Houston Aeros game notes

November 4, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know

Like last night versus Iowa, tonight's matchup features one of the AHL's top third-period defensive teams against one of the worst. Manitoba has allowed only five third-period goals, second-best in the AHL. Providence has yielded only four, but it has played only five games. Manitoba holds a 9-5 goal advantage over the final 20 minutes, despite getting outshot 103-84 in that span. Houston, meanwhile, has allowed a league-high 22 third-period goals in only 13 games. That's five more than any other team, and at least twice as many as 19 other AHL franchises. Houston had been outscored 9-1 in the third over a four-game stretch prior to last night, when it rode a 3-2 advantage to a 5-3 victory. The Aeros have given up zero third-period goals three times over their first 13 games. One of the reasons Houston has had trouble defensively in the third period is the shot total. The Aeros have been outshot 168-112 in the third period. The saving grace for the Aeros has been the fact that they've scored 14 third-period goals - just one off Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's league-best total. Last season, Houston held a 68-57 goal advantage over the final 20 minutes.

The Aeros look to erase some bad Moose memories made last season. Manitoba won all four meetings in 2004-05 by a combined 16-4 margin and has won five straight by a total of 23-6. Houston's five-game losing streak against the Moose is two games shy of its longest regulation losing skid versus a team in franchise history. The Aeros lost seven in a row versus Denver/Utah from 3/19/95-1/24/97.

Manitoba sits atop the North Division at 7-3-0-0, but records haven't mattered this season to Houston. The Aeros are 6-1-1-0 against teams with a .500 record or better, including 3-0-0-0 against Grand Rapids, which is just one point behind the Moose. The Griffins are 6-0-0-0 versus the remainder of the AHL. But Houston is only 2-3-0-0 against teams with losing records. All three losses have come versus division foes - Chicago, San Antonio and Milwaukee.

The Aeros have been outshot 31-5 over the first period in their last two games, yet due to some amazing goaltending, they've only allowed one goal in that span. Houston led after one period in six of its first eight games, but the Aeros have led after one only once in their last five games. That came last Saturday in Grand Rapids, when they rode a 4-1 first-period advantage to a 6-5 shootout victory.

Hockey officials wanted more offense this season, and that's exactly what they've gotten. Houston won its third 6-5 game of the season Saturday in Grand Rapids, with two coming in a shootout. The Aeros have scored at least six goals in four of their first 12 games. All told in 2004-05, Houston had only four six-goal games, and it didn't get the fourth one until April 2. A season ago, Houston was winless when allowing five goals or more (0-7-1-0). Already in 2005-06, the Aeros have three such wins (3-2-0-0), all in 6-5 games.

Moose at Aeros (Aeros are 35-19-10-0 all-time, Aeros are 18-9-5-0 at Houston) Tonight is the 65th all-time meeting between the teams, 33rd in Houston. The Aeros are 9-10-1-0 against the Moose, including a 4-5-1-0 mark in Manitoba and a 5-5-0-0 home record, since moving to the AHL in 2001-02.

Since the Moose moved from Minnesota to Winnipeg, Houston is 27-17-8-0 against the team. Houston is 0-2-1 all time in overtime against the Manitoba/Minnesota franchise, and 9-7 in shootouts. The Aeros have defeated the Moose in the last six shootouts, with Manitoba last winning 5-4 on 12/1/99. The teams went to overtime/shootout 18 times in 44 IHL games, but just once in 20 AHL contests. Houston has dropped the last three meetings at Toyota Center after winning the first one, 2-1 on 11/2/03. The teams meet again Sunday at Toyota Center.

Scouting the Aeros

The Aeros are off to an 8-4-1-0 start, the third time in team history they've won at least eight of their first 13 games...Houston is on top of the West Division with 17 points, although second-place Peoria (16 points) has three games in hand...C Erik Westrum has 20 points (5-13=18) to tie for second in the AHL lead in scoring...Westrum has a team-best seven multiple-point games, including a goal and an assist last night...RW Kirby Law is tied for fifth in the league with 16 points (7-9=16)...Rookie linemate LW Roman Voloshenko is tied for third in the AHL with nine goals - all coming in three games...D Kurtis Foster has 13 points (4-9=13), while counterpart D Curtis Murphy has 10 (0-10=10)...The duo ranks second and tied for fourth, respectively, among AHL defensemen...G Josh Harding is 5-3-0 with a 3.16 gaa but hasn't played since 10/25 due to injury...G Miroslav Kopriva is 1-1-0 with a 4.33 gaa...G Seamus Kotyk is 2-1-0, with a 3.84 gaa,, including a victory last night.

Scouting the Moose

Manitoba, the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, rolls into tonight's game winners of three in a row - two via Wade Flaherty shutout - and seven of eight since opening the season 0-2-0-0...Manitoba has won four straight on the road, tied for the longest run in the AHL this season...The Moose, in first place in the North Division with 14 points, kicked off a seven-game road trip with a 2-0 win in San Antonio on Wednesday...Flaherty picked up the shutout, although he only had to make 15 saves...Flaherty is 5-2-0 with a 1.50 gaa to rank third in the AHL...He's second in save pct. at .947...Flaherty's shutout sequence is 120:05, after he was pulled versus Cleveland seven days ago after allowing three goals in the first period...G Robert Gherson was property of the Aeros in 2004-05, but never played in a regular-season game...He's with Manitoba because G Rob McVicar is in Vancouver...With C Josh Green also with the Canucks, the Moose's leading scorer is Alexandre Burrows (3-7=10).

2005-06 meetings (1st of 4 meetings)

Tonight Manitoba at Houston

Sunday Manitoba at Houston

November 17 Houston at Manitoba

November 18 Houston at Manitoba

Quick Hits

Houston is 5-1-1-0 in one-goal games, the most such victories in the AHL. In 2004-05, the Aeros were 16-9-6-6 in one-goal contests. The Aeros are a perfect 8-0-0-0 when scoring three goals or more, but winless at 0-4-1-0 when scoring two or fewer. Aeros C Erik Westrum enters tonight's game with 98 assists in his AHL career, and 99 assists total including one with the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes. Houston' D Curtis Murphy has 10 points - all assists. He has the most points without a goal by an AHL player this season. Manitoba is 5-0-0-0 when scoring first. The Moose rank second in the AHL in team defense, allowing only 1.70 gpg. Manitoba is last in the league in shots for (25.60), but Houston is last in shots against (36.92). Houston allowed its fourth SHG last night, tying the Aeros for last in the AHL with San Antonio. The Aeros sport a 3-1-0-0 record when playing their second game in two nights.

A shoutout for the shootout

Houston moved to 3-0 in shootouts Saturday in Grand Rapids, after going just 5-6 last season. Each of the Aeros' shootout wins has come on the road, after they went 4-3 in such situations in 2004-05. Houston's three shootout/overtime wins are the most in the AHL. C Patrick O'Sullivan is the lone Aero to score on each of his shootout attempts this season, as he is 3-for-3, with two deciding tallies. C Erik Westrum is 3-for-4, as he shot twice in one shootout.

A lot from a little

The Aeros have goals from 10 players this season, after rookie D Clayton Stoner scored his first career goal last night. The trio of Roman Voloshenko, Kirby Law and Erik Westrum has accounted for 22 of the Aeros' 45 goals.

Power play update

Houston ranks eighth in the league on the power play at 20.0 percent. The Aeros are just 5-for-44 (11.4 percent) with the man advantage in the last six games, dating back to a four PPG performance vs. Grand Rapids 10/21. The Aeros are 3-for-24 (12.5 percent) on the power play in their last three games at Toyota Center. Manitoba is a rock solid 90.4 percent on the penalty kill, good for second in the AHL and just .01 behind league-leading Hartford.

Penalty kill update

Houston is tied for 17th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 81.2 percent. The Aeros have yielded at least one man advantage goal in each of their 13 games this season. Houston has allowed two or more PPG in three of its last four games. Opponents are 8-for-31 (25.8 percent) with the man advantage (29.2 percent) in the last four contests. Houston has gone shorthanded 117 times in 13 games., 20 more than any other AHL team. The Aeros have an AHL-high 127 minor penalties. The Aeros are minus-17 in the PP for/PP against differential. Manitoba is tied for 15th in the AHL on the power play at 15.1 percent.

Murphy climbing charts

Aeros D Curtis Murphy is in sole possession of eighth place on the team's all-time list with 76 assists. Mark Cullen, Murphy's teammate on the 2002-03 Calder Cup winning team, is seventh with 77. Murphy has moved into sole possession of 16th place on the Aeros' all-time points list with 111. He's two behind Kyle Wanvig for 15th.

Last Game (Thursday)

Erik Westrum snapped a tie with 5:55 left in regulation, and he and Kurtis Foster each finished with a goal and an assist, as the Houston Aeros defeated the Iowa Stars 5-3 at Toyota Center in the first-ever meeting between the teams. Clayton Stoner notched his first career goal, Kirby Law and Bryan Lundbohm also scored and Seamus Kotyk stopped 29 shots for the Aeros.

Aeros/Moose connections

Manitoba's Josef Balej was on the 2002-03 Hamilton team that lost to the Aeros in the Calder Cup Finals. The Moose's Sven Butenschon was an Aero in 1998-99. He totaled five points (1-4=5) and 81 PIM's in 57 games but was in Pittsburgh for the Aeros' Turner Cup run. Manitoba's Maxime Fortunus was an Aero for parts of the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. He notched one assist and 12 PIM's in 23 games. The Moose's Robert Gherson was property of the Aeros in 2004-05, but he didn't see action in a regular-season game. He did back up on several occasions.



American Hockey League Stories from November 4, 2005


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