Family Day rematch with Milwaukee

Published on November 27, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know
- Houston continues a four-game homestand tonight, and the Aeros are in a stretch where they play nine of 12 at home through 12/28. The Aeros have won five straight at Toyota Center, and a victory tonight would match the second-longest streak in team history at six. That was last accomplished 12/5-12/26/03. The only time in franchise history Houston won more than six consecutive home games was an eight-game run 11/6-12/11/98 in the Turner Cup championship season. Houston is 8-1-1-1 this season at home, and in its last 19 regular-season games at Toyota Center dating back to the last season, it has lost only once in regulation (14-1-1-3). The lone loss in that span was a 5-1 decision to Chicago 10/25. Going back further, the Aeros are 21-4-1-3 in their last 29 regular-season home games since losing 5-3 to Milwaukee last 2/4. Houston's .818 home points percentage trails only Wilkes-Barre Scranton (.889) and Milwaukee (.857) for the AHL lead.
- 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.
- Finley isn't the only goalie in tonight's matchup who has been successful against the opponent. By blanking the Ads on 33 saves Friday, Aeros second-year G Josh Harding improved to 2-1-0 with miniscule 0.66 gaa and a .980 save pct. against Milwaukee. Harding has not allowed a goal against the Admirals at home, blanking them in each of their last two trips to Toyota Center. Harding, who leads the AHL with 11 victories, is a perfect 4-0-0 with a 1.00 gaa in his last four home starts. Harding has 32 wins with the Aeros, and with two more victories, he'll move into a tie with Manny Fernandez and Troy Gamble for third place on the team's all-time list.
- Friday, the Aeros beat Milwaukee for just the fourth time in the last 20 matchups (4-14-2-0). A victory tonight would give Houston its first set of back-to-back victories over the Admirals since 3/15/03 and 10/17/03. But the last time the Aeros won two straight versus Milwaukee in one season was 2/11-3/1/03. Houston has won two straight home meetings - both via Josh Harding shutout - and the Admirals haven't scored a goal in three of their last five trips to Toyota Center.
- Houston C Erik Westrum leads the AHL in assists (22) and scoring with 32 points (10-22=32), and 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. RW Kirby Law is tied for sixth in the AHL in scoring with 25 points (10-15=25). Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko, who plays on a line with Westrum and Law, has 20 points (13-7=20), fourth most among AHL rookies. Houston is 7-0-0-0 when Voloshenko scores a goal, and a perfect 10-0-0-0 when he gets at least one point. Voloshenko carries a six-game point streak into tonight's game, with nine points (4-5=9) in that span. At least one of the three has scored a goal in 18 of the Aeros' 23 games.

Admirals at Aeros (Aeros are 30-34-7-1 all-time, Aeros are 17-15-4-1 at Houston)
- The teams meet for the 73rd time tonight - Houston's 38th 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 4-14-2-0 in the last 20 meetings since a 5-1 win 10/17/03.
- Since beating Milwaukee 7-0 at Toyota Center 1/11/05, the Aeros are 2-5-1-0 against the Admirals, getting outscored 24-11.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros are 8-2-0-1 in November, tied for their most wins ever in the month, and they sit atop the West Division with 32 points - nine ahead of second-place Omaha and Peoria....C Erik Westrum has 32 points (10-22=32) to pace the AHL in points and assists...Westrum has a team-best 11 multiple-point games...RW Kirby Law is tied for sixth in the league with 25 points (10-15=25)...Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko is tied for sixth in the AHL with 13 goals, and he ranks third among AHL rookies in goals and fifth in points (20)... C Patrick O'Sullivan is tied for sixth among first-year players in points with 16 (7-9=16)...D Curtis Murphy is second among AHL defensemen with 17 points (3-14=17)...G Josh Harding is 11-4-0 with a 2.47 gaa to rank 10th in the league in gaa...Harding is 17-4-1 in his last 22 regular-season games, and one of the four losses was in OT...Harding leads the AHL in wins with 11...G Seamus Kotyk is 3-2-1 with a 3.36 gaa.

Scouting the Admirals
Milwaukee, the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators, rolled over San Antonio 4-0 last night to improve to 10-2-0-0 since an 0-3-1-0 start...The run began with seven straight wins...Milwaukee is ending 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 7-5-1 with a 1.90 gaa to rank second in the AHL...Aero-killer G Brian Finley has been limited to just five games due to injury, but he's 3-0-0 with a 1.97 gaa, including a shutout last night in San Antonio...He's allowed just one goal total in his three wins...RW Darren Haydar (5-10=15) leads Milwaukee in scoring, while D Kevin Klein (1-11=12) paces the blueline.

2005-06 meetings (3rd of 8 meetings, Aeros are 1-1-0-0 overall, Aeros are 1-0-0-0 at Houston)
October 28 Houston 1 at Milwaukee 6
Friday Milwaukee 0 at Houston 3
Tonight 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. 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 nine times in 23 games, and it's no surprise that the Aeros are 8-0-1-0 in such situations.
- The Aeros are 14-1-0-0 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 12-1-1-1 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 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 six 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 13 of its 15 opponents.
- 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 tonight at Toyota Center.
- Aeros C Bryan Lundbohm enters tonight's game with 99 AHL points (36-63=99) in 259 career games. RW Kirby Law, meanwhile, has 199 assists in 566 pro games.
- Aeros rookie C Patrick O'Sullivan has nine points (4-5=9) in his last seven games to move into a tie for sixth place among AHL rookies.

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 15-6-1-1 start. Houston has nine players 22 years of age or under, and the budding superstars have accounted for 34 of the team's 76 goals (44.7 percent). LW Roman Voloshenko has 13, C Petr Taticek has seven, C Patrick O'Sullivan 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 10.

Power play update
- Houston is ninth in the league on the power play at 18.4 percent. The Aeros are 10-for-49 (20.4 percent) in their last six games.
- The Aeros are 9-1-0-0 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 88.0 percent and has been shorthanded only 108 times.
- The Admirals have killed off 32-of-36 shorthanded chances (88.9 percent) in the last seven games.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is 14th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 83.7 percent.
- The Aeros are a perfect 33-of-33 on the PK in their last six home games.
- Houston is 5-0-0-1 when not allowing a power play goal, all coming in the last six home games.
- The Aeros are 12-1-1-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- Milwaukee is sixth in the league on the power play at 22.0 percent.
- The Admirals have clicked on 18-of-63 of their power play chances (28.6 percent) in November.

Murphy climbing charts
Aeros D Curtis Murphy is not only second among 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 (Friday)
Nineteen-year-old rookie Roman Voloshenko tallied a goal and an assist, linemates Kirby Law and Erik Westrum each set up two goals and Josh Harding made 33 saves for his fifth career shutout, as the Houston Aeros defeated the red-hot Milwaukee Admirals 3-0 at Toyota Center. Former Admiral Bryan Lundbohm and 20-year-old rookie Patrick O'Sullivan also scored for Houston. Pekka Rinne stopped 24 shots for Milwaukee.

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.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 27, 2005


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