Aeros Game Day

Published on December 3, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Aeros at Grizzlies (Aeros lead all-time series 41-37-3 overall, 21-21-1 at Utah)

Houston and Utah meet tonight for the 82nd time in their history, the most meetings against any opponent for the Aeros. Houston is 41-37-3 all-time against Utah, including a 1-2-0 mark this season and 7-3-0 in 2002-03. The teams have met twice this season at the "E" Center, splitting a pair of games November 7 and 8. Utah won 6-1 the first night, but the Aeros came back for a 4-1 victory the next night. All-time in Utah, Houston is 21-21-1, including a 4-3-0 mark in the last two seasons. Houston and Utah meet tonight for the fourth time this season, with Houston trailing 1-2-0-0. The teams meet next December 23 in Salt Lake City.

2003-04 meetings (Fourth of 10 meetings, 1-2-0-0 overall, 1-1-0-0 at Utah)

October 26: Utah 2 at Houston 1 February 3: Utah at Houston

November 7: Houston 1 at Utah 6 February 5: Utah at Houston

November 8: Houston 4 at Utah 3 February 22: Houston at Utah

Tonight: Houston at Utah March 6: Utah at Houston

December 23: Houston at Utah March 23: Utah at Houston

Last game – Former Aero Jay Henderson snapped a tie with 5:17 left in the second period and Brian Finley finished with 26 saves, leading the Milwaukee Admirals to a 3-1 victory over Houston at Toyota Center. Andrew Hutchinson added a goal and an assist and Tony Hrkac scored on an unassisted breakaway for Milwaukee, which tied a season-high with its third straight win. Chris Bala scored shorthanded and Kyle Kettles, making his second straight start, made 29 saves for Houston. The Aeros' seven-game winless streak (0-5-1-1) has tied a franchise record.

Scouting the Aeros – Houston is a winless 0-5-1-1 in its last seven after a 3-1 home loss to Milwaukee on Monday night. The Aeros will look to get back on the winning track on the road, where they have more wins (three) than at home (two). Rickard Wallin has 15 points (8g, 7a) to lead the Aeros, but has gone without a point in three straight games for the first time this season. Kyle Wanvig (6g, 6a) is second on the team with 12 points, but is also pointless in three straight games. Wanvig has two game-winners to top all Aeros. Houston's leading defenseman is Jason Marshall, returned to the team by the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. Marshall has eight points (2g, 6a) in 17 games. Fellow blueliner Erik Reitz has seven points (1g, 6a) in 20 games. The Aeros added more experience at the blueline last month when Travis Roche was reassigned from the Wild. Roche has four points (2g, 2a) in nine games, with all of his points coming during a four-game point streak November 22-28. Last year's Calder Cup Most Valuable Player, goalie Johan Holmqvist, has started 18 of the team's first 21 games, going 5-11-2 with a 3.24 goals against average. His backup is second-year netminder Kyle Kettles, who is 0-3-0 with a 3.65 goals against average. Kettles has started each of the last two games.

Seven-game winless streak ties franchise mark – The Aeros' 3-1 loss to Milwaukee on Monday stretched their winless streak to seven games (0-5-1-1), tying a franchise record. A loss, tie or overtime loss tonight would establish a new franchise mark. Houston twice previously went seven games without a win. The Aeros did it twice in the International Hockey League, most recently an 0-6-1 stretch from March 1-20, 1996. Houston's AHL team-high winless streak had been six games. The Aeros' six-game AHL slide came from December 6-20 of last season. Houston's last win came on November 19, a 3-1 decision in Grand Rapids. The Aeros are also 0-4-0-1 in their last five games at the Toyota Center. Houston's last win in its new arena was a 2-1 victory over Manitoba on November 2. On the road, the Aeros are winless in five straight (0-3-1-1), the first time that has happened since a franchise-record six-game streak (0-4-1-1) from February 19-March 11 of last season.

Aeros have no even-strength goals in nearly three full games – Houston enters tonight's game having not scored an even-strength goal in 175 minutes, 44 seconds – nearly three full games. Since Chris Dyment's goal at 4:16 of the first period last Friday in Syracuse, the Aeros have a Travis Roche power play goal later in that stanza, and a shorthanded tally by Chris Bala Monday night versus Milwaukee. Since Roche's goal gave the Aeros a 4-0 lead midway through the first period last Friday, the Aeros have been outscored 12-1.

Scouting the Grizzlies – Utah tries to avoid its fourth straight loss at the "E" Center tonight, having not won there since a 5-2 victory over Manitoba on November 12. After their three-game home losing streak, Utah embarked on a four-game road trip, resulting in a 2-2-0-0 split. In the finale, Cleveland knocked off Utah 3-2 on Saturday. Goals from Utah's Antti Miettinen and Warren Peters were not enough to fend off a tiebreaking, third-period shorthanded goal from Cleveland's Tavis Hansen. Jason Bacashihua made 23 saves for Utah. The Grizzlies are led in scoring by Jarrod Skalde, whose 11 assists and 16 points are team highs. Skalde is the only Utah player to hit the 10-point plateau, and David Gove is second with nine points (4g, 5a). Bacashihua is 3-9-1 with a 2.68 goals against average. He has split time with Mike Smith, who is 3-5-0 with a 3.17 gaa. Smith's best performance of the season was a 48-save epic in a 2-1 win at Toyota Center on October 26 against the Aeros. Smith just missed his second pro goal in that game too. Smith is 1-2-0 since that contest. Utah has been hit hard by callups this year, as former Aero Rob Valicevic, Steve Gainey and Jeff MacMillan are all talented players in Dallas right now.

Could be a low-scoring affair – Utah has not won a game when allowing more than two goals, and Houston hasn't won a game when yielding more than one.

Bottom two power play units meet – Houston enters tonight's game 27th in the AHL at 9.3 percent on the power play. The Aeros lead only Utah (9.0 percent) with the man advantage. Both teams are ranked in the top seven of the league in penalty kill, though. Utah is at 88.9 percent (seventh) and Houston checks in at 89.2 percent (tied for fourth).

Better starts needed – Houston had been outscored 25-14 in the first period this season, the third worst differential of any AHL team. Only the St. John's Maple Leafs (28-14) and Portland Pirates (20-9) have worse first-period differentials.

Utah having trouble in third – The Grizzlies have kept pace with their opponents through the first two periods, but the third stanza has been the problem. Utah enters tonight's game having been outscored 28-13 in the third period this season and 2-0 in overtime.

Get these guys on the scoresheet – Rickard Wallin, Stephane Veilleux and Kyle Wanvig each have at least one point in four of the team's five victories.

Penalty kill update –

Houston killed off its first 31 shorthanded chances this season. Since then, opponents are 12-for-79 (15.2 percent) on the power play. Opponents are 3-for-26 (11.5 percent) over the past three games, though, including a 10-for-10 PK performance Monday against Milwaukee. Four of Houston's five victories have come when the team hasn't allowed a power play goal. The Aeros' 10-for-10 penalty kill effort Monday jumped the team from ninth to tied for fourth in the league on the penalty kill.

Not quite the same Aeros – Houston started last season 15-5-1 in its first 21 games, a far cry from the 5-12-2-2 record the current team sports. However, this is not the same team. Eleven players are back from last year's roster, but gone are the team's top three scorers from last season in Jean-Guy Trudel, Hnat Domenichelli and Curtis Murphy. Also gone are veteran defensemen David Cullen and Ladislav Benysek, all key contributors to the Calder Cup championship run.

Home sweet home – The Aeros are in a stretch where they play just two of eight games away from Toyota Center. The other game, besides tonight, comes December 12 in Grand Rapids. Houston is back home this weekend against Cincinnati on Friday and Chicago on Sunday.

Quick hits

The Aeros were 0-for-7 on the power play Monday and are 3-for-50 (6.0 percent) on the man advantage in their last eight games.

Houston's 129 power-play attempts are the most in the league.

The Aeros are a perfect 5-0-0-0 when allowing one goal this season, and 0-12-2-2 when yielding two or more.

The Aeros have led in just four of their last 14 games. They are 2-1-0-1 in those four contests.

Houston was outshot only two times in its first 19 games. The Aeros have been outshot though in each of their last two contests.

Utah's David Oliver played with Houston from 1997-2000 (three seasons), totaling 127 points (72g, 55a) in 160 games.

The Grizzlies' Barrett Heisten and Houston's Johan Holmqvist each played for Hartford in the 2001-02 season.

Houston added center Ed McGrane yesterday. McGrane, a four-year standout at UMass-Lowell, has played 19 games with CHL Corpus Christi this season, totaling 21 points (14g, 7a).

Utah's Jason Bacashihua is 2-4-0 with a 3.18 goals against average in his career against Houston. The Grizzlies' Mike Smith is 1-1-0 with a 2.22 goals against average versus the Aeros.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 3, 2003


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