Holmqvist, streaking Aeros pick up fourth straight win
December 13, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release
Houston, TX â Jeff Hoggan scored 53 seconds into the Teddy Bear Toss game and Johan Holmqvist made 22 of his 34 saves in the third period for his seventh AHL shutout, as the Houston Aeros beat the San Antonio Rampage 4-0 at Toyota Center. Stephane Veilleux, Kyle Wanvig and Mark Cavosie each finished with a goal and an assist for Houston, which has won four straight for the first time since a five-game span from January 18-25 of last season. The Aeros play host to Norfolk Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. Travis Scott stopped 26 shots for San Antonio, which fell to 2-5-0 in its last seven.
Holmqvist stopped seven shots in the first period, five in the second and then a whopping 22 in the third for his second shutout as an Aero. His other blanking came in a 28-save, 6-0 win over Utah on March 29. Holmqvist, 4-0-0 with a 0.75 goals against average during the four-game winning streak, has a shutout sequence of 102 minutes, 13 seconds.
It took just 53 seconds for an eruption of teddy bears, as Hoggan finished off a nifty 2-on-1 with Travis Roche. Roche, on the left wing, slid a pass through a defender to Hoggan, who collected and beat a sprawled Scott for his fifth of the season. The goal marked just the third time all season that the Aeros have scored first at home.
Houston, with the help of an early power play and a nearly another minute it took for San Antonio to touch up for the penalty call, garnered the first nine shots of the game.
The Rampage shot first 7:40 into the game, and it was their best attempt of the opening period. Holmqvist made a save in front, and Mike Green pushed the rebound just wide.
San Antonio got its chance on the power play midway through the period, but couldn't muster a shot due to an aggressive Houston penalty kill.
Wanvig made it 2-0 by snapping an 11-game goal-less drought at 6:01 of the second. Scott appeared to have a Matt Foy shot covered up, but he bobbled the puck right to Wanvig at the right doorstep. Wanvig skated around the net and wrapped one around before Scott could recover for his seventh of the season.
The Aeros broke through on the power play with 15:25 gone in the middle period. Dan Cavanaugh rattled one in wide of Scott, and Eric Reitz kept the puck alive behind the net. It came to Veilleux in the right circle, and the Quebec native walked between the circles and wristed one through a Hoggan screen in front up and over Scott's shoulder. Cavanaugh extended his point streak to a career-best and team season-best six games (2g, 6a).
San Antonio's Eric Schneider nearly scored into an empty net with Holmqvist out of position with 1:49 left in the second. Just after a San Antonio power play expired, Holmqvist collided with teammate Chris Heid. But Schneider had a bad angle, and slid it through the crease from the lower right circle.
Holmqvist stopped Sean O'Connor on the goal mouth with five minutes gone by in the third to keep the shutout going.
The gloves came off with 13:09 left, as San Antonio toughman Grant McNeill took down Jan Vodrazka from behind. The pair dueled briefly, skating into the boards. Reitz and O'Connor fought as time expired
Holmqvist made the save of the night on a deflection in front with 4:54 left. Denis Shvidki sent a saucer pass through the crease, and Holmqvist grabbed it. He also stoned Olson with a great toe save.
Cavosie finished off the scoring with 2:02 left, tapping one past Scott on a right-to-left pass by Wanvig on a two-on-one.
Houston finished 1-for-5 on the power play, while San Antonio went 0-for-4 with the man advantage. The Rampage failed to even register a shot on the first three power plays. The Aeros have a man-advantage goal in their last four games since snapping an 0-for-37 streak.
Notes:
The Aeros have won three straight at home for the first time since January 10-19 of last season, when they played at Compaq Center.
Houston picked up its first win of the season in the second half of a back-to-back (1-4-0-1).
Hoggan has points in three straight games for the first time in his career. He's got a goal and two assists in that span. The Aeros are 6-1-0-2 when he records a point. Three of Hoggan's 11 career goals have come against San Antonio.
Roche has an assist in three straight games, a season-high. His three-game point streak is one shy of his season-best.
Hannula, in his first North American pro season, has points in four straight games, with two goals and two assists in that span.
Cavosie also assisted on Wanvig's goal, his first point in 10 games.
Scott has just one win in five career decisions against Houston (1-1-3).
Houston picked up its 396th win in franchise history, counting its IHL days.
Holmqvist is 16-8-6 in December. His 16 victories are tied with his March total for his most in any month.
The Aeros' Chris Bala played in his 150th pro game.
Houston head coach Todd McLellan is five victories shy of 100 with the team. McClellan is 95-62-19-10 in his three-year reign with the club.
Reitz has points in back-to-back games for the second time this season (November 22-23).
Houston is 9-0-0-0 when allowing one goal or fewer, and 0-13-2-2 when yielding two or more.
The Aeros moved to 22 points, one behind sixth-place Cincinnati and just two behind fifth-place Utah. Houston trails San Antonio, in fourth place, by only five points.
Houston is 9-3-1-1 versus the Rampage, who came into existence last season.
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American Hockey League Stories from December 13, 2003
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