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Aeros Gameday

February 8, 2007 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Eleven things you need to know

- Houston is 2-0-2-0 in its last four games and hasn't lost in regulation since a 3-2 decision in Manchester 1/26. If the Aeros gain a standings point tonight, it would match their biggest point streak of the season - a five-game winning streak 11/4-11/17.

- The Aeros also have points in four straight home games (3-0-1-0) since a 3-2 loss to Manchester 1/19. Houston is 11-10-1-3 at home, above the .500 mark at Toyota Center for the first time this season. Omaha, meanwhile, is an impressive 14-5-3-1 on the road. The Knights' five regulation road losses are tied with Chicago for the fewest in the AHL.

- The series between Houston and Omaha - although just 16 games old - has turned into one of the most exciting rivalries in the AHL. Ten of the 16 all-time meetings between the teams have gone into OT or a shootout, including each of the last four. The Aeros have played four straight OT/SO games against one opponent for the first time since 1/9-2/23/03 against Chicago. The team record is five, versus Manitoba from 3/17-11/4/00.

- Houston has played four straight OT/SO games overall to match a franchise record. It's the fourth time it's happened, and the first time since 12/27/03-1/2/04. Houston is 0-3 in OT and 6-5 in shootouts. The Aeros' 11 shootouts are two more than any other AHL team has played. Omaha has played just nine extra time games - four against Houston - and is 0-3 in OT but 5-1 in shootouts. Tuesday's game in Houston marked the Knights' first shootout loss this season.

- The Aeros unleashed several shootout specialists Tuesday, including D Shawn Belle, who improved to 4-for-4 in shootouts this season. Only two other AHL defensemen have more than one shootout goal. LW Mattias Weinhandl, who earned the deciding shootout goal, is 4-for-6. G Miroslav Kopriva, meanwhile, stopped four-of-four shots for a second straight shootout, improving to 2-1 in the tiebreaker this season. Kopriva has stopped 10-of-12 shootout attempts (83.3 percent) this season.

- The Aeros have played seven straight one-goal games, going 2-2-3-0 in that span. It's the longest run of one-goal games since a seven-game stretch 10/24-11/6/04, and it is just one off the franchise record of eight, set 2/28-3/17/95. Houston is 8-8-3-5 in one-goal games, but just 2-5-3-1 in its last 11 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 13-4-3-1 in one-goal games, and amazingly the Knights have just one regulation loss in one-goal road games (7-1-3-1).

- The Aeros have scored first in three straight games, after going eight in a row allowing the first goal. That ties a season-high and marks the first time Houston has scored first in three straight games since 10/27-11/1. Houston has scored first in just 19 of its 50 games.

- 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. McElhinney is 4-2-1 with a 1.89 gaa and a .932 save pct. in his career against Houston, including a 4-0-1 mark, a 1.50 gaa and a .942 save pct. this season.

- G Miroslav Kopriva has made four straight starts since Minnesota recalled G Josh Harding, and the Aeros have points in each of those four games (2-0-2-0). Kopriva has been stellar in the last three games especially, going 2-1-0 with a 1.88 gaa and a .950 save pct. Kopriva has seen each of his five starts go to OT/SO. Kopriva hasn't allowed a first- of second-period goal in any of his last three starts.

- The Aeros didn't hit their magic number - three - Tuesday against Omaha, but they won anyways. Houston improved to just 2-16-2-1 when scoring two or fewer goals. The Aeros are 18-6-1-4 when scoring three or more times.

- Houston has had to come from behind in half of its 20 victories. Tuesday night marked the first time in 12 games that the Aeros didn't trail at some point, and just the second time that's happened in 19 contests.

Knights at Aeros (Aeros are 8-4-1-3 overall, Aeros are 6-0-0-2 at Houston)

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

- The Aeros are 6-0-0-2 all-time at home versus the Knights.

- Houston heads to Omaha 3/2, and the Knights make their final visit to Toyota Center 3/24.

- Tuesday, Aeros G Miroslav Kopriva made 36 saves and stopped all four shootout attempts, and LW Mattias Weinhandl scored a power play goal and the deciding shootout tally, as the Aeros defeated the Knights 2-1 in a shootout.

- 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 (20-22-3-5) have 48 points and are three points behind fifth-place Peoria and five behind fourth-place Iowa...Houston plays four games this week, traveling to Peoria on Saturday and Milwaukee on Sunday...Team scoring leader RW Matt Foy has 36 points (18-18=36)...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 2-2-1 with a 2.28 gaa and a .932 save pct.

Scouting the Knights

Omaha (29-15-3-1), AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, is nine points back of first-place Chicago, but the Knights have five games in hand on the Wolves...Omaha is 1-2-0-1 in its last four, after reeling off seven straight wins...This is game two of 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 20-10-1 with a 2.19 gaa, including a 4-0-1 mark and a 1.50 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 15 straight games, including 14 starts.

2006-07 meetings (7th of 10 meetings, Aeros are 1-2-0-3 overall, Aeros are 1-0-0-2 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)

Tuesday Omaha 1 at Houston 2 (SO)

Tonight Omaha at Houston

March 2 Houston at Omaha

March 24 Omaha at Houston

April 7 Houston at Omaha

Quick Hits

- Ten of the Aeros' 20 victories have been in come-from-behind fashion, including five of their last seven. 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 fifth-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).

Tuesday's game

Miroslav Kopriva made 36 saves and stopped all four shootout attempts, and Mattias Weinhandl scored a power play goal and the deciding shootout tally, as the Houston Aeros defeated the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights for the first time this season, 2-1 at Toyota Center. Curtis McElhinney made 24 stops and Warren Peters scored a goal for Omaha.

Power play update

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

- The Aeros are just 3-for-31 (9.7 percent) on the power play in their last six games.

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

- The Knights have killed off just 23-of-29 shorthanded chances (79.3 percent) in their last five games.

- The Aeros are 4-for-34 (11.8 percent) on the power play against Omaha..

Penalty kill update

- Houston is fourth in the AHL on the PK at 86.2 percent.

- Opponents are only 3-for-36 (8.3 percent) with the man advantage in the last six games.

- Omaha is 25th in the AHL on the power play at 13.8 percent.

- The Knights are 0-for-23 with the man advantage in their last four games.

- Omaha is 3-for-33 (9.1 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.



American Hockey League Stories from February 8, 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.

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