Houston kicks off four-game road trip in Omaha tonight

Published on March 12, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Six things you need to know
- The Aeros enter tonight's game with 91 points - just one point off last season's total, and a magic number for clinching a playoff spot of seven points. That's a combination of points won by the Aeros, and points lost by Iowa. The Stars, who can reach 97 points by winning their remaining 17 games, are in Hamilton tomorrow, Manchester on Wednesday and Rochester on Friday. Houston holds a four-point lead (91-87) over second-place Milwaukee, which is off until it hosts AHL points-leader Grand Rapids on Tuesday. The Aeros do have two games in hand. Houston's magic number for clinching the division title is 27 points, a combination of their own points gained and points lost by the Admirals.
- Houston LW Patrick O'Sullivan continues his push towards a possible Rookie of the Year title. O'Sullivan, who last week became the first player ever to win back-to-back AHL Rookie of the Month Awards, is well on his way to another. O'Sullivan has five goals in the last two games, and seven in a four-game goal streak to tie a team season-high. He has at least one goal in six of his last seven games, with 10 goals in that span. O'Sullivan has scored 10 of the Aeros' 23 goals in the last seven contests. O'Sullivan leads all rookies in goals (41) and points (75), and he ranks tied for fifth overall in the league in points. His 41 goals place him third in the AHL. Many rookies go through peaks and valleys, but O'Sullivan has been the exception. The Winston-Salem, N.C., native hasn't gone back-to-back games without a point since 11/6 and 11/9. Since then, O'Sullivan has racked up 67 points (38-29=67) in just 47 games. O'Sullivan has points in 11 of his last 12 games, with 20 points (13-7=20) in that span. O'Sullivan has an eye-popping 22 goals in the last 22 games. His 41 goals are the second-most in a single season in team history, trailing only Jeff Christian's total of 45 in 1998-99. O'Sullivan is just the second rookie since 1991-92 to record 40 goals. Rochester's Thomas Vanek potted 42 in 2004-05. O'Sullivan netted his seventh GWG Thursday against Chicago, tying the Aeros' team record. Four others have posted that total, with Kyle Wanvig the last, in 2003-04.
- Aeros RW Kirby Law (34-56=90) leads C Erik Westrum (31-57=88) for the top spot in the AHL's points race. They and are trying to become the first duo from the same team to finish 1-2 in the league's scoring race since 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. Brian Wiseman holds the top two single-season point totals in Aeros' history, notching a team-record 109 points in 1998-99 and 98 in 1997-98. LW Patrick O'Sullivan is first in rookie scoring and tied for fifth overall with 74 points (41-33=74). O'Sullivan has team rookie records in goals, assists and points. LW Roman Voloshenko (29-18=47) is second among first-year players in goals and tied for 11th in points.
- Houston is a perfect 5-0-0-0 against the first-year Knights. Omaha has won its first five meetings ever with a team on just one other occasion. The Aeros opened up 5-0-0-0 against the San Antonio Rampage, which began play in 2002-03. Houston has never won the first six meetings with another team.
- Murphy's Mission, benefiting I Have a Dream ®, has started off in strong fashion. D Curtis Murphy has picked up six assists in five games for $600. An anonymous local donor is giving $300 per Murphy goal and $100 per assist to the charity. The "I Have a Dream"® Program helps children from low-income areas reach their education and career goals by providing a long-term program of mentoring, tutoring, and enrichment with an assured opportunity for higher education. A home hat trick at any point of the program will net the foundation a whopping $10,000. Murphy, who last month became the top defenseman goal and point scorer in team history, passed Greg Hawgood for the top spot on the team's all-time assist ledgers on Thursday. Murphy ranks second among AHL blueliners with 55 points (10-45=55) - two points off his career-high, set in his rookie campaign of 1998-99 with IHL Orlando. Murphy is averaging more than a point per game since New Year's. Murphy has 29 points (7-22=29) in 28 games in 2006.
- The Aeros enter tonight's game second in the league on the power play at 92-for-434 for 21.2 percent. Houston needs two more PPG to tie the franchise record of 94, set in the Turner Cup-winning season of 1998-99. Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko has 17 PPG - just three off Jeff Christian's franchise-record from 1998-99.

Aeros at Knights (Aeros are 5-0-0-0 overall, Aeros are 2-0-0-0 at Omaha)
- The Aeros and Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, meet for the sixth time ever after the Aeros swept the first five games.
- Houston plays Omaha three times in a 10-game stretch tonight through 3/31. The Aeros have five of their final 17 games versus the Knights.
- Both Omaha meetings ended in a shootout - Houston won 6-5 on 10/18, and 4-3 two nights later.
- Four of the five games have been decided by one goal - including two in a shootout and one in OT.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros (44-16-1-2) have the AHL's best points percentage (.722) and fifth-best road points percentage (.621)...Houston plays nine of its last 10 games in March on the road, beginning tonight...RW Kirby Law has 90 points (34-56=90), two up on C Erik Westrum (31-57=88) for the top spot in the AHL...C/LW Patrick O'Sullivan is first in rookie scoring and tied for fifth overall with 74 points (41-33=74)...LW Roman Voloshenko (29-18=47) is second in goals among rookies...D Curtis Murphy is second among AHL defensemen with 55 points (10-45=55), just two off his career-high...G Josh Harding and his 27-8-0 mark, 2.64 gaa and .923 save pct. were recalled by the Minnesota Wild Wednesday...G Seamus Kotyk is 12-7-2 with a 2.94 gaa, while G Miroslav Kopriva is 5-2-0 with a 2.87 gaa.

Scouting the Knights
Omaha (28-25-2-8), AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, is clinging to the fourth and final playoff spot out of the West Division with 66 points, three clear of Iowa after a 5-0 shutout of Cleveland last night...Omaha is 10-2-0-1 in its last 13 games...All-Star D Mark Giordano paces the Knights with 50 points (13-37=50)...Rookie LW David Moss has 44 points (19-25=44)...G Brent Krahn is 19-16-6 with a 2.56 gaa - ninth-best in the AHL, while rookie G Curtis McElhinney is 9-11-2 with a 2.43 gaa - fourth in the league.

2005-06 meetings (6th of 10 meetings, Aeros are 5-0-0-0 overall, Aeros are 2-0-0-0 at Omaha)
October 18 Houston 6 at Omaha 5 (SO)
October 20 Houston 4 at Omaha 3 (SO)
November 9 Omaha 1 at Houston 2
November 11 Omaha 1 at Houston 5
December 23 Omaha 3 at Houston 4 (OT)
Tonight Houston at Omaha
March 23 Houston at Omaha
March 31 Houston at Omaha
April 11 Omaha at Houston
April 14 Omaha at Houston

Quick Hits
- Aeros C Bryan Lundbohm will play in his 300th career AHL game tonight.
- Tonight could mark the Aeros' debut of D Shawn Belle. The 21-year-old rookie blueliner out of Edmonton, Alta., was acquired from Minnesota along with D Martin Skoula for D Willie Mitchell on Thursday. Belle posted three points (1-2=3) and 63 PIM's in 45 games with AHL Iowa this season. The move reunites Belle with Aeros D Clayton Stoner. They were not only teammates at WHL Tri City for three seasons, but they were defensive partners.
- Houston is tied for third in the AHL in scoring at 3.70 gpg. Since getting shut out 3-0 by Milwaukee 11/27, the Aeros have scored 157 goals in 39 games for a 4.03 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 296 goals.
- In their last 13 victories, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 27-11 in the first period. In the last 28 games overall, Houston has a 41-21 goal margin in the opening 20 minutes, and overall on the season the Aeros are an AHL-best plus-31 (76-45). Houston has trailed after one period just four times in its last 23 games. The Aeros are 26-1-1-1 when leading after one period this season.
- The Aeros are 42-4-0-1 when scoring three goals or more, but they are 2-12-1-1 when scoring two or fewer. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 38-4-1-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 6-12-0-1 when yielding four or more.
- Houston is 13-3-0-0 when allowing 29 or fewer shots this season, but also an impressive 10-1-1-0 when yielding 40 or more.
- The Aeros are 20-5-1-2 in one-goal games, and an impressive 27-9-1-2 in games decided by two goals or less. Houston has seen 13 of its last 16 games be decided by one or two goals, going 9-3-0-1. Houston's 20 one-goal wins are the most in the AHL. Omaha is among the league leaders in one-goal games with 30. The Knights are 11-9-2-8 in one-goal games, and 11-7-0-0 in two-goal games. Forty nine of Omaha's 63 games have been decided by one or two goals.
- Houston has been outscored 8-1 in the third period over its last four games.
- The Aeros pulled off yet another come-from-behind win Tuesday against Chicago. Houston has trailed at some point in 19 of its 44 victories, with six of the wins coming when trailing by two goals. The Aeros had 16 come-from-behind victories in 2004-05. They are an impressive 15-9-0-0 when allowing the game's first goal.
- Omaha's victory last night moved the Knights to 12-12-1-7 at home. They have a league-high, seven home shootout losses - two against Houston. Only San Antonio (11) and Springfield (11) have fewer home wins this season.

Power play update
- Houston is second in the league on the power play at 21.2 percent.
- The Aeros are 59-for-248 (23.8 percent) with the man advantage in the last 39 games.
- Houston is 20-for-77 (26.0 percent) on the power play in its last 12 games after going without a PPG in two straight games for the first time this season.
- The Aeros are 24-5-0-1 when scoring at least two PPG. Houston has scored two or more PPG in 20 of its last 38 games.
- Houston has been outscored on the power play just six times in its last 41 games.
- LW Roman Voloshenko's 17 PPG are just three of Jeff Christian's team record of 20, set in 1998-99.
- Omaha is fifth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 84.7 percent.
- The Knights have allowed six PPG on 38 chances in the last five games for an 84.2 percent PK rate. Omaha was a perfect 13-of-13 last night against Cleveland.
- Houston is 7-for-42 (16.7 percent) on the power play against Omaha this season, including 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) on the road.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is fourth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 85.4 percent.
- In the last 22 games, Houston is 133-of-151 (88.1 percent) on the PK.
- Houston is 22-4-0-2 when not allowing a power play goal and 34-9-1-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- Omaha ranks 15th in the AHL on the power play at 17.1 percent.
- The Knights are 4-for-34 (11.8 percent) with the man advantage in the last five games.
- Omaha is 4-for-34 (11.8 percent) on the power play against Houston this season, but just 0-for-15 in the last three games - all at Toyota Center. At home, the Knights are 4-for-19 (21.1 percent).

Aeros/Knights connections
- Knights D Steve Bancroft played for the Aeros for part of the 1999-2000 season. Bancroft, Omaha D Mark Giordano and Houston LW Joel Ward each hail from Toronto, Ont.
- Houston G Seamus Kotyk was a teammate off Knights D Steve Bancroft (2001-02) and LW Lynn Loyns in Cleveland (2001-04).
- Aeros D Shawn Belle and Knights LW Justin Taylor both hail from Edmonton, Alta.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 12, 2006


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