Aeros game notes

Published on January 21, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Ten things you need to know - A crowd of 10,656 - the fourth-largest Aeros crowd ever in their four seasons at Toyota Center - watched Friday's game against Manchester. That bumped the Aeros' average attendance up to 6,069 - ninth-best in the AHL. Houston, which had an average attendance of 5,800 in 2005-06, is up a whopping 22.1 percent compared to the first 21 home games of last season. - Houston hasn't scored an even strength goal in 126:55, dating back to C Jason Morgan's late third period tally in Omaha 1/13. The Aeros were blanked in their next outing, 1/14 in San Antonio, and got a power play goal from LW Roman Voloshenko and a shorthanded tally from LW Josh Olson in a 3-2 loss to Manchester on Friday. - The Aeros remain the lone AHL team without a decision in OT. They are 4-5 in shootouts. Milwaukee has played an AHL-high 15 extra session games, going 6-3 in OT and 2-4 in shootouts. Milwaukee's 23 OT points are tied with Bridgeport for the most in the league. - Milwaukee's penalty kill unit has knocked down 30 straight shorthanded chances over its last 5 1/2 games. The Aeros' power play, meanwhile, is 24th in the AHL at 14.1 percent. - Houston has allowed the game's first goal in nine of its last 11 outings, including in each of the last five games. The Aeros haven't led in any of their last three games, and have led in just four of their last 10 outings. - Aeros D Curtis Murphy has 13 points (2-11=13) over his last 15 games to move to 24 points (5-19=24) this season - moving him into a tied for fifth place among AHL defensemen. This comes after a cold spell where Murphy was held pointless in six games - a season-high. Earlier this month, Murphy was selected to participate in the 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic - his fifth appearance in as many AHL seasons. A three-time International Hockey League All-Star, Murphy has participated in eight All-Star games in as many professional seasons in North America. - Aeros RW Mattias Weinhandl has a team-best 18 points (9-9=18) in 15 games since getting assigned by the Minnesota Wild last month. Weinhandl is tied for the team lead with six multiple-point games, and he has seven points (4-3=7) in the last five contests. - Houston's third-year G Josh Harding has played in all but six of the Aeros' first 42 games. Harding ranks second in the AHL in games played (36), minutes (2,151), shots faced (1,122) and saves (1,032), and is fifth in wins (16). Harding is 11th in gaa (2.51) and fifth in save pct. (.920). Harding is 16-10-3 with a 2.40 gaa and a .924 save pct. in his last 29 decisions since starting the season 0-5-1. The Aeros' record for most games played by a goalie in one season is 72 - set by Frederic Chabot in 1996-97 in an 82-game season. Harding is on pace for 70 this season. - Aeros rookie RW Danny Irmen has eight points (3-5=8) in his last nine games, including a career-best three points (1-2=3) last Saturday in Omaha. Irmen, who is tied for the team lead with six multiple-point games, ranks tied for 26th among AHL rookies with 22 points (11-11=22). - From tonight until 2/25, the Aeros play six of their 16 games versus the Admirals. Each of Houston's next three home games is versus Milwaukee, including Tuesday and 2/1.

Admirals at Aeros (Aeros are 34-36-7-2 overall, Aeros are 18-16-4-1 at Houston) - The historic rivals meet for the 80th time tonight. The Aeros have only played Chicago (87) more times. - Milwaukee swept the Aeros in four games in the 2006 West Division Finals. Houston carried a 3-2 lead into the final five minutes of Game 1 at Bradley Center, but then allowed the next two goals, before apparently sending the game into OT with 1:48 remaining. But Milwaukee's Jordin Tootoo scored the GWG with 13.9 ticks left for a 5-4 decision. The Ads rolled 7-0 in Game 2 at Bradley Center, and completed the sweep with a pair of victories at Toyota Center. - The teams split eight regular season meetings in 2005-06, although the Aeros (4-3-0-1) out-pointed the Admirals (4-4-0-0) because one of Milwaukee's wins came in a shootout. - Houston has won four of the last five regular season meetings, including a 4-2 victory at Milwaukee 11/15 in the teams' lone game this season, behind a goal and an assist from former Admiral C Bryan Lundbohm and rookie LW Benoit Pouliot. - Since winning 5-1 at Milwaukee 10/17/03, the Aeros are 8-16-2-2 in the last 28 regular season meetings overall. - Milwaukee is the lone active AHL opponent that the Aeros hold an overall losing record against, with at least four meetings. - Houston is 18-16-4-2 all-time at home against Milwaukee, but just 4-8-0-2 in the last 14 meetings. - Milwaukee G Pekka Rinne went 2-3-0 with a 3.02 gaa and a .894 save pct. against Houston last regular season. But in the post-season, Rinne was a perfect 4-0-0 with a 2.50 gaa and a .912 save pct.

Scouting the Aeros The sixth-place Aeros (17-20-0-5) have 39 points and are six points behind fifth-place Iowa and 10 away from the third-place tie of Peoria and Milwaukee...Houston is just 1-3-0-1 in its last five home games...Team scoring leader RW Matt Foy has 30 points (15-15=30)...Next are veteran D Curtis Murphy (5-19=24), rookie RW Danny Irmen (11-11=22) and rookie LW Benoit Pouliot (15-6=21)...G Josh Harding is 16-15-4 with a 2.51 gaa and a .920 save pct....D Dieter Kochan is 1-1-0 with a 5.05 gaa and a .838 save pct., and is back after missing 29 games due to injury...In the last 24 hours, the Aeros have received D Erik Reitz (3-13=16), D Shawn Belle (1-9=10) and RW Joel Ward (4-4=8) back from the NHL's Minnesota Wild.

Scouting the Admirals Milwaukee (21-15-3-4), AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators, is 5-1-0-1 in its last seven games to move to 49 points - tied for third with Peoria in the West Division...Milwaukee, which plays game three in a span of six in seven nights, beat Toronto 3-2 at home last night...C Rich Peverley paces the Ads in scoring with 47 points (18-29=47), and he is a team-best plus-13...All-Star D Sheldon Brookbank leads the blueline corps with 29 points (8-21=29)...G Karl Goehring is 17-10-4 with a 2.64 gaa...G Pekka Rinne, who missed the first half of the season after surgery, returned to the lineup Friday, surrendering four goals in a 4-1 loss to Rochester.

2006-07 meetings (2nd of 8 meetings, Aeros are 1-0-0-0 overall, First meeting at Houston) November 15 Houston 4 at Milwaukee 2 Tonight Milwaukee at Houston Tuesday Milwaukee at Houston February 1 Milwaukee at Houston February 2 Houston at Milwaukee February 11 Houston at Milwaukee February 25 Milwaukee at Houston April 10 Houston at Milwaukee

Quick Hits - Eight of the Aeros' 17 victories have been in come-from-behind fashion. - The Aeros are 6-6-0-5 in one-goal games. But after eight of their first 12 games were decided by one goal, just nine of Houston's last 30 contests has been decided in that fashion. - Houston is 16-6-0-4 when scoring three goals or more, and just 1-14-0-1 when scoring two or fewer. - The Aeros are 5-1-0-2 this season when allowing 40 or more shots. - Milwaukee is playing its league-high 26th road game. The Admirals have played just 18 home games - fewest in the AHL. - The Admirals have just one regulation loss on the road in one-goal games (8-1-1-3).

Friday's game Jason LaBarbera made 22 saves and Matt Ryan, Noah Clarke and Marty Murray scored a goal apiece, as the Manchester Monarchs held on to defeat the Houston Aeros 3-2 in front of 10,656 - the fourth-largest Aeros crowd ever at Toyota Center. Roman Voloshenko scored a power play goal, Josh Olson added a shorthanded goal and Josh Harding made 30 saves for Houston.

Power play update - Houston is 24th in the AHL with the man advantage at 14.1 percent. - The Aeros are 13-for-67 (19.4 percent) on the power play in their last 12 games. - Milwaukee is third in the AHL on the penalty kill at 87.8 percent. - The Admirals have killed off 30 straight shorthanded chances over the last 5 1/2 games.

Penalty kill update - Houston sixth in the AHL on the PK at 85.6 percent. - After killing off 11 straight shorthanded chances, the Aeros have allowed six PPG on 16 chances in the last two games for a 62.5 percent kill rate. - Milwaukee is 19th in the AHL on the power play at 16.1 percent. - The Admirals are 3-for-22 (13.6 percent) with the man advantage in their last five games.

Aeros/Admirals connections - The Aeros face one of their former friends as a foe tonight, Lane Lambert serves as an assistant coach with the Admirals. Lambert spent parts of three seasons with the Aeros, helping the team to a Turner Cup title in 1999 along with current Aeros assistant coach Cam Stewart. - Houston D Curtis Murphy and C Bryan Lundbohm were each on the Admirals' 2004 Calder Cup winning team. Lundbohm was injured. Murphy played for the Ads for that one season, while Lundbohm spent four (2001-05) in a Milwaukee sweater. - Admirals LW Paul Brown and Aeros D Shawn Belle each hail from Edmonton, Alta. - Aeros D Peter Ratchuk and Admirals C Shane Endicott were teammates in AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2001-02. - Admirals G Karl Goehring attended the University of North Dakota from 1997-98. He was Aeros D Curtis Murphy's teammate in 1997-98, and Aeros C Bryan Lundbohm's teammate from 1998-2001. - Milwaukee D Alex Henry was a member of the Minnesota Wild organization from 2003-06, serving as captain at one point. - Aeros assistant coach Cam Stewart and Milwaukee D Kevin Klein and D T.J. Reynolds all hail from Kitchener, Ont. - Aeros RW Joel Ward and Milwaukee C Cal O'Reilly are both from Toronto, Ont..

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Hockey League Stories from January 21, 2007


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central