Claude Noel has been around hockey for quite some time, making him a pretty good source on the nuances of the game.

In four-plus seasons behind the Admirals' bench, Noel has seen just about everything the so-called "Hockey Gods" can throw at a team.

The Hockey Gods are a fickle lot. One minute, they are your biggest fans. But, do the littlest thing to upset them; changing a game-day ritual, picking out some new (clean) underwear and even fans taking pictures with opposing mascots are just some of the ways to anger the hockey-omnipotent.

Fickle and often-unforgiving, they can make life for coaches a walk in the park or living hell.

And so far this season, the sadistic higher powers that watch over the game have been having some fun at the Admirals' expense. After winning the Western Conference championship a year ago, Milwaukee's roster was cleared out by NHL promotions and free-agent defections.

While Noel was left to put Humpty Dumpy back together again in training camp, the team was dealt another blow when all-star goaltender Pekka Rinne was lost for the first half of the season with a shoulder injury suffered during a summer bar fight in his native Finland.

Add in the fact that Milwaukee was saddled with a schedule - seven games in the first 30 days - that was horrendous (even by minor league standards, that's bad) and it's not hard to see why the team won just twice during that stretch.

Still proving the point, the Admirals - who played the fewest games in the first month of the season - finished the first half playing six times in seven nights, and have the most games played of any team in the American Hockey League.

"It is what it is," Noel said. "We've had to deal with the schedule and there's just nothing we could do about it. That's the way things go sometimes."

Now at the mythical halfway point of the American Hockey League season, Noel has managed to overcome the hurdles and lead his squad to a 23-17-3-5 record heading into the weekend. With 54 points, Milwaukee is in third place in the West Division.

While it's taken some time, things are starting to come together for the Admirals. And knowing the way hockey seasons work, Noel thinks they can get better, too.

Rinne's return came very late (he made his season debut on January 19), but it has helped to bolster the squad. In his absence, Karl Goehring stepped in and performed adequately, and at times, admirably.

The veteran has appeared in 35 games (Through Thursday night's 1-0 loss to Iowa), holds a 18-10 record and has allowed an average of 2.62 goals a game, saving a little better than 91% of shots faced. He's allowed the Admirals to stay in the hunt for the division title, but there is no substitute for an All Star.

Aside from Rinne's return, there have been other bright sides. Losing longtime standout Darren Haydar - who is the franchise's all-time playoff scoring leader - to archrival Chicago hurt. But in his absence, veteran Rich Peverly has emerged as a top scoring threat (18 goals, 29 assists, 47 points heading into the weekend) while newcomer Ramzi Abid, and Cal O'Reilly - who came to Milwaukee late last season - have also shown to have hot hands, combing for 71 points through Thursday.

"I came in wanting to improve my game," Peverly said. "With all the young guys and the new guys, not many people knew their roles. We have a lot of good players and if we play together, I think we'll do OK."

With 40 games left to play, Noel's team is getting primed for another playoff run. The nature of the game allows for a team to start off slow and still be ready for the post season. It's a fact Noel has plenty of experience with during his tenure in Milwaukee.

"The game is what it is," Noel said. "You need things to go your way, but in the end you have to have the players to get the job done.

"There's no magic to our team. We know who we are; a team that relies heavily on our goaltending."

He also knows, that all the talent and chemistry in the world doesn't mean a thing. In order to really make a strong showing, Noel knows he needs a little luck, too.

That comes from those infernal Hockey Gods.