After another thrilling playoff series win, what's next for the Milwaukee Admirals?

The Milwaukee Admirals hockey team won a thrilling five-game series over the Texas Stars in the American Hockey League playoffs over the weekend, setting up a showdown with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the Western Conference finals.

Here's what to know.

When do the Admirals play next?

The best-of-seven series begins Thursday at the Firebirds’ home in Palm Springs, California, and then the Admirals will be back on their home ice at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena next week, playing Monday, May 29 (6 p.m.), Thursday, June 1 (7 p.m.), and if necessary Saturday, June 3 (6 p.m.) Tickets can be purchased by following the links.

Coachella Valley will host the first two games of the series, Thursday, May 25, and Saturday, May 27, and then if necessary the final two games, June 5 and June 7. All road games are to be played at 9 p.m. Milwaukee time.

Are Admirals games available on television, streaming or radio?

Although the American Hockey League and teams do not have a full TV deal, games are available to stream via AHLTV.com. The playoff package costs $29.99 and individual days are available for $8.99.

Admirals games are broadcast on AM-920 in Milwaukee and via the iHeartRadio app. Games 2-5 also will be carried on FM-97.3.

How many teams are left in the American Hockey League playoffs?

The Calder Cup playoffs, which began with 23 teams, are down to four: the Admirals and Firebirds from the Western Conference and the Hershey Bears and Rochester Americans in the Eastern Conference.

The Admirals finished the regular season 41-24-5-2, second in the Central Division. Both of their playoff series against division rivals and have gone the full five games, first against the Manitoba Moose, who finished third in the division, and then against Texas, which won the Central.

(Records indicate wins, losses in regulation, losses in overtime and losses in a shootout after no resolution in overtime.)

Who are the Coachella Valley Firebirds?

Coachella Valley is a first-year AHL franchise and is the primary minor-league affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken. The Firebirds are owned by their parent club.

Coachella Valley finished the regular season with 103 points on a 48-17-5-2 record, which was second-best in the league behind only Pacific Division rival Calgary.

One of the teams required to play a best-of three first-round series, they are 8-5 in the playoffs and advanced to the AHL Western Conference finals by beating Tucson in the first round, Colorado in the division semifinals and then Calgary in the division finals.

How did Milwaukee do in the division finals?

After the teams split two games in Milwaukee, the Admirals had to win two of three on the Stars’ home ice.

The Admirals won Game 3 on Isaac Ratcliffe’s goal with 61 seconds remaining. The Stars won Game 4 in double overtime. Then Milwaukee scored four goals in the first period and went on to a 5-2 victory in Game 5 on Sunday night.

Who have been the Admirals’ playoff stars?

Joakim Kemell leads the team in goals in the postseason with five. The Nashville Predators prospect joined the Admirals in April after his season in Finland was done and turned 19 shortly thereafter.

Luke Evangelista leads the Admirals in points in the postseason with 13 on four goals and nine assists.

Yaroslav Askarov has played all 10 games in goal with a 2.44 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.

Have the Admirals been this far in the AHL playoffs before?

This is the third time since the Admirals joined the American Hockey League in 2001 that the franchise has reached the conference finals.

Milwaukee won its previous two visits, beating Rochester in 2004 and Grand Rapids in 2006. The Admirals went on to win their only Calder Cup title in 2004. In 2006, they lost to Hersey.

Do the Admirals have Wisconsinites on the roster?

Spencer Stastney went to elementary and middle school in Mequon before his family moved to Chicago, and he attended college at Notre Dame.

Center Tommy Novak, from River Falls, started the season with the Admirals but was called up by the parent club Nashville Predators in December and hasn't played for the Admirals since. Novak attended college at Minnesota.

Although defenseman Jordan Gross is from Minnesota and left wing John Leonard is from New Jersey, both played junior hockey with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL before college.

How does the affiliation work with the Nashville Predators?

Nashville and Milwaukee have been linked since the 1998-99 season and just re-upped the agreement through 2024-25. It's one of the longest affiliate relationships in pro hockey.

Though there are a multitude of contracts and situations and situations that bring players to an AHL team, the Admirals primarily serve as the top minor-league squad for the Predators. At the time of the affiliate extension, 172 players had played at least one game for both the Predators and the Admirals.

The Haslams represent an interesting connection

Former Tennessee governor Bill Haslam is in the process of buying a 60% share of the Nashville Predators, pending approval by the NHL board of directors.

Haslam is the brother of Jimmy Haslam, whose Haslam Sports Group just purchased Marc Lasry's 25% stake in the Milwaukee Bucks.

Filip Forsberg, a Predators player who also once played for the Admirals, has joined Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers purchasing a stake in Nashville SC of Major League Soccer.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Admirals now face Coachella Valley Firebirds in AHL playoffs