Juuse this new guy at practice today? (Photo Credit: Daniel Lavender)
It was the third day of training camp for the Milwaukee Admirals at the MSOE Kern Center. They are set to play an exhibition game tomorrow night at the college facility. To get another good look at the team before then I trekked in to see just how things looked after the latest round of roster cuts.
Oddly enough, there weren’t really specific line drills performed at practice today. The team was dressed in white and black uniforms. When I saw this I assumed the roster was split up to do a mock-scrimmage or something extensive but that wasn’t really the case. So, for the additions of Colton Sissons and David Moss in camp, lines weren’t exactly noticeable. Prior to tomorrow night’s exhibition game should be a little more telling.
One of the new names in town at practice today was Juuse Saros. The 20-year old Finnish netminder looked sharp during multiple shooting drills and I’m very impressed by his side-to-side movements. That photo I snapped up top for this story? He made the initial save, the rebound kicked out, and he pushed aside the follow up. He’s quick, a wee lad, but oh so very quick. I’m hoping he either gets the net tomorrow night or in full for Saturday night. That all depends on Marek Mazanec‘s travel arrangements and fatigue from jet lag because he is still not in Milwaukee yet.
After practice I had the chance to speak with new assistant coach Scott Ford, winger Max Görtz, and the aforementioned Sissons. This is what everyone had to say this afternoon.
Today marked the first day of training camp for the Milwaukee Admirals. Practice at the MSOE Kern Center went on for a little over an hour and a half. And it was fantastic getting a glimpse of the new and returning talent.
The roster revealed yesterday was all there minus one name, Marek Mazanec. The Czech goaltender was back home to be there for the birth of his first child. The Admirals received help in the form of Dov Grumet-Morris to fill the void in net at practice today. Mazanec is expected to rejoin the Admirals this weekend. The plan initially was to have him start Saturday night’s exhibition game on the road against the Chicago Wolves but, due to fatigue or jet lag, there is a question mark as to whether or not that holds true. It seems very likely that Brandon Whitney gets the nod for Friday night’s game against the Rockford IceHogs.
As far as line combinations go I expect things to change up here and there as training camp marches on. I’m not entirely expecting the lines I saw today in practice be what we see on opening night. That said, here is how the forwards rolled out today.
If any line catches my eye it’d be that second line. I’d love for that pairing to stick because the skill level of all three would be a joy to watch in a game situation. Another note worth mentioning. It seems the Admirals will be committed to Rissling as a winger rather than as a defenseman. Hey, that move worked out for Mike Liambas – and Rissling is a bit bigger of a bulldozer than Liambas.
What about the defense you say? Well, all were accounted for but there was never really any pairings to speak of. You get that a lot with Admirals practices but even more so when there are as many defensemen in a training camp like this right now. Things are static and it’s more down to individual looks and performance than forming a tandem. For what it’s worth, today was my first serious look at Kristian Näkyvä and I really loved what I saw from him. He can skate really well and has a nasty shot. If the goal is to emulate the parent club then that means having defensemen that are capable of stepping up and helping out on the rush. Näkyvä might possess that ability better than any current Admirals defenseman.
After practice came to a close I had the chance to speak with head coach Dean Evason. I also spoke with Fiala and Salomäki. While the audio clips by Fiala might come off as short one-word answers I wouldn’t take that as some sort of a slight from him to the media. My secondary language when I was his age was limited to asking where the library was so I’m used to European players such as him keeping things brief or to the point. Evason’s dialogue on him was far more telling than anything when it comes to Fiala’s situation of starting his season in the AHL. And that’s good enough for me. Here’s what everyone had to say after today’s opening practice in Milwaukee.
This is Jonathan Diaby. He is really good a being a tall person. This jersey must be massive. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Happy Thursday, Roundtable. What’s new? Oh.. everything? True. In fact I feel like the line “Welcome to the New Age” can be used ad nauseum right now. If it wasn’t enough that the Milwaukee Admirals were going to be sporting a very exciting, young, and talented team for the upcoming 2015-16 season they went ahead and nuked the old look in favor of something new.
I have to say, whether it was seeing the Roundtable Twitter feed blow up or the in-person responses I heard, this seems like a massively popular new look for the Milwaukee Admirals. Purely a guess: 98% positive response based on all the feedback I’ve read on Twitter, Facebook, and from people at “All Aboard” yesterday. When I look back to the poll I conducted not too long ago it was mainly split between those wanting a new look or not wanting one at all. The latter of that group sounded pretty into it when the new logos flashed in the jumbotron unveil. So, I think everyone is a winner in this little rebranding. Especially the Admirals merchandise sales – which you can help skyrocket right here.
At the event I was lucky enough to chat with a pair of Jonathans. One is tall dark and handsome. The other is the team president. Here is what both had to say in regards to the new look for the Admirals and more.
There have been some memorable quotes from the Milwaukee Admirals 2014-15 season. What is your favorite? (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Once again, it has been a blast providing you with the soundbites from the Milwaukee Admirals this season. In Season 1 there were some entertaining moments and quotes. In Season 2 I think you’ll have noticed things tempered in that respect. There have been some interview bombs, yes, but I think this past season in Chatterbox simply tells the story of the Admirals hockey season that was. It was the best of times it was the worst of times! That whole jazz.
Small tip. I’ve tried this season to limit the massive bulk audio posts as best I can because, with lots of clips in one post, it seems like this website messes up slightly with so many open audio players on all at once. If this happens to be the case here. Simply refresh the page and give it another go from where you left off.
That all said, sit back and listen in on the soundbites of the Admirals 2014-15 season. This is the best of Chatterbox Season 2.
Good Guy Joe Piskula always smiling for ceremonial puck drops. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Last night was the final home game of the Milwaukee Admirals 2014-15 season and, sadly, it ended the way so many games have lately. I think the single most frustrating thing with this late season tailspin has been that there are many positives done in-game by the team but a few bad breaks or bounces have gone against them. For all the positives mustered up they are nullified thanks to the result and rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat. It has been a never ending cycle which will hopefully end with one last hurrah before the season officially ends.
When looking back on last night’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Toronto Marlies the third period was everything. How much different is that game if the Admirals can gain a two-goal cushion in the third period rather than get back into the nervous cycle of holding to a one-goal lead? It’s happened so often late this season where that has taken place and the Admirals lose out on a regulation win because they can’t get that extra goal to take some tension out of the group.
Instead of that insurance goal for the Admirals there was an equalizer for the Marlies. I’m not even going to lie to you folks. When that goal happened my first reaction was, “why is the goal light on?” I was certain the puck landed on the side netting and Magnus Hellberg was just gloving it down. Nope. Perhaps any other season that’s the case but not this one. That flukey shot went in off of Hellberg on the near post where there was almost zero space for a puck to go in… almost zero space.
What more can you say? The end to this season has been full of games like last night. It’s been wild. It really has been. That’s not to say that the negatives completely stain the positives this season but it always comes back to the results. The Admirals went 16-16-2-4 on home ice this season. Only the Norfolk Admirals, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and Iowa Wild were worse at home this season. The 38 points on home ice this season for Milwaukee was down 15 points from last season alone. When you have as many regulation defeats as you do wins at home? That’s never acceptable. I think the entire team is fully aware of that and that’s why my hopes for next season are high for a big turn-around.
After the game ended I did my darndest to get interviews before the deafening sound of Slaughter and Great White took to the stage. I’m not sure if the audio on my recorder came off poorly or if I’m just bad of hearing from the concert while editing the audio. I spoke with Dean Evason, Rich Clune, Anthony Bitetto, and was lucky enough to snag Brendan Leipsic before he and the Marlies took to the road. Here is what they all had to say after the game.
The Admirals will be spectators to what happens in the AHL until next Friday and possibly past next Sunday. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
It happened again. Just when you thought it couldn’t possibly happen any more than it already has. It happened again. The Milwaukee Admirals played a good game. They did. They genuinely did. And they still lost 4-1.
It took one of the better snipes of the entire season from Viktor Arvidsson to solve Jordan Binnington. The Chicago Wolves 21-year old netminder was incredible last night. He really was. He stopped Triston Grant, Austin Watson, and Rich Clune on breakaway chances. He stopped them cold.
Despite all of the superlatives that could be given to Binnington the Admirals had a lead entering the third period and were coming off of a second period where they launched nineteen shots on net. Where did that momentum and confidence moving forward in attack go?
There can be some solid discussion on last night’s officiating in regards to some key points. (1) There were only three assigned officials to last night’s Admirals/Wolves game as opposed to four. (2) Was Mark Van Guilder guilty of a double-minor for high sticking or was he wrongly penalized for doing-so because he had made contact with a puck and it was the follow through of his swing that hit Pat Cannone? (3) As you’ll hear head coach Dean Evason answer in regards to my question on the matter. Joe Pendenza had his stick slashed out of his hands on the back-end of the double-minor for high sticking. That wasn’t called because the official didn’t see it happen. The result was a go-ahead goal for the Wolves scored on the power-play. If the officiating crew was a four man unit the slash probably gets caught and the power-play would have ended, there would have been a brief four-on-four, and the Admirals would have had a power-play to jump start their offense the same way it did in the first period.
The hardest part of all of that above discussion is the harsh reality that it doesn’t matter. None of it. The Admirals should have never been in the positions to be beaten the way that they were in the third period. The effort that was produced in the second period couldn’t be replicated and the team wilted under the Wolves attempt to shove back in response to allowing nineteen shots on goal.
Reality may have finally sunk in last night that the Admirals final game at home this season is next Friday. The team needs to win their next two games and get some serious help from around the Western Conference. The odds of the Toronto Marlies, Hamilton Bulldogs, or even the Adirondack Flames crashing to a halt the way that the Admirals have while the Admirals claim wins in their final two games feels like a massive impossibility. The Admirals have won two games… in their last seventeen games. The last time they won consecutive games… was more than a month ago with a road win in Lake Erie and an overtime thriller against Grand Rapids. Stranger things have happened, sure. If the Admirals pull this one off it’d have to be the strangest.
After the game I believe I asked more questions to coach Evason than I probably have in any post-game presser I’ve taken part in. Dave Boehler started it (did you know he has a blog?). And I ended it by unloaded what was in my head in regards to the talking points in the game and this tailspin to end the season. In addition, I sat in on Mario Tirabassi‘s interview with Admirals captain Joe Piskula. Then the two of us talked with MVG on the high-sticking incident and more. Here is what was said after the game.
Austin Watson now leads the Admirals in goal scoring after registering his twenty-fourth tally last night. Colton Sissons, your move. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
The dust has settled after the Admirals 3-2 shootout loss to the Texas Stars and, once again, we’re all sat thinking about a positive effort that didn’t get the full reward. There just weren’t really that many lowlights to speak of. The Admirals are in playoff mode right now and they are playing highly competitive playoff brand hockey.
When looking at the games ahead for the Admirals you’ll be seeing nothing but tough tasks: Rockford IceHogs (fourth in the Western Conference) on the road, Grand Rapids Griffins (third in the Western Conference) in the road, Chicago Wolves (seventh in the Western Conference) at home, Toronto Marlies (tied for ninth in the Western Conference) at home, and finally the Wolves again, this time on the road, for the season finale.
If the Admirals can get through that schedule in the green, as far as generating wins or points is concerned, I think they stand a good chance of being the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Help from around the league will certainly help. And I get the feeling what everyone should be pulling for is for the gap between the eight and nine to widen. To boot, rooting against the Wolves -which shouldn’t be a stretch for anyone reading this- is also a plus. Like Formula 1 knockout qualifying – no one wants to be on the last spot before the drop zone. The Admirals do still stand a good chance to go ahead of the Amtrak Rivals in division and conference by season’s end. Did you boo the Stars last night? Nice, but cheer them on later tonight when they play in Chicago.
Colton Sissons’ face here is almost exactly the same as mine late in the third period. (Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)
As has been the case for me when it comes to “The Chatterbox” this season. I always like to wait, soak in the game, think, think some more, and allow myself to get a better perspective on what took place from the game. It’s a good thing in an instance like this that I’ve done that more this season because if I wrote what I felt in the moment following the Admirals 8-4 loss to the Chicago Wolves there honestly wouldn’t be much to say. I felt blank.
With time to have absorbed what had happened in what is one in a long line of recent Admirals defeats I think I can now safely open up and discuss what that Admirals game was. That was just about as close to an on-ice adaptation of Red Wedding from Game of Thrones, without a fighting major, as you will ever get. There were serious George R.R. Martin levels of punch to the gut “you have to be kidding me” moments that hit, hit some more, and ended with a ferocious and powerful thud that was the final horn to sound the end of the game.
This is an Admirals team that, in its current capacity, is good enough to hold the West Division leading San Antonio Rampage to a 3-0 deficit through two periods of play. This is an Admirals team good enough toe battle back from 3-1 down against a gritty and structured Chicago Wolves team to make it 3-3. So why oh why is it incapable of earning wins? The lack of a solid answer to that question does my head in because there can be so many different answers to that question on various nights.
I titled yesterday’s game story rock bottom for the simple fact that it has to be there. That was it. The Admirals can’t possibly get to a lower depth than what happened from that game. The real story begins tonight when the Admirals and Wolves face-off again. Where do the Admirals go from last night?
The face you make when you realize you’ve blown a 3-0 lead. (Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)
Shall I go back to the well and say, “last night the Admirals played a really solid game, and did lots of great things, but just failed to earn the result,” or should I come up with something new? That’s a serious question. I feel like I’ve been saying or writing that ad nauseum when talking about the Admirals lately.
Fact of the matter is that the Admirals once again missed out on a victory. They -again- performed very well and did so against an opponent that is really good. The reality is that the Admirals earned the result that they got last night. The work rate through two periods was superb and, come the third period, they had to accomplish more or at least the same caliber of play that gave them a 3-0 advantage through two periods. They didn’t. And the San Antonio Rampage, rolling on a five-game win streak, did all the right things they needed to do to chip away and equalize that game. From there, in overtime, three-on-three overtime, or the shootout, it’s a game of chance. It never even should have come to that point and it did.
Where does the blame fall last night? Heck, where does the blame fall for this current run of form dating back to February?
Honestly, I don’t think the finger pointing game matters. Viktor Stålberg did his part while logging AHL time this season before going back where he belongs. Brendan Leipsic was doing great work in his rookie season as a pro but was wheeled out of Milwaukee in a deal to help the Nashville Predators. In return, the Admirals ended up seeing Kevin Fiala turn up in his place. That was a pleasant surprise. Then Viktor Arvidsson gets called up on an emergency basis followed closely by Fiala.
The offense, which had been struggling, put together a 3-0 lead on a hot West Division leading Rampage team with the likes of Eric Robinson and Gary Steffes plugging in while players like Félix Girard and Miikka Salomäki are injured. It was a team effort and a solid show of the Admirals all-around capability to execute.
How did that all go away? Detail. The Admirals detail on simple plays, such as clearing pucks out of their own zone and passing up ice – things that worked tremendously through the first two periods, were a total mess. Can credit be given to the Rampage for upping the pressure and correcting their own mistakes playing against the Admirals? Absolutely. Is that a reasonable excuse for blowing a 3-0 lead in the final period of regulation? No, and there never should be one.
Is this team not tough enough? Is it lacking a killer instinct? Is the team getting pushed around? Is it the coaching staff itself? Is it the goaltending, or is it the defense, or is it the offense? All those are great questions but in the next ten games the 2014-15 Milwaukee Admirals will need to show everyone exactly who they really are. There is no avoiding it. The Admirals are plummeting and could see their run of twelve consecutive playoff seasons come to an end if this is simply who they are. It’s on everyone in that locker room to look at the day at hand and make it count. Ten games remain this season. So who are the Admirals? Are they lions or lemmings?
This is Kevin Fiala seconds before a skate caught him in the high neck area. He is a lucky lucky man that he only needed five stitches and nothing more. (Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)
Since the month of February the Milwaukee Admirals are 7-11-3-1 with only one win from their last eight games. Think about it. Eleven regulation losses. That is as many as the Admirals suffered the entirety of the 2014 portion of this season.
The real reason why this stretch has been so difficult to watch is that there have been so many positives accomplished during these games but the results are not coming. With the Admirals 4-3 loss last night there was yet another case of the way things have been going lately. The Ads score not just an equalizing goal but a highlight reel goal that made the crowd explode.
It was a phenomenal goal. Individual brilliance. And then the puck drops. The Stars are instantly in attack mode. Goal allowed in less than a minute. It’s a crushing thud of disappointment.
The Admirals outshot the Stars 41-23. They’re putting pucks to the net and generating offense but the team isn’t finishing or generating second and third chance opportunities off of those shots. The offense is coming up empty and the power-play is a hot mess. The Admirals are 0/35 in their last nine games on the power-play. The way that the Admirals make mistakes and get burned off of them? That’s precisely what a power-play is designed for and the Admirals are earning these chances on the power-play (good) but not converting (bad). As I said. It’s a hot mess. The chances are there though. They just need to be capitalized on.
After the game there was a story that developed which I will either find out later on or not at all. This is all that I know that happened. Typically, we media folks jog on down outside of the locker room for the post-game interview with Admirals head coach Dean Evason before going into the locker room for player interviews. Evason was outside the locker room the moment I arrived after walking across the ice. Not unusual, but staying there as long as he did was. He then proceeded to walk behind the curtain and, as far as I heard, went to the AHL officials room and had a conversation with league officials. I’m certain that I saw the on-ice officials leave during the time I waited. And I waited for just about an hour before getting the polite request to call it quits for post-game interviewing.
I’d have loved to hear from Evason as to what was discussed because I have no idea what could have been discussed at an hour’s length in regards to last night’s game. We media types generally get around five minutes of a Q&A with Evason after the game to dissect the game and all its intricacies. I can’t even begin to speculate what happened, what was said, or what was being discussed. I’d love to find out. Though, I wouldn’t be that surprised if I never do either.
In place of the Admirals head coach tonight it was the assistant coach Stan Drulia stepping in at the hour waiting’s mark on Dean Watch 2015. Also, Austin Watson and Kevin Fiala were able to chime in. Here is what everyone had to say following the game.
Admirals Roundtable 