Norfolk downs Aeros 3-2

Published on March 20, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Norfolk, VA – Matt Ellison's power play goal snapped a tie late in the second period, and the Norfolk Admirals went on to a 3-2 victory over the Houston Aeros at The Scope. Blake Bellefeuille and Yorick Treille also scored and Craig Anderson made 18 saves for Norfolk, which had been shut out in its last two games and snapped a five-game skid against the Aeros dating back to last season's Calder Cup Playoffs. Jeff Hoggan and Christoph Brandner each scored and Johan Holmqvist turned aside 32 shots for the Aeros, who fell to 0-2-0-1 on their four-game road trip, which ends tomorrow afternoon in Norfolk. Houston has two wins in its last 21 (2-13-5-1) away from Toyota Center.

The fourth-place Aeros remain at 63 points, four ahead of Cincinnati, which lost 4-3 at home to Cleveland tonight. Idle San Antonio has 58 points. The top five teams in the West make the post-season.

The Admirals came out with jump in their steps, outshooting Houston 14-7 in the first period and taking a 2-1 lead.

Norfolk took just 3:25 to light the lamp and end a lengthy scoreless streak. Bellefeuille's rocket from the point eluded Holmqvist for his fourth of the season – third with the Admirals. The goal was the Admirals' first in 142 minutes, 4 seconds, and the first even strength tally in 149 minutes, 23 seconds. The Aeros, meanwhile, had scored first in each of their eight previous games and hadn't yielded a first-period goal in eight games.

But Houston needed only 1:35 to tie it up, as Hoggan took a feed from Kyle Wanvig, then a whack from Burke Henry, and skated behind the net and jammed one through Anderson for his 16th of the season. Hoggan had six goals in his rookie campaign of 2002-03.

The Admirals had an apparent goal waved off three minutes later on the power play, as the net came off its moorings as Holmqvist kicked out his skate to make a save.

Norfolk went back on top 2-1 at the 14:25 mark of the first with the teams 4-on-4. Treille caught the faceoff win at the right point and fired it by Holmqvist for his 11th of the season.

The Aeros had back-to-back power plays to start the second period, but Norfolk – which has yielded just 15 power-play goals at home all season – didn't waver. Anderson made his best save of the night sliding post to post to rob Dan Cavanaugh, who took a puck off the boards and threw it at the near post.

Brander got Houston even again with his sixth 6:21 into the second. Brandner shot the puck off the boards behind the goal, and it popped to Marc Cavosie. Cavosie then wristed a shot towards Anderson, and Brandner crashed the net and put a backhander by the netminder for his sixth of the season.

The Admirals once again took a one-goal lead, this time 3-2 on the power play, with 5:30 left in the second. With Erik Reitz in the box for tripping, Ellison took a feed from Pavel Vorobiev and deposited it by Holmqvist from behind the net for his 14th of the season. The tally went down as the game-winner.

Houston, trying to mount a comeback, went shorthanded 8:10 into the third with a too many men on the ice penalty. The Aeros again went down a man with 2:38 left, when Kevin Mitchell's hip check on Ellison sent him to the box for kneeing.

A great shorthanded play by Cavosie nearly got the Aeros even, but Anderson stoned Cavosie, then Reitz' rebound attempt.

Houston then got it back to 4-on-4 with 1:13 left when Cavanaugh stole the puck and was tripped up by Anton Babchuk.

The Areos pulled Holmqvist with just less than a minute left but didn't get the equalizer despite the two-man advantage with the power play. Anderson gloved aside a Reitz attempt with 21 ticks left to help preserve the victory.

Houston, which entered the game third in the league in shots (33.70), was outshot 35-20 overall including 11-5 in the third period. Norfolk gives up less than 25 shots per game, tops in the AHL.

Houston went 0-for-4 on the power play, while Norfolk finished 1-for-4.

Notes:

The Aeros are at the .500 mark in the last 49 games (19-19-9-2).

Houston's 22 road regulation losses have tied a franchise record, set in 1995-96. The total is also tops in the AHL by one.

Holmqvist has lost three straight March starts for the first time in his four-season North American career. He also fell to 4-1-2 in the regular season versus Norfolk.

Anderson was 0-4-0 in four previous games against Houston, counting last season's Western Conference Semifinals.

Houston is winless when allowing the game's first goal on the road (0-16-4-0), when trailing after one period overall (0-22-2-2) and also two periods (0-26-6-1).

Anderson is 11-5-0 at home and 5-11-0 on the road.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 20, 2004


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