Aeros Gameday

Published on April 15, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Eleven things you need to know

Houston finishes off its sixth American Hockey League season tonight, and it will do that with a remarkable fourth consecutive average attendance increase. The Aeros are up 7.6 percent in attendance compared to the first 39 games of last season, averaging 6,353 fans per game at Toyota Center in 2006-07. Since Houston had a franchise-low average attendance 5,124 in the Calder Cup season of 2002-03, the Aeros have increased attendance 24.0 percent. The 2006-07 average will also mark the largest bump ever over a previous season. The Aeros will finish 10th out of 27 AHL teams in attendance, including fifth in the 13-team Western Conference.

The Aeros have just three home regulation losses against the Rampage in 29 attempts (24-3-2-0), but one of those came 6-4 on 12/30. Houston had been 16-0-2-0 in the last 18 home meetings, and it is now 19-2-2-0 all-time at Toyota Center against the Rampage. The Aeros have outscored San Antonio 80-38 in the last 20 home meetings.

Houston plays its home and regular season finale tonight. The Aeros are 8-1-3 all-time in home finales, including a 4-0-1 mark in the last five seasons. Houston is even better in overall season finales, going 10-1-1. The Aeros' lone regulation loss in a season finale came in 2000, 5-3 at Chicago.

Aeros RW Mattias Weinhandl posted a career-high four assists last night. He became the first Aero with four assists in a game since Erik Westrum against Peoria on 1/21/06. The last Aero with four assists on the road was Mark Cullen on 3/21/04, at Norfolk. Weinhandl, the Aeros' second-leading scorer with 45 points (18-27=45) despite joining the team in mid-December, has nine points (2-7=9).

Houston C Bryan Lundbohm notched his second career two-goal game last night in his 391st career AHL contest. He hadn't had a two-goal game since 4/2/03, at Chicago, when he played for Milwaukee. Lundbohm, who is finishing up his second year in Houston, is one of the Aeros' most consistent performers. He not only has 30 points in each of the last two seasons, he has done it with identical nine-goal, 21-assist seasons.

Rookie RW Danny Irmen is set 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 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. San Antonio is 4-2 in OT and 4-4 in shootouts.

Houston has been outshot 251-159 in the last six games, and hasn't outshot any of its last 16 opponents. The streak could stop tonight, however, as San Antonio has only shot 21 of its 79 opponents. The Aeros have been outshot 48 times in 79 games.

The Aeros have not held a scoring advantage in the third period in 25 of their last 32 games, including a 6-2 disadvantage in the last three games. In their last 20 games, the Aeros have been outscored 29-12 in the final 20 minutes, and in their last 28 games, it has been a 39-15 deficit. Houston has been outscored 88-63 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. San Antonio is 14-13-2-4 in one-goal games.

Rampage at Aeros (Aeros are 38-12-6-3 overall, Aeros are 24-3-2-0 at Houston)

Tonight is the 60th all-time meeting between the teams - 30th in San Antonio.

The Aeros are 23-7-2-1 in the last 33 overall meetings.

Since a three-game winless slide in the series 12/27/03-1/17/04, the Aeros have unleashed a 28-8-3-2 mark.

San Antonio C Yanick Lehoux has 14 points (5-9=14) in the first 11 meetings with Houston this season. Lehoux has 17 points (9-8=17) overall in 15 career games versus Houston.

In the last meeting at Toyota Center, 1/7, RW Mattias Weinhandl tallied two goals and an assist in a 4-1 Aeros win.

Scouting the Aeros

The Aeros (26-43-4-6) finishe their AHL season tonight...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 RW Mattias Weinhandl (18-27=45), veteran D Curtis Murphy (10-33=43), 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 3-5-1 with a 3.69 gaa and a .898 save pct....G Tony Quesada is 1-11-0 with a 4.26 gaa and a .878 save pct.

Scouting the Rampage

San Antonio (31-42-2-4), AHL affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes, has lost four in a row, scoring just four goals in that span, and has scored only five goals in its last five games...The Rampage also finishes the season tonight...C Yanick Lehoux leads the Rampage in scoring with 72 points (31-41=72), ahead of last year's AHL MVP, C Donald MacLean (31-28=59)...Rookie D Keith Yandle (6-26=32) paces the blueline...G Josh Tordjman is 15-18-2 with a 2.58 gaa and a .920 save pct....G David LeNeveu is 12-20-2 with a 3.00 gaa and a .907 save pct.

Saturday's game

Bryan Lundbohm notched his second two-goal outing in 391 career AHL games, Jason Morgan and Ryan Hamilton also scored, and Mattias Weinhandl assisted all four Houston goals, as the Aeros defeated the San Antonio Rampage 4-2 at AT&T Center. Miroslav Kopriva made 31 stops for Houston. Daniel Winnick tallied a goal and an assist, Bryan Helmer also scored and Josh Tordjman made 18 stops for San Antonio.

Quick Hits

Ten of the Aeros' 27 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 32 of their last 38 games.

The Aeros are winless (0-27-2-4) when allowing four goals or more.

The Aeros are 23-13-2-4 when scoring three or more times, but just 4-29-2-2 when scoring two or fewer goals.

Houston has allowed 265 goals in 79 games for a 3.35 team gaa. The Aeros are on pace to allow 268 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 204 goals in 79 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 26th in the AHL with the man advantage at 14.0 percent.

The Aeros went 3-for-7 on the power play last night in San Antonio, after going 9-for-112 (8.0 percent) in their previous 24 games.

San Antonio is tied for 13th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 83.0 percent.

The Rampage has killed off 24-of-32 shorthanded chances (75.0 percent) in the last six games.

The Aeros are 10-for-60 (16.7 percent) on the power play against San Antonio.

Penalty kill update

Houston is tied for 13th in the AHL on the PK at 83.0 percent.

The Aeros have killed off 27-of-34 shorthanded chances (79.4 percent) in the last six games.

Houston has a franchise-record 17 SHG this season.

San Antonio is tied for 15th in the AHL on the power play at 16.2 percent.

The Rampage is 2-for-22 (9.1 percent) with the man advantage in the last five games.

San Antonio is 10-for-58 (17.2 percent) on the power play against Houston.

Aeros/Rampage connections

Rampage D Matt Jones enrolled at the University of North Dakota in 2001-02, a season after Aeros C Bryan Lundbohm left campus, and four after Aeros D Curtis Murphy graduated.

Houston LW Josh Olson played for San Antonio from 2002-05, while RW Joey Tetarenko skated with the Rampage in 2002-03.

Rampage C Alex Leavitt began the season with the Aeros, posting 11 points (2-9=11) in 23 games. The Rampage acquired Leavitt on loan at the AHL trade deadline.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 15, 2007


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