Aeros Game Day, February 24: Aeros at Stars
February 24, 2012 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release
The Houston Aeros (25-16-3-9, 62 pts.) continue an 11-game road trip at Cedar Park on Friday at 7:30 p.m. CST against the Texas Stars (23-26-2-2, 50 pts.) at the Cedar Park Center.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
---Houston is on the longest road trip in franchise history (11 games, 2-4-0-0).
---Houston's 62 points are fifth in the Western Conference. The Aeros are 11 points off the West Division lead behind OKC and have Abbotsford (60) and San Antonio (59) in the rearview.
---Jon DiSalvatore needs two goals to become the Aeros AHL club leader in goals.
---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
Friday (Feb. 24) --- at TEX (7:30 p.m. CST)
Saturday (Feb. 25) --- at TEX (7 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/STARS HEAD-TO-HEAD
This is the ninth of 12 meetings this season... HOU is 5-1-2-1 against the Stars (2-1-2-0 at home, 3-0-0-1 on the road)... All-time HOU is 18-11-1-1 (10-5-2-0, 8-6-1-1 road)... HOU PP is 5/29... TEX PP is 7/34.
RECENT AEROS TRANSACTIONS
---Feb. 22: G Matt Hackett recalled by MIN
---Feb. 22: G Rob Nolan signed PTO
---Feb. 19: F Jeff Taffe reassigned by MIN
---Feb. 19: F Chad Rau recalled by MIN
---Feb: 18: C.J. Stretch signed PTO
---Feb: 17: F Cody Almond reassigned by MIN
---Feb: 17: F Jed Ortmeyer recalled by MIN
AEROS INJURIES
Jeff Penner has missed the last 14 games.
AEROS MILESTONES
---Jon DiSalvatore's 20th goal will be his 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 was his 79th as an Aero, moving him into the Top-5 in Aeros (AHL) career games played. His 23rd win 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 10 of the last 12 games (6-5=11) and in three of the last four.
---Justin Fontaine returned from a two-game suspension with an assist on Feb. 18. Fontaine has points in his last three games (1-4=5) and in five of the last seven games (1-7=8).
---Cody Almond had his first two-point game of the season on Feb. 10 and first since March 13, 2011 against Manitoba.
---Chay Genoway has assists in the last two games after not recording an assist since January 8 at San Antonio.
---Kris Foucault has six points (3-3=6) in his last six Aeros games.
---The Aeros have been involved in 63 transactions since Jan. 1 involving 27 different players. Overall the Aeros have been involved in 129 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 32 games (10-13-3-6) 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 27 games that have been decided by one goal (10-5-3-9).
---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 6-8-3 (2.58 GAA/.904 SV%) at home and 10-5-1 (2.29, .928) 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 5/7 in eight minutes of work in a 4-1 L at ABB on Feb. 18.
KUEMPER --- Is 1-1-2 at home (2.47 GAA/.920 SV%) and 5-3-2 on the road (2.46 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 21/23 in 52 minutes of relief work at ABB on Feb. 18 (4-1 L, ND).
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 2/12 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
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
44 - FRIHTCH
61 - KOOH-muh
Torchetti --- TOHR-cheh-TEE
Van Ryn --- VAN-RIGHN
LaPlante --- luh-PLAHNT
American Hockey League Stories from February 24, 2012
- Admirals Dropkick Heat 4-1 - Milwaukee Admirals
- Pirri's Third Period Tally Lifts Rockford Over Chicago - Rockford IceHogs
- Falcons Beat Sound Tigers 2-1 - Springfield Falcons
- Wolves' Streak Snapped at Hands of IceHogs, 3-2 - Chicago Wolves
- Stars Shoot Past Aeros 3-2 - Texas Stars
- Grand Rapids Too Much for Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Aeros lose to Stars - Houston Aeros
- Crunch Fall to the Devils in the Final Minutes of Play - Syracuse Crunch
- Minard Nets Another Hat Trick in Griffins' 6-1 Win - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Goaltenders Duel Goes Rampage Way - Peoria Rivermen
- Bulldogs Cool IceCaps with 3-2 Shootout Win - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Admirals Battle Back for Last Minute Win Over B-Sens, 3-2 - Binghamton Senators
- Sharks Get Gronk by Bruins 5-3 - Worcester Sharks
- Leggio Legs It out Past Phantoms - Adirondack Phantoms
- Rampage Edge Rivermen, 2-1 - San Antonio Rampage
- Checkers Continue Success Against OKC - Charlotte Checkers
- Johnson, Whale Scuttle Pirates - Connecticut Whale
- P-Bruins Rally to Defeat Sharks 5-3 - Providence Bruins
- Devils Top Crunch Late - Albany Devils
- Falcons Clip Sound Tigers 2-1 in Shootout - Bridgeport Islanders
- Labrie's Goal in the Final Seconds Leads Admirals to Seventh-Straight Victory - Norfolk Admirals
- Kings Sign Mitchell - Manchester Monarchs
- Rochester Americans Sign Gongalsky to AHL Contract - Rochester Americans
- Sound Tigers Agree to Terms with Three Players on AHL Contracts - Bridgeport Islanders
- Killeen Assigned from Wheeling by Penguins - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Heat Release Blackwater from PTO - Abbotsford Heat
- Panthers Return Strachan to Rampage - San Antonio Rampage
- Amerks Announce Time Change for Home Game on Sunday, March 4 - Rochester Americans
- Gameday Preview - Houston at Texas - Texas Stars
- Kings Announce Player Transactions - Manchester Monarchs
- Start Time Changed for Whale's Home Game April 1 - Connecticut Whale
- Flames Recall Desbiens from Heat - Abbotsford Heat
- Sound Tigers Trade Olson to Houston - Bridgeport Islanders
- Dallas Sends Fraser Back to Texas - Texas Stars
- Blackhawks Sign Hutton, Assign Him to Rockford - Rockford IceHogs
- B-Sens Weekly - Binghamton Senators
- Devils Sign Baier - Albany Devils
- Ian Cole Recalled by Blues - Peoria Rivermen
- Pregame Report - Falcons Host Sound Tigers Tonight - Springfield Falcons
- Senators Recall Goaltender Robin Lehner from Binghamton - Binghamton Senators
- B-Sens Recall Goaltender Brian Stewart from Elmira - Binghamton Senators
- Ellis Reassigned to Milwaukee - Milwaukee Admirals
- Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Forward Cam Atkinson from AHL's Springfield Falcons - Springfield Falcons
- Heat at Admirals Game Preview - Abbotsford Heat
- Aeros Game Day, February 24: Aeros at Stars - Houston Aeros
- Griffins Sign Carlson to Tryout - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Griffins Host Monsters Tonight - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Phantoms Weekly - Adirondack Phantoms
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