There isn’t exactly media seating at the Kern Center. That meant setting up shop among the fans in the stands. It was about as fun as it looks. (Photo Credit: Sunnie Hirschfield)
The Admirals won the pre-season opener 3-1 against the Rockford IceHogs at the MSOE Kern Center. Despite the IceHogs picking up the opening goal through Alex Broadburst’s shorthander – the game really was all Admirals. Which is surprising when you remember the poor start that saw them on consecutive penalty kills right out of the shoot.
The line that stood out the most for me was the starting forward group of Pontus Aberg, Colton Sissons, and Austin Watson. It seems like they are all on the exact same page, work well off of one another, and can play well in both areas of the ice. I expect this to be the Admirals top forward line come the season opener. And I expect the man who will benefit greatly from this will be Aberg.
The quiet heroes of the game also happened to be everyone on the Admirals defense. It wasn’t really one defenseman excelling over another. It was just good solid work from each d-man. In short, they all took care of business. If not for a flub up along the wall that led to a shorthanded goal. We’d be looking at a shutout in this team’s first outing as a unit. Not too shabby.
After the game I had the chance to speak with head coach Dean Evason. I also spoke with Pontus Aberg, Rob Madore, and Colton Sissons. Here is what everyone had to say following the pre-season opener.
The 2014-14 Milwaukee Admirals season started in the chilly confines of the MSOE Kern Center. The hot chocolate was about as superb as the 3-1 Admirals victory.
The Admirals won 3-1 against the Rockford in Friday night’s pre-season opener from the MSOE Kern Center. Despite giving up the opening goal off of a shorthander – the Milwaukee Admirals never looked the lesser of these two teams. It was a good controlled effort for the Ads first competitive outing of the season.
“We’re very happy with a lot of guys,” said Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason. “There’s still jobs up for grabs and playing time. A lot of guys showed very well.”
Milwaukee came out of the gate with two early penalty kills. The opening shift from the line of Pontus Aberg, Colton Sissons, and Austin Watson had a slow exchange on the bench that resulted in a too many men on the ice penalty. That was followed up by Zach Budish flipping a puck into the stands for a delay of game.
It wasn’t until the midway point in the period until the Admirals really started to sustain offensive pressure against the IceHogs. Mike Liambas was decked at center ice by Ildar Telyakov which drew an interference penalty to give the Ads their second power-play of the period. It was then an unfortunate puck that skipped along the boards to the tape of Alex Broadhurst on a shorthanded breakaway. He flew in off the right wing, suckered Magnus Hellberg with a forehand, and scored on the backhand.
Liambas was able to respond in kind. A poor turnover in front of Kent Simpson allowed for a clean took up close. Liambas wripped a wrister on the shortside for an equalizing goal in the first period.
The Admirals took their first lead of the game after some great combination work around the net by Josh Shalla and Budish. The two worked around Simpson for a loose puck that was flung into the net by an on-rushing Sissons. Rockford had more numbers around the cage and missed Sissons coming off the bench. I’d have to imagine the IceHogs didn’t know he was charging towards the net.
Just over the halfway mark of the second period, both Hellberg and Simpson gave way to their back-ups on the evening: Rob Madore and Mac Carruth. Madore was greeted into the game with a five-on-three penalty kill that the IceHogs failed to capitalize from. They had thirty-seconds to work the three man kill of the Admirals only to have Anthony Bitetto and Triston Grant link up and get the clear.
In the third period the Ads managed to score the final goal of the game from a power-play. Jamie Wise sent a puck up into the Kern Center girders for a delay of game. This set the stage for Aberg’s first Admiral goal. It wasn’t the prettiest. It was a clunky effort in net from Carruth that left Aberg a wide open net to redirect a skipping puck into. It made it a 3-1 contest.
“I didn’t see where the puck went,” said Pontus Aberg. “It came right to my stick and went up in the air. I scored with like a volley.”
Wise would figure into this game right before action concluded. He hit Miikka Salomaki from behind and into the boards by the penalty box. Felix Girard instantly grappled Wise, looked as though he landed at least one good punch, and both were given minors: boarding and a roughing call. All things told. Not a bad roughing penalty.
“I think anyone watching could tell who the better team was tonight,” said Rob Madore. “For the first time really playing together as a team I thought we were awesome defensively.”
Ramblings: After scoring his goal, Mike Liambas did not return to the game – possibly due to the hit he sustained in the first period. In his absence it appeared as if Colton Sissons did a lot of double shifting on that line combination that lost Liambas. The lines were as follows: Aberg-Sissons-Watson, Salomaki-Girard-Arvidsson, Shalla-Pendenza-Budish, Liambas-Gaudreau-Grant, Bitetto-Vainonen, Aronson-Rissling, Noonan-Oligny.
Thoughts on the pre-season opener? Were there any certain players tonight that stood out to you? What will the addition of Joe Piskula and Johan Alm mean for the rest of the defensemen on-board right now?
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Could Joe Piskula become the next captain of the Milwaukee Admirals? (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
The Nashville Predators have made three more roster cuts that include Joe Piskula, Johan Alm, and Kevin Fiala. The two defensemen are set to join the Milwaukee Admirals while the young winger is heading back to his previous team HV-71 of the Swedish Hockey League.
This news comes just ahead of tonight’s pre-season opener for the Milwaukee Admirals as they take on the Rockford IceHogs at the MSOE Kern Center. It’s uncertain as to whether or not either Piskula or Alm will be inserted right into action tonight. With so many defenseman in camp right now I would be surprised to see a rush job versus utilizing the d-men that have been practicing these last two days in Milwaukee.
As for Fiala, this news doesn’t entirely surprise me. He is 18-years old and this move is not unlike what Filip Forsberg did when he stayed with Leksands IF. It allowed Forsberg one more year to mature and he produced 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) from 38 games in the SHL. I feel the Predators have a great talent in Fiala. I also feel there isn’t a need to throw him right into the fire just yet. It will be worth monitoring his progress in Sweden this season to see how he develops and handles his season overseas.
With the amount of defensemen in Milwaukee right now – who do you see missing out on the AHL roster? Was it the right move for the Nashville Predators to send Kevin Fiala back to Europe this season?
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The calm before the storm. The season officially starts with a pre-season game at the MSOE Kern Center tomorrow night. (Photo Credit: Milwaukee Admirals)
The Admirals training camp shifted from Nashville to downtown Milwaukee today. I was on hand to get my first looks of the 2014-15 squad. Here’s what I saw.
When I arrived at the MSOE Kern Center I turned up 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled practice time of 1pm. That meant seeing Patrick Cehlin and Brendan Leipsic‘s lone involvement for team practice today. Both were working light shooting and skating drills with the goaltending trio of Magnus Hellberg, Marek Mazanec, and Rob Madore. Cehlin and Leipsic did not take part in the more than hour long practice that followed.
As far as line combinations were concerned, there was a lot of mixing and matching on the defensive side of the puck. Example, I saw Jaynen Rissling play on three different combinations. The forwards were a little less strenuous on the eyes.
Plenty of line hopping going on later in practice as well but these were the combinations I saw on the ice together the most frequently. I wouldn’t be too surprised to see a lineup close to this for tomorrow night’s pre-season opener. You can view the full roster details from today’s practice here.
Following practice I spoke with head coach Dean Evason. I actually talked with him long enough for all the players to escape the Kern before I could pull them aside as well (whoops). That being said, there was a lot to ask the man going into his third season as the Admirals head coach. Here’s what he had to say after practice.
Dean Evason on all the new faces on the roster:
Evason speaks about the high skill level of the forwards:
Evason’s thoughts on Taylor Beck earning a one-way contract:
Evason discusses what it has been like with Peter Laviolette in charge of Nashville so far:
Evason’s feelings in regards to Scott Ford no longer being with the team:
Evason on how to fill Ford’s leadership and veteran presence on the team:
Evason on team leadership, continued:
The team will have a practice yet again at the MSOE Kern Center tomorrow from 10am until 11am. That will be followed by the first pre-season contest at 7pm against the Rockford IceHogs – again, at the Kern Center.
Thoughts from practice? What do you make of the line combinations? How will the team function defensively with so many left handed shots on the point? Who becomes the next captain of the Milwaukee Admirals?
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With a one-way contract penned today. Taylor Beck is officially an NHL talent with the Nashville Predators. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
The man who came to pre-season camp without a deal in place with the hopes of earning a one-way contract has pulled it off. Taylor Beck has just signed a one-year one-way contract with the Nashville Predators. The deal is worth $550,000.
Nashville, Tenn. (September 30, 2014) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed restricted free-agent forward Taylor Beck to a one-year, $550,000 contract.
Beck, 23 (5/13/91), has 23 career NHL games with Nashville to his credit over the past two seasons, amassing seven points (3g-4a). The 6-2, 206-pound right wing led the 2013-14 Milwaukee Admirals in assists (32) and power-play points (7g-16a-23pts), ranked second on the team in points (49), and fourth in goals (17). The St. Catharines, Ontario native also paced the Admirals in points during the 2012-13 season despite appearing in only 50 of the team’s 76 games (11g-30a-41pts), and ranked among the Top 20 AHL rookies in goals and points in 2011-12 (16g-24a-40pts).
Nashville’s fourth choice, 70th overall (third round), in the 2009 Entry Draft, Beck played 246 games for the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm from 2007-11, amassing 267 points (110g-157a). He ranked seventh in the OHL in points (95) and assists (53), and eighth in goals (42) in 2010-11, and won the 2010 Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy as the OHL’s top scoring right wing after tying for fourth in the OHL in points (39g-54a-93pts) in 2009-10. You can follow him on Twitter @taybeckone9.
This deal comes after Beck’s best season as a professional. He may not have managed to get much time topside in the NHL last season, playing in only 7 games, but his AHL production saw his best numbers to date: 49 points (17 goals, 32 assists) in 65 games. He was one of the most consistent and reliable Admirals forwards last season. Whether he was being tasked with being on the power-play, penalty kill, or even double shifting for an entire night with the team dressing an extra defenseman. With a one-way contract signed – he now has his chance to make that same impression at the NHL level.
Thoughts on Taylor Beck? Has he earned an NHL contract? What can he achieve for the Nashville Predators this season? Will he log a decent amount of games or be scratched out of the lineup a fair amount? What does his signing mean for Filip Forsberg?
A quiet gem of last night’s 3-0 pre-season defeat for the Nashville Predators was that this guy was 100% healthy and in net. (Photo Credit: Don McPeak // USA TODAY Sports)
The Nashville Predators were humbled by the Columbus Blue Jackets in their final home contest of the pre-season Monday night. The game ended in a 3-0 shutout for the Blue Jackets despite the fact that the Preds outshot their opponents 36-27.
This was the Predators first defeat of the pre-season and it comes after the roster cuts that followed on Saturday night. Ryan Ellis, fresh off of signing his new contract, made his 2014-15 debut: 19:51 TOI, 4 shots, 4 hits, and a plus/minus of -1. Filip Forsberg had perhaps his roughest outing of his pre-season by being a -2 on the ice – including a turnover that lead directly to a shorthanded goal by James Wisniewski. On that wing battle, both Kevin Fiala (10:48 TOI, 0:08 PP TOI) and Taylor Beck (10:21 TOI, 0:08 PP TOI) had similar nights on paper – lone difference being that Beck recorded a hit.
Real story on the night that should be rather disappointing to Nashville was going 0/6 on the power-play. Forsberg was on the ice, specifically for the power-play unit, a grand total of 6:31 of ice time. For all that he only managed 2 shots on goal and wound up making a mistake that lead to a shorty. Paul Gaustad had 5 shots on goal with Derek Roy and Olli Jokinen having 4 shots on target. Nothing went through. Suppose some proper credit can be given to Curtis McElhinney. He did stop all 36 shots for the shutout after all.
These same two teams will lock up in Columbus on Saturday night. By then, the Milwaukee Admirals pre-season will have already started. The NHL regular season for the Predators starts up on Thursday October 9th.
Does this game hurt the chances of guys such as Taylor Beck, Filip Forsberg, or Kevin Fiala from making the Predators roster out of the pre-season? What’s going to happen to Beck? Is Fiala better suited to return to Europe this season or should he slot into the AHL mix here in North America?
The Nashville Predators are undefeated in their first three pre-season games. Jack Adams Award for Peter Laviolette! (Photo Credit: Jim Diamond // Rinkside Report)
There were two pre-season games between the Nashville Predators and the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Both featured different rosters. Both featured Predators victories.
In the first contest held on Saturday – the Predators and Panthers pushed all the way into a shootout that finished 2-1 favoring Nashville. Craig Smith scored off of a rebounder early in the first period. And it wasn’t until midway through the third frame before the Panthers equalized off of a goal from a name we’ve all heard around these parts in Milwaukee, ex-IceHog Brandon Pirri.
The real story of the opening fixture on Saturday’s slate was Carter Hutton. He played the entire game, stopped 23/24 shots on goal, and denied the Panthers on all of their chances in the shootout. He’s played well so far in the pre-season for Nashville. It may have been nice to see Rob Madore get off the bench in that contest but, just as well, it’s real encouraging to see Hutton continues to mature as the back-up to Pekka Rinne.
Did I mention some Finnish goaltender just now? Of course I did. And game two had Rinne logging the full game just as Hutton did before him. The Predators won the second half of their pre-season double-header against the Panthers by a much more comfy 4-1. Rinne stopped 22/23 shots he faced.
Meanwhile, it was Pontus Aberg getting in the Nashville spotlight – twice as a matter of fact. Aberg recorded two goals in the second contest and was joined by Kevin Fiala and Austin Watson on the scoresheet for the Predators.
Nashville Predators Reduce Roster to 28 Players
As you might expect, two games played in one day, the roster was held to a maximum to get through the day. Shortly following the completion of the second game the team announced a large amount of roster cuts.
Nashville, Tenn. (September 27, 2014) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has assigned forwards Pontus Aberg, Viktor Arvidsson, Zach Budish, Patrick Cehlin, Felix Girard, Brendan Leipsic, Miikka Salomaki, Josh Shalla, Colton Sissons, Mark Van Guilder and Austin Watson; defensemen Taylor Aronson, Anthony Bitetto, Jonathan-Ismael Diaby, Garrett Noonan, Jaynen Rissling, Mikko Vainonen; and goaltenders Magnus Hellberg and Marek Mazanec to the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals. The team released forwards Triston Grant, Frederick Gaudreau, Michael Liambas and Joe Pendenza; defensemen Mike Little, Jimmy Oligny and Brian Lee; and goaltender Rob Madore from tryout agreements. Nashville also assigned forward Kevin Henderson to Texas (AHL).
The majority of these players will join the Admirals for the start of their training camp at Ford Ice Center in Antioch, Tennessee, tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. They’ll also skate Tuesday (11 a.m.) and conduct an off-ice workout on Wednesday before departing for Milwaukee.
Nashville’s roster is now at 28 players – 17 forwards, nine defensemen and two goaltenders.
Forwards (17): Taylor Beck, Gabriel Bourque, Rich Clune, Matt Cullen (currently injured), Kevin Fiala, Mike Fisher (currently injured), Filip Forsberg, Paul Gaustad, Calle Jarnkrok, Olli Jokinen, James Neal, Eric Nystrom, Mike Ribeiro, Derek Roy, Craig Smith, Viktor Stalberg (currently injured) and Colin Wilson.
Defensemen (9): Johan Alm, Victor Bartley, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis, Seth Jones, Roman Josi, Joe Piskula, Anton Volchenkov and Shea Weber.
Goaltenders (2): Carter Hutton and Pekka Rinne.
When they say that they have released players such as Mike Liambas from try-out agreements – keep in mind most of those names are under contract to the Milwaukee Admirals and not the Nashville Predators. It’s not so much a matter of them being released from our hands as well. The Predators and Admirals work quite tightly together so much of the talent, AHL or NHL, were all up there getting a look. Though, just a helpful reminder per Aaron Sims, Mark Van Guilder and Joe Piskula will need to clear waivers before making it back to the Admirals. I do suspect that will happen.
The three most fascinating names still around in camp are Taylor Beck, Filip Forsberg, and Kevin Fiala. When it comes to the Beck situation, effectively in on a try-out as an un-signed restricted free agent, I feel he’s battling for an roster spot on the Nashville wing that doesn’t exist. If it did, Forsberg has taken it from him this pre-season. As for Fiala, his talent is really quite outstanding but I’m anticipating him going back to Europe for the season before getting his first full North American playing season under him.
Who wins out of the three? Forsberg. And I’m thinking his line combination this pre-season with Mike Ribeiro and James Neal, which has performed nicely, could be where he starts out on top of it. It finally positions Forsberg in an attacking and creative offensive role that he hasn’t quite been afforded the chance to play in so far at the NHL level – and would work him in with arguably the team’s best line.
Milwaukee Admirals Pre-Season Training Camp
Today also marks the first day of Milwaukee Admirals training camp. It will actually take place in Nashville until October 1st before the team shifts home to Milwaukee:
Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, Nashville
Oct. 2nd, Kern Center
1:00pm – 3:00pm
Oct. 3, Kern Center
10:00am – 11:00am Pre Game Skate
7:00pm: Exhibition Game vs. Rockford
Oct. 4
10:00am – 11:00am Pre Game Skate @ Kern Center
7:00pm: Exhibition Game @ Chicago
Oct. 5
OFF
Oct. 6, Kern Center
10:00am – 12:00pm
Oct. 7, BMO Harris Bradley Center
10:00am – 12:00pm
Oct. 8, BMO Harris Bradley Center
10:00am – 12:00pm
Oct. 9, Media Day @ BMO Harris Bradley Center
10:00am – 12:00pm
All practices held at the MSOE Kern Center are open to the public. I strongly encourage you folks to get out to the rink for some of these pre-season practices. As for those that are held at the BMO Harris Bradley Center… those are not open to the public. Plus to that though. When they are practicing on home ice it means a game is afoot without scheduling conflict to allow them to practice in house. The home opener is so very nearly upon us. So celebrate today as the last weekend without Admirals hockey in your life. The 2014-15 season is here.
Defenseman Ryan Ellis impressed in Milwaukee for 61 regular season and 11 more playoff games from 2011-2013, scoring 10 goals and 24 assists. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus // Predators.NHL.com)
After a long summer of waiting, former Milwaukee Admirals defenseman Ryan Ellis has re-signed with the Nashville Predators to the tune of 5 years and $12.5 million. The new contract starts at $1.5 million in for the upcoming campaign – growing up to $3.5 million in 2018-2019.
The 23-year-old represents one of the Predators’ most important developmental prospects. The former 11th overall pick in 2009 had a breakout season last year as he scored 6 goals and 27 points in 80 games. He also ranked second on the team in plus/minus at +9 behind Craig Smith‘s +16.
Ellis joined Milwaukee for the 2011 Calder Cup playoffs after a stellar four-year run with the Windsor Spitfires. He proceeded to accumulate 10 goals and 24 assists in 72 regular season and playoff games with Milwaukee from 2011-2013, playing part-time with the Admirals in each of his first two professional seasons, before graduating to full-time status in a Predators uniform last year.
So Roundtable . . . What do you think of Nashville’s resigning of Ryan Ellis? Is he a player worth having around for five more years? Any favorite memories of the 5’10” blue liner in Milwaukee? What does his signing mean to current Admirals defenseman moving forward?
In the first two pre-season games for the Nashville Predators – Filip Forsberg has scored a goal. Is he going to start 2014-15 in the NHL? (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Pekka Rinne and Marek Mazanec combined for a shutout in the Nashville Predators second pre-season game. Yet, it was Filip Forsberg putting in another sharp performance in his efforts to make the NHL roster to start the season. He scored the lone goal in the 1-0 contest Thursday night and is starting to make a legitimate case that he’s up in Nashville to stay.
Forsberg has now scored a point in every pre-season competition he has taken part in: the rookie tournament and two of two in the NHL’s pre-season. He played on a line with James Neal that was centered by Mike Ribeiro. Compared to the first pre-season game, where he unleashed nine shots on goal, Forsberg only had two last night but was the difference on the scoresheet.
Rinne made his first start of the pre-season and stopped all twelve shots he faced before a goaltending switch in the second period. Mazanec, who had a tough third period in the opening pre-season fixture, rebounded with a ten-for-ten effort to seal the shutout in Nashville.
The Predators next pre-season games are tomorrow and it includes two games against the Florida Panthers. That should mean a stretching of the roster for each of the two games and plenty more talent we should see in Milwaukee this season should get pre-season hockey in the NHL.
Notes-worthy Notes: Taylor Beck registered 15:17 of ice time and had two shots and a giveaway… he might be seeing that wing role that didn’t exist in the first place being claimed by Forsberg. Joe Piskula made his triumphant return to Nashville after his two game NHL stint last season… he was out on the ice for 17:08 and was on the ice when Forsberg scored. Austin Watson recorded the least amount of ice time, 9:42, of anyone in last night’s game… he registered two shots.
Have we seen the last of Filip Forsberg in Milwaukee? Is Forsberg earning himself an NHL roster spot? If so, what does that mean in terms of the “glass ceiling” to make it from the AHL to the NHL this year in Milwaukee… Can anyone break through it without some sort of injury on the Predators roster? Does Forsberg’s perfomances mean “sayōnara” for Taylor Beck in the Predators organization?
Marek Mazanec allowed three third period goals as the Nashville Predators dropped their pre-season opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning. (Photo Credit: Frederick Breedon)
The Nashville Predators pre-season festivities started last night with a road game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In Peter Laviolette’s first outing behind Nashville’s bench he saw his team cough up a 2-1 lead by conceding three third period goals. Who was the man in net for the third period you ask? Marek Mazanec.
Filip Forsberg scored the game’s opening goal in the second period. He’s coming off of a rookie tournament in which he scored two goals and a point in each game in the tournament. It’s worth adding he had a whopping nine shots on goal. Nine. After a goal by the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov – Craig Smith tallied for the Predators to restore their advantage ahead of the third period.
Tampa Bay took the pre-season opener during a seven minute stretch midway through the third period. Jonathan Marchessault, Mark Barberio, and Marchessault (all over again) put pucks behind Mazanec to make it a 4-2 final. Mazanec stopped 12/15 shots on goal while the man who started the night, Carter Hutton, went 19/20 in saves.
Notes-worthy Notes: Austin Watson was slotted on the wing and played a forward low for time on ice with 8:17. Jonathan-Ismael Diaby registered the least amount of ice time with 6:35 -but- he did drop the gloves with Luke Witkowski. Taylor Beck, who remains unsigned, played the most ice time of any forward, 21:28, and played more time on the power-play than anyone on the Predators… he also contributed four shots on goal and was a +1 on the night.
The next pre-season game for the Predators is on Thursday night in Nashville against these very same Lightning. After that, they get three more home pre-season games before a stop in Columbus and the season opener on Thursday October 9th.
Thoughts from Nashville’s pre-season opener? Will Taylor Beck get a new contract worked out prior to either the NHL or AHL season? Does Beck deserve a one-way contract or should he end up back here in Milwaukee as the Predators go-to call-up?
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