Family Day matchup finishes homestand

Published on December 4, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know
- Through the season's first 25 games, the Aeros have three hat tricks - two by LW Roman Voloshenko and C Patrick O'Sullivan's first career hat trick Wednesday against Cleveland. The Aeros' record for most hat tricks as a team in one season is five - set in both 1994-95 and 1995-96. However, Houston's three hat tricks are the most for the team since 1999-2000, when it had four. The Aeros have had three hat tricks through 25 games only once previously, during the 1998-99 season. The fourth and final hat trick that campaign came in game No. 26. Each of Houston's last four hat tricks have been accomplished by rookies, as LW Bill Kinkel notched one 3/30/05.
- Since missing five games due to injury in late October and early November, Aeros second-year G Josh Harding is 7-2-0 with a 1.89 gaa to move to 12-5-0 on the season. Harding, who leads the AHL with 12 victories, has 33 wins overall with the Aeros. With one more victory, he'll move into a tie with Manny Fernandez and Troy Gamble for third place on the team's all-time list.
- Houston C Erik Westrum continues to lead the AHL in assists (22) and is second in scoring with 33 points (11-22=33). He's poised to outdo his 2004-05 season totals with just more than one quarter of the season gone. Westrum had 33 points (18-15=33) in 80 games last season for Utah. Westrum's career-high point total of 42 (13-29=42) came in his rookie season of 2001-02 with Springfield. Houston is 15-2-0-1 when Westrum finds the scoresheet in some way, but 1-5-1-0 when he doesn't record at least one point. RW Kirby Law is sixth in the AHL in scoring with 27 points (12-15=27). Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko, who plays on a line with Westrum and Law, has 22 points (13-9=22), fifth-most among AHL rookies. Houston is 7-0-0-0 when Voloshenko scores a goal, and a perfect 11-0-0-0 when he gets at least one point. At least one of the three has scored a goal in 19 of the Aeros' 25 games.
- The Aeros have allowed four third-period goals over their last two games for a total of 33 this season. The Aeros have seven regulation losses this season - and in six of those games, Houston allowed at least two goals in the third period. Meanwhile, Houston has kept its opponent off the scoreboard in the third period nine times in 25 games, and it's no surprise that the Aeros are 8-0-1-0 in such situations. Cleveland leads the AHL in third-period goals allowed (39).
- Because Houston has played only one game in the last seven days, its lead in the West Division is down to five points (34-29) on Peoria, which has four games in hand. That's the Aeros' slimmest division lead in nearly a month. The Aeros were up 22 points to 18 on the Rivermen before beating Omaha 11/11. Houston's largest division lead this season has been nine points.

Barons at Aeros (Aeros are 9-8-0-0 all-time, Aeros are 5-4-0-0 at Houston)
- Tonight is the 18th all-time meeting between the teams - 10th in Houston.
- The Barons won three of the four meetings in both the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons.
- The Aeros won five straight versus the Barons 1/10/02-1/10/03, but they are 3-7-0-0 since then.
- The winning team in this series has scored at least four goals in 12 of the 17 matchups.
- Only two of the teams' 17 meetings has been decided by one goal, including a 3-2 Houston shootout win in Cleveland 11/23/04. That also marked the first overtime or shootout game in the series.
- Cleveland G Dmitri Patzold went 3-0-1 with a 1.47 gaa and a .956 save pct. versus the Aeros last season.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros (16-7-1-1) lead the West Division with 34 points, and a victory tonight would move them ahead of their Calder Cup championship pace...Houston was 16-8-1 after 25 games and 16-8-2 after 26...The Aeros trail only the 1998-99 Turner Cup-winning team for the best start in team history ...C Erik Westrum has 33 points (11-22=33) and ranks second in the AHL in points and first in assists...Westrum has a team-best 11 multiple-point games...RW Kirby Law is sixth in the league with 27 points (12-15=27)...Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko is tied for 10th in the AHL with 13 goals, and he ranks tied for third among AHL rookies in goals and fifth in points (20)... C Patrick O'Sullivan is tied for seventh among first-year players in points with 19 (10-9=19)...D Curtis Murphy is tied for third among AHL defensemen with 18 points (3-15=18)...G Josh Harding is 12-5-0 with a 2.47 gaa to rank eighth in the league in gaa...Harding is 18-5-1 in his last 24 regular-season games, and one of the losses was in OT...Harding leads the AHL in wins with 12 and is third in save pct at .925...G Seamus Kotyk is 3-2-1 with a 3.36 gaa.

Scouting the Barons
Cleveland (9-13-1-1), AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, has just two wins in its last 10 games (2-6-1-1) after winning five of six to get to the .500 mark...But the Barons did earn a point in back-to-back games in San Antonio, losing 1-0 in a shootout and then winning 3-1...LW Patrick Rissmiller leads the Barons in scoring with 18 points (7-11=18)...D Ray DiLauro paces the blueline with 11 points (2-9=11)...The Barons have had five goalies play this season...G Jamie Holden has been the best by far, going 5-5-0 with a 3.26 gaa...G Dmitri Patzold is 3-6-0 with a 4.12 gaa.

2005-06 meetings (2nd of 4 meetings)
Wednesday Cleveland 2 at Houston 7
Tonight Cleveland at Houston
December 11 Houston at Cleveland
February 15 Houston at Cleveland

Toyota Center, sweet Toyota Center
- Houston finishes a four-game homestand tonight, but they return home 12/16 against Peoria after a three-game road trip. The Aeros are in a stretch where they play nine of 12 at home through 12/28, and 16 of 21 through 1/21.
- Houston is 9-2-1-1 this season at home, and in its last 21 regular-season games at Toyota Center dating back to the last season, it has lost only twice in regulation (15-2-1-3). Going back further, the Aeros are 22-5-1-3 in their last 31 regular-season home games since losing 5-3 to Milwaukee last 2/4.

Quick Hits
- The Aeros are 15-1-0-0 when scoring three goals or more, but 1-6-1-1 when scoring two or fewer. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 13-2-1-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 3-5-0-0 when yielding four or more.
- Houston is 9-1-0-0 when outshooting an opponent.
- The Aeros are 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 seven 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.
- 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.
- Aeros RW Kirby Law has 199 assists in 568 pro games.
- Aeros rookie C Patrick O'Sullivan has 12 points (7-5=12) in his last nine games to move into a tie for sixth place among AHL rookies.
- Cleveland is just 2-4-0-0 when leading after one period, and is at the .500 mark (6-6-1-0) when scoring first.
- Aeros D Curtis Murphy turned 30 yesterday, while D Colin Peters turns 24 today.
- Cleveland has scored 14 first-period goals. Only San Antonio (13) has scored fewer.

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 16-7-1-1 start. Houston has nine players 22 years of age or under, and the budding superstars have accounted for 37 of the team's 83 goals (44.6 percent). LW Roman Voloshenko has 13, C Patrick O'Sullivan has 10, C Petr Taticek has seven, LW Peter Olvecky 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 12.

Power play update
- Houston is 10th in the league on the power play at 17.9 percent. But the Aeros are just 3-for-30 (10.0 percent) over their last four games.
- The Aeros are 9-1-0-0 when scoring at least two PPG, with the lone loss coming 11/18 in Manitoba.
- RW Kirby Law leads Houston with 17 power-play points (7-10=17), while C Erik Westrum has 15 (6-9=15). Law has seven PPG, while Westrum and LW Roman Voloshenko each have six.
- Cleveland is 19th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 80.9 percent.
- The Barons have killed off 43-of-49 (87.8 percent) of their shorthanded chances in the last eight games, including 12-for-12 in the two-game series at San Antonio.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is tied for 13th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 83.9 percent.
- The Aeros have killed off 40-of-41 shorthanded chances (97.6 percent) in their last seven home games, with the lone goal coming on a five-minute power play Wednesday against Cleveland.
- Houston is 5-1-0-1 when not allowing a power play goal, all coming at home.
- The Aeros are 12-2-1-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- Cleveland is 22nd in the AHL on the power play at 13.2 percent.
- The Barons are 6-for-42 (14.3 percent) on the power play in their last eight games, although three of those goals came 11/25 vs. Hamilton.

Murphy climbing charts
- Aeros D Curtis Murphy, who turned 30 yesterday, has 18 points (3-15=18), and he continues his march up the Aeros' all-time leaderboard despite spending just more than two seasons in the team's sweater. Murphy's 119 points rank fourth among all defensemen, trailing 2003 Calder Cup champion teammate Travis Roche by one point. Murphy is tied for 13th among all players in points with another former teammate, Mark Cullen. Murphy's 81 assists rank seventh all-time, four behind Roche for sixth.

Last Game (Wednesday)
Twenty-year-old rookie Patrick O'Sullivan tallied a hat trick, Kirby Law added two goals and Erik Westrum and Josh Olson also scored, as the Houston Aeros rolled to a 7-2 victory over the Cleveland Barons at Toyota Center. Josh Harding made 20 saves for Houston. Josh Prudden scored both goals and Jamie Holden stopped 31 shots for Cleveland.

Aeros/Barons connections
- Aeros D Colin Peters played two collegiate seasons with Cleveland D Tim Conboy at St. Cloud State.
- Houston G Seamus Kotyk went 26-43-7 for Cleveland from 2001-2004.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 4, 2005


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