Sports stats

Manitoba beats Aeros 7-2

January 31, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Winnipeg, Manitoba – Pat Kavanagh scored two goals in a four-score Manitoba first period and Fedor Fedorov also tallied twice, leading the Moose to a 7-2 victory over the Houston Aeros at Winnipeg Arena. Jason King, Mikko Jokela and Justin Morrison also scored and Alex Auld made 28 saves for Manitoba, which improved to 2-5-1-1 in its last nine and salvaged a split of the two-game weekend series with the Aeros. Jeff Hoggan and Darby Hendrickson each scored a power-play goal for the Aeros, who fell to 2-7-7-1 in their last 17. Houston (44 points), which plays host to seventh-place Utah on Tuesday and Thursday, is tied for fourth place with Cincinnati. The Ducks lost 5-3 at home to Chicago tonight.

Kyle Kettles, who hails from Lac du Bonnet, about 90 minutes north of Winnipeg, allowed three goals on seven shots before being replaced by Johan Holmqvist. Holmqvist made 24 saves in the game's final 51:12.

The first period was reminiscent of Friday's game, in which Manitoba outshot the Aeros 17-7, and the teams were tied 1-1. However, in tonight's game the Moose outshot Houston 14-5, and scored four times to take control of the game. Manitoba used a 3-1 power-play advantage in the opening stanza.

Kavanagh got the Moose on the board with his first of the opening period at 2:33, after Kettles made an outstanding save on Ryan Ready. With the puck in the crease and Kettles still on the ground, Kavanagh crashed the net and poked the puck past Kettles.

The Moose then took a 2-0 lead on the power play at 7:01, with Marc Cavosie in the box for the Aeros' second kneeing penalty of the opening six-plus minutes. Nolan Baumgartner, at the center point, fed Fedorov in the right circle, and the Moose's leading goal scorer rifled one glove side by Kettles for his 14th of the season.

Kavanagh made it a three-goal edge 1:47 later, ending Kettles' night. Kavanagh and Jimmy Roy worked a give-and-go on the left wing, and Kavanagh's original shot hit Kettles' right shoulder and popped into the air. Kavanagh tapped the puck out of mid-air past Kettles for his second of the period and 13th of the season.

Houston's Dan Cavanaugh nearly got the Aeros back into it, after a great hustling play by Chris Bala shorthanded. Bala won a race to the puck at the Manitoba blueline, as Auld came out to play the puck. Auld collided with a teammate, and the puck squirted to Cavanaugh in the left circle. With an open net to shoot at, Manitoba's Kirill Koltsov slid towards the net and blocked the puck with his body.

Less than two minutes after Koltsov helped keep it a three-goal game, King finished off a 2-on-1 with Brandon Reid with the teams 4-on-4. The tally, at the 16:07 mark, was King's second in two games since coming down from Vancouver. Manitoba's fourth goal came with the Aeros sporting just four shots on the scoreboard.

A fracas ended the third period, after Manitoba's Tyler Bouck dumped Michael Schutte onto the ground in front of the Moose bench. Bouck then grabbed Schutte after he got up, and Houston's Derek Boogaard came into the play. Boogaard was tossed out of the game for his actions, with Manitoba's Chris Neilson grabbing his jersey from the bench, and Manitoba went on a four-minute power play to start the second.

Killing off the double minor gave the Aeros the momentum, and Houston then got a power-play goal from Hoggan at 5:29 to draw within 4-1. Reitz, who had his second straight two-assist game, ripped a shot from the left point that got knocked down in front. Hoggan pounced on the puck and got it by Auld for his 11th of the season – first since January 4.

Hendrickson nearly made it a two-goal deficit 12 minutes into the second, when again Auld was caught out of the net. But Hendrickson snapped his stick while trying to one-time the puck into the empty net from between the circles.

Manitoba then scored twice in a span of 1:25 to build a five-goal lead.

Jokela took a failed Aeros clear and slapped one by a screened Holmqvist with his team on the power play at 13:33. At 14:58 and the teams 4-on-4, Fedorov got loose in the Aeros' zone, hesitated and slid one under Boogaard for his second of the game and 15th of the season.

Those two goals came back to haunt the Aeros, who got within 6-2 on the power play with 3:23 left in the second. Reitz took a feed from Kevin Mitchell at the left point and ripped one on Auld. The rebound again came out, this time into the left circle, and Hendrickson swiped one past the netminder for his fourth of the season.

Houston had two more power plays to finish the stanza, including 26 seconds of a 5-on-3, but the Aeros couldn't capitalize despite several good opportunities.

Morrison finished the scoring in the third with a breakaway goal by Morrison, after the Moose killed off three more Aeros power-play opportunities.

Manitoba went 2-for-7 on the power play, while the Aeros finished 2-for-9.

Notes:

Temperatures were some 30 degrees warmer in Winnipeg today, but the mercury still didn't make positive numbers in the Fahrenheit department. The bank thermometer outside the Aeros' downtown hotel read minus-2, just before snow started to fall at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon.

Manitoba's four goals in the first period tied the most versus the Aeros in a stanza this season. Grand Rapids was the last to score four times way back on November 11 in the third period of a 6-2 Aeros loss at Van Andel Arena.

Houston gave up seven goals for the first time since yielding a season-high eight against Milwaukee on November 6.

Manitoba's seven goals were a season-high. Manitoba has yielded 18 power-play goals in its last 11 games.

Reitz' four multi-point games are tied with Travis Roche for third on the team. Kyle Wanvig leads with six and Dan Cavanaugh is second with five.

Reitz' 20 points are one better than his 2002-03 rookie season total of 20. He had six goals and 13 assists last season, and he has three goals and 17 helpers this season.

Houston has multiple power-play goals in two straight games for the first time this season. They scored two or more for just the seventh time this season – third on the road.

Mitchell has a five-game point streak (1g, 5a), after not having points in any back-to-back AHL games prior to the stretch.

Kettles was unbeaten in his last six starts (2-0-4).

Twelve of Kavanagh's 13 goals have come at home. The Aeros haven't posted back-to-back wins since a three-game streak from December 20-26.

Houston averages less than 28 shots against per game, but gave up 35 on back-to-back nights versus Manitoba.



American Hockey League Stories from January 31, 2004


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.

Other Recent Houston Aeros Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central