Mustard and Blue

The Admirals went to the dogs on Sunday night, and unfortunately the Flames took advantage.

Ads lose 2-1 to Quad Cities in overtime, after Mike Santorelli came back to tie the game in the third period on "Pet Night."

Tonight is the Season Ticket Holder Holiday Party at the BC. Unfortunately, I have something going on tonight, or I'd be there with bells on.

Apparently, the Admirals got so wrapped up in the promotional stuff that they forgot there was a hockey game to be played last night.

Ads lose, 4-1, to Rockford. The IceHogs are still 10 points back in the standings, but each point to a division foe is a tough one to swallow.

Interestingly, there were only 3,055 in attendance for this game. No word on who won the weed whacker.

Quote of the night from Saturday's tilt against the Moose:

Aaron Sims was a bit ticked (as was Lane Lambert) about the non-call-four-minute minor call on Kelsey Wilson for a slash on Jason Krog with 43 seconds to go... after Chris Ciamanga had called a penalty on Guillaume Desbiens for Interference. The alleged slash that made "Krog Sad" (thanks, BC) had happened well beforehand, and the Admirals had actually taken control of the puck prior to that.

Sims openly questioned Ciamanga's officiating capability, and then added, "Remember, folks, in the media it's not considered libel if it's the truth."

Ads take on the Moose again tomorrow night, Fat Tuesday, at the JBP Rink @ the Bradley Center. Be there, because I will.

Ugh, Ugh, UGH.

Admirals blow a 2-1 lead by allowing three straight unanswered goals to lose, 4-2 to the Mooooooose tonight.

Head coach Lane Lambert was not present tonight due to a family issue (his wife was having surgery in Cleveland - Cleveland?). If he had been there, I'm sure they would have had to take him to the hospital from a conniption fit.

It looked good to start out, though. 20 seconds into the game, Manitoba goalie Corey Schneider (AHL leading goalie with a 1.75 GAA) misplayed a puck behind his own net. It went right onto the stick of Patric Hornqvist and before many people could even find their seats at the BC, it was 1-0.

The Admirals looked to be taking charge when they went on the power play after Manitoba's Rahmi got called for tripping. Unfortunately, that was going to be the first of only two power-play opportunities for Milwaukee on the night - and the Moose scored on this one (Baumgartner on a bad turnover) before Nick Spaling could regain the lead a minute and a quarter later.

That... was it for the Ads. They played the rest of the game lost. Krog scored twice in just over three minutes, and the Moose added a tally by Ramsey early in the third to end the scoring. Meanwhile, the only people Ref Ian Croft was sending to the sin bin was the guys in white; though there were only a total of 6 penalties in the game, four of them were called on the Ads.

Telling stat of the night: Milwaukee registered only three shots on goal in the second period. News flash to the team - you can't do that and expect to win hockey games. Of course, part of it is the lousy shot counting at the BC (Mr. Mott, I'm not talking about you).

Hornqvist got the third star of the game, and deservedly so as he played hard and hit everything and anything in sight.

Next game is Friday against Quad Cities, where it'll be Kelsey Wilson "Bobble Fist" night (don't ask).

Y'all may have noticed a lack of posts here. There is a good reason: I don't have another STH game until the 20th, and the Ads are spending a good chunk of this month out on the road.

There is a pair of games this week against the Chops (Thursday and Friday) at the BC, but after that we're the road warriors for a week.

Ads win for the first time this month on the road, at Rockford. It wasn't a certain outcome, though Patric Hornqvist's (eventual) game winner in the 3rd gave Milwaukee a two-goal lead on the Ice Hogs. Cal O'Reilly came close to the hattie, scoring twice and assisting on Horny's gamer.

Dekanich deserved the #1 star tonight, stopping 46 of 48 shots. The barrage was pretty consistent - which, considering the shot totals for teams at the BC compared to the road, is telling.

Road trip continues Saturday against the Woofies at Rosemont, Sunday across the lake at the Van Andel against the Grif-Wings, and then wraps up next Wednesday against the LEM's at Cleveland.

By the way: the Magic Number is now 11.

Ugh.

Quick summary of tonight's game:

First period: the scoreboard dies with about 44 seconds left in the period. They manage to get it rebooted before the second period.

Second period: on a "between" segment (Ads minor cancelling out an earlier Lake Erie minor), Monsters sneak one past MacDaddy MacIntyre.

Third period: sloppy, sloppy, SLOPPY play. O'Reilly playing with an attitude (and not a good one); no one wearing white able to pass worth a (fill-in-the-blank); and we're making Weiman look like an all-world goaltender. Granted, the man is 10th overall in the AHL, but BOTH OF OUR GOALTENDERS have a better GAA - and MORE WINS.

They get an empty-netter with two seconds left to ice the game. I leave the BC with a headache the size of Manhattan.

If this team is what the Admirals are going to ice from here out, we might be one-and-done against whatever Illinois or Iowa-based team we would play in the first round.

*Sigh.*

Admirals win a tight contest against that city in Ontario we all hate, 3-2. Bulldogs took the early lead, but the Ads came back to tie it; Hamilton scored early in the second to take the 2-1 lead after 40 - and the flashback from Friday's debacle began to form in the heads of the Ridiculously Loyal Fan Base.

And then Mark Santorelli finally put on his Superman cape and scored twice in the third. Game over.

Cody Franson got an assist on all three goals; Dekanich only saw 13 shots (who in the #### is the shot counter at the BC?).

It's gonna be one of those long weekends for the Ads, as they begin a road-home-road three-in-a-row weekend schedule that is all too common in the AHL.

Tonight, its the Baby Blues in Peoria as they tackle the Rivermen; tomorrow night it's the Chops of Iowa at the Bradley Center - watch out for Mr. Roboto in the post game concert, kids - and then Sunday it's a jaunt down the Tri-State to Rosemont and the Woofies.

Okay, that is just... argh.

Mike Santorelli was breaking in on Legace when his POS stick snapped. In frustration, he threw the stick down - and apparently a shard hit Koharski.

He's now sitting for 2 and 10.

FREE MIKE SANTORELLI!