Aeros host Wolves, Vince Young, Boy Scouts

Published on January 28, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Six things you need to know
- Aeros C Erik Westrum (22-47=69) and RW Kirby Law (27-38=65) rank first and second in the AHL in scoring. They are trying to become the first duo from the same team to finish 1-2 in the league's scoring race Paul Gardner (112 points) and Jody Gage (99) turned the trick for Rochester exactly 20 seasons ago - in 1985-86. No two teammates have reached the 100-point plateau since a trio of Carolina Monarchs did it in 1995-96. Westrum has already posted the second-highest point and assist total for an Aero since the the team joined the AHL in 2001-02. Jean-Guy Trudel notched 85 points, including 54 helpers, in 2002-03. Law, who had a franchise-record 16-game point streak snapped Tuesday, has 40 points (17-23=40) in his last 23 contests. Rookie C Patrick O'Sullivan is first in rookie scoring with 48 points (24-24=48), and he's tied with fellow rookie LW Roman Voloshenko (24-14=38) for the lead in goals among first-year players. Voloshenko is tied for eighth in overall rookie scoring. The line of Law, Westrum and Voloshenko has been held without at least a point in only seven games this season, and last night marked the team's first win in that situation (1-6-0-0). Tuesday marked the first time not one member of the line had a point in almost two full months, since a 3-0 shutout loss to Milwaukee at home 11/27. Veteran D Curtis Murphy, meanwhile, has moved into a tie for the AHL defensemen scoring lead with 39 points (7-32=39).
- Both Chicago and Houston have played 19 one-goal games. The teams' success in those games is part of the reason they are separated by 28 points in the West Division standings, as Houston has 13 wins in that situation compared to six for Chicago. The Aeros are 13-4-1-1 in one-goal games, and an impressive 19-6-1-1 in games decided by two goals or less. Last night, Houston improved to 7-2-0-0 in one-goal road games. The Wolves, on the other hand, have only six wins in 19 games (6-5-2-6) decided by one goal - although they have points in eight of the other contests - and are 2-3-6-0 in one-goal road games. They have just one win overall in nine games (1-8-0-0) decided by two goals. That gives Chicago seven victories in 28 games (7-13-2-6) decided by two goals or less - 12 less than Houston. The Wolves are 9-6-0-0 in three or more goal games.
- The Aeros have scored 69 goals in 14 home games since the 11/27 loss for a 4.93 gpg average. Houston averages 4.15 gpg at home (108 goals in 26 games), on pace for a new franchise-record of 166 goals. Houston has scored five goals or more in 13 of its 26 home games, and four or more in 17.
- Aeros linemates C Erik Westrum and RW Kirby Law each have at least one point in each of the Aeros' 14 home games since getting shut out 11/27 by Milwaukee. Westrum has 29 points and Law 28 in that span, which has seen the Aeros go 12-2-0-0.
- Aeros RW and captain Kirby Law's next goal will tie him with Aeros special assistant to hockey Cam Stewart for 10th place on the team's all-time goal list with 54. Law has played in 148 consecutive AHL games - 127 with Houston. Law's 27 goals are five off his 2003-04 career-high, and he's only eight points shy of his career-best total of 73.
- Houston has enjoyed great success on the ice at home this season, but also in the stands as of late. In the last 12 games, dating back to 12/16, Toyota Center has hosted 69,250 fans for an average of 5,771. That has boosted the Aeros' attendance average to 5,170 - 11th best in the AHL. Houston has bettered the 7,000 mark in attendance in each of the last two games, including a season-high 7,752 last Saturday on Girl Scout Night. It's the first time the Aeros have topped 7,000 fans in back-to-back games in nearly two full seasons, since 2/20 (7,256) and 2/28 (8,554) of 2004. That streak is sure to get to three games tonight, with former Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player Vince Young in attendance on Boy Scout Night. The last three-game stretch with 7,000 or more fans was during a four-game run to close out the 1998-99 campaign.

Wolves at Aeros (Aeros are 34-24-14-4 all-time, Aeros are 20-8-8-2 at Houston)
- Tonight is the 77th all-time meeting between the Wolves and Aeros - 39th in Houston.
- Chicago earned a five-game win over the Aeros in the 2005 West Division Semifinals en route to the Calder Cup Finals.
- The Wolves handed the Aeros their worst (and one of only four) home losses of the season 10/25, winning 5-1. LW Brian Maloney scored twice for Chicago as Houston G Josh Harding suffered a lower body injury after allowing three goals. But Houston returned the favor, getting 30 saves from G Seamus Kotyk and two goals and an assist from C Erik Westrum in a 4-0 win at Allstate Arena last Sunday, the Aeros' first shutout in Rosemont since 11/20/98.
- Since joining the AHL, Houston is 16-15-9-4 versus Chicago, including a 10-5-5-2 home record and a 6-10-4-2 road mark.
- The Aeros have just seven wins in the last 23 matchups (7-10-6-0) but have points in 13 of those games.
- Fourteen of the last 30 regular-season meetings have gone into overtime, including four of 10 in each of the last two seasons. However, each of the last six was decided in regulation, the longest Chicago/Houston non-overtime stretch since a seven-game streak 1/24/99-3/19/00. Houston is 4-7-7 versus Chicago in overtime and 4-4 in shootouts.

Scouting the Aeros
Playing their last game before the All-Star Break, the Aeros (33-12-1-1) have the AHL's second-best winning percentage (.723), trailing only Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (32-6-3-2=69, .802 pct)...The Aeros' West Division lead is six points over Milwaukee, which has two games in hand and visits Cleveland tonight...Houston has won 15 of 19 overall, and its 20-4-1-1 home mark (.808 points percentage) trails only Grand Rapids (18-3-1-2, .813) for the league lead...The Aeros play game seven of a grueling stretch of seven games in nine nights in four cities., including a pair of three-in-threes...C Erik Westrum has 69 points (21-47=69), four up on RW Kirby Law (27-38=65) for the top spot in the AHL...C Patrick O'Sullivan is first in rookie scoring with with 48 points (24-24=48)...LW Roman Voloshenko (24-14=38) is tied with O'Sullivan for the league lead in goals among rookies...D Curtis Murphy is tied for first among AHL defensemen with 39 points (7-32=39)...G Josh Harding is 21-7-0 with a 2.63 gaa to rank first in the league in wins, tied for third in save pct. (.923) and tied for eighth in gaa...G Seamus Kotyk is 9-5-1 with a 2.67 gaa, ranking 12th in gaa and tied for 10th in save pct. (.911), while G Miroslav Kopriva is 3-1-0 with a 2.79 gaa.

Scouting the Wolves
Chicago (16-19-2-6), AHL affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers, dropped its third straight game last night, 3-2 in San Antonio...The Wolves lost despite outshooting the Rampage 47-18...LW Ramzi Abid paces Chicago with 45 points (22-23=45)...D Mark Popovic (6-15=21) and D Braydon Coburn (5-15=20) pace the blueline...G Michael Garnett is 2-5-3 with a 4.35 gaa...G Adam Berkhoel is 3-5-0 with a 3.72 gaa...Both goalies have spent much of the season with Atlanta.

2005-06 meetings (3rd of 8 meetings, Aeros are 1-1-0-0 overall, Aeros are 0-1-0-0 at Houston)
October 25 Chicago 5 at Houston 1
January 22 Houston 4 at Chicago 0
Tonight Chicago at Houston
March 7 Chicago at Houston
March 9 Chicago at Houston
March 15 Houston at Chicago
March 24 Houston at Chicago
April 15 Houston at Chicago

Quick Hits
- Not only does Houston have the second-best power play unit in the AHL at 21.0 percent, but it strikes quickly. Over their last 21 games, the Aeros have scored on their first or second power play of the game 16 times. Three times in that span, including Thursday, Houston has scored on both its first and second opportunities. But the Aeros haven't scored on 11 straight opportunities since opening up 2-for-2 Thursday in Iowa. Last night marked Houston's second win in 10 games (3-6-1-0) when not scoring a PPG. A return to Toyota Center is sure to perk up the power play unit. Houston is 25-for-81 (30.9 percent) at home with the man advantage in the last 14 games. Only once in that span (1/13 vs. Iowa) have the Aeros not scored a PPG.
- Houston is third in the AHL in scoring at 3.70 gpg, trailing only Grand Rapids' 3.94 gpg and Portland's 3.76 gpg. Since getting shut out 3-0 by Milwaukee 11/27, the Aeros have scored 98 goals in 23 games for a 4.26 gpg average. Houston is trying to score 300 goals for just the second time in team history. The Aeros scored a franchise-record 307 goals in 1998-99, but that came in an 82-game season. This season Houston is on pace for 296 goals through 47 games.
- In their last five victories, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 12-2 in the first period. In the last 12 games overall, Houston has a 23-8 goal margin in the opening 20 minutes, and overall on the season the Aeros are an AHL-best plus-25 (58-33).
- Aeros D Curtis Murphy, named an All-Star earlier this month for the seventh time in as many North American seasons, is on the verge of becoming the Aeros' all-time goal leader among defensemen. Murphy is tied with Jeff Tory for the top spot among blueliners with 42 tallies. Murphy's 140 points trail only Greg Hawgood's total of 145 for the most in team history among defensemen. Murphy, who needs two more assists to become the fifth in team history to reach 100, has 22 points (4-18=22) in his last 23 games, including 13 points (4-9=13) in the last 12 games. Murphy is tied for first among all AHL defensemen in points this season (7-32=39).
- Houston has trailed at some point in 13 of its 33 victories, with four of the wins coming when trailing by two goals. The Aeros had 16 come-from-behind victories in 2004-05. They are an impressive 11-7-0-0 when allowing the game's first goal.
- The Aeros are 31-3-0-0 when scoring three goals or more, but they are 2-9-1-1 when scoring two or fewer after last night. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 30-4-1-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 3-8-0-0 when yielding four or more.
- Houston is 3-2-1-0 when playing its third game in three nights, with wins in each of the last two such situations. In only one of the previous six times have the Aeros played the third game at home. Manchester won 2-1 in OT at Toyota Center 1/22.

Power play update
- Houston is second in the league on the power play at 21.0 percent.
- The Aeros are 36-for-142 (25.3 percent) with the man advantage in the last 23 games, but haven't scored on 11 straight opportunities since striking on their first two Thursday in Iowa.
- The Aeros are 20-3-0-0 when scoring at least two PPG. Houston has scored two or more PPG in 13 of its last 22 games.
- Houston has been outscored on the power play just three times in its last 25 games - including Thursday in Iowa.
- Houston has a trio of players with at least 10 power play goals - including C Erik Westrum's total of 14 which ties him for the league lead. The Aeros have had more than two players with 10 power play markers just once in team history, when four accomplished the feat in 1998-99, including Jeff Christian's franchise-record 20.
- Chicago is 20th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 81.9 percent.
- The Wolves have killed off 34-of-42 (80.9 percent) of their shorthanded chances in the last six games.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is tied for third in the AHL on the penalty kill at 85.6 percent.
- The Aeros were 44-of-45 (97.8 percent) on the PK in the last eight games since Grand Rapids went 5-for-10 on 1/6 before Iowa went 3-for-8 Thursday. Overall in the last 10 games, Houston is 54-of-58 (93.1 percent) in PK situations.
- Houston is 16-3-0-1 when not allowing a power play goal and 26-5-1-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- Chicago ranks 19th in the AHL on the power play at 15.7 percent.
- The Wolves are 2-for-28 on the power play (7.1 percent) since going 5-for-11 against Omaha 1/18.

Aeros/Wolves connections
- Wolves D Travis Roche was an Aero from 2001-04, racking up 120 points (35-85=120) in 185 games.
- Wolves assistant coach Marty Howe won a pair of AVCO Cups with the WHA Houston Aeros in 1974-75.
- Aeros assistant coach Matt Shaw was an assistant coach under John Anderson in Chicago in 1998-99.
- Houston D Curtis Murphy attended the University of North Dakota for two years with Chicago D Nick Naumenko.
- Aeros C Erik Westrum and Wolves LW Ramzi Abid both played for Springfield in 2001-02 and 2002-03.
- Aeros RW Kirby Law played most of three seasons alongside Chicago D Francis Lessard at AHL Philadelphia from 1999-2002.
- Chicago RW Billy Tibbetts notched eight assists in eight regular season games and played one playoff game for Houston in 2003-04.
- Houston C Rem Murray was part of a trade with Chicago D Tomas Kloucek. The duo, along with Marek Zidlicky, was traded from the New York Rangers to Nashville Predators for current Atlanta Thrasher Mike Dunham 12/22/03.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 28, 2006


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