Back-to-back set in Iowa opens tonight

Published on November 9, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Seven things you need to know
- Aeros third-year G Josh Harding ranks first in the AHL in games played (12), minutes (708), shots faced (356) and saves (327). He has a whopping 68 more saves than the second place netminder, Manchester's Jason LaBarbera. Harding ranks 15th in gaa (2.46) and tied for 12th in save pct (.918). Harding has allowed three or fewer goals in seven straight games, and two or less in five of his last seven. He has yielded just 14 goals in last seven games. Harding is 3-2-0 with a 1.78 gaa and a .931 save pct. in his last five games. Harding's 12 consecutive games played are the most for an Aeros goalie since Mike Smith's franchise record of 19, set from 11/26/04-1/25/05, while Harding was injured. Other goalies have accumulated just 21 minutes in net for Houston this season. The Aeros record for most games played by a goalie in one season is 72 - set by Frederic Chabot in 1996-97 in an 82-game season. The AHL record is 74 - set by Baltimore's Mike O'Neill in 1995-96. O'Neill also made an AHL record 2,005 saves that season. Frederic Cassivi led the AHL in games played last season with 61.
- The Aeros have killed off 36-of-38 shorthanded chances in the last five games for a 94.7 percent PK rate. That has moved the Aeros up to seventh in the AHL on the penalty kill at 86.2 percent. Houston has been shorthanded 87 times - seventh most in the league.
- Fifteen of Houston's 32 goals have been scored by rookies. Aeros LW Benoit Pouliot and RW Danny Irmen have five goals apiece to tie for second in the AHL in rookie goals. Two of Houston's team goals are shootout goals, so exactly half of the Aeros' 30 regulation goals have come from rookies.
- RW Matt Foy needs one more point to become the 24th player in Aeros history to reach the 100-point plateau. Foy has 99 points (42-57=99) in 181 games with Houston. On 11/1, Foy played in his 200th pro game, counting 21 with NHL Minnesota. Game No. 199 was memorable for Foy, who recorded two goals and two assists in a 7-1 win over Peoria 10/28. Foy matched career-highs in goals and points while scoring two of Houston's three PPG's. Foy is also seven PIM's away from becoming the 16th player in team history with 300 PIM's. Foy would become just the seventh player in Aeros history to reach 100 points and 300 PIM's.
- All but two of Houston's 12 games have been decided by one or two goals. That includes seven one-goal games, and a trio of two-goal games that were essentially one goal games, plus an empty net tally. The Aeros are 3-3-0-1 in one-goal games, tied for the league lead in such contests. Houston has played 735 minutes this season - and for 577 of those minutes (78.5 percent), it has been either a tie game, or one team has held a one-goal lead.
- The Aeros have won back-to-back road games after an 0-3-0-1start to their away campaign. Houston hadn't won back-to-back road games since a season-best five-game road winning streak 2/15-2/26/06. That included a pair of wins in Iowa.
- The Aeros are just 1-4-0-0 when playing the first of back-to-back games. However, Houston has three of its four wins, and seven of its nine standings points (3-1-0-1), when playing the second game of a back-to-back. The teams take to the ice again tomorrow. Amazingly enough, Houston hasn't yet played three games in three nights. That will soon change, with back-to-back three-in-three weekends beginning 11/17-11/19. Each of those weekends includes a road game on Saturday, sandwiched in between a Friday home game and a Sunday 5:05 p.m. home contest.

Aeros at Stars (Aeros are 7-6-0-0 all-time, Aeros are 3-4-0-0 at Iowa)
- Tonight is 14th meeting between the Aeros and Stars, who joined the AHL in 2005-06.
- The Aeros went 7-3-0-0 last season against the Stars, including a 3-2-0-0 mark at Wells Fargo Arena. After losing in its first trip to Des Moines, Houston won three of four.
- Aeros RW Matt Foy has tallied 14 points (5-9=14) in 12 career games against Iowa.
- Houston G Josh Harding was a perfect 4-0-0 with a 2.32 gaa and a .931 save pct. versus the Stars in 2005-06, but is 0-3-0 with a 2.86 gaa this season.
- Stars F Loui Eriksson has seven goals in 13 career games against Houston. Former Aero F Junior Lessard has posted 10 points (5-5=10) in 12 career games against Houston.
- The Stars swept three games from the Aeros in the opening two weeks of the season, including two wins at Wells Fargo Arena.
- In the last meeting, 10/14 in Iowa, Joel Lundqvist snapped a tie midway through the third period, leading the Stars to a 4-3 victory. Vojtech Polak, Mike Green and Loui Eriksson each scored first period goals for Iowa. Curtis Murphy, and rookies Danny Irmen and Benoit Pouliot scored a goal apiece and Steve Shields made nine stops before leaving due to injury in his Aeros debut.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros (4-7-0-1) are playing game two of a four-game road trip that finishes next Wednesday in Milwaukee...RW Matt Foy leads the Aeros in scoring with 10 points (4-6=10), ahead of rookie RW Danny Irmen (5-2=7)...D Curtis Murphy paces the blueline with five points (2-3=5)...G Josh Harding is 3-7-1 with a 2.36 gaa and a .918 save pct. this season...With G Steve Shields and G Dieter Kochan out with injuries, rookie G Tony Quesada, a Holy Cross product, has backed up Harding in the last five games.

Scouting the Stars
First-place Iowa (9-3-0-0), AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars, begins a five-game homestand tonight...The Stars had a three-game winning streak snapped, falling 4-1 in Peoria on Sunday while playing their third game in as many nights...The Stars are 4-1-0-0 at home, outscoring their opponents 21-12...Former Aeros RW Junior Lessard is tied for third in the AHL in scoring with 17 points (8-9=17)...D Mark Ardelan (3-3=6) paces Iowa blueliners in points...G Dan Ellis is 6-2-0 with a 3.38 gaa, while G Tobias Stephan is 3-1-0 with a 1.51 gaa to rank third in the league.

2006-07 meetings (4th of 10 meetings, Aeros are 0-3-0-0 overall, Aeros are 0-2-0-0 at Iowa)
October 8 Iowa 6 at Houston 3
October 12 Houston 1 at Iowa 3
October 14 Houston 3 at Iowa 4
Tonight Houston at Iowa
Tomorrow Houston at Iowa
January 12 Houston at Iowa
February 22 Iowa at Houston
February 23 Iowa at Houston
April 11 Iowa at Houston
April 13 Iowa at Houston

Saturday's game
Josh Harding made 36 saves and kicked out all three shootout attempts, as the Houston Aeros knocked off the Hamilton Bulldogs 3-2 at Copps Coliseum. Rookie Ben Thomson and Joel Ward each scored in regulation for Houston.

Quick Hits
- One of the most recognizable faces in team history reached an important milestone 10/27, as Aeros veteran D Curtis Murphy played in his 600th regular season game as a professional. Murphy has posted 395 points (123-272=395) and 5-3 PIM's in 604 games in the American Hockey League, International Hockey League, the Russian Super League, and one National Hockey League game with the Minnesota Wild. He went over the 500-career PIM mark 11/4 in Hamilton. Murphy is perhaps the most durable player in the AHL in the last 10 seasons. Counting the post-season, Murphy has played in 231 consecutive games since missing the 2003-04 season opener to attend Dan Snyder's funeral. He has played in 467 of a possible 468 games, counting both the regular and post-seasons, since the 2001-02 season. Murphy is the Aeros' all-time leader amongst defensemen in goals (51), assists (122) and points (173).
- After concluding a 2-2-0-0 homestand, Houston continues a four-game, three-city road trip tonight. The Aeros had a five-game road trip in October - their only five games away from Toyota Center prior to this trip - and went 1-3-0-1.
- The Aeros rank seventh in the AHL in average attendance, at 6,568 per game. Houston is up 39.2 percent over the first six games of the 2005-06 season.

Power play update
- Houston is 25th in the AHL with the man advantage at 10.3 percent.
- The Aeros are 0-for-7 on the power play in their last two road games, and 3-for-36 in six total road contests.
- Iowa is is tied for eighth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 85.9 percent.
- The Stars have allowed six goals on 27 shorthanded chances in the last four games for a 77.8 percent PK rate. Peoria went 3-for-7 with the man advantage versus Iowa on Sunday.
- Houston is just 2-for-27 with the man advantage against Iowa this season.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is up to seventh in the AHL on the PK at 86.2 percent.
- The Aeros have killed off 36-of-38 shorthanded chances in the last five games for a 94.7 percent PK rate.
- Houston has been shorthanded 87 times - seventh most in the league.
- Iowa is eighth in the AHL on the power play at 18.8 percent.
- The Stars are 5-for-32 (15.6 percent) with the man advantage in the last four games.
- Iowa is 5-for-28 on the power play against Houston this season.

Aeros/Stars connections
- Aeros D John Scott and Iowa LW Chris Conner were teammates at Michigan Tech for four seasons, 2002-06. Iowa D Greg Amadio was a senior during their freshman season of 2002-03.
- Aeros D Peter Ratchuk (2000-01) and RW Joey Tetarenko (2000-01, 2002-03) were teammates with Iowa C Mike Green in the Florida Panthers system.
- Iowa LW Marius Holtet posted 12 points (7-5=12) in 54 games for the Aeros in 2004-05, while C Junior Lessard put up 22 points (11-11=22) in 71 games.
- Stars D Marty Wilford was an Aero in 1999-00, and he was briefly Aeros C Bryan Lundbohm's teammate in Milwaukee in 2001-02. Wilford also spent the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons alongside Aeros C Jason Morgan in AHL Norfolk.
- Aeros D Shawn Belle began his pro career with Iowa in 2005-06 before being acquired by Minnesota from Dallas last March.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 9, 2006


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