Aeros Game Day

Published on December 12, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Aeros at Griffins (Aeros trail all-time series 16-18-7-0, 7-11-2-0 at Grand Rapids)

Tonight is the 42nd all-time meeting between the teams – the 26th AHL meeting – and Houston's 21st trip to Grand Rapids.

Since joining the AHL, Houston is 8-11-6-0 versus Grand Rapids, including a 4-7-2-0 road mark.

Aeros have just three wins in last 11 meetings (3-7-1) and are 2-6-0 in the last eight games.

Aeros were 4-5-1 against Grand Rapids in 2002-03, including a 2-3-0 mark at Van Andel Arena.

Houston will be trying to win back-to-back games in Grand Rapids for just the third time ever. The Aeros also posted back-to-back wins there October 18 and 24, 2002, and November 25, 1997 and October 24, 1998.

Fourth of 10 meetings this season.

Teams won't meet each other for more than two months after tonight, but they will then play each other three times in five days February 14-18.

The season series sees the first five games in Grand Rapids, the last five in Houston.

2003-04 meetings (Fourth of 10 meetings, Griffins lead 2-1-0 overall, 2-1-0 at Grand Rapids)

October 18: Houston 2 at Grand Rapids 4
November 11: Houston 2 at Grand Rapids 6
November 19: Houston 3 at Grand Rapids 1
TONIGHT: Houston at Grand Rapids
February 14: Houston at Grand Rapids
February 16: Grand Rapids at Houston
February 18: Grand Rapids at Houston
March 5: Grand Rapids at Houston
March 8: Grand Rapids at Houston
April 10: Grand Rapids at Houston

Last game – Stephane Veilleux snapped a tie late in the second period with a shorthanded goal and Mika Hannula and Jason Marshall also scored, leading the Houston Aeros to their second straight win, a 3-1 decision over the Chicago Wolves at Toyota Center. Johan Holmqvist turned aside 23 shots for Houston, which has won back-to-back games for the first time this season. Kari Lehtonen made 38 saves and former Aero Greg Hawgood had the lone goal for Chicago, which fell to 2-5-0 in its last seven. Houston, which went 0-12-2-1 when allowing the game's first goal prior to Friday, now have two straight come-from-behind victories.

Scouting the Aeros – Houston is a hot team after back-to-back 3-1 wins over Cincinnati and Chicago last weekend. The Aeros have had four days off since the victory over the Wolves at Toyota Center on Sunday. Houston is led in scoring by Rickard Wallin (8g, 9a) and Dan Cavanaugh (6g, 11a), both with 17 points. Kyle Wanvig (6g, 6a) and Stephane Veilleux are tied for third with 12 points, and Veilleux snapped a 12-game streak without a goal with his shorthanded, game-winning tally Sunday. Houston's leading defenseman is long-time NHL'er Jason Marshall, who is the Aeros captain. Marshall has posted nine points (3g, 6a) in 20 games. Fellow blueliner Erik Reitz has seven points (1g, 6a) in 22 games. Last year's Calder Cup Most Valuable Player, goalie Johan Holmqvist, has started 21 of the team's first 24 games, going 7-12-2 with a 3.02 goals against average. Holmqvist has been in net for the team's recent back-to-back wins. His backup is second-year netminder Kyle Kettles, who is 0-3-0 with a 3.65 goals against average.

Looking for three straight – An Aeros victory tonight would give them a three-game winning streak for the first time since a five-game span from January 18-25 of last season. Houston has won two straight for the first time since sweeping two games in Utah last March 28 and 29. The Aeros have now picked up points in back-to-back games three times this season – a three-game stretch from October 28-November 2 (2-0-1) and a two-game span from November 23-26 (0-0-1-1) were the other two times. A standings point tonight will tie the Aeros' season-high three-game unbeaten streak from October 28-November 2.

Cavanaugh has career-best four-game point streak – The Aeros' Dan Cavanaugh has a career-best four-game point streak, and also has a hand in six of the Aeros' last eight goals. He assisted on Chris Bala's shorthanded score December 1, then tallied on a helper from newcomer Ed McGrane December 3. Cavanaugh assisted on third-period goals by both Bala and Matt Foy December 5, then picked up two more assists in Sunday's win over Chicago. Cavanaugh's 17 points (6g, 11a) are tied for first on the team with Rickard Wallin. Just 24 games into the season, Cavanaugh is only nine points shy of last season's career-best total of 26. Cavanaugh previously had a pair of three-game point streaks.

Scouting the Griffins – Grand Rapids had its eight-game unbeaten streak (7-0-1) snapped Wednesday in Cleveland, although the Griffins team that lost 4-3 to the Barons was a skeleton of the team that began the streak.Grand Rapids, which suffered its lost since Houston beat the Griffins 3-1 on the road November 19, currently has eight players with the parent Detroit Red Wings, including goalies Curtis Joseph and Joey MacDonald, and four of the Griffins' top five scorers. Tuesday was a busy day heading east on I-96, as the Griffins had 10 transactions including nine different players. Wednesday, the Griffins rallied from deficits of 2-1 and 3-2, but Cleveland's Brad Boyes scored at 7:59 of the third for the game winner.. Grand Rapids' leading active scorer is Nathan Robinson, who has 14 points (4g, 10a) and was in Detroit prior to Tuesday. Veteran Michel Picard has chipped in 13 points (5g, 8a) and will be relied upon heavily with so much firepower in Detroit. With defenseman Niklas Kronwall in Detroit, the blueline is manned by Travis Richards (2g, 7a). There was a logjam in net earlier this week with Lamothe, Joseph and MacDonald, but for at least the time being that controversy is gone. Lamothe, who was 7-0-0 with a 0.86 goals against average in his last seven starts prior to Wednesday, is 9-6-2 with a 1.98 gaa. He is backed up by Bujar Amidovski, a former ECHL All-Star recalled from Dayton this week. MacDonald was 5-1-2 with a 2.07 goals against average, and despite just one loss, he was headed back to ECHL Toledo on Tuesday before both Dominik Hasek and Manny Legace got hurt.

Better starts needed – Houston had been outscored 27-15 in the first period this season, the second worst differential of any AHL team. Only the St. John's Maple Leafs (31-16) have a worse first-period differential. Grand Rapids, meanwhile, is a league-best plus-12 in the first period (30-18).

Get these guys on the scoresheet – Rickard Wallin has a point in six of the team's seven wins, and Stephane Veilleux has at least one point in five of the team's seven victories.

Penalty kill update –

Houston killed off its first 31 shorthanded chances this season. Since then, opponents are 15-for-96 (15.6 percent) on the power play.

The Aeros' overall 88.2 penalty kill rate ranks seventh in the AHL. Road kill of 84.5 percent is 17th.

Opponents are just 3-for-27 (11.1 percent) on the power play in the last four games.

Houston has yielded a power-play goal in three straight games for the first time this season.

Power play update –

Houston enters tonight's game 13 of 154 on the power play (9.1 percent), 27th out of 28 AHL teams.

The Aeros are beginning to heat up on the man advantage, going 2-for-10 since Matt Foy snapped a steak of 37 straight unsuccessful power plays Friday.

Houston has back-to-back games with a power play goal for the third time this season. The Aeros have yet to notch three straight with a man-advantage goal this season.

The Aeros are 5-for-74 on the power play (6.8 percent) in the last 11 games.

Houston's 154 power plays are the most in the AHL (St. John's, 148)

Tonight, the Aeros will face a PK unit that is tied for third in the AHL (13-127, 89.8 percent) Home sweet home – The Aeros are in a stretch where they play just two of eight games away from Toyota Center. Houston entertains in-state rival San Antonio next tomorrow night, then Norfolk on Tuesday and Wednesday before embarking on a three-game road swing that sees two games in Cincinnati and a single-contest in Utah prior to Christmas.

Holmqvist 2-3-0 against Grand Rapids – Aeros netminder Johan Holmqvist sports a 2-3-0 mark with a 3.70 goals against average and a .862 save percentage against the Griffins. This season, Holmqvist is 1-2-0 with a 4.71 goals against average versus Grand Rapids.

Lamothe great against Aeros – Grand Rapids veteran netminder Marc Lamothe has had great success against Houston in his career. Lamothe is 9-3-1 with a sparkling 2.05 goals against average and a .943 save percentage in 13 career games versus the Aeros. Lamothe won his only game this season against Houston, allowing two goals on 27 shots. Joey MacDonald is 2-3-0 with a 2.80 goals against average in six career contests against the Aeros.

wedish connection - Aeros head coach Todd McLellan has experimented with Sweden natives Mika Hannula and Rickard Wallin on the same line this season. The duo has been paired together permanently since last Wednesday in Utah, and the combination is working out. Wallin fed Hannula for a first-period goal both Friday against Cincinnati and Sunday versus Chicago. The goals were nearly identical, with Wallin leaving a pass for Hannula from behind the cage, and Hannula sneaking it near post past the netminder. Hannula also helped out on a Wallin goal earlier this season. Wallin is tied for the team lead with 17 points (8g, 9a), while Hannula is tied for fifth with nine points (5g, 4a). Hannula has been red-hot as of late, with four goals and an assist in his last nine games.

One continues to be the magic number - The Aeros are a perfect 7-0-0-0 when allowing one goal this season, and 0-13-2-2 when yielding two or more. By allowing just one goal Friday and Sunday, the Aeros have moved past St. John's out of 28th and into 27th in the AHL in goals against at 3.17 per game.

Houston looks for success away from Toyota Center - On the road, the Aeros are winless in six straight (0-4-1-1), tying a franchise record. Houston also went through a six-game road winless streak (0-4-1-1) from February 19-March 11 of last season. The Aeros last won away from their new Toyota Center home on November 19 in Grand Rapids.

Aeros/Wolves connections –

Houston's Erik Reitz and Grand Rapids' Ryan Barnes were teammates in 1999-2000 with OHL Barrie.

The University of Nebraska-Omaha should be proud. Houston's Jeff Hoggan and the Griffins' David Brisson were Maverick teammates for three seasons from 1999-2000 to 2001-02.

The Aeros' Stephane Veilleux and Grand Rapids' Danny Groulx played together in 1999-2000 with Victoriaville of the QMJHL.

Grand Rapids' Jim Henkel played alongside the Aeros' Marc Cavosie at RPI for three seasons from 1999-2000 to 2001-02.

Houston's Rickard Wallin and the Griffins' Niklas Kronwall both hail from Stockholm, Sweden. Houston has two other Sweden natives on its team – Johan Holmqvist (Tolfta) and Mika Hannula (Huddinge).

The Aeros' Johan Holmqvist and Grand Rapids' Anders Myrvold were teammates with Hartford in 2001-02.

Quick hits

Houston goalie Johan Holmqvist is 14-8-6 all-time in December. His 13 wins in the month are second to only the 16 he has in March. His .607 December winning percentage ranks behind March (.630), February and April (both .625).

Houston has won seven games, and seven different Aeros have record a game-winning goal.

Stephane Veilleux and Jason Marshall each have three goals this season. They have scored in the same game each for each of their three goals – October 17, November 8 and Sunday.

Of Houston's 23 fighting majors, 15 have come on the road.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 12, 2003


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