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Homestand begins as Western Conference powers collide

January 6, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Six things you need to know
- Houston has won eight straight games by a 39-18 margin since getting blown out 7-1 in Hamilton 12/10. The win streak is tied for the second longest in team history, and the Aeros have won eight straight for the first time since opening the 2002-03 season with that many consecutive victories, 10/11-10/26/02. The longest winning run in team history is 11, set 11/27-12/20/96. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's nine-game winning streak to begin 2005-06 is the longest such run in the AHL this season.
- Tonight the Aeros return to Toyota Center to begin a season-long seven-game homestand. Houston has won seven straight at home by a whopping 38-15 margin. It's the second-longest streak in team history and just one off its franchise record, set 11/6-12/11/98. Houston has won 12 of 13 at home and is 15-2-1-1 at Toyota Center this season, 21-2-1-3 in the last 27 regular-season games there and 29-4-1-3 in the last 37. Milwaukee sported the AHL's longest home winning streak this season at eight games, 10/28-12/16. The Aeros are in a stretch of games where they won't play outside the state of Texas for 37 days, until traveling to Chicago 1/22.
- Aeros C Erik Westrum (14-35=49) and RW Kirby Law (22-26=48) rank first and second overall in the AHL in scoring. They are trying to become the first duo from the same team to finish 1-2 in the league's scoring race Paul Gardner (112 points) and Jody Gage (99) turned the trick for Rochester exactly 20 seasons ago - in 1985-86. Westrum had a career-best 11-game point streak snapped last night. Law, who extended his point streak to eight games (8-7=15) last night, has notched at least two points in nine of his last 14 games, and he has 23 points (12-11=23) in his last 12 contests alone. Law leads all AHL players with 22 goals. Rookie C Patrick O'Sullivan has 28 points (16-12=28) in his last 20 games to take over the AHL rookie scoring lead with 35 points (19-16=35). Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko, who helped lead Team Russia to a silver medal in the World Junior Championships, has 30 points (19-11=30), seventh among AHL rookies. D Curtis Murphy ranks fourth among league defensemen with 27 points (3-24=27).
- Tonight's game features the top two teams in the Western Conference, and a Grand Rapids team ranked second in the AHL in team offense (3.82 gpg) against an Aeros squad that sits fourth (3.69 gpg). The teams are ranked first and second in scoring among Western Conference teams. The teams have the top three scorers in the AHL and six of the top 14. Five of the top 10 goal scorers are on the teams, and four of the top 10 assist getters.
- Aeros RW and captain Kirby Law has 199 goals in his career, combining all 579 NHL, AHL and IHL games. Law leads the AHL with 22 goals, just 10 shy of his career-best total of 32, set in 2003-04, when he ranked fifth in the league. The durable winger has played in 137 consecutive AHL games - 116 with Houston. Law is three goals shy of becoming the 12th player in team history with 50 goals, and three points from being the 23rd to reach 100.
- Aeros C Patrick O'Sullivan netted his second and the team's fourth hat trick of the season last night in San Antonio. Each of Houston's last five hat tricks have come by rookies - two each by O'Sullivan and LW Roman Voloshenko this season, and one by LW Bill Kinkel in 2004-05. O'Sullivan's other hat trick came 11/30 against Cleveland. The Aeros' four hat tricks this season are one off the team record, set in the inaugural 1994-95 season and matched the next campaign. Houston has two players with more than one hat trick for the first time in franchise history.

Griffins at Aeros (Aeros are 27-23-7-2 all-time, Aeros are 15-8-5-2 at Houston)
- Tonight is the 60th all-time meeting between the teams - 31st for Houston at home.
- Eight of the last 11 meetings in the last two seasons have been decided by one goal.
- The Aeros have won four straight against the Griffins, their longest winning streak in the series since winning six in a row 11/25/97-2/6/00. Houston is unbeaten in regulation in the last six meetings (5-0-0-1). The Griffins last beat the Aeros 3-2 in a shootout at Toyota Center 3/25/05, and they lost won in regulation 3-1 at home on 2/9/05.
- Houston is 5-0-0-2 in the last seven home meetings with the Griffins since a 3-1 loss 3/5/04.
- Houston is 3-0-0-0 versus the Griffins this season, joining Hamilton as the only teams with three wins against the North Division leaders.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros (26-8-1-1) have won eight straight overall, tied for their second-longest run in team history, and seven in a row at home for the second-longest streak...Houston's 54 points trail only Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (27-3-2-1=57) for the league lead...The Aeros' West Division lead is seven points over Milwaukee, which has one game in hand...A victory tonight would give the Aeros more wins (27) than any other season in franchise history through 37 games...C Erik Westrum has 49 points (14-35=49) to lead the AHL in points and assists...RW Kirby Law is second in the league with 48 points (22-26=48) and is first in goals...Rookie C Patrick O'Sullivan leads all first-year players in points with 35 (19-16=35)...Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko is tied for fourth in the AHL with 19 goals, and he ranks seventh among league rookies in points (30)...D Curtis Murphy is fourth among AHL defensemen with 27 points (3-24=27)...G Josh Harding is 20-6-0 with a 2.51 gaa to rank first in the league in wins, fourth in save pct. (.924) and 10th in gaa...Harding is 26-6-1 in his last 33 regular-season games, and one of the losses was in OT...G Seamus Kotyk is 5-2-1 with a 3.20 gaa...Harding has played in five of the last s1x games, and in 11 of 13, 14 of 17 and 17 of 21.

Scouting the Griffins
Grand Rapids (24-11-1-2), AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, is 0-1-1-0 in its last two after a six-game winning streak and is coming off a 4-1 road loss in Hamilton on Wednesday...The Griffins trail only the Aeros for the Western Conference points lead...LW Jiri Hudler is third in the AHL in scoring with 46 points (18-28=46), while C Eric Manlow is tied for eighth with 38 points (13-25=38)...Rookie D Kyle Quincey paces the blueline with 19 points (4-15=19)...Rookie G Jimmy Howard is 8-3-1 with a 2.76 gaa, while G Joey MacDonald is 5-5-1 with a 3.81 gaa.

2005-06 meetings (Fourth of 4 meetings, Aeros are 3-0-0-0 overall, Aeros are 1-0-0-0 at Houston)
October 15 Houston 3 at Grand Rapids 2
October 21 Grand Rapids 3 at Houston 7
October 29 Houston 6 at Grand Rapids 5 (OT)
Tonight Grand Rapids at Houston

Quick Hits
- One of the biggest momentum changers in hockey can be goals in the first or last two minutes of a period. Those have been the money-winners for Houston in 2005-06. Last night, C Patrick O'Sullivan scored the Aeros' 15th goal in the final two minutes of a period, including three games with more than one such goal. Houston is a remarkable 12-0-0-0 in those games. Houston has scored 13 goals in the first two minutes of a stanza, with one game with two such goals. The Aeros are also 12-0-0 when scoring in that situation. Houston has outscored its opponents 28-15 in the first and last two minutes of a period this season.
- Houston has faced a goalie that has seen action in the NHL this season in eight of its last 10 games. The Aeros are 7-1-0-0 against those NHL goalies, including six straight wins. The Aeros could have a chance to extend that run tonight against Grand Rapids' rookie G Jimmy Howard, who is 1-2-0 with a 2.99 gaa for Detroit this season.
- Aeros D Curtis Murphy has 10 assists in his last 12 games. Murphy has 128 points with Houston, tied with Jeff Tory for second among blueliners and also sixth place overall. Murphy ranks fourth among all AHL defensemen in points this season (3-24=27).
- Houston C Petr Taticek has a career-best six-game point streak (2-7=9). He has an assist in six straight games, a team season-high and the longest active AHL run.
- Aeros C Patrick O'Sullivan netted his team-best fifth GWG last night. He also has two shootout GWG, but those don't count for individual statistics.
- Houston D Scott Ferguson turns 33 today.
- Houston has outscored its opponents 12-3 in the third period of its eight-game winning streak.
- The Aeros are 25-1-0-0 when scoring three goals or more, but 1-7-1-1 when scoring two or fewer. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 23-2-1-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 3-6-0-0 when yielding four or more.
- Houston is 14-1-0-0 when outshooting an opponent. The Aeros are 10-0-0-0 when allowing 29 shots or fewer.
- The Aeros are 12-2-1-1 in one-goal games, and an impressive 16-3-1-1 in games decided by two goals or less. Thirteen of the Aeros' first 21 games were decided by one goal. Since then, however, just three of the last 15 games has been of the one-goal variety. Houston has won four straight one-goal games and seven of eight.
- The Griffins are 8-1-0-0 on the road in one- and two-goal games.
- Grand Rapids owns a stifling 58-34 third-period advantage in goals, the best of any AHL team.
- The Aeros are 6-2-0-1 in the second half of back-to-back games. Houston hasn't played back-to-back in three weeks, since 12/16 and 12/17 in Peoria.
- Tonight's goaltending matchup could feature two goalies with stellar records against the opponent. Aeros G Josh Harding is 5-2-1 with a 1.73 gaa versus the Griffins, his third lowest gaa versus an opponent. Harding has one shutout in the series. Counterpart G Joey MacDonald is 9-8-0 but with a nifty 2.10 gaa versus the Aeros. MacDonald went 4-3-0 with a 1.92 gaa against Houston in 2004-05, and he is 8-6-0 with a 1.89 gaa over the past two seasons. MacDonald owns three career shutouts against the Aeros. Only Milwaukee's Brian Finley (five) has more. Harding and MacDonald dueled to a pair of 1-0 decisions last season. They met five times in 2004-05, each winning twice in regulation, while MacDonald beat Harding in a 3-2 shootout in Houston 3/25/05. MacDonald missed the first three meetings of the season due to injury.
- Since missing five games due to injury in late October and early November, Aeros second-year G Josh Harding is 15-3-0 with a 2.25 gaa to move to 20-6-0 with a 2.51 gaa on the season. Harding, who leads the AHL with 20 victories, has 41 wins with the Aeros, the most of any goalie since the team joined the AHL in 2001-02. He has won six straight starts to tie a career-high. Harding, a native of Regina, Sask., is an amazing 35-1-1 in his last 37 decisions when the Aeros score three goals or more in support of him. Harding's 20 victories through the Aeros' first 36 games puts him on pace for 44 wins this season. In 2004-05, current Buffalo Sabre Ryan Miller became the first AHL goalie to reach 40 wins since Gerry Cheevers set a league-record with 48 in 1964-65. Miller had 41 "W"'s last season.

Power play update
- Houston is fourth in the league on the power play at 20.7 percent.
- The Aeros are 21-for-75 (28.0 percent) with the man advantage in the last 12 games.
- The Aeros are 16-1-0-0 when scoring at least two PPG, with the lone loss coming 11/18 in Manitoba.
- Grand Rapids ranks 24th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 80.8 percent.
- The Griffins have killed off just 20-of-26 (76.9 percent) shorthanded chances in the last four games.
- Houston is an eye-popping 8-of-23 (34.8 percent) with the man advantage versus the Griffins this season. In the lone Toyota Center meeting, the Aeros went 4-for-10 in a 7-3 victory 10/21.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is fifth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 85.3 percent.
- The Aeros have killed off 27-of-30 (90.0 percent) of their shorthanded chances in the last six games.
- Houston is 10-1-0-1 when not allowing a power play goal and 20-3-1-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- Grand Rapids ranks third in the AHL on the power play at 20.8 percent. However, the Griffins click on just 14.4 percent on the road, compared to 27.2 percent at Van Andel Arena.
- The Griffins are 6-for-34 (17.6 percent) on the power play in their last five games.
- Grand Rapids is 5-of-29 (17.2 percent) with the man advantage versus the Aeros this season.

Aeros/Griffins connections
- Grand Rapids RW Darryl Bootland and RW Eric Himelfarb and Houston LW Joel Ward each hail from Toronto.
- Houston D Ryan Stokes played 13 games for OHL Barrie in 2002-03. The Colts' leading scorer that season was Grand Rapids RW Eric Himelfarb.
- Grand Rapids D Kyle Quincey played two seasons at OHL Mississauga with Houston C Patrick O'Sullivan, and one with D Ryan Stokes.
- Griffins LW Nate DiCasmirro was on the Hamilton team that lost to the Aeros in the 2003 Calder Cup Finals.

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