Game Recaps

Falling Short; Admirals Lose 2-1
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus. Game Recap: Nicholas Hatch.)

The Milwaukee Admirals lost 2-1 against the Grand Rapids Griffins at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Tuesday night.

The Admirals had won six of seven games following the NHL Trade Deadline. They have now lost three straight games in regulation while recording three goals and seeing their power-play go 0/12. Harry Zolnierczyk managed to score a shorthanded goal in the third period but the late push was too late to sway the result.

“We’re doing a lot of really, really good things – defensively,” said Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason after the game. “We’re not giving anything up. The problem is we’re not getting anything. We had some real good opportunities, some real good looks, and again our power-play has to score a goal at one of those points. We have to capitalize on that and we didn’t.”

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Scouting

Griffins: Scouting the Enemy
(Photo Credit: Sam Iannamico)

The Milwaukee Admirals started off their West Coast road trip doing what they have done so well all season: win in a shootout. The 2017-18 Admirals are the first team in the AHL to have gathered 10 wins or more in the shootout over the course of the season since 2013-14 when five teams hit the mark. What followed the was a shutout loss and an effort that pitter-pattered out for a consecutive defeat.

There are twelve games remaining in the Admirals regular season schedule. They are in sixth place of the Central Division and are starting off a huge week with three-games set against the three teams directly ahead of them in the standings. It starts tonight with the team currently resting in the fourth and final playoff spot, the Grand Rapids Griffins. There can be no more lull stretches. The Admirals need to get back to a playoff mindset if they are to have playoff hockey at all this season. If they falter this week it could be the final dagger to the heart for this season.

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Game Recaps

Powerless; Admirals Lose 3-2 to Reign
(Photo Credit: Ontario Reign)

The Milwaukee Admirals lost 3-2 on the road against the Ontario Reign at the Citizens Business Bank Arena on Saturday night.

On a night when results were such in the Central Division that the Admirals really needed a win to keep pace: they lost. The Admirals power-play went 0/6 tonight which includes a five-on-three chance of 1:45. Their inability to produce with the man advantage has hurt them this weekend.

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Scouting

Reign: Scouting the Enemy
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

The Milwaukee Admirals were shutout 2-0 last night against the San Diego Gulls. Despite that looking so bad I have to imagine if the Admirals play on that sort of level more towards the finish line they’ll do a lot more right than wrong. They’d only want to clean up some penalties and get that ice cold power-play sorted. Otherwise, the difference of that game was Reto Berra stopping everything thrown at him. If the Admirals can challenge the Ontario Reign a keep a sixty-minute pace up like they did in San Diego? I think the Admirals can get back on track tonight.

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Game Recaps

Shutout; Gulls Halt Admirals 2-0
(Photo Credit: San Diego Gulls // flickr)

The Milwaukee Admirals lost 2-0 on the road against the San Diego Gulls at the Valley View Casino Center on Friday night.

For the fifth time this season the Admirals were shutout. This was a solid effort for the Admirals. The difference was simply Reto Berra who earned a thirty-seven save shutout on the night as a Mike Liambas goal early in the second period proved to be enough.

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Scouting

Gulls: Scouting the Enemy
(Photo Credit: San Diego Gulls // flickr)

The Milwaukee Admirals are keeping in the hunt for the 2018 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs but doing so with shootout sorcery. The Admirals have the fewest amount of regulation wins (22) of any team in the AHL with a points percentage of 0.510 or better. Even the Laval Rocket with a 0.429 points percentage, and likely out of the playoff picture of the North Division, have as many regulation wins as the Admirals.

Still, the Admirals need points right now by any means necessary. Their 10-1 record in the shootout has been a big difference in them still being within a shout of the final spots in the Central Division standings. The throttle needs to stay down. Whether it is in a shootout or not the Admirals need to take care of their business if they want to keep playoff hopes alive.

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Game Recaps

Because Why Not; Admirals Win 3-2 in Shootout
(Photo Credit: Asvitt Photography // Stockton Heat // flickr)

The Milwaukee Admirals won 3-2 in a shootout on the road against the Stockton Heat at the Stockton Arena on Wednesday night.

Of the Admirals now 32 wins this season they have earned 10 wins exclusively by way of the shootout. They are now 10-1 in shootout contests with the likes of Justin Kirkland, Frédérick Gaudreau, and Anders Lindbäck shining again and again and again.

The Admirals never held a lead in this game until taking the victory in the shootout. Kirkland is now 9/10 in shootout attempts while Gaudreau is 5/9.

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Feature

Kirkland Making Sophomore Strides
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

Last season saw the emergence of four first year players with the Milwaukee Admirals: Alex Carrier, Jack Dougherty, Justin Kirkland, and Anthony Richard. All showed rather well but most have had to face real adversity in their sophomore campaign.

For Kirkland, his struggles in 2017-18 has an exact date circled around when things became difficult. 5 November, 2017. Vladislav Kamenev was traded away from the Admirals as part of a three team trade that helped acquire Kyle Turris to the Nashville Predators. The organization did not bring back Adam Payerl and now Kirkland’s lone linemate that he gelled so well with as a first-year pro was traded away. It would take a month before he would even register a point.

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Scouting

Heat: Scouting the Enemy
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)

Get your late night coffee ready, Milwaukee. The West Coast swing starts tonight for the Milwaukee Admirals. They play against the Stockton Heat tonight and then will see the San Diego Gulls and Ontario Reign on Friday and Saturday. All three of these teams have a better record than the Admirals. With the Rockford IceHogs continuing to motor forward while the rest of the Central Division’s Top Four remain a good margin ahead: the Admirals absolutely must keep the pace.

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