Chatterbox, Feature

Fifteen with Andrew O’Brien
(Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)

Remember back to when Max Görtz was traded by the Nashville Predators to the Anaheim Ducks? If you don’t, I wasn’t a very big fan of that trade at the time it happened because I felt a sophomore slump on the part of Görtz should have taken his value down as badly as a one-for-one swap with defenseman Andrew O’Brien. It was a struggling prospect for struggling prospect trade. And, now that we’ve all had the chance to digest things even more, I think I can very easily say something I have no problem saying – I was wrong.

O’Brien might not be producing Görtz’s offensive output from the 2015-16 season but neither is Görtz for that matter. What the Admirals needed more than anything as an organization at the time of the trade was actually a defenseman more than an additional forward.

The forward group was fine. Guys such as Adam Payerl, Justin Florek, and Matt White are all having great campaigns as part of a depth scoring unit that Görtz was sputtering away from. Meanwhile, the Admirals lost Adam Pardy due to injury and it wasn’t clear at the time just how long he would be out for due to a compound fracture of his left arm that he suffered two days prior to the trade to acquire O’Brien. The Admirals needed a big body presence back on defense. And O’Brien has been that while showing great glimpses of much more than just that.

What I’ve seen out of the 24-year old is a 6’4″ defenseman that not only uses the body well but skates incredibly well for his size. He moves quick and I feel his best attributes are how quick he is in decision making on the ice. O’Brien makes simple plays: battling off the wall, get pucks out of the zone, get pucks deep, and always tends to be direct when in the attacking zone by getting pucks to the net. He is very instinctive in the way that he plays rather than reactive and he benefits greatly from playing that way. His physical attributes were such that the San Diego Gulls -at times- rolled him out as a forward but -as a defenseman with the Admirals- you can see him playing at his best position with his tools working to their best use.

(Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)

Görtz was awesome a season ago. It was very sad seeing him have such rotten luck in the 2016-17 season. Yet, this was a trade for both sides to try and shake things up while benefiting their AHL organizations in ways they both needed it and giving two players a change of scenery to help them grow. Görtz has since provided a Gulls team, who are in the playoff picture out of the Pacific Division, 19 points (4 goals, 15 assists) from 28 games. It is a farcry from his 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in 72 games with the Admirals last season but significantly better than his 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) that he produced in 30 games with the Admirals before getting traded mid-season.

(Photo Credit: Greg Hamil)

O’Brien hasn’t so much been about point scoring from the defense. He does have 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists) in 32 games for the Admirals. But it is everything else away from that which you appreciate that much more. On average, most of what he has been doing as a part of the Admirals has been career best work from him. His plus/minus rating of +9 with the Admirals is +6 better than a year ago with the Gulls and it feels the structure in place is something that really suits his game. The way in which the Admirals defensive group work is meant to reflect ever so slightly that of their parent club the Nashville Predators with active defensemen who can join the rush, pinch down low in the attacking zone, and skate well enough to do transitional work effortlessly.

O’Brien might be a big guy with the nickname “Meat” but the powerhouse from Oakville, Ontario, Canada skates well enough to look the part. And it would be a joy to see what an full-season of him would be like in the system having processed everything he has this season on the fly.

Cheers to Andrew O’Brien for taking the time out to chat with Admirals Roundtable. Tomorrow we will be releasing the next edition of Fifteen which will feature Milwaukee Admirals team captain Trevor Smith. Beyond that, we’re getting down to the wire for time and selections but am always happy to hear suggestions as to who should be featured next.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

Game Recaps

Wild Weekend Ends in OT; Ads Lose 3-2 in Iowa
(Photo Credit: Shane Abbitt)

The Milwaukee Admirals lost 3-2 in overtime to the Iowa Wild on the road at the Wells Fargo Arena on Sunday night.

After a very rough start the Admirals held the fort, fought back, and forced overtime tonight in Iowa. It would end in bizarre fashion as Vladislav Kamenev lost an edge and gave a break for Alex Tuch that he would finish. The Admirals have one win from five games in April.

The start to tonight’s game couldn’t have been much worse than it was. A turnover from Trevor Murphy allowed Luke Kunin to fire a rocket past the stick side of Jonas Gunnarsson for his fourth goal of the season. The goal was scored in just forty-nine seconds of the first period and the puck pinged in and out of the net so fast that it needed to be reviewed to confirm that it was in fact a goal.

Another turnover less than a minute later would give the Wild their second goal from the second shot in just 1:36 of the first period. Trevor Smith’s attempted breakout pass was picked off at the blueline and Colton Beck was able to get a snap shot off from the low left wing to beat Gunnarsson for his fifth goal of the season.

After that second Wild goal the Admirals burned their timeout. Admirals head coach Dean Evason was visibly livid with the start. And that appeared to have a good response for the play that followed in the first period.

The Admirals would get off the mark when Vladislav Kamenev scored his twentieth goal of the season with less than six-minutes remaining in the first period. Yakov Trenin and Gustav Olofsson has slid into Steve Michalek in net. It appeared the Wild goaltender never fully recovered and wasn’t set once Kamenev deflected in a shot pass from Mike Liambas to cut the Wild lead to 2-1. Trenin earned a secondary assist on the play to record his first pro point.

Kamenev’s twentieth goal of the season meant that he joined Pontus Åberg and Frédérick Gaudreau to reach that plateau. It’s the first time since 2014-15 when the Admirals had three accomplish the feat. That season Austin Watson, Colton Sissons, and Viktor Arvidsson scored twenty-or-more goals each.

In the final minutes of the second period the Admirals picked up the pace and found an equalizer. Trenin sent the Admirals captain Smith free down the left wing and he was off on a two-on-one with Matt White on the right wing. Smith dished off for White who smashed in the shot for his fourteenth goal of the season. White now has forty points on the season.

This game would need overtime tonight. Kamenev looked to have lost an edge on his right skate and was unable to get the puck deep as he slid to the ice near his own blueline. Alex Tuch would pick up the puck, skate down the right wing, and then shoot stick-side on Gunnarsson to bury his seventeenth goal of the season to give the Wild the 3-2 overtime win tonight.

Credit must be given to Wild netminder Michalek who ends the season with four wins from four games against the Admirals. He stopped 39/41 shots on goal in the win tonight. His opposition Gunnarsson was snakebitten by the Admirals start but he did stop 22/25 in a rare appearance for the Swede.

The Milwaukee Admirals will continue with another road game on Wednesday night against the Rockford IceHogs at 7:00 PM CDT at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The Admirals will then finish off the 2016-17 regular season at home with games on Friday and Saturday against the IceHogs and Grand Rapids Griffins.

Ramblings: Since the Milwaukee Admirals played last night there weren’t any new roster additions for the team. In the ECHL, the Admirals affiliate the Cincinnati Cyclones ended their 2016-17 season last night and the team missed out on the 2017 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. Tonight’s line combinations were: Richard-Gaudreau-Kelleher, Trenin-Smith-White, Kirkland-Kamenev-Payerl, Liambas-Army-Florek, Pinkston-Carrier, Murphy-Dougherty, Girard-Granberg. Tonight’s scratches were: Åberg (healthy), O’Brien (lower-body injury), Pardy (healthy), and Ribeiro (healthy). Tyler Kelleher left the game in the third period with injury and did not return.

What were your thoughts on tonight’s game and this weekend’s three-in-three? Was it right of the Milwaukee Admirals to shake up so much with their roster this weekend after having clinched a playoff spot or should they have kept the pedal down?

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

Chatterbox

Chatterbox, Vol. 199
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

To call last night’s 4-2 loss for the Milwaukee Admirals to the Rockford IceHogs at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena a disappointment might not do the word justice. In this weekend’s three-in-three there were two teams playing for their playoff lives. The IceHogs were not one of them. For the Admirals to lose in regulation on home ice to that team in that manner shouldn’t happen.

On Friday night, the major talking point of the contest was seeing the Cleveland Monsters really stick it to the Admirals throughout the second period and end the frame with the game’s -would be- only goal and outshoot them by an astonishing 16-3. Last night, it felt like that was the case from the word “GO” and the only thing that kept that from getting away fast was Marek Mazanec. The IceHogs outshot the Admirals 17-7 in last night’s first period and 15-12 in the second period. They were far more direct in approach and it forced the Admirals to keep having to fight back in transition from defense to offense -by which time- the IceHogs were already set to deal with them at the attacking blueline and have bodies deep to defend the dump and chase.

Today there isn’t going to be a typical “Scouting the Enemy” here on Admirals Roundtable because, much like the team, I want you fans and readers to focus on the Admirals and Admirals alone today. What the Iowa Wild will be doing should be secondary to all that the Admirals need to be correcting from these last two games. The Wild should be pushing as hard as the Monsters and IceHogs. The crowd will be against the Admirals. It’s up to the Admirals and themselves alone to keep that crowd silent and go back to work. Defense First. Get Pucks Deep. Less Is More. It all sounds far more easier said than done but the more simplified the game gets for the Admirals the better the results always seem to be for them.

After last night’s game I did speak with Admirals head coach Dean Evason as well as Adam Payerl prior to both getting setup on the bus readied for Iowa. These were their comments after the loss to Rockford.

Comments on the comments? Can the Milwaukee Admirals get back to winning ways tonight in Iowa? Has this weekend’s three-in-three already been a letdown following this team locking themselves into the playoffs earlier in the week? What must change for the Admirals moving forward from these last two regulation defeats on home ice?

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

Game Recaps

Backpedaling; Ads Fall 4-2 to IceHogs
Marek Mazanec was an extremely busy human being tonight. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

The Milwaukee Admirals lost 4-2 against the Rockford IceHogs at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Saturday night.

Tonight the IceHogs didn’t play their record one bit. They played desperate and continued to throw shot after shot at Marek Mazanec. The shots total tonight paints a poor picture as the IceHogs outshot the Admirals 42-34 which helped in providing a win tonight in Milwaukee.

“We’ve talked a lot about it doesn’t matter who we play, where we play, when we play. When the puck drops we play hard. The last two nights we have not,” said Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason after the game. “That has been the biggest disappointment for us.”

After last night it was clear that the Admirals wanted to have a good start. They did just that by getting on the board first from an unlikely source in the opening frame. Jack Dougherty jumped up on the rush and crashed the net. Mike Ribeiro labeled a perfect pass from the left wing to his tape to give the Admirals’ Man of the Year his second goal of the season.

The IceHogs would knot things up at 1-1 in the second period. Michael Latta was able to rip a wrister off before Rick Pinkston could close him down. The former-Admiral’s shot flew top shelf over the stick-side shoulder of Marek Mazanec for Latta’s fourth goal of the season.

The Admirals second period woes seemed to continue and do so In rough fashion. Anthony Louis was skating low right wing against Andrew O’Brien and managed to score from a very bad angle against Mazanec to the near post. The goal for Louis was the first of his pro career.

Thankfully, the Admirals would get a response 1:31 of ice-time later to level things back up at 2-2. Vladislav Kamenev snapped a low shot that went into the pads of Jeff Glass. It looked for a moment that Glass had the puck frozen but it had enough juice on it that it wheeled on through to goal to count as Kamenev’s nineteenth of the season.

The third period would get started with some fireworks. Pinkston leveled Luke Johnson as he motored down the right wing wall in attack. That caught the eye of IceHogs captain Jake Dowell who skated on over, said some words, and then the gloves were off. It was more of a grappling match that ended with Pinkston throwing Dowell down. That still should go as a win for Pinkston in your fight cards.

Shortly after the dust up it would be the IceHogs gathering off the fight energy and scoring. Brandon Mashinter stationed himself in front of Mazanec, had a rebound, and was left by Trevor Smith and Alex Carrier to swiftly swat a second chance opportunity through for his fifteenth goal of the season to give the IceHogs a 3-2 lead.

Mazaznec would make his way to the bench with 1:19 remaining in regulation to bring on the extra attacker. With 45.6 seconds remaining in regulation a puck along the IceHogs bench drew a too many men on the ice penalty and gave the Admirals a chance with two extra bodies on the ice. The IceHogs took a time out at the time of the penalty. And Ville Pokka would hammer a puck the length of the ice into the empty net to score a shorthanded empty netter right off the following draw to make it 4-2 IceHogs from the Finn’s sixth goal of the season.

“We just didn’t play well for one period last night,” said Evason. “We didn’t play well at all tonight.”

The Admirals will finish up this weekend’s three-in-three with a lovely bus ride down to Des Moines and the Wells Fargo Arena where they will face-off against the Iowa Wild on Sunday at 5:00 PM CDT. They will then see these very same IceHogs at the BMO Harris Bank Center on Wednesday at 7:00 PM CDT to cap off a quick road set before returning home to finish off the regular season.

“We need to adjust and comeback with a great game tomorrow,” said Evason. “I don’t care how far we’re going to travel. We’re going to play a hockey game and we better play hard.”

Ramblings: Since the Milwaukee Admirals played last night the received Yakov Trenin who was assigned to them by the Nashville Predators after his junior season with Gatineau in the QMJHL came to an end in the first round of the playoffs. Tonight’s line combinations were: Richard-Ribeiro-Gaudreau, White-Smith-Åberg, Kirkland-Kamenev-Payerl, Liambas-Trenin-Kelleher, Murphy-Dougherty, Pinkston-Carrier, O’Brien-Girard. Tonight’s scratches were: Army (healthy), Florek (healthy), Granberg (healthy), and Pardy (healthy). Reminder, Jimmy Oligny was announced as out for the rest of the season following knee surgery this week.

What were your thoughts on tonight’s game? It seemed that the Milwaukee Admirals were somewhat overwhelmed by the Rockford IceHogs early in this game. Does a performance such as this make you worry about the Admirals or is this the result of resting certain players and mixing things up?

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

Scouting

IceHogs: Scouting the Enemy
(Photo Credit: Greg Hamil)

The Milwaukee Admirals had a tough go of things last night against the Cleveland Monsters. Their 1-0 shutout defeat was only the fourth time this season that the Admirals were blanked and it was the first time since 3/11/17 that they were. The Rockford IceHogs might be a nice way to rebound today. The Admirals are 6-1-1-1 against the IceHogs this season.

Coming into tonight’s game the IceHogs have a record of 24-35-9-3 (60 points, 0.423 points percentage). This is by a far margin the worst season in the IceHogs AHL history of the team which dates back to the 2007-08 campaign. Even if they were to win out they would still by 9 points shy of their previous low marks in the 2011-12 and 2013-14 seasons.

What the IceHogs do have going for them is a day of rest in the gas tank relative to the Admirals. The IceHogs last played on Thursday when they lost 3-1 on the road against the Iowa Wild. I would sympathize with the travel element in play for the IceHogs but the Admirals will be making that very same trip ASAP after tonight’s game to finish off a three-in-three weekend at the Wells Fargo Arena.

While the record and season for the IceHogs has been brutal the constant for teams in this position will always be that players are playing for pride and future work. There might only be so many players who’ll re-up to stay on the NHL/AHL cusp with the Chicago Blackhawks organization after a season such as this in Rockford but they will need to make the most of their time right now if they are to appeal to other organizations in the off-season as free agents. Just because their playoff hopes ended a long time ago won’t mean the IceHogs aren’t going to play desperate. A lot of players very much need to.

The active leading scorer on the IceHogs roster is Kyle Baun who has 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 69 games played this season. He is followed by Erik Gustafsson who has 30 points (5 goals, 25 assists) and Brandon Mashinter who has 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists). Mashinter is the IceHogs leading scorer in this head-to-head with 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists) in 8 games against the Admirals.

In net there is currently a table of four set for the IceHogs goaltenders. Jeff Glass, Lars Johansson, Mac Carruth, and Wouter Peeters are all on the roster at the moment. The safe assumption would be that those first two names mentioned would be the likely starters for both tonight or Wednesday’s upcoming contest with the Admirals travel to Rockford.

Expectations for tonight’s game? With Yakov Trenin now in the mix – who do you feel he replaces in the Milwaukee Admirals lineup? Will the inclusions from juniors help or hurt the Admirals? Would a loss today be cause for panic on your end?

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

Chatterbox

Chatterbox, Vol. 198
Samuel Girard made his professional playing debut in tonight’s 1-0 shutout loss. If you didn’t know any better you would have thought he played with the Milwaukee Admirals this entire season. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

Well, that happened. At the first least that opening sentence was my game recap for most of the night as the Milwaukee Admirals were shutout 1-0 by the Cleveland Monsters. Oddly, it is amazing to think how marginal of a scoreline that is and how big of a difference things feel if the result goes one way versus the other. If it was an Admirals shutout? We’d be thinking the defense was phenomenal. It wasn’t. And that really shouldn’t detract from what was still a very nice effort. The Monsters just won by an odd bounce that made its way to the tape of Zac Dalpe.

What I want to feel more than anything is that the Admirals still played a playoff style hockey game and, regardless of the result, that creates challenges and obstacles that need to be learned from immediately. It is very positive for the Admirals to have these sorts of games right now and have an ability to correct or learn to adjust through problems that are coming up in these regular season games as opposed to being bounced out of the first round of the playoffs – once again.

The Admirals haven’t made it past the opening round of the playoffs since the 2011 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. In their last four appearances – they have only one a single playoff game. That needs to change. And the process to learn how to change it in playoff style atmosphere is being presented by games like that which the Monsters threw at the Admirals. The examples are there. Things just need to be cleaned up, simplified, and improved moving forward. There isn’t an awful lot of time left before the playoffs begin and mistakes can’t be corrected.

After the game I spoke with Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason as well as Marek Mazanec, Anthony Richard, Samuel Girard, and Justin Kirkland. These were the post-game comments after the Admirals shutout loss to the Monsters.

Comments on the comments? Despite the loss, do you rather the Milwaukee Admirals go through games such as this now rather than run into a buzzsaw such as this in the first round of the playoffs once again?

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

News

Yakov Trenin Assigned to Milwaukee
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

Yakov Trenin has been assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals by the Nashville Predators following the completion of his 2016-17 season with Gatineau Olympiques in the QMJHL. The 20-year old Russian forward made his pro debut with the Admirals during the 2016 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs.

The past season for Trenin started off with a bang during the off-season that preceded it. He suffered a broken leg while mountain biking and missed the Predators annual Rookie Development Camp. He did join his Gatineau side to provide numbers comparable to the junior season that had the Predators selecting him in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. Trenin produced 67 points (30 goals, 37 assists) in 54 games to go along with a plus/minus rating of +16 and 84 penalty minutes. It was the first 30 goal season in his three-year junior playing career.

Trenin’s Gatineau team was eliminated out of the first round of the QMJHL Playoffs by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in overtime of game seven after Gatineau were down 3-0 in the series and 3-1 in the first period of that seventh game. During the playoffs he tallied points (goals, assists) in games. He joins an Admirals team ahead of the playoffs. He recorded an assist during last season’s opening round playoff series against the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

Game Recaps

Forsberg and Monsters Blank Admirals, 1-0

(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
The Milwaukee Admirals were shutout 1-0 by the Cleveland Monsters at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Friday night.

It was an extremely defensive game that didn’t even see a goal scored until after the midway point. Yet, a surging second period proved to be the difference tonight as the Monsters win all four games in Milwaukee this season. Their playoff lives are still very much alive.

“We’re happy with our game. We were not happy with the second period. But we were real happy with how we played for the most part,” commented Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason after the shutout loss. “Their goaltender Forsberg was absolutely outstanding. It was a good hockey game.”

It would take 35:45 of hockey to be played tonight before this game had its first goal. A puck scramble out in front of Marek Mazanec ended with Ryan Craig poking a loose puck from the right wing post to the backdoor where Zac Dalpe was camping. It was a swift finish for Dalpe who recorded his tenth goal of the season to get the Monsters ahead 1-0.

“It was just a lucky bounce for them,” said Anthony Richard of Dalpe’s goal. “It was just 1-0. So, we have to play better offensively.”

And, bizarrely, that would be lone goal in this contest. Mazanec would make his way to the bench with 1:21 remaining in regulation but the Admirals late push with the extra attacker went bust. It meant a fourth shutout of the season for Anton Forsberg who stopped all twenty-seven shots that the Admirals threw on him tonight. For perspective’s sake the Monsters registered sixteen shots on goal in the second period alone.

“It’s always like that since maybe fifteen games,” said Richard of the second period woes. “We run over the place. Nobody is touching the puck. It’s just neutral zone play. We have to find a way to put pucks deep, forecheck, and go to the net.”

The weekend three-on-three continues tomorrow night when the Rockford IceHogs arrive for a 6:00 PM CDT face-off. The Admirals will conclude the weekend with a road game against the Iowa Wild on Sunday at 5:00 PM CDT.

“Quick turn-around,” said Justin Kirkland. “Guys will be ready. We’re excited. We’re trying to prepare here for the playoffs.”

Ramblings: Since the Milwaukee Admirals played on Sunday the team officially clinched a spot in the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. The Admirals then saw the addition of Nashville Predators second round selection from the 2016 NHL Draft in defenseman Samuel Girard following the conclusion of his junior playing season. That came a day before Admirals defenseman Jimmy Oligny had season ending knee surgery. Tonight’s line combinations were: Richard-Ribeiro-Gaudreau, White-Smith-Åberg, Kirkland-Kamenev-Payerl, Florek-Army-Liambas, Pardy-Carrier, Murphy-Granberg, Girard-Dougherty. Tonight’s scratches were: Kelleher (healthy), O’Brien (lower-body injury), Oligny (lower-body injury – out for season), and Pinkston (healthy). Tonight marked the pro playing debut for Samuel Girard. Tonight’s game also marked Marek Mazanec’s 162nd played with the Admirals to make him their all-time games played leader for a goaltender in the AHL history of the team. Mazanec only trails Rich Sirois (285) and Chris Mason (173) in franchise history.

What were your thoughts on tonight’s game? What is the issue with the Milwaukee Admirals and the second period? How do you feel Samuel Girard performed in his pro debut? How will the Admirals rebound for the rest of the weekend?

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

Scouting

Monsters: Scouting the Enemy
(Photo Credit: Darren Hauck)

The Milwaukee Admirals have been stationary since Sunday. In the process, some outside help had them officially clinching their spot in the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. The team that dropped a point to make that happen were the Cleveland Monsters. While the Admirals might be good to go for the post-season the Monsters still are fighting for their playoff lives in a tight scrap for the fourth and final spot out of the Central Division.

If the season ended today the Monsters, the defending Calder Cup Champions, would be out of the playoffs. The Monsters currently rest in fifth place in the Central Division with a record of 35-28-4-4 (78 points, 0.549 points percentage). They trail the Charlotte Checkers (0.556) at the moment by a single point but are down on regulation/overtime wins (ROW) by five-games. That is a significant amount at this stage of the season to the point the Monsters really need to gain more points than the Checkers in order to make it into the playoffs. Not to be ignored are the sixth placed Iowa Wild, who the Admirals face on the road this Sunday, who stand at 33-30-6-2 (74 points, 0.521 points percentage) with a one-game better ROW mark than the Monsters. It’s extremely close to decide that final spot out of the Central Division.

That said, as rough as it might feel things have been for the Monsters this season, the current run of form they are on has been excellent. They have been playing some of their best hockey right now and it was this time a season ago when they became white hot en route to winning the Calder Cup. In their last ten-games they have gone 8-1-1-0 to put themselves back into playoff contention. In their past three road games they have a point steak that has them 2-0-1-0.

If that isn’t enough to make today that much more of a warning for the sort of team that the Admirals will be facing the team should know well enough from the head-to-head this season. The Monsters are 4-2-1-0 against the Admirals this season including a perfect record at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. In the three-games played in Milwaukee the Monsters have outscored the Admirals 14-6.

Sonny Milano is the man leading the charge for the Monsters offense this season. He is the lone player on their roster at the 40 points plateau and has a team best 43 points (16 goals, 27 assists) in only 59 games played. He is followed by the likes of: T.J. Tynan, 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists)… Markus Hännikäinen, 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists)… and Daniel Zaar, 30 points (8 goals, 22 assists).

Anton Forsberg has been the main man for the Monsters between the pipes this season. He has done a fantastic job, as well. This season he has a record of 24-16-2-2 from 47 appearances with a 2.30 goals against average, 0.925 save percentage, and 3 shutouts. Those all either match or are career bests for the 24-year old Swede in the AHL. Against the Admirals this season he is 3-2-0-0 with a 2.22 goals against average and 0.931 save percentage. He is currently being backed up by Brad Thiessen and Oscar Dansk.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak with Admirals head coach Dean Evason following practice at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. This was our interview which touches upon the weekend, the week that was, and a few other news items including injury updates on Jimmy Oligny and Cody Bass.

What are your expectations for tonight’s game as well as this weekend’s three-in-three for the Milwaukee Admirals? Is there the chance that this team suffers a lapse now that they have clinched a playoff spot? Could Samuel Girard end up becoming a secret weapon for the Admirals heading into the playoffs?

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

Chatterbox

Chatterbox, Vol. 197
Samuel Girard will wear #94 with the Milwaukee Admirals just as he did with the Shawinigan Cataractes in juniors. (Photo Credit: Daniel Lavender)

I had already planned on trekking into practice this morning at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. Yet, this morning news broke that I had been expecting for a little bit as the junior playing seasons are starting to end. Samuel Girard was officially assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals by the Nashville Predators from the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL. That added a bit more excitement to take in today’s practice. And this is how things looked.

Richard-Ribeiro-Gaudreau
White-Smith-Åberg
Kirkland-Kamenev-Payerl
Florek-Army-Liambas (Kelleher)

Pardy-Carrier
Murphy-Granberg
Girard-Dougherty
(O’Brien-Pinkston)

Mazanec
Gunnarsson

The lone inactives for today’s practice did sit back and watch from the bench-side area today. Jimmy Oligny and Cody Bass were on-hand but just spectators. Andrew O’Brien returned to the ice after suffering a lower-body injury. He was stationed in a flex-pairing with Rick Pinkston.

The injuries to Oligny and O’Brien open the door for Girard to hop right into things ASAP and could fast track him to make his pro debut on Friday night when the Admirals face the Cleveland Monsters at home. Should that happen it will likely be done with him paired to the left of Jack Dougherty. The two did lots of work together at this morning’s practice.

As for the forwards? That has been pretty much the general run of things for a good while now and Tyler Kelleher I believe is working in and out with the Mike Liambas spot in the off-chance Liambas picks up that tenth fighting major which would get him suspended for one-game under the AHL’s Fighting Major Policy. Beyond that, things have settled into this group for a decent amount of time and likely won’t change until a certain Yakov Trenin shows up in the not too distant future.

After practice concluded I had the chance to chat with the “new” Girard here in Milwaukee. I then spoke with both Alex Carrier and Anthony Richard who have played against Girard in the QMJHL in recent years. These were today’s interviews after practice.

Comments on the comments? If the Admirals are down Oligny for the rest of the season – how do you feel about Girard stepping in? Who would Girard be replacing at this point or will he sit for a small portion at the end of this season to process some games from a distance?

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