Expect the line combinations to be (L-R)

 

Kevin DeVergilio-Connor Shields-Ryan Thang

Dylan Hunter-Mike Bartlett-Chris Mueller

Brett Robinson-Mark Van Guilder-Ryan Flynn

Gabriel Bourque-Blake Geoffrion-Mark Santorelli

 

Defense:

Scott Lehman-Grant Lewis

Wes Cunningham-Scott Ford

Julien Brouillette-Brett Palin

 

Goalies:

Jeremy Smith

Chet Pickard

 

The 20 players listed practiced early today along with defensemen R.J. Anderson and Jean-Claude Sawyer.

 

This group worked a little on special teams. The Geoffrion line moved the puck well on the power play. Van Guilder and Flynn were positioned well on the penalty kill.

 

I really liked Van Guilder and Bartlett today. Bartlett is playing very hard in camp.

 

Anderson and Sawyer stayed on the ice for a quick practice with the remaining eight players that won’t dress tonight: Nick Spaling, Kelsey Wilson, Linus Klasen, Matt Halischuk, Andreas Thuresson, Jon Blum, Teemu Laakso and Mark Dekanich.

 

It was just a small group, but I like how Spaling looked in drills today. It seemed every shot he took had a purpose. He scored or hit the post on quite a few shots. Wilson was the same.

 

Again, Klasen didn’t take part in contact drills. He did try a nifty move in a one-on-one situation. The left handed shooter deked right, but instead of moving the puck to his backhand, he bounced it off the outside of his left skate and kicked it back to his forehand. It was pretty neat.

 

I’ll be tweeting thoughts during the game tonight in Rockford. Follow me on Twitter or be my Facebook friend.

 

The Admirals will face the Chicago Wolves tomorrow night at 7pm. The game will be played at the Kern Center on the campus of MSOE.

 

Moving on…

 

I leave you with former Milwaukee Falcons defenseman Ted Lanyon. He played five games with the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1967-68 season.