Game starts late but Wolves don't in 4-2 win over Aeros
Published on February 8, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release
Rosemont, IL â Shawn Heins and Derek MacKenzie each scored in the opening 4:37 of the game, leading the Chicago Wolves past the Houston Aeros 4-2 at Allstate Arena in the final game before the All-Star break. Tommi Santala and former Aero Greg Hawgood also scored and Michael Garnett, starting in place of the ill Frederic Cassivi, made 26 saves for Chicago, which snapped a two-game skid. The game started 30 minutes late due to a 2 p.m. DePaul-Marquette basketball game that ended at 4:15 p.m., less than three hours before the original start time of the hockey game. Mark Cullen recorded a goal and an assist, Jason Marshall also scored and Johan Holmqvist turned aside 26 shots for Houston, which has a pair losses to start its season-long, five-game road trip against the top three teams in the West Division. The Aeros are 1-7-3-0 in their last 11 road games and have tied a season-high with their third straight loss away from Toyota Center. Houston (48 points), which saw its lead over fourth-place Cincinnati drop to two points, is now winless in its last six trips to Allstate Arena (0-4-0-2).
It took Chicago just 1:13 to get the game's first goal. With the teams 4-on-4, Hawgood fed Heins at center ice, and Heins wristed a shot from just inside the blueline that glanced off Holmqvist's glove and into the back of the net for his sixth goal of the season. Garnett, in just his third AHL game, began the play with an outlet feed to Hawgood.
MacKenzie went top shelf over Holmqvist's shoulder at 4:37 to make it a 2-0 game on the Wolves' third shot of the game. The play began with a hit by Karl Stewart on Marshall. The pair mixed it up after the puck went in the net.
The extra curriculars continued before the period's midway point, as Chicago's Libor Ustrnul and Houston's Derek Boogaard collided in open ice and then dropped the gloves.
Garnett was outstanding at the midway point of the first, robbing both Zbynek Michalek and Cullen from close range. Marshall, however, took a rebound off the end boards seconds later while skating at forward and ripped one by the netminder from the low circle for his sixth of the season.
Garnett made his best save of the night on a Houston power play late in the first, taking away a sure goal off the stick of Jeff Hoggan.
The first period saw 26 total penalty minutes, including four sets of coincidental minors, but just one power play for each team. The Wolves held a 16-10 shot advantage after 20 minutes.
After Houston's Christoph Brandner was hauled down from behind in the offensive zone with no call, the Aeros' Stephane Veilleux was whistled for his second minor of the middle period at 5:54. Houston was able to kill off the Chicago power play.
The Aeros went back on the penalty kill less than a minute later, as Stewart gauded Houston's Kevin Mitchell into a retaliatory roughing penalty. The Aeros were able to kill off their third shorthanded chance in the opening half of the second period.
Past the midway point of the period, MacKenzie ran into Mitchell after a clean hit into the boards, and Stewart and Boogaard entered the fray as well. The play gave the Aeros their second power play of the game, as Hawgood got an extra roughing penalty. The Wolves were able to kill off 1:16 of the man advantage before Marshall went off for cross checking to even things up.
Houston was able to go back on the power play with 2:08 left in the second, when MacKenzie was called for roughing after Stewart whacked Dan Cavanaugh with a high stick. On the man advantage, Brandner's tip of a Travis Roche point attempt whistled just wide of the post.
The second period featured 20 penalty minutes on 10 minors â six to Houston. The Wolves had just one more shot (five) in the second period than they had power plays.
The Aeros were pressuring deep inside the Chicago zone early in the third when Jason Beckett was called for slashing after taking a hit. Towards the end of that power play, Santala somehow got one past Holmqvist from a bad angle at the 4:53 mark. The puck appeared to go off an Aeros player's stick and off the crossbar into the net.
Houston got a great opportunity with 14:07 left, when Zdenek Blatny picked up a five-minute elbowing major for hitting Roche. The Aeros couldn't capitalize and Marc Cavosie ended the advantage with 1:46 left when he was called for tripping.
However, Houston went back on the power play, this time 43 seconds of a 4-on-3, when Heins was whistled for slashing Darby Hendrickson's stick out of his hands. Veilleux had the best chance on the advantage, as he ripped one over the crossbar. The power play ended prematurely though when Houston's Cullen went to the box for high sticking Mike Weaver to the ground.
On the ensuing rare 3-on-3, Chicago broke in on Holmqvist 2-on-1, after a pass from Marshall hit referee Tom Kowal. MacKenzie fed Hawgood, whose one-timer eluded the netminder for his fourth of the season with 9:13 left.
Cullen got Houston within 4-2 on the power play, as Mitchell threaded a great pass to Cullen while trailing the play. Cullen swatted Mitchell's feed out of the air and past Garnett at the 12:38 mark for his sixth of the season.
A scrum in front of the Wolves net put Chicago on the power play with 2:07 left, sealing the victory. Veilleux and Santala each picked up double minors for roughing, with Marshall picking up an additional roughing penalty.
Houston went 1-for-7 on the power play, while Chicago finished 1-for-8. The teams combined for 81 penalty minutes, only 10 coming from fighting majors. There were 28 minor penalties in the game.
Notes:
Houston hasn't won at Allstate Arena since January 15, 2003.
The Aeros have lost three straight versus the Wolves for the first time since a four-game run from November 6, 1999, to March 19, 2000.
Chicago has scored three or more goals for the 15th time in 17 games.
Houston has played 11 straight regulation games after seeing eight of 10 go to overtime.
Holmqvist had won his last three starts, with a 1.33 goals against average during that span. He fell to 2-5-3 lifetime against Chicago.
The Aeros still have just two wins (2-23-6-2) when allowing two or more goals.
Houston allowed the first goal for the ninth time in 15 games.
Veilleux's three-game goal streak was snapped, but he assisted on Cullen's goal to extend his point streak to four games (3+2=5).
Chicago has outscored Houston 9-5 in the first period of their eight meetings this season.
Houston fell to 1-2-2-0 when playing the third game in three nights.
The Aeros are 7-15-4-1 on the road.
Houston has scored two goals or fewer in 33 of its 53 games.
Mitchell has eight points (1+7=8) in his last nine games.
American Hockey League Stories from February 8, 2004
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- Final AHL All-Star roster changes - AHL
- LaBarbera ties AHL record as Hartford blanks Falcons - Springfield Falcons
- Lamothe finally yields to Ducks - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Game starts late but Wolves don't in 4-2 win over Aeros - Houston Aeros
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