Former Aero helps Admirals down Houston 4-3

Published on February 13, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Milwaukee, WI – Rookie Brandon Segal snapped a tie with 10:13 left in regulation and former Aero Curtis Murphy scored later in the third for the eventual game-winner, and the red-hot Milwaukee Admirals held on for a 4-3 victory over Houston at Bradley Center. Andrew Hutchinson and Simon Gamache also scored and Brian Finley made 32 saves for Milwaukee, which has won five straight, is unbeaten in seven straight (6-0-1-0) and has just one loss in the last 12 (8-1-2-1). Dan Cavanaugh, Mark Cullen and Chris Heid each scored and Johan Holmqvist finished with 24 saves for the Aeros, who fell to 0-3-1-0 on their five-game road trip that wraps up Saturday at 7 p.m. (ct) at AHL points leader Grand Rapids. Houston's lead over fifth-place Cincinnati was cut to one point, as the Ducks, with five games in hand, beat Chicago 3-2 tonight.

Houston is now winless in six straight against Milwaukee (0-5-0-1). The Aeros lost veteran defenseman Jan Vodrazka late in the first period when he was ejected for being the third man into a scrum.

Milwaukee, which had outscored opponents 25-9 in the previous six games, appeared on the way to easy victory nearing the midway point of the second, up two goals.

However, Houston got back within 2-1 with 9:32 gone by, as Cavanaugh scored with a delayed penalty upcoming to the Admirals. Jason Marshall fired a shot from the point, and Finley made the original save, but Cavanaugh popped the puck past the netminder for his 10th goal of the season.

Cullen, playing in his 100th pro game, evened the score with 3:44 left in the second. Cullen started the play by picking off a Milwaukee pass at the blueline and feeding Stephane Veilleux. Veilleux gave it back to Cullen, who beat Finley for his seventh of the season. Veilleux's helper extended his point streak to a career-best six games (3+4=7), tying the team season-high.

Houston was the aggressor early in the third period, but Segal scored with 9:47 gone to put Milwaukee back on top. Mathieu Darche (two assists) took an Aeros miscue and fed Segal, who snuck one just inside the post.

Murphy then tallied his ninth to make it 4-2 with 6:28 left, and that would go down as the game-winner. Houston made things interesting, as Heid, a rookie, skated in alone across the blueline and ripped the puck past Finley at the 15:51 mark for his second of the season.

The Aeros pulled Holmqvist with just more than a minute left, but couldn't get the equalizer.

The Admirals now sport an AHL-high plus-19 goal margin (66-47) in the third period this season after outscoring Houston 2-1 over the final 20 minutes tonight.

Milwaukee went 1-for-2 on the power play, while Houston finished 0-for-1 on the man advantage.

Houston came out with good energy and had a 6-4 shot edge at one point in the first period, but was outshot 10-8 overall in the opening stanza.

Hutchinson's ninth put the Admirals on the board with 4:33 left. The blueliner rocketed one from the left circle that glanced off Holmqvist's arm and into the net. Hutchinson has four of his nine goals versus Houston.

There wasn't a single penalty in the first period prior to the goal, but with 4:01 left, there was a scrap that led to a Vodrazka's game misconduct. Milwaukee's Jay Henderson picked up a double minor for roughing, and the Aeros' Darby Hendrickson got a single minor for roughing. However, Vodrazka crashed the party and got the lone fighting major and the game misconduct. That left the Aeros with five defenseman, with tonight's scratches of Kevin Mitchell, Jason Beckett and Michael Schutte.

Milwaukee's three-minute power play became a 5-on-3 early in the second, as Hendrickson was called for interference 19 seconds into the second. Just 38 seconds later, Gamache ripped one by Holmqvist for his 11th of the season at 57 seconds. Gamache has 11 goals and eight assists in 17 career games versus the Aeros.

Notes:

The Aeros continued their first period struggles. They have led after 20 minutes just once in 11 games and have yielded the game's first goal 11 times in 17 games. Milwaukee has outscored Houston 8-3 in the opening period their seven meetings this season.

Houston fell to 0-12-3-0 when allowing the game's first goal on the road.

Cavanaugh has a point in three straight (1+2=3) for the first time since a career-high six-game streak December 1-13. The third-year player also established a new career-high with his 27th point, one better than last season.

Veilleux, who will play in his 200th pro game tomorrow, has points 12 (6+6=12) in the last 15 games. Veilleux's 21 assists are one shy of his career-high, and his 33 points are two off his career-best total in 2001-02.

Finley is unbeaten in his last six starts (5-0-1).

Houston has only one win in its last 13 road games (1-8-4-0).

The Aeros are 13-11-8-1 over the last 33 games.

The Aeros fell to 2-25-6-2 when yielding two or more goals.

Holmqvist passed the 10,000-minutes played mark in his AHL career.

Murphy is a Milwaukee-best plus-seven against his former team.

Marshall was an Aeros-best plus-three tonight.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 13, 2004


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