Aeros prevail 2-1, close in on Milwaukee

Published on February 5, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Houston, TX – Mark Cullen and Stephane Veilleux each finished with a power play goal and an assist, leading the Houston Aeros to a 2-1 victory over the Utah Grizzlies at Toyota Center. Johan Holmqvist made 17 of his 30 saves in the final 20 minutes for his third straight win for Houston, which has posted back-to-back wins for the first time since the Christmas week. The Aeros, who scored two power-play goals for the third time in four games, move to 48 points, four better than fifth-place Cincinnati and five less than third-place Milwaukee. Houston, which received captain Jason Marshall back from Minnesota prior to the contest, starts off a five-game road trip in Milwaukee tomorrow at 7 p.m. Warren Peters scored and Mike Smith turned aside 30 shots for Utah, which has lost eight of nine and hasn't scored more than two goals in 11 games. The Grizzlies still have 37 points, seven behind the Mighty Ducks for the final playoff spot in the West Division.

The teams, who came to blows several times late in Tuesday's game and stared each other down in warmups, wasted little time tonight. Utah toughman Mike Sgroi dropped the gloves with Houston's Jason Beckett just 3:23 into the contest.

Only 23 seconds later, Utah's Zenon Konopka, who fought Erik Reitz twice in the third period of Tuesday's 3-1 Aeros win, duked it out with Aeros enforcer Derek Boogaard. Boogaard got much the better of the matchup, landing a half dozen rights to Konopka's head as the Grizzlies forward dropped to the ice.

After the Aeros killed of Utah's first power play of the game, Peters notched his second of the season to put Utah on top. Tim Wedderburn, at the center point, took a feed from Barrett Heisten along the left boards and one-timed the puck on net. Peters, in front of the net, tipped it under Holmqvist at 7:58.

The Aeros answered back at the 11:24 mark, on the power play. Houston launched several rockets at Smith from the blueline, and Kevin Mitchell's was kicked back out to the lower right circle. Cullen lifted the rebound up and over a fallen Smith for his fifth of the season – first since returning from a separated shoulder last month – and sixth in 15 career games against the Grizzlies.

It took just one second after that for the game's third fight, as Boogaard and Sgroi locked up at center ice.

Holmqvist helped keep the game tied with five minutes left in the period, stopping Utah on a 3-on-1 before Marshall and two Grizzlies rolled into the net.

Houston continued to mount the pressure, getting 11 of the period's final 13 shots to finish the stanza with a 12-6 advantage.

Veilleux left the ice early in the second period after taking an inadvertent stick just below his right eye. He returned several minutes later to score the game-winner.

Utah continued to struggle to get shots early in the second, going 5:22 before its first shot.

In a 4-on-4 situation, Houston nearly went up a goal eight minutes into the second when an errant Utah pass led to a 2-on-1. Darby Hendrickson wristed one off Smith's blocker, and the rebound went just wide of Christoph Brandner's stick. Less than a minute later, Houston's Zbynek Michalek rang one off the post.

The Aeros did go on top with their second power play goal of the game – against a Utah team that entered the contest third in the AHL on the penalty kill. Cullen fed Veilleux in the lower right circle, and he walked in on Smith and wristed one that appeared to hit off the netminder, then off the far post and just over the line with 1:51 showing on the second period clock.

The Grizzlies couldn't mount a rally despite 17 shots in the third, as they remained the only AHL team without a point when trailing after two periods (0-21-0-0). Utah has been outscored by a league-worst 28 goals (60-32) in the third stanza this season.

Holmqvist kicked out back-to-back shots from Trevor Daley five minutes into the third to keep Houston on top. Two minutes later, he got over quickly on Antti Miettinen's transition attempt from between the circles.

The Aeros gave Utah life with 7:19 left with a too many men on the ice penalty, but Holmqvist got in front of Daley's attempt from the right point – the Grizzlies only shot on the man advantage.

The Grizzlies went back on the power play with more than five minutes left, with Jan Vodrazka off for cross checking. Utah's best chance on the man advantage came early on off the initial draw, as Greg Naumenko – with all seven of career goals against the Aeros coming on the power play – rocketed one into Holmqvist's chest. Naumenko then ended the power play 22 seconds after it began with a hooking penalty after a turnover deep in the Grizzlies zone.

Utah pulled Smith for 1:14 but couldn't get the equalizer.

Houston went 2-for-3 on the power play, while Utah finished 0-for-4.

Notes:

With Kyle Kettles out with a minor injury, the Aeros called up goalie Frederic Cloutier from ECHL Louisiana. Cloutier sported a new look – bright blonde hair - under his baseball cap.

Mitchell, who had a career-best five-game point and assist streak snapped Tuesday, now has seven points (1+6=7) in seven games.

Cullen's last goal came on November 20 in Chicago, six days before he was injured in Rochester.

Marshall assisted on Veilleux's goal. The blueliner had four points (1+3=4) in his last four games with the Wild.

The Aeros entered the game 3-for-40 on the power play against Utah this season.

Houston now has eight multi power-play goal games this season.

Veilleux is tied for the team lead with three power-play goals and 10 power-play points. He also has three shorthanded goals and an assist, and leads the team with 14 special teams points.

The Aeros last won back-to-back games during a three-game streak December 20-26. That run, along with a season-high six-game winning streak from December 5-17, marked the Aeros' only winning streaks prior to tonight.

Houston remained unbeaten in 20 games (16-0-3-1) when allowing one or zero goals, and has just two wins (2-21-6-2) when yielding two or more.

The Aeros won for just the fourth time in 26 games (4-17-3-2) when allowing the game's first goal.

Six of Mitchell's 10 points have come on the power play.

Houston improved to 18-21-9-3 and is within three wins of the .500 mark for the first time since falling to 14-17-9-3 in Chicago January 18.

The Aeros are 9-2-4-1 in their last 16 Toyota Center games.

Houston's blueline and goalies have accounted for 26 of the team's last 56 points.

Marshall has six of his 16 points (2+4=6) versus Utah.

Veilleux led all Aeros with six shots.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 5, 2004


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