Milwaukee Admirals Gameday Information
May 1, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Milwaukee Admirals News Release
OVERALL...The Admirals and Aeros play game two of the West Division Finals tonight at the Bradley Center. The Ads grabbed a 1-0 series with with a 3-1 victory in game one of Friday night. Milwaukee finished the regular season with 102 points and earned the first seed, while Houston was close behind the Ads in second with 98 points. This is the ninth consecutive season the Ads have qualified for the post-season and the 31st time in 34 years that Milwaukee has hit the ice in the playoffs. Including Friday's game the team's all-time playoff record stands at 98-125 and since joining the AHL in 2001 the Admirals have tallied a 52-39 mark with a 30-18 record at home.
GAME ONE RECAP...The Admirals took a 3-1 win over the Aeros in game one of the series on Friday night. Milwaukee picked up goals by Steve Begin and Taylor Beck just 41 seconds apart in the first period to jump out to an early lead. Ryan Thang chipped in a goal in the third period, while the Aeros Colton Gillies mustered their lone goal 6:53 into the final frame. Jeremy Smith earned the win for Milwaukee with 25 saves on the night.
LET IT BEGIN...Admirals forward Steve Begin staked the team to a 1-0 lead in the first period on Friday, his first goal since November 28 in San Antonio. The trios Rivieres, QC native also earned an assist on Ryan Thang's goal, giving him his first multi-point game as an Admiral. Begin, who missed much of the regular season due to injury, is a veteran of over 485 NHL games and won the AHL Playoff MVP award with the St. John Flames in 2001. In 36 contests with the Admirals this year he totaled six points (3g-3a) and 30 penalty minutes.
ITS YOUR THANG...Ryan Thang also posted a goal and an assist on Friday night and currently ranks third on the team in post-season scoring with six points (3g-3a). The Edina, MN native is riding a four-game point streak, which includes the game-winner in overtime in game 5 against Texas, and he leads with Admirals with a +10 rating in the playoffs. During the regular season the Notre Dame alum led Milwaukee rookies with 41 points (14g-27a) and was +17.
STATS AND STUFF...The Admirals enter tonight's game two with an all-time record of 16-28 in game twos, with an 11-10 mark at home and a 7-10 record in the American Hockey League. Since joining the AHL the Ads have posted a 20-7 mark in the month of May, including a 10-4 mark at the Bradley Center. When winning game one of a playoff series the Admirals have totaled a 13-8 record, which includes their win over Texas in the West Division Semifinals.
ELEVATING HIS GAME...Admirals netminder Jeremy Smith continued his stellar post-season play by making 25 saves to earn the win in game one against the Aeros. The Dearborn, MI native was a key reason the Ads beat Texas in the first round as he made 207 saves, including 52 in the double overtime series finale, and posted a 1.89 goals against average and a .941 save percentage in the six game set. Smith ended the regular season with a 16-8-2-2 record to go along with a 2.26 goals against average and a .921 save percentage.
WELCOME TO MILWAUKEE...Nashville's 2009 first round pick Ryan Ellis got off to a good start with the Admirals, earning an assist in his first pro game on Friday. Ellis recently completed a stellar four-year career with the Windsor Spitfires where he was named OHL Defenseman of the Year two times, including this season when he became the first blueliner since 1993-94 to top 100 points. He finished the 2009-10 season with 101 points on 24 goals and 77 assists in just 58 games and ended his career with 314 points (73g-241a) in 226 career contests.
KILL âEM OFF...One of the areas that the Admirals needed to improve from their series against Texas was their penalty kill. In the first round the Ads surrendered at least one power-play marker in each game, allowing seven PPGs in 32 short-handed chances, just a 78.1 kill %. However in game one against Houston the Admirals turned aside all five of the Aeros power-play attempts, including 4-on-3 advantage for 1:50 during the second period.
VAN THE MAN...With an assist Steve Begin's goal on Friday night, Ads center Mark Van Guilder extended his point streak to four games (2g-2a), which includes the series clinching goal in double-overtime on Monday night in game six against Texas. Last season, Van Guilder helped the Cincinnati Cyclones capture the Kelly Cup and in his first full season with the Admirals has posted 17 points (10g, 7a) and ended the year with a +7 rating.
PLAYOFF HISTORY...The Admirals and Aeros have squared off four times in the post-season, most recently in 2009 when Houston outlasted the Ads in seven games, winning the decisive contest on the Bradley Center ice. In 2006 Milwaukee swept the Aeros 4-0 on their way to the Calder Cup Finals, while in 2003 it was Houston who swept the Admirals, 3-0, as they captured the Calder Cup Championship. Their first post-season encounter was back in the 1998 when the Ads took out the Aeros 3-1 in the first round of the IHL playoffs.
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American Hockey League Stories from May 1, 2011
- Admirals Drop Game 2 to Houston - Milwaukee Admirals
- Aeros Even The Series At 1-1 - Houston Aeros
- Bulldogs Earn 4-2 Win Over Moose In Game 2 - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Moose Shot Down In Hamilton 4-2 - Manitoba Moose
- AHL Morning Skate - AHL
- Milwaukee Admirals Gameday Information - Milwaukee Admirals
- Preview: Aeros-Admirals, Game 2 - Houston Aeros
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