Aeros kick off road trip in Utah tonight

Published on March 16, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know
· For only the fourth time in franchise history, the Aeros have been involved in three straight shutouts. Houston lost 5-0 in Milwaukee last Thursday, but rebounded with an 8-0 victory over San Antonio on Saturday. Then, Cincinnati's Ilya Bryzgalov blanked the Aeros on 24 shots in Monday's 3-0 Ducks win. The last time Houston was involved in three straight shutouts was 10/29-11/4/99, when it lost 1-0 to Orlando, then beat the Solar Bears 2-0 and Chicago 3-0. The Aeros have been shut out seven times this season - two off the franchise record set in 1999-00. But Houston goalies have 10 shutouts, three more than any other season.
· The Aeros' 3-0 loss to Cincinnati on Monday dropped them four points behind the third-place Ducks with two games in hand. Still, Houston can gain ground this week, playing four more games compared to two for Cincinnati. The Ducks are home against Chicago on Friday and in Cleveland on Saturday. Grand Rapids, which is four points behind Houston with one game in hand, plays host to Edmonton Friday and Sunday, while traveling to Chicago on Saturday.
· Houston kicks off a four-game, five-day road trip that includes another game in Utah on Friday and then two in a 19-hour span in Manitoba this weekend. The Aeros have lost two straight in regulation on the road and are winless in their last three (0-2-1-0). Houston hasn't led in any of those three losses, and it hasn't held a lead on the road in 195:31. Since shutting out Utah 3-0 on 2/23, the Aeros are 1-3-2-0 on the road. Still, Houston is 13-11-5-2 away from Toyota Center for a .532 points percentage.
· The Aeros and Grizzlies are two of the four AHL teams without winning streaks as long as four games this season. Providence and San Antonio are the others. Houston is the only one of those four teams currently holding down a projected playoff spot.
· Despite losing 2-1 in a shootout in Utah 2/21, former Grizzlies goalie Mike Smith lowered his career gaa at The E Center to 2.34. Smith, who played here in the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, is 8-5-1 in West Valley City.

Aeros at Grizzlies (Aeros are 48-39-4-2 overall, Aeros are 23-23-1-1 at Utah/Denver)
· Today marks the 94th all-time meeting between Houston and the Utah franchise, including its play in Denver in 1994-95. The 94 meetings are the most between the Aeros and an opponent.
· The Aeros went 5-4-1 versus Utah, then Dallas' affiliate, in 2003-04.
· Houston is 8-3-1-1 in the last 13 meetings after losing three straight 3/20-11/7/03.
· Houston is 17-8-1-1 in the last 27 meetings and 20-13-2-2 versus the Grizzlies since joining the AHL.
· Houston has five wins in its last nine trips to the E Center (5-3-0-1).
· The teams have combined to average 102 PIM's per meeting this season.

Scouting the Aeros Houston is winless in three straight on the road but has points in 19 of its last 27 games (13-8-4-2) overall for a .593 winning percentage in that span...Pierre-Marc Bouchard (10-32=42) leads the Aeros in scoring and has 23 points (5-18=23) in his last 25 games...Veteran Ray Giroux (9-17=26) anchors a well-balanced blueline and is a team-best plus-six...Mike Smith is 15-15-2 with a 2.47 gaa and five shutouts, while Josh Harding is 15-14-1 with four shutouts and a 2.00 gaa to rank tied for sixth in the AHL.

Scouting the Grizzlies Utah looks for its third set of back-to-back victories tonight, after beating Cincinnati 2-1 in a shootout Saturday...The Grizzlies have scored more than two goals in two of their last 13 games...Peter White is the Grizzlies' leading scorer with 27 points (9-18=27) with the team and 35 overall (11-24=35)...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 4-2-0 with a 2.05 gaa since the transaction and 11-24-2 with a 2.98 gaa overall...David LeNeveu, a 2004 AHL All-Star, is 8-24-3 with a 2.91 gaa.

2004-05 meetings (Sixth of 10 meetings, Aeros are 3-1-0-1 overall, Aeros are 1-0-0-1 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 Tonight: Houston at Utah Friday: Houston at Utah March 23: Utah at Houston April 6: Houston at Utah April 17: Utah at Houston

Last Game Stanislav Chistov snapped a 10-game goal-less streak by scoring twice in the opening 10 minutes and Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 24 shots for his fourth shutout, as the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks rode their mighty forecheck to a 3-0 victory over the Houston Aeros at Toyota Center. Joel Perrault also scored for Cincinnati, which has points in its last five road games (4-0-0-1). Josh Harding turned aside nine shots in one period of action for Houston, which has lost three of four – two by shutout. Mike Smith made 17 saves in relief of Harding.

Quick Hits
· The Aeros have allowed the game's first goal in four of five contests. The Aeros are 11-20-4-3 when allowing the first goal, but 20-4-2-0 when scoring it. Houston has scored first just 26 times in 63 games, only two off the lowest total in the AHL.
· In its 30 wins, Houston has allowed just 11 third-period goals, but in the remainder of its 33 games, it has yielded 30. The Aeros are 2-12-2-1 in their last 17 games when allowing a third-period goal. Houston has yielded 41 third-period goals, tied with Hartford for the best in the AHL.
· The Aeros are 3-3-0-0 following shutouts this season, most recently winning 8-0 against San Antonio on Saturday after a 5-0 loss in Milwaukee last Thursday.
· Utah has scored a league-worst 29 first-period goals and is minus-33 (62-29) in the first period. The Grizzlies have allowed a league-high 76 in the third period, while scoring 43 for another minus-33 margin. Utah is minus-28 (65-37) in the second.
· The Grizzlies rank 28th and last in the AHL in both goals scored per game (1.87) and goals allowed (3.35).
· Utah is 12-11-1-4 in one-goal games, but 5-29-0-0 in games decided by two or more. Ten of the Grizzlies' 12 home wins have come by one goal (10-4-1-2).
· Houston is an impressive 7-for-22 (31.8 percent) on the power play against Utah this season, while the Grizzlies are only 1-for-19 (5.3 percent) on the man advantage versus the Aeros.

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 10-7-0 with a 1.99 gaa.
· 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 15-11-1 with a 1.94 since an 0-3-0 start to his pro campaign.
· Harding is tied for sixth in the league in gaa (2.00), and second among rookies. Lowell's Cam Ward is at 1.93.
· Harding has allowed 26 goals in the first period, but only 15 in the second and 16 in the third.

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 6-4-1 with a 2.70 gaa on the road but 9-11-1 with a better 2.34 gaa at Toyota Center. Each of Smith's five shutouts have come at home.

PP unit seventh
· The Aeros are seventh in the league on the power play at 17.3 percent.
· Houston snapped out of an 0-for-22 man advantage funk with a 3-for-7 performance Saturday versus San Antonio, but it went 0-for-4 versus Cincinnati on Monday.
· In their last 46 games, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 43-24 on the power play.
· Overall, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 54-34 on the power play.
· Houston is 20-12-5-1 when scoring a PPG and 10-12-1-2 when not scoring a PPG.
· Utah is 28th and last in the AHL on the penalty kill at 78.8 percent. At home, the Grizzlies are an improved 81.9 percent.
· The Grizzlies have killed off 25-of-29 shorthanded chances (86.2 percent) over their past five games.

Houston fourth on PK
· Houston is fourth in the league on the penalty kill at 87.7 percent, but that drops to 84.5 percent on the road.
· Following a 46-of-48 kill streak 2/4-2/23, the Aeros have allowed 10 goals on 49 chances (79.6 percent kill rate) over their last 11 games.
· Houston is 21-13-2-2 when not allowing a PPG and 9-11-4-1 when allowing a PPG.
· Utah is 26th in the league on the power play at 13.6 percent, including only 12.6 percent at home.
· The Grizzlies are 1-for-32 (3.1 percent) with the man advantage in their last five games.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 16, 2005


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