Amerks drop Aeros 3-2
December 2, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release
HOUSTON, Texas â Ryan Miller made 40 saves and Geoff Peters was credited with the game-winning goal midway through the second period, as the Rochester Americans beat the Houston Aeros 3-2 despite being outshot 42-19. Michael Ryan and Thomas Vanek also scored and Derek Roy chipped in two assists for Rochester, which has won five straight road games and won for the first time ever against Houston (1-4-3-0).
Stephane Veilleux recorded his third career two-goal game and became the 19th Aero with 100 career points in the process. Mike Smith stopped 16 shots for Houston, which had an apparent goal waved off due to a penalty late in the second period and has lost three of four.
The Aeros play host to in-state rival San Antonio on Friday at 7:35 p.m. The first 3,000 fans will receive Aeros Jersey Christmas Ornaments.
It took Rochester only 2:05 to get things going, with a goal on a 3-on-2. Roy skated down the middle and fed Ryan on the left wing. Ryan lifted the puck high blocker side on Smith for his third goal of the season.
Miller stuck out the pads to make a save on Rickard Wallin just more than six minute in. Mikko Koivu was triple teamed in the high slot but slid a pass to Wallin in the lower right circle. Wallin tried to get one over Miller as a defender tugged him down, but he put the puck in the goalie's right pad.
The Amerks built a two-goal lead with 7:25 left in the first with Houston's Mark Cullen in the box for tripping. With nine seconds left on the man advantage, Chris Taylor walked to the center point and wristed a shot on net. The puck bounced off Vanek and by a stunned Smith for the Austrian's team-best ninth goal of the season.
The Aeros went the length of the ice to make it 2-1 with 2:07 left in the opening period. Marc Cavosie was able to clear the puck out of his own zone along the right wing and he streaked up ice along the boards. After making a move to get around a defender, Cavosie left a pass for Veilleux, who beat Miller for his first of the game.
Houston had an apparent Kirby Law breakaway whistled dead with a late offsides call just 1:45 into the middle period.
Less than a minute after Derek Boogaard energized the crowd by fighting Sean McMorrow in the second, Peters pushed Rochester's lead back to two goals at 9:41. Milan Bartovic took a soft shot from the left point and Smith made the save, but he left a rebound in the middle of the left circle, where an untouched Peters was able to put it easily into the open net for his third of the season.
Christoph Brandner appeared to get Houston back within one with rifling shot from the top of the left circle with 2:44 left in the second. Instead, Kyle Wanvig was hit with a double minor for interference and unsportsmanlike conduct. Wanvig was ruled to have set a pick on an Amerks defenseman. The Aeros relentlessly pressured Rochester in the third, outshooting the Amerks 14-6.
Veilleux's second of the game and team-best eighth of the season got his team within a goal with 4:36 gone in the third. On the power play, Brent Burns touched a pass from the right point to Patrick Traverse at the left point. Traverse threaded the puck through traffic to Veilleux at the edge of the left circle, and Veilleux settled and snapped the puck high short side over Miller. Houston pulled Smith with 1:23 left, and David Cullen just missed the empty net with 62 ticks left. Houston finished 1-for-4 on the power play, while Rochester also went 1-for-4.
Notes:
* Houston scratched Chris Heid, Ray Giroux, Matt Foy, John Erskine and Pierre-Marc Bouchard.
* Aeros rookie winger Junior Lessard earned his first professional fighting major against Peters 14:49 into the game.
* Veilleux now has 101 points, tied with Curtis Murphy and Shawn Carter for 17th on the team's all-time list, one point behind Cullen and Michael Maurice for 15th.
* Veilleux moved into a tie with injured teammate Pierre-Marc Bouchard for the team lead with five multiple-point games. His four power play goals are also a team best.
* Cavosie picked up his first assist since November 3 in Worcester.
* Smith has dropped two straight starts for the first time all season.
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