Mullet Madness as O'Sullivan returns
Published on January 19, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release
Nine things you need to know
- Tonight's game features the top two workhorse goalies in the American Hockey League in Manchester's Jason LaBarbera and Houston's Josh Harding. LaBarbera leads the AHL in games played (37), minutes (2,175), shots faced (1,197) and saves (1,116), while Harding ranks second in all those categories. The pair ranks second and tied for third in victories.
- Manchester C Patrick O'Sullivan was an Aero in 2005-06, ranking fourth in the AHL tallying 93 points (47-46=93). O'Sullivan's 47 goals were an Aeros franchise record. O'Sullivan scored 25 of his 47 goals at Toyota Center, including five of his franchise-record tying seven GWG.
- Monarchs G Jason LaBarbera has enjoyed great success versus the Aeros in his career, including three straight shutouts for Hartford spanning the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. LaBarbera trails only Brian Finley (five) in career shutouts against Houston. LaBarbera is 5-2-0 with a 1.81 gaa and a .944 save pct. in his career versus the Aeros. But since 2003-04, LaBarbera is 3-1-0 with a 0.49 gaa and a .983 save pct.
- The Aeros remain the lone AHL team without a decision in OT, while the Monarchs have had a league-high 10 games decided in sudden death OT, going 4-6. Houston is 5-4 in shootouts. Manchester has played 13 extra time games - second most in the AHL - and is 2-1 in shootouts.
- Aeros D Curtis Murphy has 13 points (2-11=13) over his last 14 games to move to 24 points (5-19=24) this season - moving him into fifth place among AHL defensemen. This comes after a cold spell where Murphy was held pointless in six games - a season-high. Earlier this month, Murphy was selected to participate in the 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic - his fifth appearance in as many AHL seasons. A three-time International Hockey League All-Star, Murphy has participated in eight All-Star games in as many professional seasons in North America.
- Aeros RW Mattias Weinhandl has a team-best 17 points (9-8=17) in 14 games since getting assigned by the Minnesota Wild last month. Weinhandl is tied for the team lead with six multiple-point games, and he has six points (4-2=6) in the last four contests.
- Houston's third-year G Josh Harding has played in all but five of the Aeros' first 41 games. Harding ranks second in the AHL in games played (35), minutes (2,091), second in shots faced (1,089) and saves (1,002), and tied for third in wins (16). Harding is 12th in gaa (2.50) and tied for sixth in save pct. (.920). Harding is 16-9-3 with a 2.38 gaa and a .924 save pct. in his last 28 decisions since starting the season 0-5-1. The Aeros' record for most games played by a goalie in one season is 72 - set by Frederic Chabot in 1996-97 in an 82-game season. Harding is on pace for 70 this season.
- Aeros rookie RW Danny Irmen has eight points (3-5=8) in his last eight games, including a career-best three points (1-2=3) last Saturday in Omaha. Irmen, who is tied for the team lead with six multiple-point games, ranks tied for 25th among AHL rookies with 22 points (11-11=22).
- In the last eight days, Houston has lost RW Joel Ward, D Shawn Belle and D Erik Reitz to recall by the NHL's Minnesota Wild, bringing the total number of recalls by the Wild to 13 this season. In all of the 2005-06 season, Houston saw just eight call-ups from Minnesota. Players who began the season on the Aeros' roster have seen action in 64 NHL games this season, including 32 by C Wyatt Smith, who began the season on Houston's top line.
Monarchs at Aeros (Aeros are 0-1-1-0 overall, Aeros are 0-0-1-0 at Houston)
- Houston went 0-1-1-0 last season against Manchester, including a 0-0-1-0 mark at home.
- In the game at Toyota Center, 10/22/05, former Aero Marty Wilford scored on a power play 3:04 into overtime to ruin a 43-save performance by Aeros Josh Harding, as the Monarchs rallied for a 2-1 win.
- Manchester earned a 4-2 victory 2/10/06 at Verizon Wireless Arena, behind a pair of goals from Noah Clarke.
- The Aeros make a return trip to New Hampshire next Friday.
Scouting the Aeros
The sixth-place Aeros (17-19-0-5) have 39 points and are six points behind fifth-place Iowa and eight away from the third-place tie of Peoria and Milwaukee...Houston is 2-1-0-1 in its last four games, but just 1-2-0-1 in its last four home games...Team scoring leader RW Matt Foy has 30 points (15-15=30)...Next are veteran D Curtis Murphy (5-19=24), rookie RW Danny Irmen (11-11=22) and rookie LW Benoit Pouliot (15-6=21)...G Josh Harding is 16-14-4 with a 2.50 gaa and a .920 save pct....D Dieter Kochan is 1-1-0 with a 5.05 gaa and a .838 save pct., and is back after missing 29 games due to injury.
Scouting the Monarchs
Manchester (24-12-6-1), AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, won for the ninth time in 11 games on Wednesday, 6-0 at Portland, to move to 53 points - eight clear of second-place Hartford in the Atlantic Division...G Jason LaBarbera made 32 saves for his fifth shutout of the season, moving to 21-14-1 with a 2.23 gaa and a .932 save pct...Manchester is playing game three of a four-game road trip...LW Noah Clarke paces Manchester in scoring with 33 points (14-19=33), ahead of former Aero C Patrick O'Sullivan (16-14=30)...The Monarchs' next six top scorers are amazingly all rookies...Rookie T.J. Kemp leads the blueline corps with 23 points (3-20=23).
2006-07 meetings (1st of 2 meetings)
January 19 Manchester at Houston
January 26 Houston at Manchester
Quick Hits
- Eight of the Aeros' 17 victories have been in come-from-behind fashion.
- The Aeros are 6-5-0-5 in one-goal games. But after eight of their first 12 games were decided by one goal, just eight of Houston's last 29 contests has been decided in that fashion. Manchester has played a league-high 24 one-goal games, going 11-6-6-1.
- Houston is 16-6-0-4 when scoring three goals or more, and just 1-13-0-1 when scoring two or fewer.
- Houston picked up another point Saturday when yielding 40 shots. The Aeros are 5-1-0-2 this season when allowing 40 or more shots.
- Manchester allows a league-low 2.42 gpg, despite ranking just 23rd in shots allowed at 33.1 spg. Houston is tied for 21st in team offense at 2.78 gpg.
Sunday's game
Joel Perrault two of San Antonio's four power play goals and David LeNeveu made 35 saves for his first shutout of the season, as the San Antonio Rampage knocked off the Houston Aeros 6-0 at AT&T Center in a game delayed an hour due to Houston's travel delays. Dieter Kochan made 29 saves in his first start of the season for Houston.
Power play update
- Houston is tied for 24th in the AHL with the man advantage at 14.1 percent.
- The Aeros are 12-for-61 (19.7 percent) on the power play in their last 11 games.
- Manchester is19th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 80.4 percent.
- The Monarchs have killed off 25-of-29 shorthanded chances (86.2 percent) in their last five games.
Penalty kill update
- Houston is tied for fifth in the AHL on the PK at 85.9 percent.
- After killing off 11 straight shorthanded chances, the Aeros allowed four PPG on eight chances Sunday in San Antonio.
- Manchester is fourth in the AHL on the power play at 21.0 percent.
- The Monarchs are 8-for-30 (26.7 percent) with the man advantage in the last five games, including 4-for-8 Wednesday in Portland.
Aeros/Monarchs connections
- Manchester C Patrick O'Sullivan was an Aero in 2005-06, ranking fourth in the AHL tallying 93 points (47-46=93). O'Sullivan's 47 goals were an Aeros franchise record. O'Sullivan and Aeros D Ryan Stokes were teammates with OHL Mississauga for two seasons.
- Aeros assistant coach Matt Shaw teamed with Manchester D Brendan Buckley to advance to the UHL Finals in 1999-2000 with Quad City. Buckley was teammates with Aeros D Peter Ratchuk with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2001-02.
- Houston D Curtis Murphy and Monarchs D Mike Weaver were teammates in IHL Orlando in 2000-01, as the Solar Bears won the Turner Cup.
American Hockey League Stories from January 19, 2007
- Rinne's Return Spoiled by Rochester - Milwaukee Admirals
- Rampage's four-goal period stops Moose in tracks - San Antonio Rampage
- Rivermen Crushed by Chicago 6-1 at Home - Peoria Rivermen
- Fourth-largest Toyota Center crowd sees comeback fall short - Houston Aeros
- Bulldogs Clip Griffins - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Monarchs Narrowly Edge Aeros For Third Win In A Row - Manchester Monarchs
- St. Pierre, Brouwer Have Four-Point Nights as Admirals Defeat Penguins 5-2 - Norfolk Admirals
- Ak-Sar-Ben Knights Shoot Down Stars, 3-1 - Abbotsford Heat
- Stars fall to Knights - Iowa Chops
- Griffins Fall to Bulldogs, 2-1 - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Sound Tigers squeak by Phantoms - Adirondack Phantoms
- P-Bruins Fall to Falcons in Shootout 3-2 - Providence Bruins
- Sharks tag Devils with 3-1 loss - Albany Devils
- Sound Tigers Beat Phantoms in Shootout Again - Bridgeport Islanders
- Edmonton recalls Zack Stortini - Hamilton Bulldogs
- MacDonald Recalled, Vicari Signed - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Larman returns as Amerks face Admirals - Rochester Americans
- Kings Assign Brust To Manchester - Manchester Monarchs
- AHL Quick Hits - AHL
- Conditioning Stint Over For Weaver - Manchester Monarchs
- Sound Tigers to hold Connecticut Youth Hockey Shootout - Bridgeport Islanders
- Sound Tigers Host Trumbull/Ridgefield Game - Bridgeport Islanders
- Mullet Madness as O'Sullivan returns - Houston Aeros
- Bears at home for weekend pair - Hershey Bears
- Calgary Flames Send For Godard - Abbotsford Heat
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