Division title in reach with win and Milwaukee regulation loss

April 15, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Seven things you need to know
- Houston enters tonight with 104 points - two behind first-place Milwaukee, although the Aeros have one game in hand so they currently have control of their own destiny. 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 play their final game today at league-leading Grand Rapids. Houston, which has qualified for the playoffs in 10 straight seasons and 11 out of 12, can clinch the West Division title tonight with a regulation victory combined with a Milwaukee regulation loss. Houston can also win the West Division title with wins in its last two games, or a win in one game and the same number of points as Milwaukee in the other. The Aeros have also clinched at least second place, and therefore home ice advantage in a West Division Semifinals series to begin next Friday at Toyota Center. The Aeros own two division titles in their first 11 seasons - 1998-99 and 2002-03 - both championship campaigns. Houston's 104 points tie the 2002-03 squad for the third most in team history.
- Some first-year Aeros have played big parts of the team's three-game winning streak to get back in the West Division race. Rookie RW Joel Ward has points in three straight games for the first time in his career, including two goals last night in Omaha. Ward began the third-period comeback with a goal, his third in two games. LW Peter Olvecky, the Rookie of the Year in the Slovakian Elite League in 2004-05, assisted on two goals, including RW Matt Foy's third-period goal that sent the game to overtime. Rookie D Clayton Stoner, meanwhile, has an assist in each of the last two games, and he has four points (1-3=4) in his last six games.
- 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 107 (41-66=107) - two off the team record - and he enters tonight's game with 199 career AHL goals. Law, who leads Grand Rapids LW Jiri Hudler and Aeros C Erik Westrum by 11 points, is on pace to have the biggest margin over a second-place finisher since the 1999-2000 season, when Christian Matte (104) beat Mike Maneluk (87) by 17 points. Law also has the third-highest AHL point total since 1997-98. The second-highest total in that span was Mike Cammalleri in 2004-05, with 109 points. Jason Spezza put up 117 for Binghamton in 2004-05. Brian Wiseman holds the team record with 109 points, in 1998-99.
- Houston is 0-5-1-1 away from Toyota Center since its last road win, a 6-5 decision 3/15 in Chicago in which it took a 5-0 lead. It is the Aeros' longest road winless streak since a franchise-record 0-7-2-0 streak 1/31-2/26/04. Houston is 1-7-1-1 in its last 10 road games after an 18-10-0-0 beginning to its road slate.
- The Aeros need one win in their final two games to reach 50 victories for the third time in team history. Houston went 50-22-10 in 1997-98, and a franchise-record 54-15-13 in 1998-99. There could be as many as four 50-win teams in the AHL this season. Rochester was the lone 50-win team in 2004-05, and it was the first team since Providence won 56 in 1998-99 to accomplish the feat.
- Houston LW Patrick O'Sullivan has been named the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award winner as the AHL's most outstanding rookie. O'Sullivan's his next goal will break Jeff Christian's 1998-99 team record total of 45. O'Sullivan owns rookie team records in all major offensive categories, and he leads all AHL rookies in goals (45) and points (87), while ranking third overall in the league in goals and seventh in points. Since 11/9, O'Sullivan has racked up 80 points (42-38=80) in just 62 games. O'Sullivan has the third-most goals of any AHL rookie since 1990-91, and the fifth-most points of any first-year player since 1994-95. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound native of Winston-Salem, N.C., was Minnesota's second-round pick (No. 56 overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
- Tonight the Wolves retire Steve Maltais' jersey, and no team is happier about that than the Aeros. Maltais owns the most points ever against the Aeros with 62 (30-32=62) in 68 games. Half of his 30 goals versus the Aeros were PPG.

Aeros at Wolves (Aeros are 38-25-14-4 all-time, Aeros are 15-17-6-2 at Chicago)
- Tonight is the 82nd all-time meeting between the Wolves and Aeros - 41st in Chicago.
- Aeros LW Patrick O'Sullivan has 14 points (8-6=14), including three PPG, in only seven games against Chicago this season. C Erik Westrum has posted 11 points (6-5=11) in six games, while RW Kirby Law has 10 points (1-9=10) in seven meetings.
- Houston is 5-13-3-2 in its last 22 trips to Allstate Arena, but it has won three of the last four meetings here, dating back to the 2005 West Division Semifinals.
- Chicago earned a five-game win over the Aeros in the 2005 West Division Semifinals en route to the Calder Cup Finals.
- Each of the last four meetings this season has been decided by one or two goals, including four one-goal games. The teams had a stretch of five straight one-goal games last season.
- In the last meeting, 3/24 in Chicago, Pat Dwyer broke a tie late in the second period and added a third-period tally in a 4-2 Wolves win. G Michael Garnett posted 32 saves for the Wolves.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros (49-23-3-3) won four of five on their just completed homestand to get within two points of first-place Milwaukee...RW Kirby Law has 107 points (41-66=107), 11 points up on Grand Rapids' Jiri Hudler and Aeros C Erik Westrum for the top spot in the AHL...Westrum was recalled to NHL Minnesota Wednesday but could join the Aeros in Des Moines tomorrow...LW Patrick O'Sullivan is first among rookies and seventh overall with 87 points (45-42=87)...LW Roman Voloshenko (33-24=57) is third in goals among rookies and 11th in points...D Curtis Murphy is second among AHL defensemen with a new career-best 64 points (12-52=64)...In the last two weeks, the Aeros have signed RW Danny Irmen, D A.J. Thelen and D Chris Ovington to amateur tryouts...Irmen notched his first career point, an assist, last night...G Josh Harding returned to the Aeros yesterday after a month-long stint with NHL Minnesota...Harding is 28-8-0 with a 2.67 gaa with the Aeros this season, and he still ranks fourth in the league in wins...Harding went 2-1-0 with a 2.59 gaa for the Wild, including a 27-save shutout of Chicago on Tuesday...Harding notched his 49th Aeros victory last night...G Seamus Kotyk is 15-14-2 with a 2.94 gaa.

Scouting the Wolves
Chicago (35-32-4-8), AHL affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers, is 1-2-1-0 in its last four after a nine-game winning streak, and will not qualify for the post-season for the first time in team history...LW Ramzi Abid paces Chicago and is 14th in the AHL with 74 points (33-41=74)...D Travis Roche leads the blueliners with 39 points (8-31=39)...Rookie G Tuomas Tarkki is 12-10-4 with a 3.17 gaa...G Scott Reid, signed to a PTO earlier this week, hasn't appeared in a game with the Wolves but is 3-2-1 with a 1.93 gaa in the AHL this season, including a victory over the Aeros with Peoria.

2005-06 meetings (8th of 8 meetings, Aeros are 5-2-0-0 overall, Aeros are 2-1-0-0 at Chicago)
October 25 Chicago 5 at Houston 1
January 22 Houston 4 at Chicago 0
January 28 Chicago 4 at Houston 5
March 7 Chicago 4 at Houston 5 (SO)
March 9 Chicago 3 at Houston 4
March 15 Houston 6 at Chicago 5
March 24 Houston 2 at Chicago 4
Tonight Houston at Chicago

Quick Hits
- The Aeros have been outscored 29-13 in the third period over their last 19 games, and have allowed two OT goals and have lost in a shootout in that span. They are just 7-9-2-1 in that stretch. Houston is minus-seven (92-85) in the final 20 minutes this season.
- The Aeros snapped a five-game losing streak in one-goal games by winning their last two. They had been 0-2-2-1 in their last five. Houston is still an eye-popping 23-7-3-3 in such contests, and an impressive 30-13-3-3 in games decided by two goals or less. Gearing up for what promises to be a very tight Calder Cup Playoffs, Houston has seen 23 of its last 20 games be decided by one or two goals, going 12-7-2-2. The Wolves are 11-10-4-8 in one-goal games.
- In their last 18 victories, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 33-13 in the first period. In the last 43 games overall, Houston has a 53-31 goal margin in the opening 20 minutes, and on the season the Aeros are an AHL-best plus-33 (88-55). The Aeros are 29-7-1-1 when leading after one period this season.
- The Aeros have won two of their last three games in come-from-behind fashion. Houston has trailed at some point in 21 of its 49 victories, with seven of the wins coming when trailing by two goals, including Friday against Omaha. The Aeros had 16 come-from-behind victories in 2004-05. They are an impressive 17-14-1-0 when allowing the game's first goal.
- Houston is 15-5-2-0 when allowing 29 or fewer shots this season, but also an impressive 10-2-1-0 when yielding 40 or more.
- The Aeros are 47-6-0-2 when scoring three goals or more, but they are 2-17-3-1 when scoring two or fewer. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 40-6-3-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 9-17-0-2 when yielding four or more.
- Aeros veteran D Curtis Murphy picked a great time Sunday for his first two-goal game in more than two years. Murphy put the Aeros ahead of San Antonio 4-3 with 5:41 left in regulation, and after the Rampage tied the game up with 10 seconds left, Murphy scored with 18 ticks left in the extra session for the game-winner. Murphy, second in the league in scoring among defenseman with a career-best 64 points (12-52=64) after a helper Tuesday, had been held without a goal in 17 straight games. Since early March, Murphy has raised helped raise $1900 for "Murphy's Mission", benefiting I Have a Dream. An anonymous local donor is giving $300 per Murphy goal and $100 per assist to the cause.
- Chicago has outscored Houston 9-4 in the third period of their seven meetings this season.

Power play update
- Houston is sixth in the league on the power play at 19.7 percent.
- Houston is 5-for-72 (6.9 percent) with the man advantage in the last 12 games, although the Aeros have scored a PPG in three straight games for the first time since a 15-game run 2/11-3/17.
- The Aeros are 25-7-0-1 when scoring at least two PPG.
- Chicago is 17th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 81.8 percent.
- The Wolves have killed off 27-of-31 shorthanded chances (87.1 percent) in their last four games.
- Houston is 12-for-54 (22.2 percent) with the man advantage against Chicago this season, and 7-for-24 (29.2 percent) at Allstate Arena, including five PPG in a 6-5 win 3/15.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is eighth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 83.6 percent.
- The Aeros have allowed 28 PPG on 116 chances in the last 16 games for just a 75.9 percent PK rate, and they allowed a season-high-tying five PPG 3/28 in Peoria.
- Houston is 24-6-1-3 when not allowing a power play goal and 38-12-3-2 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- Chicago is 19th in the AHL on the power play at 16.4 percent.
- The Wolves are 1-for-12 with the man advantage (8.2 percent) in their last four games.
- Chicago is 7-for-53 (13.2 percent) with the man advantage against Houston this season, but just 2-for-22 (9.1 percent) at home.

Aeros/Wolves connections
- Wolves D Travis Roche was an Aero from 2001-04, racking up 120 points (35-85=120) in 185 games.
- Wolves assistant coach Marty Howe won a pair of AVCO Cups with the WHA Houston Aeros in 1974-75.
- Aeros assistant coach Matt Shaw was an assistant coach under John Anderson in Chicago in 1998-99.
- Houston D Curtis Murphy attended the University of North Dakota for two years with Chicago D Nick Naumenko.
- Aeros C Erik Westrum and Wolves LW Ramzi Abid both played for Springfield in 2001-02 and 2002-03.
- Aeros RW Kirby Law played most of three seasons alongside Chicago D Francis Lessard at AHL Philadelphia from 1999-2002.
- Chicago RW Billy Tibbetts notched eight assists in eight regular season games and played one playoff game for Houston in 2003-04.



American Hockey League Stories from April 15, 2006


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