Hartford goes for another home shutout of Houston

Published on February 11, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know
- Aeros C Erik Westrum (24-51=75) and RW Kirby Law (29-40=69) rank first and second in the AHL in scoring. They are trying to become the first duo from the same team to finish 1-2 in the league's scoring race Paul Gardner (112 points) and Jody Gage (99) turned the trick for Rochester exactly 20 seasons ago - in 1985-86. No two teammates have reached the 100-point plateau since a trio of Carolina Monarchs did it in 1995-96. Westrum has already posted the second-highest point and assist total for an Aero since the the team joined the AHL in 2001-02. Jean-Guy Trudel notched 85 points, including 54 helpers, in 2002-03. Law is three goals behind his career-high, one assist off his best and four points off his career-high. Law also has 397 points (187-210=397) in 517 career American Hockey League games. Rookie C/LW Patrick O'Sullivan is first in rookie scoring with 54 points (28-26=54), and LW Roman Voloshenko (24-14=38) is second among first-year players in goals and 10th in overall rookie scoring. The line of Law, Westrum and Voloshenko has been held without at least a point in only eight games this season. Veteran D Curtis Murphy, meanwhile, is second among AHL defensemen scoring with 41 points (7-34=41). He's tied for sixth among all players with a plus-16 rating.
- The Aeros' first-period success, best in the AHL, has been well-documented. But their third period play has been equally important to the win column in 2005-06. Houston has held its opponent without a goal in 21 games this season, and it hasn't lost in regulation (19-0-1-1). The Aeros have won their last 17 games when not allowing a goal in the final 20 minutes. But Houston has only outscored its opponents by a slim 60-58 in the third period this season. The Aeros were outscored 2-1 over the final 20 minutes last night, and have been outscored 6-3 in the last three games, going 1-1-0-1.
- Houston C/LW Patrick O'Sullivan was named the Rbk Hockey/AHL Rookie of the Month for January, and he's picked up his success in February with four points (2-2=4) in three games. O'Sullivan, who scored a goal in the All-Star Game on his 21st birthday, has eight points (5-3=8) in his last six games. O'Sullivan, who leads all rookies in goals (28) and points (54), has been held without a point just four times since 12/11, including last night. Cory Larose set Aeros rookie records in goals (32) and points (64) in 2001-02.
- Aeros C Petr Taticek spent seven games last month in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, but that hasn't stopped him from being one of the most consistent performers on the team. Taticek has at least one assist in 13 of his last 14 games, with 17 total points (3-14=17) in that span. Taticek's lone game without a point in that span was 1/13 vs. Iowa. Taticek has three helpers in as many games since returning from Florida, where he went scoreless in three games, and he has an assist in four straight games overall. Taticek has eclipsed career-highs in goals (nine), assists (20) and points (29) while playing in 37 games this season. He was acquired on loan from the Panthers 10/15.
- When Iowa D Dan Jancevski was recalled to Dallas last Saturday to make his NHL debut, it ended his AHL consecutive games played streak at 257 games. It was the longest active run in the AHL, and that mark is now held by Aeros D Dustin Wood. Wood, acquired from Phoenix last summer along with C Erik Westrum for D Zbynek Michalek, hasn't missed a game since 11/23/03 with Springfield, a span of 193 contests. RW Kirby Law's AHL games played streak is at 152, while Erik Westrum has played in 131 straight.

Aeros at Wolf Pack (Aeros are 5-3-0-2 all-time, Aeros are 2-2-0-1 at Hartford)
- The teams meet for the 11th time tonight - the sixth meeting in Hartford.
- The Aeros have been blanked in each of their last two trips to Hartford since a 6-0 rout of the Wolf Pack 1/22/03. Houston hasn't scored at Hartford Civic Center in 146:57, dating back to Hnat Domenichelli's PPG at 18:03 of the second period in the 6-0 game.
- The teams split two games last season, with Hartford winning 1-0 in a home shootout 11/1 and the Aeros emerging with a 3-1 victory at Toyota Center 3/4 to snap a string of three straight shutouts against the Wolf Pack.
- Five of the previous eight meetings have resulted in one team being shut out.
- Houston is 1-1-0 in overtime games and 0-1 in a shootout against the Wolf Pack.
- This marks Houston's third of four games this season against the Eastern Conference. The Aeros have finished up their season series with Manchester, and the Wolf Pack pays a return visit to Toyota Center 3/4.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros (35-13-1-2) have the AHL's third-best winning percentage (.716), trailing only Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (.765 pct) and Grand Rapids (.731)...A win tonight would give Houston more wins (36) after 52 games than any other team in franchise history...The 1998-99 Turner Cup winning team was 35-8-9 after 52 games...The Aeros' West Division lead is down to four points over Milwaukee, which won 3-2 at home against Iowa last night and has a game in hand...Houston, 13-9-0-0 on the road, has dropped three of its last four away games...The Aeros play game two of a five-game road trip tonight and play 19 of their final 30 games away from Toyota Center...C Erik Westrum has 75 points (24-51=75), six up on RW Kirby Law (29-40=69) for the top spot in the AHL...C/LW Patrick O'Sullivan is first in rookie scoring with with 54 points (28-26=54)...LW Roman Voloshenko (24-14=38) is second in goals and 10th in points among rookies...D Curtis Murphy is second among AHL defensemen with 41 points (7-34=41)...G Josh Harding is 21-7-0 with a 2.63 gaa to rank tied for third in save pct. (.923) and 10th in gaa...G Seamus Kotyk is 10-6-2 with a 2.93 gaa, while G Miroslav Kopriva is 4-1-0 with a 2.64 gaa.

Scouting the Wolf Pack
Hartford (27-15-2-6), AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers, fell in a shootout at home to San Antonio 2-1 last night, extending its points streak to four games (3-0-0-1)...The Pack lost despite outshooting the Rampage 50-21...C Jarkko Immonen leads Hartford with 45 points (23-22=45), including a team record five-goal performance last week...Rookie LW Nigel Dawes has 40 points (22-18=40)...Rookie D Thomas Pock paces the blueline with 38 points (8-30=38), a total that places him tied for third among all AHL defensemen...Rookie G Al Montoya is 17-5-1 and ranks seventh in the AHL with a 2.47 gaa...G Robert Gherson is 7-6-2 with a 2.62 gaa.

2005-06 meetings (1st of 2 meetings)
Tonight Houston at Hartford
March 4 Hartford at Houston

Quick Hits
- Houston is third in the AHL in scoring at 3.71 gpg, trailing only Grand Rapids' 4.00 gpg and Portland's 3.90. Since getting shut out 3-0 by Milwaukee 11/27, the Aeros have scored 113 goals in 27 games for a 4.19 gpg average. Houston is trying to score 300 goals for just the second time in team history. The Aeros scored a franchise-record 307 goals in 1998-99, but that came in an 82-game season. This season Houston is on pace for 297 goals.
- The Aeros are 15-4-1-2 in one-goal games, and an impressive 21-7-1-2 in games decided by two goals or less. Houston has seen each of its last five games be decided by one or two goals, going 3-1-0-1 Only Manchester (16-4-2-4) and Wilkes-Barre Scranton (16-3-3-2) have more wins in one-goal games.
- In their last seven victories, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 16-4 in the first period. In the last 16 games overall, Houston has a 29-12 goal margin in the opening 20 minutes, and overall on the season the Aeros are an AHL-best plus-28 (64-36). The Aeros haven't trailed after one in any of their last 11 games, since Iowa jumped out to a 2-0 first intermission lead 1/13.
- Aeros D Curtis Murphy, an All-Star for the seventh time in as many North American seasons, is on the verge of becoming the Aeros' all-time goal leader among defensemen. Murphy is tied with Jeff Tory for the top spot among blueliners with 42 tallies. Murphy's 142 points trail only Greg Hawgood's total of 145 for the most in team history among defensemen. Murphy is second among all AHL defensemen in points this season (7-34=41).
- Houston D Scott Ferguson is quickly approaching the 1,000-PIM mark in his AHL career. Ferguson has 999 PIM's in 504 career AHL games after picking up a minor penalty last night.
- Houston has trailed at some point in 13 of its 35 victories, with four of the wins coming when trailing by two goals. The Aeros had 16 come-from-behind victories in 2004-05. They are an impressive 11-7-0-0 when allowing the game's first goal.
- The Aeros are 33-3-0-1 when scoring three goals or more, but they are 2-10-1-1 when scoring two or fewer. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 31-4-1-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 4-9-0-1 when yielding four or more.
- Houston is 13-1-0-0 when allowing 29 or fewer shots this season.
- Hartford (35) and Houston (32) are the two teams who have scored first the most in the AHL this season.

Power play update
- Houston is third in the league on the power play at 20.2 percent.
- The Aeros are 39-for-171 (22.8 percent) with the man advantage in the last 27 games.
- Houston is 0-for-12 with the man advantage in its last two games, the first time all season the Aeros have been held without a PPG in back-to-back games.
- The Aeros are 20-3-0-1 when scoring at least two PPG. Houston has scored two or more PPG in 14 of its last 26 games.
- Houston has been outscored on the power play just four times in its last 29 games, including last night.
- Hartford is fifth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 84.8 percent.
- The Wolf Pack has killed off 27-of-30 shorthanded chances (90.0 percent) in the last six games.
- Hartford has scored a league-high 17 SHG, including a league-high six by Alexandre Giroux.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is second in the AHL on the penalty kill at 85.9 percent.
- In the last 14 games, Houston is 73-of-79 (92.4 percent) on the PK.
- Houston is 17-3-0-2 when not allowing a power play goal and 28-6-1-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- Hartford ranks 13th in the AHL on the power play at 17.2 percent.
- The Wolf Pack is 6-for-34 (17.6 percent) with the man advantage in the last six games, including 0-for-8 last night against San Antonio.

Aeros/Wolf Pack connections
- Hartford G Robert Gherson was under contract with the Aeros in 2004-05, but didn't appear in a game. He did back up several times.
- Aeros D Erik Reitz spent one season playing alongside Hartford D Daniel Girardi in OHL Barrie in 2001-02.
- Houston C Erik Westrum and Hartford D Martin Grenier were teammates in Springfield from 2001-03. Westrum played in Utah in 2004-05 with Wolf Pack LW Martin Sonnenberg.
- Aeros G Seamus Kotyk and Hartford RW Chad Wiseman spent the first two seasons of their pro career together in Cleveland from 2001-03.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 11, 2006


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