Law's point streak reaches 13 as power play rolls
January 15, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release
HOUSTON, Texas - Kirby Law tallied a goal and two assists to extend his point streak to 13 games, Matt Foy, Curtis Murphy and Erik Westrum each scored first-period power play goals and Seamus Kotyk made 29 saves, as the Houston Aeros defeated the San Antonio Rampage 4-1 at Toyota Center. The Aeros have beaten the Rampage nine straight times at Toyota Center and are unbeaten in the last 13 home meetings (12-0-1-0). Houston is 19-2-1-0 all-time at home against San Antonio, outscoring the Rampage 90-43 in the process. The Aeros are 16-1-1-0 overall in the last 18 meetings and 21-2-2-1 in the last 26.
David LeNeveu made 24 stops and Tim Jackman scored for San Antonio, which has one win in its last eight games (1-6-1-0).
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Law moved into a tie for the AHL's points lead with Westrum, who added an assist. Westrum (19-40=59) and Law (26-33=59) each have 59 points. Westrum leads the league in assists, with Law in second place, and Law's 26 goals lead the AHL.
Houston took control early, scoring on each of its three first period power plays.
Foy's fifth of the season put Houston up 3:27 in after a high-sticking call to Joe Callahan. Petr Taticek, along the right wing boards, fed Murray along the goal line. Murray touched a cross-crease pass to Foy, camped out at the left doorstep. The third-year pro banged the puck into the net for the 1-0 advantage.
Murphy continued his torrid streak with a power play goal of his own at the 7:45 mark of the first. Law, along the left wing boards, fed Murphy at the point. Murphy slid the puck to Westrum in the right circle but got it right back as a defender pinched in. Murphy launched a slapshot through traffic and by LeNeveu for his seventh goal of the season and 10th point in six games. Murphy has goals in each of the last three games and in four of the last five.
Westrum's 19th goal - a new career-best - with Houston again on the power play, extended Houston's advantage to three goals with 4:40 left in the first. Patrick O'Sullivan, at the top of the left circle, fed Westrum in the right circle. Westrum saucered a long pass to Law in the left circle, and Law gave it right back to Westrum. The AHL's leading scorer took his time setting up the shot, and then knocked the water bottle straight up in the air with the goal.
Jackman's fourth of the season, 3:58 into the second, got the Rampage within 3-1. Jackman, skating through the low slot, tipped Brad Tiley's point blast under Kotyk.
O'Sullivan and Foy had a 2-on-0 with less than a minute left in the second, but Foy's one-timer on the O'Sullivan feed missed the net.
San Antonio's Eric Chouinard had a point blank shot from the low left circle three minutes into the third, but Kotyk made the save with his body.
A great individual play by Law finished the scoring with 5:25 remaining. He grabbed a loose puck at center ice, passed it to himself around a defender, and ripped a shot from the right circle by LeNeveu for his league-leading 26th goal of the season.
Houston finished 3-for-8 on the power play, while San Antonio went 0-for-3. The Aeros are 19-2-0-0 when scoring at least two man advantage goals. Houston has scored at least two power play goals in six of the eight meetings with the Rampage this season.
Notes:
Not dressing for the Aeros were Josh Harding, Bill Kinkel, Scott Ferguson, Joel Ward and Andrei Nazarov.
Law has 26 points (12-14=26) in his 13-game point streak. He's just two games off Brian Wiseman's franchise record. Law's career-best point streak is 14, set with Philadelphia from February 24-March 30, 2001. He had 19 points (9-10=19) in that run. Law's 13-game point streak is the fifth-longest run in the AHL this season. Portland rookie Corey Perry, currently in Anaheim, holds the season-long of 17.
Houston's nine-game home winning streak in a series is a new franchise record, having won eight straight versus IHL San Antonio April 11, 1997-March 20, 1998. San Antonio has only two regulation wins in Houston in 22 chances in its three-plus years in the AHL. The Aeros' 13-game home unbeaten run versus the Rampage is their longest against any team.
Westrum and Law each have at least one point in each of the Aeros' 12 home games since getting shut out 11/27 by Milwaukee. Law has 24 points and Westrum 23 in the last 12 home games. Law (6-10=16) and Westrum (2-10=12) have also combined for 28 points in the eight meetings with the Rampage this season.
Murphy has a six-game point streak (4-6=10) to tie his career-high. He has 19 points (4-15=19) in his last 17 games.
The Aeros are 28-2-0-0 when scoring three or more goals.
San Antonio is 2-20-0-0 in games decided by two goals or more.
Houston has outscored San Antonio 6-1 in the first period in winning the last two meetings.
Westrum had 18 goals in 80 games with Utah last season.
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