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Aeros, Barons Face Off

February 15, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know

Aeros C Erik Westrum (24-52=76) and RW Kirby Law (30-40=70) rank first and second 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. No two teammates have reached the 100-point plateau since a trio of Carolina Monarchs did it in 1995-96. Westrum has already posted the second-highest point and assist total for an Aero since the the team joined the AHL in 2001-02. Jean-Guy Trudel notched 85 points, including 54 helpers, in 2002-03. Law is two goals behind his career-high, one assist off his best and three points off his career-high. Law also has 398 points (187-211=398) in 518 career American Hockey League games. Rookie C/LW Patrick O'Sullivan is first in rookie scoring with 55 points (28-27=55), and LW Roman Voloshenko (24-14=38) is second among first-year players in goals and 10th in overall rookie scoring. The line of Law, Westrum and Voloshenko has been held without at least a point in only eight games this season. Veteran D Curtis Murphy, meanwhile, is second among AHL defensemen scoring with 42 points (7-35=42). The Aeros have dropped two straight road games for the second time this season. Houston lost two in a row on the road three times last season, and hasn't dropped three straight away from Toyota Center since a franchise-record-tying four-game run 2/13-2/22/04. The Aeros' five-game road trip finishes Friday and Saturday in Iowa. It has been anything but a conventional road trip for the Aeros. They were supposed to return home to Houston on Sunday and travel to Cleveland today, but they were snowed in at Hartford, Conn., and couldn't leave until Monday. Then, instead of returning to Houston, the Aeros flew to Cleveland, by way of Chicago. All told, it's 10 days on the road instead of four. Aeros second-year G Josh Harding has missed the last 13 games due to an injury suffered 1/12 vs. Iowa, and he could return at any point. Harding typically excels when returning from a malady. Harding went 4-0-0 with a 1.25 gaa in his first four appearances after missing two weeks with a lower body injury in late October and early November. In his first four game after missing two months due to a concussion in his rookie season of 2004-05, Harding went 3-1-0 with a 1.72 gaa. The Aeros' first-period success, best in the AHL, has been well-documented. But their third period play has been equally important to the win column in 2005-06. Houston has held its opponent without a third-period goal in 21 games this season, and it hasn't lost in regulation (19-0-1-1). The Aeros have won their last 17 games when not allowing a goal in the final 20 minutes. But Houston has only outscored its opponents by a slim 61-60 in the third period this season. The Aeros have allowed at least one third-period goal in five straight games, going 2-2-0-1, and in seven of the last eight contests. Tonight's game features an Aeros' power play unit ranked third in the AHL at 20.5 percent, against a Cleveland penalty kill that is 27th and last in the league at 78.1 percent. Houston is 5-for-18 (27.8 percent) on the power play against Cleveland this season. However, the Barons have killed off 14-of-16 shorthanded chances (87.5 percent) in their last five games. Despite being mired in a 10-game winless streak, Cleveland has done a great job of staying out of the penalty box in recent games. In the last five contests, the Barons have been awarded 34 power plays, more than double the total of their opponents (16). Houston, meanwhile, has scored 75 power play goals while allowing only 49, and its plus-26 margin is tops in the AHL.

Aeros at Barons (Aeros are 11-8-0-0 all-time, Aeros are 5-4-0-0 at Cleveland) Tonight is the 20th all-time meeting between the teams - 10th in Cleveland. The Barons won three of the four meetings in both the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. The winning team in this series has scored at least four goals in 14 of the 19 matchups. Only two of the teams' 19 meetings has been decided by one goal, including a 3-2 Houston SO win in Cleveland 11/23/04. That also marked the first overtime or shootout game in the series. Aeros rookie C Patrick O'Sullivan posted five points (3-2=5) as Houston swept two games from Cleveland at home 11/30 and 12/4. RW Kirby Law tallied two goals and an assist in Houston's 4-1 win 12/11. Houston G Seamus Kotyk went 26-43-7 for Cleveland from 2001-2004. He made 26 saves in a 4-1 victory at Cleveland 12/11. Kotyk faced the Barons once last season - his first outside the San Jose organization - and beat the Barons 4-3 in Cleveland in overtime 10/20/04. He made 24 saves.

Scouting the Aeros The Aeros (35-14-1-2) have the AHL's third-best winning percentage (.702), trailing only Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (.755 pct) and Grand Rapids (.722)...The Aeros' West Division lead is down to two points over Milwaukee, which plays four games this week, starting with a home game tonight against last-place San Antonio...Houston, 13-10-0-0 on the road, has dropped four of its last five away games...The Aeros play game three of a five-game road trip tonight and play 19 of their final 30 games away from Toyota Center...C Erik Westrum has 76 points (24-52=76), six up on RW Kirby Law (30-40=70) for the top spot in the AHL...C/LW Patrick O'Sullivan is first in rookie scoring with with 55 points (28-27=55)...LW Roman Voloshenko (24-14=38) is second in goals and 10th in points among rookies...D Curtis Murphy is second among AHL defensemen with 42 points (7-35=42)...G Josh Harding is 21-7-0 with a 2.63 gaa to rank tied for second in save pct. (.923) and 10th in gaa...G Seamus Kotyk is 10-6-2 with a 2.93 gaa, while G Miroslav Kopriva is 4-2-0 with a 2.86 gaa.

Scouting the Barons Cleveland (20-32-2-2), AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, had won seven of 10 a month ago to get within four games of the .500 mark, but an 0-8-1-1 streak since a 6-3 win at Chicago 1/15 has dropped the Barons to sixth place in the North Division, with last-place Hamilton just two points behind...Five of the 10 losses during the streak have come by one goal...Each of the last seven losses have come at home, and Grand Rapids comes to town Thursday to finish off the nine-game homestand...Cleveland, which lost 5-3 at home to Chicago on Friday, is led by rookie C Josh Hennessy (16-29=45)...D Garrett Stafford paces the blueline with 31 points (10-21=31)...The Barons have used five goalies this season...Nolan Schaefer is 11-14-1 with a 3.06 gaa, while Dmitri Patzold is 4-13-0 with a 4.08 gaa.

2005-06 meetings (Fourth of 4 meetings, Aeros are 3-0-0-0 overall, Aeros are 1-0-0-0 at Cleveland) November 30 Cleveland 2 at Houston 7 December 4 Cleveland 2 at Houston 5 December 11 Houston 4 at Cleveland 1 Tonight Houston at Cleveland

Quick Hits Houston is third in the AHL in scoring at 3.69 gpg, trailing only Grand Rapids' 4.00 gpg and Portland's 3.75. Since getting shut out 3-0 by Milwaukee 11/27, the Aeros have scored 116 goals in 28 games for a 4.14 gpg average. Houston is trying to score 300 goals for just the second time in team history. The Aeros scored a franchise-record 307 goals in 1998-99, but that came in an 82-game season. This season Houston is on pace for 295 goals. The Aeros are 15-5-1-2 in one-goal games, and an impressive 21-8-1-2 in games decided by two goals or less. Houston has seen each of its last six games be decided by one or two goals, going 3-2-0-1 Cleveland is tied for the fewest one-goal victories in the AHL (7-6-2-2). In their last seven victories, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 16-4 in the first period. In the last 17 games overall, Houston has a 29-13 goal margin in the opening 20 minutes, and overall on the season the Aeros are an AHL-best plus-27 (64-37). Saturday marked the first time Houston trailed after one period in 12 games. Aeros D Curtis Murphy, an All-Star for the seventh time in as many North American seasons, is on the verge of becoming the Aeros' all-time goal and points leader among defensemen. Murphy is tied with Jeff Tory for the top spot among blueliners with 42 tallies. Murphy's 143 points trail only Greg Hawgood's total of 145 for the most in team history among defensemen. Murphy is second among all AHL defensemen in points this season (7-35=42). Houston D Scott Ferguson is quickly approaching the 1,000-PIM mark in his AHL career. Ferguson has 999 PIM's in 504 career AHL games. Houston has trailed at some point in 13 of its 35 victories, with four of the wins coming when trailing by two goals. The Aeros had 16 come-from-behind victories in 2004-05. They are an impressive 11-8-0-0 when allowing the game's first goal. The Aeros are 33-4-0-1 when scoring three goals or more, but they are 2-10-1-1 when scoring two or fewer. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 31-4-1-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 4-10-0-1 when yielding four or more. Houston is 13-1-0-0 when allowing 29 or fewer shots this season. The Aeros have allowed a goal in each of the last seven regulation periods and in 13 of the last 15. Houston has been tied at some point of the third period in each of its last four non wins (0-3-0-1).

Power play update Houston is third in the league on the power play at 20.5 percent. The Aeros are 42-for-180 (23.3 percent) with the man advantage in the last 28 games. The Aeros are 20-4-0-1 when scoring at least two PPG. Houston has scored two or more PPG in 15 of its last 27 games. Houston has been outscored on the power play just four times in its last 30 games. Cleveland is 27th and last in the AHL on the penalty kill at 78.1 percent. The Barons have killed off 14-of-16 shorthanded chances (87.5 percent) in the last five games. Houston is 5-for-18 (27.8 percent) on the power play against Cleveland this season.

Penalty kill update Houston is second in the AHL on the penalty kill at 85.8 percent. In the last 14 games, Houston is 78-of-85 (91.8 percent) on the PK. Houston is 17-3-0-2 when not allowing a power play goal and 28-7-1-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer. Cleveland ranks 21st in the AHL on the power play at 15.3 percent. The Barons are greatly improved in the last four games, scoring seven times on 28 man advantages (25.0 percent). Cleveland is 2-for-22 (9.1 percent) on the power play against Houston this season.

Aeros/Barons connections Aeros D Colin Peters played two collegiate seasons with Cleveland D Tim Conboy at St. Cloud State. Houston G Seamus Kotyk went 26-43-7 for Cleveland from 2001-2004. Cleveland head coach Roy Sommer played for the CHL Houston Apollos in 1979-80, recording 55 points (24-31=55) and 246 penalty minutes in 69 games. Cleveland D Aaron Power played two seasons with Houston D Erik Reitz at OHL Barrie, and one season with Aeros D Ryan Stokes.

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