Aeros, Griffins battle for playoff positioning

Published on March 27, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know
• Cincinnati broke into sole possession of third place in the West last night with a 7-0 pasting of Milwaukee to move to 77 points, while Grand Rapids moved into a fourth-place tie with Houston at 75 points with a 2-1 win in San Antonio. Cincinnati and Houston have each played 69 games, while Grand Rapids has a game in hand on both teams. Following Friday's game, Houston was in a share of third place for the first time since 12/6. Tonight's winner will move into a third-place tie with the Ducks, while the loser will be in fifth place and currently out of the playoff picture.
• The Aeros entered Friday's game second in the AHL in third-period goals allowed with 45, and Grand Rapids had scored a league-worst 38 third-period goals. But the Griffins bucked the trend, scoring twice en route to a 3-2 shootout victory. In their last 13 wins, the Aeros have outscored their opponents in the third by a huge 18-1 margin, but Houston is 2-14-2-2 in its last 20 games when allowing a third-period goal.
• In a disturbing trend, the Aeros have allowed the game's first goal in nine of 11 contests. The Aeros are 12-22-4-4 when allowing the first goal, but 20-4-2-1 when scoring it. Houston has scored first just 27 times in 69 games (39 percent). Only two other AHL teams have scored first fewer times. Tonight could be dangerous for the Aeros, as they have allowed the first goal in five of the seven meetings with Grand Rapids.
• There may be a goalie's duel brewing tonight. Grand Rapids' Joey MacDonald is 4-2-0 with a 1.63 gaa versus Houston this season and 9-7-0 with a 2.00 gaa and three shutouts in his career against the Aeros. Houston counterpart Josh Harding is 3-2-1 with a 1.48 gaa against the Griffins. The duo has faced each other five times. Harding is 2-2-1 in those matchups, while MacDonald is 3-2-0. MacDonald is one of four goalies with three career shutouts versus the Aeros. In the last two seasons, MacDonald is 8-5-0 with a 1.76 gaa against Houston. The All-Star has stopped 93-of-98 shots (94.9 percent) of the shots sent his way in only two games at Toyota Center this season. He is 4-1-0 with a 2.13 gaa and a .941 save pct. in his career at Toyota Center, and overall against the Aeros he has made an average of 33.9 saves per appearance.
• Houston and Grand Rapids are tied in the standings, but the Griffins would be nowhere close without a great overtime and shootout record this season. The Griffins are 12-3 post-regulation, while Houston is 7-11. The Aeros have lost five of six OT/SO decisions since rallying from three goals down for a 5-4 shootout win in Chicago 2/12. In the last two seasons, the Aeros have gone into overtime 36 times, with only four wins in the five-minute extra session. Houston is 2-6 in OT this season. The Griffins' OT efficiency is one of the reasons they have a league-high 14 one-goal victories on the road, including four straight. The Griffins are an impressive 14-2-0-1 in such situations. Houston is just 5-5-1-2 at home in one-goal games, and its five wins are the second fewest in the AHL.

Griffins at Aeros (Aeros are 23-23-7-2 overall, Aeros are 13-8-5-2 at home)
• Tonight is the 56th all-time meeting between the teams.
• The Aeros are 3-2-0-2 this season against the Griffins. The first four meetings were all decided by one goal, the next two by two goals, and Friday's meeting again by a goal.
• The Aeros are 8-5-0-2 in the last 15 meetings after a 1-6-0-0 and 2-7-1-0 stretch.
• Since joining the AHL, Houston is 16-14-6-3 against Grand Rapids.
• The Griffins have scored the first goal in five of the teams' seven meetings this season. They've won four of those five games, with the lone exception being Houston's 4-3 OT win 11/5. Grand Rapids has outscored the Aeros 8-5 in the first two periods of their meetings this season, but Houston holds a 9-5 advantage in the third period plus overtime.
• The teams have combined to score on just 6-of-65 power play chances (9.2 percent) in the season series, including 2-for-26 (7.7 percent) by Grand Rapids.

Scouting the Aeros
Houston is 5-1-0-1 in its last seven home games and plays game three of a five-game homestand tonight...Pierre-Marc Bouchard (12-35=47) leads the Aeros in scoring and has 28 points (7-21=28) in his last 31 games...Veteran Ray Giroux (11-18=29) anchors a well-balanced blueline along with 20-year-old prospect Brent Burns (9-13=22)...Mike Smith is 17-15-3 with a 2.43 gaa and five shutouts, while Josh Harding is 15-16-2 with four shutouts and a 2.11 gaa to rank ninth in the AHL.

Scouting the Griffins
Grand Rapids, the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, won 2-1 in San Antonio last night for its league-high fifth straight victory and seventh in eight games...The Griffins are 20-12-0-1 on the road...Only Rochester (22) has more road wins...All-Star defenseman Niklas Kronwall leads the Griffins and is second among AHL blueliners with 48 points (11-37=48)...Veteran Kip Miller has 30 points (8-22=30) in only 38 games since joining the team at Christmas...All-Star goalie Joey MacDonald is 30-26-1 with a 2.22 gaa...MacDonald has played in 23 consecutive games and in 30 of 31...MacDonald, whose 16 straight starts are a new franchise record, is fourth in the league in wins and is second in losses, minutes and saves.

2004-05 meetings (Eighth of 8 meetings, Aeros are 3-2-0-2 overall, Aeros are 1-0-0-2 at home)
November 5: Houston 4 at Grand Rapids 3 (OT)
November 6: Houston 1 at Grand Rapids 0
November 12: Houston 0 at Grand Rapids 1
January 23: Grand Rapids 4 at Houston 3 (SO)
February 9: Houston 1 at Grand Rapids 3
March 7: Grand Rapids 1 vs. Houston 3 (at St. Paul, Minn.)
Friday: Grand Rapids 3 at Houston 2 (SO)
Tonight: Grand Rapids at Houston

Last Game
Making his 15th straight start and 22nd consecutive appearance, Joey MacDonald made 47 saves and stopped five-of-six shootout attempts, and Matt Ellis forced overtime with 28 seconds left in regulation, as the Grand Rapids Griffins rallied from a two-goal third-period deficit for a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Houston Aeros at Toyota Center.

Quick Hits
• In its 32 wins, Houston has allowed just 11 third-period goals, but in the remainder of its 37 games, it has yielded 36, including six over the last four games. The Aeros are 2-14-2-2 in their last 20 games when allowing a third-period goal.
• The Aeros have scored five goals in their last seven losses (0-5-0-2), but 18 in their last three wins.
• Aeros center/winger Mikko Koivu enters tonight's game with 99 points (34-65=99) in 208 professional games. Koivu, an All-Star in his first season in North America, is Houston's second leading scorer with 41 points (17-24=41).
• Over the last three seasons, Houston is 13-5-1-2 at home in the month of March.
• Newly acquired winger Jeremy Reich posted nine points (4-5=9) in 50 games with Syracuse, but he has three (1-2=3) already in seven games with Houston. Reich played junior hockey for Aeros head coach Todd McLellan.
• Wednesday, Aeros captain Kirby Law scored his team-best 20th goal. This is his third straight 20-goal season, and his sixth in seven pro campaigns.
• In their last seven games, the Griffins have been shorthanded 48 times while going on just 28 power plays.
• Aeros defenseman Ray Giroux became the first defenseman in team history to score a penalty shot goal Friday. Travis Roche was the only other blueliner to have an attempt. The last successful Aeros penalty shot at home came 3/14/00, when Brian Wiseman scored on Cincinnati's Jean-Marc Pelletier. Aeros captain Kirby Law also has a penalty shot goal this season, making this the first time since the 1995-96 season the Aeros have scored twice on a penalty shot in one season. Houston is 2-for-3 this season on penalty shots, with Kyle Wanvig missing 2/19 against Chicago's Kari Lehtonen.

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 10-9-1.
• 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 is ninth in the league in gaa (2.11), and second among rookies. Lowell's Cam Ward is at 1.96.
• Harding has allowed 28 goals in the first period, but only 19 in the second and 19 in the third. He's allowed only four third-period goals in 13 Toyota Center appearances, but two of those came Friday.
• Harding is 8-3-1 with a 1.85 gaa at home, but 7-13-1 with a 2.25 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 7-4-2 with a 2.60 gaa on the road but 10-11-1 with a better 2.32 gaa at Toyota Center. Each of Smith's five shutouts have come at home.
• Smith is quietly putting together quite the run. In three starts since dropping a 5-0 decision in Milwaukee 3/10, Smith is 2-0-1 with a 1.30 gaa. In his last three home appearances, including on in relief, Smith is 2-0-0 with a miniscule 0.75 gaa.

PP unit eighth
• The Aeros are eighth in the league on the power play at 17.2 percent.
• Houston is 2-for-25 (8.0 percent) on the man advantage over its last five games after scoring six times over a three-game stretch. Overall in their last 12 games, the Aeros are 8-for-61 (13.1 percent).
• Houston's Pierre-Marc Bouchard has been on the ice for his team's last six PPG, and eight of the last nine.
• In their last 52 games, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 48-29 on the power play.
• Overall, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 59-39 on the power play.
• Houston is 22-12-5-2 when scoring a PPG and 10-14-1-3 when not scoring a PPG.
• Grand Rapids is tied for 10th in the league on the penalty kill at 85.3 percent, but sixth on the road at 86.4 percent.
• The Griffins have killed off 44-of-48 (91.7 percent) of their shorthanded chances in the last seven games.

Houston sixth on PK
• Houston is sixth in the league on the penalty kill at 87.3 percent. The Aeros have yielded 39 PPG, three off the league lead.
• Following a 46-of-48 kill streak 2/4-2/23, the Aeros have allowed 15 goals on 76 chances (80.3 percent kill rate) over their last 17 games.
• Houston is 22-13-2-3 when not allowing a PPG and 10-13-4-2 when allowing a PPG.
• Grand Rapids is 23th in the league on the power play at 13.9 percent, but a much improved ninth at 15.9 percent on the road.
• The Griffins are 4-for-29 (13.8 percent) with the man advantage over their last seven games.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 27, 2005


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