It's Ladies Night

Published on November 30, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know
- Houston continues a four-game homestand tonight, and the Aeros are in a stretch where they play nine of 12 at home through 12/28, and 16 of 21 through 1/21. The Aeros' 3-0 loss to Milwaukee on Sunday snapped their five-game home winning streak and seven-game unbeaten in regulation streak at Toyota Center. Houston is 8-2-1-1 this season at home, and in its last 20 regular-season games at Toyota Center dating back to the last season, it has lost only twice in regulation (14-2-1-3). Going back further, the Aeros are 21-5-1-3 in their last 30 regular-season home games since losing 5-3 to Milwaukee last 2/4. Houston's .750 home points percentage is seventh-best in the AHL.
- Since missing five games due to injury in late October and early November, Aeros second-year G Josh Harding is 6-2-0 with a 1.88 gaa to move to 11-5-0 on the season. Harding, who leads the AHL with 11 victories, has 32 wins overall with the Aeros. With two more victories, he'll move into a tie with Manny Fernandez and Troy Gamble for third place on the team's all-time list. Monday marked the one-year anniversary of a concussion that forced Harding to miss two months of his rookie campaign.
- Houston C Erik Westrum continues to lead the AHL in assists (22) and scoring with 32 points (10-22=32), and he's poised to outdo his 2004-05 season totals with just more than one quarter of the season gone. Westrum had 33 points (18-15=33) in 80 games last season for Utah. Westrum's career-high point total of 42 (13-29=42) came in his rookie season of 2001-02 with Springfield. Houston is 14-2-0-1 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 is tied for sixth in the AHL in scoring with 25 points (10-15=25). Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko, who plays on a line with Westrum and Law, has 20 points (13-7=20), tied for fourth most among AHL rookies. Houston is 7-0-0-0 when Voloshenko scores a goal, and a perfect 10-0-0-0 when he gets at least one point. At least one of the three has scored a goal in 18 of the Aeros' 24 games.
- If it seems like the Aeros haven't allowed a power play goal at Toyota Center in a month, you're close. Houston has killed off all 36 of its home shorthanded chances in seven games since Iowa went 1-for-7 on 11/3. The run is at 37 straight since the Stars' Dan Jancevski scored 11/3. On the road during that time span, the Aeros are killing just 75.0 percent (21-of-28). Houston's home efficiency has helped the Aeros move into 14th place in the AHL on the penalty kill at 84.0 percent. The Aeros are 12-2-1-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer this season.
- The Aeros allowed a pair of third-period goals in Sunday's 3-0 loss to Milwaukee, and that usually spells defeat for them. The Aeros have seven regulation losses this season - and in six of those games, Houston allowed at least two goals in the third period. Meanwhile, Houston has kept its opponent off the scoreboard in the third period nine times in 24 games, and it's no surprise that the Aeros are 8-0-1-0 in such situations. Houston has allowed 33 third-period goals this season - second highest in the AHL to tonight's opponent, Cleveland (35). The Aeros have yielded 16 third-period goals in their nine non-wins (1.78 per third period played), but just 17 in their 15 victories (1.13 per third period played).

Barons at Aeros (Aeros are 8-8-0-0 all-time, Aeros are 4-4-0-0 at Houston)
- Tonight is the 17th all-time meeting between the teams - ninth in Houston.
- The Barons have won three of the four meetings in each of the last two seasons.
- The Aeros won five straight versus the Barons 1/10/02-1/10/03, but they are 2-7-0-0 since then.
- The winning team in this series has scored at least four goals in 11 of the 16 matchups.
- Only two of the teams' 16 meetings has been decided by one goal, including a 3-2 Houston shootout win in Cleveland in the last meeting, 11/23/04. That also marked the first overtime or shootout game in the series.
- Cleveland G Dmitri Patzold went 3-0-1 with a 1.47 gaa and a .956 save pct. versus the Aeros last season.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros are 8-3-0-1 in November, tied for their most wins ever in the month, and they sit atop the West Division with 32 points - eight ahead of second-place Omaha...C Erik Westrum has 32 points (10-22=32) to pace the AHL in points and assists...Westrum has a team-best 11 multiple-point games...RW Kirby Law is tied for sixth in the league with 25 points (10-15=25)...Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko is tied for sixth in the AHL with 13 goals, and he ranks third among AHL rookies in goals and tied for fourth in points (20)... C Patrick O'Sullivan is tied for seventh among first-year players in points with 16 (7-9=16)...D Curtis Murphy is tied for third among AHL defensemen with 17 points (3-14=17)...G Josh Harding is 11-5-0 with a 2.50 gaa to rank 10th in the league in gaa...Harding is 17-5-1 in his last 23 regular-season games, and one of the losses was in OT...Harding leads the AHL in wins with 11...G Seamus Kotyk is 3-2-1 with a 3.36 gaa.

Scouting the Barons
Cleveland (8-12-1-0), AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, has just one win in its last seven games (1-5-1-0) after winning five of six to get to the .500 mark...Manitoba swept the Barons in Cleveland by the count of 3-0 and 3-1 Saturday and Sunday...LW Patrick Rissmiller leads the Barons in scoring with 17 points (7-10=17)...D Ray DiLauro paces the blueline with 10 points (2-8=10)...The Barons have had four goalies play this season...G Jamie Holden has been the best by far, going 5-4-0 with a 2.85 gaa...G Dmitri Patzold is 2-6-0 with a 4.51 gaa.

2005-06 meetings (1st of 4 meetings)
Tonight Cleveland at Houston
Sunday Cleveland at Houston
December 11 Houston at Cleveland
February 15 Houston at Cleveland

Quick Hits
- The Aeros are 14-1-0-0 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 12-2-1-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 3-5-0-0 when yielding four or more.
- Sunday marked Houston's first loss of the season when outshooting an opponent (8-1-0-0).
- 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 14 victories, including four of its last six wins. The Aeros had 16 come-from-behind victories in 2004-05, so they are halfway to that mark already. Impressively, five of the eight come-from-behind wins this season have been on the road.
- Houston played a league-high 22 games in 44 days since opening the season 10/7. But over the next 46 days, through 1/5, the Aeros play just 13 times.
- Aeros C Bryan Lundbohm enters tonight's game with 99 AHL points (36-63=99) in 260 career games. RW Kirby Law, meanwhile, has 199 assists in 567 pro games.
- Aeros rookie C Patrick O'Sullivan has nine points (4-5=9) in his last eight games to move into a tie for seventh place among AHL rookies.
- Cleveland is just 1-4-0-0 when leading after one period, and is under the .500 mark (5-6-1-0) when scoring first. The Barons, San Antonio and Syracuse are the only AHL teams with a losing record when scoring first.

Westrum has a knack for the dramatic
- Aeros C Erik Westrum has scored 10 goals this season. Seven have given the Aeros the lead, and another two have tied the game.
- In addition to his two GWG, Westrum also has a deciding shootout tally. Westrum is 3-for-6 in shootouts this season.

And the youth shall lead them
- Much has been said and written about the Aeros' veterans this season, but the youngsters have been just as important to the 15-7-1-1 start. Houston has nine players 22 years of age or under, and the budding superstars have accounted for 34 of the team's 76 goals (44.7 percent). LW Roman Voloshenko has 13, C Petr Taticek has seven, C Patrick O'Sullivan has seven, LW Peter Olvecky has six, and D Clayton Stoner has two. Youth is also served in the goaltending department, as 21-year-old G Josh Harding leads the AHL in wins with 11.

Power play update
- Houston is tied for 10th in the league on the power play at 17.7 percent. But the Aeros are just 2-for-26 (7.7 percent) over their last three games.
- The Aeros are 9-1-0-0 when scoring at least two PPG, with the lone loss coming 11/18 in Manitoba.
- RW Kirby Law leads Houston with 16 power-play points (6-10=16), while C Erik Westrum has 15 (6-9=15). Law, Westrum and LW Roman Voloshenko share the team lead with six PPG.
- Cleveland is tied for 22nd in the AHL on the penalty kill at 79.4 percent.
- The Barons have killed off 28-of-33 (84.8 percent) of their shorthanded chances in the last five games.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is 14th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 84.0 percent.
- The Aeros are a perfect 36-of-36 on the PK in their last seven home games, and the streak is at 37 dating back to Dan Jancevski's PPG 11/3 vs. IOW.
- Houston is 5-1-0-1 when not allowing a power play goal, all coming in the last seven home games.
- The Aeros are 12-2-1-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- Cleveland is 22nd in the AHL on the power play at 13.3 percent.
- The Barons are an improved 4-for-26 (15.4 percent) on the power play in their last five games, although three of those goals came 11/25 vs. Hamilton. Cleveland is 0-for-10 in the last two contests.

Murphy climbing charts
Aeros D Curtis Murphy has 17 points (3-14=17), and he continues his march up the Aeros' all-time leaderboard despite spending just more than two seasons in the team's sweater. Murphy's 118 points rank 14th on Houston's ledger, and he is fourth among all defensemen, trailing 2003 Calder Cup champion teammate Travis Roche by two points. Murphy is 14th among all players in points, one behind another former teammate, Mark Cullen. Murphy's 80 assists rank seventh all-time, five behind Roche for sixth.

Last Game (Sunday)
Brian Finley made 39 saves for his third straight shutout of Houston and fifth against the Aeros overall, and Timofei Shishkanov scored two goals, as Milwaukee defeated Houston 3-0 at Toyota Center for its 11th win in 13 games. Josh Harding, who blanked Milwaukee Friday on 33 saves, stopped 36 shots for the Aeros.

Aeros/Barons connections
- Aeros D Colin Peters played two collegiate seasons with Cleveland D Tim Conboy at St. Cloud State.
- Houston G Seamus Kotyk went 26-43-7 for Cleveland from 2001-2004.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Hockey League Stories from November 30, 2005


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central