Aeros host Game 5 tonight; win sends series back to Chicago

Published on April 26, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know
· The West Division Semifinals mark the fourth post-season meeting between the Aeros and Wolves since 1999. Each of the previous three occasions came in a conference final, and the winning team went on to claim the league championship. Houston, which played its first playoff series in 1995, has not faced any other opponent more than two times. The Aeros defeated Chicago in seven games in the 1999 IHL Western Conference Finals, but the Wolves have won the last two meetings - a 4-2 series win in the 2000 Western Conference Finals, and a five-game decision in the AHL's 2002 Western Conference Finals. Houston is 8-14 all-time in the post-season against Chicago, including just a 3-8 home mark and a 5-6 road record. The Aeros have dropped six of the last seven home meetings. Houston is 1-2 in overtime versus Chicago, losing two straight games before last Thursday's thrilling 2-1 victory.
· The Aeros trail a best-of-seven series 3-1 for just the third time in team history, and for the first time since the 2002 Western Conference Finals against Chicago. The other time was the 1997 conference finals versus Long Beach. Both times, Houston lost Game 5. The Aeros are, however, 9-7 all-time in elimination games, including a 4-2 mark under head coach Todd McLellan. Houston went 2-0 when facing elimination in its 2003 Calder Cup championship run, including Game 7 wins over Grand Rapids in the conference finals and Hamilton in the Calder Cup Finals. At home, the Aeros are 5-4 when staring elimination in the face, including a 1-1 mark in AHL play. Houston has trailed 3-2 after five games on one occasion - the 2000 Western Conference Finals against Chicago. The Wolves dropped the first two games of that series before reeling off four straight wins. The good news for Aeros fans is that in 2004 alone, two teams roared back from 3-1 series deficits to take a division semifinal series. Eventual Calder Cup finalist Wilkes-Barre/Scranton beat Bridgeport, and Rochester defeated Syracuse. And, in each case, the winning team played two of the final three games on the road.
· The Aeros and Wolves are each 1-for-23 on the power play (4.3 percent) in the first four games of the series, a number that ranks them tied for next-to-last in the AHL. Steve Maltais' late PPG Sunday snapped an 0-for-42 string for Chicago against Houston, and the Wolves are only 2-for-59 (3.4 percent) on the power play in their last nine games overall. The Aeros, meanwhile snapped an 0-for-39 post-season power play streak versus the Wolves with Mark Cullen's PPG Thursday. Houston is now 1-for-55 (1.8 percent) against Chicago dating back to the 2002 Western Conference Finals, and 1-for-32 (3.1 percent) in the last six meetings with the Wolves this season. The Aeros have killed off 54-of-58 shorthanded chances (93.1 percent) over their last 11 games, while the Wolves are 50-of-52 (96.2 percent) over their last nine games.
· Chicago netminder Kari Lehtonen (0.99) and Houston's Mike Smith (1.33) rank first and third, respectively, in the post-season in goals against average. Counting both regular season and playoff games, Lehtonen is 9-4-2 with a spectacular 1.85 gaa versus the Aeros in his career. Smith is 3-5-0 against Chicago in his career, but 3-2-0 with a 1.78 gaa this season. Smith, who ranks fourth in the league in post-season save percentage (.957), has allowed two goals or less in nine of his last 10 starts. The Aeros have scored one total goal in his last five regulation losses.
· The Aeros' 2-1 loss to Chicago in Game 4 dropped them to 0-4 in playoff games at Toyota Center. Their last post-season win in Houston was a 6-4 decision over Hamilton in the 2003 Calder Cup Finals at Compaq Center. Currently, Houston has dropped two straight home games since a 6-0-0-2 unbeaten in regulation run. The Aeros haven't dropped three straight home games overall since 12/6-12/12/02. Houston's four-game home playoff winless streak is a franchise mark. The old record was three, set from 5/21/97-4/16/98.

Wolves at Aeros (Aeros are 33-23-14-4 overall, Aeros are 20-7-8-2 at Houston in regular season; Aeros are 8-14 overall, 3-8 at Houston in post-season play)
· Houston and Chicago have played 10 one-goal games out of 14 meetings this season, including six of seven games at Toyota Center.
· The teams each registered 12 points in 10 regular season meetings, with Houston going 5-3-0-2 and Chicago tallying a 5-3-1-1 mark.
· The Aeros outshot Chicago by an average of 35-28 in their 10 regular-season meetings and held the shot edge in eight of those contests, but the Wolves outshot the Aeros in each of the first three games of the series.
· Fifteen of the last 32 meetings between Houston and Chicago have gone into overtime, including five of 14 this season.
· In an oddity that truly defines the Aeros/Wolves series, the team to score first won just four of the 10 meetings this regular season. However, the team to score first has won each of the first four games of this series.

Quick Hits
· Since joining the AHL in 2001-02, the Aeros hold a 1-4 record after a home post-season loss. The victory was a 3-2 overtime decision over Hamilton in Game 4 of the 2003 Calder Cup finals, after losing 4-2 in Game 3.
· Second-year winger Matt Foy has a hand in three of the Aeros' four goals this series, including his first career post-season goal Sunday.
· Through the season's first 65 games, the Aeros allowed only 41 third-period goals, but in the last 19 games, they gave up 19. Houston finished second in the AHL with 57 third-period goals allowed. Hartford led the way with 49. In its 41 wins, Houston has allowed just 19 third-period goals, but in the remainder of its 43 games, counting the post-season, it has yielded 41. The Wolves have outscored the Aeros 4-1 in the third period.
· The Aeros have scored 50 goals in their last 11 wins, but just 10 goals in their last 13 losses (0-10-0-3).
· The Aeros ranked sixth in the AHL during the regular season with 32.80 shots per game, less than one shot from the top spot, held by Lowell. But in this series, Houston is averaging 29.00 shots per game, 14th among 16 teams. The Aeros were ninth in regular-season play yielding only 28.86 shots per game, but they have allowed the Wolves 33.25 chances per game, which ranks Houston 13th in the post-season.

Harding unbeaten in last eight of regular season
· Aeros 20-year-old rookie goalie Josh Harding missed 17 games due to a concussion, but he returned strong, going 15-9-2 to close the regular season
· Harding, who finished fifth in the league in gaa (2.01), was 6-0-2 with a 1.59 gaa in his last eight regular-season decisions.
· Harding went 11-3-2 with a 1.76 gaa at home, but 10-13-1 with a 2.18 gaa on the road.

Smith strong too
· 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 finished 17th in the AHL with a 2.42 gaa.
· 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 went 7-6-2 with a 2.58 gaa on the road but 12-11-1 with a better 2.30 gaa at Toyota Center. Each of Smith's five shutouts came at home.

PP unit eighth
· The Aeros finished the regular season eighth in the AHL on the power play at 16.6 percent.
· Houston is 6-for-58 (10.3 percent) over its last 11 games and just 1-for-23 (4.3 percent) in the series.
· The Aeros outscored their opponents 66-44 on the power play in the regular season.
· Houston is 27-13-5-3 when scoring a PPG and 14-18-1-3 when not scoring a PPG.
· Chicago ranked 14th in the league on the penalty kill at 84.5 percent.
· The Wolves have killed off 50-of-52 (96.2 percent) shorthanded chances over their last nine games.
· Houston is 9-for-71 (12.7 percent) on the power play against Chicago in 14 games, with Kyle Wanvig registering two goals. At home, the Aeros are 6-for-42 (14.3 percent).

Houston third on PK, ties AHL record for fewest home PPG allowed
· Houston finished third in the league on the penalty kill at a franchise-record 88.0 percent, allowing only 43 goals, tied for the league lead and another club mark. The Aeros were 92.5 percent at home (149-161), tying an AHL record for fewest home PPG allowed with 12. Portland also allowed 12 in 2003-04.
· The Aeros have killed off 54-of-58 shorthanded chances (93.1 percent) over their last 11 games.
· Houston is 28-17-2-4 when not allowing a PPG and 13-14-4-2 when allowing a PPG.
· Chicago ranked 10th in the AHL on the power play at 16.1 percent, but a much improved 19.5 percent at home - sixth in the league.
· The Wolves are only 2-for-59 (3.4 percent) on the power play in their last nine games.
· Chicago is 7-for-74 (9.5 percent) with the man advantage against the Aeros this season, including a 4-for-43 home mark (9.3 percent) and 3-for-31 (9.7 percent) on the road. The Wolves had gone without a goal on 42 straight PP opportunities prior to Steve Maltais scoring Sunday. Steve Maltais has three PPG, and Kip Brennan has two PPG in the series. Chicago and Cleveland are the only two AHL teams with more than one PPG at Toyota Center this season.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 26, 2005


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