Aeros Gameday

Published on March 31, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Ten things you need to know

- Aeros RW Matt Foy posted two goals last night, moving into sole possession of fifth place on the Aeros' all-time goal scoring list with 64. He had been tied at 64 with Brian Wiseman. Former Aeros captain Kirby Law is fourth on the ledger with 64. Foy scored the Aeros' third and fourth goals - the latter being the GWG - en route to his team-best sixth multiple-goal game of the season. The game came after Foy missed two games with a broken nose, suffered on a crushing hit by Manitoba's Mike Brown 3/21.

- Aeros rookie D John Scott enjoyed the finest night of his young career in last night's 6-3 win over Peoria. Scott, who had one assist in his first 55 games this season, posted three assists, was a season-best plus-four and also picked up a fighting major. Scott, who began the season on the blueline, was converted to forward and then switched back, is a team-best plus-seven over the last four games, having posted a positive rating in each outing.

- Last night, Aeros rookie RW Danny Irmen picked up the Aeros' 15th SHG of the season - tying the team record, set in the inaugural 1994-95 campaign. Irmen and D Erik Reitz have three SHG apiece - one off the team's individual SHG mark, set three times - most recently by Stephane Veilleux in 2003-04. C Bryan Lundbohm has a hand in six (2-4=6) of the Aeros' 15 SHG. Lundbohm, RW Joel Ward 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 try for their first win since March 2005 against an Eastern Conference opponent tonight. Houston, which only plays Atlantic Division opponents out of the East this season, is 0-5-0-0 against the opposing conference. Each of those five losses has come by one goal. Houston was also winless versus the Atlantic, and the entire Eastern Conference last season, going 0-3-1-0. The Aeros' last win against the East came 3/4/05, a 3-1 home win over Hartford.

- Houston has won three of its last five games, and better first-period play is a big reason. The Aeros have scored first in four of their last five games. Houston is 16-8-1-3 when scoring first this season, but just 9-29-2-3 when allowing the first goal. Last night, the Aeros posted just their second two-goal first period in 17 games since 2/17. Houston hadn't scored three goals in a first period since 12/22 versus Chicago.

- The Aeros have not held a scoring advantage in the third period in 19 of their last 24 games, although they outscored Peoria 2-1 last night in the third period. In their last 13 games, the Aeros have been outscored 17-5 in the final 20 minutes, and in their last 20 games, it has been a 27-8 deficit. Houston has been outscored 76-55 in the third period this season. The Aeros have scored the third fewest third-period goals in the AHL.

- Houston veteran RW Joey Tetarenko continued his strong play with a goal and an assist last Saturday against Omaha. Tetarenko now has six points (2-4=6) in 32 games this season - doubling his goal total from his first two seasons with Houston (55 games). Tetarenko's six points are the most he has accrued since 2003-04, with AHL Lowell (1-6=7). In the last seven games, Tetarenko has four points (2-2=4).

- Aeros D Curtis Murphy made a fine return to the Aeros' lineup last weekend after missing five straight games - his first time being absent after 348 games with the Aeros, counting the regular- and post-season. Last Friday, Murphy scored his eighth goal of the season and the 57th of his career, tying him with 2003 Calder Cup champion teammate Kyle Wanvig for eighth on the team's all-time list. Murphy added an assist Saturday, and one last night as well, to move his point streak to a season-high five games (2-3=5). The run is one off RW Matt Foy's team-best six-game point streak, established 2/2-2/17.

- 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. Only Syracuse (8-8-3-7) has fewer one-goal wins than the Aeros. Worcester is 18-7-3-8 in one-goal games.

- Houston's veteran C Jason Morgan is closing in on a pair of big milestones. He has played in 497 career AHL games, totaling 276 points (92-184=276). Morgan is also one goal shy of 100 in his pro career, having posted 304 points (99-205=304) in 623 career games in the NHL, AHL and IHL.

Sharks at Aeros (Aeros are 0-1-0-0 all-time, First meeting at Houston)

- This is the second ever meeting between the Aeros and Sharks, who began play this season.

- Worcester won a 3-2 home decision over Houston 1/24, getting a goal apiece from Mike Iggulden, Tomas Plihal and Brad Staubitz.

- The Aeros were 12-8-0-0 overall against Cleveland from 2001-06, when the city was San Jose's affiliate.

Scouting the Aeros

The Aeros (25-37-3-6) play game four of a five-game homestand that wraps up Tuesday against Peoria...Houston plays eight of its final 12 games at Toyota Center....Team scoring leader RW Matt Foy has 49 points (26-23=49)...Next are LW Mattias Weinhandl (16-20=36), veteran D Curtis Murphy (8-28=36), rookie LW Benoit Pouliot (19-16=35)and rookie RW Danny Irmen (17-18=35)...D Dieter Kochan is 6-14-1 with a 3.28 gaa and a .903 save pct...G Tony Quesada is 0-7-0 with a 4.77 gaa and a .865 save pct.

Scouting the Sharks

Worcester (36-25-3-8), AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, is in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with 83 points after posting its sixth straight win Thursday, 3-2 in OT in San Antonio...The victory, which came on a goal by LW Mathieu Darche with less than one second left in the extra session, was the Sharks' eight in nine games...The Sharks are just one point behind third-place Providence with a game in hand, but also just two points up on fifth-place Lowell...Darche, who had two goals in the win over San Antonio, has a team-best 70 points (33-37=70), well ahead of RW Graham Mink (25-27=52)...D Garrett Stafford paces the blueline with 36 points (9-27=36)...Rookie G Thomas Greiss is 22-13-2 with a 2.49 gaa and a .914 save pct...G Dmitri Patzold is 9-7-3 with a 3.39 gaa and a .887 save pct.

2006-07 meetings (Aeros are 0-1-0-0 overall, First meeting at Houston)

January 24 Houston 2 at Worcester 3

Tonight Worcester at Houston

Friday's game

Matt Foy scored two goals to become the fifth-leading goal scorer in Aeros history, Jason Morgan, Danny Irmen and Mattias Weinhandl added a goal and an assist apiece and Dieter Kochan made 47 saves, as Houston defeated the Peoria Rivermen 6-3 at Toyota Center. Rookie defenseman John Scott chipped in three assists, after posting one in the season's first 55 games, and Peter Olvecky added a goal for Houston.

Quick Hits

- Ten of the Aeros' 25 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 26 of their last 30 games.

- The Aeros are winless (0-24-1-4) 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. Worcester is 3-3 in OT and 3-8 in shootouts.

- The Aeros are 22-11-1-4 when scoring three or more times, but just 3-26-2-2 when scoring two or fewer goals.

- Houston has allowed 232 goals in 71 games for a 3.27 team gaa. The Aeros are on pace to allow 261 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 187 goals in 71 games for an average of 2.63 gpg. That's on pace for 211 goals scored, which would trail only the 2003-04 campaign (197) for the fewest in team history.

- Last night marked the first time the Aeros have posted two multiple-goal periods in the same game since 1/13 at Omaha.

Power play update

- Houston is tied for 25th in the AHL with the man advantage at 14.0 percent.

- The Aeros are 7-for-73 (9.6 percent) on the power play in their last 17 games.

- Worcester is 22nd in the AHL on the penalty kill at 80.9 percent.

- The Sharks have killed off 23-of-25 (92.0 percent) of their shorthanded chances in their last five games.

Penalty kill update

- Houston is 10th in the AHL on the PK at 83.8 percent.

- After killing off 19 straight shorthanded chances over a four-game stretch, the Aeros have allowed seven goals on 13 chances in the last two games for a 46.2 percent PK rate.

- Worcester is sixth in the AHL on the power play at 18.1 percent.

- The Sharks are 4-for-17 (23.5 percent) with the man advantage in their last five games.

Aeros/Sharks connections

- Aeros D Curtis Murphy, C Bryan Lundbohm and Worcester LW Mathieu Darche were all teammates in the 2003-04 Milwaukee team that won the Calder Cup.

- Sharks D Scott Ferguson played 46 games with the Aeros in 2005-06, totaling 13 points (5-8=13) and 106 PIM's.

- Aeros D Shawn Belle and Sharks D Brad Staubitz both hail from Edmonton, Alta.

- Worcester D Patrick Traverse was an Aero in 2004-05, picking up 15 points (6-9=15).

- Sharks head coach Roy Summer played for the CHL Houston Apollos in 1979-80, recording 55 points (24g, 31a) and 246 penalty minutes in 69 games.

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



American Hockey League Stories from March 31, 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