Milwaukeehockey.com - Milwaukee Admirals AHL hockey

February-March 2010 Archives

milwaukeehockey.com

20 March
2010

I don't have to tell most of you that it's been awhile since I've touched this site. Between a general lack of free time and my growing disinterest in following a team that is going through the motions... resulting in a late season slump for the second year in a row, I haven't thought of posting an update in about three weeks.

I have been posting pictures from almost every game on my flickr page. The "My Photos" link in the right sidebar brings you to the list of games to choose from. In addition to looking at the photos one at a time, you can watch a full-screen slideshow by clicking on the slideshow link at the top of each set's page. No matter how bad the team is playing, I still enjoy trying to capture an interesting "hockey moment" in a photograph.

While I'm at it, I've got to address the upcoming weekday day game.

When the schedule was released over six months ago, I blasted the idea of having a game when most of the team's most loyal fans would not be able to make it. I know some are using a vacation day or are going to call in sick, but I know most (myself included) are not going to make it.

We were told the game would have a great promotion linked to it, and the team waited until last week to unveil it... and it really stinks. "Senior Skip Day". Senior citizens get in for $10.

I'm not against throwing senior citizens a bone... but the same promotion could have been done on a Sunday afternoon game without pissing off a large portion of the team's fanbase.

I was seriously considering the idea of buying season tickets next season, but as long as the team makes bone-headed moves like this, I'm going to remain game-by-game.

28 February
2010

Suck it Chicago.

Robert Dietrich's overtime goal gives Milwaukee the win over the Wolves on Saturday night.

21 February
2010

Sorry folks, it's been a crazy few weeks for me. Before my four day trip to Pittsburgh, my home's furnace died. I scrambled to get it replaced before my trip and hired a business from Illinois (I know, I know... I shoulda known better) to install a new one.

Just hours after the job was done, I was on the road towards the Eastern time zone. My trip was memorable. I posted photos from the Predators - Penguins game on my flickr page.

When I entered my home when I returned Monday night, I was greeted with a strong natural gas leak. The We Energies repairman went beyond the scope of his job to pinpoint the problem and removed a section of pipe which was damaged by the furnace installer. The Illinois company came out Tuesday to fix their mistake and grumbled about it the entire time.

But enough about my problems... I'm going to get things a little more back to normal on this site soon. Today, I've posted photos from this weekend on my flickr.com page.

For Sunday's photos, I did it a little differently. No cropping. No photoshopping. No picking out a few dozen of my favorites. After deleting those which were unusable, I simply uploaded all of the rest... 189 photos. Enjoy.

Friday photos against Houston
Sunday photos against Rockford

And be aware, you can view larger versions of my photos on flickr by clicking on "All Sizes" above the photo on it's description page.

6 February
2010

Just a heads up to the loyal readers of this site. I will not be at the next two Admirals home games, as I will be in Pennsylvania to visit my Dad and to enjoy a hockey game between my two favorite NHL teams.

I've got fourth row tickets for the February 14 game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators. Section A21, which is across from a defensive faceoff circle in the end that Sidney Crosby and friends will attack twice. I'm not sure how to enjoy the game, as I follow each team closely - watching every game from each team on the NHL Center Ice TV package. I guess all I can hope for is a high-scoring three-point game.

When the news was announced last year that this season would be the last for the Igloo (aka Mellon Arena), I told myself I would have to get back there one more time to say farewell to the NHL's most unique venue. A new modern arena being built across the street will open in time for next season, but it won't be the same experience as going to the old dome.

In September, I did a quick scan of the Penguins home schedule and quickly decided this was the game. My two favorite teams conveniently matched up on a Sunday afternoon. I was already going to boycott the Admirals game that day due to their continued insistence on scheduling a home game on the same day as the Daytona 500 (10 times in 14 years), but this trip to PA trumps the race anytime.

Depending on the weather, I'll either be heading out after work on Thursday or early in the morning on Friday and will make the 8 hour drive home on Monday. Expect a full summary of my trip on Tuesday or Wednesday.

6 February
2010

The Admirals defeated the Houston Aeros on Friday night by a score of 5-3. With Houston being the first team out of a playoff position, this win was big as far as the playoff race is concerned. It's never too early to think about the playoff race... everyone focuses on the importance of the games in the last few weeks of the season, but in reality, these games are worth just as much.

A few weeks ago, the entire 7-team division was within 8 points of each other. Since then, the top four have created a cushion.

West Division

Games Played

Points

Rockford

55

65

Milwaukee

52

64

Texas

50

63

Chicago

50

62

Houston

52

57

Peoria

49

54

San Antonio

49

50

Since January 5, Milwaukee has gone 11-5... losing twice to Chicago and twice to Hamilton. Those two teams are my current pick for the Western Conference Final matchup. Of course, Milwaukee has what it takes to make it that far, but they need to make a few tweaks here and there to convince me they should be favored.

Fortunately, Peoria has struggled since losing their head coach to the NHL, and San Antonio is proving that they do indeed suck, despite a brief 5-0-1 surge after the Christmas break. Ideally, the separation between fourth and fifth will continue to grow in order to allow the Admirals to lock up a playoff spot sometime in March.

Oh yeah, I took photos last night. Click here for a slideshow of some of the better shots.

And here's my favorite shot of the night... Chet Pickard stars in next installment of 'The Matrix'.

3 February
2010

In what I considered a must-win game, Milwaukee took on the division leading Texas Stars on Tuesday night at the Bradley Center. The Admirals entered the night three points out of first, but only five points ahead of the fifth place Houston Aeros. Every game against the top half of the division is huge from here on out.

Fortunately, the Admirals came to play, and the Stars looked sluggish. At times, it seemed like Milwaukee was on a power play when the penalty boxes were empty. They were cycling the puck well, and the Stars had trouble clearing the zone at times.

Five different Admirals scored in a 5-1 victory - Alexander Sulzer, Nick Spaling, Mike Santorelli, Colin Wilson, and Triston Grant. Below is my photo of Spaling's goal. Click here for a slideshow of more of my photos.

Click here for January 2010 Archives

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