Phil Tommasino He started heating up just when the Milwaukee Admirals needed him most.
Part of a group of players sent from the Nashville Predators to Milwaukee for the Calder Cup Playoffs, the 21-year-old forward had a quiet first two series with the Admirals as he tallied three assists in 10 games. Now through four games against Coachella Valley in the Western Conference Finals, he’s put up five points (two goals, three assists). He scored a goal and an assist in Milwaukee’s 5-2 win in Game 4 that clinched the series at two games apiece.
“I don’t think I personally started at the start, maybe I wanted to,” Tommasino told reporters after the win. “As the playoffs go on, I think my play has improved. I think my teammates are on the line [Anthony Angello and Jimmy Huntington] And I’ve been really hooking up, especially on this tour.
“These guys are two horses on the ice. They skate hard, they win back pucks.”
Tommasino split his third professional season between Nashville and Milwaukee. He had 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 38 games with the Admirals while also scoring 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 31 NHL games. The 2019 first-round pick spent all of last season in the NHL before being assigned to the Admirals out of training camp. When the Predators brought prospects like Tommasino back to Milwaukee last month, that kind of playoff experience was what they hoped would be possible.
“It’s so much fun for our group now, and we’re enjoying every moment of it,” said Tommasino.
– Patrick Williams