Record-setting trio lead Aeros past Moose, 5-2

Published on January 30, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Winnipeg, Manitoba – Darby Hendrickson, Christoph Brandner and Mika Hannula scored an Aeros-record 1:51 apart in the second period, as Houston rolled to a 5-2 victory over the Manitoba Moose at Winnipeg Arena. Marc Cavosie and Stephane Veilleux also scored and Johan Holmqvist turned aside 32 shots for Houston, which snapped a franchise-record seven-game road winless streak (0-4-3-0) and won for the second time in 16 games (2-6-7-1) overall. The Aeros (44 points), who are in a tie with fourth-place Cincinnati (idle tonight) in the West Division, visit the Moose again Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Twelve of Houston's 17 skaters notched at least one point. Nolan Baumgartner and Jason King each scored for Manitoba, which is 1-5-1-1 in its last eight. Tyler Moss stopped 12-of-17 shots in 40 minutes before being replaced by Alex Auld, who made nine saves in the third. The Moose (43 points) fell into a sixth-place tie with Toronto, which earned a 3-3 tie with Hamilton.

The teams ended an up-and-down first period tied at 1-1, and the Moose went ahead for the first time early in the second, on the power play. King, in his first game since being sent down from Vancouver, took a breakout pass from Brandon Reid at center ice and skated in the Aeros zone on the left wing. King wristed one under Holmqvist at 3:54 to put Manitoba on top.

The Aeros then responded with three goals in a franchise-record 1:51, and four total in the period, to go ahead 5-2 heading into the third.

Hendrickson scored at 7:20 to tie the game, as he put a seemingly harmless rebound attempt towards Moss. The puck went off Moss' skate and into the back of the net for Hendrickson's third of the season at 7:20.

The Aeros then scored twice on the power play, including a 5-on-3 goal, to take control. Brandner scored his third at 8:37 after Moss turned away Kevin Mitchell's rocket from the point. Brandner one timed a rebound in the right circle before the netminder could recover to put the Aeros on top 3-2.

Just 34 seconds later with the Aeros still on the power play, Houston went up two goals on Hannula's first in 10 games and seventh of the season. Erik Reitz (two assists) sent a shot from the left point wide of the net, and Hannula guided it into the net at 9:11, completing the fastest three goals in team history.

Mike Yeo, Mark Lamb and Mark Freer scored three times in a span of 1:59 on November 29, 1997, at Cleveland.

Houston continued the special teams' assault with 4:29 left, on Veilleux's third shorthanded goal of the season and his ninth overall of 2003-04. Mark Cullen pushed a neutral zone faceoff ahead and worked hard on the forecheck, poking the puck loose and feeding it to Veilleux between the circles. Veilleux bided his time, faked and snuck one by Moss short side to put the Aeros on top 5-2.

The Aeros ended the second period with four goals – tying their season high – on just 10 shots.

On the power play, Manitoba's Kirill Koltsov rang one off the post three minutes into the third period as the Moose attempted to rally.

Manitoba had 90 seconds of a 5-on-3 beginning at the 11:04 mark of the third period. Holmqvist made perhaps his best save of the night, going right to left to stack the pads on King's attempt from the lower right circle. Seconds later, Baumgartner took his team out of the remaining 16 seconds of the 5-on-3, and another 30 seconds of power play time, when he facewashed Jan Vodrazka, and picked up an additional penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, resulting in a 3:15 power play or the Aeros.

The Aeros finished 2-for-8 on the power play, while Manitoba went 1-for-8. Houston remained unbeaten in six games this season (4-0-2) when scoring more than two man-advantage goals.

Manitoba outshot Houston 17-7 in the first period, and the teams ended the opening 20 minutes tied at 1-1, but it was a goalie's battle early.

Holmqvist robbed Tomas Mojzis with a glove save 2:23 in, but Moss answered back two minutes later with some awesome glove work of his own, stoning Brandner on a clean breakaway. The Aeros' netminder then snared Brandon Nolan's one-timer from the lower right circle six minutes into the stanza.

The teams combined for their two goals in just 14 seconds, both on 4-on-4 opportunities. Cavosie won a draw in the right circle back to Travis Roche (two assists) at the point. Roche hesitated, then fed Cavosie with a perfect pass between the circles. Cavosie faked Moss to the ground, and put one around the netminder for his sixth of the season – one more than his rookie season's total – at 9:15 of the first.

Manitoba responded right back, as Baumgartner chipped one in from the right point over Holmqvist for his fifth of 2003-04.

Notes:

Temperatures in Winnipeg today hovered around the minus-35 degree mark, and wind chills tonight are expected to dip near minus-60.

Manitoba has played 23 home games, and has led after one period just twice.

Cavosie's 20 points are also one better than his rookie season total.

The Aeros scored first for the 16th time in 24 games.

Prior to their two power-play goals, the Aeros had scored one goal on their last 35 chances (a 5-on-3 goal), and three for their last 47.

Houston entered tonight's game averaging just 1.56 goals per game in its last nine contests.

The Aeros had gone 17 games since their last five-goal game, a 5-3 win over Norfolk December 17.

Houston scored four goals in a period for the third time this season – first since November 28 in Syracuse, a game that saw the Crunch rally from a 4-0 deficit for a 5-4 win.

The Aeros had been winless in their last three trips to 50-year-old Winnipeg Arena (0-2-1-0).

Cavosie had gone 18 games since his last goal (December 13), while Hannula had gone nine since his last (January 4).

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American Hockey League Stories from January 30, 2004


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