(Photo credit:  Scott Paulus)

Aaron Sims has a great blog post up on the Admirals website that gives an outline of some of the guys we can expect in Milwaukee next season.  While some guys are under contract for next season (like Latta, Beck, Puustinen, and Bartley), there are a bunch of guys that are restricted free agents.

Let’s highlight some of those players, and then we’ll pose the question to you, armchair GM reader….should the Predators re-sign the player?

Today:  Ryan Thang.

The case for Thang:  He increased his goal total in his second full season, wore an “A” on his sweater for some games, and was a +29 defensively over the last two years.

The case against Thang:  He was MIA for most of January (although, arguably, a lot of the team was).  The expectations were that he would take a larger step forward offensively than he did this season.

Austin Watson – London Knights — The Knights are playing in the OHL finals this week.  After joining the Knights mid-season, Watson was over a point per game with his new team (11g, 24a, 29 games), and the offense has continued in the playoffs to the tune of 8 goals and 6 assists in 14 games.  Watson never got to play under coach Dale Hunter, as he was traded after Hunter moved up to the Capitals….but has had the distinction of being coached by Knight’s assistant coach Dylan Hunter….one of his teammates last season during Watson’s brief time in Milwaukee.

Josh Shalla – Saginaw Spirit — Shall finished the regular season 17th in the league in scoring, with 40 goals and 36 assists in 53 games.  And he should have dominated at that level as a 20 year old in that league.  He was one of the last guys cut from Admirals training camp last September, and I was kind of hoping he’d get a chance to play in the playoffs this year with us.  He went pointless in only 12 games this season.  He had a 10 game point streak in January and 9 game point streak in February.  In 14 of those 19 games, he had multiple points.  Will the offense translate to the pro level?  We’ll see.  Here are some highlights from a 4-point game he had this season.

Anthony Bitetto – Northeastern University (AKA:  David Poile’s Alma Mater) — He was a 6th round pick of the Predators in the 2010 draft, and has played two years at Northeastern since.  The 6’2 defenseman led all D-men on his team in scoring in both of the seasons he played there, netting four goals and eleven assists this past year.  Assistant Coach of NU Albie O’Connell said prior to his freshman year “He was arguably one of the best defensemen in the USHL last season. Anthony is extremely tough and he sees the ice well. His game is well-balanced and his bomb from the point will be a welcomed addition.”  In the USHL, he played for the Indiana Ice and won a championship with them.  Here’s an interview from his time there….and that Lawn-Guyland accent will be a nice compliment to all the Canadian accents…..even if he is a (gasp) YANKEES FAN!

In a few weeks when I return from vacation, I will be putting a capper on Milwaukee’s 2011-2012 season for MilwaukeeAdmirals.com.

But for now just a few nuggets of thoughts:

1) As I stated yesterday, this season was remarkable, eventful and certainly dramatic. It was remarkable because I thought Milwaukee overcame a lot of adversity this season to again overachieve. It was eventful for a number of reasons, namely the hiring and subsequent midseason departure of a high profile coach in Kirk Muller and the growing pains of Ian Herbers as coach (who I thought did a fantastic job under difficult circumstances). As for drama, there was certainly no shortage: This season had some of the highest peaks and valleys ever witnessed, from the fast start, to the huge lull in the middle, to the incredible playoff run, to the thud finish against Abbotsford in the first round. Need more? How about winning the final game of the regular season to get into the playoffs, while your opponent, Charlotte, loses and falls one point short of a berth. That same team, the Checkers, lost three times in regulation to the Admirals in the season’s final two weeks. Flip just one of those games and Milwaukee is out and Charlotte gets in.

2) The Rockfordian dilemma. When I talked to Scott Ford before the playoffs, the team’s trials and tribulations with the IceHogs were still fresh on his mind. If Milwaukee played Rockford at .500 or better this season, the Admirals would be challenging Toronto and Oklahoma City for the top spots in the conference.

3) Milwaukee posted great records all season against Western Conference playoff teams. Hence why I thought if the Admirals could just make the playoffs, they would be a dangerous out.

4) The finish. Milwaukee’s run to the playoffs was the stuff of legends. 23 out of a possible 32 points to end the year showed just how badly the Admirals wanted to get the playoffs. After getting swept by Abbotsford, now the question is whether Milwaukee burned out by having to play playoff hockey for nearly two months just to get in.

5) Favorite Moments: Mine was Milwaukee’s 8-3 drubbing of Abbotsford in coach Ian Herbers first game. Yes the score doesn’t really tell the true story, but it was great to see the team give that kind of performance out for its new coach who took the job out of necessity. The Brawl, enough said, is a close second. Third would be the final game of the regular season.

6) Biggest surprise: I knew from game one that Victor Bartley was going to be good, but what a year from the player still classified as an AHL rookie.

7) Season’s MVP: Considering Jeremy Smith’s numbers, he is the easy and obvious choice. But my pick would be Chris Mueller, who led the team in scoring, added some huge goals, whose play did not drop off during the Admirals midseason funk, and who could always be counted on. Scott Ford’s leadership, especially his plus +24 season (tops by a large margin for Milwaukee) should not be underestimated either.

8) My 2012 Calder Cup pick: I am going to go out on a HUGE limb and pick Norfolk to win the Calder Cup. I have the “other” Admirals beating the Toronto Marlies to claim the title.

Finally,

Thank you to all of my colleagues here at the Roundtable, especially Ryan Miller for another great season. Thank you to the Milwaukee Admirals players and coaches for their candid comments and willingness to talk with me this season. Thank you to the Milwaukee Admirals staff, especially Charlie Larson and Aaron Sims, for all of your help during the course of the year. Finally, thanks to our readers for making this blog one of the best in the AHL.

On Tuesday before Milwaukee’s first round series with Abbotsford, I asked Admirals’ captain Scott Ford to give me some thoughts about the Heat.

Ford gave streaking Abbotsford plenty of praise, stating that the Heat have “a big and physical team, a couple of defenseman who are skilled and who really control the puck, and solid goaltending as well.”

But in his next statement he laid out a big factor on how Milwaukee can win the series: “We are going to have to shutdown Krys Kolanos’ line.”

(To read the rest of my postseason preview feature on MilwaukeeAdmirals.com, click here)

So far the Admirals have failed mightily in control Kolanos’ line, and in particular Abbotsford’s top scorer himself and that is the biggest culprit in Milwaukee’s 2-0 deficit. In two games Kolanos has four goals and six points, and it can be easily argued that Kolanos was the difference in Abbotsford’s Game 2 win.

To get to this point in his career, Kolanos has endured plenty of highs and lows, and at 30-years-old the former 19th overall draft pick is one of the oldest players that plays primarily in the AHL. His NHL career spans 20 goals and 149 games, but 98 of those games came in his first three seasons (2001-2004), all with Phoenix. Perhaps Kolanos never quite reached his full potential due to the serious concussion he suffered back in 2002.

More injuries sat in his future last year, as Kolanos sat out all of 2010-2011 (a total of 21 months) due to microfracture surgery on his left hip. This season Kolanos earned an AHL contract after attending training camp on a professional tryout. Now the quirky forward is easily Abbotsford’s most dangerous offensive threat.

(Read more on Kolanos’ story here)

Heading into Wednesday’s Game 3, Milwaukee stands in the unenviable position of facing elimination. In order to play a Game 4 in Abbotsford, the Admirals will have to find some way to slow down Kolanos.

So Roundtable . . . Any solutions to slow down Krys Kolanos? Do you think Milwaukee would have won Game 2 if Kolanos isn’t a factor?

The Admirals certainly didn’t do themselves any favors Sunday, dropping their second and last home game of the first round 4-2 to Abbotsford. Milwaukee showed a lot more fight defensively than it did Friday night, but Krys Kolanos and the Heat were too much.

After a gritty but scoreless first period, Brodie Dupont made his own break to put the Ads on the board first 32 seconds after the first intermission. Dupont threw the puck into the Abbotsford zone where it was corralled by Taylor Beck. Beck fed it back to Dupont to the right of the right circle and Brodie delivered a one timer past Danny Taylor.

Milwaukee quickly conceded a 5-on-3 power play, however, allowing the Heat to tie the game. Kolanos put the puck right between Jeremy Smith’s legs on a point blank wrister 4:08 into the second period.

About a minute later, Abbotsford’s Hugh Jessiman went to the box for goalie interference and he was joined nine seconds later by Greg Nemisz, giving Milwaukee a 5-on-3 of its own.

Kyle Wilson and Chris Mueller Furied the Double Fury teaming to put the Ads back on top 2-1. Wilson fired a pass cross ice, right in front of the net and Mueller beat Taylor top left shelf. Chris gave Kyle most of the credit.

The Heat tied the game again when Jessiman fired a slapper from the point and Ben Walter tucked the rebound in behind Smitty with 5:01 left in the period.

Kolanos struck again 4:17 into the third, pulling up and slapping one past Smith’s left shoulder from the point.

That would be the eventual game-winner as the Ads couldn’t get any of their last 11 shots through. Smith went to the bench with about 1:20 left, but Jon Rheault killed any chance of a comeback, putting away an empty-netter fourteen seconds later.

Now the Ads are in a tough spot, but as Mueller recalls, they are also capable of rolling on the road.

Notes:

The Admirals went only one-for-eight on the Fury, and got off a little over 11 shots with the man advantage. Coach Herbers thinks there’s room to improve.

The Heat were very beatable at home this year posting an 18-15-5 record in Abbotsford.

Milwaukee will try to avoid being swept for the eighth time in its history Wednesday in Abbotsford. The Ads are 20-23 overall in Game 3’s with a 6-15 road record.

Questions:

What did you think of Smith’s night? Was that last goal more on him, the skill of Kolanos or the Ads’ defense?

The Ads won four in a row on that seven-game road trip towards the end of the season, but now they MUST win three in a row away from the Bradley Center. Think they can do it, or was Sunday the last time we’ll see the Ads take the home ice this season?

What’s impressed you the most about this Abbotsford team, that is, what’s giving them that extra advantage over the Ads?

Anyone out there that you wish you’d seen more of tonight?

Our match-up in this series pits the two hottest teams in the league (not from Norfolk) against each other.

After one period, things were looking pretty good for the home team.  The Admirals had a 2-1 lead on a couple of stoppable shots that got past Heat goaltender Danny Taylor.

But the Admirals dug themselves into a deep hole in the second period, and they couldn’t climb out of it, eventually losing 6-2 to the Abbotsford Heat in Game 1 of their best-of-5 Calder Cup playoff series Friday night.

Here’s the first portion of the penalty sheet for the second period.

Ford Holding 1:48
Ford Holding The Stick 3:31
Foss Interference 6:24
Ford Yonking 7:03

While the Heat only scored on one of those early 2nd period power plays, it certainly did change the complexion of the game.

After that Greg Nemisz power play goal tied it up, Nemisz struck again about 10 minutes later, diving forward to beat Taylor Beck to a loose puck after Jeremy Smith was out of position and sprawling to get back.

A minute and 37 seconds later, the Heat went on another power play, and Krys Kolanos  scored his first of the series.

Jon Rheault had a shot from the near dot that beat Smith after a Kolanos pass, and then Kolanos added the empty-netter with 12.7 seconds left.

————-

Notes:

Let’s review some of the Master Lock keys to the game.

– Special Teams:  Admirals went 0-5, Heat went 2-5.
– Kolanos awareness:  He had a four point night.

Kolanos….highly skilled in his own right, and he makes everyone on his team better when he’s on the ice.  That first line may give us fits all series long.

Comebacks?  The Heat doesn’t give up leads.  They were 13-0-0-1 on the road this season when leading after two periods.  And in Admiral playoff history, they’ve only come back to win from a two period two-goal deficit once…Back in 1995.

The Admirals hadn’t given up 6 goals in a playoff game since a 6-5 loss to Chicago on April 14th, 2010.  They hadn’t lost by at least four goals since the 2006 Calder Cup Finals against Hershey.  In game 4, Pekka Rinne and Brian Finley let in seven goals, and the Admirals lost 7-2.  The Admirals proceeded to lose the next two.

The best Admiral lines tonight?  Van Guilder’s and Lajunen’s…..arguably the 3rd and 4th lines.  Need the first two to make some more noise on Sunday.  Tough for a guy like Kyle Wilson to score if he doesn’t put any shots on net.  Hopefully Abbotsford won’t be the new Rockford for him.

Kevin Henderson took a tough hit in front of the Admiral bench while in a vulnerable position late in the game.  No official word on his status for Sunday.

Did you miss Victor Bartley?  I missed Victor Bartley.  Chance he’ll play Sunday, but don’t count on it.  Upper-body injury.

Questions……

Were you okay with Smitty’s performance?  They’ve been a resilient team and they’ve battled back to get to where they are now….do you expect a better performance on Sunday?  Thoughts on the goalie Taylor?  Beatable?  Anything else strike you about the game tonight?

Previously on the Admirals Roundtable…

We handed out our first batch of the 2011-12 Paper Plate Awards.  It was exciting.  You laughed, you cried, you hurled.  It was great.

And now….here’s the rest of them.  Mind the “READER’S CHOICE” award, and leave your best nomination in the comments.

20 – Joel Champagne – I’m Glad He’s Okay Award –  If memory serves me correctly, the ambulance crew only came out on the ice once during the Bradley Center home games, and it was after Champagne’s head had a collision with Jeremy Morin’s elbow.  Scary scary moment.  He missed some time, but so far it seems like it wasn’t one of those Crosby head injuries.  So that’s good.

21 – Zack Stortini – More Than Just A Pretty Face Award – I think a lot of people expected him to drop the gloves more often than he did, but I’m okay with him being more selective.  Plus, he wasn’t afraid to get dirty in front of the crease, battle for pucks in corners, and he was a good attitude in the locker room.  The video that they released yesterday of him and Kyle Wilson in the background of a Chris Mueller interview?  Great stuff.  It was nice having him here this year.

22 – Scott Valentine – President of the Society For Hip-Check Advancement Award – Nobody on the Admirals did nearly as much for the art-form of the hip-check than Valentine did.

24 – Jani Lajunen – Spaling-In-Training Award – After adjusting to the North American game in the early part of the season Lajunen turned into a player that could be effective on the forecheck (his stick was like a magnet for the puck at times) and strong in the defensive end.  He’s got a great work ethic, and coaches speak highly of him.  I’m anxious to see how big of a step forward he takes next year.

28 – Kyle Wilson – Something About Rockford Award – Truth be told, Wilson had a solid season offensively.  He had a really great stretch from the middle of January through all of February where he was about a point per game.  But he had just two assists for the entire season series against Rockford.  That’s a head scratcher.

29 – Mark Van Guilder – Most Likely To Have One Of His Goals Captured In A Bottle Opener Award – Yeah, the bobbleheads are nice giveaways…but I’ve gotten a whole lot more use out of that talking bottle opener they gave away on New Years Day…..”Bottom of the near circle…Thang a shot….save made…rebound Van Guilder.  He scored!  Mark Van Guilder!  Game winner Mark Van Guilder!  At 10:42 of overtime!  And now…ENJOY THAT BEVERAGE!!!!”  Of all of the moments to relive over and over again, a series clinching goal is pretty great.  If you were there, you know what an amazing moment that was.

30 – Jeremy Smith – “You Don’t Tug On Superman’s Cape” Award – You don’t spit into the wind. You don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger, and you don’t mess around with Smith.  Rob Flick learned the hard way.  And he also was among the league leaders in all the counting stats.  Good season for Smitty.  As Coach has said many times, “He’s a gamer.”

35 – Atte Engren 1^st half – Rex Grossman Award – You wouldn’t know until about 10 minutes through the first period whether you had Good Atte or Bad Atte.  There were too many of his starts where he did not see the 2^nd period.

35 – Atte Engren 2^nd half – Stats Over Record Award – The win/loss record?  Not great. But to be truthful, that’s more a reflection on his offensive support than anything else.  His GAA and save percentage?  Pretty damn good.  Don’t know if he’ll be in North America or Europe next year.

36 – Brodie Dupont – The We Totally Won That Trade Award – Dupont for Andreas Thuresson?  I would argue that even with half a season of Dupont, we won that trade.  Down the stretch, he was doing some of the dirty work down low and got some blue collar goals, and wasn’t afraid to throw his weight around.  Meanwhile, Thuresson went goal-less in his last 15 games….and had just one assist in that span.  Invisible.

41 – Taylor Beck – Finished 3^rd On The Team In Points This Season Award – Yeah.  I’ve got nothing.  He bounced around lines a lot early on, and seemed to settle down on a line with Mueller for most of the second half of the season.  He didn’t dominate offensively like he did in juniors last year, but I think his role is a bit different at this level.  We’ll see what happens next year.

64 – Victor Bartley – READER’S CHOICE.   I was going to say something boring like “Unsung Hero” award…so let’s open this one up to nominations from the peanut gallery.

71 – Juuso Puustinen – The HOLY CRAP THAT’S HIS KNEECAP Award.  Because holy crap, that’s his kneecap!!!

89 – Tyler Sloan – I Miss You, Ryan Ellis Award – Paired with the rookie early on, Sloan had a good start to the year.  But after Ellis’ call-up, Sloan has been inconsistent, prone to mistakes, and too many of them have ended up in the Admiral goal.

And last and certainly least….

11 — Chris Cahill — The Jamie Lundmark Quitter Award — Because he quit.  That’s why he gets that award.  Imagine how things may have been different this year if the team had kept the other CC that was signed to an ATO contract at the end of last season…. AHL MVP Cory Conacher…Eh, that’s how it goes sometimes…

It’s time once again for…..the annual Admirals Roundtable Paper Plate Awards!

Yeah, it’s a fluff piece as we wait for Game 1 to roll around on Friday….but it gives us a chance to reflect on the last 76 games, toast some players, roast some others, and get the readers into the mix too — there will be a couple READER’S CHOICE opportunities, so be creative and we’ll pick a winner.

2 – Teemu Laakso – “I Don’t Get No Respect” Award – Few gave him much of a chance to make the Preds out of camp.  But he started the season with the big club and played in nine games through November 8^th.  But he was sent to Milwaukee for good at the start of December.  Here, he was his usual steady stay-at-home self, but watched guys pass him on the depth chart.  No respect, I tell ya.

3—Jeff Foss – Cinncinnati Express Award – Foss accumulated the most miles going between Cincy and Milwaukee this year.  And when he has had the chance to play, he has more than held his own.   If he has a regular role in Milwaukee next year, I think that might work out pretty well.

4 – Scott Ford – The Wyatt Erp Award – Instead of a “C” on his shirt, it should be an “S” for the Sherriff.  Challenged to lead a young group of defensemen, Ford was great in the locker room, and solid on the ice.  He’s still responsible in his own end, and will NEVER be confused for Nolan Yonkman.  Another solid year from Fordo.

5 – Blake Geoffrion – Most Likely To Be Yesterday’s News Award – The best public relations story last year was significantly below the fold this year.  Geoffrion was hurt early in Nashville, and when he was sent to Milwaukee for good, Coach Trotz had said that he didn’t have enough production or impact.  And that’s kind of how I feel about his 20 games with the Admirals this year.  He didn’t dominate at this level, and he really wasn’t noticeable in doing the little things that don’t end up in the box score either.  Can’t help but wonder if Montreal/Hamilton fans will be writing similar things at this time next season.

6 – Ryan Ellis – Most Likely To Be A Human Rocketship Award  – Loved the video.  Bit of a learning curve early on (and we were very critical early on), but as soon as he started playing with more consistency, his days were numbered in Milwaukee.  Also, Ellis has the most dedicated/vocal fans we’ve seen on the blog in a long time.  We’re happy for his success.

7 – Jon Blum – The Righting The Ship Award – When he was first sent down, we didn’t like his game.  A lot of the readers didn’t either.  But I would argue that down the stretch, he was one of the most important pieces of the puzzle.  Mistakes and bad decisions dwindled, and he was an impact defenseman on both ends of the ice.

8 – Ryan Thang – The Bookends Award – “Time it was and what a time it was, it was.”  A hot start to the season, and a hot end to the regular season.  Five goals in his first six games, three in his last two games, and ten goals in the 67 games in between.   I think expectations were a little higher for him this year, but if he steps it up in the playoffs, I’ll be happy to re-write this one.

10 – Ryan Flynn – “Are You Blazin Hot?” Award – Buffalo Wild Wings sure gets a lot of face time.  Chicken dance.  Chicken toss.  Blazin hot minute.  And a scoreboard “make some noise” video starring Ryan Flynn.  On the ice, he had some great chemistry with Mark Van Guilder, and late in the season, that line was neutralizing the top lines of opponents.

15 – Kevin Henderson – Ryan Maki Award – For not making the clear day roster, but playing every game down the stretch.  And playing very well – he was a great mid-season addition to the team.

16 – Ben Ryan – The Golden Tones Award – For getting to sing TWO solos of the 12 days of Christmas video.  Three fighting Irish and twelve sweaty towels. 

17 – Michael Latta – READER’S CHOICE!  Lots to choose from…something about all the signs fans bring to the arena with his name on them…..something about coming out of the penalty box without a jersey to join the brawl….lots of ways you can go…..submit your best!

18 – Chris Mueller – Coffee Is For Closers Award – Mueller was 3^rd in the league in game winning goals, and was scoring a lot of big goals late in games.  The 32-goal scorer was without a doubt, the offensive MVP of the Admirals this year.

19 – Gabriel Bourque – “How do you like me now, Hockey’s Future?” Award – In their pre-season Nashville depth analysis article, Hockey’s Future published a story that said this about Bourque:  Now in his second season in the AHL, it will be crucial for Bourque to show that he can improve on those totals and continue to prove his doubters wrong.”  Right.  Those mysterious “doubters.”  Bourque got the call-up and has made a huge impact with the big club, culminating with a pair of goals in Game 1 against Detroit.  Darren Pang asks in the video opener which of these players is going to be the next great star.  I’d argue that Bourque has had the greatest impact so far.  In an unrelated story, Hockey’s Future is still absolute garbage.

Part two will be published tomorrow…

#4 Abbotsford Heat (42-26-3-5–92 points) vs. #5 Milwaukee Admirals (40-29-2-5–87 points)

Season Series: Milwaukee went 3-0-0-1 vs. Abbotsford this season, losing only one game to the Heat in a shootout. The Admirals victory on Nov. 29 represented Milwaukee’s largest offensive output of the season. That victory was also the AHL heading coaching debut for Admirals coach Ian Herbers.

Game Results:
Oct. 20: MIL 1 @ ABB 2 (SO)
Oct. 21: MIL 3 @ ABB 1
Nov. 29: MIL 8 vs. ABB 3
Feb. 24: MIL 4 vs. ABB 1

Here is my breakdown of the series:

Offense: Much like last year’s matchup against Texas, neither team is overly explosive offensively as Milwaukee scored 210 goals this season, while Abbotsford’s 200-goal total ranks as the second fewest of any AHL playoff team.  For the second straight season Chris Mueller (team leading 32 goals and 60 points) topped the Admirals’ scoring charts, but Kyle Wilson is the team’s most effective play maker (team leading 32 assists).  Abbotsford lacks offensive depth, but has two dangerous scorers in Krys Kolanos (team leading 30 goals, 61 points and +20 rating) and former Admiral Hugh Jessiman (27 goals), plus a talented play maker in Ben Walter (40 assists). With slightly more top-end talent, and full stock of players at their disposal from Calgary, I will give Abbotsford a slight edge offensively.

Defense: Despite losing Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis to Nashville, Milwaukee again has a group of blue liners second to none in the AHL. Rookie Victor Bartley (39 points, +12) has emerged as one of the AHL’s best two-way players, while Scott Ford (team leading +24), Tyler Sloan (+12) and Teemu Laakso are all effective veterans. Meanwhile, after starting the season in Nashville, Jonathon Blum (26 points in 48 games) is playing better and better in every game for Milwaukee. Brian Connelly (team leading 46 assists), former Wisconsin Badger Joe Piskula and Clay Wilson represent a talented trio for the Heat, but Abbotsford can’t match Milwaukee’s depth. Defensively, I think Milwaukee has a slight edge.

Goaltending: In goal Milwaukee features one of the AHL’s elite workhorses in Jeremy Smith (31-19-2), who topped the league in minutes played (3,283), ranked second in wins, goals against average (2.17) and shutouts (five), and sits in 10th place with a save percentage of .922. Abbotsford features a pair of 22-win goaltenders in Danny Taylor and Leland Irving, but considering Irving’s poor record against Milwaukee, Taylor will likely get the call against the Admirals. A red hot Jeremy Smith gives Milwaukee a clear backstop edge.

Special Teams: Milwaukee carries the AHL’s fifth best power play unit, scoring 57 goals in 293 opportunities, good for a 19.5% success rate. Meanwhile, Abbotsford has a similar mark of scoring 50 man advantage goals in 296 chances, but the Heat surrendered 12 shorthanded goals this season. As far as penalty killing, Abbotsford carries the league’s 10th best unit, successful 83.5% of the time. Milwaukee had one of the league’s worst units for the first two thirds of the season, but the Admirals moved up to 17th place in the AHL with a 82.1% success rate. I see this category as a wash, with Milwaukee having a superior power play, while Abbotsford features a superior penalty kill.

Playoff Experience: With a two-round run last spring Milwaukee’s veterans enter the playoffs battle tested and ready for combat. However, the Admirals remain as one of the league’s youngest teams. Meanwhile, Abbotsford failed to reach the playoffs a season ago, and have just one postseason berth on their three-year franchise resume. However, the Heat feature players like Jessiman and Wilson, who have been through the playoff grind before. Milwaukee should have a slight edge in the experience department.

Coaching: Training under one of the AHL’s best in Lane Lambert and current NHL head coach Kirk Muller, it took sometime for Admirals bench boss Ian Herbers to find his stride after being thrust into the role midseason. Meanwhile, former University of Wisconsin assistant Troy Ward took over coaching the Heat after one season as the team’s assistant and guided Abbotsford to the most productive year in the franchise’s short history. Ward is now being mentioned as a possible replacement for Brent Sutter in Calgary. With two coaches with similar backgrounds making their AHL postseason debuts, I don’t see an edge for either team here.

Intangibles: After getting swept in a home and home series with Rockford, Milwaukee gained 23 of a possible 32 points to end the season, making the playoffs on the final day of the regular season with a 6-1 win over Charlotte. Meanwhile, Abbotsford enters the playoffs as the AHL’s second hottest team (behind Norfolk, which has won 28 straight games), having won seven games in a row, while earning points in nine straight games. Tough call again, but I will give Abbotsford a slight edge.

Final Summation: In a short five-game series, there is little time to recover from a poor start, so the first two games at the Bradley Center will be critical. I see Milwaukee splitting at the BC as Abbotsford (one of the league’s best road teams) takes Sunday’s game. However, Milwaukee will respond with terrific hockey in British Columbia, taking a page out of their recent road success by winning the next two games. Therefore, I predict Milwaukee will win the series in four games.

So Roundtable . . . How would you breakdown the series against Abbotsford, and what are the keys for Milwaukee to prevail? Do you see any clear categories that the Admirals have the edge?

Does Milwaukee’s success during the season series, which ended back in February, matter?

How about Calgary not making the NHL playoffs, while Nashville looks primed for a deep postseason run. Is that a factor?

After starting all three games over the weekend and allowing just three non shootout goals, Milwaukee goaltender Jeremy Smith was named the Reebok/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, April 15. Over the course of the Admirals final three-in-three, Smith stopped 78 of 81 shots, earning five of a possible six points available over the weekend.

The impressive weekend left Smith in the top spot in the AHL in minutes played with 3,283, second in wins (31-19-2) and in goals against average (2.17). The third-year professional is also tied for second in AHL shutouts with five and sits in 10th place overall with a .922 save percentage.

Smith is the first Admiral to receive the honor this season, and the first Milwaukee to receive the award since Blake Geoffrion claimed back-to-back crystals on Jan. 30 and Feb. 6 last winter.

Over the past week the AHL announced several individual 2011-2012 season awards as well. Here is a list of the victors:

Les Cunningham Award (AHL MVP): Cory Conacher, Norfolk Admirals.

John B. Sollenberger Trophy (leading scorer): Chris Bourque, Hershey Bears (93 points).

Willie Marshall Award (leading goal scorer): Cory Conacher, Norfolk Admirals (39 goals).

Dudley (Red) Garret Memorial Award (AHL’s most outstanding rookie): Cory Conacher, Norfolk Admirals.

Yanick Dupre Award (AHL Man of the Year): Nick Petrecki, Worchester Sharks.

Aldege “Baz” Bastien Award (AHL’s most outstanding goalie): Yann Danis, Oklahoma City.

Eddie Shore Award (AHL’s most outstanding defenseman): Mark Barberio, Norfolk Admirals.

Louis A.R. Pieri Award (AHL’s most outstanding coach): Jon Cooper, Norfolk Admirals.

Fred T. Hunt Award (AHL player best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey): Chris Minard, Grand Rapids Griffins.

Harry “Hap” Holmes Award (at least 25 games played on team which allows fewest goals): Ben Scrivens, Toronto Marlies.