Aeros Look to Dethrone Monarchs Tonight

February 10, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know

Aeros C Erik Westrum (24-48=72) and RW Kirby Law (29-39=68) 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 is three goals behind his career-high, two assists off his best and five points off his career-high. Law also has 396 points (187-209=396) in 516 career American Hockey League games. Rookie C/LW Patrick O'Sullivan is first in rookie scoring with 54 points (28-26=54), and LW Roman Voloshenko (24-14=38) is second among first-year players in goals and 10th in overall rookie scoring. The line of Law, Westrum and Voloshenko has been held without at least a point in only eight games this season. Veteran D Curtis Murphy, meanwhile, is tied for first among AHL defensemen scoring with 41 points (7-34=41). He's third among all players with a plus-18 rating. The Aeros' first-period success, best in the AHL, has been well-documented. But their third period play has been equally important to the win column in 2005-06. Houston has held its opponent without a goal in 21 games this season, and it hasn't lost in regulation (19-0-1-1). The Aeros have won their last 17 games when not allowing a goal in the final 20 minutes. But Houston has only outscored its opponents by a slim 59-56 in the third period this season. Houston C/LW Patrick O'Sullivan was named the Rbk Hockey/AHL Rookie of the Month for January, and he's picked up his success in February with four points (2-2=4) in two games. O'Sullivan, who scored a goal in the All-Star Game on his 21st birthday, has eight points (5-3=8) in a five-game point streak - one off his season-best. He's also riding his second three-game goal scoring streak of the last nine games. O'Sullivan, who leads all rookies in goals (28) and points (54), has been held without a point just three times since 12/11. Aeros C Petr Taticek spent seven games last month in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, but that hasn't stopped him from being one of the most consistent performers on the team. Taticek has at least one assist in 12 of his last 13 games, with 16 total points (3-13=16) in that span. Taticek's lone game without a point in that span was 1/13 vs. Iowa. Taticek has two helpers in as many games since returning from Florida, where he went scoreless in three games. Taticek has ecliped career-highs in goals (nine), assists (19) and points (28) while playing in 36 games this season. He was acquired on loan from the Panthers 10/15. When Iowa D Dan Jancevski was recalled to Dallas last Saturday to make his NHL debut, it ended his AHL consecutive games played streak at 257 games. It was the longest active run in the AHL, and that mark is now held by Aeros D Dustin Wood. Wood, acquired from Phoenix last summer along with C Erik Westrum for D Zbynek Michalek, hasn't missed a game since 11/23/03 with Springfield, a span of 192 contests. RW Kirby Law's AHL games played streak is at 151, while Erik Westrum has played in 130 straight.

Aeros at Monarchs (Aeros are 0-1-0-0 all-time, First meeting at Manchester) Houston makes its first ever trip to Manchester tonight. In the teams' first ever meeting, the Monarchs earned a 2-1 OT win at Toyota Center 10/22 on former Aero Marty Wilford's PPG 3:04 into the extra session. Jeff Guiliano added a SHG in the final minute of the second period and Barry Brust made 26 saves. Kirby Law scored a SHG and Josh Harding stopped 43 shots for the Aeros. The 10/22 game is Houston's only one against the Eastern Conference so far this season. The Aeros play Manchester and Hartford twice apiece for their lone action against the East. Houston is in Hartford tomorrow, and the Wolf Pack return the trip to Toyota Center 3/4.

Scouting the Aeros The Aeros (35-12-1-2) have the AHL's second-best winning percentage (.730), trailing only Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (.781 pct)...A win tonight would give Houston more wins (36) after 51 games than any other team in franchise history...The 1998-99 Turner Cup winning team was 35-8-8 after 51 games...The Aeros' West Division lead is six points over Milwaukee, which has a game in hand...Houston, 13-8-0-0 on the road, begins a five-game road trip tonight and plays 19 of its final 30 games away from Toyota Center...C Erik Westrum has 72 points (24-48=72), four up on RW Kirby Law (29-39=68) for the top spot in the AHL...C/LW Patrick O'Sullivan is first in rookie scoring with with 54 points (28-26=54)...LW Roman Voloshenko (24-14=38) is second in goals and 10th in points among rookies...D Curtis Murphy is tied for first among AHL defensemen with 41 points (7-34=41)...G Josh Harding is 21-7-0 with a 2.63 gaa to rank tied for second in the league in wins, tied for third in save pct. (.923) and 10th in gaa...G Seamus Kotyk is 10-5-2 with a 2.86 gaa, ranking 20th in gaa, while G Miroslav Kopriva is 4-1-0 with a 2.64 gaa.

Scouting the Monarchs Manchester (28-14-2-4), AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, is 3-3-1-0 in its last seven games after whipping San Antonio 6-1 at home on Wednesday...RW Konstantin Pushkarev tallied a hat trick...The Monarchs are in second place in the Atlantic Division, two points behind Portland but with one game in hand...Veteran RW Brad Smyth leads the Monarchs in scoring with 52 points (23-29=52), ahead of rookie LW Jeff Tambellini (21-26=47)...Former Aero D Marty Wilford paces the blueline with 25 points (4-21=25)...G Adam Hauser is 15-9-2 with a 2.75 gaa, while G Barry Brust - a former Minnesota Wild draft pick - is 12-5-1 with a 2.37 gaa...Brust's gaa ranks fourth in the AHL, while Hauser is 14th.

2005-06 meetings (2nd of 2 meetings, Aeros are 0-0-1-0 overall, First meeting at Manchester) October 22 Manchester 2 at Houston 1 (OT) Tonight Houston at Manchester

Quick Hits Houston is second in the AHL in scoring at 3.74 gpg, trailing only Grand Rapids' 4.00 gpg. Since getting shut out 3-0 by Milwaukee 11/27, the Aeros have scored 111 goals in 26 games for a 4.27 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 299 goals. The Aeros are 15-4-1-2 in one-goal games, and an impressive 21-6-1-2 in games decided by two goals or less. Houston has played a season-long four straight one-goal games, going 3-0-0-1 Only Manchester (16-4-2-4) and Wilkes-Barre Scranton (16-3-3-2) have more wins in one-goal games. The Monarchs are 9-0-2-2 at home in one-goal games, the lone AHL team without a regulation loss in that situation. In their last seven victories, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 16-4 in the first period. In the last 15 games overall, Houston has a 28-11 goal margin in the opening 20 minutes, and overall on the season the Aeros are an AHL-best plus-28 (63-35). The Aeros have led after one period in five straight games, and hasn't trailed after one in any of their last 10 games, since Iowa jumped out to a 2-0 first intermission lead 1/13. Aeros D Curtis Murphy, an All-Star 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 142 points trail only Greg Hawgood's total of 145 for the most in team history among defensemen. Murphy is tied for first among all AHL defensemen in points this season (7-34=41). Houston D Scott Ferguson is quickly approaching the 1,000-PIM mark in his AHL career. Ferguson has 997 PIM's in 503 career AHL games. Houston has trailed at some point in 13 of its 35 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 33-3-0-1 when scoring three goals or more, but they are 2-9-1-1 when scoring two or fewer. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 31-4-1-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 4-8-0-1 when yielding four or more. Houston is 13-1-0-0 when allowing 29 or fewer shots this season. Manchester is the least penalized team in the league at just 16.0 PIM/game. Houston is tied for 16th at 22.9 PIM/game.

Power play update Houston is third in the league on the power play at 20.5 percent. The Aeros are 39-for-165 (23.6 percent) with the man advantage in the last 26 games. Houston is coming off an 0-for-6 performance on the PP Tuesday against Milwaukee. The Aeros haven't been held without a PPG in two straight games at any point this season. The Aeros are 20-3-0-1 when scoring at least two PPG. Houston has scored two or more PPG in 14 of its last 25 games. Houston has been outscored on the power play just three times in its last 28 games. Manchester is tied for 15th on the penalty kill at 83.1 percent, but it has been shorthanded only 308 times - third fewest in the AHL. The Monarchs have killed off just 21-of-27 shorthanded chances (77.8 percent) over their last five games.

Penalty kill update Houston is third in the AHL on the penalty kill at 86.1 percent. In the last 13 games, Houston is 71-of-76 (93.4 percent) on the PK. Houston is 17-3-0-2 when not allowing a power play goal and 28-5-1-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer. Manchester ranks 25th in the AHL on the power play at 13.8 percent. The Monarchs are 0-for-11 with the man advantage in the last three games, after going 5-for-11 (45.5 percent) over a two-game stretch 1/27-1/28.

Aeros/Monarchs connections Aeros G Josh Harding and Manchester F Brendan Bernakevitch each hail from Regina, Sask. Manchester rookie G Barry Brust was drafted in the third round by the Minnesota Wild in 2002. Monarchs D Marty Wilford was an Aero in 1999-2000, totaling nine assists and 30 PIM's in 45 games. Manchester assistant coach Derek Clancey coached the Wild's ECHL prospects in Jackson, Miss., in 2000-01. Houston LW Bill Kinkel and Manchester RW Petr Kanko were teammates in OHL Kitchener from 2001-03.



American Hockey League Stories from February 10, 2006


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