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Houston puts league's second-best home record on line

December 26, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know
- Houston is unbeaten in regulation in the last 11 home meetings with the Rampage (10-0-1-0), including seven straight victories. The Rampage last earned a regulation win in Houston on 1/16/04, a 6-3 decision.The Aeros' 11-game home unbeaten in regulation streak in the series ties their longest such run against an opponent. They were 8-0-3-0 against Orlando from 12/22/96-11/10/00. Houston's seven-game home winning streak in a series is one off the franchise-best against an opponent, having done the same versus IHL San Antonio 4/11/97-3/20/98. San Antonio has only two regulation wins in Houston in 20 chances in its three-plus years in the AHL.
- Aeros C Erik Westrum (13-30=43) and RW Kirby Law (18-24=42) rank first and second overall 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. Westrum, who established a new career-high Friday with his 43rd point in only his 32nd game, also carries a career-best eight-game point streak (3-8=11) into tonight's game. If Westrum gets a point in tonight's game, he'd tie the longest point streak in the Aeros' AHL history - Rastislav Pavlikovsky had points in nine straight 2/1-3/11/03. Law had 49 points (25-24=49) in 80 games last season for Houston. Law, who will play in his 499th AHL game tonight, has notched at least two points in seven of his last 10 games, and he has 17 points (8-9=17) in his last eight contests alone. Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko, who is currently playing for Team Russia in the World Junior Championships, has 30 points (19-11=30), tied for second among AHL rookies. Aeros rookie C Patrick O'Sullivan has 22 points (11-11=22) in his last 16 games to move into a tie for fourth place among AHL rookies with 29 points (14-15=29).
- The Aeros have continued their domination on home ice this season, especially the last five games, winning them all and scoring 28 goals since getting shut out by Milwaukee 11/27. Houston's five-game winning streak ties a season-high (11/6-11/25), and a victory tonight would tie the second-longest home winning run in team history. The Aeros last won six straight at home two seasons ago, 12/5-12/26/03. Houston, 13-2-1-1 at Toyota Center this season, is 19-2-1-3 in its last 25 regular-season home games, and 27-4-1-3 in the last 35. The Aeros' .824 home points percentage ranks second in the AHL this season (Manchester, .846) and first in the Western Conference. Beginning with their 12/16 game vs. Peoria, the Aeros won't travel out of the state of Texas - away from Toyota Center or SBC Center in San Antonio - for a span of 37 days, until they go to Chicago 1/22.
- If their power play was supposed to slow down when D Kurtis Foster and his 101 mph slapshot was summoned by NHL Minnesota 11/16, no one told the Aeros. Houston is up to fifth in the league on the power play at 20.9 percent. Houston has at least two PPG in each of its last three games, going 7-for-20 (35.0 percent) in that span. The Aeros are 16-for-49 (32.7 percent) with the man advantage in the last eight games, having scored at least one PPG in each of the games to establish a season-high. Houston's 49 PPG are more than halfway to the team record of 94, set in 1998-99.
- Since missing five games due to injury in late October and early November, Aeros second-year G Josh Harding is 12-3-0 with a 2.30 gaa to move to 17-6-0 with a 2.58 gaa on the season. Harding, who leads the AHL with 17 victories, has 38 wins with the Aeros, the most of any goalie since the team joined the AHL in 2001-02. Harding, a native of Regina, Sask., is an amazing 32-1-1 in his last 34 decisions when the Aeros score three goals or more in support of him. Harding's 17 victories through the Aeros' first 32 games puts him on pace for 43 wins this season. In 2004-05, current Buffalo Sabre Ryan Miller became the first AHL goalie to reach 40 wins since Gerry Cheevers set a league-record with 48 in 1964-65. Miller had 41 "W"'s last season.

Rampage at Aeros (Aeros are 27-6-5-2 overall, Aeros are 17-2-1-0 at Houston)
- Tonight is the 41st all-time meeting between the teams - 21st in Houston. The Aeros sport a .763 winning percentage in the series.
- The Aeros are 12-1-1-0 in the last 14 overall meetings, with the regulation loss coming by one goal.
- Since a three-game winless slide in the series 12/27/03-1/17/04, the Aeros have unleashed a 17-2-2-1 mark (.841 winning percentage).
- Houston went 5-0-1-0 at home versus San Antonio last season, including a 19-2 goal margin in the last four games.
- The Aeros have lost just once in regulation to the Rampage in each of the last two seasons. Houston was 9-1-2-0 in 2004-05 after a 7-1-2-2 mark in 2003-04.
- Each of San Antonio's last four victories in the series have come by one goal.
- In the last meeting, 11/13 at San Antonio, Rem Murray snapped a tie with 3:45 left in regulation to give the Aeros a 3-1 victory. Josh Harding made 35 saves for the win.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros (22-8-1-1), who will try to match a season-high tonight with a fifth straight win, lead the West Division and rank tied for second overall in the AHL with 46 points...Their West Division lead is six points over Milwaukee, which has two games in hand...A victory tonight would give the Aeros more wins (23) than any other season in franchise history through 33 games...C Erik Westrum has 43 points (13-30=43) to lead the AHL in points and assists...Westrum has a team-best 13 multiple-point games...RW Kirby Law is second in the league with 42 points (18-24=42)...Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko is tied for first in the AHL with 19 goals, and he ranks tied for second among league rookies in points (30)...Voloshenko is currently playing in the World Junior Championships...Rookie C Patrick O'Sullivan is tied for fourth among first-year players in points with 29 (14-15=29)...D Curtis Murphy is tied for third among AHL defensemen with 23 points (3-20=23)...G Josh Harding is 17-6-0 with a 2.58 gaa to rank first in the league in wins, fourth in save pct. (.923) and 13th in gaa...Harding is 22-6-1 in his last 29 regular-season games, and one of the losses was in OT...G Seamus Kotyk is 4-2-1 with a 3.23 gaa.

Scouting the Rampage
San Antonio (11-18-0-1), AHL affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes, has won five of seven to inch closer to moving out of the cellar of the West Division at 11-18-1-0...San Antonio beat Omaha 3-2 in a shootout at home on Wednesday and begins a five-game, six-night stretch tonight...C Layne Ulmer is the leading active scorer with 17 points (8-9=17)...D David Cornacchia (2-5=7) and D Matt Jones (0-7=7) pace the blueline in scoring...G David LeNeveu, who spent the first two months of the season in the NHL with Phoenix, is 2-1-0 with a 1.63 gaa in his return to the AHL...G Karl Goehring is 2-2-0 with a 2.70 gaa, while G Scott Stirling is 1-5-1 with a 2.85 gaa.

2005-06 meetings (5th of 12 meetings, Aeros are 3-1-0-0 overall, Aeros are 2-0-0-0 at Houston)
October 7 San Antonio 5 at Houston 6
October 8 Houston 2 at San Antonio 3
November 12 San Antonio 3 at Houston 4 (SO)
November 13 Houston 3 at San Antonio 1
Tonight San Antonio at Houston
Saturday Houston at San Antonio
January 5 Houston at San Antonio
January 15 San Antonio at Houston
March 5 Houston at San Antonio
March 18 Houston at San Antonio
March 19 San Antonio at Houston
April 9 San Antonio at Houston

Quick Hits
- Houston LW Josh Olson has 10 points (4-6=10) over his last 11 games. His four-game point streak (2-3=5) is a new career-high.
- Aeros D Curtis Murphy has an assist in seven of the last eight games. Murphy's 24 points (3-21=24) this season are tied for third in the AHL among blueliners.
- Houston RW Kirby Law has 18 goals to rank fourth in the AHL. Law scored his team-best fourth game-winner Friday, in overtime, and eight of his 18 goals have given the Aeros the lead.
- Houston RW Matt Foy has six points (2-4=6) in his last two games, and seven points (3-4=7) in a three-game point streak.
- The Aeros are 21-1-0-0 when scoring three goals or more, but 1-7-1-1 when scoring two or fewer. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 19-2-1-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 3-6-0-0 when yielding four or more.
- Houston is 11-1-0-0 when outshooting an opponent. The Aeros are 6-0-0-0 when allowing 30 shots or fewer.
- The Aeros are 10-2-1-1 in one-goal games, and an impressive 13-3-1-1 in games decided by two goals or less. Thirteen of the Aeros' first 21 games were decided by one goal. Since then, however, just one of the last 11 games has been of the one-goal variety.
- Houston has trailed at some point in 11 of its 22 victories. The Aeros had 16 come-from-behind victories in 2004-05. The Aeros have allowed the first goal in three of their last four victories. They are an impressive 9-4-0-0 when allowing the game's first goal.
- The Aeros have scored at least one goal in 11 straight periods, including five stanzas with two or more goals.
- The Aeros are on pace to score 158 goals at home, and the team record is 160, set in 1998-99. Overall, Houston is on pace to score 315 goals, which would break the 1998-99 team record of 307.
- San Antonio has scored three or fewer goals in regulation in 28 of the last 29 games after a 6-5 loss to the Aeros on Opening Night. The Rampage rank 27th and last in the league in scoring at 1.87 gpg.
- Nine of San Antonio's 11 wins have come via one goal. The Rampage is 9-5-0-1 in one-goal games, but 2-13-0-0 in games decided by two goals or more.

Power play update
- Houston is fifth in the league on the power play at 20.9 percent.
- The Aeros are 16-for-49 (32.7 percent) with the man advantage in the last eight games, having scored at least one PPG in each of the games. That's Houston's longest stretch of the season with a PPG.
- The Aeros are 14-1-0-0 when scoring at least two PPG, with the lone loss coming 11/18 in Manitoba.
- San Antonio is tied for 17th in the league on the penalty kill at 82.7 percent.
- The Rampage has killed off 25 straight shorthanded chances over the last five games.
- Houston is 8-for-35 (22.9 percent) on the power play against the Rampage this season, including 5-of-19 (26.3 percent) at home.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is 11th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 84.7 percent.
- The Aeros have killed off 60-of-64 shorthanded chances (93.8 percent) in their last 12 home games. Houston has allowed just 10 PPG on 106 chances at Toyota Center this season, good for a 90.6 percent kill rate. The Aeros were second in the AHL last season with a franchise-record 92.5 percent kill rate at home, allowing just 12 goals on 161 chances.
- Houston is 8-1-0-1 when not allowing a power play goal.
- The Aeros are 16-3-1-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- San Antonio is tied for 20th in the AHL on the power play at 13.6 percent.
- The Rampage is an improved 5-for-23 (21.7 percent) with the man advantage in the last five games.
- San Antonio is 6-for-28 (21.4 percent) with the man advantage versus the Aeros this season, but just 2-of-13 (15.4 percent) at Toyota Center.

Last Game (Friday)
Kirby Law scored on a power play with 20.9 seconds left in overtime after Matt Foy's second goal tied the game with 7:10 remaining in regulation, as the Houston Aeros rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 4-3 victory over the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights at Toyota Center. Erik Reitz also scored and Josh Harding made 38 stops, including a third-period penalty shot, for the Aeros.

Aeros/Rampage connections
- Rampage C Mike Bishai was on the 2002-03 Hamilton team that lost to the Aeros in the Calder Cup Finals.
- San Antonio D Matt Jones and G Karl Goehring and Houston D Curtis Murphy and C Bryan Lundbohm all attended the University of North Dakota. Goehring was Murphy's teammate for one season, and Lundbohm's for three.
- Aeros C Erik Westrum, a Phoenix draft pick, played with the Coyotes prospects last season in Utah.
- San Antonio D Ray Schultz was a member of Milwaukee's 2003-04 Calder Cup winning team alongside Houston D Curtis Murphy and C Bryan Lundbohm.

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