Calle Jarnkrok and the Admirals deep forward group have been out-muscled by the Toronto Marlies. They now must win three-straight games in Toronto to make it into the next round. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
The Admirals lost 5-2 against the Toronto Marlies Saturday night. This defeat puts them in a 2-0 series deficit heading off to Toronto for the last, if necessary, three games in the best of five series.
After a very strong start to this game by the Admirals – the Marlies scored with 1:09 remaining in the first period to make it a 1-0 game. Despite a shots advantage of 15-7 favoring the Admirals a left wing rip by Brandon Kozun took deflection en route to Marek Mazanec. It may have been the only real sustained attack Toronto had the entire period and they found the back of the net.
The second period became a penalty fest for the Admirals. First Joonas Jarvinen and David Broll engaged each other to get minors for roughing. Then Calle Jarnkrok took a trip. And Joe Piskula was called for boarding.
All things in order, that gave the Marlies a lengthy stint of five-on-three power-play. With five seconds left from that opportunity Toronto worked the puck low around Mazanec, went post to post with a pass by Trevor Smith, and Sam Carrick had a tap in for a 2-0 lead.
It’s worth mentioning the lack of penalty calls for the Admirals in the closing stages of the second period. Mathieu Tousignant and Filip Forsberg were hit in the mouth with high sticks but each weren’t granted under the pretense that they Marlies were following through on shots. Francis Wathier was also barreled over near the Admirals bench – all of whom were livid by the absence of calls going their way in the frame.
Milwaukee finally found the back of the net in the opening minutes of the third period. Jarnkrok took a pass from Forsberg and hammered a one-timer past Drew MacIntyre to the blocker side. Including the playoffs, Jarnkrok has now scored in eight straight games as an Admiral.
The penalty fest continued in the third period with an Austin Watson double-minor dor high sticking, Mike Liambas interference, and a Wathier slashing call. The Marlies failed to convert two five-on-three chances in that spell but converted in the last push of the power-play. A puck popped up above Mazanec, fell at his skates, kicked inbetween his legs, and Brandon Kozun shoved the loose puck across the line for a 3-1 Marlies lead.
Just for good measure, Wathier was called for another penalty as he raced in on the forecheck and was given a minor for boarding. The Marlies won the faceoff and scored seconds into that power-play. A long range wrist shot from the right point by Korbinian Holzer goes went against the grain of Mazanec’s glove to extend the Marlies lead to 4-1.
The Admirals did attempt some late theatrics by scoring another goal. A point shot led to a rare juicy rebound from MacIntyre and Bryan Rodney smacked home a late tally making it 4-2. The Ads emptied their net, Jerred Smithson cleared from long range, Jerry D’Amigo chased it down, and scored the final goal of the game. 5-2 on the scoreboard. 2-0 in the series. Milwaukee has been on the outside looking in from the start.
I feel a lot must be said of the Admirals power-play. They went 0/6 tonight and couldn’t even generate gas. The Marlies blanketed them, boxed out numbers in front of the net, and read all puck movements from the point down low. This game, and quite possibly last night, changes dramatically with an effective power-play. I have to believe the build up to game three in Toronto will mean revisions to how that man-advantage operates because the Marlies have it scouted pass for pass.
Ramblings: Tonight’s lineup change for the Milwaukee Admirals saw Mike Liambas in and Vinny Saponari out. Admirals Scratches: Diaby, Rissling, Vainonen, Pendenza, Pimm, Valentine, Noonan, Saponari, and Rask. Marlies Stratches: Gibson, MacWilliam, Abbott, Ashton, Staubitz, Devane, Holland, Yuen, Herzog, Verhaeghe, Gauthier, and Loov.
What’s going wrong for the Admirals in this series? What has happened to the high-powered depth in the forward position? Are the defense and penalty woes costing Marek Mazanec a wonderful playoff performance?
Yeah. It kind of felt like this. (Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)
This wasn’t exactly the fast start we were all hoping out of the Milwaukee Admirals. Round One. Game One. Starting on home ice. Yet it was the Toronto Marlies who really dictated most of the action last night. They seemed more patient and controlled – even when playing with pace.
The good news for all Admirals involved is that tomorrow is another day. Round One. Game Two. It will be the difference between this becoming a best of three series or a do-or-die situation for the Admirals from Game Three onward.
After the game I spoke with Dean Evason, Francis Wathier, and Anthony Bitetto. Here is what they had to say following the 6-2 defeat in the opening playoff contest with the Toronto Marlies.
Dean Evason talks about the quick response goal by Toronto:
Evason on what adjustments need to be made for tomorrow:
Evason discusses composure and taking uncharacteristic penalties:
Evason breaks down the opening goal scored by Toronto:
Evason’s thoughts on how Toronto stifled the Admirals offense:
Evason on Marek Mazanec’s performance in net:
Francis Wathier’s thoughts from tonight’s game:
Wathier discusses what Toronto’s defense was doing to the Admirals offense:
Wathier on the benefit of a quick turn-around playing tomorrow night:
Anthony Bitetto’s thoughts of the game:
Bitetto on rebounding tomorrow night:
Bitetto talks about the Marlies winning puck battles tonight:
Comments from the comments? What went wrong in the Admirals opening playoff game? Also, what went right? Are there positives to take out of tonight’s defeat into the rest of this series?
Bad traffic. Bad bounces. Not the greatest of nights to be in Marek Mazanec’s pads. (Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)
The Admirals lost 6-2 against the Toronto Marlies in Friday night’s playoff opener. The Marlies really dictated much of tonight’s action and had an answer for everything the Admirals threw at them in game one. The Ads will look for a quick turnaround with game two taking place in less than twenty-four hours.
“We thought we were very tentative at the start,” said Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason. “We didn’t have our legs. We didn’t get into the hockey game until we scored the first goal. We thought [Toronto] took the game to us. We have to start the game better tomorrow night.”
There appeared to be a few phantom high sticking minors that occurred in the first period. Brad Ross of the Marlies wiped out on a hit attempt on Anthony Bitetto at the Admirals blueline and flopped into him. That was called for the game’s opening penalty. Then a similar scenario occurred when Jarred Smithson came for a hit on the forecheck against Mathieu Tousignant. With five seconds into the Admirals power-play – Taylor Beck was called for a high stick well away from the puck.
During the ensuing four-on-four the Marlies capitalized for the game’s opening goal. Sam Carrick picked up the puck from behind the net. He took a quick look around him, saw no one was there to defend him except for Marek Mazanec, and took his chances. He carried the puck to the front of the net on a backhander and dragged it past the outstretched leg of a Mazanec for the first goal of this playoff series.
After an interference call against Charles-Olivier Roussel – the Marlies were able to extend their lead early in the second period. Josh Leivo skated to the left wing faceoff circle and wired a wrister off the crossbar and down. The shot beat the block attempt by Joe Piskula and went against the grain of Mazanec to the blocker side to make it 2-0 Marlies.
The Admirals finally found the back of the net courtesy of the Swedes. Calle Jarnkrok entered the offensive zone from the right swing and laid a perfect saucer pass off to Patrick Cehlin who took it first time. The quick shot caught MacIntyre off his angle and made it a 2-1 hockey game.
The Marlies answered back almost instantly. With the Marlies pushing back hard it seemed as if the Admirals were in a panic mode defending. Then the AHL’s top defenseman T.J. Brennan fired a shot from the point that knuckled off in and past Mazanec to restore the Marlies two-goal advantage. The goal came only 1:08 after Cehlin’s at the other end. It simply felt like a sucker punch.
“It was kind of a Keystone Cops there,” said Evason of the quick response goal by Toronto. “Van has it on his tape and the it jumps over Wathier’s stick. You gain the momentum and all of the sudden it shifts right away back. For sure it was the turning point.”
If the end to the second period wasn’t painful enough the start to the third period wasn’t any better. The Admirals won the opening draw for the period but the puck was forced into their zone, the Marlies, buzzed around for nearly one minute, and then Jerry D’Amigo powered a shot past Mazanec to make it 4-1 Marlies.
Needing a serious lifeline – the Admirals tallied on the power-play to draw a goal back. Filip Forsberg smashed a slap shot at ice level and it was underneath the pads of MacIntyre. Not knowing where the puck went, the former-Admiral took a quick turn and actually managed to kick the puck into his own net.
With a late power-play on, the Marlies added two empty netters to finish off the Admirals in game one. Kenny Ryan scored from behind his own net just as Mazanec left to get on the Admirals bench. And, for the heck of it, the Ads went empty net again and Carrick added the Marlies second shorthanded empty netter in a matter of forty-eight seconds.
“It’s frustrating,” said Francis Wathier. “Obviously we don’t want that kind of result. 6-2 doesn’t dictate the type of game we played. We didn’t play bad. I think we have a little bit more in the tank that we can do. That’s going to be playoff hockey. It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be rough. It’s going to be intense every shift. It’s a good lesson for everyone.”
What are your reactions from game one? Was this a blip or a wake up call that this could be a short playoff series for Milwaukee?
Marek Mazanec has been on a hot streak of late. For the Milwaukee Admirals to have playoff success – that will need to continue. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
The Milwaukee Admirals open up playoff hockey tonight for their twelfth straight season tonight. They finished the regular season with a record of 39-24-6-7 (91 points). That placed them third in the Midwest Division and netted the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
Their opponent is the Toronto Marlies who finished the season with a record of 45-25-2-4 (96 points). They won the North Division by a comfortable 11 points over the Rochester Americans but were lesser off than fellow division winners the Texas Stars (106 points) and the Chicago Wolves (100 points). That’s what put them on a collision course for the three versus six match-up that we have. And, with the choice of the first two at home or the last three at home, the puck drops for games one and two here in Milwaukee.
Toronto only played against the Admirals twice this a season and lost both games. If you look back on recent history the head-to-head history really favors Milwaukee. In the last five seasons the Admirals are 8-2-1-1 (18 points) from twelve games.
Jan. 21, 2014 vs. Toronto: W, 3-2 Mar. 22, 2014 @ Toronto: W, 5-1
Feb. 23, 2013 @ Toronto: W, 3-1
Mar. 23, 2013 vs. Toronto: L, 3-2 (OT)
Dec. 16, 2011 vs. Toronto: W, 2-0
Mar. 17, 2012 @Toronto: L, 3-2
Jan. 8, 2011 vs. Toronto: W, 1-0 (SO)
Mar. 1, 2011 @ Toronto: W, 3-1
Dec. 14, 2009 @ Toronto: W, 4-3 (OT)
Jan. 2, 2010 @ Toronto: L, 3-2 (SO)
Jan. 9, 2010 vs. Toronto: W, 3-1
Mar. 13, 2010 vs. Toronto: L, 3-2
While that history might be plenty of seasons ago – Scott Ford and Mark Van Guilder both participated as far back as the 2009-10 season: Ford, eleven games, 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist), a plus/minus rating of +1, and 15 penalty minutes… Van Guilder, nine games, 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist), a plus/minus rating of +3, and no penalty minutes.
The veterans are certainly there for the Admirals. You have the names above as well as Francis Wathier, Joe Piskula, and Bryan Rodney. Between those five players they have a combined 189 games of AHL playoff experience between them.
The most seasoned of the Admirals veteran core would be Wathier who has logged 51 AHL playoff games. That includes a deep run with the Texas Stars in the 2009-10 season when he made it all the way to the Calder Cup Final. The Hershey Bears would get the best of Wathier and the Stars that season – beating them in six games.
In Marlies camp they have a quality group of veteran experience as well. In fact, they have two senior members on the team who have played playoff hockey in Milwaukee. Jerred Smithson has played 23 AHL playoff games and 31 NHL playoff games in his career. Drew MacIntyre has played a whopping 62 AHL playoff games in seven career playoff runs. Smithson played with the Admirals in the 2004-05 season and briefly in 2005-06. MacIntyre appeared in 55 games with the Admirals during the 2008-09 season – including 11 playoff games.
Then you have the young-guns. The Admirals will have Calle Jarnkrok, Colton Sissons, Filip Forsberg, and Miikka Salomaki. The Marlies will have Greg McKegg, Josh Leivo, and Sam Carrick. For the Admirals group – they lack playoff experience at the AHL level. That group from the Marlies all managed to get their crack at it last season. It is going to be an interesting watch to see how the youth of Admirals performs in the playoff spot light – especially given how much should be expected out of them to produce offensively for the team.
Another interesting comparison from the two teams are young forwards with plenty of playoff experience underneath them. One of them is 22-years old. The other just turned 23-years old. Each are entering their fourth AHL Calder Cup playoffs tonight. Those two would be Taylor Beck and Carter Ashton. The two play a fairly similar game and can generate offense. Expect both to be igniters in this series.
If you’re looking at the biggest factor in this series it has to be the goaltending battle. MacIntyre’s experience and track record speak for itself. He is not going to be phased by the moment. Meanwhile, Marek Mazanec is in his first full North American playing season – has played twice as many games as his previous career high for games in a season – and is expected to be the number one for the Admirals in the playoffs. He enters the playoffs on perhaps his hottest run of the entire season: winning four straight games, 1.00 goals against average, and a 0.965 save percentage. The pressure will be on each to be brilliant. One has been there. One hasn’t.
What are your expectations for tonight’s game one? Who will be the major players in this series? How confident are you in Marek Mazanec leading the Admirals into the playoffs?
Taylor Beck has played 192 games in his career with the Milwaukee Admirals. He is finishing off a season that, some might say, was his best to date. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
These last few weeks we’ve seen plenty of new players join the ranks of the Milwaukee Admirals. Some were drafted by the Nashville Predators or others recruited right out of college. There isn’t much time for them to get in games so most first impressions can speak volumes moving forward.
On April 10, 2011, Taylor Beck was playing in his fourth professional hockey game with the Admirals. What wound up happening in that game would become a sight we’ve been all too familiar seeing in Milwaukee.
Beck was playing right on net. Rather than bash a puck into the pads of netminder Jordan Pearce from close range he had the awareness to know where his linemates were on the ice. Cory Conacher was open. Beck fed him. And Conacher scored his second goal of the game. It was Beck’s first career point as a professional hockey player. He has gone on to produce 138 points between the Admirals and Predators ever since.
Beck was born and raised in St. Catharines, Ontario. It was his family that helped influence him to become a hockey player. His father played baseball. His brother played hockey. And, from a young age, he took to the ice. As far as sports go – he played lacrosse during the summer months and hockey when winter hit Canada. When it was time to decide which types of goals he was going to score and set for himself – it was always going to be on the ice.
“I played lacrosse and hockey very seriously when I was growing up,” said Taylor Beck. “I kind of got to an age where I had to decide between the two and hockey was always my number one passion overall.”
That decision came prior to his selection in the OHL Draft by the Guelph Storm. His first junior season came in 2007-08 where he would tally 21 points (7 goals, 13 assists) in fifty-six games. His follow up 2008-09 season saw him elevate his game by producing 58 points (22 goals, 36 assists) in sixty-seven games. That season he played with Michael Latta in Guelph and the two would be drafted at the end of that season in the third round – two picks apart – by the Nashville Predators in the 2009 NHL Draft.
After four-years with the Storm in juniors – playing 246 games and scoring 267 points (110 goals, 157 assists) – it was time for Beck to hit the ice as a professional hockey player. Destination: Milwaukee in the thick of the playoff season, 2010-11.
“That was good experience with Lane Lambert,” said Beck of his first taste of Admirals hockey. “We went pretty far that year in the playoffs. That was a great experience and that really ramped me up for my ’20-year old’ year – which was definitely a learning experience from the start.”
With the recent 2013-14 regular season in the books Beck now has a career total of 131 points (44 goals, 87 assists) from 193 games as a member of the Admirals. That puts him eighth on the Admirals AHL All-Time scoring list. While most are aware of his talents on offense it is his evolution on defense that has been the single biggest learning experience as a member of the team.
“Penalty Kill is really something I focused on,” said Beck. “Whatever I have to do to get to the NHL is what I’m prepared to do. Whether I have to Penalty Kill, be a fourth-line grinder, score, whatever I have to do. I just want to have a well rounded game so I can be [in the NHL] soon.”
This season has proved to be Beck’s best all-around season as a professional. While he may not have enjoyed much playing time at the NHL level this season, only seven games as opposed to sixteen last season, he has taken his time with Milwaukee seriously. There hasn’t been any sour grapes regarding a lack of NHL time from him – only what is it that can be done to better shape up his game. It’s something that teammates and coaches alike all have taken notice of.
Mark Van Guilder on Taylor Beck’s play this season:
He has been the team’s real workhorse this season. While plenty of acclaim, justifiably so, can be given to the great performances from young players such as Colton Sissons and Miikka Salomaki this season – Beck has been right there with them. He has been an instrumental figure on the forward lines adding skill on all areas of the ice. If you want a real slice of his improvement this season you need only look to his goal from the regular season home finale.
Speed. Power. Confidence. Skill. Finishing. He showcased everything about himself that he has honed in on this entire season on one play. And yet, as crafty as that goal was from this season there might be an even better example of his high level of play from 2013-14.
With a lengthy shift put in, all while getting chewed out in the defensive half of the ice, Beck proceeded to carry the puck as deep as he could as his linemates could get a change. Despite being on fumes he was able to skate around Dylan Labbe, change his angle of approach to square up Johan Gustafsson, get a shot off before Brad Winchester pressured him off his shooting lane, and beat the Iowa Wild single-handedly.
The Admirals open up the playoffs on Friday night. At 22-years old, Beck is among five other players on the team who have played in three-or-more AHL playoffs. Those other players by age: Francis Wathier (29), Joe Piskula (29), Bryan Rodney (30), Mark Van Guilder (30), and Scott Ford (34).
This will be Beck’s fourth playoff run with the Admirals. 2010-11, eliminated in the second round in game seven against the Houston Aeros. 2011-12, eliminated in the first round by the Abbotsford Heat. 2012-13, eliminated in the first round by the Texas Stars. There are big hopes from him that this year’s team proves to be something great.
“This is by far the best team that I’ve played on since I’ve been here,” said Beck. “We’ve got everything. We have four really good deep lines. We got great defense that can shut their top players down and get the forwards the puck. I’m really looking forward to the playoff run we’ve got.”
Full Interview with Taylor Beck:
How do you feel Taylor Beck has performed this season? Should he start in the NHL next season?
The Milwaukee Admirals and Toronto Marlies face off in the opening round of the Calder Cup playoffs. Who has the edge? (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Toronto Marlies (3-Seed, 45-25-2-4, 96 points, 223 goals for, 202 goals against). vs. Milwaukee Admirals (6-Seed, 39-24-6-7, 91 points, 215 goals for, 199 goals against).
Prior Games:
Milwaukee leads 2-0. 3-2 at MKE on Jan. 21; 5-1 at TOR on March 22.
Schedule:
Game 1: Friday, April 25: Milwaukee vs. Toronto, 7:00PM; Game 2: Saturday, April 26: Milwaukee vs. Toronto, 7:00PM; Game 3: Thursday, May 1: Milwaukee at Toronto, 6:00PM; Game 4*: Saturday, May 3: Milwaukee at Toronto, 2:00PM; Game 5*: Sunday, May 4: Milwaukee at Toronto, 3:00PM. *If necessary.
Here is how I see the Milwaukee/Toronto matchup breaking down:
Offense:
Pick your poison, would you prefer the high-end scoring talent of Toronto or the four-line offense of Milwaukee? Spencer Abbott leads Marlies forwards with 69 points (17 goals, 52 assists). He has plenty of company in scoring threats Greg McKegg‘s 47 points (19 goals, 28 assists), Josh Leivo‘s 42 points (23 goals, 19 assists), and Jerry D’Amigo‘s 33 points (20 goals, 13 assists). However, Toronto’s biggest threat is defenseman T.J. Brennan, the reigning Eddie Shore Award winner, who led the team with 72 points (25 goals, 47 assists) – good for third best in the AHL. The Admirals are slightly less potent with Colton Sissons‘ 44 points (25 goals, 19 assists), Taylor Beck‘s 49 points (team-leading 32 assists) Austin Watson‘s 46 points (22 goals, 24 points), Calle Jarnkrok‘s 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists), and Miikka Salomaki, who has a team-leading 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists). These are all solid scoring options on a team without much difference top to bottom on its four lines. Advantage Toronto.
Defense:
Toronto’s blueline might be littered with bigger names, notably Brennan and Korbinian Holzer (23 points, +5), and high-end prospects Kevin Marshall and Stuart Percy, but Milwaukee’s anchor is always its defense, which I see as deeper than the Marlies. Veterans Scott Ford and Joe Piskula (+20 rating) are staples on one of the league’s best corps., even if Admirals like Anthony Bitetto (36 points), Bryan Rodney (34 points) and Joonas Jarvinen are a bit more unknown throughout the league. Advantage Milwaukee.
Goaltending:
The most obvious toss up matchup in this series is goaltending. I expect veteran Drew MacIntyre (29-15-3, 2.53 GAA, .917 SP) to get the call to anchor Toronto (29-15-3, 2.53 GAA, .917 SP) versus Milwaukee rookie Marek Mazanec (18-10-3, 2.44 GAA, .914 SP) and potentially Scott Darling (13-6-2, 2.00 GAA, .933 SP). MacIntyre has been one of the league’s best for a long time, and has six games of NHL experience with Vancouver, Buffalo and Toronto. Mazanec actually has 25 games of NHL experience to his credit, plus a Czech League title last season with Plzen, winning Game 7 of the Finals in overtime. Added Bonus: The 22-year-old Czech netminder is red hot as of late. Even.
Special Teams:
Toronto has the AHL’s ninth-best power play, clicking at a 19.9% clip this season (71 goals on 356 attempts). On the road the Marlies score at an even better 20.7%. Milwaukee executes at 17.5%, 14th best in the AHL (60 goals on 343 attempts). The Admirals have an abysmal road power play, scoring just 12.5% of the time, versus their sixth-best power play at home (22.3%). Led by Mark Van Guider, Milwaukee has an excellent penalty kill, seventh-best in the AHL and successful 83.8% of the time (52 goals against in 321 attempts). At home the Admirals improve to 86.2%. Toronto carries the AHL’s 11th-best penalty kill at 83.2% (64 goals against in 380 attempts), and like Milwaukee is far better at home (86.2%). The Marlies have slightly better special teams overall, but take many more penalties than Milwaukee. Even.
Coaching:
As far as a professional record, Admirals bench boss Dean Evason has a huge advantage over Marlies coach Steve Spott. Evason spent seven seasons as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals before taking over the head coaching position with Milwaukee, where he guided the team to an average of 40 wins per season and a 2013 first-round playoff loss last year at the hands of Texas. Spott came to Toronto, via the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, where he had plenty of success. Last fall Spott was the surprising choice to replace the highly coveted Dallas Eakins who moved on to the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. Advantage Milwaukee.
Intangibles:
When I look at intangibles in this series, I see Toronto’s three-pack of Division titles, home-ice advantage and a fan base that should show up in droves considering the same-town Maple Leafs did not make the playoffs. Meanwhile, Milwaukee is hungry, coming off of two straight early postseason exits, which lasted just seven games in total. However, this is an extremely deep Admirals club that can roll four lines and six defensemen without any significant talent drop off. Advantage Toronto.
Playoff Experience:
Though Toronto’s roster features only a few skaters left from the 2012 squad that advanced to the Calder Cup Finals, players like D’Amigo and Holzer know how to win in the playoffs. Last year the young Marlies swept Rochester before falling to eventual champion Grand Rapids in six games. However, MacIntyre was shelled in that series. Meanwhile, Milwaukee is three seasons removed from its last series victory, a six-gamer against Texas that saw both MVG and Ford play key roles. The Admirals’ margin in the four-game loss last spring to the Stars was razor thin. Advantage Toronto.
Final Verdict:
Much like last year against Texas, I expect this to be an extremely tight series. Despite the fact that Milwaukee swept the two game series this year, these two teams are highly comparable on paper. Toronto might have a little more flash, but Milwaukee is deeper and tough enough to handle the Marlies’ physical play advantage. In a series that could go either way, I predict Milwaukee to win in five games.
These guys are ready for Friday night. How about you? (Photo Credit: Daniel Lavender)
Today was “Media Day” for the Milwaukee Admirals ahead of this weekend’s opening playoff series against the Toronto Marlies. I attended practice and talked with plenty of guys on the team. Let’s dive in!
Firstly, all forwards are healthy. Mike Liambas participated in the full practice today and has been back in that cycle for the last two days. The lone man out with injury is Scott Valentine. I had the chance to talk with him briefly and it would seem that his season is over due to a shoulder operation he had done recently. He is in good spirits but, as you’d expect, disappointed to be out at this point in the season.
Those were the forward lines from this morning’s practice. It is worth mentioning that Joe Pendenza did flip places at center on the bottom line every now and then.
Of the newbies we heard about joining the team yesterday – both were on ice today. Jaynen Rissling was wearing the #5 and Garrett Noonan was wearing the #23. I don’t know what it is… Teddy Ruth or Michael Young… but that #5 is sort of this season’s Little Bastard. Luckily for Noonan – I’ve already discovered that he might have the best nickname on the team: Fozzie Bear.
There actually was a legit media group today that included more than just myself and Dave Boehler. WISN-12 and FOX-6 were on hand for the morning practice and scrums – so watch your local news this evening or later tonight to see your Admirals in fancy TV-land!.
The addition of Jaynen Rissling gives the Admirals one more big body defenseman in the ranks. I’m a fan of that. (Photo Credit: Calgary Hitmen/WHL)
This afternoon Jaynen Rissling and Garrett Noonan were signed to entry level contracts with the Nashville Predators. Both signed ATO deals to join the Milwaukee Admirals as well. Rissling’s entry level deal is for three-years and Noonan’s is for two-years.
Rissling was recently traded to the Predators from the Washington Capitals for a seventh round draft pick in the upcoming 2014 NHL Draft. He himself was a seventh rounder of the Caps in the 2012 NHL Draft – so it’s a pretty nice pick up in my book. He just finished his five-year playing career with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. In that time he played 273 games, scored 117 points (23 goals, 94 assists), had a plus/minus rating of +28, and 465 penalty minutes.
Noonan perhaps picks up where Kirill Gotovets left off. This 23-year old defenseman was the Predators fourth round selection in the 2011 NHL Draft and recently finished his college playing career at Boston University. In his four-year career with Boston he played in 144 games, produced 81 points (30 goals, 51 assists), had a plus/minus of +18, and recorded 289 penalty minutes.
Both of these d-men add to an already nice crop that we’ve had the chance to watch this season here in Milwaukee: Jonathan Diaby and Mikko Vainonen. I expect these four to compete for roles on the 2014-15 Admirals roster.
Thoughts on the new additions? What do you think our defensive core will look like next season? What players are going to need to give way to the future of the organization?
This is former-Admiral Chris Mueller. He has been in the Stars organization this season and, as of last night, played in his first ever Stanley Cup playoff game. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
I noticed a very cool sight while binge watching the Stanley Cup playoffs last night. Chris Mueller, long-time member of the Milwaukee Admirals and Nashville Predators, was playing his first ever NHL playoff game last night as a member of the Dallas Stars. It was fantastic to see that for him.
Then I heard another name I’ve heard plenty during this season at the AHL level, Colton Sceviour. Both have played a decent amount of NHL time this season, true, but the majority of their 2013-14 campaigns have been spent at the AHL level with the league’s top team the Texas Stars.
It got me wondering just how thin certain AHL playoff teams might be if their parent clubs are competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs. What players are competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs right now that spent some time at the AHL level this season.
Boston Bruins, NHL. Providence Bruins, AHL.
The Bruins are both in the playoffs so that’s just the sort of example I’m looking at. A man who has found himself out of the AHL and into the thick of the Stanley Cup playoffs is Justin Florek. He played sixty-nine games in the AHL this season and scored 38 points (19 goals, 19 assists). For those who watched the Bruins/Red Wings game on Sunday afternoon you’ll have seen him score a goal. He played four NHL games in the regular season and two games in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He is the Providence Bruins sixth best scorer on the team.
Detroit Red Wings, NHL. Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL.
Can you believe that Gustav Nyquist actually played fifteen games in the AHL this season? Me either. That said, the Red Wings have had plenty of yo-yo action between the NHL and AHL this season. Just look at the following list to see who has made the trip back-and-forth and where they currently stand.
The bulk of that list consists of their young pool of talent – many of whom won last season’s Calder Cup. Mostly, the AHL team isn’t stretched too thin.
Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL. Syracuse Crunch, AHL.
This one, and the next one for that matter, is easy to diagnose because HEY their AHL affiliate isn’t in the playoffs! There’s a few in that respect in the playoff list here – and the opposite end of that spectrum as well.
As I said in the last one – the AHL affiliate is not in the playoffs. So, who did the Canadiens bring on up to the Stanley Cup playoffs from Hamilton? None. In fact the last player that was recalled by Montreal who seemed to stick was Michael Bournival on 3/23/14.
Similar to the Red Wings and Griffins – there has been plenty of activity up and down this season. As someone who is a Pens fan, sorry about that, I can tell you first hand that injuries sure come in abundance out of Pittsburgh – which lead to this sort of high traffic up, down, and around affair.
Current players that are in the Stanley Cup playoffs, who could well be competing in the Calder Cup playoffs if not for injury issues, are Chris Conner, Brian Gibbons, and Jayson Megna. Players that were added to the AHL roster recently include Simon Despres and Chuck Kobasew.
Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL. Springfield Falcons, AHL.
Both are in the playoffs and two players were recalled ahead of the Stanley Cup playoffs: Wisconsin-native Jack Skille and former-Admiral Jeremy Smith. The last player to be reassigned to the from Columbus was Tim Erixon on 4/11/14.
New York Rangers, NHL. Hartford Wolf Pack, AHL.
The next few teams feature NHL sides who made the playoffs with AHL teams that didn’t. The Rangers recent recalls, ahead of the playoffs, include J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast.
Philadelphia Flyers, NHL. Adirondack Phantoms, AHL.
The only name I see in recent record being recalled by the Flyers is Chris VandeVelde. Yet, I do not see him actually listed on most website’s NHL roster. There wasn’t too much to pull from the Phantoms roster in the first place. So, for all I know, he was instantly told to enjoy his off-season.
The only Minnesota recall in April that has really lasted was a move to reinforce the goaltending woes. John Curry was brought up on 4/2/14. No other members from Iowa have been recalled and maintained.
St. Louis Blues, NHL. Chicago Wolves, AHL.
Depending on how long the Blues last – this could be one of the more interesting watches as far as NHL/AHL depth is concerned. The Blues were pretty banged up heading into the playoffs and saw the likes of Ty Rattie getting a call up. For the most part things are stable. The Blues haven’t ransacked their AHL team or anything (dagnabbit) so both are in a decent place as far as their rosters go.
Chicago Blackhawks, NHL. Rockford IceHogs, AHL.
The IceHogs aren’t up to much these days. The Blackhawks certainly are so they decided to recall just about everyone when the AHL season ended.
Hey, you never know when you need to change from a Stanley Cup contender to a line-brawl squad right?
Anaheim Ducks, NHL. Norfolk Admirals, AHL.
The Evil Admirals and Ducks are both in playoff mode right now and there were a few moves made at the end of the AHL season: Sami Vatanen (AHL), Mark Fistric (NHL), John Gibson (AHL), and Emerson Etem (NHL).
Dallas Stars, NHL. Texas Stars, AHL.
The teams that started off my whole idea behind this story. I already mentioned Mueller and Sceviour. Truth is, that’s just about it in regards to who Dallas has pulled from the AHL squad ahead of the playoffs. Sceviour has been up for awhile now -but- think of how much more lethal the Texas Stars would be having him link back up with Travis Morin.
San Jose Sharks, NHL. Worcester Sharks, AHL.
San Jose, in. Worcestershire Sauce, out. That meant very Rockford levels of activity. The San Jose Sharks recalled all of the following players to the NHL at the conclusion of the AHL season.
Both are in the playoffs and, honestly, I feel it is the Monarchs who have a better chance to do playoff damage this season. Perhaps it is just such a reason as to why Andrew Campbell and Linden Vey had such short recalls late in the season.
The Other Guys
In terms of the opposite, there are a decent number of AHL teams that made the playoffs whose parent clubs did not make the playoffs. Yeah, that’s us. So who might be seeing added pieces join the Calder Cup playoffs who spent some time in the NHL this season?
Out of all the players that will make a massive dent – former-Admiral and Marlies number one netminder MacIntyre outta top the list. The Admirals haven’t had the opportunity to play against him this season. And that should make a big difference having him in net for Toronto.
Finally a team I don’t have to do a full investigation on! With the NHL season winding down the Admirals, that’s us, saw the return of Colton Sissons and Calle Jarnkrok. The two combined for twenty-nine NHL games in Nashville this season.
What teams are being impacted the most from one-another’s playoffs? Who is benefiting? Who is hurting? What is the single biggest addition that can make a serious difference?
Many players have made the walk out of the Milwaukee Admirals locker room and onto the BMO Harris Bradley Center ice this season. Which have shined the brightest in 2013-14? (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Now that the playoff season is approaching – it’s time to reflect on everyone’s performance from the 2013-14 season. The grading system is all conjured up from my mind. No fancy calculations, or anything special, just my own personal thoughts and opinions – to which I would be excited to hear all of your own in the comments section, on Twitter, or on our new fancy Facebook page.
Also, I feel that those who have played in less than twenty games this season should be given an incomplete grade. I don’t think it would be right to grade their body of work to those who have played more games than that.
This will cover everyone who wore an Admirals jersey this season. Let’s dive right in.
Hannu Toivonen joined during the midst of our own goalie injury woes. Nashville had problems of their own this season but, in Janurary, the Admirals lost both Scott Darling amd Magnus Hellberg in rapid succession.
Toivonen didn’t have to do much. What he did, while playing his role as a stopgap, was decent. He played in four games, picked up a win, had a 2.50 goals against average, and a 0.909 save percentage.
Admittedly, I feel his highlight/lowlight probably came the moment after he was released from his PTO with the Admirals. He played opposite Pekka Rinne and allowed 8 goals against his former team on 2/28/14 as a member of the Iowa Wild. Might not have been a great night for him or the Wild – but we sure loved every moment of it.
This has been a real breakout season for the 23-year old New Yorker. Anthony Bitetto played in seventy-three regular season games with the Admirals and scored 36 points (11 goals, 25 assists). Sadly, his really hot start to the season seemed to dip at the change of the calendar. He only scored two goals in 2014 despite scoring nine goals, six of which came from the power-play, in 2013. It may have been a dip but he still finished off this year as the Admirals top scoring defensemen.
Bitetto might still be a work in progress as far as his defensive is concerned. He has a plus/minus rating of -14. His speed and strength still make up for some of those glitches to his game. And those attributes still bode very well for further improvement.
He made a massive commitment last off-season to get in great shape and earn his place in Milwaukee after a year that he saw some action in the ECHL. I am excited to see where his upcoming off-season takes him – because he certainly has the work ethic to take more leaps forward.
The Predators third rounder in the 2013 NHL Draft joined the Admirals late this season. Jonathan Diaby entered after his junior playing time for the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL were eliminated from the playoffs. He played in four games with the Admirals and, depending on summer moves, will more than likely start his season here in the AHL for the 2014-15 season.
Diaby is a mountain of a man – standing 6’5” at the age of 19-years old with room to fill out his already powerful frame. With how big he is I was very impressed by how well he could move around on the ice. He was far more mobile than I expected him to be and could skate very well. I think he should be a fun defenseman to watch develop in the coming years.
What can be said of the Sheriff that isn’t already public knowledge with Admirals fans at this point? Scott Ford is a leader through and through. He isn’t known much for his scoring prowess, 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists), but more-so for being a stay at home defenseman. With the puck movers the Admirals have featured this season his veteran defensive touch has been a boost. One better, having him from start to finish this season -knowing the locker room leader that he is- has impacted this team far more than any statistical chart could ever tell you.
Ford broke his foot back in December. He was supposed to miss four to six weeks worth of games. He was back four games after the injury citing it felt better in a stiff boot than it did in a shoe – so why not play? That’s the work tone he establishes. And it becomes a major factor at this time of the season.
I don’t know which is more sad. The fact that Teddy Ruth retired from the game of hockey at the age of 24-years old or that he will probably only ever be known as that one guy traded for Sergei Fedorov.
Ruth played in six games with the Admirals this season. He didn’t do anything spectacular – either positive or negative. Which is why, when it all boils down, you can see why the team chose to stick with Charles-Olivier Roussel over him. I wonder if just such a factor was enough for him to call it quits.
While most really never had the chance to see this 25-year old defenseman – I had the chance to see him at practice the first day he joined on an ATO.
Michael Young looked quick, was a smooth skater, had good hands, went to the final round of a team shootout drill with Francis Wathier, and wasn’t too bad at keeping the play in front of him on game-situation style drills.
Young made his professional debut as a member of the Admirals against the Toronto Marlies. He was injured very early in that road game. And that’s all we ever ended up seeing from him.
Joe Piskula has been nothing short of brilliant for the Admirals defensive core this season. Similar to Scott Ford – he has never exactly been known for his offensive abilities. More than anything it is his calming defensive presence that comes to mind.
Piskula’s season ended with seventy-three games played, 23 points (3 goals, 20 assists), and a plus/minus of +20. He did so well at the start of the season that the Nashville Predators decided he was the man they wanted up for a two-game period. It was his first NHL action since the 2011-12 season while playing with the Calgary Flames.
I think that Big Joe from Antigo can fly under the radar for some people. It’s never flashy from him. It’s just smooth. I’ve been really impressed with all the work that I’ve seen from him this season. For such a role on the team, surrounded by a group of young defensemen, I feel Piskula showed many the example of how it should be done this year.
The man that has everyone frothing at the mouth in Nashville has spent the majority of his 2013-14 season here in Milwaukee. Filip Forsberg had some playing time with the Predators – thirteen games. He captained Sweden in Sweden to a silver medal at this year’s World Juniors. For those that need reminding – he is still only 19-years old – and there is still plenty to be learned.
For those still frothing – good news! I think that Forsberg has been one of the most improved players, start of the season to the end of the season, on the entire team.
At the start of this season there were some occasions that reminded me heavily of Alex Ovechkin’s defensive work rate: sitting in space, looking distracted, and waiting for the offense to start itself up. As games picked up so did his ability to work hard defensively. He became more and more involved – more and more efficient – and more and more trusted with his presence on defense. To see him evolve from Ovechkin levels of frustration to a trusted penalty killer this season has been a far bigger delight than his end season scoring total of 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists).
I expect him to hit Nashville camp in the summer and pre-season with a new found confidence in all areas of the game. At day’s end that is precisely why he needed this season in Milwaukee – and he has delivered.
“The Curious Case of Cehlin” continued this season. In the first half of the season he looked off and, on some occasions, in over his head. Then he missed two solid months of game action due to a concussion. He has been outstanding ever since: 19 points (4 goals, 15 assists) in thirty games.
The question, beyond health issues that have shown up the last two seasons, is just what sort of player do you get with Patrick Cehlin? As was the case this season, first half or second half? Should he deliver a full-season of work to the tune of his 2014 run with the Admirals there is something to be rather excited about from him. He is quick, smart, creative, and has really minimized mistakes over the course of a season. Plus he facepunchedJon Blum – something everyone in the organization can admire! There are plenty of things to like about Cehlin. I think we all just want to see it done consistently for a full-season.
The man with the longest neck on the team, guessing, spent four games with the Admirals this season and scored no points. Last season he played one extra game than this year and picked up two assists.
The 29-year old is a fixture of the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL mainly. He had a really great year for them in 2013-14 actually: he played in sixty-four games, scored 48 points (16 goals, 32 assists), had a plus/minus rating of +7, and 46 penalty minutes. That’s all well and good but it wasn’t done right here in the AHL – nor would I have expected it to.
The 20-year old Finn joined the Admirals after his junior playing time with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL came to an end. Nashville’s fourth rounder of the 2012 NHL Draft made his professional debut with the Ads and played in two games. He looks calm and confident from the time I’ve seen him playing and practicing with the team. I expect to see much more from him in the next few years.
One of the members of this season’s “ATO” gang – he joined the Admirals out of a successful college playing career at UMass-Lowell. He made his professional debut and played five games this season. He played with great energy, was a very fast skater, and could do plenty of creative things in all three zones of the ice.
I’m not sure where his future will be, if he stays or goes, but I can easily see him sticking around the AHL level at the start of the 2014-15 season beyond our organization.
I would hate to use the term disappointing to describe Kevin Henderson’s 2013-14 season. Instead, I would prefer to describe his 2012-13 as miraculous.
A lot of weight was put on his performance last season: scoring 29 points (17 goals, 12 assists), getting an NHL call up, and scoring his first career NHL goal. The expectation was for more of the same or quite possibly another improvement.
The truth is that Henderson is your typical grinding lower-line winger that has a better sense for defense than he does offense. Last season he blurred the lines between where his strengths were: offense or defense. That meant lofty expectations this season to keep the hammer down. I would have been shocked to see him repeat that level of play up this season. Sadly, I’m surprised he wasn’t even able to deliver to the tune that he did in years past.
He was loaned to the Texas Stars and has fared well with their high-powered squad. Would he have been able to fit in and done as much with the Admirals the rest of the regular season? I’m not all that sure that he would have – and I doubt that the Admirals would have been as strong as they were with him as they are with Francis Wathier.
Braden Pimm is the man with all the connections. He attended Northeastern with Anthony Bitetto and Vinny Saponari. Pimm grew up in Fort St. John, British Columbia just like Scott Ford – whose hockey camps he would attend and help instruct. It’s not so much these great ties to the team that surprised me, which they do, but his incredibly smooth playing style.
Of all the additions to the team on an ATO basis Pimm played the most amount of games out of the bunch: nine games. I feel as if the reason for that is his attention to detail and mistake free style of hockey. It lends itself well to playing lower-line defensive hockey.
Were he to stick around for longer than this year you would only hope to see him elevate his offensive game. He joined the Admirals after his most productive college season at Northeaster where he scored 37 points (20 goals, 17 assists) in thirty-seven games. Playing mistake free and safe versus playing in attack with aggression are a fine line job but it is something he’ll need to push should he play AHL hockey versus ECHL hockey next season. Whether or not that is with our organization will be an off-season question mark as well.
Who would have thought at the start of the season just how impactful the chirp-o-matic Mathieu Tousignant would be? It isn’t necessarily scoring with him: 21 points (8 goals, 13 assists). It isn’t about his willingness to drop the gloves: 14 fights this season and, possibly, zero wins. What it is about Tousignant that makes him so impactful is that he works, works, and works.
He is a center that can bring so much to the table: speed, strength on forechecks, keen eye for defense, getting to the dirty areas, talking, more talking, talking in French, and talking some more. With all the flash that the upper lines can deliver – Tousignant has allowed for good two-way play all season long on the bottom lines of the Admirals. He has allowed balance in that respect. And he is the sort of player who perfectly sums up the Pesky Ads nature that we all know and love.
Mike Liambas is the Milwaukee Admirals top enforcer. He fights people – lots of people. He broke Jordin Tootoo’s 2004-05 Milwaukee Admirals AHL record for penalty minutes in a season.
Now here are my other favorite things about Liambas’ 2013-14 season. He works so incredibly hard on the small details of the game. He is so much more than some knuckle dragging thug looking for a fight. This season, with plenty of teaching from coaches and teammates, he has taken a step away from that side of the game to focus on the rest of it. And it shows.
The Mike Liambas we saw join the team last year versus this year are two completely different people. Last season it was more about the physical elements of the game: fighting, checking, and big hits. This season he played very measured, structured, and sound two-way hockey for the team. The offensive numbers may not back that up, 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists), but time and time again the line combination of him with Mathieu Tousignant and Joonas Rask found themselves in the offensive zone or starting games. It was about the tone that they set for the rest of the game. They worked and worked hard – shift after shift.
I’ve loved seeing the evolution of Liambas’ game this season. We all know what his fists can do and how big his heart is when it comes to being loyal to his teammates. What I hope doesn’t go unnoticed is just how well he has performed beyond those attributes this season.
From the opening games of the season, to his selection on the AHL All Star roster that would face Färjestad BK, to his first NHL call up, first NHL goal, and return in time for the playoffs – what is there to not like about Colton Sissons’ first professional playing season?
It seems like nothing really phases Sissons. He has a maturity level for his age that is astonishing. It’s hard to watch him play, speak to him, and then remind yourself that he is 20-years old. He never makes the flashy play but he always seems to make the intelligent and correct play that needed to be made.
In some ways I find him to be the opposite of Filip Forsberg. One is very flashy, skilled, and flamboyant. The other is very mechanical, simplistic, and refined. Both need to learn what the other possesses. And Sissons has the stuff coaches have the hardest time teaching players – maturity. We’ve seen plenty of great things from him this season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him maintain NHL playing time next season.
I know, I know. Calle Jarnkrok was only with us for six games. Should he really get a grade? Well, having played fifty-seven games with the Grand Rapids Griffins prior to being traded – yes.
In every single game Jarnkrok has played with the Admirals this season he scored a point: 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists). He nearly carried that same level of performance into his first career NHL call up: 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists) in twelve games with the Nashville Predators.
I’m not even expecting to see him again whenever the Admirals finish up this year’s playoffs. He is an NHL caliber center that plays with speed: physically and mentally. He just seems to process the game quicker than most. He makes his linemates around him better because of his mind for the game. Some could point at his size and say he needs to beef up to take the punishment of an NHL season. I point to his age, 21-years old, with glee. David Poile may have traded away the team’s first ever draft pick – but he replaced him with someone who can prove to be just as special to the Nashville Predators.
If there were one player from the Admirals this season who probably deserved an NHL call up but didn’t get one – it was Miikka Salomaki. In his first season of professional hockey in North America he finished as the team’s top scorer with 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) while playing all but one game of the Admirals entire regular season.
There might not be a better example of the word “relentless” than Salomaki. He never takes a shift off – ever. He finishes his checks. He races to compete on the backcheck just as hard and aggressively as he would to join an odd-man rush. Best of all, he has performed this way consistently throughout the entire season. There really has never been a dip in his compete level. He has been a blast to watch play this season. Were he to get games in the NHL next season – it would be because of all of the reasons above. Relentless.
The Swiss Olympian was highly rated out of Nashville’s pre-season camp. In fact, Simon Moser was one of the final names cut at the end of the pre-season. He plays strong two-way hockey and really appeared to get more comfortable as the season went along. His performance in the Olympics was incredibly fun to watch – so active in all areas of the ice for his Team Switzerland. Then he earned an NHL call up and scored his first career NHL goal.
It was very unfortunate that a rowdy bunch from Rockford injured him after his return to the Admirals following a successful run for himself. Moser missed one month due to a left shoulder injury but has healed up just in time for the playoffs. He seems to be back physically but, since returning, has only scored an assist. He could still be working out the kinks skating forward but I feel his best asset to the wing position is his polished defensive game. To me, his defensive skill set is his bread and butter. It can be a boost for the playoffs ahead – and the Predators in the near future.
There are a few players that seem to be in the grey with me: Bryan Rodney, Patrick Cehlin, and -every now and then- Marek Mazanec. They are the type of players that you just don’t know what kind of game they’ll deliver. Good? Bad? Both? I think Scott Valentine fits right into this group as well.
What I like about him is his physicality and grit on defense. He checks people hard and plays very well along the boards. His defensive pairing with Ford is one of the better “pure defense” lines that the Admirals can roll out. Then there will be circumstances that seem as if he tries to break that defensive mold and gets caught out for doing too much: turnovers at the blueline or, worse, right in front of his own net.
I still ponder how Valentine would fair at the wing spot rather than defense. While he certainly isn’t a buzz kill by any means in defense – I think his abilities really shine brighter whenever he finds himself filling in on the wing. Think Mike Liambas but with a little more agility and a stronger shot. That could easily be him and, with time, perhaps more.
With all the defensemen coming down the pipeline I don’t know where his future is with the team. It seems like his natural replacements would be Vainonen or Diaby. If he were to stick around I question whether we’ve not already witnessed his ceiling as opposed to those names.
Kirill Gotovets is the only player this season who I had to personally ask how he says his name. Poor guy. Just as well, he is someone who I’m still not certain who owns his playing rights. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2009. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks at the end of the 2012-13 season. And then joined the Admirals after requesting the Blackhawks organization to allow him to play elsewhere. Perhaps you guys know that ordeal better than me!
What I saw out of the Belarus Kid – I liked. He could move around real well. Appeared to have a nice shot and could make crisp passes. I saw him play his one and only game with the Admirals, his first ever as a pro, and a few practices. At 5’11” he was the shortest d-man the Admirals fielded this season. Add that in the memory bank with the skill set and I think of him as Ryan Ellis Lite. Take that as you will.
Selected in the second round of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Predators – this was Zach Budish’s first full-season of professional hockey. He joined late last season and played nine games while scoring 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists). This year he played in forty-one games with the Admirals and scored 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists). He mainly played on the fourth line – with an occasional leap to the third line. He played fairly defensively as a forward and never did too many things that leapt out at me. I may not have been alone in that feeling. He spent sixteen games in the ECHL with the Cincinnati Cyclones where he tallied 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists).
I feel as if the mold of player Budish could and should aspire to play like is Simon Moser. Both are big, strong, and defensive minded wingers. The difference between them, away from quality and effectiveness, is the offensive nature to Moser’s game to add to his defensive skills. Budish is a player who has a track record of injuries from his earlier playing days. If there was a true positive this season it was that he didn’t have a set back and has something to build on next season. I, for one, would really like to see that happen.
ECHL versus AHL performance. That is the eye twitch inducing issue with Josh Shalla the last two seasons. 2012-13: ECHL, 37 games, 28 points (21 goals, 7 assists)… AHL, 32 games, 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists)… 2013-14: ECHL, 29 games, 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists)… AHL, 26 games, 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists).
The scoring talent and eye for goal is there. It just isn’t there in Milwaukee. I’m not sure if that’s a matter of playing on a lower-line, being asked to perform a different role, or a lack of consistent playing time. The numbers in Cincinnati the last two seasons don’t lie, though. He can produce. I just want to see that ability to turn up when he gets his chances to play as a member of the Admirals in the AHL.
I don’t think there was a better story this season than when Mark Van Guilder finally received an NHL call up and played his first career NHL game at the young age of 29. Like Ford, everyone knows just what Van Guilder brings to the table. He can play every aspect of the game. He is fantastic on the penalty kill. His work on faceoffs can make big differences in games. He does it all.
He may have regressed statistically last year to this year but I don’t pin that down to him. His effort this season has been as strong as it always is for the Admirals. And his guidance and leadership for a player like Colton Sissons, and undoubtedly more, do wonders for this team and the future of the big team in Nashville.
At the start of the season, on media day, Scott Ford told me that Marek Mazanec would push Magnus Hellberg hard this season. I laughed at that. And I think I stopped laughing somewhere around his opening five-game winning streak with the Admirals. He would go on to replace Hellberg’s brief stint in Nashville, win the NHL’s Rookie of the Month award in November, and continued his success at the NHL level for quite a few games after that.
When he returned to Milwaukee, primary assist to Devan Dubnyk, Mazanec was the work horse for the team. Hellberg and Darling were both injured. It had to be Mazanec or it had to be Hannu Toivonen. Who would you pick? I actually think it was this highly taxing stretch of the season that wore Mazanec down for a good chunk of games. You almost forget his track record. This is his first North American season. Before this year the most games he had ever played in one season was twenty-one games in 2012-13 for Plzen HC. This season, taking the new territory of the North American game as well, he has played a combined fifty-six games between the NHL and AHL. That is a staggering increase in work load.
Fortunate for him and the Admirals – I feel as if he found a second wind entering the playoffs. He finished the season off with a CCM/AHL Player of the Week award and four-straight wins where he has only allowed 1.00 goals against average with a 0.965 save percentage. Wouldn’t you know it. Another quality European goalie in the system.
I like to call Bryan Rodney the Thunderdome. People don’t really like him much and he can provide fans plenty of ammunition to back those feelings up. While he can be a mess on defense at times, can make blunders holding the point, or creating turnovers in the neutral zone that lead to breakaways… he is the Admirals second best d-man in the scoring department: 34 points (5 goals, 29 assists). He actually finished third on the entire team in assists.
There is some good. There is some bad. There is even some ugly. And that’s why I call him the Thunderdome.
I think this kid has a bright future. Pekka Rinne may have only played for two games in net this season for the Admirals but he won them both.
I can’t even keep up that up for a joke. We know who Rinne is, where he belongs, and how incredible he is. It may have been a conditioning assignment for him but it also seemed to massively propel the Admirals season. Including the games that he featured in the team went 16-5-0-1 (33 points) in twenty-two games. The team was in a five-game winless skid prior to Rinne joining. Perhaps we needed him to get our bearings just as much as he needed us to get his.
When people ask me what I want most from a defensemen I tend to say, very bluntly, defense. Offensive flair, speed, goals, and a creative touch with passing are great skills to have. At day’s end though a defensemen has to hold his own zone first. I don’t think there is a better defensive defensemen on the entire Admirals team than Joonas Jarvinen.
This is his second season in North America. Injuries may have taken him out of the lineup for a chunk of the season but whenever he played the team just seemed to play more responsible hockey. I would like to think we see another step forward from Jarvinen next season.
Don’t let that regular season finale change your mind. Scott Darling has had an unbelievable season with the Admirals. If he had the games and minutes to qualify he would have the AHL’s best goals against average (2.00), best save percentage (0.933), and probably would have passed Jake Allen for most shutouts this season. Allen played in fifty-two games and recorded the league high seven-shutouts. Darling played in exactly half the games and earned six-shutouts. It has been a ridiculous season for Darling.
Taylor Beck has been extremely consistent this season for the Admirals. The team can count on him to provide his skills on the power-play, penalty kill, even strength, and -a few times- to double up on forward lines when the team needs a spark.
While Nashville fans might ask when a serious ETA for him would be in regard to playing and staying in the NHL – I just think he needs the chance to really sink his teeth into a two-way third line role and get in a groove at that level. He is well versed to play in all three areas of the ice. He might make a lapse here and there with an extra pass but, with a team best 32 assists, you can tell why he thinks about the set up rather than the trigger.
I feel like Beck has been NHL ready this entire season. He’s played to that standard all season and I wouldn’t expect that to change moving into 2014-15.
If there is one player who I truly felt the worst for this season it is Magnus Hellberg. His numbers aren’t too bad but the win/loss record is what matters the most at days end – not the save percentage.
He was injured the first day of Nashville’s pre-season camp where he hoped to follow up his incredible rookie season with the Admirals with a back-up gig to Pekka Rinne. That went away. Then he was recalled in the wake of the Rinne news, was swapped out for Marek Mazanec, and then seemingly outplayed by Scott Darling in December.
His injury in January proved to be a real low point. Just when a window opened for him to really start games on a consistent basis, due to a practice injury that would sideline Darling for a month, Hellberg was injured in the first game of a road trip that he seemed destined to start each and every game. He never played with the Admirals again the rest of the season.
While he was able to get some games back under his belt with the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL there is still no hiding from it. This season is one to forget for Hellberg.
Similar to Calle Jarnkrok, we’ve only had Francis Wathier for a little amount of time in the grand scheme of things. He played in forty-eight games with the Texas Stars and then seventeen games with the Admirals. Small sample, but he has added a great presence to the team that they didn’t have before. In my eyes Wathier is a veteran bulldozer at the forward spot. He can play center or wing and has fared well at both positions since his move out of the Stars system.
When we acquired him on loan, nearly like a trade in the way we loaned the Stars Kevin Henderson, a lot of you readers made a comparison to him being like Brad Winchester to our roster last season. It’s a nice comparison, too. Veteran leadership. Calm demeanor on and off the ice. Strong on the wall and on defense. He’s the sort of player that you just want on your team specifically for the playoffs. We may not have seen his best games in an Admirals sweater just yet.
It has been an impressive sophomore season for Austin Watson. At the start he seemed to be missing a gear but really gathered himself and finished this season on fire.
I think a lot can be said about how he handled the move from center to wing. With Sissons jumping him on the Nashville totem pole and then the acquisition of Jarnkrok – he needed the move to the outside for more than just a spark to his game in Milwaukee. Since his move to the wing in March he scored 16 points (8 goals, 8 assists) in twenty-one games.
I’m hoping this sort of move becomes permanent from him. His defense is great, probably the team’s top penalty killing forward, but allowing him the freedom of movement on the wing really added something dynamic to his offensive game. He scored two more goals and seven more assists than he did last season. There is an extra dimension that just opened up for Watson and I think Nashville should take notice of him as a winger.
Charles-Olivier Roussel’s work rate was so impressive this season that he took Teddy Ruth’s job and often forced head coach Dean Evason to include him in games and dress seven defensemen. He played sixty-six games and scored 17 points (4 goals, 13 assists). His all-around game really took a massive step forward. To think he spent the bulk of last season in the ECHL and worked his way consistently into games for the Admirals. It says more than I can as to the level of play he has shown this year.
Vinny Saponari started this season off with fourteen games in the ECHL. He joined the Admirals in late-November and never looked back. He scored 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in fifty-eight games in the AHL. He has plenty of tricks up his sleeve on offense, toe-drag specialist, and backed up that scoring with a plus/minus of +11.
It has been a fantastic story seeing Saponari come out of practically nowhere to be one of the Admirals top scoring forwards. I would really like seeing him stick around just so I can see if his game can continue to excel.
The far more famous and successful member of the Rask family joined late last season after his time with Jokerit came to an end. In his one and only game with the Admirals in 2012-13 he scored a goal and an assist before getting two games with the Nashville Predators – where he scored his first career NHL point – an assist.
I caution people who look at Joonas Rask’s speed and stickhandling and instantly think offense and turn them to his ability at the other end of the ice. His speed and active stick work really make it frustrating to play against. He can disrupt a pass on one side of the ice and have the lightning speed to turn defense into offense instantly.
That offense might not be all that there yet, 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in fifty-eight games, but he does have the tools to do damage with some time and guidance. He doesn’t deliver the boom like his fellow Finn Miikka Salomaki. He doesn’t have the offensive upside like a Filip Forsberg. But, all in all, he has a lot of talent that I could still see as impactful at the NHL level. His speed and defensive maturity are a good foundation to build on. He just needs to take the next step that sees him become a bit more threatening on offense.
Agree? Disagree? Please feel free to provide your own grades, thoughts, or opinions below in the comments!
News & Discussion Site For Your Milwaukee Admirals
Admirals Roundtable 