Aeros Game Day, February 17: Aeros at Heat

Published on February 17, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


OVERVIEW

The Houston Aeros (25-14-3-9, 69 pts.) continue an 11-game road trip at Abbotsford on Friday at 9 p.m. CST against the Heat (26-20-3-0, 55 pts.) at the Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre. The Aeros saw a two-game winning streak snapped in a 3-0 L at MIL on Feb. 14. Abbotsford has lost three-straight and is 1-6-1-0 at home since Jan. 3.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

---Houston is on the longest road trip in franchise history (11 games, 2-2-0-0).

---Houston's 62 points are tied for second-best with CHA and TOR in the Western Conference behind OKC (69).

---The Aeros will log over 12,000 miles on the current road trip. By comparison, Aeros broadcaster Joe O'Donnell could take two round trips from Houston to Reykjavik, Iceland, to visit Bjork; or about 23 round trips from Houston to the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, where he could attempt to eat a 72 oz. steak in an hour.

THIS WEEK'S GAMES

Tuesday (Feb. 13) --- at MIL (3-0 L)

Friday (Feb. 17) --- at ABB (9 p.m. CST)

Saturday (Feb. 18) --- at ABB (9 p.m. CST)

AEROS BROADCASTS

Radio: 1070 KNTH-AM

Listen online: www.aeros.com

Watch online: www.ahllive.com

Listen on Smartphone including BlackBerry: Download the TuneIn Radio App; search Houston, then KNTH.

LIVE SCORING AND STATS

The AHL provides live scoring and stats via the GameCenter tab at www.theahl.com.

AEROS/HEAT HEAD-TO-HEAD

This is the third of eight meetings... HOU is 0-1-0-1 (both at HOU)... HOU PP is 2/15... ABB PP is 2/8... ABB won the first meeting 5-3 on Nov. 10... ABB won the second meeting on Nov. 20 in the shootout 1-0... Matt Hackett stopped 54/58 in two appearances... HOU is 4-2-1-3 all-time vs. the Heat (2-1-2-1 at home, 2-0-0-2 on the road).

RECENT AEROS TRANSACTIONS

---Feb. 16: Jamie Fritsch signed PTO.

---Feb. 15: Devin DiDiomete released from PTO.

---Feb. 15: Cody Almond and Jeff Taffe recalled by MIN... Kris Foucault reassigned by MIN... Mike McKenzie loaned to Ontario (ECHL).

---Feb. 14: Devin DiDiomete signed PTO.

---Feb. 13: Kris Foucault and Marco Scandella recalled by MIN.

AEROS INJURIES

Jeff Penner has missed the last 12 games.

AEROS MILESTONES

---Jon DiSalvatore's 20th goal will be 69th as an Aero, placing him first in franchise history (AHL only, 4th AHL/IHL). His 41st game on Jan. 21 at TEX was his 200th as an Aero, placing him 10th all-time in Aeros (AHL) history.

---Jeff Taffe notched his 400th AHL point with an assist on Jon DiSalvatore's goal on Jan. 8 at SA. Taffe had two assists while skating in his 500th AHL game on Jan. 21 at TEX.

---Drew Bagnall played in his 300th AHL game at TEX on Jan. 21.

---Matt Hackett's 34th game will be his 79th as an Aero and crack the Top-5 in Aeros (AHL) career games played. His 23rd will push him into second place in Aeros (AHL) career wins. His 983rd save will place him second in Aeros (AHL) career saves.

AEROS PLAYER NOTES

---Jon DiSalvatore has points in eight of the last 11 games (3-5=8).

---Justin Fontaine had his second two-point game in as many nights and his seventh of the season on Feb. 11.

---Cody Almond had his first two-point game of the season on Feb. 10 and first since March 13, 2011 against Manitoba.

---Jeff Taffe scored his third goal in four games on Feb. 10 and his second two-point game in the last five outings. He has points in three of the last six games (3-2=5) and now has 10 two-point games on the season.

---Kris Foucault scored his second goal in the last five games on Feb. 10. The rookie has points in four of the last six games (3-2=5).

---David McIntyre has points in five of the last nine games (4-1=5).

--- Jed Ortmeyer, who was reassigned by Minnesota to Houston on Feb. 9, has points (1-2=3) in two of the last three games.

---The Aeros have been involved in 55 transactions since Jan. 1 involving 26 different players. Overall the Aeros have been involved in 21 transactions since the start of the season.

---A total of 17 different players have been recalled from Houston to Minnesota this season.

TEAM NOTABLES

---Houston has earned at least a point in 19 of the 29 games (10-10-3-6) in which they have allowed the first goal. They are 15-3-0-3 when scoring first.

---Houston played seven of 10 games on the road from Jan. 8-Feb. 2 and notched a 3-3-0-1 record away from home in that time.

---Houston has played 26 games that have been decided by one goal (10-4-3-9).

---The Aeros edged Grand Rapids 3-2 on Jan. 11 for their first shootout victory of the season.

---The Aeros drew 27,048 fans in three games over four days from Feb. 2-5, including a Toyota Center best-ever crowd of 13,390 on Saturday, Feb. 4.

--- The attendance of 13,390 on Feb. 5 was the largest crowd for the Aeros since moving to Toyota Center in the 2002-03 season. It was the largest Aeros crowd since 13,342 on Jan. 16, 2004.

AEROS GOALIES

HACKETT - Is 6-8-4 (2.58 GAA/.904 SV%) at home and 10-3-1 (2.19 GAA/.933 SV%) on the road... Won six-straight road starts from Oct. 28-Dec. 30... Made his NHL debut on Dec. 6 and made 34 saves in a 2-1 win at SJ after entering the game early in the first period to relieve an injured Josh Harding... Last Game: Stopped 20 of 23 in a 3-0 L at MIL on Feb. 14.

KUEMPER --- Is 1-1-2 at home (2.47 GAA/.920 SV%) and 5-3-2 on the road (2.47 GAA/ .920 SV%)... Led the ECHL in both GAA (1.74) and save percentage (.941) at the time of his recall on Nov. 29 and posted a 7-1-0 record with the Ontario Reign... Recorded his first pro shutout with 1-0 win on Dec. 9 vs. SAN (33 saves)... Last Game: Stopped 30/34 in 5-4 W at GR on Feb. 11.

POWER PLAY

Is 1/13 in the last three games... Went 8/43 in games 41-50 (18.6%)... Went 7/38 (18.4%) in games 31-40... Went 5/37 (13.5%) in games 21-30... Went 20/106 (18/9%) in games 1-20... Set a season-high going 3/5 in a 4-2 win at SAN on Oct. 28.

PENALTY KILL

Opponents are 1/14 on the PP in the last three games... Stopped 30/39 (76.9 %) in games 41-50... Stopped 28/36 (77.7%) in games 31-40... Stopped 20/27 (74.0%) in games 21-30... Stopped 80/97 (82.4%) in games 1-20.

AEROS PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

3 - FRIHTCH

4 - BAGH-nawl

7 - FRED-haym

8 - MED-vekh

10 - RAHD-juh

14 - deh-SAL-vuh-tohr

16 - STAW-bihts

20 - ROWH (like now)

22 - TAYF

26 - MACK-in-tyre

27 - mick-MILL-uhn

35 - KEM-per

39 - GEHN-oh-way

41 - ORT-migh-er

61 - KOOH-muh

Torchetti --- TOHR-cheh-TEE

Van Ryn --- VAN-RIGHN

LaPlante --- luh-PLAHNT

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American Hockey League Stories from February 17, 2012


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