Milwaukee did a lot of things well in game four of the series against Texas and came away with a 3-2 win.

 

The noticeable thing was players not named Gabriel Bourque or Chris Mueller put the puck into the net. Rookie Taylor Beck was a nice fit on the right wing with Mueller and Bourque and Ryan Thang moved to the right with former Notre Dame linemate Mark Van Guilder and Cory Conacher. Beck and Van Guilder scored goals, as did Bourque.

 

The scoring chances were about equal, despite the fact Texas outshot the Admirals. The Admirals had their best game this series as far as faceoffs are concerned and Milwaukee outhit the Stars.

 

Goalie Jeremy Smith had another solid game. He creates a little too much work for himself by kicking out some rebounds (see Texas’ first goal last night). But, he’s athletic and the glove save he made on Greg Rallo’s chance in the first period was as terrific as a save can be. The team has faith in Smitty and he has the confidence to lead a team.

 

People wondering about Mark Dekanich…it ain’t happening for a while. He is working hard, but he has a bad injury for a goalie. Early second round may be a bit wishful. A similar injury kept then-San Antonio forward Joel Perrault out nearly three months.

 

I like what Michael Latta brings. The coaches always throw around buzzwords like “battle” and “compete”. Latta does that. He’s abrasive on the ice, a quality Milwaukee can use. He’ll keep earning more minutes.

 

Mark Santorelli has been good, too. He’s a smart player that has upped his physical play.

 

Cory Conacher was able to show off his skills a little more in game four. He’s not afraid to go into the corners despite his small stature. Playing with Van Guilder and Thang seems like a good fit for him. Van Guilder is so smart on the ice. He’s the type of guy that makes teams better.

 

The 5-on-3 power play goal allowed by the Admirals was upsetting. Coaches have gone over the coverage over and over because they know what Texas will do. Blown coverage led to the chance and goal.

 

I don’t like calling players out, so I won’t. I will say a couple veterans that are being counted on need to be better. I’m not the only one that feels that way.

 

Texas is a TOUGH team. They know what they want to do. Last night, Milwaukee started strong again. The Admirals had a little more control as the game wore on. Each subsequent game needs to be the Admirals best game of the season. Texas is going to push hard. Milwaukee needs to push back.

 

Game five is Friday at 7:30. Watch the game at Major Goolsby's if you're in Milwaukee.