Aeros continue road trip tonight in Utah

February 23, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know
· Tonight is a homecoming for John Erskine, Mike Smith and David Bararuk, each of whom has spent time with the Grizzlies when they were Dallas' affiliate. Erskine spent parts of the last three seasons in Utah, Smith two campaigns and Bararuk one. Smith sports an 8-5-1 career mark with a 2.34 gaa at the "E" Center, counting Monday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Grizzlies.
· The Aeros, who lead the league on the penalty kill at 89.4 percent, have killed off 44-of-46 (95.7 percent) of their shorthanded chances over the last 12 games. Houston allowed nine goals on 47 chances in its first 10 games (80.9 percent kill), but has killed at a 91.6 percent since. Houston is plus-23 in PPG ratio, second in the league and just one behind Manchester. The AHL record for penalty kill percentage is an eye-popping 90.7, set last season by Bridgeport, which also established a new mark by allowing only 31 PPG. Houston has yielded 24 through 51 games.
· The Aeros are getting used to playing catch-up, as they've allowed the first goal in each of their last seven games. The Aeros, who have trailed at some point in 10 of their last 11 games, are 9-17-2-3 when allowing the first goal, but 15-3-2-0 when scoring it. Houston has scored first just 20 times, tied for the AHL-low. Houston has scored a first-period goal in just two of its last 11 games. The last time the Aeros scored first was in a 1-0 win over Milwaukee 2/5.
· Houston is playing game two of a stretch of seven straight games against teams with lower winning percentages than it has. The Aeros just wrapped up a run where they played Milwaukee and Chicago - the top two teams in the division - in nine of 11 games. The Aeros played 16 of their first 50 games against the Admirals and Wolves, while playing only 13 games versus the remainder of the division.
· There is soon to be a new all-time Aeros leader in goals since 2001-02, when the team joined the AHL. Kyle Wanvig's 50 goals have tied Cory Larose for the top spot on the list, while Stephane Veilleux is just one off the pace with 49. Veilleux, meanwhile, is only one point behind Larose and Travis Roche (120 points each) for the top spot on the Aeros AHL points list. Veilleux's next point will not only tie Larose and Roche, but the trio will be tied for 10th place on the team's all-time list, counting IHL totals.

Aeros at Grizzlies (Aeros are 47-39-4-2 overall, Aeros are 22-23-1-1 at Utah/Denver)
· Today marks the 93rd all-time meeting between Houston and the Utah franchise, including its play in Denver in 1994-95. The 93 meetings are the most between the Aeros and an opponent.
· Prior to Utah's 2-1 shootout win Monday, the first three games this season were all played in Houston, with the Aeros going 2-1-0-0.
· The Aeros went 5-4-1 versus Utah, then Dallas' affiliate, in 2003-04.
· Houston is 7-3-1-1 in the last 12 meetings after losing three straight 3/20-11/7/03.
· Houston is 16-8-1-1 in the last 26 meetings and 19-13-2-2 versus the Grizzlies since joining the AHL.
· Houston has four wins in its last eight trips to the E Center (4-3-0-1), but Utah has won the last two meetings.
· The teams combined for only 27 PIM's Monday after combining for 342 PIM's in the previous two meetings. Fifteen of the 27 PIM's came a day after the game, when Aeros captain Kirby Law was given a checking from behind major and game misconduct for an incident that happened in the third period.

Scouting the Aeros
Houston has points in 11 of its last 15 games (7-4-2-2) to move into fourth place in the West, just five points out of third...The Aeros are 0-0-0-1 to begin a five-game road trip...Houston needs a win today to avoid tying a season-high three-game winless streak (0-2-1-0, 10/20-10/23), but the Aeros do have points in three straight on the road (1-0-1-1)...Stephane Veilleux (15-19=34) leads the Aeros in scoring, just ahead of Pierre-Marc Bouchard (8-25=33) and Kirby Law (17-16=33)...Bouchard has 14 points (3-11=14) in his last 13 games, while Law has 18 points (10-8=18) in 18 games since 1/11...Nineteen-year-old Brent Burns (8-12=20) anchors a well-balanced blueline that includes five players in double digits in points...Mike Smith is 14-12-2 with a 2.43 gaa, while Josh Harding is 10-11-1 with a 2.13 gaa.

Scouting the Grizzlies
Utah is 3-2-0-0 in its last five games after a five-game winless streak and a 3-14-0-1 stretch, and is 8-4-0-1 in its last 13 home games...Utah has scored exactly one regulation goal in each of its last four games...A win tonight would give the Grizzlies back-to-back wins for the third time this season, first since knocking off Manitoba twice 1/28-1/29...Peter White is the Grizzlies' leading scorer with 25 points (8-17=25) with the team and 33 overall (10-23=33)...Keith Ballard, Utah's All-Star, is the leading defenseman with 19 points (2-17=19) but is a minus-26...Jamie Storr was acquired on loan from Springfield two weeks ago and has brought a spark, going 3-1-0 with a 1.48 gaa...David LeNeveu, a 2004 AHL All-Star, is 6-21-2 with a 2.95 gaa.

2004-05 meetings (Fifth of 10 meetings, Aeros are 2-1-0-1 overall, Aeros are 0-0-0-1 at Utah)
November 26: Utah 5 at Houston 3
November 28: Utah 2 at Houston 5
February 2: Utah 2 at Houston 5
Monday: Houston 1 at Utah 2 (SO)
Tonight: Houston at Utah
March 16: Houston at Utah
March 18: Houston at Utah
March 23: Utah at Houston
April 6: Houston at Utah
April 17: Utah at Houston

Last Game
Jamie Storr made 35 saves and stopped four of six shootout attempts, and Erik Westrum notched the deciding goal, as the Utah Grizzlies defeated the Houston Aeros 2-1 at The E Center. Fredrik Sjostrom also scored for Utah. Mike Smith made 29 saves against his former team and Stephane Veilleux forced overtime with a third-period goal.

Quick Hits
· Today's game pits Houston's fifth-ranked power play unit (18.1 percent) against Utah's 28th and last-ranked penalty killers (77.9 percent). The Aeros are an impressive 7-for-21 (33.3 percent) with the man advantage against the Grizzlies this season.
· The Aeros have allowed 35 third-period goals, tied with Rochester for the league-lead. Houston allowed a third-period goal Saturday against Chicago and it led to a familiar result. The Aeros are 1-9-2-1 in their last 13 games when allowing a third-period goal.
· In the last two seasons, the Aeros have only two wins in 14 February road games (2-7-4-1).
· Aeros defenseman Ray Giroux has three assists in his last four games and six points (1-5=6) in his last seven games. Giroux's hot streak gives him a total of 149 AHL assists in 360 games.
· Houston's John Erskine has played in 298 professional games.
· The Aeros have played five straight one-goal games (2-1-1-1), two off their season high set 10/24-11/6 (5-1-0-1). Three of the games have finished 2-1, with Houston losing each one, and its two wins have come via 5-4 margins.
· Grizzlies netminder Jamie Storr is an impressive 7-2-0 with a 2.50 gaa in his career against the Aeros.
· Utah has scored just one regulation goal in each of its last four games.
· The Grizzlies have scored the fewest goals in the AHL in the first (23) and second (33) periods, and have allowed the most in the third (68). Only four other teams have yielded as many as 55 goals in the third.
· Utah ranks last in the league in goals for (1.92) and goals against (3.43).
· The Grizzlies are 11-10-0-3 in one-goal games, but 4-25-0-0 in games decided by two or more goals.

Harding back in a big way
· Aeros 20-year-old rookie goalie Josh Harding missed 17 games due to a concussion, but he has returned strong, going 5-4-0 with a 2.30 gaa.
· Harding, the second youngest goalie in the AHL behind WBS' Marc-Andre Fleury, has three shutouts. No other Aeros rookie goalie had more than one shutout.
· Harding is 10-8-1 with a 2.00 gaa since an 0-3-0 start to his pro campaign.
· Harding ranks 10th in the league in gaa (2.13).
· The rookie lost Saturday against Chicago despite allowing only two goals, marking the fourth time he's seen a winning streak snapped at two games.
· Harding has allowed 21 goals in the first period, but only 12 in each the second and third this season.

Smith establishes franchise mark
· Aeros goalie Mike Smith appeared in 19 straight games - 17 of the appearances starts - from 11/26-1/25. Smith's 19-game run was a new franchise record, eclipsing Frederic Chabot's old mark of 15, set 12/8/99-1/21/00.
· Smith is 0-2-2 in his last four starts, a new career-mark for a winless streak. His gaa in that span is 2.66. Smith was previously winless in three straight games on two occasions, once this season.
· Smith is one of five Aeros goalies ever with four shutouts in a season.
· Smith is 3-2 in his AHL career in OT and 3-1 in shootouts, and he went 3-1 in shootouts with ECHL Lexington in 2002-03.
· The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder is 6-1-1 with a 2.20 gaa on the road but 8-11-1 with a 2.55 gaa at Toyota Center.

PP unit fifth
· The Aeros are fifth in the league on the power play at 18.2 percent.
· Houston is 2-for-12 (16.7 percent) on the power play over its last three games, but it got only one advantage Monday for the first time since 3/12/04 against San Antonio.
· In their last 34 games, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 36-15 on the power play.
· Overall, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 47-24 on the power play.
· Houston is 18-12-3-1 when scoring a PPG and 6-8-1-2 when not scoring a PPG.
· The Aeros have allowed seven shorthanded goals, but none since Norfolk's Quintin Laing 12/18.
· Utah is 28th and last in the AHL on the penalty kill at 77.9 percent. At home the Grizzlies are better at 81.8 percent - 25th in the league.
· The Grizzlies have killed off 12-of-13 chances (92.3 percent) in their last five games after allowing five PPG over a two-game stretch.

Houston first on PK
· Houston leads the league on the penalty kill at 89.4 percent.
· Houston has killed off 44-of-46 shorthanded chances in the past 12 games (95.7 percent) and 97-of-105 shorthanded chances in the last 24 games (92.2 percent).
· The Aeros have killed off 163-of-178 (91.6 percent) of their shorthanded chances over the last 41 games.
· Houston is 16-12-2-2 when not allowing a PPG and 8-8-2-1 when allowing a PPG.
· Utah is tied for 19th in the AHL on the power play at 14.2 percent.
· The Grizzlies are 1-for-14 (7.1 percent) with the man advantage over their last four games.



American Hockey League Stories from February 23, 2005


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