Admirals Play Two this Weekend
Published on December 30, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Milwaukee Admirals News Release
Milwaukee, WI-- This weekend the Midwest Division leading Milwaukee Admirals (23 Games Played, 19-8-0-1, 1st place Midwest Division, 4th best record Western Conference, 8th best record AHL) will ring in the new year by traveling to Grand Rapids (30 GP, 12-13-3-2, 4th place North Division, 13th place Western Conference, 25th place AHL) Saturday night before returning home to start off 2012 by hosting Peoria (32 GP, 14-15-2-1, 4th place Midwest Division, 10th place Western Conference, 20nd place AHL).
Saturday's New Year's Eve clash with the Griffins will mark the teams' fourth and final meeting of the season. Milwaukee holds a 2-1-0-0 record against Grand Rapids to date in 2011-2012, and 21-11-1-0 mark against the Griffins over the past five years. In the teams' latest contest, the Admirals defeated Grand Rapids 4-3 in a shootout Dec. 9 at the Bradley Center. Milwaukee forwards Michael Latta (St. Clements, Ontario) and Chris Mueller (Buffalo, New York) each scored against Griffins goaltender Joey MacDonald in the shootout, while Admirals goaltender Jeremy Smith (Dearborn, Michigan) stopped four of five shooters to preserve the win (Smith finished with 25 saves in the game). Grand Rapids' only win of the series this season came back on Oct. 29 (a 5-3 decision in Milwaukee).
On Sunday, the AHL's top home team returns to the Bradley Center to face a Rivermen team that the Admirals defeated in all five of their prior meetings this season. The Admirals latest victory in the series came on Dec. 18 when Milwaukee dispatched Peoria 3-1 on home ice. Latta scored the game winning goal at 15:08 of the second period, while goaltender Atte Engren (Rauma, Finland) made 29 saves to earn the victory. Rivermen goaltender Jake Allen made 26 saves to take the loss. Dating back to last year, the Admirals have won six straight games (all in regulation) against the Rivermen. Peoria's last win of the series came back on April 3 of 2011 (4-3 at Milwaukee).
Key Statistics:
MILWAUKEE's home record: 12 GP, 12-4-0-0, 24 points. Road record: 12 GP, 7-4-0-1, 15 points.
Grand Rapids' home record: 14 GP, 6-6-2-0, 14 points.
Peoria's road record: 17 GP, 8-9-1-1, 18 points.
Active Leading Scorers Per Team:
MILWAUKEE: Chris Mueller (12 goals & 10 assists, 22 points); Michael Latta (10 goals & 10 assists, 20 points); Juuso Puustinen (10 goals & 9 assists, 19 points).
Grand Rapids: Tomas Tatar (8 goals & 16 assists, 24 points); Jamie Johnson (14 goals & 8 assists, 22 points); Doug Janik (4 goals & 12 assists, 16 points).
Peoria: T.J. Hensick (10 goals & 27 assists, 37 points); Brett Sterling (14 goals & 15 assists, 29 points); Jonathan Cheechoo (10 goals & 13 assists, 23 points); Derek Nesbitt (11 goals & 12 assists, 23 points).
Power play:
MILWAUKEE: (8th overall) 23 goals scored in 112 chances, 20.5% success rate, 2 shorthanded goals allowed.
Grand Rapids: (22th) 25 goals scored in 149 chances, 16.8%, 3 shorthanded goals allowed.
Peoria: (10th) 26 goals scored in 130 chances, 20.0%, 1 shorthanded goal allowed.
Penalty killing:
MILWAUKEE: (26th) 26 goals allowed in 118 times shorthanded, 78.0% success rate, 1 shorthanded goal scored (Mark Van Guilder).
Grand Rapids: (17th) 25 goals allowed in 137 times shorthanded, 81.8% success rate, 3 shorthanded goals scored.
Peoria: (11th) 26 goals allowed in 151 times shorthanded, 82.8% success rate, 1 shorthanded goal scored.
National Hockey League Affiliates:
MILWAUKEE: Nashville Predators
Grand Rapids: Detroit Red Wings
Peoria: St. Louis Blues
American Hockey League Stories from December 30, 2011
- Heat Squeak by Stars 2-1 - Texas Stars
- Checkers Escape with 4-3 Win in a Shootout - Rockford IceHogs
- Tyler Brown in 12th Round - Adirondack Phantoms
- Last Second Goal Lifts Rivermen Over Griffins - Peoria Rivermen
- Griffins Suffer Third Straight Overtime Loss - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Capitals Recall Cody Eakin from Hershey - Hershey Bears
- Amerks Fall to Bulldogs in Final Game of 2011 - Rochester Americans
- Rampage Fall to Aeros, 5-2 - San Antonio Rampage
- Falcons Earn Point Against Bruins - Springfield Falcons
- Checkers Top Rockford in Shootout - Charlotte Checkers
- Crunch Edged by Binghamton - Syracuse Crunch
- Admirals Slip Past Sound Tigers - Norfolk Admirals
- B-Sens Win Third Straight with Overtime Win Over Crunch, 4-3 - Binghamton Senators
- Oi Vey! - Manchester Monarchs
- Sharks See-Saw Past Whale 4-3 - Worcester Sharks
- Whale defeated, 4-3 - Connecticut Whale
- Wahl Scores Two as Bulldogs Down Amerks 5-4 - Hamilton Bulldogs
- P-Bruins Defeat Falcons 2-1 - Providence Bruins
- Rollercoaster Ride Ends in Devils Loss - Albany Devils
- Gustafsson Loaned to Phantoms - Adirondack Phantoms
- Ring in the New Year with the Barons Tomorrow Night - Oklahoma City Barons
- Kyle Palmieri Returns to the Crunch - Syracuse Crunch
- Toews Recalled to Rockford - Rockford IceHogs
- AHL Outdoor Game from Philadelphia to be Televised Live January 6 - AHL
- B-Sens Release Forward Brandon Svendsen - Binghamton Senators
- Gameday Preview - Texas at Abbotsford - Texas Stars
- Flames Assign Piskula and Recall Wilson - Abbotsford Heat
- Hogs Hope To Turn Fortunes At Home - Rockford IceHogs
- P-Bruins Announce Roster Moves - Providence Bruins
- Flemming, Lacroix Returned to Stingrays - Hershey Bears
- Admirals Play Two this Weekend - Milwaukee Admirals
- Falcons Host Bruins Tonight - Springfield Falcons
- Blue Jackets Assign Forward Dane Byers to AHL's Springfield Falcons - Springfield Falcons
- Checkers with the Checkers Charity Event Set for January 13 - Charlotte Checkers
- American Hockey League Announces Suspension - AHL
- Heat Vs Stars Game Preview - Abbotsford Heat
- Aeros Game Day, December 30: Aeros at Rampage - Houston Aeros
- Griffins Host Two to Close out 2011 - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Taylor and Kolanos Lead Heat Past Stars 5-3 - Texas Stars
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