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Aeros go to Utah tonight; Family Day is Sunday

April 6, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know
· With less than two weeks left in the AHL's regular season, the Aeros are tied for third place with Cincinnati at 83 points, three points up on fifth-place Grand Rapids. The top four teams make the post-season. Cincinnati and Grand Rapids each have one game in hand on Houston, which plays five games this week. Cincinnati is in Chicago tonight, while Grand Rapids plays tomorrow in San Antonio.

HOU
4/6 @ UTA
4/8 @ CIN
4/9 @ SAN
4/10 vs. SAN
4/15 vs. CHI
4/17 vs. UTA
6GR (3H, 3R)

CIN
4/6 @ CHI
4/8 vs. HOU
4/9 vs. CLE
4/10 @ CLE
4/15 @ GR
4/16 vs. MIL
4/17 vs. GR
7GR (4H, 3R)

GR
4/7 @ SAN
4/8 @ UTA
4/9 @ UTA
4/12 @ MIL
4/15 vs. CIN
4/16 vs. SAN
4/17 @ CIN
7GR (2H, 5R)
· Houston had its season-high four-game winning streak and six-game points streak (5-0-0-1) snapped last night in a 3-0 loss in Milwaukee. During the win streak, Houston outscored its opponents 6-0 in the first period and 8-1 in the second, but found itself down 1-0 after two last night. Four wins in the last six games would clinch Houston's second 40-win season in four AHL seasons. The Aeros last won four in a row during a season-best, six-game streak 12/5-12/17/03. Houston was unbeaten in regulation in six straight games earlier this season (4-0-2-0), 2/26-3/3.
· Mike Smith is 2-1-2 with a 1.74 gaa against his former team this season, including a 1-0-2 mark and a stellar 0.95 gaa at The ‘E' Center. Both shootout losses were 2-1. In his career in West Valley City, Smith sports a 9-5-2 mark with a 2.17 gaa. Josh Harding is a perfect 3-0-0 with a 1.34 gaa versus the Grizzlies this season, and overall in his last three starts he is 3-0-0 with a 1.00 gaa and a .970 save pct.
· The Aeros failed to score first last night for the first time in six games. The Aeros are 12-23-4-4 when allowing the first goal, but 24-4-2-1 when scoring it.
· Special teams should play a large part in tonight's game. Houston is 11-for-38 (28.9 percent) on the man advantage against a Grizzlies' penalty kill unit that ranks 27th in the AHL at 79.7 percent. The Aeros have scored two or more PPG in four of the nine meetings. The Grizzlies are only 2-for-34 (5.9 percent) with the man advantage versus the Aeros this season.

Aeros at Grizzlies (Aeros are 50-39-4-3 overall, Aeros are 24-23-1-2 at Utah/Denver)
· Tonight marks the 97th all-time meeting between Houston and the Utah franchise, the most between the Aeros and any opponent.
· Houston's seven-game unbeaten in regulation streak (5-0-0-2) versus Utah is the longest in the history of the series.
· Since dropping the first game of the season 5-3 on 11/26, Houston has outscored Utah 25-11.
· Houston is 10-3-1-2 after losing three straight 3/20-11/7/03.
· The Aeros are 19-8-1-2 in the last 30 meetings and 22-14-2-2 versus the Grizzlies since joining the AHL.
· The teams have combined for 87 PIM's per game in the season series.
· Houston has six wins and points in nine of its last 11 trips to The "E" Center (6-3-0-2).
· Utah's Jakub Koreis has scored each of his four goals this season against Houston.
· The Aeros wrap up the regular season with a home game against the Grizzlies 4/17.

Scouting the Aeros
Houston plays game three of an important five-game, seven-day road trip tonight...Houston is playing game four of a stretch of seven games in nine nights and is 2-5-1-1 in its last nine road games...Pierre-Marc Bouchard (12-40=52) leads the Aeros in scoring and has 33 points (7-26=33) in his last 35 games...Bouchard joins Jean-Guy Trudel (2002-03) as the only Aeros with 40 assists in a season since the team joined the AHL in 2001-02...Mikko Koivu has 47 points (19-28=47) in his first season in North America...Kirby Law has a team-best 24 goals, including four in his last five games..Veteran Ray Giroux (12-19=31) anchors a well-balanced blueline along with 20-year-old prospect Brent Burns (9-14=23)...Giroux is tied for fourth among AHL defensemen in goals...Mike Smith is 18-16-3 with a 2.42 gaa and five shutouts, while Josh Harding is 18-16-2 with four shutouts and a 2.02 gaa to rank tied for fifth in the AHL but first in the Western Conference and among all rookies...Harding has allowed two goals or less in 10 of his last 12 starts...Harding is on pace to better Houston's franchise-records in goals against (2.13 by Frederic Chabot in 1999-2000) and save percentage (.921 by Chabot in 1997-98).

Scouting the Grizzlies Utah, the AHL affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes, had points in three of four games (1-1-1-1) on a four-game road trip that wrapped up with a 4-2 loss to Cincinnati...Three of the games went to OT/SO...Still, the Grizzlies have one win in their last seven games (1-4-1-1)...Peter White is the Grizzlies' leading scorer with 30 points (10-20=30) with the team and 38 overall (12-26=38)...Keith Ballard, Utah's All-Star, is the leading defenseman with 20 points (2-18=20) but is a minus-29...Jamie Storr was acquired on loan from Springfield last month and is 5-5-1 with a 2.09 gaa since the transaction and 13-25-3 with a 2.89 gaa overall...David LeNeveu, a 2004 AHL All-Star, is 9-30-3 with a 2.93 gaa and leads the AHL in losses.

2004-05 meetings (Ninth of 10 meetings, Aeros are 5-1-0-2 overall, Aeros are 2-0-0-2 at Utah)
November 26: Utah 5 at Houston 3
November 28: Utah 2 at Houston 5
February 2: Utah 2 at Houston 5
February 21: Houston 1 at Utah 2 (SO)
February 23: Houston 3 at Utah 0
March 16: Houston 5 at Utah 1
March 18: Houston 1 at Utah 2 (SO)
March 23: Utah 2 at Houston 5
Tonight: Houston at Utah
April 17: Utah at Houston

Quick Hits
· Last night marked the ninth time this season the Aeros were shut out, tying their franchise record. It also happened in 1999-2000.
· Houston failed to score three goals last night, which usually does not mean good news for the Aeros. Houston is 30-4-3-1 when scoring three goals or more, but just 6-23-3-4 when tallying two or less. The Aeros haven't won a game in which they've scored two goals since a 2-0 win over San Antonio 3/2.
· Through the season's first 65 games, the Aeros allowed only 41 third-period goals, but in the last nine games, they've given up 12 while scoring seven. Houston is tied for third in the AHL with 53 third-period goals allowed. Hartford leads the way with 43. In its 36 wins, Houston has allowed just 15 third-period goals, but in the remainder of its 37 games, it has yielded 38.
· The Aeros have scored five goals in their last eight losses (0-6-0-2), but 36 in their last seven wins.
· The Aeros are eighth in the AHL, allowing 2.45 goals per game. That puts them on a pace to yield only 196 goals, which would be a franchise record by one. Houston allowed 197 in the 1998-99 season. The Aeros are also on pace to eclipse their team records in home goals allowed (92), and they are just behind the pace in road goals allowed (104).
· Goalies Josh Harding and Mike Smith have each won 18 games, marking just the second time in Aeros history two goalies have done that. Frederic Chabot (23) and Jason Elliott (19) accomplished the feat in 2000-01.
· Utah has scored a league-low 74 goals at home and has yielded 117, second most in the AHL.
· The Grizzlies rank 28th and last in the AHL in goals for (1.88) and goals against (3.29).
· Eleven of Utah's 13 home wins have come by one goal, and the other two were by two goals.

Last Game
Brian Finley made 31 saves for his record fourth shutout against Houston – third this season and second straight – and Bryan Lundbohm snapped a tie late in the second period, as the Milwaukee Admirals beat the Houston Aeros 3-0 at Bradley Center. Scottie Upshall and Vernon Fiddler also scored for the Ads. Mike Smith stopped 27 shots for Houston.

Harding back in a big way
· Aeros 20-year-old rookie goalie Josh Harding missed 17 games due to a concussion, but he has returned strong, going 13-9-1.
· Harding is tied for fifth in the league in gaa (2.02), but he leads the Western Conference and all AHL rookies.
· Harding, the second youngest goalie in the AHL behind WBS' Marc-Andre Fleury, has four shutouts. No other Aeros rookie goalie had more than one shutout.
· Harding has allowed 28 goals in the first period, but only 20 in the second and 21 in the third. He's allowed only five third-period goals in 15 Toyota Center appearances.
· Harding is 9-3-1 with a 1.73 gaa at home, but 8-13-1 with a 2.20 gaa on the road.

Smith establishes franchise mark
· Aeros goalie Mike Smith appeared in 19 straight games - 17 of the appearances starts - from 11/26-1/25. Smith's 19-game run was a new franchise record, eclipsing Frederic Chabot's old mark of 15, set 12/8/99-1/21/00.
· Smith joins Frederic Chabot (seven) and Ryan Bach (five) as the lone Aeros netminders with five shutouts in a season, and his five overall trail only Chabot (18) and Derek Gustafson (six) for the most in team history.
· The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder is 7-5-2 with a 2.56 gaa on the road but 11-11-1 with a better 2.31 gaa at Toyota Center. Each of Smith's five shutouts have come at home.
· In his last four Toyota Center appearances, including a no decision in relief, Smith is 3-0-0 with a 1.09 gaa. He is 3-1-1 in his last five starts overall, with a 1.58 gaa. Smith's recent run has improved his record to 18-16-3 with a 2.421 gaa and a .913 save percentage. After going winless (0-2-1) with a 2.89 gaa in February, Smith went 4-2-1 with a 2.21 gaa in March, his second lowest gaa of any month this season.

PP unit ninth
· The Aeros are down to ninth in the league on the power play at 16.6 percent.
· Houston is 4-for-49 (8.2 percent) on the man advantage over its last 10 games after scoring six times in three games.
· Houston's Pierre-Marc Bouchard has been on the ice for seven of his team's last eight PPG, and nine of the last 11. Bouchard leads the Aeros with 27 power play points (7-20=27).
· The Aeros have outscored their opponents 61-40 on the power play.
· Houston is 24-12-5-2 when scoring a PPG and 12-15-1-3 when not scoring a PPG.
· Utah is 27th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 79.7 percent.
· The Grizzlies are an improved 23-of-24 (95.8 percent) on the PK over their last four games.

Houston third on PK
· Houston is third in the league on the penalty kill at 88.0 percent. The Aeros have yielded 40 PPG, three off the league lead.
· The Aeros have killed off 31-of-32 shorthanded chances (96.9 percent) over the last seven games.
· Houston is 25-14-2-3 when not allowing a PPG and 11-13-4-2 when allowing a PPG.
· Utah is 26th in the league on the power play at 13.0 percent.
· The Grizzlies are 3-for-28 (10.7 percent) on the power play over their last five games.

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