Rockford IceHogs @ Houston Aeros ... 3-27

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Rockford IceHogs beat Houston Aeros 3-2 (SO)

AHL/Game Stats -
http://stats.theahl.com/stats/text-game-report.php?game_id=1005814

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IceHogs Website -
http://www.icehogs.com/news/index.html?article_id=1209

13 ROUND SHOOTOUT ENDS IN ROCKFORD’S FAVOR

Skille’s late goal in regulation helps the Hogs earn two points

03/27/2009

Houston, Tex.- The power play has not been kind to the Rockford IceHogs since late November, but for the second time in a week it helped gain Rockford two points. After the power play tied the game late in regulation, Rockford and Antti Niemi outlasted the Houston Aeros in a 13-round shootout for a 3-2 win at the Toyota Center.

With the game tied late in the third period, the IceHogs skater on their sixth power play. Winger Jack Skille picked up a Tim Hambly feed and blasted it past Anton Khudobin, tying the 2-2 at 17:46 for his 20th goal of the season.

Both teams had power-play chances in the overtime but failed to convert. So the IceHogs and Aeros skated to a shootout.

Neither team tallied in the first four rounds of the shootout but Evan Brophey and Benoit Pouliot did in the fifth frame. In the sudden death shootout Tim Brent and Krys Kolanos converted in the 11th round before Pete MacArthur gave Rockford the edge with a shootout goal in round 13.

Niemi then stymied Corey Locke to give Rockford the two points and end the longest shootout in the IceHogs AHL era.

Rockford led 1-0 leading into the third period but the Aeros tallied twice early to take the lead. Paul Albers snuck his fourth goal of the season, and second against Rockford, through traffic and past Niemi at 1:01 of the final frame tying the game at 1-1.

Later in the period Robbie Earl stepped into a passing lane and picked off a pass and ripped his fifth goal of the campaign in at 3:35 unassisted.

Rob Klinkhammer put Rockford on top with a goal on a delayed penalty in the first period. Klinkhammer’s initial shot attempt went wide of the Houston goal and the winger picked up the rebound off of the back half wall and backhanded his 14 goal of the season past Khudobin at 9:40. Tim Hambly and Bryan Bickell assisted the goal.

Both teams were held scoreless in the second period, but it wasn’t for a lack of opportunities. Both Niemi and Khudobin, however, were up to the task and held their ground.

Niemi made 24 saves to earn the win, plus 11 more in the shootout while Khudobin was the tough luck loser after blocking 33 Rockford shots.

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Aeros Website -
http://www.aeros.com/news/news/index.html?article_id=2119

HOUSTON FALL 3-2 TO ROCKFORD IN 13-ROUND SHOOTOUT

Patrick Armstrong - Director of Communications
Scott Henninger - Communications Manager

Friday, March 27, 2009

HOUSTON, Texas – The Houston Aeros fell in a 3-2 contest against the Rockford IceHogs after 13 rounds of a shootout Friday night at Toyota Center. Aeros’ goaltender Anton Khudobin stopped 33 shots faced in the first 65 minutes of action and 10-of-13 in his first shootout of the season. Rockford netminder Antti Niemi blocked 24-of-26 prior to the shootout and knocked aside 11-of-13 in the shootout for the win.

The IceHogs recorded the first goal of the game when a shot deflected just wide of the net bounced off the backboards directly to Rob Klinkenhammer. The left winger quickly back-handed the puck off Khudobin’s side and in the net for a 1-0 lead just under halfway into the first period at 9:48 into the frame. Benoit Pouliot had a short handed breakaway with only the goaltender to beat with three minutes remaining in the first but the shot was knocked aside by Neimi’s left leg pad. Houston was able to kill off both short-handed situations in the period and would carry their second power-play chance into the second period.

Houston wasn’t able to convert on the remaining 1:25 of power-play early in the second period. The period was held scoreless as the Aeros killed off two short handed situation for their sixth and seventh consecutive penalty kill including all three Wednesday night. Houston outshot the IceHogs 11-9 in the middle period as they faced a 1-0 deficit heading to the final period of play.

Only 1:01 into the third period the Aeros tied the contest at one apiece when Paul Albers wristed a shot from the blue line into traffic in front of the net. The puck was deflected by Pouliot’s skate and between the leg pads of Niemi. Robbie Earl gave Houston their first lead of the game at 3:35 into the third when he stole the puck in the Aeros' offensive zone and wristed it top shelf over the blocker of the Rockford netminder.

Marco Rosa made an attempt to extend the Aeros lead with only Niemi to beat but a defenseman came up quickly to force Rosa to take a tough shot while crossing in front of the net but the puck was kicked aside with 8:20 left in the contest. With 2:14 remaining Rockford tied the contest as Jack Skille wristed the puck past Khudobin near the left wing faceoff circle on a power-play ending the Aeros streak at eight straight penalty kills. Houston killed a total of six-of-seven short handed situations on the night. The remainder of the contest was held scoreless, forcing overtime and the eventual shootout.

The first four shootout attempts for each team were unsuccessful. Evan Brophey netted the first goal for Rockford in the fifth round but Pouliot put the puck over Niemi’s right leg pad to keep Houston alive. The next five attempts for each team were all blocked until Tim Brent swung the puck wide around the left leg pad of Khudobin in the 11th round. Krys Kolanos answered by taking the puck over Rockford goaltender’s glove hand. Pete McArthur flicked the puck between Khudobin’s leg pads for the shootout winning goal in the 13th round.

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Rockford Newspaper -
http://www.rrstar.com/sports/x180615308/IceHogs-stop-Aeros-in-shootout

IceHogs Stop Aeros in Shootout

RRSTAR.COM

Posted Mar 28, 2009

HOUSTON — The power play has not been kind to the Rockford IceHogs since late November, but for the second time in a week it helped Rockford gain two points.

Rockford’s Jack Skille’s power play goal tied the game late in regulation, and IceHogs goalie Antti Niemi outlasted the Houston Aeros in a 13-round shootout for a 3-2 win at the Toyota Center Friday night.

Skille’s goal tied the game at 2-2 at 17:46 for his 20th goal of the season.

Both teams had power-play chances in the overtime but failed to convert.

Neither team tallied in the first four rounds of the shootout but Evan Brophey and Benoit Pouliot did in the fifth frame. In the sudden death shootout Tim Brent and Krys Kolanos converted in the 11th round before Pete MacArthur gave Rockford the edge with a shootout goal in round 13.

Niemi then stymied Corey Locke to give Rockford the two points and end the longest shootout in the IceHogs AHL era.

Rockford led 1-0 leading into the third period but the Aeros tallied twice early to take the lead.

Paul Albers snuck his fourth goal of the season, and second against Rockford, through traffic and past Niemi at 1:01 of the final frame tying the game at 1-1.

Later in the period Robbie Earl stepped into a passing lane and picked off a pass and ripped his fifth goal of the campaign in at 3:35 unassisted.

Rob Klinkhammer put Rockford on top with a goal on a delayed penalty in the first period.

Klinkhammer’s initial shot attempt went wide of the Houston goal and the winger picked up the rebound off of the back half wall and backhanded his 14 goal of the season past Khudobin at 9:40. Tim Hambly and Bryan Bickell assisted the goal.

Niemi made 24 saves to earn the win, plus 11 more in the shootout while Khudobin was the tough luck loser after blocking 33 Rockford shots.

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Houston Newspaper -
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/sports/6347099.html

Rockford Hands Aeros First Loss in Two Weeks

Andrew J. Ferraro - The Chronicle

March 27, 2009

In a matchup made for the playoffs the Aeros got off to a slow start, took a third-period lead, and for a few minutes it looked like they were going to sneak a win past the Rockford IceHogs.

But referee Nygel Pelletier missed a tripping call against Rockford that would have negated a last-minute power play by the IceHogs. The infraction went unnoticed, and Rockford tied the game moments later and went on to beat the Aeros 3-2 in a 13-round shootout.

Aeros coach Kevin Constantine never publicly comments about the officiating, and Friday was no different.

“What can I do, there is not much I can say about that,” said Constantine, who could not recall ever being part of a 13-round shootout. “So, I can’t say anything.”

Jack Skille scored the game-tying goal with 2:14 left in regulation, and neither team took advantage of the overtime period. Instead, it took 13 shootout rounds – there are normally five – to determine which team got the extra point in the standings.

That distinction went to the IceHogs, who clinched the game when Antti Niemi (24 saves) stopped Aeros captain Corey Locke, who missed each of his three shootout attempts.

“We got some really good goaltending and he kept us in there until we got going,” added Constantine. “W were lucky we got a point in this game.”

Nursing a lower body injury, No. 1 goalie Nolan Schaefer -- the winning goalie in each game during the streak -- sat out forcing backup Anton Khudobin (33 saves) into action for the first time since March 14 in San Antonio.

The Aeros scored on their first two shots of the third period to take a 2-1 lead. First, 61 seconds in, Tomas Mojzis worked the puck around to Paul Albers who fired a shot that snuck under Niemi. Then, 2:34 later, Robbie Earl intercepted an errant pass and fired a goal high into the net at 3:35.