However, Milwaukee did managed to keep their incredible streak of 21 straight road games without a regulation loss still in tact.

Overall, it was a terrible night for the Nashville Predators organization.  The Predators dropped a 4-2 home decision to Vancouver to slip to a 3-1 deficit to the Canucks.

Nashville played without Steve Sullivan due to injury, and one of the heroes of the Anaheim series, Jerred Smithson, got only six and half minutes of ice time.  The Predators managed just 21 shots on Roberto Luongo, making a grand total of 34 for Nashville and Milwaukee combined.

So Roundtable: 

It was miserable night for a lot of Admirals.  Other than Smith was there was there anyone else worth noting for Milwaukee that had a decent game? 

What can we expect for tomorrow’s Game 5?  Can Milwaukee turn a near miss after a poor effort into a positive like they did last series against Texas in Games 3 and 4?

Which team will the short turnaround benefit?  How fast do you think the Admirals can shake off this dismal performance?

With Milwaukee struggling in Games 2 & 4 and Houston in 1 & 3, will the real Admirals and real Aeros finally show up in Game 5?  Will the top of the West Division duel we have all been waiting for in this series finally occur on short rest?

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How Can Milwaukee Continue to Play like Game 3 and NOT like Game 2?

The difference in the play of the Milwaukee Admirals from Game 2 to Game 3 against Houston was a dramatic as night and day.  The Admirals were better in every facit of the game and it paid off in a huge victory that ensures at least one more home game before the Aeros could win the series.

Yet with a 2-1 lead a team sits in roughly the same position as they do after winning the first game of a series.  A win in the next game is great, but a loss isn’t catastrophic.  It can be a recipe for disaster and complacent hockey–much like the type of efforts the Admirals showed in Game 2 against Texas and Game 2 against Houston.

So how can Lane Lambert coax his young team to avoid a let down game tonight in Game 4 at the Toyota Center?

1) Play tonight like you lost Game 3.  Though it is a not a perfect formula, playing a desperate style of play can lead to success for a team that over matched in the talent department.  Milwaukee wins games through grit, determination and out working its opponents.  The Admirals have also won a lot of games after losing the previous night.  The key tonight for Milwaukee is to show the same kind resilient effort that was apparent in the Game 3 win, where the Admirals were eager to show that Game 2 in Milwaukee was a fluke.

2) Find production from other sources.  Though Milwaukee’s top two forwards of Chris Mueller and Gabriel Bourque have provided plenty of offense in the playoffs, the Admirals are at their best when they get production from additional sources.  I thought Steve Begin played his best game of the year to date in Game 3, and he can be a difference maker when he plays that kind of game.  Playing against lesser lines of an opponent, Begin and other Admirals should get a chance to shine.

3) Follow the lead of Ryan Thang.  Though I was riding high on the Gabriel Bourque bandwagon to start the playoffs, Ryan Thang has taken over as Milwaukee’s playoff MVP in my estimation.  Thang’s effective play night in and night out has allowed Lambert to play around with his lines while attempting to spark energy in his team.  If he needs to get a player going, he just gives them a few shifts with Thang.

4) If all else fails, have Jeremy Smith steal a game.  Admirals goaltender Jeremy Smith has taken his game to another level in the playoffs.  Smith has come close to stealing a game for Milwaukee when his team offered poor efforts in front of him.  It seems like Smith is overdue to bring home a win on his own.  If the Admirals let down again, tonight might be the night.

So Roundtable:  What does Milwaukee need to do to avoid a let down in Game 4?

News

No Laakso in the Predators’ Lineup, No Win for Nashville and Ellis Signs ATO

The verdict is in on the Teemu Laakso decision:  Nashville did not need a fill-in for an injured top-six defenseman.  Instead Laakso appears to be up with the Predators as a spare defenseman, a role he played at a few points during the regular season.  With the series in Vancouver, Nashville coach Barry Trotz and G.M. David Poile want to make sure they had a quick option to turn to if necessary.

I think it’s pretty clear that this decision by the Predators is a crippling one for the Milwaukee Admirals, but I shall speculate that Laakso will be back once the series shifts to Nashville for games three and four.  If the Predators need Teemu on short notice, flights from Milwaukee or Houston are not difficult to arrange.

So it looks like Admirals coach Lane Lambert will be without Laakso for at least Game 1.  Nashville and Vancouver’s second game is on Saturday, meaning Teemu could be available for Game 2 of Milwaukee and Houston with some well-executed travel arrangements.  There is an extra day break for the Predators and Canucks between Games 2 and 3, so that would make the most sense for a short return.

However, Jim Parker of the Windsor Star appears to have Ryan Ellis already on his way to Milwaukee as of last night pending it made public:

“The club will lose some veterans.

Captain Ryan Ellis will graduate and left to join Nashville’s top farm team in Milwaukee.”

The key word there being:  “left.”  However, until I can confirm that fact, Lambert will just have to wait before he can plug the Predators prized prospect into his Admirals lineup.  

(As of now Ellis is a confirmed Admiral).

PS.  Trotz lashed out harshly at what he felt was a pretty disappointing effort from his hockey club in a 1-0 loss to Vancouver, especially from his forwards.  Therefore, I expect a lineup change or two for Game 2.   However, Trotz went out his way to praise his top-six defensemen, so one of those lineup insertions won’t likely be Laakso.

UPDATE:  As of 12:29 this afternoon, Ryan Ellis is officially a Milwaukee Admiral.  He has signed ATO (Amateur Try-Out Contract).  Congrats to Ellis for taking the next step in his career and Milwaukee for getting a great player.  The next question is when will Lambert get him into the lineup?  Expect soon.

News

AHL North Division Finals Preview: Hamilton vs. Manitoba

North Division finals:

1) Hamilton Bulldogs vs. 3) Manitoba Moose

Two of the AHL’s strongest attendance markets and most frequently mentioned locations in regards to future NHL relocation meet in a classic North Division finals matchup.

The Bulldogs enter this series playing well, having won their last two games over Oklahoma City in dominating fashion.  It is no surprise that Nigel Dawes is leading the way offensively with five goals and eight points, nor is it a surprise that Aaron Palushaj (7 points) is chasing right behind him.  Former Wolves (and Admirals) goaltender Drew MacIntyre (4-2-0, 1.67 G.A.A) is delivering between the pipes, with an AHL-best .945 save percentage in the first round.  More help is on the way after Montreal was eliminated in the NHL playoffs last night.

The only goaltender ahead of MacIntyre in goals against average is Manitoba’s Eddie Lack (1.60), who allowed just seven goals in five games played against Lake Erie.  Moose forward Marco Rosa leads the entire Western Conference with 12 points and eight assists, while Sergei Shirokov trails close behind with five goals and seven points.  Manitoba showed plenty of offense to outgun high scoring Lake Erie and might be a stronger defensive club than the Bulldogs, despite Hamilton’s Western Conference-best 193 goals allowed during the regular season.

Despite a down year in the North Division, the winner of this series will provide plenty of challenge for either Houston or Milwaukee, which both finished ahead of first place Hamilton in total points.  But I think the Moose’s recent playoff experience and the excitement brewing in the city of Winnipeg over regaining an NHL team, as being the tipping points in a 7 game series victory for Manitoba.

To read my in-depth West Division final preview (Milwaukee vs. Houston), click here.

To read my division finals previews from the Eastern Conference, click here.

To read my feature on MilwaukeeAdmirals.com on the Admirals victory in Game 6 over Texas click here.

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Breaking Down the West Division Finals: Milwaukee vs. Houston

1) Milwaukee Admirals vs. 2) Houston Aeros

Season Series: Houston won only two games in the team’s six meetings, both beyond 60 minutes.  Milwaukee won three games in regulation and scored five goals on the Aeros twice.  Five of the six games were decided by one goal, with the lone exception being the Admirals’ 5-2 blowout victory on April Fools Day.

Game Results:
Nov. 27 MIL 1 @ HOU 2 (SO)
Dec. 29 HOU 2 @ MIL 3
Feb. 18 HOU 1 @ MIL 2 (SO)
Feb. 22 MIL 5 @ HOU 4
Mar. 15 MIL 2 @ HOU 3 (OT)
Apr. 1 HOU 2 @ MIL 5

How they got here:  Milwaukee defeated Texas four games to two; Houston swept Peoria in four games.

Here is Milwaukee Admirals coach Lane Lambert’s thoughts on his team’s second round matchup against the Houston Aeros:

“I think Houston has a little more offense than Texas, especially on the backend, and (they’re) are a very deep team with four solid lines.  To have success we’re going to need goaltending and have everyone on our team collectively come through as a group like we have all year. We are going to need a committee effort to win this series.”

To read my feature on Lambert’s remarkable job coaching the Admirals during the regular season, click here.

Here is my breakdown of the series:

Offense:  Despite the fact that Milwaukee outscored Houston 18-15 in the season series (including one goal for a shootout winner), the Aeros are the better team offensively.  Houston is not the scariest offensive club in the AHL, but the Aeros are deep with talents like Jon DiSalvatore (team-leading 28 goals, 61 points), Robbie Earl (55 points) and Patrick O’Sullivan (team-leading four points against Peoria).  Milwaukee found secondary scoring just in time to beat Texas, but the offensive key for the Admirals remains Gabriel Bourque (team-leading five goals and nine playoff points), Chris Mueller and Ryan Thang.  Defenseman Roman Josi was exceptional as a two-way catalyst for Milwaukee against the Stars, and was that way for most of the regular season.  The Aeros have more depth offensively, therefore, I will give the advantage to Houston.

Defense:  In a tight-checking series against Texas, Milwaukee allowed the Stars little offensively, making the play a grind from start to finish.  Roman Josi (four points, +7 rating) and Teemu Laakso were outstanding, as were Aaron Johnson and Brett Palin.  Due to a promotion, Milwaukee could be without Laakso for part of the series against Houston, but Grant Lewis and Scott Ford are more than capable of stepping into the void.  In their first round sweep of Peoria, Houston allowed just seven goals.  After strong seasons, defensemen Maxim Noreau and Jeff Penner played well against the Rivermen, and Nate Prosser (+12 during the season) continued his effective play.  Even without Laakso, Milwaukee’s defensive corps is simply deeper than Houston’s, so the Admirals should have an advantage here.

Goaltending:  Against Texas Admirals goaltender Jeremy Smith was outstanding (4-2-0, 1.89 G.A.A., .941 SP), allowing just 13 goals in six games of action and almost making Milwaukee fans forget about starter Mark Dekanich.  Dekanich could return in the near future, giving Lambert two great options in goal, but the way Smith is playing that might not matter.  Goaltender Matt Hackett is trying his best to make Aeros fans forget about traded prospect Anton Khudobin.  However, the rookie can get rattled by a stream of net-front players, one of Milwaukee’s favored strategies.  It is hard not to see Smith and/or Dekanich vs. Hackett as something other than a clear-cut advantage for Milwaukee.

Special Teams:  During the season Houston and Milwaukee finished 6th and 7th respectively on the power play, and 22nd and 25th respectively on the penalty kill.  The Admirals got burned by Texas’ power play far too often in the first round, but the sample size is just too small to really figure out the Aeros’ effectiveness on special teams against Peoria.  Because of the possibility of Laakso being out, and Houston’s multiple offensive options, I will give a slight edge here to Houston.

Playoff Experience:  Houston finished last in the West Division with 80 points last season, missing out on the Calder Cup playoffs.  However, the season before the Aeros went on an improbable run to the Western Conference finals, falling in six games to Manitoba.  Milwaukee is a few years removed from their long playoff runs, but picked up plenty of experience for their young lineup against a battle-tested Texas squad in the first round.  Meanwhile, Peoria failed to show up in the first round against Houston, so Milwaukee should have a slight edge in this department.

Coaching:  Lane Lambert has taken four straight Milwaukee teams to the AHL playoffs, and made timely adjustments against Texas that turned around a tight first-round series.  Meanwhile, first-year Aeros coach Mike Yeo is a Calder Cup playoff rookie, but carries an unblemished postseason record of 4-0.  Prior to taking over Houston, Yeo was a key assistant for the Pittsburgh Penguins, making two trips to the Stanley Cup finals in his four seasons.  Again both coaches have impressive track records, but Lambert’s head coaching experience might give Milwaukee a small edge.

Intangibles:  Winning a series against Texas in the playoffs can’t help but give a team confidence.  The Stars were playoff-tested and forced Milwaukee to fight for every inch.  Meanwhile, Houston dominated a Peoria team that stumbled home during the regular season.  The Aeros had a ton of time to rest and reflect, but also collected rust as the only team that swept its first round series.  When the puck drops Friday night, 10 days will have elapsed since Houston’s last action, which is an eternity during a playoff calender.  Therefore, Milwaukee should have a slight edge.

Final Summation:  As another opponent from Texas, Houston will provide plenty of challenge for the regular season West Division champion Admirals.  Unlike the Stars, Houston will not look like a mirror, and instead will have a decided edge offensively.  Individually, there will be some great matchups in this series like Josi versus Noreau, Hackett versus Smith and Steve Begin versus Jed Ortmeyer, but as a team, I think Milwaukee is better overall.  The Admirals are built as a club ready to grind in the playoffs and I am not certain that Houston will ready for that brand of hockey at least in the early stages.  Therefore, I like Milwaukee to advance to the Western Conference finals with a seven-game series win.

So Roundtable:  How would you breakdown this series and what are the keys for Milwaukee to prevail?

With Houston overly rested, can Milwaukee take advantage of the Aeros’ rust in games one and two?

Will the Admirals have to win low scoring games to win this series?

Can Milwaukee again get away with a shaky penalty kill?

Without Laakso, do the Admirals have the stronger blueline?

Anything else come to mind?

News

Nashville Recalls Teemu Laakso and Chet Pickard

As Nashville spends the day making travel arrangements for Vancouver, the Predators will have a couple of Milwaukee Admirals joining them for their first ever trip to the second round.  This morning defenseman Teemu Laakso and goaltender Chet Pickard were recalled.

Pickard is likely heading up for emergency reasons/practice fodder as Nashville looks plenty set in goal for the playoffs.  Obviously, Pickard was not seeing much ice time in Milwaukee and Cincinnati’s season came to an end at the hands of Reading on April 9, so the Cyclones were not an option.

However, if Laakso stays up with Nashville for any significant period of time it would be a crushing blow for Milwaukee.  Laakso was outstanding against the Texas Stars in the first round of the AHL playoffs, racking up a plus six rating while contributing two points.  If this recall lasts beyond Friday, the question is who will step in to absorb Teemu’s significant minutes along the Admirals’ blueline?

So Roundtable:  If you were Milwaukee coach Lane Lambert, how would you adjust the Admirals’ lineup to replace Teemu Laakso?

News

AHL Division Finals Previews: East and Atlantic

In the first round of the AHL playoffs, I managed to pick seven out of eight correct series winners (my only failed prediction was Charlotte’s upset of Hershey).

The Divisional finals are next as eight AHL teams remain alive for the Calder Cup.  This morning I will preview both of the Eastern Conference semifinals, then follow up with a full breakdown of Milwaukee and Houston this afternoon.  Tomorrow, I will breakdown the North Division final between Hamilton vs. Manitoba.

East Division Finals:

1) Wilkes-Barre/Scanton Penguins vs. 3) Charlotte Checkers

Norfolk provided plenty of problems in the first round for AHL’s best team during the regular season, as the Penguins managed just nine goals in their first five playoff games.  After losing game one and two at home, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton turned the series around with a pair of road wins and rode the stellar play of goaltender Brad Thiessen (Series stats: 4-2-0, 1.68 G.A.A. .940 SP) into the Divisional finals.

After losing games two and three, Charlotte looked all but dead against Hershey, as the two-time defending Calder Cup champions seemed to be asserting their playoff will.  But the Checkers made adjustments and won back-to-back home games before stealing the series with a 2-1 overtime win in game 6.  Forwards Zac Dalpe and Zach Boychuk carried the offensive load with three goals a piece in the series.

Charlotte offers a dangerous matchup for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the second round.  The Checkers could overload the Penguins offensively, but Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s smothering defense should be the deciding factor in this series.  I like the Penguins in 7 games.

Atlantic Division Finals:

1) Portland Pirates vs. 3) Binghamton Senators

Despite losing two road games against Connecticut, Portland reeled in the Whale rather easily in the first round, despite close scores.  Netminder David Leggio (4-2-0, 2.93 G.A.A., .897 SP) looked plenty average in the series, but former starter Jhonas Enroth maybe back for the second round to significantly upgrade the Pirates goaltending situation.

It took seven games for Binghamton to eliminate Manchester in the first round, but the Senators won three straight overtime games to dethrone the Monarchs.  Despite the slow start to series Binghamton’s offensive guns, Ryan Potulny (playoff leading 14 points), Ryan Keller, Bobby Bulter and Erik Condra, all had strong series.  Rookie goaltender Robin Lehner (3-0-0, 2.73 G.A.A., .919 SP) replaced Barry Brust in game five and the Senators never looked back.

Portland looks primed for an upset against a battled-tested Binghamton team that continues its crossover march from a far stronger East Division.  Expect that division to produce both of the Eastern Conference finalists as the Senators upset Portland in 6 games.

News

The AHL Announces the West Division Finals Schedule

About five minutes after the dust settled on Mark Van Guilder’s game winner in double overtime, the American Hockey League announced the schedule for the West Division Finals, pitting top seed Milwaukee vs. second seed Houston.  Again the series will be a 2-3-2 affair with games in Milwaukee wrapped around the three in Texas.

Here is the specifics (all times central):

West Division Final – Series “L” (best-of-7)
W1-Milwaukee Admirals vs. W2-Houston Aeros
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 29 – Houston at Milwaukee, 7:00
Game 2 – Sun., May 1 – Houston at Milwaukee, 5:00
Game 3 – Tue., May 3 – Milwaukee at Houston, 7:05
Game 4 – Thu., May 5 – Milwaukee at Houston, 7:05
*Game 5 – Fri., May 6 – Milwaukee at Houston, 7:35
*Game 6 – Sun., May 8 – Houston at Milwaukee, 5:00
*Game 7 – Tue., May 10 – Houston at Milwaukee, 7:00

The schedule sets up well, with only one back-to-back date (Games 4 and 5 in Houston).  Also, there are no two-day breaks in the schedule, so this series should seem a little more compact than the Admirals’ first round clash against Texas.

Later today I will briefly preview the matchups for the finals of the East and Atlantic Divisions, and Wednesday morning I will have a full breakdown of Milwaukee vs. Houston.  Stay tuned!

So Roundtable, what are your thoughts on the schedule?  Will it benefit or favor either team?

News

Two-Time Defending Calder Cup Champion Hershey Eliminated

It is official, as of Sunday afternoon there will be new winner of the Calder Cup in 2011.  The two-time defending AHL champion Hershey Bears (who also defeated Milwaukee in the 2006 Calder Cup Finals) were eliminated by the Charlotte Checkers in the first round.

1:30 into overtime, Nicholas Blanchard scored the series clinching goal, giving the Checkers a 2-1 win in Game 6 and a 4-2 series victory.  Former University of Wisconsin defenseman Brian Fahey scored for the Bears at 14:18 of the third period to tie the game and force overtime.

AHL clubs can breath a sigh of relief with Hershey eliminated, making the race for the cup wide open.  However, the dilemma now falls on the Washington Capitals on whether they want to use Braden Holtby if their goaltending situation takes a turn for the worse during the NHL playoffs.

PS.  Also congratulations to the Nashville Predators.  With a 4-2 home win over the Anaheim Ducks, the Predators finally win their first ever playoff series.

PSS.  I should also add that as of today, all of the other AHL playoff series, with the exception of Milwaukee/Texas and Lake Erie/Manitoba, are complete.  The Division Finals in the East will see Portland/Binghamton and Wilkes-Barre Scranton/Charlotte.  I will preview those series on Tuesday.

Game Recaps

Game 5’s Wild Finish in Texas

Admiral fans, in case you missed the end of the third period in Game 5, Milwaukee trailed 1-0 against Texas until the final seconds.  Gabriel Bourque scored his fifth goal of the series with five seconds remaining in regulation, with Chris Mueller and Steve Begin assisting on the tying goal.

The two teams are currently battling in overtime after near bench brawl that ended up in a fight between Kelsey Wilson and Brenden Dillon at the end of regulation.

Can the Admirals finish off the incredible comeback?  So far Texas has won all three extra-hockey games in the season series.

UPDATE:  Ryan Thang scores the winner, and I think it might be worth checking to see if Aaron Sims can still breath!  Ryan will be along with a full story on the game.  HUGE win for Milwaukee in another incredible hockey game!