Cash or Prizes giveaway tonight

November 25, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know
- Houston opens up a four-game homestand tonight, and the Aeros play nine of their next 12 at home through 12/28. Houston is 7-1-1-1 this season at home, and in its last 18 regular-season games dating back to the last season, it has lost only once in regulation at Toyota Center (13-1-1-3). The lone loss in that span was a 5-1 decision to Chicago 10/25. The Aeros closed the 2004-05 regular season with a 6-0-0-2 home run. Houston's .800 home points percentage trails only Wilkes-Barre Scranton (.889), Grand Rapids (.833), Portland (.833) and Hershey (.813).
- Admirals G Brian Finley is 15-6-1 with a 2.10 gaa in his career versus Houston, including a 14-4-0 mark in the last two seasons. Finley's 15 wins over the Aeros are four more than any other goalie and six more than any active goalie, and his gaa trails only Jason LaBarbera (1.81) among active netminders (minimum five decisions). Finley is the only goalie ever to shut out the Aeros three times in one season, and his four overall shutouts against Houston are the most of any netminder.
- Aeros C Petr Taticek has made quite the impression since being acquired on loan from the Florida Panthers 10/15. Taticek, who had been reassigned by the Panthers to ECHL Florida, has eight 11 points (6-5=11) in only 16 games since the transaction. Taticek missed two games due to injury earlier this month, but he's returned with a vengeance after going scoreless in his first two games back. Taticek has seven points (3-4=7) in his last six games, with at least one point in four of the six games. He has three goals in Houston's last five games. The change of scenery has done wonders for the 22-year-old who spent the last two AHL seasons with in-state rival San Antonio. Taticek is just one goal shy of his career-high, with just more than one quarter of the season gone. Taticek, one of three former San Antonio players on the Aeros roster, totaled 22 points (7-15=22) in 67 games with the Rampage in 2004-05.
- Houston C Erik Westrum continues to lead the AHL's scoring race with 30 points (10-20=30) and is also tops in assists. Westrum had 33 points (18-15=33) in 80 games last season for Utah. RW Kirby Law is tied for fifth in the AHL in scoring with 23 points (10-13=23). Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko, who plays on a line with Westrum and Law, has 18 points (12-6=18), fifth most among AHL rookies. His 12 goals are one off the AHL rookie lead. At least one of the three has scored a goal in 17 of the Aeros' 22 games.
- Houston played a league-high 22 games in 44 days since opening the season 10/7. But over the next 46 days, through 1/5, the Aeros play just 13 times. The Aeros just enjoyed only their second break of four or more days this season. Milwaukee, meanwhile, is in a stretch where it plays five games in six nights, ending Sunday at Toyota Center.

Admirals at Aeros (Aeros are 29-34-7-1 all-time, Aeros are 16-15-4-1 at Houston)
- The teams meet for the 72nd time tonight - Houston's 37th home meeting.
- Milwaukee is the only active AHL team that the Aeros have an overall losing record against.
- After a 1-7-1-1 mark against Milwaukee in 2003-04, the Aeros were 3-6-1-0 against the Ads last season. Five of the 10 meetings ended in a shutout.
- The Aeros are 3-14-2-0 in the last 19 meetings since a 5-1 win 10/17/03.
- Since beating Milwaukee 7-0 at Toyota Center 1/11/05, the Aeros are 1-5-1-0 against the Admirals, getting outscored 24-8.
- Milwaukee shut out Houston three times in 2004-05, joining Grand Rapids (2002-03) as the only teams to accomplish that feat in one season.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros have lost two of three but are still 7-2-0-1 in November....C Erik Westrum has 30 points (10-20=30) to pace the AHL in points and assists...Westrum has a team-best 10 multiple-point games...RW Kirby Law is tied for fifth in the league with 23 points (10-13=23)...Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko is tied for sixth in the AHL with 12 goals, and he ranks tied for third among AHL rookies in goals and fifth in points (18)...With D Kurtis Foster (4-11=15) recalled to NHL Minnesota, teammate D Curtis Murphy has taken over the lead among AHL defensemen with 17 points (3-14=17)...G Josh Harding is 10-4-0 with a 2.65 gaa...Harding is 16-4-1 in his last 21 regular-season games dating back to a 3-2 SOL vs. Grand Rapids 3/25, and one of the four losses was in OT...Harding leads the AHL in wins with 10...Harding had 31 victories in his two seasons with the Aeros, tying Rob Dopson for fifth place on the team's all-time list...G Seamus Kotyk is 3-2-1 with a 3.36 gaa.

Scouting the Admirals
Milwaukee, the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators, swept a home-and-home from San Antonio Tuesday (3-1) and Wednesday (3-1) to push its record to 9-1-0-0 since an 0-3-1-0 start...The run began with seven straight wins, with a 6-1 win over Houston 10/28 to start the streak...Milwaukee is in a stretch of playing five games in six nights, with all five games coming against Houston and San Antonio...The Ads have been getting it done primarily with goaltending, as Finnish rookie Pekka Rinne is 7-4-1 with a 1.81 gaa to rank second in the AHL...Aero-killer G Brian Finley has been limited to just four games due to injury and is 2-0-0 with a 2.75 gaa...He's allowed just one goal total in his two wins...LW Libor Pivko (5-9=14) and RW Darren Haydar (4-10=14) lead Milwaukee in scoring with 14 points apiece.

2005-06 meetings (2nd of 8 meetings, Aeros are 0-1-0-0 overall, First meeting at Houston)
October 28 Houston 1 at Milwaukee 6
Tonight Milwaukee at Houston
Sunday Milwaukee at Houston
February 4 Milwaukee at Houston
February 7 Milwaukee at Houston
February 25 Houston at Milwaukee
February 26 Houston at Milwaukee
March 17 Houston at Milwaukee

Quick Hits
- Houston has allowed 29 third-period goals, including two in Saturday's 4-2 loss at Toronto. The Aeros have six regulation losses this season - and in five of those six games, Houston allowed at least two goals in the third period. Meanwhile, Houston has kept its opponent off the scoreboard in the third period eight times in 22 games, and it's no surprise that the Aeros are 7-0-1-0 in such situations.
- The Aeros are 13-1-0-0 when scoring three goals or more, but 1-5-1-1 when scoring two or fewer. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 11-1-1-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 3-5-0-0 when yielding four or more.
- Houston is a perfect 8-0-0-0 when outshooting an opponent this season.
- The Aeros are a league-best 9-2-1-1 in one-goal games, and an impressive 12-3-1-1 in games decided by two goals or less.
- Houston has trailed at some point in eight of its 14 victories, including four of its last five wins. The Aeros had 16 come-from-behind victories in 2004-05, so they are halfway to that mark already. Impressively, five of the eight come-from-behind wins this season have been on the road.
- Milwaukee has outshot 12 of its 14 opponents.

And the youth shall lead them
Much has been said and written about the Aeros' veterans this season, but the youngsters have been just as important to the 14-5-1-1 start. Houston has nine players 22 years of age or under, and the budding superstars have accounted for 32 of the team's 73 goals (43.8 percent). LW Roman Voloshenko has 12, C Petr Taticek has seven, LW Peter Olvecky has six, C Patrick O'Sullivan has six, and D Clayton Stoner has two. Youth is also served in the goaltending department, as 21-year-old G Josh Harding leads the AHL in wins with 10.

Power play update
- Houston is ninth in the league on the power play at 18.2 percent. The Aeros went 0-for-10 Saturday in Toronto after ripping off eight goals in 30 chances (26.7 percent) in the prior four games.
- The Aeros are 8-1-0-0 when scoring at least two PPG, with the lone loss coming 11/18 in Manitoba.
- Milwaukee is third in the AHL on the penalty kill at 88.2 percent and has been shorthanded only 93 times.
- The Admirals have killed off 19-of-21 shorthanded chances (90.5 percent) in the last five games.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is 14th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 83.1 percent.
- After the Aeros yielded at least one man advantage goal in each of their first 13 games this season, they killed off 22 straight chances over their next five games. But, opponents went 7-for-28 (25.0 percent) on the just completed road trip.
- Houston is a perfect 27-of-27 on the PK in its last five home games.
- The Aeros are 11-1-1-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- Milwaukee is fifth in the league on the power play at 22.6 percent.
- The Admirals have clicked on 16-of-51 of their power play chances (31.4 percent) in November, although they were held without a PPG Wednesday in San Antonio.

Murphy climbing charts
Aeros D Curtis Murphy not only leads all AHL defensemen in scoring with 17 points (3-14=17), he continues his march up the Aeros' all-time leaderboard despite spending just more than two seasons in the team's sweater. Murphy's 118 points rank 14th on Houston's ledger, and he is fourth among all defensemen, trailing 2003 Calder Cup champion teammate Travis Roche by two points. Murphy is 14th among all players in points, one behind another former teammate, Mark Cullen. Murphy's 80 assists rank seventh all-time, five behind Roche for sixth.

Last Game (Saturday)
Martin Sagat snapped a tie with 7:02 left in regulation and Jean-Sebastien Aubin stopped 24 shots and helped kill off all 10 Houston power plays, as the Toronto Marlies held off the Aeros 4-2 at Ricoh Coliseum in the first-ever meeting between the teams. Ian White and Johnny Pohl scored 5-on-3 goals 1:32 apart early in the second period and Bates Battaglia also scored for the Marlies. Toronto native Joel Ward scored his first pro goal and added an assist, Josh Olson also scored and Ontario native Seamus Kotyk finished with 26 saves for Houston.

Aeros/Admirals connections
- Aeros D Curtis Murphy was a member of Milwaukee's Calder Cup championship team in 2003-04.
- Houston C Bryan Lundbohm spent most of four seasons with the Admirals, from 2001-05. He was injured when Milwaukee won the Calder Cup in 2003-04.
- Aeros G Seamus Kotyk went 10-6-1 with a 2.95 gaa in 23 games with Milwaukee in 2004-05.
- Houston D Erik Reitz played two seasons (1999-2001) with Milwaukee G Brian Finley at OHL Barrie.
- Aeros C Patrick O'Sullivan played junior hockey with Milwaukee's T.J. Reynolds in 2001-02 in Mississauga.



American Hockey League Stories from November 25, 2005


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