News April 8, 2016

Nashville Assign Jack Dougherty to Milwaukee

As noted when the A.J. White signed his ATO contract. This is the time of year when several collegiate and junior teams are finishing up their playing seasons. The Portland Winterhawks of the WHL were eliminated from the opening round of the playoffs at the end of March. That opens up the door for the Nashville Predators to do what they’ve done this morning by assigning defenseman Jack Dougherty to the Milwaukee Admirals ahead of the team’s trip to Charlotte this weekend.

Press Release via Nashville Predators:

Nashville, Tenn. (April 8, 2016) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Friday that the club has assigned 2014 second-round selection Jack Dougherty to Milwaukee (AHL).

Dougherty, 19 (5/25/96), recently completed his first season of junior hockey with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, where he ranked second among WHL rookie defensemen in points (11g-41a-52pts), seventh among all rookies in points, tied for 13th among all league defensemen, and tied for 16th among all skaters in power-play assists (21). The 6-foot-1, 194-pound blueliner joined the Winterhawks after spending the 2014-15 season at the University of Wisconsin, and the 2013-14 season with the U.S. National Team Development Program. A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Dougherty helped the United States win its fifth gold medal in a six-year span at the Under-18 World Championship in 2014, and led Team USA to a silver medal at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Tournament.

Nashville’s third choice, 51st overall (second round), in the 2014 Entry Draft, Dougherty played two seasons of Minnesota High School hockey with St. Thomas Academy in 2012-13 and 2013-14 and helped the Cadets capture their third consecutive Class A state title in 2013. Dougherty is on Twitter @jackdougherty2.

The Nashville Predators conclude the 2015-16 regular season tomorrow, Saturday, April 9, when they take on the Dallas Stars at 7 p.m. at the American Airlines Center (TV: FOX Sports Tennessee; Radio: 102.5 The Game). Tickets to Round One of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs are on sale now and available at Ticketmaster.com. Nashville’s opponent, as well as the date and time of each game in the series, will be announced at a later date. Fans are encouraged to visit NashvillePredators.com, or follow the team on Twitter (@PredsNHL) for the latest information on the playoffs.

Dougherty was part of the Predators 2014 Draft Class which included Kevin Fiala, Vladislav Kamenev, and Viktor Arvidsson. Dougherty was selected after Kamenev by the Predators in the second round. The 19-year old right handed shooting defenseman endured the Wisconsin Badgers rough 2014-15 season before making the leap to the junior hockey ranks as a member of the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL. He’s had a great 2015-16 season: 52 points (11 goals, 41 assists) in 68 games and had a pair of assists in the Winterhawks short playoff run when they were swept in the opening round by the Everett Silvertips. He has already signed his entry level contract with the Predators organization and will wear the number 15 when he suits up for the first time as a member of the Admirals.

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 April 8, 2016

Cyclones Report: Q&A with Sin Bin Cyclones

Hey, everyone look! It’s Zach Budish! Hi Zach! (Photo Credit: Cincinnati Cyclones // Facebook)

It has been awhile since scanning the Milwaukee Admirals ECHL affiliate the Cincinnati Cyclones. Good news, they have followed in the Admirals footsteps in clinching a playoff spot a year removed from missing out of playoff hockey.

Tonight and tomorrow night the Cyclones play on the road against the Quad City Mallards where they will be finishing off their regular season. The Cyclones are currently in second place of the Midwest Division and are seventh place in the Western Conference standings. The team trailing them in the conference at the moment? You guess it: the Mallards who they’ll be playing these last two-games. With the Tulsa Oilers still in pursuit of the Mallards it adds a heightened element to the Cyclones weekend.

To get more information on just how well the Cyclones have been doing, and hear an update on how a few familiar names have been performing in the ECHL, I reached out to Dakota Johnson of Sin Bin Cyclones for a Q&A. Here is what he had to say regarding the Cyclones season to date.

~Q&A with Sin Bin Cyclones~

Admirals Roundtable: The Cincinnati Cyclones joined the family of the Nashville Predators and Milwaukee Admirals by making the playoffs this season. What’s been the story of the Cyclones turn-around from a season ago?

Sin Bin Cyclones: I think the biggest thing that’s made a difference has been with the guy behind the bench. Last season, when the Cyclones missed the playoffs, Matt MacDonald pretty much inherited the roster, playing his system with Ben Simon‘s guys after Simon took an Assistant Coaching role in the AHL in August prior to the 2014-2015 season. This season, MacDonald had a full off-season to piece together the team he wanted. These are his guys under his system, and I think that’s made a difference between last season’s and this season’s team.

AR: Zach Budish really only had his first full healthy season playing hockey last season and looked good in both the AHL and ECHL. This season for the Cyclones he’s looked to have really taken a leap forward. How has he improved this season?

SBC: Budish has been one of our biggest weapons this season. He was the recipient of this year’s “Sin Bin Award” for “Best Offensive Player”. It’s amazing to see how far he’s come since he first came to us back in 2013-2014 for that Kelly Cup Finals run. 2nd on the team in points with 55 in 67 games. Hard to complain about that kind of a season. Selfishly, I’d like him to come back to us again next season, but he more than deserves another AHL shot in 2016-2017.

AR: Garrett Noonan is tied for third among ECHL defensemen for scoring this season. He hasn’t quite had the opportunity to play in the AHL here in Milwaukee because of the numbers stacked on top of him. How has his all-around play been for the Cyclones and would you say he’s set to make an AHL leap next season similar to that of Taylor Aronson back in 2013-14?

SBC: Absolutely. Leads all defensemen on the team with 41 points in 53 games. Leads the entire team in the assists category with 33. The numbers-game situation was unfortunate, because back in September, I wasn’t even expecting Noonan to even be sent down to us. He’s one of those players where the fact that he is in ECHL and not the AHL just boggles my mind. I really hope he’s able to get a stable roster spot in Milwaukee next year. I firmly believe he’s made his mark at the ‘AA’ level, and he’s ready to move up.

AR: The Admirals haven’t really had the need for their third goaltender who is waiting in the wings at the ECHL level in Cincinnati. This is pretty much the second straight season that has happened with both Rob Madore (2014-15) and Brandon Whitney (2015-16) only going up to watch a game from the bench once or twice. What are you seeing from Whitney and do you feel he has improved at all over the course of the season?

SBC: Whitney has had his fair share of bright and dark spots this season. He hasn’t seen a ton of action since Andy Iles was claimed off waivers back in January, only appearing in a handful of games. He definitely has some strengths. The obvious one being his size. But, his struggles have outweighed the good unfortunately. Rebound control has been his worst nightmare. I can safely say a good 80% of the goals he’s given up, have come off of humongous rebounds he left out that could’ve been prevented if he had been able to hold onto it. Sitting all this time hasn’t done him much justice either. When he had to relieve Iles in the 3rd period of a game in Indy a couple weeks ago, I noticed his reaction timing to shots was really slow, and he just seemed to be real stiff overall in goal. I know he’s under contract through the end of 16-17, so he’ll most likely be in Cincinnati again next season. I’m very interested to see how he’s able to work on things over the off-season and see if he comes back next season with the kinks worked out.

AR: Jonathan Diaby was the poster boy for the new Milwaukee Admirals uniforms and logos this summer. He’s the man pictured in The Hockey News 50 Best Sweaters in Hockey History. For all the visual appeal he’s had from that he’s hardly seen the light of day in Milwaukee this season. What are you seeing of him in Cincinnati and is he improving as the season progresses?

SBC: Similar to Whitney, he’s had a few bright spots, but the bad has outweighed the good, unfortunately. He’s starting to learn that he can use his size to his advantage. He’s picked up his physical play a bit, even scored his first pro goal in Quad City a month or so ago. He has really struggled lately though. It’s come by just not making smart decisions on the ice. He’s been prone to turning the puck over a number of times in his own zone, a lot of times ending up in the opponent scoring. In his case, he just needs to make smarter decisions on the ice, and he’d be a high quality defensemen. What I said for Whitney can be said here again. I’d like to see Diaby come back to Cincinnati next season after working over the off-season and see what he’s improved upon.

AR: What have been some of the surprising storylines that have taken place in Cincinnati this season?

SBC: The biggest surprising storyline in Cincinnati has been the play of goaltender Andy Iles. Obviously, the Columbus Blue Jackets have had some injury troubles with goalies, so the Cyclones have been without the services of Brad Thiessen for a majority of the regular season. Iles was claimed off waivers in January and has just taken that #1 spot in goal and ran with it. He’s bounced around and struggled a bit with other ECHL teams. For him to come to Cincinnati, got named ECHL Goaltender of the Month for February, and be able to find his game has been huge for us. I can safely say if the Cyclones had never found Iles, they would not be playing playoff hockey next weekend.

AR: Outside of the crop of players that Admirals fans have come to know over time who are some of the players in the Cyclones lineup you feel could contribute nicely at the AHL level?

SBC: The obvious answer would be Andrew Yogan, who’s been back and forth between Cincinnati and a few AHL cities on PTO’s this season. I know ‘older guys’ aren’t necessarily favored in the AHL but I think guys like Jack Downing and Tommy Mele could do something to contribute offensively up there. Colin Mulvey is another guy who I think could hang around in the A.

AR: The ECHL’s regular season is nearly over. How do you see the Cyclones doing in the 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs?

SBC: I really would prefer not to jinx it, but the Cyclones have been their own worst enemy lately and self inflicting mistakes have been what costs them games. This weekend in Quad City is their last chance to gain some last minute momentum heading into the postseason. If they can get their heads screwed on straight beforehand, I think they can make some noise. Of course, that’s easy for me to say from upstairs.

Cheers to Dakota Johnson for taking the time to provide an update on some usual suspects here to Milwaukee fans as well as insight on the Cyclones season. You can follow Sin Bin Cyclones on Twitter or at the website right here.

Feature April 7, 2016

Fifteen with Corey Potter

2/29/16. NHL Trade Deadline Day. If you were like me you woke up bright and early, flipped on any channel that was featuring TSN’s TradeCentre coverage, and was eagerly awaiting a day in which the Nashville Predators might make another one of those “go for it” types of trades that impacts the future talent pool currently residing within the ranks of the Milwaukee Admirals depths. I was almost certain that Scott Hartnell might find his way back into Nashville. But, as it turned out, the Predators didn’t do anything for themselves this season. Instead they actually turned to their AHL affiliate and made a trade to make them stronger.

I know for most Predators fans they didn’t think much of anything when Corey Potter was attached to the team’s lone trade made on Trade Deadline Day but it has quickly been proven to be a tremendous move for the Admirals. At the start of this season the Admirals lone right handed shooting defenseman was Taylor Aronson. Around mid-January the Admirals aimed to shake up their defense by balancing out righties and lefties on defense. Conor Allen out, Patrick Mullen in (1/14/16). Victor Bartley out, Stefan Elliott in (1/15/16). With Potter added to the mix the Admirals actually find themselves in an amusingly new territory where there is often a defensive pairing of two righties now as opposed to what had been a pair of lefties.

All things told, this shake up to the Admirals defense has made a big difference on the team. Since Mullen’s debut for the Admirals on 1/15/16 the team has gone 23-8-1-2. Since Potter’s Admirals debut on 3/3/16 the team has gone 12-2-0-2.

For someone in Potter’s position this has to be a wonderful feeling. The Admirals are the top team in the AHL’s Central Division at the moment and currently have the second most points (95) in the entire league behind the Toronto Marlies (105). The team that Potter had been playing for this season prior to the trade, the Springfield Falcons (AHL affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes), is currently dead last in the AHL’s Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings. He went from the bottom of one conference to a team attempting to bust through the Ontario Reign’s clinch to the top spot in the Western Conference.

While Potter is yet to score a goal as a member of the Admirals, only posting three assists to date from sixteen games, you can’t argue with what his two-way ability has done for the team. His pairing with shutdown defenseman Jimmy Oligny is a night after night lock. And, perhaps, what Potter provides even better might not entirely be seen on the ice but off it. Potter is 32-years old on a team full of young up and coming talent. He offers tremendous experience: 129 NHL games, 420 AHL games, and 33 games worth of playoff experience between the AHL and NHL. The Admirals don’t just want a strong regular season. They want a Calder Cup. A player of Potter’s caliber and experience makes waves on and off the ice. He might have been an eyebrow raiser to some at the NHL Trade Deadline being penciled as a trade by Nashville. But his importance to Milwaukee could be potentially massive if the season continues trending as wickedly hot as it has been since his arrival.

~Fifteen~

A big time thanks to Corey Potter for taking the time for this interview. Fifteen will hopefully continue shortly after the Milwaukee Admirals return home. As for now, the team is off to Charlotte where they will play against the Checkers on Saturday and Sunday. Fun Fact. Potter’s first professional team was the Charlotte Checkers back when they were an ECHL team in 2006-07.

Game Recaps April 6, 2016April 7, 2016

The Point Streak Hits Ten; Ads Win 5-2

This is Pontus Åberg. This guy is hot right now. (Photo Credit: Manitoba Moose // flickr)

The Milwaukee Admirals won 5-2 against the Manitoba Moose Wednesday night at the MTS Centre.

An explosive second period saw the Admirals get out of a 1-0 hole by stretching their legs a bit. The Admirals speed created several chances for them in this game including a three-point night for Pontus Åberg who is now the top goal scorer on the Admirals this season after tagging the Moose for a pair tonight. The Admirals point streak is now up to ten-games with a record of 8-0-0-2 and they have won their last four straight.

It wasn’t a good start for the Admirals who spent a fair bit of the opening period on the penalty kill. The Moose earned three power-plays in the first period but the Admirals were able to limit shots to the net and kill off all three chances. The breakthrough for the Moose came from an unlikely source as Andrew MacWilliam thumped in a one-timer from the point that whistled through four bodies camped out in front of Marek Mazanec and in for the defenseman’s first goal of the season in his sixty-eighth game.

The second period was a much different story. The Admirals used their speed and generated eighteen shots on goal while whipping three pucks past Moose goaltender Eric Comrie to take a 3-1 lead.

On their first power-play chance of the night the Admirals scored their third power-play goal from three power-play chances in Manitoba this trip. Pontus Åberg passed from left wing to right wing where Vladislav Kamenev fired a rocket shot of a one-timer for the Russian’s fourteenth goal of the season.

After a savvy bit of defensive zone work by the Admirals, Max Görtz led a charge into the Moose zone that ended with a toe-drag, rebound, and tap-in goal by Félix Girard. Görtz’s shot came from the right wing as he cut towards the slot on a toe drag move. Comrie made the initial save put kicked the puck right to Girard who had all of the net to dump the rebound into for his fifth goal of the season.

With under two-minutes remaining in the second period the Admirals added a third goal that came thanks to a home run pass from Corey Potter. The veteran defenseman spotted a gap up ice and threw a puck from deep in the Admirals defensive zone to Åberg in stride and the Swede maintained a shooting position down the right wing and snapped a shot high glove on Comrie to record his twenty-first goal of the season.

Past the halfway point in the third period the Moose were able to cut the deficit and make it a one-goal game. Sean Escobedo’s shot from the blue line was fanned on but carried to the slot like a pass where Darren Kramer scooped it up and swiped past Mazanec for a goal to his glove side. The goal for Kramer was his seventh of the season.

As was the case last night the Admirals were quick to squash the Moose getting too close for comfort. Joe Pendenza had drawn a penalty but carried on his run down the right wing to deliver a pass back post where Jamie Devane was able to score his sixth goal of the season. The Moose would then be called for a hooking minor where Åberg put on a skill show, freezing Comrie in his place with a stickhandle, and then whipped the puck back behind him before he skated past the net. It was Åberg’s second goal of the night and pushed him past Max Reinhart for the team lead in goal scoring with his twenty-second of the season. The goals for Devane and Åberg were scored 1:12 apart from each other to give the Admirals a 5-2 lead that they would hold to the finish line.

Tonight was Mazanec’s first start in net in three-games and he came up with some high quality saves in his nineteenth win of the season. He stopped 27/29 shots on goal against the Moose and was the backstop to an Admirals penalty kill that killed all four Moose power-play opportunities tonight.

Ramblings: Since the Milwaukee Admirals played last night there were no roster moves made in the organization. The only thing of note was that Stefan Elliott officially rejoined the team after his reassignment from the Nashville Predators yesterday and the Admirals decided to dress seven defensemen for tonight’s game as a result. Tonight’s line combinations were: Reinhart-Gaudreau- Åberg, Fiala-Kamenev-Payerl, White-Girard- Görtz, Devane-Pendenza, Elliott-Mullen, Oligny-Potter, Näkyvä-Aronson, Murphy. Tonight’s scratches were: Cody Hodgson (upper-body), A.J. White (healthy), and Johan Alm (lower-body). Tonight both the Rockford IceHogs and San Diego Gulls clinched playoff spots. Also taking place tonight was the Ontario Reign, who lead the AHL’s Western Conference on points percentage, managed to clinch the first ever Pacific Division title.

Thoughts on tonight’s game? What do we all think of the current run of form by Pontus Åberg? How did Marek Mazanec look in his first game back in net after a solid run from Juuse Saros? Are you worried at all that the Admirals might be peaking too soon or can this run carry over into the playoffs?

News April 6, 2016

Juuse Saros Named to AHL’s All-Rookie Team

The AHL’s year-end awards are already starting to trickle out. This first of these to be announced is the AHL’s 2015-16 All-Rookie Team and Milwaukee Admirals goaltender Juuse Saros has been named to the team.

Press Release via AHL:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League has announced the 2015-16 AHL All-Rookie Team, as voted by coaches, players and media in each of the league’s 30 member cities.

2015-16 AHL All-Rookie Team (stats through Apr. 5)
Goaltender – Juuse Saros, Milwaukee Admirals (34gp, 26-7-0, 2.18gaa, .922sv%, 4so)
Defenseman – Brandon Montour, San Diego Gulls (63gp, 11+41=52pts., E, 29 PP pts.)
Defenseman – Robbie Russo, Grand Rapids Griffins (65gp, 5+34=39pts., +47)
Forward – Austin Czarnik, Providence Bruins (62gp, 16+40=56pts., +15, 5 PPG, 2 SHG)
Forward – Mikko Rantanen, San Antonio Rampage (47gp, 22+34=56pts., +20, 5 PPG, 4 GWG)
Forward – Frank Vatrano, Providence Bruins (33gp, 33+16=49pts., +17, 3 hat tricks)

Each player will receive a custom-designed crystal award in recognition of his selection to the 2015-16 AHL All-Rookie Team.

Previous selections to the annual AHL All-Rookie Team include Zdeno Chara (1998), J.S. Giguere (1998), Marc Savard(1998), Daniel Briere (1998), Dan Boyle (1999), Cory Sarich (1999), Barret Jackman (2002), Ron Hainsey (2002), Jason Spezza (2003), Brad Boyes (2003), Cam Ward (2005), Thomas Vanek (2005), Rene Bourque (2005), Kevin Bieksa (2005),Jimmy Howard (2006), Dan Girardi (2006), Mike Green (2006), Jaroslav Halak (2007), Troy Brouwer (2007), Ryan Callahan(2007), Bobby Ryan (2008), Teddy Purcell (2008), Brian Boyle (2008), Alex Goligoski (2008), Nathan Gerbe (2009), Justin Abdelkader (2009), John Carlson (2010), P.K. Subban (2010), Logan Couture (2010), Lars Eller (2010), Eddie Lack (2011),Brendan Smith (2011), Gustav Nyquist (2012), Tyler Johnson (2012), Justin Schultz (2013), Sami Vatanen (2013), Jason Zucker (2013), Tyler Toffoli (2013), Ryan Strome (2014), Teemu Pulkkinen (2014) and Matt Murray (2015).

The 2015-16 First and Second AHL All-Star Teams will be announced on Thursday.

2015-16 AHL All-Rookie Team

Juuse Saros, Goaltender (Milwaukee Admirals): A fourth-round draft pick by Nashville in 2013, Juuse Saros has shined during his North American debut with Milwaukee this season. Entering Wednesday’s action, the 20-year-old native of Forssa, Finland, is 26-7-0 with four shutouts in 34 appearances for the Admirals, ranking third in the AHL with a 2.18 goals-against average and seventh with a .922 save percentage. Saros, who won eight consecutive starts from Nov. 5 to Dec. 5, is currently 11-1-0 in his last 12 decisions and has helped lead Milwaukee to the top of the Central Division. Saros also made his NHL debut this season, starting for the Predators on Nov. 28 vs. Buffalo.

Brandon Montour, Defenseman (San Diego Gulls): Selected by Anaheim in the second round (55th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Brandon Montour is tied for third among all AHL rookies and ranks second among all defensemen in scoring this season, with 52 points (11 goals, 41 assists) in 63 games for San Diego. The 21-year-old native of Brantford, Ont., also leads the entire league in power-play scoring (29 points), anchoring a Gulls unit that ranks fourth in the AHL in efficiency. Montour, who turned pro last spring after completing his freshman season at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, has had 12 multiple-point games this season, including a four-point night vs. Bakersfield on Nov. 11.

Robbie Russo, Defenseman (Grand Rapids Griffins): In his first pro campaign after a stellar four-year collegiate career at Notre Dame, Robbie Russo has tallied five goals and 34 assists for 39 points in 65 games for Grand Rapids in 2015-16, while posting a plus-47 rating that is tied for the highest mark by an AHL player since 1993. Russo, who has been on the ice for only 28 even-strength goals by the opposition all season, has also contributed offensively, ranking third among AHL rookie blueliners in scoring and closing in on the franchise record for assists by a rookie (36, Gustav Nyquist). A 23-year-old native of Westmont, Ill., Russo was originally a fourth-round draft pick by the New York Islanders in 2011.

Austin Czarnik, Forward (Providence Bruins): Tied for the AHL scoring lead among rookies with 56 points (16 goals, 40 assists) in 62 games, Austin Czarnik is in the midst of a standout campaign with the Providence Bruins. Czarnik has registered two separate five-game scoring streaks, and he notched his first career hat trick in a 3-2 overtime victory over Bridgeport on Dec. 18. Signed as a free agent by Boston out of Miami University, Czarnik is tied for ninth in the overall scoring race, and his 25 power-play points – good for a share of fourth in the league – have helped the Bruins to the top-ranked power play in the AHL.

Mikko Rantanen, Forward (San Antonio Rampage): It has been a memorable season for Mikko Rantanen, who is tied for the AHL rookie scoring lead with 56 points (22 goals, 34 assists) despite appearing in just 47 games for San Antonio. The 10th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Rantanen began the season in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche before joining the Rampage, where he has been held off the scoresheet just nine times in his 47 outings. A 19-year-old native of Nousiainen, Finland, Rantanen skated in the 2016 Toyota AHL All-Star Classic – where he was the second-youngest AHL participant in the event’s modern history – and won a gold medal while captaining his country’s team at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Frank Vatrano, Forward (Providence Bruins): Frank Vatrano has been nearly unstoppable during his time in Providence this season, scoring a league-leading 33 goals in 33 games for the Bruins. Poised to become just the fourth player in AHL history to average a goal a game while scoring at least 30, Vatrano has also peppered opposing goalies with 172 shots on goal (5.2 per game) and recorded three hat tricks, including tying an AHL record with three unassisted goals in a single game on Mar. 6 vs. Portland. The 22-year-old native of East Longmeadow, Mass., and UMass-Amherst product has also appeared in 37 NHL games with Boston this season, tallying eight goals and three assists.

With tonight’s game included there are still six-games remaining before the Admirals 2015-16 regular season comes to a close but the rookie class of the AHL this season has pretty well cemented itself.

Saros isn’t just among the league leaders in major goaltending categories with rookies but across the entire league itself. He has made 34 starts this season and holds a record of 26-7-0-0 in net with a 2.18 goals against average, 0.922 save percentage, and four shutouts. He has also participated in a total of four shootouts this season and has stopped all thirteen shootout attempts he has faced to help the Admirals in securing crucial points that see them atop the AHL’s Central Division.

Game Recaps April 5, 2016April 5, 2016

Managing The Gap; Ads Hold Off Moose to 4-2 Win

The Milwaukee Admirals 4-2 on the road against the Manitoba Moose Tuesday night at the MTS Centre.

A strong second period helped see the Admirals get over the hump tonight against a Moose team that has had their number this season. Managing a two-goal cushion was a key to tonight’s game as the Moose twice, including late with their net emptied, rallied back to make it a one-goal deficit. The Admirals would never allow the Moose to rally back and level the score and Kevin Fiala marked his return to the lineup with an empty netter to end the Moose’s late theatrics tonight. The Admirals point streak is now up to nine-games.

It wasn’t the greatest of starts for the Admirals but they did a solid job on damage control by escaping the first period at a scoreless draw. Once the second period began it looked like the Admirals were a different team. They tilted the ice and, after Kevin Fiala drew a tripping call, scored with a delayed penalty against the Moose allowing for the extra attacker situation to make a different. Fiala threw a puck towards the net and Jimmy Oligny rushed up from the blueline and nearly scored off of a backhanded shot. Connor Hellebuyck made a great save on Oligny’s shot but left the rebound right in-line with Adam Payerl who popped it home for his eleventh goal of the season to give the Admirals a 1-0 lead.

Brendan Lemieux, the son of four-time Stanley Cup champion Claude Lemieux, was making his professional playing debut tonight for the Moose. Unfortunately for him, his first penalty taken as a pro came back to cost his team. As Lemieux sat for a hooking minor Patrick Mullen put a puck into Pontus Åberg’s wheelhouse and he unleashed a howitzer of a one-timer that rifled near post and into the top shelf. Hellebuyck has zero chance of stopping the shot by Åberg and it gave the Swede his first twenty goal season of his professional playing career.

Lemieux would redeem himself early in the third period by drawing a penalty against Taylor Aronson to get the Moose to a power-play where they would cash in. Jansen Harkins delivered a low shot from the left wing that Juuse Saros stopped with the pads but kicked the rebound out to the right wing where Brandon Denham was able to smack in his first career AHL goal to make it a one-goal contest with 16:18 remaining in regulation.

After Jordan Hill was called for tripping the Admirals answered the Moose’s power-play goal with one of their own. Mullen was able to pick out Max Görtz who was all alone at the right side of Hellebuyck. It was a quick trigger shot for Görtz to capitalize on the surprise element for the Moose penalty kill and goaltender who lost sight of him and the second Swede to score for the Admirals on the power-play on the night pushed his goal total to seventeen.

With 2:01 remaining in regulation Hellebuyck made his way to the Moose bench for the extra attacker to hop on and look for a late rally. This nearly all paid off. The Moose were able to score quickly into their first bid with an extra attacker on to make it a 3-2 game. John Albert’s shot from the left point took a harsh deflection or two in front of Saros and bounced past him with 1:47 remaining in regulation. Chase De Leo was credited with the goal. It was his seventeenth scored this season and his fifth goal from seven games against the Admirals.

The next wave of attack for the Moose with their net emptied didn’t have the same story pan out. Instead the Admirals were able to get a puck out to Kevin Fiala who skated the puck into the empty net to seal the game off with his seventeenth goal of the season.

This game marked the third consecutive start in net for Saros and his hot run continued. He has won nine of his last ten games with a 1.56 goals against average and 0.941 save percentage during this recent run. Saros has played in three games against the Moose this season and won all three starts. These two sides lock up for the last time in the 2015-16 season tomorrow night, once again, in Manitoba.

A look to the AHL’s Central Division standings right now will show that all teams in the top four have now played seventy-games this season. The Admirals currently hold a five-point lead to the second placed Grand Rapids Griffins who are now tied with the Lake Erie Monsters. The Rockford IceHogs, who lost in overtime tonight to the fifth placed Charlotte Checkers, are now seven-points back of the Admirals.

Ramblings: Since the Milwaukee Admirals last played on Saturday there were a pair of roster moves made. The Nashville Predators recalled Cody Bass from the Admirals and reassigned Stefan Elliott to the Admirals from his emergency recall assignment. Elliott was unable to arrive to Manitoba in time for the start of tonight’s game but is expected to take part tomorrow. Tonight’s line combinations were: Reinhart-Gaudreau-Åberg, Fiala-Kamenev-Payerl, White-Girard-Görtz, AJ-Pendenza-Devane, Oligny-Potter, Näkyvä-Aronson, Murphy-Mullen. Tonight’s scratches were: Cody Hodgson (upper-body), Stefan Elliott (traveling), and Johan Alm (lower-body).

Thoughts on tonight’s game? Would you chalk up the first period as a lull that was swiftly corrected in the second period? Whether it be Arvidsson, Åberg, or Görtz – how good have those Swedes been for the Admirals from the left wing circle on the power-play?

News April 5, 2016

Stefan Elliott Reassigned to Milwaukee

The Nashville Predators and Milwaukee Admirals are both in action tonight. Ahead of those games the Predators have reassigned Stefan Elliott to the Admirals with Ryan Ellis set to return.

Press Release via Nashville Predators:

Nashville, Tenn. (April 5, 2016) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Tuesday that the club has reassigned defenseman Stefan Elliott to Milwaukee (AHL). He was on recall under emergency conditions.

The Nashville Predators are celebrating the final week of the regular season, Fan Appreciation Week, with hundreds of giveaways and promotions during the two remaining home games. The Predators play their final games of the 2015-16 regular season tonight, Tuesday, April 5 against the Colorado Avalanche (FOX Sports Tennessee, 102.5 The Game), and Thursday, April 7 versus the Arizona Coyotes (FOX Sports Tennessee, 102.5 The Game). The first 15,000 fans attending the home finale will receive a pair of Preds sunglasses, courtesy of Hermitage Lighting Gallery. For tickets, fans can visit NashvillePredators.com or call 615-770-7800.

Elliott was recalled under emergency conditions following an injury to Ellis and, in his time up with the Predators, played in a pair of games. He logged just under fifteen minutes of ice-time in his last outing and didn’t register a point of offense. It’s unclear at this point if Elliott will make it in time to join the Admirals ahead of their game tonight in Manitoba.

Scouting April 5, 2016

Moose: Scouting the Enemy

Every team seems to have a woeful pest. For example, the Grand Rapids Griffins and all their success this season lost out in regulation in all four-games against the San Antonio Rampage – a team the Milwaukee Admirals swept in their season series. On the Admirals end of the spectrum there is the Manitoba Moose. They’re the second worst team in the AHL this season based on points percentage yet hold a season series record against the Admirals of 4-1-0-1. It’s just one of those oddities isn’t it?

~Tracking The Moose~

The Moose are already long eliminated from playoff contention in their return season to the AHL. They enter this two-game set with the Admirals holding a record of 23-38-4-5 (55 points) for a 0.393 points percentage. The only team lesser than them in the Central Division, Western Conference, and AHL standings are the Iowa Wild who have a 0.386 points percentage.

While the record isn’t anything special it is worth noting that the Moose have been finding a touch of form. Going back to Valentine’s Day the Moose actually have a 0.500 record by rattling off 11 wins from their last 22 games. Every one of those games was decided in regulation. So that means a very blunt 11-11-0-0 record.

~Who What Now?~

The Moose are currently without their leading scorer and one of the top scoring defensemen in the AHL this season, Brenden Kichton. The 23-year old was recalled to the Winnipeg Jets yesterday.

That wasn’t the only roster news for them yesterday. Brendan Lemieux, the son of Claude Lemieux, was assigned by the Jets from the Windsor Spitfires to the Moose where he is expected to make his professional playing debut. Lemieux is coming off of a junior playing season in the OHL where he produced 48 points (23 goals, 25 assists) in 34 games.

The Moose won’t have their top scorer on the season, sure, but the second man in line just so happens to be the top goal scorer for the Moose in this match up. Chase De Leo has 5 points (4 goals, 1 assist) in 6 games against the Admirals this season. That includes scoring a hat trick back on 12/19/15. He has produced 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) from 67 games in his rookie season and has a plus/minus rating of -24 and 32 penalty minutes.

In net right now the Moose have their top two guys stationed in camp. Connor Hellebuyck has played in 27 games for the Moose this season, has a 11-14-1-0 record, 2.43 goals against average, 0.924 save percentage, and 4 shutouts. He also has played in 26 games for the Jets at the NHL level this season where he held a 13-11-0-1 record, 2.34 goals against average, 0.918 save percentage, and 2 shutouts. He is followed by the man who really stepped up in his absence for the Moose, Eric Comrie. The 20-year old’s first full-season of pro hockey has seen him earn an AHL All-Star selection and be up among the top rookie goaltenders this entire season. Comrie has played in 43 games, sports a 12-23-7-5 record, has a 3.12 goals against average, 0.908 save percentage, and a shutout.

Expectations for these games in Manitoba? Are you worried that the Admirals, after experiencing the sensation of clinching a playoff spot, might take their eyes off the ball when playing the Moose?

News April 4, 2016

Cody Bass Recalled by Nashville

Ahead of tomorrow’s contests for both sides the Nashville Predators have recalled Cody Bass from the Milwaukee Admirals. The Predators will be playing against the Colorado Avalanche at home tomorrow night while the Admirals will be on the road facing the Manitoba Moose.

Press Release via Nashville Predators:

Nashville, Tenn. (April 4, 2016) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Monday that the club has recalled forward Cody Bass from Milwaukee (AHL).

Bass, 29 (1/7/87), has appeared in 14 games with the Predators in two recalls this season, his first in the organization (0 pts, 12 PIMs), and has 63 career NHL games to his credit with Nashville, Ottawa (where he was a teammate of Mike Fisher) and Columbus, posting five points (2g-3a) and 83 penalty minutes. The 6-foot, 205-pound winger has also played 39 games for the Division-leading Admirals this season, posting nine points (4g-5a) and 84 penalty minutes. The Owen Sound, Ontario, native was Ottawa’s third choice, 95th overall (fourth round), in the 2005 Entry Draft, and helped the Binghamton Senators win the 2011 Calder Cup as AHL champions, in addition to winning the 2011 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award as presented annually to the AHL’s man of the year for service to his local community.

The Nashville Predators conclude their home slate of regular-season games this week, playing the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday and Arizona Coyotes on Thursday (both on FOX Sports Tennessee, 102.5 The Game). Fans can still take advantage of the team’s Playoff Bound Pack. Under the promotion, fans can purchase tickets to the remaining two regular-season home games and guarantee seats for Round One of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. For more information, visit NashvillePredators.com or call 615-770-7800.

Bass has been every part the leader for the Admirals that you would expect out of a captain. With Colton Sissons enjoying an extended stay in the NHL Bass has reallt stepped up as part of the Admirals leadership group during the playoff push at the end of this season. The Admirals clinched a playoff spot with a 2-1 win over the San Antonio Rampage. This season with the Admirals the 29-year old Bass has produced 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) in 39 games. He has also played for 14 games with the Predators at the NHL level. He has 63 career games of NHL experience upon this recall.

If you are wondering where this recall leaves the Admirals the forward group is just fine. Kevin Fiala was left out of the Tuesday night showdown against the Grand Rapids Griffins due to a violation of team rules. The team then signed forward A.J. White from UMass-Lowell to an ATO contract. White made his professional playing debut on Saturday night over Fiala who was a healthy scratch on the evening. The expectation now would be to see Max Reinhart or Joe Pendenza return to center with Fiala rejoining his linemates of Vladislav Kamenev and Adam Payerl with White probably playing on the lower tier lines for the Admirals. With White’s UMass-Lowell history, playing on a line with Pendenza, it would be a fun sight to see that reform with both in Admirals colors.

Feature April 4, 2016

Fifteen with Taylor Aronson

The Fifteen series is back in your life. Apologies from myself for the layoff between new editions of the series but, with an AHL team fluctuating between roster moves and road trips, it can be tricky to lock down certain players for interviews. With the Milwaukee Admirals set to embark on a road trip for this week that will see them travel to Manitoba and then Charlotte I have two to share for this week. The first one is one I’ve been meaning to do for awhile because I think this guy deserves a spotlight.

Taylor Aronson was a third round draft pick of the Nashville Predators in the 2010 NHL Draft. That came after his debut season playing in the WHL with a Portland Winterhawks program that has developed and continues to develop very notable talent for the Predators organization. In the time that Aronson was in Portland the California native played alongside the likes of Ryan Johansen and Brendan Leipsic. His career with the Winterhawks lasted two-seasons where he played 142 games, scored 67 points (10 goals, 57 assists), and lost out in the 2011 WHL Finals to the Kootenay Ice.

Upon becoming pro in 2011-12 Aronson spent his first two seasons fluctuating between the AHL and ECHL. He had 26 games of AHL experience with only 3 assists to show for it upon entering his third pro playing season. That season of 2013-14 was spent entirely with the Cincinnati Cyclones and he performed very strongly. He was the Cyclones top scoring defenseman with 38 points (6 goals, 32 assists) in 65 games. His plus/minus rating of +28 ranked him tied for fourth in the entire ECHL that season and he and his Cyclones team would fall in the Kelly Cup Finals to the Alaska Aces.

When the 2014-15 rolled in it did so with an opening for Aronson. The Admirals defense offered no other right-handed shots from the defense other than him. But, that wasn’t the real reason why he ended up earning a spot. His work throughout the season proved exactly why he was brought up from the ECHL ranks. He went from becoming the top scoring defenseman in Cincinnati the previous season to the top scoring defenseman in Milwaukee: 32 points (3 goals, 29 assists) in 73 games.

Of note for Nashville readers, you might recall a situation last year in which a certain Shea Weber was questionable with an illness and another certain kid by the name of Aronson was called up under emergency conditions. All things said, that story didn’t end with Aronson getting an NHL game. Weber played that night. It could have been considered a brief whirlwind moment in the life of an AHL hockey player but for those around the team last season it was a quick wave from the brass topside to a player deserving of an NHL look. He didn’t get the game. But they game him the recognition. That’s something a player who spent the better part of three pro playing seasons in the ECHL doesn’t often get. When that player does it is more of a sign of the player and the man sticking with the program and forcing the big wigs to take note of consistent performances. That same reasoning behind the choice of Aronson as the emergency call up probably came back when the Predators re-signed Aronson to a one-year two-way contract last off-season.

Aronson may have been in the discussion once again with the recent knock to Ryan Ellis but the recall under emergency conditions assignment this time went to Stefan Elliott. That’s not to say Aronson was the lesser of the two options but more so that the Predators have plenty of options should they need them. Aronson is enjoying his best professional playing season in 2015-16 having grown leaps and bounds as a two-way defenseman. He is the Admirals current top scoring defenseman and has career highs across the board: 37 points (4 goals, 33 assists) from 60 games.

The lone thing that I’m sure Aronson would like to see change is the script of his career so far. Before leaving the Winterhawks his team lost in the 2011 WHL Finals. Before being elevated to the Admirals his final season with the Cyclones saw him losing in the 2014 Kelly Cup Finals. After this season Aronson’s contract is up. There are no guarantees as to where he goes from here. Should you believe his story to date the Admirals could well be on their way to a 2016 Calder Cup Finals appearance. The only thing I’m sure he’d like to change is getting to raise some silverware on the back of a hard season’s work.

~Fifteen~

Cheers to Taylor Aronson for taking the time to do this interview. Programming note for this week will be as follows: Fifteen with Corey Potter (Thursday) and new Cyclones Report on Friday with a guest appearance from Sin Bin Cyclones.

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