New start time tonight in San Antonio

Published on October 15, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


HOUSTON, Texas - The Houston Aeros' game today at the San Antonio Rampage has been changed to a 6 p.m. start due to travel delays. In addition, the Aeros announced that they will sign goalie Miguel Beaudry to a professional tryout upon their arrival in San Antonio.

Beaudry, 24 (5/29/82), went 12-8-1 with a 2.83 gaa last season for the Central Hockey League's Austin Ice Bats, while recording a 4-6-1 mark with a 4.35 gaa for CHL Memphis. Beaudry is in camp with the Ice Bats and is expected to meet the Aeros in San Antonio today.

Houston Aeros (0-4-0-0) at San Antonio Rampage (1-3-0-0), 6 p.m.

Seven things you need to know
- Something has to give in special teams tonight, as the Aeros' 26th-ranked power play unit goes up against the San Antonio penalty kill, which ranks 27th and last in the American Hockey League. The Aeros are just 2-for-39 (5.1 percent) with the man advantage, .1 percent ahead of Chicago for the last spot in the circuit. But the Rampage penalty killers have allowed eight goals on just 25 chances for a 68.0 percent PK rate.
- The Aeros have lost their first four games in regulation for just the second time in team history. Houston began its 1995-96 campaign with an 0-6-0-0 mark. The Aeros have lost eight in a row overall dating back to last season's playoffs, the longest regulation losing streak in team history.
- The Aeros went 20-18-1-1 on the road last season, their most road victories since 2002-03. But Houston went 2-8-1-1 in its final 12 games away from Toyota Center last season. Dating back to the 2006 West Division Finals against Milwaukee, the Aeros have lost four straight road games, making them 4-12-1-1 in their last 18 counting the playoffs. Tonight, Houston plays game three of a five-game road trip that finishes up with two games next Friday and Saturday in Grand Rapids.
- Houston has been outscored 9-3 from the second period on this season. The Aeros were one of six AHL teams without a third period goal until D Curtis Murphy scored last night. Houston has not held a lead after the first period this season. The Aeros have led for 19:25 of a possible 240 minutes played.
- Last night, Aeros D Curtis Murphy became just the 13th player in team history to score 50 goals. He had been tied with Stephane Veilleux for 13th on the team's all-time list. Murphy is the Aeros' all-time leader among defenseman in goals (50), assists (121) and points (171).
- Houston D Erik Reitz is the Aeros' all-time leader in PIM's with 494 since the team moved to the American Hockey League. Only three Aeros have reached the 500-PIM mark in team history - Trent Cull (724), Steve Jaques (634) and Mike Yeo (511).
- Houston has 37 minor penalties - only Manitoba (47) and Syracuse (44) have more, and Manitoba has played six games.

Aeros at Rampage (Aeros are 32-8-6-2 overall, Aeros are 12-6-4-2 at San Antonio)
- Tonight is the 49th all-time meeting between the teams - 25th in San Antonio.
- Houston went 8-3-1-0 against San Antonio in 2005-06. It marked the first time since San Antonio's inaugural season of 2002-03 that the Rampage earned more than one regulation win against Houston. The teams split six meetings at AT&T Center.
- The Aeros' win in the last meeting, a 5-4 OT decision 4/9, snapped their three-game winless streak (0-2-1-0) in the series. It was tied for Houston's longest winless streak versus the Rampage.
- The Aeros have won 13 of 17 and are 17-3-2-0 in the last 22 overall meetings.
- Since a three-game winless slide in the series 12/27/03-1/17/04, the Aeros have unleashed a 22-4-3-1 mark.
- Houston has dropped two straight games in San Antonio for the first time since 3/3-3/11/03, in the Rampage's first season. The Aeros have never lost three straight in the Alamo City.
- Aeros G Josh Harding is 10-2-0 with a 1.82 gaa and a .942 save pct. in his career against the Rampage.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros are in their sixth American Hockey League season and 13th overall...D Curtis Murphy is the team's leading returning scorer with 67 points (14-53=67)...LW Roman Voloshenko had a great rookie campaign with 60 points (33-27=60) in 69 games, and he tied a team record with 20 PPG...RW Matt Foy was sixth on the roster last season with 40 points (15-25=40)...Many of the 17 returnees were just with the Aeros briefly at the end of the season, including Minnesota's first-round pick in 2005, LW Benoit Pouliot, and RW Danny Irmen...Pouliot scored his first pro goal last Sunday, and Irmen tallied his first pro goal last night...G Josh Harding returns to begin his third season, and was 29-8-0 with a 2.68 gaa last season...His .922 save pct. tied for first in the AHL...The Aeros also have veteran G Steve Shields, who missed most of last season due to injuries, and rookie G Tony Quesada, who starred at Holy Cross for four seasons.

Scouting the Rampage
San Antonio (1-3-0-0) has lost three in a row after winning its season opener...The Rampage got swept in Peoria, falling 4-2 last night at Carver Arena...C Jakub Koreis led the way with a goal and an assist, while G David LeNeveu posted 29 saves...The game was tied midway through the third, but the Rivermen scored twice in a 46-second span to take control...Four players are tied for the Rampage scoring lead with three points, including NHL veteran LW Tyson Nash (3-0=3) and rookie C Daniel Winnick (2-1=3)...LeNeveu is 1-2-0 with a 4.30 gaa, while G Phil Sauve is 0-1-0 with a 3.08 gaa.

2006-07 meetings (1st of 12 meetings)
Tonight Houston at San Antonio
November 17 San Antonio at Houston
November 21 Houston at San Antonio
November 24 San Antonio at Houston
December 14 Houston at San Antonio
December 26 San Antonio at Houston
December 29 Houston at San Antonio
December 30 San Antonio at Houston
January 7 San Antonio at Houston
January 14 Houston at San Antonio
April 14 Houston at San Antonio
April 15 San Antonio at Houston

Saturday's Game
Joel Lundqvist snapped a tie midway through the third period, leading the Iowa Stars to a 4-3 victory over the Houston Aeros at Wells Fargo Arena. Vojtech Polak, Mike Green and Loui Eriksson each scored first period goals as the Stars moved to 4-0-0-0. Curtis Murphy and rookies Danny Irmen and Benoit Pouliot scored a goal apiece and Steve Shields made nine stops before leaving his Aeros debut.

It's "Hards" to get anything by him
- Aeros G Josh Harding has lost four straight regular season decisions for the first time in his career. He had lost three straight on two other occasions.
- Dating back to the 2006 post-season, Harding is 0-8-0 in his last eight decisions.
- The third-year pro is still 36-11-2 in his last 49 regular season decisions and 15-6-0 in his last 21.

From here to there
- The Aeros have eight representatives on the Minnesota Wild's 22-man Opening Night roster, including RW Pierre-Marc Bouchard, C Mikko Koivu and D Kurtis Foster.
- Other notable Aeros alumni in the NHL this season are Colorado C Brett McLean, Dallas G Mike Smith and Phoenix D Zbynek Michalek.

No problem on the road
- While the Aeros' have an overall losing record at home in franchise history in October, their work on the road in the season's first month is excellent.
- Houston is 39-26-6 all-time on the road in October, including a stellar 17-9-2 mark since joining the AHL in 2001-02.

Draft Notes
- The Aeros feature 16 draft picks on their 25-man roster, including three first-rounders, a pair of second-rounders and three third-rounders.
- Houston's first-round picks are LW Benoit Pouliot (No. 4 overall by Minnesota in 2005), D Peter Ratchuk (No. 25 overall by Colorado in 1996) and D Shawn Belle (No. 30 overall by Dallas in 2003).

Not short on experience
- The Aeros have 10 players who have a combined 549 games of NHL experience.
- Those with NHL time range from G Steve Shields, with 246 games, to D Curtis Murphy, with one.
- Four of Houston's 10 with NHL experience have played with the Wild - G Josh Harding, D Curtis Murphy, D Erik Reitz and RW Matt Foy.

Power play update
- Houston is 26th in the AHL with the man advantage at 5.1 percent (2-for-39).
- San Antonio is 27th and last on the PK this season at 68.0 percent.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is 15th this season on the PK at 82.9 percent.
- San Antonio is 24th in the league on the power play this season at 8.0 percent (2-for-25).

Aeros/Rampage connections
- Rampage D Matt Jones enrolled at the University of North Dakota in 2001-02, a season after Aeros C Bryan Lundbohm left campus, and four after Aeros D Curtis Murphy graduated.
- Rampage D Travis Roche spent three seasons (2001-04) with the Aeros, winning a Calder Cup in 2003. Roche put up 120 points (35-85=120) in 185 games with Houston. Roche also went to UND, at the same time as Aeros C Bryan Lundbohm. Roche was teammates with Aeros G Steve Shields in AHL Chicago last season.
- San Antonio C Donald MacLean and Aeros C Jason Morgan were teammates in 1998-99 with AHL Springfield.
- Rampage D Nick Martens is an alum of the University of Michigan, as are Aeros G Steve Shields and assistant coach Cam Stewart.
- Houston D Shawn Belle, C Alex Leavitt and San Antonio LW Tyson Nash all hail from Edmonton, Alta.
- Aeros C Wyatt Smith attended the University of Minnesota from 1995-99, and then Rampage C Jeff Taffe was a Gopher from 1999-2002. Smith was also drafted in the ninth round by Phoenix in 1997.

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American Hockey League Stories from October 15, 2006


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