Hendrickson tallies twice, Aeros skate to 4-4 tie with Rochester
January 4, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release
Houston, TX â Darby Hendrickson scored his first two goals as an Aero, but Rochester's Jason Pominville knotted the score early in the third period, as the Americans rallied from a two-goal deficit to skate away with a 4-4 tie at Toyota Center. The line of Jeff Hoggan (1g, 1a), Mika Hannula (1g, 1a) and Rickard Wallin (2a) combined for two goals in a span of 3:02 early in the second period for Houston, which failed to win when up two goals for the second straight night. Johan Holmqvist made 34 saves for the Aeros, who still have just two losses in their last 16 games (9-2-5) and have five ties in their last six contests. Houston (37 points) moved within three points of third-place Milwaukee and extended its home unbeaten streak to nine games (6-0-3). The Aeros are winless (0-1-5) in their last six, two short of the franchise record established earlier this season. Houston remained unbeaten in six meetings all-time (3-0-3) with Rochester. The Aeros play host to Hartford Thursday at 7 p.m.
Norm Milley, Domenic Pittis and Chris Thorburn also scored and former Aero David Cullen registered two assists for Rochester, which is 6-1-1 in its last eight. Tom Askey, another former Aero, made 32 stops for the Amerks.
Houston led 1-0 in a docile first period, before the teams combined for six goals in the second, which ended with the Aeros clinging to a 4-3 lead.
Milley knotted the score at 1-1 at 1:21 of the second, with his ninth of the season. The Aeros failed to clear the puck, which made its way to the right circle. Milley turned and fired a quick wrister that beat Holmqvist short side.
The Aeros wasted little time getting the lead back, as Hoggan notched his 10th of the season at 4:47 of the middle period. Wallin fired a shot and Hoggan, screening Askey in front, got his stick on the rebound and tapped it by the netminder.
Wallin, Hoggan and Hannula continued their domination of the ice at 7:49, as Hannula's sixth of the season put Houston up 3-1. Wallin took a pass from Hoggan and fed Hannula while drawing two defenders in the left circle. Hannula, meanwhile, skated unscathed to Askey, and roofed one over the netminder.
Rochester drew within one on Pittis' goal with 7:40 left in the second. Cullen fed Pittis at center ice, and the Amerks centerman skated around a defender and lifted one over Holmqvist's left shoulder for his sixth of the season.
The Aeros again built their lead to two on Hendrickson's second of the game, with 5:05 left in the second and two seconds left on a Houston power play. Chris Bala, in the right circle, slid a perfect pass through the slot to Hendrickson, who poked the puck into an open net. Dan Cavanaugh also assisted on the tally, snapping his eight-game streak without a point.
Hoggan just missed his second of the game with 3:30 left in the middle stanza, but Askey made a pad save on his rebound of a Jason Marshall rocket from the point.
The Amerks once again got within one with 3:17 left in the second. Paul Gastad's shot was knocked down in front, and Thorburn grabbed the rebound and put one high over Holmqvist from the right circle for his second of the season.
Houston outshot Rochester 21-10 in the second period, but the Amerks scored on three of their 10 shots.
The aggressive Americans controlled much of the third period, taking the first five shots and holding a 15-6 advantage in shots overall in the stanza. In the final 25 minutes, including overtime, Rochester outshot Houston 20-6.
Rochester evened the score 3:05 into the third, when Pominville took a pass from Brian Chapman and one-timed it by Holmqvist from the top of the right circle. The tally was Pominville's team-best 15th of the season.
The Americans went on just their second power play of the game with 8:57 left in the third, when Bala went for tripping. Jason Dawe had a good chance from the low slot midway through the advantage, but Holmqvist covered up.
Holmqvist continued to help hold the Amerks at bay. That was especially difficult in overtime, when Rochester fired five shots at the netminder but didn't score.
Houston finished 1-for-3 on the power play, while Rochester went 0-for-2.
Hendrickson put Houston on top just 3:36 into the game, on a goal Askey likely wishes he had back. Travis Roche slid an outlet pass to Henderickson, who wound up from outside the blueline and beat a surprised Askey five-hole. The tally was Hendrickson's first goal in eight games since clearing waivers and being assigned to the team by Minnesota. The Aeros scored first for the 12th time in 14 games.
Holmqvist wasn't tested early on, facing just one shot in the game's opening 10 minutes.
Houston had a grand opportunity to go up 2-0 with six minutes left in the opening period. Matt Foy's pass from center ice was a bit ahead of Cavanaugh, who was still able to collect and go in alone on Askey. The netminder stopped Cavanaugh's attempt from the right circle, then Foy had the rebound slip off his stick.
Holmqvist's best save of the first period came with 2:30 left, when he reached with his glove to snare a one-timer from the point off the stick of Doug Janik.
Notes:
Aeros defenseman/forward Jason Beckett assisted on Hendrickson's goal, his first point in 20 games, since a helper November 23 in San Antonio.
Roche has six assists in the last five games. He played in his 150th game with the Aeros.
Hannula had been held without a point in six straight games prior to tonight.
Wallin scored twice against Rochester November 26 and has two goals and two assists in two games this season against the Americans.
Foy returned from a three-game AHL suspension stemming from a fight with Chicago's Brendan Yarema last Sunday.
The Aeros have a power play goal in 13 of their last 16 games.
Houston entered the game averaging 2.0 goals in its last nine games, and put four on the board for the first time since a 5-3 win over Norfolk December 17.
Hoggan has 11 points (6g, 5a) in his last 14 games skating alongside Wallin and Hannula.
Houston's nine-game home unbeaten streak is its longest such streak since an 11-game run (9-0-2) from December 21-February 12 of last season.
The Aeros, outshot in just 12 games this season, have been outshot in three straight games for the first time since November 29-December 3.
Houston, 0-2-7 in overtime, are one of five AHL teams without an extra session win. The nine-game overtime winless streak is the longest for the team since a span of 12 games (0-4-8) from December 29, 2001, to March 29, 2002.
Holmqvist and Askey are each 0-1-2 against the other team.
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