Aeros Gameday

Published on February 6, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Nine things you need to know

- Houston is 1-0-2-0 in its last three games and hasn't lost in regulation since a 3-2 decision in Manchester 1/26. The Aeros have picked up points in more than three straight games once this season - a five-game winning streak 11/4-11/17.

- The Aeros also have points in three straight home games (2-0-1-0) since a 3-2 loss to Manchester 1/19. Houston is 10-10-1-3 at home, and with a victory tonight, the Aeros will move over the .500 mark at Toyota Center for the first time this season. Omaha, meanwhile, is an impressive 14-5-3-0 on the road. The Knights' five regulation road losses are tied with Chicago for the fewest in the AHL.

- The Aeros have played six straight one-goal games, going 1-2-3-0 in that span. It's the longest run of one-goal games since a seven-game stretch 10/24-11/6/04. Houston is 7-8-3-5 in one-goal games, but just 1-5-3-1 in its last 10 such games. The Aeros have only two non shootout one-goal wins, the last coming 3-2 at Iowa 11/9. Houston's 16 non-wins in one-goal games are the most in the AHL. Omaha is 13-4-3-0 in one-goal games, and amazingly the Knights have just one regulation loss in one-goal road games (7-1-3-0).

- The Aeros have scored first in back-to-back games, after going eight in a row allowing the first goal. This marks the first time Houston has scored first in back-to-back games since 12/14-12/16. The Aeros scored first in three straight games just once this season - 10/27-11/1. Houston has scored first in just 18 of its 49 games. Only Worcester has taken a 1-0 lead fewer times (15).

- Houston was shut out in each of the first three meetings with Omaha this season. Knights G Curtis McElhinney will look to join Milwaukee G Brian Finley as the lone netminders to shut out the Aeros three times in a single season. Omaha G Brent Krahn also has one shutout versus Houston. This is the third time in team history the same team has shut out the Aeros three times in one season. Grand Rapids did it in 2002-03, and Milwaukee followed in 2004-05. No team has ever earned four shutouts versus the Aeros in a single campaign.

- Houston's third-year G Josh Harding was recalled by NHL Minnesota last week. The Aeros are 1-7-2-1 this season in games in which Harding doesn't appear, but they are 18-15-1-4 when he does see action in a game. G Miroslav Kopriva has made back-to-back starts for the first time this season, and the Aeros have picked up points in both of those games (1-0-1-0). Kopriva has seen each of his four starts go to OT/SO, including a 3-2 win over Milwaukee 2/1.

- Houston has played three straight OT/SO games for the first time since 1/4-1/9/04. The last time the Aeros played four straight extra session games was 12/27/03-1/2/04. Houston is 0-3 in OT and 5-5 in shootouts. Omaha has played just eight extra time games - three against Houston - and is 0-3 in OT but 5-0 in shootouts.

- The series between Houston and Omaha - although just 15 games old - has turned into one of the most exciting rivalries in the AHL. Nine of the 15 all-time meetings between the teams have gone into OT or a shootout, including each of the last three.

- The Aeros didn't hit their magic number - three - Friday in Milwaukee, and got their expected result, a 3-2 OT loss. Houston is 18-6-1-4 when scoring three or more goals, but 1-16-2-1 when scoring two or fewer.

Knights at Aeros (Aeros are 7-4-1-3 overall, Aeros are 5-0-0-2 at Houston)

- Houston won the first five meetings of 2005-06, but the Aeros are just 2-3-2-3 since.

- The Aeros are 5-0-0-2 all-time at home versus the Knights, but have lost both the Toyota Center meetings this season in a shootout.

- The teams meet again Thursday at Toyota Center. Houston heads to Omaha 3/2.

- In the teams' last meeting, 1/13 in Omaha, the Aeros scored twice in the final 6:23 to force overtime, before Omaha prevailed for a 5-4 shootout win. RW Carsen Germyn scored twice for Omaha, while veteran C Jason Morgan scored twice and rookie RW Danny Irmen posted a goal and two helpers for the Aeros.

- The Knights swept a pair of games at Toyota Center in December, winning 1-0 in a shootout 12/7 and 4-3 in a shootout two nights later. In the second game, Houston held a 3-1 lead late in regulation, but C Dustin Boyd set up both C Andre Taratukhin's goal with 4:13 left, and RW Carsen Germyn's game-tying, power-play tally with 2:06 left. Omaha went on to a 4-3 victory, needing 13 rounds of the shootout to score three times for the win.

Scouting the Aeros

The sixth-place Aeros (19-22-3-5) have 46 points and are three points behind fifth-place Peoria and nine behind fourth-place Iowa...Houston plays four games this week, hosting Omaha again on Thursday before traveling to Peoria on Saturday and Milwaukee on Sunday...Team scoring leader RW Matt Foy has 35 points (18-17=35)...Next are rookie LW Benoit Pouliot (17-10=27) and veteran D Curtis Murphy (6-20=26)...G Josh Harding is 17-16-4 with a 2.48 gaa and a .920 save pct., but is on 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 1-2-1 with a 2.60 gaa and a .922 save pct.

Scouting the Knights

Omaha (29-15-3-0), AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, is eight points back of first-place Chicago, but the Knights have five games in hand on the Wolves...Omaha has lost two of three, including a 2-1 home decision Saturday to last-place San Antonio, after reeling off seven straight wins...This game commences Omaha's six-game road trip...C Andrei Taratukhin leads the Knights with 39 points (14-25=39), ahead of RW Carsen Germyn (14-19=33)...Veteran D Brad Ference (1-11=12) and D Tim Hambly (1-11=12) pace the blueline...G Curtis McElhinney 20-10-0 with a 2.24 gaa, including a 4-0-0 mark and a 1.65 gaa versus Houston this season, while G Brent Krahn is 9-8-0 with a 2.78 gaa...Krahn is injured, so G Mike McKenna has been backing up McElhinney, who has seen action in 14 straight games, including 13 starts.

2006-07 meetings (6th of 10 meetings, Aeros are 0-2-0-3 overall, Aeros are 0-0-0-2 at Houston)

November 18 Houston 0 at Omaha 3

December 2 Houston 0 at Omaha 4

December 7 Omaha 1 at Houston 0 (SO)

December 9 Omaha 4 at Houston 3 (SO)

January 13 Houston 4 at Omaha 5 (SO)

Tonight Omaha at Houston

Thursday Omaha at Houston

March 2 Houston at Omaha

March 24 Omaha at Houston

April 7 Houston at Omaha

Quick Hits

- Ten of the Aeros' 19 victories have been in come-from-behind fashion, including five of their last six. On 2/1 against Milwaukee, the Aeros trailed 2-1 with seven minutes remaining, but won 3-2 in a shootout.

- The Aeros are 6-2-1-2 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 has scored both of the Aeros' extra attacker goals this season, including his first career shorthanded goal, 1/23 against Milwaukee.

- The Aeros have 10 SHG this season - tied for the fourth-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).

Friday's game

Rich Peverley scored 44 seconds into overtime after Nicolas Corbeil scored twice in a six-plus minute span of the third period, leading the Milwaukee Admirals to a 3-2 victory over the Houston Aeros in the back end of a home-and-home at Bradley Center. Karl Goehring made 23 saves for Milwaukee. Rookies Benoit Pouliot and Ryan Hamilton had a goal apiece and Miroslav Kopriva stopped 37 shots for the Aeros.

Power play update

- Houston is 22nd in the AHL with the man advantage at 14.5 percent.

- The Aeros are just 2-for-24 (8.3 percent) on the power play in their last five games.

- Omaha is fifth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 85.6 percent.

- The Knights have killed off just 17-of-22 shorthanded chances (77.3 percent) in their last four games.

- The Aeros are 3-for-27 (11.1 percent) on the power play against Omaha..

Penalty kill update

- Houston is fourth in the AHL on the PK at 86.0 percent.

- Opponents are only 3-for-30 (10.0 percent) with the man advantage in the last five games.

- Omaha is 24th in the AHL on the power play at 14.1 percent.

- The Knights are 0-for-17 with the man advantage in their last three games.

- Omaha is 3-for-27 (11.1 percent) on the power play against Houston.

Aeros/Knights connections

- Aeros RW Danny Irmen played alongside Omaha RW Kris Chucko at the University of Minnesota from 2004-06.

- Houston RW Joey Tetarenko and Omaha D Brad Ference were both in the Florida Panthers organization together from 1999-2003. Godard was also Tetarenko's teammate briefly from 1999-2001 in the Panthers organization.

- Omaha assistant coach Scott Allen coached both Aeros RW Joey Tetarenko and LW Josh Olson in AHL San Antonio.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 6, 2007


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