Plenty of Positives From Milwaukee Admirals Playoff Run

Ann Kimmel

Jun 7, 2023, 17:00

Ann Kimmel

Jun 7, 2023, 17:00

The Milwaukee Admirals battled in their 4-3 loss and end their season after a remarkable playoff run.

The Milwaukee Admirals dropped game six to the Coachella Valley Firebirds and were eliminated from the Western Conference Finals Monday night in California. The Admirals were down 2-0 after the first period but closed the gap to one with a goal by Michael McCarron early in the second period. The Firebirds scored again less than five minutes later to regain the two goal lead going into the final period. Adam Wilsby got the Admirals back within a goal with a score early in the third, but Tye Kartye scored on the power play to make ir 4-2. Kiefer Sherwood brought the Admirals back within one midway through the third, but Milwaukee couldn't get the game to overtime even with an extra attacker and brief end of the game power play.

After an incredible run, it was difficult to see the Admirals end up just short of the Calder Cup Finals, but there are several impressive takeaways from the playoff run.

Goaltending Tandem Shines

Yaroslav Askarov did a great job getting the Admirals into the playoffs in his 48 regular season games. The young Russian net minder finished with a 26-16-5 regular season record and a .911 save percentage. He went 6-6 in his 12 postseason games and finished with a playoff save percentage of .903.

Almost as impressive were the postseason performances of Devin Cooley who stepped in to play four games in the Western Conference Finals after being out of the crease for nearly five weeks. Cooley only gave up nine goals to the Coachella Valley Firebirds, a team with a handful of the AHL's top scorers this season. Cooley and Askarov not only gave fans one of the most fun hockey bromances, but proved once again how valuable a solid goaltending tandem is down the stretch.

While the Nashville Predators have re-signed Kevin Lankinen to back up Juuse Saros, giving Askarov a hefty workload in Milwaukee will pay long term dividends for Nashville in the future. Cooley is a UFA, so Nashville and Milwaukee fans will want to watch and see what is next for the 26 year old.

Joakim Kemell Makes North American Debut

Perhaps the steal of the 2022 NHL draft, the Predators picked up Joakim Kemell with the 17th pick. The 19 year old Finnish winger played this past season with JyP HT Jyvaskyla scoring 12 goals and 15 points in 43 games. He joined the Admirals after his Liiga season wrapped up and played 14 regular season games in Milwaukee.

Kemell really showed off his abilities in the postseason. In 14 playoff games, Kemell led the Admirals in goals with 8 including 4 power play goals highlighting his shooting ability. His physical play and offensive punch contributed to the deep playoff run, and this is a player to keep an eye on during development and training camps for the Predators.

The Young and the Restless

Nashville Predators fans got to see a handful of young players at the end of the regular season as the Preds lost veterans to trade and injuries down the stretch. When Nashville finished the regular season, Luke Evangelista, Kiefer Sherwood, Egor Afanasyev, and Phil Tomasino returned to Milwaukee to join the Admirals in the Calder Cup chase.

Each of these players made a solid case in the postseason for another serious look from Nashville at training camp as they performed well under pressure. Egor Afanasyev, who played 17 games with the Predators, scored the second most goals for Milwaukee in the playoffs behind Kemell. Afanasyev had a strong postseason on both ends of the ice with a +3 and 11 totals points.

Kiefer Sherwood, at the ripe old age of 27, also recorded 11 postseason points for the Admirals. His four goals including two power play tallies. The Columbus, OH native surprised many in Nashville with his outstanding training camp that earned him a place in the Predators' line up at the beginning of last season. Sherwood headed back to Milwaukee after hitting a rough stretch of games in Nashville but returned to the Preds in late February to finish out the NHL season. The extra ice time in the AHL playoffs to continue to grow his game under pressure may pay off on a team that is looking at a roster "reset" next season.

Phil Tomasino finished the postseason with 9 points after struggling in the early series to find his groove. Tomasino came up big for the Admirals against Coachella Valley, recording six of his playoff points in the Western Conference Finals. Tomasino has had anything but a linear trajectory in his time with the Predators, but his performance this postseason may set him up for a shot at the Nashville roster out of camp in September.

Finally, Luke Evangelista continued to impress in Milwaukee after an enchanting run with the Predators in his first 24 NHL games in which he scored 7 goals and recorded 8 assists. After Nashville's regular season ended just outside the playoffs, Evangelista embraced the opportunity to continue his season in Milwaukee. The 21 year old was the leading points scorer for the team in the AHL playoffs with 15 points and 4 goals and contributed in games beyond the stats sheet as well. Evangelista was a young gun who captured the attention of Predators fans, and his run with Milwaukee fuels the hope for his future NHL potential.

It isn't easy to come so close to the ultimate goal of playing for the Calder Cup and falling just two games short of the opportunity, but the Milwaukee Admirals and these players have a lot to be proud of with a lot of positives to build on. Predators fans will see them back in action in early July at development camp and again at training camp in September where they will work hard to prove their postseason experience with the Admirals make them serious contenders for an NHL roster spot.