Aeros beat Ducks 3-1

December 5, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Houston, TX – Chris Bala snapped an early third-period tie and Matt Foy added a power-play tally later in the period, as the Houston Aeros snapped a franchise-record eight-game winless streak with a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks at Toyota Center. Mika Hannula also scored and Johan Holmqvist made 22 saves for Houston, which stopped a four-game losing streak and had been 0-6-1-1 in its last eight.

Casey Hankinson scored and Ilya Bryzgalov made 34 saves for Cincinnati, which is 1-6-0 in its last seven.

"It was certainly a relief for the players," said Houston head coach Todd McLellan. "But from a coaching standpoint it was most of all a reward for the players who've continued to work hard despite frustrations. It's weird 23 games in talking about a game being this emotional, but now we can continue to build on this."

The game was tied 1-1 after two, but the Aeros took the lead thanks to a great individual play by Bala with 5:58 gone in the third. Dan Cavanaugh got the puck out of his own zone to Bala, who carried the puck in on the left wing with Foy. Bala sent a shot in on Bryzgalov, who made the original save but then tried to play the puck back to himself. Bala poked the puck past an out-of-position Bryzgalov to put Houston up 2-1 at the 5:48 mark with his third goal and send the crowd into a frenzy.

Zbynek Michalek set up Foy's power-play goal with 10:44 left in regulation. Michalek ripped a shot from the blueline that was knocked down in front by Bala. The puck came right to Foy between the circles, and the rookie snapped a shot under Bryzgalov for his fourth of the season. The goal snapped an 0-for-37 power-play skid for Houston and was also the team's second man-advantage goal in the last 47 attempts. The Aeros, who finished 1-for-9 on the power play, are now 4-for-67 on the power play in the last 10 games.

Houston put the game away with a strong defensive effort in the third, outshooting Cincinnati 16-7 in the period. The rally helped Houston win its first game this season when not scoring the first goal. The Aeros, who killed off four of five Cincinnati power plays, improved to 1-12-2-1 when allowing the first goal.

Houston got a pair of early power plays but nothing to show for it after Bryzgalov gloved aside Stephane Veilleux's attempt less than a minute into the game.

The Mighty Ducks then broke on top just 21 seconds into their first power play. Mike Mottau ripped a shot from the left circle, and Hankinson made an acrobatic move in front to tip the puck past Holmqvist for his fourth goal of the season. The tally came at 7:57.

Houston answered right back, just 1:15 later, as Hannula tallied his fourth. Hannula skated behind the net and poked a wraparound attempt underneath Bryzgalov to tie the game at 1-1 at the 9:12 mark

The Aeros (thanks to four power plays) dominated much of the second period, outshooting the Ducks 10-8, but neither team scored in the stanza.

Holmqvist made his best save of the night six minutes into the second, when Mattau ripped one from the left circle that the netminder kicked out with his left pad.

Houston had four power plays in the second, including more than a minute of 5-on-3 time with less than four minutes left. However, Bryzgalov was up to task.

The Aeros got their seventh power play early in the third period but didn't record a shot before things got evened up when Hannula went for interference.

Notes:

With sixth-place Utah idle, the Aeros moved to 16 points, within one of the Grizzlies. Houston trails fifth-place Cincinnati by just five points now.

Bala (1g, 1a) picked up his first multiple-point game of the season. It marked the Aeros' first multiple-point game since Rickard Wallin picked up two goals November 26 in Rochester.

Houston is 4-0-1 all-time at home against Cincinnati.

Four of Bryzgalov's eight wins this season have come via the shutout.

Each of the Aeros' six wins have come when allowing one goal.

Cincinnati had outscored its opponents 20-12 in the third period this season, but got outscored 2-0 in the all-important stanza tonight.



American Hockey League Stories from December 5, 2003


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