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Aeros Game Day

January 8, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


A reminder that tonight's broadcast is Internet only, beginning at 7 p.m. Don't forget to visit www.aeros.com before 12 p.m. today to purchase your Aeros Happy Hour packages - just $25 for a $38 value! Tomorrow the Aeros are at home versus Worcester at 7 p.m.

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Houston Aeros vs. Hartford Wolf Pack, 1/8

Wolf Pack at Aeros (Aeros lead 4-3-0-0 overall, 2-1-0-0 in Houston)

· The teams meet for the eighth time tonight – fourth time in Houston.

· The Aeros' 4-0 loss in Hartford November 29 snapped a two-game Houston winning streak in the series.

· Former Aeros Lawrence Nycholat (1g, 1a) and Cory Larose (3a) paced the Wolf Pack's November victory, which also featured a 29-save shutout by Jason Labarbera.

· In the last meeting in Houston, the Aeros prevailed 4-3 on November 21, 2002 on an Erik Reitz overtime goal.

· Three of the previous seven meetings have resulted in one team being shut out – Hartford twice and Houston once.

2003-04 meetings (Aeros trail 0-1-0-0, first meeting in Houston) November 29: Houston 0 at Hartford 4 Tonight: Hartford at Houston

Last game – Darby Hendrickson scored his first two goals as an Aero, but Rochester's Jason Pominville knotted the score early in the third period, as the Americans rallied from a two-goal deficit to skate away with a 4-4 tie at Toyota Center. The line of Jeff Hoggan (1g, 1a), Mika Hannula (1g, 1a) and Rickard Wallin (2a) combined for two goals in a span of 3:02 early in the second period for Houston, which failed to win when up two goals for the second straight night. Johan Holmqvist made 34 saves for the Aeros, who still have just two losses in their last 16 games (9-2-5) and have five ties in their last six contests. Houston (37 points) moved within three points of third-place Milwaukee and extended its home unbeaten streak to nine games (6-0-3). The Aeros are winless (0-1-5) in their last six, two short of the franchise record established earlier this season. Norm Milley, Domenic Pittis and Chris Thorburn also scored and former Aero David Cullen registered two assists for Rochester, which is 6-1-1 in its last eight. Tom Askey, another former Aero, made 32 stops for the Amerks.

Scouting the Aeros – Despite a flu-bug of epidemic proportions that has run through the Aeros' locker room in the last two weeks, Houston has just two losses in its last 16 games (9-2-5) since a franchise-record eight-game (0-6-1-1) winless streak. The Aeros have skated to five ties in their last six games. The Aeros have a balanced offensive attack that has seen 12 players reach the double-digit plateau in points. The hottest Aero of them all, however, is winger Kyle Wanvig, who has posted nine goals and two assists in his last 11 games. That streak helped Wanvig take over the team lead in points with 23 (15g, 8a). Rickard Wallin (10g, 13a) moved back into a tie with Wanvig with a pair of assists Sunday. Stephane Veilleux (6g, 15a) and Dan Cavanaugh (7g, 14a) are tied for third on the team in points with 21, and Cavanaugh snapped an eight-game streak without a point with an assist Sunday. Houston's blueline is really chipping in lately. Jason Marshall, who took over the Aeros' captaincy in December, has 15 points, including a team-best five goals from the blueline. Travis Roche (2g, 12a) has six assists in the last five games, while Erik Reitz has 13 points (2g, 11a). Both of Reitz' goals have been power-play game-winners. Last year's Calder Cup Most Valuable Player, goalie Johan Holmqvist, has started 31 of the team's first 38 games, going 12-14-5 with a 2.69 goals against average Holmqvist is winless (0-2-2) in his last four starts. His backup is second-year netminder Kyle Kettles, who is 2-3-2 with a 2.37 goals against average. Kettles has stopped 102 of 107 shots (95.3 percent) while going 2-0-2 in his last four games. Kettles has just nine goals of support in seven starts this season.

Scouting the Wolf Pack – Hartford opens up a three-game road trip tonight, tying its longest so far this season, and the trek continues in San Antonio tomorrow night. Hartford has been a team of streaks in the past month. Currently, the Wolf Pack has won two straight, following a five-game losing streak, which came after a four-game winning streak. Overall, Hartford is 6-5-0 in its last 11. The Wolf Pack cooled off a hot Norfolk squad Sunday, 5-2 at home, as Chad Wiseman picked up his second straight game-winning goal. Domenic Moore provided two goals while Jason Labarbera made 11 of his 20 saves in the third period. Hartford is led in scoring by Wiseman, a third-year forward who has 13 goals and 15 assists for 28 points. However, Wiseman, who has four of the Wolf Pack's last five game-winning goals, did not make the trip due to a call-up with the New York Rangers. Former Aero Cory Larose is now the team's leading active scorer with 23 points (6g, 17a) in 31 games, and his assist total is tops on the team. The blueline is paced by yet another Aero, Lawrence Nycholat, who has 14 points (2g, 12a) while playing in all 37 games. Labarbera is 13-5-3 with a 1.74 goals against average (fourth in the AHL) and a .924 save percentage, and he is 4-1-0 in his last five games. Phil Osaer is 7-8-1 with a more than respectable 2.08 goals against average. Osaer has lost his last four starts, but Hartford has scored just two total goals in those games. The Wolf Pack has scored one or zero goals in five of Osaer's 16 games this season. In addition to missing Wiseman, Hartford is also expected to be without Juris Stals (knee surgery), John Jakopin (hip), Paul Healey (ribs) and Brandon Cullen (knee).

Aeros/Wolf Pack connections –

· Hartford defenseman Lawrence Nycholat notched 53 points (14g, 39a) in 138 games over two seasons (2001-02, 2002-03) with Houston. He was traded in March by the Minnesota Wild to the New York Rangers organization for goalie Johan Holmqvist, who was the playoff MVP during the Aeros' Calder Cup run. Nycholat also played four junior seasons in Swift Current for Aeros head coach Todd McLellan. Nycholat then played for McLellan in IHL Cleveland in 2000-01, and for the Aeros in 2001-02 and 2002-03. This marks Nycholat's first season not playing under McLellan after seven under his tutelage.

· Wolf Pack center Cory Larose also spent two years in an Aeros uniform, racking up 120 points (50g, 70a) in 136 games from 2001-02 to 2002-03. Larose was dealt to the Rangers organization for current Milwaukee Admiral Jay Henderson in February.

· Nycholat isn't the only Wolf Pack player to play for Todd McLellan. Layne Ulmer spent three seasons getting directions from McLellan in Swift Current from 1997-2000.

· In addition to being former teammates, Hartford's Lawrence Nycholat and Houston winger Kyle Wanvig both reside in Calgary, Alberta, in the offseason. Hartford's Craig Weller is also from Calgary.

· Houston's Stephane Veilleux and Hartford's Benoit Dusablon both played for QMJHL Val d'Or in part of 1999-2000.

· Hartford blueliner Jayme Filipowicz and Houston's Jan Vodrazka were teammates last season in Saint John.

· Houston rookie Matt Foy and Hartford's John Jakopin each played at Merrimack College, five years apart.

· Hartford's Bryce Lampman was Jeff Hoggan's teammate at Nebraska-Omaha in 2001-02.

· Houston's Chris Bala played two seasons at Harvard with Hartford's Dominic Moore.

· Aeros netminder Kyle Kettles and Hartford's Phil Osaer shared time in net last season for ECHL Louisiana.

· Houston's Michael Schutte and Hartford's Lucas Lawson played three seasons together at NCAA Maine. Wolf Pack defenseman Lawrence Nycholat played with Schutte in 1999-2000 with the Black Bears.

· Hartford winger Louie DeBrusk made his pro debut in the spring of 1991, before Houston rookie Matt Foy turned eight years old.

Home unbeaten streak at nine, can tie AHL season mark tonight – Houston's tie with Rochester Sunday ran the Aeros' home unbeaten streak to a current AHL-high nine games (6-0-3). Houston was last unbeaten in nine straight at home during an 11-game (9-0-2) run last season at Compaq Center from December 21-February 12. Houston started off its first season in Toyota Center just 2-6-1-1 but hasn't lost since a 3-1 decision to Milwaukee December 1, improving to 8-6-4-1. The longest home unbeaten streak in the AHL this season is held by Bridgeport, which went 10 games without a loss at home October 25-December 17.

A little ‘O' please – The Aeros have scored just 22 goals in 10 games (2.2 goals per game) since beating Norfolk 5-3 December 17. Houston has scored three or more goals twice during the last 10 games – including a 4-4 tie versus Rochester Sunday. Overall, the Aeros are averaging 2.39 goals per game, 20th in the AHL. Houston's three second-period goals Sunday were its most in a stanza since a four-score opening stanza in a 5-4 loss at Syracuse November 28.

No one hotter than Wanvig –

· Houston's Kyle Wanvig has nine goals and two assists in his last 11 games.

· Wanvig had his career-best five-game goal and point streak snapped December 27, following a span of 11 games without a goal.

· Wanvig leads the team with six game-winning goals, including four straight December 16-26. His six game-winners are second in the AHL, trailing Bridgeport's injured Jeff Hamilton (nine). The AHL record is 13, set by Hershey's Dunc Fisher in 1953-54 in a 70-game season.

· The Calgary native is just one game-winning goal from the franchise record of seven, set three times – most recently by Jeff Christian in 1998-99.

· Wanvig's 15 goals are a new career-high. He had 13 with the Aeros plus one with Minnesota last season. The Aeros are 8-1-2-0 this season when Wanvig has a goal and 9-3-3-1 when he notches a point.

Aeros in fourth place – The Aeros (37 points) could move within one point of idle third-place Milwaukee with a victory tonight and an Admirals' home loss to Cincinnati. Houston trails second-place Chicago, a 5-0 home victor over Utah last night, by six points and is within seven points of first-place Grand Rapids. Houston's highest position this season was tied for third prior to a December 30 game versus Chicago.

Aeros tied for league's best record since December 5 – Houston entered its December 5 home game with Cincinnati with an eight game-winless streak and a league-low 14 points. Since that game, which the Aeros won 3-1, Houston has 23 points, tied with Bridgeport for the most in the AHL. The run has helped the Aeros, who have seven more points during that span than any other West Division team, climb out of last place and into fourth. Hartford has 18 points since December 5.

Aeros 9-2-5 in last 16 – Houston is 9-2-5 in its last 16 games, but is also winless in six games (0-1-5), although the Aeros have picked up points in five of those six games. The Aeros began this 16-game streak by snapping a franchise-record eight-game winless streak with a 3-1 win over Cincinnati December 5.

· Houston ran off seven straight games without a loss (3-0-4) December 20-January 2, including four straight ties December 27-January 2.

· The Aeros are currently winless in six games (0-1-5), the longest stretch since their franchise-record eight-game winless streak (0-6-1-1) earlier this season.

· Kyle Wanvig has recorded four of the team's last nine game-winning goals.

· The Aeros' six-game winning streak was tied for the second-longest in the AHL this season. Only Bridgeport's nine-game streak from November 9-29 was longer.

· In the season's first 22 games, Houston allowed a league-worst 3.36 goals per game. In the last 16 games, the Aeros are yielding just 1.81 goals per game. That has helped Houston move out of the basement to 2.71 goals against per game, tied for 18th in the AHL.

Hoggan enjoys new linemates – Aeros right winger Jeff Hoggan played mostly a checking line role in his rookie campaign of 2002-03, but he has already set his career-high in points this season with 18, including career-bests in goals (10) and assists (eight). Hoggan has been particularly hot lately, especially since he has been paired with a pair of Swedes – Rickard Wallin and Mika Hannula. Hoggan has 11 points (6g, 5a) in the last 14 games. Getting Hoggan on the scoresheet is very important to the Aeros, who have just one loss in regulation when he has a point. Houston is 9-1-3-2 when Hoggan has a point, including a 5-1-2-2 mark when he has a goal and an unbeaten 6-0-2-0 record when he notches an assist. Hoggan has a trio of three-point games this season. Wallin has nine points (3g, 6a) and Hannula seven (3g, 4a) since the pairing. Wallin (flu) missed three games during that span and Hannula four (wrist, flu).

Kettles unbeaten in four – It took goalie Kyle Kettles just more than two months to pick up his first AHL win December 20, but he wasted little time with win No. 2. He made 26 saves at Utah December 23, his second straight gutsy 2-1 road victory. Kettles has earned ties in each of his last two games, including a season-high 33 saves in a 2-2 game versus Cincinnati last night. Kettles has lowered his goals against average from 3.65 to 2.37 in the last four games. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Kettles – who has received just nine goals of support in his seven starts – was successful in one-goal games. Last season in ECHL Louisiana, Kettles (21-12-7 with the IceGators) saw 21 of his 41 starts decided by one goal. Kettles has turned aside 102 of 107 shots (95.3 percent) in going unbeaten (2-0-2) his last four starts.

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, was the catalyst in the recent six-game winning streak.

· Holmqvist went 6-0-0 with a 1.00 goals against average and a .963 save percentage during the streak.

· Holmqvist's six-game winning streak set a new career high. Holmqvist had won five in a row with Hartford from February 18-27, 2002. That streak was part of a career-best 7-0-2 unbeaten streak February 16-March 8.

· The Aeros' netminder had a shutout streak of 189 minutes, seven seconds snapped December 17, just missing Frederic Chabot's 1996 team record mark of 193 minutes, 37 seconds.

· Holmqvist is unbeaten in his last nine (6-0-3) home starts.

· Holmqvist has 76 AHL wins, one of just nine active goalies in the league to notch 75.

Hendrickson plays in 600th pro game, closing in on other milestones – Aeros centerman Darby Hendrickson played in his 600th professional game December 30. Hendrickson, who spent eight full seasons in the NHL, has 191 points (96g, 95a) in his pro career after two goals Sunday. Hendrickson is four goals and five assists shy of 100 in his pro career in both those categories. Hendrickson played in his 100th AHL game December 27. He has 66 points (32g, 34a) in 105 career AHL contests.

Penalty kill update –

· Houston killed off its first 31 shorthanded chances this season. Since then, opponents are 20-for-140 (14.3 percent) on the power play.

· The Aeros' overall 88.5 percent penalty kill rate ranks fifth in the AHL.

· The Aeros have allowed four power plays or fewer in 12 of 14 games and are yielding just 3.36 power plays per game during that span.

· Houston has been shorthanded just 47 times in the last 14 games, while going on 77 power plays.

· Hartford's power play ranks 17th in the AHL at 14.0 percent, but just 23rd on the road (11.3 percent). The Wolf Pack has seven power-play markers on the road, tied for the fewest in the league.

· Hartford has killed off 10 straight shorthanded chances over the last two games since opponents lit the Wolf Pack up for seven goals on 13 chances (53.8 percent) in the previous three games.

Power play update –

· Houston enters tonight's game 27 of 231 on the power play (11.7 percent), 25th among 28 AHL teams.

· The Aeros have gone 15-for-87 (17.2 percent) since Matt Foy snapped a streak of 37 straight unsuccessful power plays December 5, raising their percentage from 8.3 to 11.7.

· Houston has at least one power-play goal in 13 of its last 16 games.

· The Aeros have been held to three power play opportunities in each of the last three games after getting 18 total power plays in the two previous games.

· Houston's 231 power plays are the most in the AHL by a considerable margin (Manitoba, 203). In order to put the Aeros' power-play totals in perspective, realize that they have an astounding 108 more power plays than in-state rival San Antonio and 81 more than tonight's opponent.

· Tonight, the Aeros will face a penalty kill unit ranked 14th in the AHL at 86.0 percent. The Wolf Pack kill off 86.0 percent both at home and on the road

· Hartford leads the AHL with 10 shorthanded goals, including three by called-up Chad Wiseman.

· The Wolf Pack went 2-for-4 on the power play Sunday against Norfolk, after a string of 28 straight failed opportunities over seven games.

Holmqvist has never faced former team – Aeros netminder Johan Holmqvist played 126 games over three seasons with Hartford, and has never faced the Wolf Pack. Holmqvist went 59-39-16 with Hartford. Kyle Kettles faced the Wolf Pack in a 4-0 loss on November 29, stopping 28 shots.

Labarbera 3-1-0 versus Houston – Hartford goalie Jason Labarbera is 3-1-0 with a no decision and a 2.59 goals against average and a .925 save percentage in five career games against the Aeros. Labarbera pitched a 29-save shutout versus Houston in a 4-0 victory November 29 in Hartford. Phil Osaer has never faced Houston.

Houston has one win when allowing more than one goal - The Aeros are an unbeaten 13-0-1-0 when allowing one goal or fewer this season, and December 17 was their only win (1-15-6-2) when yielding two or more, a 5-3 home win over Norfolk.

Aeros have first goal in 12 of 14 games – Houston has scored first in 12 of its last 14 games, but the Aeros haven't won any of the last five games when scoring first (0-1-4). Houston is 6-1-5 in the last 12 when scoring first and 11-2-5-1 overall when scoring first.

McLellan gets No. 100 – December 26, Houston head coach Todd McLellan joined current Dallas Stars coach Dave Tippett as the only coaches in team history with 100 victories. McClellan is now 100-64-24-10 in his 2 ½-season reign with the club. McLellan will have to keep at it to top Tippett's 165-win total. Tippett coached the Aeros for 3 ½ seasons and - like McLellan - led his team to a championship, the 1999 Turner Cup. McLellan's overall pro coaching record is 143-96-31-10 in 3 ½ seasons. He coached IHL Cleveland in 2000-01 before coming to Houston. McLellan picked up his 100th victory in his 192nd game with the team, just five more games than it took Tippett to reach the plateau.

Aeros outshot in three straight – Houston, which leads the AHL in shots per game at 33.5, has been outshot in three straight games for just the second time this season (November 29-December 3). The Aeros are 0-1-2 in the last three games when being outshot and just 2-6-2-0 overall in such situations. Houston was outshot at home Sunday for just the fourth time this season.

Quick hits

· If the Aeros win tonight to get to the .500 mark, they can go above the .500 mark with a win tomorrow versus Worcester. Houston has had seven chances to move over the .500 mark since winning its first game of the season, and has gone 0-3-4-0 in those games.

· The Aeros, 0-2-7 in overtime, are one of five AHL teams without an extra session win. Houston's nine OT non-wins are the most of those five teams. Ironically, parent club Minnesota is 0-0-11 in OT games this season. Ironically, each Minnesota and Houston recently tied four consecutive contests. The Aeros went 8-3-7 in overtime last season, second in the league in extra session wins (Chicago, 11).

· Houston's nine-game overtime winless streak is the longest since a span of 12 games (0-4-8) from December 29, 2001, to March 29, 2002.

· The Aeros have seven ties, already tied with last season's total. Since entering the AHL, Houston's 10 ties in the 2001-02 campaign are the team mark.

· Houston has just one win this season when allowing a goal in the third period. The Aeros are 13-2-4-1 when keeping their opponents off the board in the third, including an unbeaten in regulation 12-0-4-1 the last 16 times.

· The Aeros' Jason Marshall needs two points for 100 in his AHL/IHL career.

· Hartford fired a total of 110 shots on goal in successive contests against Springfield and Hershey last week, but scored just three times off the Falcons' David LeNeveu (54 saves) and the Bears' Peter Budaj (52 saves).

· The Wolf Pack has outscored opponents 40-27 in the third period, the second-best differential in the AHL (Manchester, 39-25).

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