Aeros Gameday
March 18, 2007 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release
Eight things you need to know
- After going without a point in his first two games with Houston, RW Aaron Voros has posted a point in three straight games. Voros scored his first goal as an Aero Friday in Toronto, and then extended the point streak to three with an assist on C Jason Morgan's tally last night. Voros was acquired from New Jersey 3/1 for a seventh-round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Voros has 20 points (10-10=20) in 44 combined games with Houston and Lowell this season.
- Houston's veteran C Jason Morgan scored Houston's lone goal last night in Syracuse. The tally was his 299th professional point (97-202=299) in 617 games in the NHL, AHL and IHL. Morgan is also closing in on 500 career AHL games. He has 271 points (89-182=271) in 491 career AHL contests.
- Friday, Aeros D Curtis Murphy missed his first game ever as an Aero - 348 games counting the regular- and post-seasons. He had played in 282 straight regular-season games overall since missing the 2003-04 season opener to attend Dan Snyder's funeral. Murphy, who did not play Saturday either, had missed just one of his prior 521 games. Earlier this month, Murphy played in his 300th game with the Aeros, and last night D Erik Reitz will match that plateau.
- Aeros RW Matt Foy has team-best and career-highs in goals (24) and points (45). Foy has 62 career goals with the Aeros, tying him with Brian Wiseman for fifth place on the franchise's all-time list. Only Kirby Law has more goals (68) among the Aeros' AHL players. Eighteen of Foy's 24 goals this season have come at Toyota Center. Foy also has a flare for the dramatic - 11 of his 24 goals have come in the third period. However, Foy has only one goal in the last 11 games after scoring five times in a four-game stretch. Foy has 394 career PIM to move into ninth place on the team's all-time list, becoming the second player player to be ranked in the top 10 of the Aeros' all-time lists in both points and PIM. Foy is seventh with 133 points. Mike Yeo is also in the top 10 on both lists, ranking tied for 10th in points and fourth in PIM's.
- Houston is 0-11-2-1 in its last 14 road games since defeating Iowa 3-1 on 1/12. The 14-game slide is a new franchise record. Houston was 0-7-2-0 from 1/31-2/26/04. The Aeros' eight straight road regulation losses are also a new team record, eclipsing the old record of five, set earlier this season. Houston's winless slide is the longest in a single season since Springfield went winless in 16 games from 12/31/04-4/3/05.
- Houston is 9-13-3-6 in one-goal games, and just 3-10-3-2 in its last 18 such games. The Aeros have only two non shootout one-goal wins, the last coming 3-2 at Iowa 11/9. Rochester is an impressive 17-4-1-0 in one-goal games.
- Slow starts are one of the main causes of the Aeros' recent woes. The Aeros have allowed the game's first goal in nine of their last 11 games, and haven't led after one period in any of those 11 games. Not surprisingly, Houston is just 1-9-0-1 in that stretch. The Aeros have failed to even score a first-period goal in six of their last seven games, and in their last four games, they have yielded eight first-period goals.
- The Aeros have not held a scoring advantage in the third period in 15 of their last 18 games. In their last seven games, the Aeros have been outscored 9-1 in the final 20 minutes, and in their last 14 games, it has been a 19-4 deficit. Houston has been outscored 68-51 in the third period this season.
Aeros at Americans (Aeros are 6-1-3-0 all-time, Aeros are 3-0-2-0 at Rochester)
- The teams meet for the first time since 1/20/06, when Houston routed the Americans 5-1 at Toyota Center. The Aeros also won the lone meeting in Rochester, 12/9/05.
- The Aeros have just one regulation loss in 10 all-time meetings (6-1-3-0) - it came 12/2/04, a 3-2 home decision.
- Houston is unbeaten in Rochester (3-0-2-0), including wins in each of its last two trips.
- The teams meet again at Toyota Center on Friday.
Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros (22-34-3-6) begin March by playing nine of 10 games on the road, with tonight's tilt the third of a five-game road trip through the North Division...Team scoring leader RW Matt Foy has 45 points (24-21=45)...Next are veteran D Curtis Murphy (7-26=33), rookie RW Danny Irmen (16-15=31), rookie LW Benoit Pouliot (18-13=31) and LW Mattias Weinhandl (13-16=29)...G Josh Harding is 17-16-4 with a 2.48 gaa and a .920 save pct., but is on recall to NHL Minnesota...The Aeros are 4-18-2-2 this season in games in which Harding does not appear...D Dieter Kochan is 3-12-1 with a 3.29 gaa and a .899 save pct...G Tony Quesada is 0-5-0 with a 4.50 gaa and a .874 save pct.
Scouting the Americans
Rochester (38-26-1-0), AHL affiliate of the Rochester Americans, has lost 10 of 12 since 2/18 to drop to third place in the North Division with 77 points - just three clear of fourth-place Grand Rapids...The Americans fell 4-1 in Toronto last night...Rookie C Janis Sprukts leads all active Rochester scorers with 50 points (16-34=50)...D Brandon Smith paces the blueliners with 39 points (9-30=39)...Rookie G Adam Dennis is 12-13-0 with a 3.45 gaa and a .891 save pct...G Adam Berkhoel is 1-3-0 with a 3.74 gaa and a .881 save pct.
2006-07 meetings (1st of 2 meetings)
Tonight Houston at Rochester
Friday Rochester at Houston
Saturday's game
Curtis Glencross scored 35 seconds into the game and added two assists, Jeffrey Szwez added a power play goal and Tomas Kloucek tacked on his first AHL goal since November 2002, as Syracuse defeated Houston 4-1 at War Memorial at Oncenter. Zenon Konopka also scored and Tomas Popperle made 22 saves for Syracuse. Jason Morgan scored a goal and Tony Quesada stopped 19 shots for Houston.
Quick Hits
- Ten of the Aeros' 22 victories have been in come-from-behind fashion. On 2/1 against Milwaukee, the Aeros trailed 2-1 with seven minutes remaining, but won 3-2 in a shootout. The Aeros have trailed in 23 of their last 25 games.
- The Aeros are winless (0-22-1-4) when allowing four goals or more.
- Houston is 0-3 in OT and 7-6 in shootouts. The Aeros' 13 shootouts are a league-high. Rochester is 4-1 in OT and 4-1 in shootouts. No other AHL team has played fewer OT/SO games than Rochester. Albany has also played nine.
- The Aeros are 20-10-1-4 when scoring three or more times, but just 2-23-2-2 when scoring two or fewer goals.
- C Bryan Lundbohm has a hand in six (2-4=6) of the Aeros' 13 SHG. Lundbohm, RW Joel Ward, RW Danny Irmen, D Erik Reitz and D Curtis Murphy each have two SHG this season. This is the first time since 2000-01 that the Aeros have five players with at least two SHG. The Aeros' 13 SHG are two shy of the team record, set in 1994-95.
- Houston has allowed 209 goals in 65 games for a 3.22 team gaa. The Aeros are on pace to allow 257 goals - the most since yielding a franchise-record 328 in 1995-96, the only season in team history they didn't make the playoffs.
- The Aeros have scored 168 goals in 65 games for an average of 2.58 gpg. That's on pace for 207 goals scored, which would trail only the 2003-04 campaign (197) for the fewest in team history.
Power play update
- Houston is tied for 25th in the AHL with the man advantage at 14.0 percent.
- The Aeros are 4-for-52 (7.7 percent) on the power play in their last 11 games.
- Rochester is 26th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 78.2 percent.
- The Americans have allowed six goals in 27 shorthanded chances (77.8 percent PK rate) in their last five games.
Penalty kill update
- Houston is tied for eighth in the AHL on the PK at 84.5 percent.
- Opponents are 20-for-93 (21.5 percent) on the man advantage in the last 14 games, and have scored at least one PPG in 10 straight games.
- Rochester is 13th in the AHL on the power play at 17.2 percent.
- The Americans are 5-for-27 (18.5 percent) with the man advantage in their last five games.
Aeros/Americans connections
- Aeros assistant coach Cam Stewart and Amerks D Mike Card both hail from Kitchener, Ont.
- Aeros RW Joel Ward and Amerks G Adam Dennis are both from Toronto, Ont.
- Houston D Curtis Murphy and Rochester D Timo Helbling were teammates in 2003-04 with AHL Milwaukee.
- Aeros LW Josh Olson was a member of the Florida Panthers organization from 2002-05. He was teammates with Rochester RW Greg Jacina, C Kamil Kreps and D Jeremy Swanson.
- Houston RW Matt Foy was Amerks RW Mark Mancari's teammate in 2002-03 in OHL Ottawa.
- Aeros D Erik Reitz and Rochester D Jeremy Swanson were teammates in OHL Barrie in 2001-02.
American Hockey League Stories from March 18, 2007
- Admirals Clinch 2007 Calder Cup Playoff Berth - Norfolk Admirals
- Admirals Get by Grand Rapids 3-2 - Milwaukee Admirals
- Wild third propel Stars to victory - Iowa Chops
- Bridgeport bows to Phantoms - Adirondack Phantoms
- Amerks best Aeros 3-1 - Houston Aeros
- P-Bruins Shutout Monarchs 5-0 - Providence Bruins
- Griffins Fall to Admirals in OT, 3-2 - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Devils Continue to Roll, 2-0 over Hartford - Albany Devils
- Rivermen Blanked by Manitoba 4-0 at Home - Peoria Rivermen
- Phantoms Beat Sound Tigers 7-4 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Wilson scores three in a row, Bears crush Sens 6-1 - Hershey Bears
- Monarchs Shutout By Bruins; Remain In First Place - Manchester Monarchs
- Moose to Honor Israel Idonije Tuesday night vs. Aeros - Manitoba Moose
- 'Dogs edged at Bell Centre - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Crunch Announce Details of Full Throttle Energy Drink - Syracuse Crunch
- Canucks Recall Alex Edler - Manitoba Moose
- Kings Extend Ivanans Contract - Manchester Monarchs
- Bears sign new Caps prospect Sean Collins - Hershey Bears
- Capitals sign Steve Pinizzotto to an entry level contract - Hershey Bears
- Bears and Senators square off Sunday - Hershey Bears
- Labatt's Celebrity Bartending Series Concludes at Tully's Good Times - Syracuse Crunch
- Admirals to Host Reading Program Kids - Milwaukee Admirals
- Aeros Gameday - Houston Aeros
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