Aeros Gameday

April 13, 2007 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Ten things you need to know

- Iowa is 4-0-0-0 at Toyota Center this season. The Stars are looking to become the first opponent to sweep a season series of at least three games in Houston since Milwaukee went 5-0-0-0 in 2003-04. The Admirals are currently the lone opponent to sweep three or more from Houston since the Aeros joined the AHL in 2001-02.

- Houston is at Toyota Center for three of its final four games, with the home finale Sunday against San Antonio. The Aeros are 14-19-1-4 at home this season - tied with Binghamton for the fewest home victories in the AHL. Houston also had 14 home wins in 1995-96 (14-24-3), and this season the Aeros have clinched the second-fewest road victories in team history. They were 18-12-8-2 in 2003-04. Houston has lost three straight at home by a combined 18-6 margin, and has dropped five of six at Toyota Center. The Aeros have been outscored 37-18 in their last six home contests. The Stars, meanwhile, rank tied for second in the AHL with 25 road wins (25-12-1-0).

- Rookie RW Danny Irmen is trying to become just the ninth player in team history to play in each of his team's game in a season. He would become the first rookie to do so. D Curtis Murphy and RW Kirby Law each played in all 80 games last season. Just how unusual is it for a rookie to withstand an entire AHL season without missing a game? Irmen is one of only 10 AHL rookies to play in each of their team's games this season.

- Aeros RW Joel Ward pushed the Aeros' franchise-record for SHG in a season to 17 on Wednesday against Iowa. Ward has four of those - tying the franchise mark, set three times - most recently by Stephane Veilleux in 2003-04. Houston had 15 SHG in its inaugural 1994-95 campaign to set the original team record. RW Danny Irmen and D Erik Reitz also have three SHG apiece. This is the first time since 2000-01 that the Aeros have five players with at least two SHG. Houston has scored five SHG alone against Iowa, which has surrendered 21 - second-most in the AHL.

- The Aeros got a shorthanded penalty shot goal from RW Joel Ward on Wednesday. Ward's tally snapped a string of seven straight penalty shot misses by the Aeros since D Ray Giroux scored 3/25/05 against Grand Rapids G Joey MacDonald. Houston had been 0-for-4 this season alone in penalty shots. All-time, the Aeros are 8-for-20 in regular season penalty shots. Thirteen of the last 15 penalty shot shooters in the AHL this season had been stopped. Opponents are 0-for-2 on penalty shots this season. Aeros goalie have stopped a remarkable eight consecutive penalty shots since the loan goal in team history - Chicago's Ravil Gusmanov on 11/13/97.

- Aeros rookie G Tony Quesada made 41 saves in Saturday's 1-0 OT win in Omaha. His 41 saves in a shutout are the second most ever by an Aero - and the most since Frederic Chabot blanked Long Beach 6-0 on 43 shots 2/15/97. The game was Houston's seventh 1-0 win in team history, but the first in OT or a shootout. In his last three starts, Quesada is 1-2-0 but with an impressive 1.64 gaa and a .952 save pct. in his last three games since posting a 5.52 gaa in March. The Aeros have scored three goals in support of Quesada in his last three games, and just 19 goals in 11 starts this season.

- Houston is 1-4 in OT and 7-6 in shootouts. The Aeros have suffered three of their four OTL in the opening minute. The Aeros defeated Omaha 1-0 in overtime 3/7, with D Curtis Murphy scoring with 37 seconds left, as Houston became the last AHL team to win an OT decision this season. Houston's last regular season overtime victory had come last 4/9/06 against San Antonio, with Murphy providing the heroics in a 5-4 decision at Toyota Center. Iowa is 4-3 in OT and 4-1 in shootouts.

- Houston has been outshot 181-112 in the last five games, and hasn't outshot any of its last 14 opponents. Iowa has outshot the Aeros in six of the teams' last seven meetings.

- The Aeros have not held a scoring advantage in the third period in 24 of their last 30 games, including a 2-0 disadvantage last night. In their last 18 games, the Aeros have been outscored 25-10 in the final 20 minutes, and in their last 26 games, it has been a 35-13 deficit. Houston has been outscored 84-61 in the third period this season. Only three teams have scored fewer third-period goals.

- Houston is 10-13-4-6 in one-goal games, and just 4-10-4-2 in its last 20 such games. The Aeros have only three non shootout one-goal wins, and their 4/7 victory in Omaha was the first since a 3-2 victory at Iowa 11/9. The Stars are 21-8-3-1 in one-goal contests, including an eye-popping 13-2-1-0 on the road.

Stars at Aeros (Aeros are 10-8-0-1 all-time, Aeros are 4-4-0-1 at Houston)

- Tonight is 20th meeting between the Aeros and Stars, who joined the AHL in 2005-06.

- Iowa has won all four meetings at Toyota Center this season, after dropping four of five here in 2006-07.

- Iowa earned a 3-2 shootout win 2/23 at Toyota Center. It marked the teams' first OT/SO game in 18 all-time meetings.

- The winning team has scored exactly three goals in each of the last six meetings.

Scouting the Aeros

The Aeros (26-41-4-6) play three of their final four games at home, with the lone road tilt tomorrow in San Antonio...Houston has scored three goals in its last three games - none in the first two periods...Team scoring leader RW Matt Foy has 50 points (27-23=50) but was recalled by the NHL's Minnesota Wild last week...Next are veteran LW Mattias Weinhandl (18-22=40), veteran D Curtis Murphy (10-30=40), rookie RW Danny Irmen (17-20=37) and rookie LW Benoit Pouliot (19-17=36)...D Dieter Kochan is 6-14-1 with a 3.28 gaa and a .903 save pct...G Miroslav Kopriva is 2-5-1 with a 3.88 gaa and a .894 save pct....G Tony Quesada is 1-10-0 with a 4.10 gaa and a .882 save pct.

Scouting the Stars

Iowa (41-33-3-1), AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars, is one point away from clinching the fourth and final playoff berth in the West Division...The Stars need only to pick up a point, or have Peoria fail to win in Omaha, to clinch their second playoff spot in two seasons in the AHL...Former Aeros RW Junior Lessard (25-24=49) and RW Vojtech Polak (17-27=44) are the Stars' leading scorers...D Mark Ardelan (8-29=37) paces the blueline...G Dan Ellis is 29-21-1 with a 2.80 gaa, while G Tobias Stephan is 10-14-0 with a 2.78 gaa.

2006-07 meetings (10th of 10 meetings, Aeros are 3-5-0-1 overall, Aeros are 0-3-0-1 at Houston)

October 8 Iowa 6 at Houston 3

October 12 Houston 1 at Iowa 3

October 14 Houston 3 at Iowa 4

November 9 Houston 3 at Iowa 2

November 10 Houston 3 at Iowa 1

January 12 Houston 3 at Iowa 1

February 22 Iowa 3 at Houston 2

February 23 Iowa 3 at Houston 2 (SO)

Wednesday Iowa 3 at Houston 1

Tonight Iowa at Houston

Quick Hits

- Ten of the Aeros' 26 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 31 of their last 36 games.

- The Aeros are winless (0-26-2-4) when allowing four goals or more.

- The Aeros are 22-12-2-4 when scoring three or more times, but just 4-29-2-2 when scoring two or fewer goals.

- Houston has allowed 257 goals in 77 games for a 3.34 team gaa. The Aeros are on pace to allow 267 goals - the most since yielding a franchise-record 328 in 1995-96, the only other season in team history they didn't make the playoffs.

- The Aeros have scored 198 goals in 77 games for an average of 2.57 gpg. That's on pace for 206 goals scored, which would trail only the 2003-04 campaign (197) for the fewest in team history.

Power play update

- Houston is 26th in the AHL with the man advantage at 13.5 percent.

- The Aeros are 8-for-105 (7.6 percent) on the power play in their last 23 games, including 0-for-18 in the last five.

- Iowa is tied for eighth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 84.2 percent.

- The Stars are a perfect 21-for-21 on the PK in the last six games.

- Houston is 6-for-58 (10.3 percent) on the power play against Iowa this season.

Penalty kill update

- Houston is tied for 12th in the AHL on the PK at 83.4 percent.

- The Aeros have killed off 14-of-16 shorthanded chances (87.5 percent) in the last four games, after surrendering 11 goals on 23 chances over a four-game stretch - all at home - for just a 52.2 percent PK rate.

- Houston has a franchise-record 17 SHG this season - including five versus Iowa - two by RW Joel Ward.

- Iowa is 25th in the AHL on the power play at 14.1 percent and has allowed 21 SHG - second-most in the AHL.

- The Stars are 4-for-25 (16.0 percent) with the man advantage in their last six games.

- Iowa is 12-for-72 (16.7 percent) on the power play against Houston this season.

Aeros/Stars connections

- Aeros D John Scott and Iowa LW Chris Conner were teammates at Michigan Tech for four seasons, 2002-06.

- Iowa LW Marius Holtet posted 12 points (7-5=12) in 54 games for the Aeros in 2004-05, while C Junior Lessard put up 22 points (11-11=22) in 71 games.

- Stars D Marty Wilford was an Aero in 1999-00, and he was briefly Aeros C Bryan Lundbohm's teammate in Milwaukee in 2001-02. Wilford also spent the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons alongside Aeros C Jason Morgan in AHL Norfolk.



American Hockey League Stories from April 13, 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