Aeros Game Day

Published on December 16, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


You can follow tonight's game online at www.aeros.com, in addition to KBME 790 AM with Ken Double. The website will have complete period-by-period recaps, and make sure to visit www.aeros.com/gameday for the post-game recap. Face off is at 7 p.m. against Norfolk in the first of back-to-back games versus the Admirals. Going to the game? Click on the link below to print out a PDF file of today's game notes:

http://ism.infinityprosports.com/Uploads/60//GameNotes/1216notes.pdf

Admirals at Aeros (Aeros are 2-2-0-0 all-time, 1-1-0-0 at Houston)

Tonight is the fifth all-time meeting between the teams – third in Houston.

The Aeros won the last meeting, 4-3, at Compaq Center December 21, 2002.

Houston was 2-2-0-0 against the Admirals last season, with one of the two wins coming in overtime in Norfolk.

The Aeros are 1-1-0-0 at home versus Norfolk, having been shut out 2-0 December 19, 2002.

Tonight is the first of four meetings this season. The teams meet again at Toyota Center tomorrow night, then in Norfolk on March 20 and 21.

2003-04 meetings (First of four meetings)

TONIGHT – Norfolk at Houston March 20 – Houston at Norfolk

TOMORROW – Norfolk at Houston March 21 – Houston at Norfolk

Last game – Jeff Hoggan scored 53 seconds into the Teddy Bear Toss game and Johan Holmqvist made 22 of his 34 saves in the third period for his seventh AHL shutout, as the Houston Aeros beat the San Antonio Rampage 4-0 at Toyota Center. Stephane Veilleux, Kyle Wanvig and Mark Cavosie each finished with a goal and an assist for Houston, which has won four straight for the first time since a five-game span from January 18-25 of last season. Holmqvist stopped seven shots in the first period, five in the second and then a whopping 22 in the third for his second shutout as an Aero.

Scouting the Aeros – Houston has reeled off four straight wins, outscoring its opponents by a whopping 12-3 in the process. The Aeros haven't yielded an even strength goal in more than four games, and the defense is quietly moving up the AHL charts. Dan Cavanaugh is the Aeros' new leading scorer with 19 points (7g, 12a), thanks to a career-best six-game point streak. With an assist Saturday, Cavanaugh overtook Rickard Wallin for the team lead. Wallin has a team-best eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points. Kyle Wanvig and Stephane Veilleux each snapped out of long goal-less streaks recently, and each one of them had a goal and an assist in Saturday's 4-0 win over San Antonio. Wanvig (7g, 7a) and Veilleux (4g, 10a) each have 14 points. Houston's leading defensemen are long-time NHL'er Jason Marshall, who took over the Aeros' captaincy earlier this month, and young blueliner Erik Reitz, each with nine points. Marshall has three goals, best among Aeros defensemen. Both of Reitz' goals have been power-play game-winner. Last year's Calder Cup Most Valuable Player, goalie Johan Holmqvist, has started 23 of the team's first 26 games, going 9-12-2 with a 2.79 goals against average. Holmqvist has been in net for each of his team's recent four wins. His backup is second-year netminder Kyle Kettles, who is 0-3-0 with a 3.65 goals against average.

Scouting the Admirals – Norfolk just wrapped up a 1-3-0 homestand in which it scored six goals in four games. The lone win of the stretch was a 3-1 decision over Hershey on Friday. The Admirals followed that up with a 3-1 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday. The road hasn't been kind to Norfolk this season – the Admirals are 4-9-2-2 away from home. Norfolk is the only team in the AHL that is led in scoring by a defenseman – Marty Wilford has a team-best 19 points (2g, 7a). Rookie Matt Ellis leads the Admirals with seven goals and is second on the team with 16 points, while fellow rookie Matt Keith, also out of WHL Red Deer, is third with 12 (5g, 7a). Craig Anderson had been in Chicago for a month, going 0-6-0, after beginning the season with the Admirals. The Blackhawks organization sent Anderson down earlier this month and recalled Steve Passmore. Anderson is 5-7-0 with a more than respectable 2.16 goals against average. He is joined by Adam Munro, who is 1-1-1 with a 2.25 goals against average since his call-up from ECHL Gwinnett. Munro was Chicago's first-round pick (No. 29 overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Looking for five straight – An Aeros victory tonight would give them a five-game winning streak for the first time since a five-game span from January 18-25 of last season. The Aeros' four games without a loss has bested a season-high. Houston had 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. Houston's last six-game winning streak came during a seven-game run from December 21-January 3 of last season.

Cavanaugh has career-best six-game point streak – The Aeros' Dan Cavanaugh has a career-best six-game point streak, and he also has a hand in eight of the Aeros' last 14 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 a December 7 win over Chicago. Friday, Cavanaugh scored the game's first goal after a hustling play erased a Grand Rapids power play and then Saturday he assisted on Stephane Veilleux's power-play goal. Cavanaugh's point streak has pushed him to a total of 19 points (7g, 12a), one better than Rickard Wallin for tops on the team. Just 26 games into the season, Cavanaugh is only seven points shy of last season's career-best total of 26. Cavanaugh previously had a pair of three-game point streaks.

Déjà vu for Holmqvist – Aeros netminder Johan Holmqvist is reminding fans – and opponents – of the run he went on during last season's Calder Cup Playoffs that helped his team win the title. Holmqvist, the 2003 Butterfield Trophy winner as the playoff Most Valuable Player, has been the catalyst in the recent four-game winning streak. He has played in each of the games, and he sports a 0.75 goals against average and a .972 save percentage in that span. Holmqvist carries a shutout sequence of 102 minutes, 13 seconds into tonight's game. Holmqvist last yielded a goal to Grand Rapids' Nathan Robinson Friday late in the first period in Grand Rapids. Holmqvist and the Aeros haven't allowed an even strength goal in more than four games, a span of 244 minutes, four seconds. Utah's Zenon Konopka scored with 4:04 left December 3 for the last even strength goal allowed by the Aeros. Each of the three goals he has allowed during the past four games have been power-play tallies. During Holmqvist's four-game winning streak, he's lowered his goals against average from 3.23 to its current state at 2.79 and has increased his save percentage from .880 to .897.

Holmqvist looks for 75th win – A win tonight would be the 75th of Johan Holmqvist's pro career in North America. Holmqvist is 74-57-18 with a 2.90 goals against average in 157 games since coming over from Sweden in 2000. In the AHL, Holmqvist is 73-54-18 with a 2.88 goals against average.

Better start need for Houston, better finish for Norfolk – Houston had been outscored 28-18 in the first period this season, the third worst differential of any AHL team. St. John's (31-18) and Portland (24-12) have been outscored by more goals in the opening 20 minutes. The Admirals, meanwhile, have been outscored by a whopping 14 goals (30-16) in the third period, tied for the third worst mark in the AHL.

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

Penalty kill update –

Houston killed off its first 31 shorthanded chances this season. Since then, opponents are 16-for-104 (15.4 percent) on the power play.

The Aeros' overall 88.1 percent penalty kill rate ranks sixth in the AHL. Home kill of 93.3 percent (56 of 60) is second.

Opponents are just 4-for-35 (11.4 percent) on the power play in the last six games.

Houston stopped San Antonio on each of its four power play attempts Saturday, snapping a streak of four straight games allowing a man-advantage goal.

Tonight, the Aeros' penalty kill unit will be tested against an Admirals team that is tops among all AHL teams on the road (18.7 percent). Norfolk is 15.9 percent overall, good for eighth in the league.

Power play update –

Houston enters tonight's game 16 of 167 on the power play (9.6 percent), 26th out of 28 AHL teams.

The Aeros are beginning to heat up on the man advantage, going 4-for-23 (17.4 percent) since Matt Foy snapped a steak of 37 straight unsuccessful power plays December 5.

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

The Aeros are 7-for-87 on the power play (8.0 percent) in the last 13 games.

Houston's 167 power plays are the most in the AHL (St. John's, 158). Norfolk, meanwhile, has been shorthanded 166 times, the second most in the league (Providence, 173).

The Aeros will face a penalty kill unit ranked fourth in the AHL (89.2 percent).

Holmqvist unbeaten against Admirals – Aeros netminder Johan Holmqvist is unbeaten in four career starts against Norfolk. Holmqvist is 2-0-2 with a 2.88 goals against average and a .907 save percentage against the Admirals. Each of those four games occurred when he played for the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Bala has fond memories of tonight's opponent – Houston's Chris Bala will likely have a smile on his face when he walks into Toyota Center tonight. That's because he can look back to his first (and only) professional hat trick, January 25, 2002, against Norfolk when he played for the Grand Rapids Griffins. Bala scored three times in a 7-1 rout of the Admirals that day.

Swedish 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 December 3 in Utah, and the combination is working out. Wallin fed Hannula for a first-period goal both December 5 against Cincinnati and December 7 versus Chicago. Hannula also helped out on a Wallin goal earlier this season. Wallin is second on the team with 18 points (8g, 10a), while Hannula is fifth with 11 points (5g, 6a). Hannula has been red-hot of late, with four goals and three assists in his last 11 games. Hannula also has a four-game point streak, with two goals and two helpers in that span.

One continues to be the magic number - The Aeros are a perfect 9-0-0-0 when allowing one goal or fewer this season, and 0-13-2-2 when yielding two or more. By allowing just three total goals in the last four games, the Aeros have climbed out of the basement and into a tie with Springfield for 25th in the AHL by yielding 2.96 goals per game

Aeros have scored first in back-to-back games – Houston has scored first in each of its last two games, the first time this season that has happened. The Aeros are 7-1-0-1 when scoring the game's first goal.

Trying for four straight at Toyota Center – Tonight the Aeros look for four straight wins at Toyota Center for the first time in 2003-04, their first season in their new arena. Houston last won three straight at home January 10-19 of last season, beating Cleveland once and Manitoba twice. The Aeros are trying for their first four-game home winning streak since a six-game run from December 21-January 5 of last season.

Aeros have fifth most AHL points since entry into league – Since entering the American Hockey League prior to the 2001-02 season, Houston has 219 standings points, the fifth most in the league. Grand Rapids leads with 237 points in the last three seasons, while Hamilton is second with 235. The Aeros entered the 2003-04 campaign with 197 points, tied for second with Hamilton, just four points behind Grand Rapids.

Houston approaching 400-win mark – The Aeros' win Saturday against San Antonio was the 396th in franchise history, which dates back to the 1994-95 season. Houston is only four wins shy of the 400-win mark. The Aeros sport a 396-270-73-10 record. They have 209 wins at home and 187 on the road.

McLellan has 95 Aeros victories - Houston head coach Todd McLellan is five victories shy of 100 with the team. McClellan is 95-62-19-10 in his three-year reign with the club. McLellan is trying to join current Dallas Stars coach Dave Tippett as the only coaches in team history with 100 or more wins. McLellan will have to keep at it to top Tippett's 165-win total. Tippett coached the Aeros for 3 1/2 seasons and - like McLellan - led his team to a championship, the 1999 Turner Cup.

Home sweet home – The Aeros continue a three-game homestand tonight, with tomorrow night's game against Norfolk the finale. Then, Houston goes on a three-game road trip, tied for the second longest road trip the Aeros have had so far this season. Houston is in Cincinnati on December 19 and 20 then in Utah on the 23rd. The Aeros are finishing up a stretch where they play six of eight games at Toyota Center.

Aeros/Admirals connections –

Houston defenseman Chris Heid played juniors with Brandin Cote for three seasons (1999-2002). The Admirals' Marty Wilford played 45 games for the IHL Aeros in the 1999-2000 season, notching nine assists and 30 penalty minutes.

Quick hits

Houston goalie Johan Holmqvist is 16-8-6 all-time in December. His 16 wins in the month are second to only the 16 he has in March. His .633 December winning percentage is his best of any month. March is second (.630), while he sports a .625 winning percentage in each February and April.

Of Houston's 23 fighting majors, just eight have come at home.

Houston has just one regulation loss in nine games when Jeff Hoggan has a point (6-1-0-2).

Neither one of Norfolk's goalies has ever faced the Aeros.

The Admirals enter tonight's game fifth in the AHL in penalty minutes (22.23 per game) and third overall with 35 fighting majors.

Norfolk averages a league-worst 1.77 goals per game.

The Admirals rank second in the AHL in shots against per game (25.97), while Houston leads the league in shots (33.50 per game)

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American Hockey League Stories from December 16, 2003


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