Aeros Weekly Report

Published on November 22, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Coming attractions:

TUE, at CLE, 6 p.m.
The Aeros and Barons meet for the final time this season, with Houston looking to snap a five-game skid in the series. Houston dropped two home games to Cleveland last month before falling 3-1 on the road last Thursday. Houston is 3-4-0-0 in Cleveland. Houston is 7-8-0-0 all-time versus the Barons, but the Aeros have lost seven of eight in the series since a 6-1-0-0 start. Three of Cleveland's seven wins have come against Houston.

WED, at CHI, 7 p.m.
The Aeros snapped an eight-game winless skid versus the Wolves with a 5-4 OT win at home October 24. Houston is, however, winless in its last nine trips to Allstate Arena (0-5-2-2). The Aeros' last win in Chicago was a 5-4 overtime affair January 15, 2003. Houston's longest road winless streak against an opponent is when the team lost 10 straight at Bradley Center in Milwaukee from March 22, 1995, to November 25, 2000.

FRI, vs. UTA, 7:35 p.m.
The Aeros and Grizzlies meet for the first of 10 times this season, and for the first time since Houston became a Dallas partial affiliate. The Stars had previously sent their players to Utah. It's Cash/Prizes Night, as the Aeros will give away a total of $2,500 in cash, plus other prizes to the first 3,000 fans in attendance.

SUN, vs. UTA, 5:05 p.m.
The Aeros and Grizzlies finish off their two-game set on "Family Day". Fans can take their picture in the penalty box after the game. (Cameras not provided). Get four tickets, four pucks, $20 in Toyota Bucks and free parking for just $59 at www.aeros.com/themenights/. Username is Family, password is Aeros.

Aeros win two of three to start five-game road trip
CLE 3, HOU 1; HOU 2, ROC 1; HOU 6, SYR 3

The Aeros were back on the road last week and picked up a pair of victories in New York after falling in Cleveland in game one of a five-game road trip.

Thursday: Defensemen Garrett Stafford and Jim Fahey each scored a goal, lifting the Cleveland Barons to a 3-1 victory over the Houston Aeros at National City Rink in Gund Arena. Dmitri Patzold turned aside 24 shots and Patrick Rissmiller also scored for Cleveland, which has won seven of eight versus the Aeros. The Barons outshot Houston 47-25.
Stephane Veilleux scored a power play goal and Josh Harding finished with a career-best 44 saves for Houston, which is 0-3-0-0 this season against the Barons.

Friday: Dan Cavanaugh and Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored in the first period, as the Aeros rallied from an early deficit to earn a 2-1 victory in Rochester to snap the Americans' six-game winning streak. Mike Smith turned aside 25 shots to win for the fifth time in six decisions for Houston, which is unbeaten lifetime against Rochester (4-0-3-0). The teams meet again December 2 at Toyota Center.
Geoff Peters scored and Ryan Miller made 29 saves for Rochester, which had won four straight at War Memorial.

Saturday: Kirby Law scored twice, including one of Houston's team-record-tying four power play goals, and Veilleux and Rickard Wallin each added a power play goal and an assist to help the Aeros roll to a 6-3 penalty-filled victory over the Syracuse Crunch at Onondaga County War Memorial at Oncenter. Harding made 37 saves and Matt Foy and Zbynek Michalek also scored as Houston built a six-goal lead to win its second straight.
Mikko Koivu, Erik Reitz and Bouchard chipped in two assists apiece for Houston.
Alexander Svitov scored twice in the final 3:03, Joe Motzko also scored and Pascal Leclaire turned aside 17 shots for the Crunch before giving way to Karl Goehring. Syracuse fell to 1-5-1-2 in its last nine.

West Standings - The Aeros enter this week with 22 points, good for second place in the West. Houston trails Milwaukee, which has five games in hand, by one point, and is one point ahead of third-place Grand Rapids, which has four games in hand on the Aeros.
West Division Standings, 11/22
Milwaukee 11-1-1-1=24
Houston 10-7-1-1=22
Grand Rapids 10-4-1-0=21
San Antonio 6-7-2-1=15
Chicago 6-6-1-1=14
Cincinnati 6-10-0-0=12
Utah 1-10-0-1=3

Harding happy to get some goals – Aeros rookie goaltender Josh Harding improved to 4-6-1 by making 37 saves in Saturday's 6-3 win in Rochester. His goals against average is 1.93, but it could be much lower if the Aeros scored more than the 2.10 goals per game they currently score for him. That number was 1.67 prior to Saturday's outburst. Mike Smith, meanwhile, is 6-2-0 with a 2.95 gaa, but the team is scoring 3.44 goals when he is in net. Overall, the Aeros rank 14th in goals scored (2.74) and 11th in goals against (2.63).

PP output ties team record - The Aeros went 4-for-8 on the power play Saturday versus Syracuse, tying a team record for most PPG in a game. It was the seventh time in team history that it occurred – first since January 9, 2003 versus Chicago. Houston last scored four power play goals on the road November 28, 1998, in an 8-0 win at Las Vegas. The output helped the Aeros move to 18.8 percent on the power play, seventh in the 28-team AHL.

Late-arriving fans missing a show – The Aeros have scored 23 first-period goals, two off Manchester's AHL lead. But Houston has allowed 22 goals in the first, tied with Worcester for the most in the league.

Back-to-back no problem - Houston is 8-2-0-0 when playing its second or third consecutive game in back-to-back situations.

No one's coming back on the road - The Aeros are a perfect 7-0-0-0 when leading on the road.

Road is no problem - Houston improved to 7-4-1-1 on the road Sunday. The Aeros won 10 games away from Toyota Center in 2003-04 (10-22-6-2).

Reitz at 49 points - Aeros defenseman Erik Reitz picked up two assists Sunday, putting him at 49 points (11-38=49) in 146 career games with the team. His two assists tied his career-high.

Cullen, Veilleux in a race for 100 - Centerman Mark Cullen (98 points) and winger Stephane Veilleux (97) are in a race to become the 18th player in team history to notch 100 points.

Down on the farm - The CHL's Austin Ice Bats are 6-7-1, good for second in the Southeast Division...F Dallas Anderson has two goals and two assists and 88 PIM's in eight games...Anderson has two goals in three games since returning from a CHL suspension...The ECHL's Pensacola Ice Pilots lost their only game last week, 4-2 at Texas, and their 12 points (6-2=0) have them tied for fourth in the South Division...LW Jordan Krestanovich has 13 points (7-6=13), tied for 11th in the ECHL...RW Jason Beckett has four assists and is a plus-six...LW Bill Kinkel has two goals and 47 PIM's in five games and is currently on injured reserve...D Ryan Stokes is a plus-one with 19 PIM's...ECHL Louisiana is 6-2-1 and is tied for second in the South, a point back of Gwinnett...LW David Bararuk (3-5=8) is tied for third on the team in scoring while D Maxime Fortunus (1-4=5) is a team-best plus-five...RW Mark Rooneem has two assists and 16 PIM's...G Kyle Kettles is 3-2-0 with a 2.84 gaa and a .909 save pct...UHL Quad City is 9-5-1, trailing Rockford by six points in the West...G Robert Gherson is 3-2-1 with a 1.88 gaa, third among all UHL netminders...C Mike Kompon has a team-best 15 points (2-13=15)...Kompon is tied for fifth among all UHL players in assists, and he's first in assists and third in points among rookies.

Player of the week C Pierre-Marc Bouchard -

Totaled four points (1-3=4) as Aeros went 2-1-0-0 in three games last week...Assisted on lone Houston goal in 3-1 loss in CLE Thursday...Scored team's first goal, on the power play, in 2-1 come-from-behind win over Rochester Friday...Tallied two assists in Saturday's 6-3 win over Syracuse...Three of Bouchard's five goals have tied the game or given the Aeros the lead...Has a team-best 16 points (5-11=6), including three power play goals and an overtime game-winning goal.

Bouchard this week...
11/18 at CLE 0-1=1 E
11/19 at ROC 1-0=1 E
11/20 at SYR 0-2=2 +1
Totals: 3gp, 1-3=4, +1

Aeros' Practice schedule:
Monday - in Cleveland
Tuesday - at Cleveland 6 p.m.
Wednesday - at Chicago 7 p.m.
Thursday - Travel Day
Friday - 10 a.m. pre-game skate, vs. Utah, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday - 10-11:30, Sugar Land
Sunday - vs. Utah, 5:05 p.m.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 22, 2004


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