Admirals face stern test
February 22, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Milwaukee Admirals News Release
OVERALL...The Admirals (35-16-2-4) enter tonight's action leading the West Division by 10 points over the Chicago Wolves (30-19-4-2). The Ads sport the fourth best winning percentage in the AHL (.667).
THIS WEEK'S GAMES VS. SYRACUSE...The Admirals are 4-1 lifetime vs. Syracuse, including 2-0 at the Bradley Center. The Ads defeated the Crunch in Syracuse, 3-2 on December 11th. The Crunch are coached by former Admiral Gary Agnew, who scored 59 points, including 28 goals in 82 games for the Admirals in 1982-83.
@GRAND RAPIDS...The Ads are 2-1-0-1 vs. the Griffins, including 2-0-0-1 at the Van Andel Arena during 2004-05. The Ads are now 4-3-1-1 in the last nine overall and 4-4-2-1 in the last 11 in Grand Rapids.
VS. ST. JOHN'S... The Ads are 3-0 vs. the Maple Leafs this season, including 1-0 at the Bradley Center. Overall, the Admirals have a 3-2-1-1 mark, including 1-2 at the BC.
LAST WEEKEND'S ACTION...The Admirals picked up one of six points in last week's action and are looking for their first victory after the All-Star break. The Admirals were blanked in back-to-back home games for only the second time in franchise history and the third time overall. On Sunday, Frederic Cassivi stopped all 37 shots and the Mighty Ducks scored on three of nine power play chances en route to a 4-0 victory. On Saturday night, the Philadelphia's Antero Niittymaki turned away all 28 Milwaukee shots before 11,346 fans, which was the Admirals largest crowd since 2003. The Admirals fell to the Griffins in Grand Rapids, 3-2 in a shootout on Friday night. Wyatt Smith and Tony Hrkac supplied the Admirals firepower, while Brian Finley stopped 37 of 39 shots.
SHUTOUT NUMBERS...The Ads have been shutout six times during the 2004-05 campaign, which is one shy of the club record of seven established during the 2001-02 season. The Ads were shutout in back-to-back home games by the Saginaw Gears on March 17 and 18, 1978 at the Milwaukee Arena. The only other time they were shutout in consecutive games was January 29 and 30, 2002, 4-0 at Grand Rapids and 5-0 vs. Houston at the Bradley Center. The Admirals have now suffered through a 129:45 scoring drought. Their last goal was a Tony Hrkac marker with 4:45 remaining in Friday's game.
TRANSACTIONS...The Admirals have added right wing Eric Labelle. Labelle, 24, had 14 points (8g-6a) and 365 penalty minutes in 58 games for the Rockford (UHL) IceHogs.
HOME COOKIN'...Only seven of the Admirals 23 remaining games are on the road. The Ads played their 33rd road game of the season on Friday night. Ten of the Admirals next 11 and 13 of the next 16 games will be on Bradley Center ice. The Admirals play their 34th road game of the season on Friday night, February 25th at Grand Rapids and they won't play their 35th road contest until March 25th. Saturday's game will be the first of nine consecutive home games.
THREE-IN-THREE... The Ads have now completed seven stretches of three games in three days and are 14-4-1-2 in those 21 contests, including 9-2-1-2 on the road. They are 6-0-0-1 in game ones, 4-1-1-1 in the second games and 4-3 in game threes. Milwaukee's only remaining three-in-three is the final weekend of the regular season, April 15-17.
OVERTIME/SHOOTOUT NUMBERS...The Ads have needed overtime 10 times this season and sport a 4-2 mark in games decided in an extra stanza. They are winless in four shootouts.
AFTER 57...The Admirals' have 76 points (35-16-2-4) after 57 games compared to 72 (31-16-7-3) at the same point last year. On the road, the Ads had 42 points (18-9-3-3) after 33 road games last season compared to 43 points (19-9-2-3) this season. On home ice, Milwaukee is 16-7-0-1 in 2004-05 compared to 13-8-3 after 24 home games in 2003-04.
LEADERS AT A GLANCE... Simon Gamache leads Milwaukee scorers and is third in the AHL with 67 points (22g-45a). His 45 assists are tied for third among AHL playmakers and he's tied for second in the league with 14 power play tallies. Darren Haydar ranks second among Admirals' scorers with 47 points (22g-25a). The University of New Hampshire alum and 2003 AHL Rookie of the Year has now scored 20 or more goals in each of his first three pro seasons. Vern Fiddler leads the Admirals in plus/minus with a +21 and is sixth among scorers with 31 points (14g-17a). Ryan Suter is fourth among AHL rookies at +12.
BETWEEN THE PIPES...Brian Finley is second among AHL netminders with 26 victories and he ranks 11th among AHL goaltenders with a 2.21 goals against average. Seamus Kotyk is 2-0 in his last two Admirals' starts with a 1.00 goals against average and a .953 save percentage in those contests.
ONE-TWO PUNCH...Andrew Hutchinson leads AHL defensemen with 40 points (10g-30a) and Dan Hamhuis is second among AHL blueliners with 38 points (10g-28a). They are tied for fourth with ten goals each. Hamhuis has eight power play goals to top AHL defenseman, while Hutchinson's 30 assists are second among playmaking blueliners.
POWER PLAY...The Ads broke a five-game power play drought when Wyatt Smith scored on the power play Friday night in Grand Rapids, but are 0 for 10 in the last two games. The Admirals, who lead the AHL in power play markers with 65, have one goal in 32 tries over the past eight games. Milwaukee ranks third in the league with a 19.7% (65 of 330) completion rate.
THE WEEK AHEAD
HOME
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 22ND SYRACUSE CRUNCH 7:00 P.M.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 26TH ST. JOHN'S MAPLE LEAFS 7:30 P.M.
AWAY
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 25TH GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 6:30 P.M.
****Hear all of the Admirals' games on Joy1340 (1340 am) and on the Internet at www.sportsjuice.com****
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