Admirals' new game plan: Less fighting, more focus

For several weeks, the Norfolk Admirals' motto appeared to be, "If you can't beat 'em, beat 'em up."

Then it hit them: Why not do both?

It's not a direct cause-and-effect - there are several reasons for Norfolk's recent turnaround. But after having clearly established themselves as the team most likely to drop the gloves and throw down, a more disciplined, slightly less confrontational style has coincided with the Admirals' best hockey of the season.

"We still like to fight. We still want to intimidate teams," captain Zenon Konopka said of the Admirals, who will take the ice tonight at Scope against Philadelphia having won three straight and four of their past five. "I just think we're getting a better sense of when to be physical and when to suck it up."

The Admirals recently went three games without a fight, a remarkable accomplishment for the AHL's runaway leaders in major penalties. Last week against Albany, team penalty minutes leader Radek Smolenak took nearly a full minute of goading from enforcer Trevor Gillies before finally dropping his gloves.

"We were up 5-0, so I didn't want to do anything," Smolenak said. "Finally, he gave me no option."

In that same game, even the fiery Konopka absorbed sticks to the face on two occasions while the game was still in doubt without taking the bait.

"That's one of the myths about me. In my entire career, I don't think I've ever taken a bad penalty in a close game," Konopka said.

Now don't worry, fight fans. These aren't exactly the kinder, gentler Admirals, not with Konopka and Smolenak as part of their nucleus. Jay Rosehill still operates with double-fisted fury and fought twice in the Albany game. And while Brent Henley has been sidelined with injury of late, his return will provide Norfolk yet another enforcer type.

The ring leader of Norfolk's aggression, Konopka proudly notes that the Admirals are still averaging two fights a game. But he also acknowledges that now that Norfolk's reputation is out, there's often less call to back it up.

"We set a physical tempo early in the year," he said. "Now that we're seeing teams for the second and third time, we may not have to fight as much. We've proved ourselves."

Showing more physical discretion is also part of an overall strategy of avoiding the crippling retaliation fouls that too often exposed what until recently was one of the league's worst penalty-killing units.

"I detest those," Admirals coach Darren Rumble said. "You get penalties like that, it means either you're selfish or you think you're bigger than the team. Either way, it's a bad thing."

A better understanding of the officials and what they will call has helped, too, according to Konopka. But the biggest reason for toning things down may be the simplest.

It's working.

"I think a lot of times, you fight because you're frustrated," Rumble said. "We're doing pretty well now. So we've experienced very little frustration lately."

Paul White, (757) 418-1447 paul.white@pilotonline.com