Houston returns to site of finest hour

Published on December 10, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know
- The Aeros and Bulldogs meet for the first time ever in the regular season, but Houston won the 2003 Calder Cup Finals in seven games over Hamilton. Houston went 2-2 at Copps Coliseum, winning Game 7 by a 3-0 score in front of 17,428 fans 6/12/03.
- Houston C Erik Westrum leads the AHL in assists and scoring with 37 points (12-25=37). Westrum had 33 points (18-15=33) in 80 games last season for Utah. His career-high in assists (29) and points (42) each came in his rookie season of 2001-02. His 18 goals last season were a career-best. Houston is 17-2-0-1 when Westrum finds the scoresheet in some way, but 1-5-1-0 when he doesn't record at least one point. RW Kirby Law used a four-point (1-3=4) night Friday to move into a third place tie in the AHL in scoring with 33 points (14-19=33). Law had 49 points (25-24=49) in 80 games last season for Houston. The Aeros' captain has posted eight points (4-4=8) in the last three games and has a goal in each of the contests. Law has 10 points (5-5=10) in his last five games. Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko, who plays on a line with Westrum and Law, has 25 points (16-9=25), tied for third-most among AHL rookies. Voloshenko's 16 goals rank him first among first-year players and tied for second overall in the league. Houston is 9-0-0-0 when Voloshenko scores a goal, and a perfect 13-0-0-0 when he gets at least one point. Voloshenko has 14 points (7-7=14) in his last 10 games. At least one of the three has scored a goal in 21 of the Aeros' 27 games. Aeros rookie C Patrick O'Sullivan has 16 points (8-8=16) in his last 11 games to move into sixth place among AHL rookies with 23 points (11-12=23). O'Sullivan has seven points (4-3=7) in the last three games.
- Since missing five games due to injury in late October and early November, Aeros second-year G Josh Harding is 9-2-0 with a 1.91 gaa to move to 14-5-0 with a 2.42 gaa on the season. Harding, who leads the AHL with 14 victories, moved into sole possession of third place on the team's all-time wins list last night with 35. Only Derek Gustafson (37) had more AHL wins with Houston than Harding, who won't catch franchise leader Frederic Chabot (126). Harding, a native of Regina, Sask., is an amazing 29-1-1 in his last 31 decisions when the Aeros score three goals or more in support of him. Harding ranks eighth in the AHL this season with a 2.42 gaa and third in save pct. (.926).
- As always during a prolonged winning run, it's not just the scorers and goaltenders getting it done. Consider for a moment the Aeros' unheralded checking line of LW Josh Olson, C Bryan Lundbohm and RW Joel Ward. In the first 14 games this season, the Aeros went 8-4-1-1 and allowed 3.57 goals per game. In the last 13 games, with the help of that trio being matched up against the opponent's top line, Houston has gone 10-3-0-0 and has allowed just 2.15 goals per game, nearly 1 1/2 goals fewer per game. Lundbohm is a team-best plus-eight and has points in three straight games. He has been minus just four times this season - none since 11/12 - and is plus-six in the last seven games. Ward is plus-five and has just three minus ratings - also none since 11/12. Olson, who didn't join that line until early November, has been minus just once since 11/12. Olson has posted six points (3-3=6) and is plus-five in the last nine games. Olson, Lundbohm and Ward have combined to score at least one goal in five of the last six games, with the other game a shutout of the Aeros.
- Tonight's most intriguing matchup may be the Aeros' white-hot power play unit against a Hamilton penalty kill ranked 27th and last in the AHL at 77.0 percent. Houston is seventh in the league on the power play at 19.5 percent, and the Aeros are 6-for-15 (40.0 percent) in the last two games, 7-for-19 (36.8 percent) in the last three and 9-for-35 (25.7 percent) in the last five. Houston has scored at least three PPG in three of its last eight games, and has scored two or more in six of the last 10.

Aeros at Bulldogs (First-ever regular-season meeting)
- Game 2 of the 2003 Calder Cup Finals was the longest game in AHL history when Michael Ryder ended it at 14:56 of the fourth overtime.
- Members of that Aeros' team still with the organization are D Curtis Murphy, D Erik Reitz, assistant coach Matt Shaw, special assistant to hockey Cam Stewart, athletic trainer Jerry Meins and equipment manager Rick Bronwell. No Bulldogs remain from 2003.
- Five Aeros hail from Ontario: G Seamus Kotyk, D Ryan Stokes, C Rem Murray, RW Joel Ward and D Dustin Wood. Seven Aeros played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League - Kotyk, Stokes, Ward, Wood, D Erik Reitz, LW Bill Kinkel and C Patrick O'Sullivan.
- While with OHL Ottawa in 2002-03, Hamilton C Corey Locke and Aeros RW Matt Foy were 1-2 in the OHL in scoring while playing on the same line. Locke led the team with 151 points (63-88=151), while Foy totaled 132 points (61-71=132). Foy saw his other former linemate, Scott Sheppard, last night in Rochester.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros (18-7-1-1) lead the West Division with 36 points, and a victory tonight would tie the 1998-99 Turner Cup-winning team (19-4-5) for the most victories in the first 28 games...C Erik Westrum has 37 points (12-25=37) to lead the AHL in points and assists...Westrum has a team-best 12 multiple-point games...RW Kirby Law is tied for third in the league with 33 points (14-19=33)...Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko is tied for second in the AHL with 16 goals, and he ranks first among AHL rookies in goals and tied for third in points (25)... Rookie C Patrick O'Sullivan is sixth among first-year players in points with 23 (11-12=23)...D Curtis Murphy is tied for third among AHL defensemen with 20 points (3-17=20), but he's just a point out of first...G Josh Harding is 14-5-0 with a 2.42 gaa to rank first in the league in wins, third in save pct. (.926) and eight in gaa...Harding is 20-5-1 in his last 26 regular-season games, and one of the losses was in OT...G Seamus Kotyk is 3-2-1 with a 3.36 gaa.

Scouting the Bulldogs
Hamilton (9-17-0-2), AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers, beat Syracuse 2-1 in a home shootout last night to snap a five-game winless streak (0-4-0-1) and win for just the second time in the last 13 games (2-10-0-1) since beating Grand Rapids 11/12 to move to the .500 mark at 7-7-0-1...All but three of the games in the 13-contest stretch was on the road...C Corey Locke leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 22 points (8-14=22)...D Andre Benoit is the leading scorer on the blueline with 15 points (5-10=15)...G Yann Danis is 3-3-1 with a 2.83 gaa, while G Jeff Deslauriers is 3-4-0 with a 2.68 gaa...Deslauriers made 21 saves for the win last night.

2005-06 meetings (1st of 2 meetings)
Tonight Houston at Hamilton
March 2 Hamilton at Houston

Quick Hits
- The Aeros are 17-1-0-0 when scoring three goals or more, but 1-6-1-1 when scoring two or fewer. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 15-2-1-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 3-5-0-0 when yielding four or more.
- Houston is 10-1-0-0 when outshooting an opponent.
- The Aeros are 9-2-1-1 in one-goal games, and an impressive 12-3-1-1 in games decided by two goals or less.
- Houston has trailed at some point in eight of its 18 victories. The Aeros had 16 come-from-behind victories in 2004-05, so they are halfway to that mark already.
- The Aeros play the middle game of a three-game road trip tonight, their only road contests in a stretch of nine games. Beginning 11/25, Houston started a stretch of 16 of 21 at Toyota Center through 1/21.
- Houston LW Bill Kinkel is tied for eighth in the AHL in PIM's with 99, a total that places him second among rookies.
- The Bulldogs have scored first just nine times in 28 games.
- Hamilton has led after one period only once in 14 home games.
- Last night, Houston moved to 11-2-0-0 when having less PIM's than its opponent, and 6-1-0-1 when allowing six or fewer power plays.
- Milwaukee did the rest of the AHL no favors when shutting out the Aeros 3-0 on 11/27. Houston has stormed back with three straight wins by a combined 17-6 margin. Houston has scored at least one goal in each of the nine periods since being blanked by Ads G Brian Finley. The Aeros responded well to their other shutout this season as well. After losing 4-0 at Peoria 10/30, Houston ripped off a 7-1-0-1 run, scoring four or more goals four times during the streak.

Power play update
- Houston is seventh in the league on the power play at 19.5 percent. The Aeros are 6-for-15 (40.0 percent) in the last two games, 7-for-19 (36.8 percent) in the last three and 9-for-35 (25.7 percent) in the last five. LW Roman Voloshenko has four of the nine PPG in the last five games.
- The Aeros are 11-1-0-0 when scoring at least two PPG, with the lone loss coming 11/18 in Manitoba.
- Houston has scored at least three PPG in three of its last eight games, and has scored two or more in six of the last 10.
- RW Kirby Law leads Houston with 21 power-play points (7-14=21), while C Erik Westrum has 19 (7-12=19). LW Roman Voloshenko has a team-best nine PPG, two ahead of each Law and Westrum. The trio has combined for six of the team's seven PPG in the last three games.
- Hamilton is 27th and last in the AHL on the penalty kill at 77.0 percent.
- The Bulldogs have killed off 25-of-32 shorthanded chances (78.1 percent) over their last five games.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is 11th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 84.9 percent.
- The Aeros have struggled on the penalty kill on the road, allowing 23 goals on 108 chances (78.7 kill rate). This is in stark contrast to their performance at Toyota Center, where they have killed off 48-of-49 shorthanded chances (98.0 percent) in their last nine home games. Houston yielded a PPG in each of its first 13 road games this season before going 5-for-5 on the PK last night.
- Houston is 7-1-0-1 when not allowing a power play goal.
- The Aeros are 14-2-1-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- Hamilton is 10th in the AHL on the power play at 18.7 percent.
- The Bulldogs are 4-for-30 on the power play (13.3 percent) in their last five games.

Murphy third all-time among Aeros D-men in scoring
Aeros D Curtis Murphy, who turned 30 last Saturday, has 20 points (3-17=20), and he continues his march up the Aeros' all-time leaderboard despite spending just more than two seasons in the team's sweater. Murphy picked up his 121st point last night, moving past 2003 Calder Cup champion teammate Travis Roche into sole possession of third place on the team's all-time list among defensemen. Murphy is 11th in points overall, just two points out of the Aeros' Top 10 (Scott Arniel, 123). Murphy has a three-game assist streak.

Last Game (Friday)
Kirby Law posted a goal and three assists, Roman Voloshenko scored two power-play goals and Josh Harding finished with 38 saves to move into third place on Houston's all-time victories list, as the Aeros defeated the Rochester Americans 5-2 at Blue Cross Arena at War Memorial. Patrick O'Sullivan and Bryan Lundbohm also scored for Houston.

Aeros/Bulldogs connections
- Hamilton D Andre Benoit played two seasons with Houston LW Bill Kinkel at OHL Kitchener.
- Bulldogs LW Raitis Ivanans was on Milwaukee's roster in 2003-04 when the Ads won the Calder Cup, along with Aeros D Curtis Murphy and C Bryan Lundbohm.
- Aeros G Josh Harding and Hamilton C Garth Murray each hail from Regina, Sask.
- Hamilton D Jeff Paul and Houston C Petr Taticek were teammates in 2003-04 in San Antonio.
- Houston captain and RW Kirby Law spent three seasons with Hamilton RW Peter Vandermeer at AHL Philadelphia from 2001-04.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 10, 2005


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