Aeros open up five-game homestand with Happy Hour versus Utah

Published on March 23, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know
· The three-team race for the final two playoff spots out of the West Division is as close as they come. The fourth-place Aeros, who lead Grand Rapids by three points, play host to the Griffins this Friday and Sunday. The Griffins, who have two games in hand on Houston, are in Milwaukee tonight and also play Saturday in San Antonio. Third-place Cincinnati, which at 75 points is three up on the Aeros, plays just twice this week. The Ducks are at home versus Milwaukee on Friday and Saturday.
· Houston is the AHL's second-best defensive team in the third period, allowing 45 goals, but four in the last two games. Hartford tops the league with 43 third-period goals allowed. The Grizzlies have allowed a league-high 79 in the third period, while scoring 43 for minus-36 margin.
· In a disturbing trend, the Aeros have allowed the game's first goal in eight of nine contests. The Aeros are 11-22-4-4 when allowing the first goal, but 20-4-2-0 when scoring it. Houston has scored first just 26 times in 67 games (38.8 percent). No AHL team has scored first fewer than 26 times.
· Special teams should play a large part in tonight's game. Houston is 10-for-33 (30.3 percent) on the man advantage against a Grizzlies' penalty kill unit that ranks 28th and last in the AHL at 78.7 percent. The Aeros have scored two or more PPG in four of the eight meetings. At home, Houston is a whopping 7-for-20 (35.0 percent) against Utah. The Grizzlies are only 2-for-31 (6.5 percent) with the man advantage versus the Aeros this season.
· The Aeros made a pair of roster moves late yesterday as injuries continue to mount up. Defenseman Maxime Fortunus and center/left wing David Bararuk were both recalled from ECHL Louisiana. Fortunus appeared in 12 games with Houston in 2003-04, and in one game with the team this season. Bararuk (pronounced buh-ROOK), a former Grizzly, had a goal in seven games with the Aeros in February. The Aeros have missed a combined 239 man games due to injury through 67 games. Twelve Aeros have missed 10 games or more: Josh Harding, Derek Boogaard, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Christoph Brandner, Dan Cavanaugh, Marc Cavosie, Ray Giroux, Chris Heid, Marius Holtet, Mikko Koivu, Todd Reirden and Erik Reitz.

Grizzlies at Aeros (Aeros are 49-39-4-3 overall, Aeros are 25-16-3-1 at Houston)
· Tonight marks the 96th all-time meeting between Houston and the Utah franchise, the most between the Aeros and any opponent.
· Houston's six-game unbeaten in regulation streak (4-0-0-2) versus Utah is the longest in the history of the series.
· Since dropping the first game of the season 5-3 on 11/26, Houston has outscored Utah 20-9.
· Houston is 9-3-1-2 after losing three straight 3/20-11/7/03.
· The Aeros are 18-8-1-2 in the last 29 meetings and 21-14-2-2 versus the Grizzlies since joining the AHL.
· The teams have combined for 90 PIM's per game in the season series, including a whopping 134 per game in Houston
· At least one team has scored five goals in each of the last five Toyota Center meetings.
· The Aeros are 10-3-1-0 in the last 14 meetings in Houston.

Scouting the Aeros
Houston is winless in its last three games (0-2-0-1), all on the road, tying its longest winless streak of the season (10/20-10/24)...The Aeros, who open up a five-game homestand tonight, have dropped back-to-back regulation games for the seventh time this season, but have yet to lose three straight...Pierre-Marc Bouchard (10-34=44) leads the Aeros in scoring and has 25 points (5-20=25) in his last 29 games...Veteran Ray Giroux (9-18=27) anchors a well-balanced blueline along with 20-year-old prospect Brent Burns (9-13=22)...Mike Smith is 16-15-3 with a 2.43 gaa and five shutouts, while Josh Harding is 15-16-1 with four shutouts and a 2.12 gaa to rank ninth in the AHL...Smith has played in 99 pro games.

Scouting the Grizzlies
Utah, the AHL affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes, can win back-to-back games tonight for the second time this season (12/17-12/18)...The Grizzlies began a three-game road trip with a 1-0 loss, then a 4-1 win, with both games in San Antonio...Sunday's victory marked the second time since the All-Star break that Utah scored four goals in a game...Peter White is the Grizzlies' leading scorer with 28 points (9-19=28) with the team and 36 overall (11-25=36)...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 5-4-0 with a 1.81 gaa since the transaction and 13-24-2 with a 2.87 gaa overall...David LeNeveu, a 2004 AHL All-Star, is 8-26-3 with a 2.92 gaa and is tied for the league lead in losses.

2004-05 meetings (Eighth of 10 meetings, Aeros are 4-1-0-2 overall, Aeros are 2-1-0-0 at Houston)
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
March 16: Houston 5 at Utah 1
March 18: Houston 1 at Utah 2 (SO)
Tonight: Utah at Houston
April 6: Houston at Utah
April 17: Utah at Houston

Last Game
Wade Flaherty stopped 21 shots for his fourth shutout and Cory Pecker and Jason Jaffray each scored power play goals, as the Manitoba Moose blanked the Houston Aeros 2-0 at MTS Centre. Josh Harding played admirably with 35 saves for Houston, which finished its four-game road trip 1-2-0-1. The Aeros have dropped five straight games versus the Moose.

Quick Hits
· In its 31 wins, Houston has allowed just 11 third-period goals, but in the remainder of its 36 games, it has yielded 34, including four over the last two games. The Aeros are 2-14-2-1 in their last 19 games when allowing a third-period goal.
· The Aeros have scored two goals in their last five losses (0-3-0-1), but 13 in their last two wins.
· Utah has scored a league-worst 33 first-period goals and is minus-31 (64-31) in the first period. The Grizzlies have allowed a league-high 79 in the third period, while scoring 43 for minus-36 margin. Utah is minus-29 (68-39) in the second.
· The Grizzlies rank 28th and last in the AHL in goals scored per game (1.86) and 27th in goals allowed (3.27).
· Utah is 13-12-1-4 in one-goal games, but 6-30-0-0 in games decided by two or more.
· The Grizzlies' 23 road losses trail only Springfield (26) for the most in the AHL.
· Utah has outshot just five opponents on the road and has gone 1-4-0-0 in those contests.
· Aeros goalie Mike Smith is 1-1-2 with a 1.68 gaa against his former team this season, including a 1-0-2 mark and a 0.95 gaa in the last three starts.

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 10-9-0.
· 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 15-13-1 with a 2.08 since an 0-3-0 start to his pro campaign.
· Harding is ninth in the league in gaa (2.12), 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 17 in the third.
· Harding is 8-3-0 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 9-11-1 with a better 2.34 gaa at Toyota Center. Each of Smith's five shutouts have come at home.
· In two starts last week, Smith allowed only two goals in 125 minutes.

PP unit eighth
· The Aeros are eighth in the league on the power play at 17.3 percent.
· Houston is 0-for-11 on the man advantage over its last three games after scoring six times over a three-game stretch. Overall in their last 10 games, the Aeros are 6-for-46 (13.0 percent).
· In their last 50 games, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 46-28 on the power play.
· Overall, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 57-38 on the power play.
· Houston is 21-12-5-1 when scoring a PPG and 10-14-1-3 when not scoring a PPG.
· Utah ranks 28th and last in the AHL on the penalty kill at 78.7 percent, including just 75.3 percent on the road. The Grizzlies have allowed 36 PPG on the road alone - just two less than Houston has allowed overall.
· The Grizzlies have killed off 18-of-23 (78.3 percent) of their shorthanded chances in the last five games.

Houston fifth on PK
· Houston is fifth in the league on the penalty kill at 87.3 percent. The Aeros have yielded 38 PPG, two off the league lead.
· Following a 46-of-48 kill streak 2/4-2/23, the Aeros have allowed 14 goals on 69 chances (78.3 percent kill rate) over their last 15 games.
· Houston is 21-13-2-3 when not allowing a PPG and 10-13-4-1 when allowing a PPG.
· Utah is 26th in the AHL on the power play at 13.6 percent, but a much improved 15.3 percent on the road - good for 12th.
· The Grizzlies are picking it up on the power play, going 4-for-26 (15.4 percent) over their last five games.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 23, 2005


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