Aeros Gameday
Published on February 1, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release
Ten things you need to know
- Today marks the fourth annual Chronicle in Education Kids Day Game, and the Aeros have won each of the first three. Houston defeated Utah 3-1 in the 2003-04 season, Utah 5-2 in 2004-05 and Milwaukee 3-2 last season, when 7,367 watched the victory.
- Houston has allowed the game's first goal in 14 of its last 16 outings, including in each of the last nine games overall. Houston is 2-5-2-0 in those past nine games overall. The Aeros have scored first in just 16 of their 47 games (34.0 percent). Only Worcester (15) has scored first fewer times. The Aeros haven't scored the first goal in a game since 1/7 against San Antonio.
- The Aeros have lost eight straight one-goal games (0-5-2-1) to fall to 6-8-2-5 in such contests, tied for the AHL lead in non-wins in one-goal games (15). Each of the Aeros four games last week - all losses - was decided by one goal (0-2-2-0). Houston's last one-goal win was a 4-3 shootout decision at Chicago on 12/27. The Aeros have only two non shootout one-goal wins, the last coming 3-2 at Iowa on 11/9.
- Houston's third-year G Josh Harding has returned from NHL Minnesota, and that is good news for the Aeros, who are 0-7-1-1 this season in games in which Harding doesn't appear. Houston is 18-15-1-4 when he does see action in a game. Harding ranks second among AHL goalies in games played (38), minutes (2,122), shots faced (1,181) and saves (1,087), is tied for fifth in wins (17), 10th in gaa (2.48) and fifth in save pct. (.920). Harding is an impressive 17-11-3 with a 2.38 gaa and a .924 save pct. in his last 31 games, since beginning the campaign 0-5-1.
- Rookie RW Danny Irmen posted three goals over the Aeros' final two games last week. Irmen ranks tied for 25th among all AHL rookies with 25 points (14-11=25). Irmen is tied with teammate LW Benoit Pouliot (16-9=25).
- After becoming the last AHL team to have a game decided in sudden-death overtime, the Aeros have seen two straight games end in OT, including a 4-3 loss at Hartford in their last game on Saturday. Houston is now 0-2 in OT and 4-5 in shootouts. Milwaukee has played 17 extra session games - three more than any other team - going 7-3 in OT and 25 in shootouts. Milwaukee's 26 OT points are the most in the AHL - and 11 more than the Aeros.
- The Aeros hit their magic number - three - in their last game, Saturday in Hartford, but it didn't result in a win like usual. Houston, which fell 4-3 to the Wolf Pack in OT, is 17-6-1-4 when scoring three or more goals, but 1-16-1-1 when scoring two or fewer.
- Houston is 1-4-2-1 in its last eight games - and the only game in which it led was the victory, 6-1 over Milwaukee 1/21.
- The Aeros have 10 SHG this season - tied for the third-most in the AHL. Houston's team record for most SHG in a season is 15, set in 1994-95. RW Danny Irmen and D Curtis Murphy have two apiece - halfway to the team record set in 1994-95 by Mario Chitaroni and matched in 2003-04 by Stephane Veilleux. C Bryan Lundbohm has a hand in four of the Aeros' 10 SHG (1-3=4).
- Saturday in Hartford, Aeros C Jason Morgan played in his 600th career professional game. Morgan has posted 290 career points (94=196=290) and 599 PIM's in 600 games with NHL Los Angeles, Calgary, Nashville, Chicago and Minnesota, AHL Springfield, Hamilton, Saint John, Lowell, Norfolk and Houston and IHL Phoenix, Long Beach and Cincinnati. Morgan began his pro career in 1996-97. Morgan joins D Curtis Murphy as Aeros with 600 games played. Morgan has played 474 of his games in the AHL.
Admirals at Aeros (Aeros are 35-36-8-2 overall, Aeros are 19-16-5-1 at Houston)
- The historic rivals meet for the 82nd time tonight. The Aeros have only played Chicago (87) more times.
- Houston has won five of the last seven regular season meetings (5-1-1-0), but was swept by the Admirals in the 2006 West Division Finals.
- Since winning 5-1 at Milwaukee 10/17/03, the Aeros are 9-16-3-2 in the last 30 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 19-16-5-2 all-time at home against Milwaukee, but just 5-8-1-2 in the last 16 meetings.
- Milwaukee G Pekka Rinne is 2-4-0 with a 3.55 gaa and a .875 save pct. against Houston in the regular season. But in the post-season, Rinne was a perfect 4-0-0 with a 2.50 gaa and a .912 save pct.
- The teams last met 1/23 at Toyota Center. Milwaukee's Ramzi Abid scored a power play goal 16 seconds into overtime after Houston's Matt Foy forced the extra session with a shorthanded, extra attacker goal with 15 ticks left in regulation, as the Admirals outlasted the Aeros 3-2 at Toyota Center.
- Houston and Milwaukee play tomorrow night at Bradley Center in Wisconsin.
Scouting the Aeros
The sixth-place Aeros (18-22-2-5) have 43 points and are six points behind fifth-place Peoria and eight behind fourth-place Iowa...Houston begins its February slate today, with eight of 11 games coming at home...Team scoring leader RW Matt Foy has 34 points (18-16=34)...Next are veteran D Curtis Murphy (5-21=26), rookie LW Benoit Pouliot (16-9=25) and rookie RW Danny Irmen (14-11=25)...G Josh Harding is 17-16-4 with a 2.48 gaa and a .920 save pct., and missed the recently completed three-game road trip due to a recall to NHL Minnesota...D Dieter Kochan is 1-3-0 with a 3.80 gaa and a .887 save pct....G Miroslav Kopriva is 0-1-1 with a 2.79 gaa and a .899 save pct.
Scouting the Admirals
Milwaukee (23-17-3-5), AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators, is in third place in the West Division with 54 points - five behind second-place Omaha and three clear of fourth-place Iowa...Saturday, Milwaukee wrapped up a grueling stretch of six games in seven nights, going 3-3-0-1...C Rich Peverley paces the Ads in scoring with 49 points (20-29=49), and he is a team-best plus-10...All-Star D Sheldon Brookbank leads the blueline corps with 34 points (9-25=34)...G Karl Goehring is 18-11-4 with a 2.57 gaa...G Pekka Rinne, who missed the first half of the season after a shoulder injury, is 1-2-1 with a 3.73 gaa and a .867 save pct.
2006-07 meetings (4th of 8 meetings, Aeros are 2-0-1-0 overall, Aeros are 1-0-1-0 at Houston)
November 15 Houston 4 at Milwaukee 2
January 21 Milwaukee 1 at Houston 6
January 23 Milwaukee 3 at Houston 2 (OT)
Tonight Milwaukee at Houston
Tomorrow Houston at Milwaukee
February 11 Houston at Milwaukee
February 25 Milwaukee at Houston
April 10 Houston at Milwaukee
Quick Hits
- Nine of the Aeros' 18 victories have been in come-from-behind fashion, including four of their last five.
- The Aeros are 5-2-0-2 this season when allowing 40 or more shots.
- Aeros RW Matt Foy has a team-best and new career-high 18 goals. He scored two goals on the road last week after posting just one road goal in the first half of the season. Foy scored both of the Aeros' extra attacker goals last week, including his first career shorthanded goal, 1/23 against Milwaukee.
- Houston C Bryan Lundbohm enjoyed a stellar month of January, posting eight helpers in 13 games while tying with RW Danny Irmen for a team-best plus-nine. Lundbohm 17 points (3-14=17) in 44 games this season. Lundbohm, who has gone 18 games since his last goal 12/16, has recorded a minus for a game just once in 2007.
Saturday's game
Hartford's Ryan Callahan completed a hat trick with 1:50 gone in overtime after Houston's Matt Foy tied the game with 36 seconds left in regulation, and Steve Valiquette made 42 saves, as the Hartford Wolf Pack downed the Houston Aeros 4-3 at Hartford Civic Center. Danny Irmen and Joel Ward also scored and Miroslav Kopriva made 24 saves for the Aeros.
Power play update
- Houston is 23rd in the AHL with the man advantage at 14.7 percent.
- The Aeros are 6-for-21 (28.6 percent) on the power play in their last four home games.
- Milwaukee is third in the AHL on the penalty kill at 87.0 percent.
- The Admirals have killed off just 20-of-26 (76.9 percent) of their shorthanded chances in the last five games.
- Houston is 4-for-15 (26.7 percent) on the power play against Milwaukee this season.
Penalty kill update
- Houston is fourth in the AHL on the PK at 85.8 percent.
- Opponents are 9-for-41 (22.0 percent) with the man advantage against the Aeros in the last seven games.
- Milwaukee is tied for 17th in the AHL on the power play at 16.1 percent.
- The Admirals are 4-for-29 (13.8 percent) with the man advantage in their last five games.
- Milwaukee is 2-for-16 (12.5 percent) on the power play against Houston this season.
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.
American Hockey League Stories from February 1, 2007
- Lampman recalled to New York - Connecticut Whale
- Delmore Joins Wolves After Atlanta And Tampa Bay Strike A Deal - Chicago Wolves
- Canucks Re-Assign Tremblay to Moose - Manitoba Moose
- Nielsen and Tambellini called up to Islanders - Bridgeport Islanders
- Sharks Head Coach Roy Sommer and FINZ to participate in Passion Plunge for Special Olympics - Worcester Sharks
- Worcester Sharks announce "Go Red Night" with American Heart Association - Worcester Sharks
- U.S. Cellular 25 Greatest Rivermen of All-Time Visits Scheduled - Peoria Rivermen
- "Miro" is the hero in front of 8,150 as Aeros win in shootout - Houston Aeros
- Admirals Fall to Houston in a Shoot-out - Milwaukee Admirals
- Blues Assign Veteran Rivers to Peoria - Peoria Rivermen
- Phantoms Captain John Slaney Receives AHL Honors - Adirondack Phantoms
- Canucks Assign Santala to Moose for Conditioning - Manitoba Moose
- LaBarbera Named Rbk X-Pulse/AHL Goaltender Of The Month - Manchester Monarchs
- AHL announces suspension - AHL
- Career Fair February 7, February 5 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Phantoms' Slaney earns CCM/AHL Milestone of the Month - AHL
- Amerks' Stafford named Rbk Hockey/AHL Rookie of the Month - AHL
- Monarchs' LaBarbera named Rbk X-Pulse/AHL Goaltender of the Month - AHL
- Labelle and LaCosta to Sign Autographs at Quickway on February 13 - Syracuse Crunch
- Joel goes to Dallas - Iowa Chops
- Crunch Announce Details of Ashley Furniture Homestore Appreciation Night - Syracuse Crunch
- Dry Erase Board Giveaway and Red-Out This Weekend - Albany Devils
- Aeros Gameday - Houston Aeros
- Crunch Announce Details of Crunch Time For Teachers Program, Compliments of Sylvan Learning Center - Syracuse Crunch
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