Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
Few things in life are as certain as the Milwaukee Admirals playing in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Admirals have only missed the postseason cut three times since joining the AHL in 2001. Their 18th Calder Cup Playoff run begins tonight when they visit Texas in Game 1 of a best-of-five Central Division semifinal series.
It has been another eventful winter in Milwaukee. They crafted a 19-game winning streak, the second-longest such run in AHL history, that helped them to capture the Central Division title by 11 points. Still, even with this season’s success and a roster that has had significant turnover since last year, there is a sense of unfinished business after Coachella Valley ended their championship aspirations in the Western Conference Finals in 2023.
That was the team’s deepest run since 2006, and there is an awareness around the Admirals dressing room that such opportunities do not happen all that often, even for the most successful franchises.
This year’s situation differs a bit for head coach Karl Taylor, though. A year ago, he had to work in a large group of top players returning from the Nashville Predators for the Calder Cup Playoffs. This year has primarily been about working through late-season injuries, trying to fine-tune his lineup, and healing at least a little during the 10-day break between the end of the regular season and Game 1 against the Stars.
Last season’s Admirals had a similar break waiting for their division semifinal opponent. Taylor learned how to structure practices, striking a balance between maintaining intensity and sharpness while also taking advantage of the rest time. This year Milwaukee ranked fourth-best in the AHL at 27.5 shots-against per game and third overall with 2.68 goals surrendered per game. But they can generate offense too, ranking third with 3.31 goals scored per game.
Taylor also has a different look to his personnel this year, a less-heavy team but one with a strong back end.
“We were the Land of the Giants last year,” Taylor quipped.
But in a way, pressure has already tested the Admirals this season even before the arrival of playoff hockey. As their winning streak continued to grow, more attention came their way.
“The experience was great,” Taylor said. “I thought the guys handled it really well, and we never let it become more than what it was. But the group just still fought like heck at the end to try to keep it going because we were all enjoying the ride of all the things that come with something like that.”
They also went through their own share of difficulty. A streak-ending loss at Grand Rapids on Feb. 25 started a slide of nine defeats in 11 games. But they managed to right themselves in the second half of March and eventually secure the division title, going 9-3-1-1 over their last 14 games.
Last year’s playoff experience also provided lessons that still hold. Milwaukee faced three opponents – crash-the-net Manitoba, transition-oriented Texas and up-tempo Coachella Valley – that presented different challenges. They went through three elimination games, finding themselves either trying to put away a team or just survive themselves.
“You don’t want to fully adjust for each opponent,” Taylor said, “but whether it’s special teams or physical or speed or skill, there’s all these different ways you’re going to win based on the other team and who you’re playing.”
Now Milwaukee and Texas meet again. The rosters look different, but it’s still Admirals-Stars. Taylor spent four years as an assistant coach with Texas and knows that organization well, including current Stars head coach Neil Graham. Assistants Max Fortunus and Travis Morin both played for Taylor. The respect between both sides is quite evident.
“Our rivalry with Texas, it’s almost like we bring out the best in each other,” Taylor explained. “Our games are entertaining. They’re close. I think the players understand Texas has always been a good team. They play a direct style, a real fast game, and we like playing against them because they’re a very entertaining hockey team.”
TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams has been on the American Hockey League beat for nearly two decades for outlets including NHL.com, Sportsnet, TSN, The Hockey News, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and SLAM! Sports, and was most recently the co-host of The Hockey News On The ‘A’ podcast. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.
