If it feels like an eternity since the Admirals last played at the Bradley Center, you're not too far off.
Milwaukee opened the home portion of its 2011-12 American Hockey League Schedule on Oct. 14 and hasn't been back since. In fact, since the season began with a road game at Peoria Oct. 8, the Admirals have played just five games – the fewest of any team in the league.
"It feels almost like a college schedule," goaltender Jeremy Smith said during a practice session this week.
The team will waste little time getting back into the swing of things, with a stretch of three games in three days beginning tonight in Chicago, then moving to the Bradley Center Saturday and Sunday for dates with Grand Rapids and Texas, respectively.
The down time has given first-year head coach Kirk Mueller an opportunity to get to know his team a little better and do an awful lot of teaching.
"There's the individual part, at this level, where you have kids coming from the junior level and the college level, and they have so much to learn," Mueller said. "But then there's the systematic part of the game they need to learn, the things that are different at the pro level, and that makes this extra practice time so much more valuable."
The extra practice may be paying dividends for the Admirals, who heading into action tonight at Chicago, sit atop the AHL's Midwest Division with a 4-0-1 record and nine points.
"It's a good start," Mueller said. "We've got a good group of young guys and veterans, and they've done a good job."
Mueller pointed to his defense and goaltending as the team's biggest strengths thus far.
In the net, goaltender Jeremy Smith has shown he's ready for the challenge of being the No. 1 goaltender. Smith, who took over for starter Mark Dekanich during the playoffs last season, leads the league with a 1.44 goals-against average and has stopped 99 of 105 shots (.943).
"Not allowing many goals has been a key for our group," Mueller said. "It gives us an opportunity to win every night. If we keep getting good goaltending and playing well defensively, the offense will come but our goaltending has been strong."
Ryan Thang, the top-scoring rookie a year ago with 41 points during the regular season (and a team-leading 13 points during the Calder Cup Playoffs) is showing no signs of a sophomore slump and leads Milwaukee with four goals and five points through the first five games.
All-in-all, things aren't too shabby for a squad picked by The Hockey News to finish last in the Western Conference this season. Such predictions bear little weight in the Admirals' locker room, though the players do know what's being said.
"Maybe at the NHL level, they have a little more knowledge of what the team will be like and where they'll place," defenseman Scott Ford said. "But at this level, guys come and go so often so you really don't know ... you could have a phenomenal team one week, but two guys could get hurt at the next level and you lose your top two players and a key part of your team's gone."
With much of the city's sports attention focused squarely on the Brewers' postseason run and the Packers' 7-0 start, being on the road for so long hasn't exactly been helpful in terms of keeping the team in the in the spotlight.
It works out well, then, that the team is holding the first of several postgame concerts following the Saturday night contest. Country star Craig Morgan takes the stage for a free show, though on-ice passes are available for an additional $20.
For tickets to either game, you can call the Admirals ticket office at (414) 227-0550.
