Chad Hedrick Night as surging Rivermen invade

Published on April 1, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Eight things you need to know
- Houston enters tonight with 96 points - three behind first-place Milwaukee, although the Aeros have two games in hand. Houston led the West by as many as nine points, the last time 1/12, when it had 58 points to Milwaukee's 49. The Admirals are in Omaha tonight, their last game until Thursday in San Antonio. Houston, which has qualified for the playoffs in 10 straight seasons and 11 out of 12, has a magic number of 14 points to clinch the West Division title. That's a total of its own points gained and points lost by the Admirals. The Aeros own two division titles in their first 11 seasons - 1998-99 and 2002-03 - both championship campaigns. Houston is five points up on third-place Peoria, giving the Aeros a magic number of 12 points to clinch home ice in at least the West Division Finals. Houston and Peoria meet again tomorrow at Toyota Center.
- The Aeros have been outscored 23-7 in the third period over their last 14 games, and have allowed two OT goals and have lost in a shootout in that span. They are just 3-8-2-1 in that stretch. Houston is minus-seven (86-79) in the final 20 minutes this season. Only two teams have allowed more third-period goals.
- Aeros RW Kirby Law is just the 95th player in the 70-year history of the American Hockey League to post 100 points in a season. He now has 101 (38-63=101). Only three other AHL players have reached that mark since 2000-01. Law is just the second player in team history to reach 100 points. Brian Wiseman totaled a team-record 109 in the 1998-99 campaign.
- Houston LW Patrick O'Sullivan continues his push towards a possible Rookie of the Year title. Last month, O'Sullivan became the first player ever to win back-to-back AHL Rookie of the Month Awards. O'Sullivan owns rookie team records in all major offensive categories, and he leads all AHL rookies in goals (44) and points (83), while ranking fifth overall in the league in points. His 44 goals place him third in the AHL. Since 11/9, O'Sullivan has racked up 76 points (41-35=76) in just 57 games. His 44 goals are the second-most in a single season in team history, trailing only Jeff Christian's total of 45 in 1998-99. O'Sullivan is just the second rookie since 1991-92 to record 40 goals. Rochester's Thomas Vanek potted 42 in 2004-05.
- Houston is 102-for-496 on the power play for 20.6 percent - third in the 27-team AHL - although it is 2-for-34 (5.9 percent) in the last seven games. The Aeros had a then franchise-record 94 PPG in the Turner Cup-winning season of 1998-99. Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko has 20 PPG - tied with Jeff Christian's franchise-record from 1998-99. The Aeros have four players with 14 or more PPG.
- The Aeros are winless in eight straight games (0-5-2-1) for the first time since a franchise-record 0-5-7-1 span 12/27/03-1/23/04. But, after completing an 0-3-1-1 road trip, the Aeros begin a five-game homestand tonight at Toyota Center, where they are 26-5-2-2 for a .800 points percentage - second best in the league. The Aeros have outscored their opponents 138-91 at home. Houston has won all three home meetings with Peoria. by a combined 17-6 margin, including a 5-1 romp in the last meeting, 1/21.
- Since beating Hamilton on 3/5, the Aeros are 3-1-0-0 versus Chicago and 0-7-2-1 versus the rest of the AHL.
- Last night, the Aeros allowed two goals or less for just the second time in the last 15 games. The final 14 of those contests have come with G Josh Harding in Minnesota. Houston is 26-0-3-0 when allowing two goals or fewer.

Rivermen at Aeros (Aeros are 8-7-1-0 all-time, Aeros are 5-1-1-0 at Houston)
- Tonight is the 17th all-time meeting between the franchises.
- This is the second of three meetings in a six-day stretch. Earlier this season, the Aeros and Rivermen met three times in seven days 1/21-1/27, but they didn't seen each other after that until Tuesday.
- In the last meeting, Tuesday in Peoria, Ryan Ramsay, Tomas Mozjis and Gavin Morgan each scored twice in an 8-2 Rivermen rout.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros (45-22-3-3) are 1-6-2-1 in their last 10 to fall out of first place in the West Division...Houston finished March by playing nine of its last 10 on the road, but opens up a five-game homestand tonight...The Aeros are 26-5-2-2 at home, the second-best record in the AHL...RW Kirby Law has 101 points (38-63=101), eight points up on Grand Rapids' Jiri Hudler for the top spot in the AHL...LW Patrick O'Sullivan is first in rookie scoring and fifth overall with 83 points (44-39=83)...LW Roman Voloshenko (33-22=55) is second in goals among rookies and tied for ninth in points...D Curtis Murphy is second among AHL defensemen with a new career-best 60 points (10-50=60)...G Seamus Kotyk is 12-13-2 with a 3.08 gaa, while G Miroslav Kopriva is 6-4-1 with a 3.52 gaa.

Scouting the Rivermen
Peoria (42-23-3-4), AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, has won four in a row and is 9-1-2-0 in its last 12 after edging San Antonio 2-1 last night...Peoria is in third place in the West with 91 points, five points behind the second-place Aeros with a game in hand...RW Jon DiSalvatore paces the Rivermen with 62 points (20-42=62)...D Mike Mottau is the second-leading active scorer and is tied for seventh among AHL defensemen with 52 points (8-44=52)...Three of Peoria's top seven scorers are currently in the NHL, as are four goalies who have spent part of the season with the Rivermen...G Chris Beckford-Tseu is 4-3-1 with a 2.81 gaa, while G Gregg Naumenko is 10-7-0 with a 2.83 gaa with four teams this season...With Naumenko leaving the team briefly for personal reasons, Peoria has signed G Scott Reid.

2005-06 meetings (9th of 10 meetings, Aeros are 5-3-0-0 overall, Aeros are 3-0-0-0 at Houston)
October 14 Houston 3 at Peoria 1
October 30 Houston 0 at Peoria 4
December 16 Peoria 3 at Houston 5
December 17 Peoria 2 at Houston 7
January 21 Peoria 1 at Houston 5
January 24 Houston 0 at Peoria 3
January 27 Houston 2 at Peoria 1
Tuesday Houston 2 at Peoria 8
Tonight Peoria at Houston
Tomorrow Peoria at Houston

Quick Hits
- For the ninth straight game, Houston tries for its 200th victory since entering the American Hockey League. The Aeros are 199-138-40-16 in their five AHL seasons.
- The Aeros had won their last six one-goal games before going 0-2-2-1 in their last five. They are still an eye-popping 21-7-3-3 in such contests, and an impressive 28-12-3-3 in games decided by two goals or less. Houston has seen 20 of its last 25 games be decided by one or two goals, going 10-6-2-2. Houston's 21 one-goal wins are two off Grand Rapids' league high.
- In their last 14 victories, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 28-11 in the first period. In the last 38 games overall, Houston has a 48-28 goal margin in the opening 20 minutes, and on the season the Aeros are an AHL-best plus-31 (83-52). The Aeros are 27-7-2-1 when leading after one period this season.
- Murphy's Mission, benefiting I Have a Dream ®, has started off in strong fashion. D Curtis Murphy has picked up 11 assists in 15 games for $1100. An anonymous local donor is giving $300 per Murphy goal and $100 per assist to the charity. The "I Have a Dream"® Program helps children from low-income areas reach their education and career goals by providing a long-term program of mentoring, tutoring, and enrichment with an assured opportunity for higher education. A home hat trick at any point of the program will net the foundation a whopping $10,000. Murphy, who last month became the top defenseman goal and point scorer in team history, passed Greg Hawgood for the top spot on the team's all-time assist ledger 3/9. Murphy ranks second among AHL blueliners with 60 points (10-50=60) - a new career-high. Murphy is averaging nearly a point per game since New Year's. Murphy has 34 points (7-27=34) in 38 games in 2006.
- The Aeros pulled off yet another come-from-behind win 3/7 against Chicago. Houston has trailed at some point in 19 of its 45 victories, with six of the wins coming when trailing by two goals. The Aeros had 16 come-from-behind victories in 2004-05. They are an impressive 15-13-1-0 when allowing the game's first goal.
- Houston is 14-4-2-0 when allowing 29 or fewer shots this season, but also an impressive 10-2-1-0 when yielding 40 or more.
- The Aeros are 43-6-0-2 when scoring three goals or more, but they are 2-16-3-1 when scoring two or fewer. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 38-5-3-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 7-17-0-2 when yielding four or more.

Power play update
- Houston is third in the league on the power play at 20.6 percent.
- Houston is 2-for-34 (5.9 percent) with the man advantage in the last seven games, with both PPG coming last Saturday in Iowa.
- The Aeros are 25-7-0-1 when scoring at least two PPG. Houston has scored two or more PPG in 23 of its last 48 games.
- Peoria is fifth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 84.6 percent.
- The Rivermen have killed off 28-of-30 (93.3 percent) of their shorthanded chances in the last six games.
- Houston is 7-for-40 (17.5 percent) on the power play against Peoria, including a stellar 6-for-17 (35.3 percent) at home. But the Aeros haven't scored on 15 power plays in the last three meetings overall.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is down to seventh in the AHL on the penalty kill at 83.6 percent.
- The Aeros have allowed 23 PPG on 86 chances in the last 12 games for just a 73.3 percent PK rate, and they allowed a season-high-tying five PPG Tuesday in Peoria.
- Houston is 22-6-1-3 when not allowing a power play goal and 35-12-3-2 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- Peoria is fourth in the AHL on the power play at 20.4 percent.
- The Rivermen are 8-for-27 (29.6 percent) with the man advantage in the last four games.
- Peoria is 11-for-48 (22.9 percent) on the power play against Houston, including a 5-for-7 performance Tuesday. The Rivermen are 3-for-17 (17.6 percent) with the man advantage at Toyota Center.

Aeros/Rivermen connections
- Peoria C Brendan Brooks and D Brendan Buckley teamed with Aeros assistant coach Matt Shaw, then Quad Cities' head coach, to win the UHL's regular-season title with the Mallards in the 1999-2000 season.
- Houston LW Joey Tetarenko and Peoria D Rocky Thompson spent much of the 2000-01 season together at AHL Louisville.
- Aeros G Seamus Kotyk spent the 2003-04 season in Cleveland along with Peoria RW Jon DiSalvatore.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 1, 2006


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