Regular season finale in Iowa

Published on April 16, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Seven things you need to know
- Milwaukee clinched the West Division title last night with a 5-3 win in Grand Rapids, combined with the Aeros' 6-5 loss in Chicago. Houston is the second seed out of the West Division and will play third-place Peoria in the division semifinals, beginning Friday and Saturday at 7:35 p.m. at Toyota Center. The Aeros are in the playoffs for the 11th time in 12 seasons. Houston's 104 points tie the 2002-03 squad for the third most in team history.
- Some first-year Aeros have played big parts of the team's 3-1-0-0 mark in the last four games Rookie RW Joel Ward has points in four straight games for the first time in his career, including two goals Friday against Omaha. Ward began the third-period comeback with a goal, his third in two games. LW Peter Olvecky, the Rookie of the Year in the Slovakian Elite League in 2004-05, has three assists in the last two games. Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko collected a season-high three assists last night in Chicago. Newly signed rookie RW Danny Irmen, fresh out of the University of Minnesota, has an assist in each of the last two games.
- Aeros RW Kirby Law is just the 95th player in the 70-year history of the American Hockey League to post 100 points in a season. He now has 108 (42-66=108) - one off Brian Wiseman's 1998-99 team record - and last night he scored his 200th AHL goal. Law, who leads Grand Rapids LW Jiri Hudler and Aeros C Erik Westrum by 12 points, is on pace to have the biggest margin over a second-place finisher since the 1999-2000 season, when Christian Matte (104) beat Mike Maneluk (87) by 17 points. Law also has the third-highest AHL point total since 1997-98. The second-highest total in that span was Mike Cammalleri in 2004-05, with 109 points. Jason Spezza put up 117 for Binghamton in 2004-05.
- The Aeros need a win tonight to reach 50 victories for the third time in team history. Houston went 50-22-10 in 1997-98, and a franchise-record 54-15-13 in 1998-99. Houston would be the fourth 50-win team in the AHL this season. Rochester was the lone 50-win team in 2004-05, and it was the first team since Providence won 56 in 1998-99 to accomplish the feat.
- Aeros veteran D Curtis Murphy didn't have a two-goal game in the first 75 contests of 2005-06, but he has a pair of two-goal, one-assist efforts in the last four games over seven days. Murphy, second in the league in scoring among defenseman with a career-best 67 points (14-53=67), had been held without a goal in 17 straight games before he scored twice last Sunday against San Antonio. Since early March, Murphy has raised helped raise $2700 for "Murphy's Mission", benefiting I Have a Dream. An anonymous local donor is giving $300 per Murphy goal and $100 per assist to the cause, which raised $700 last night alone.
- Houston LW Patrick O'Sullivan has been named the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award winner as the AHL's most outstanding rookie. Last night, O'Sullivan netted his 46th and 47th goals, breaking Jeff Christian's 1998-99 team record total of 45. O'Sullivan owns rookie team records in all major offensive categories, and he leads all AHL rookies in goals (47) and points (90), while ranking third overall in the league in goals and fifth in points. Since 11/9, O'Sullivan has racked up 83 points (44-39=83) in just 63 games. Only one AHL rookie since 1990-91 has more goals than O'Sullivan - Patrick Lebeau with 50 in 1990-91. O'Sullivan's three points last night tie him with former Aeros teammate Rem Murray for the third-most of any AHL rookie since 1994-95. Both Darcy Tucker (93 in 1995-96) and Daniel Briere (1997-98) are within reach. O'Sullivan, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound native of Winston-Salem, N.C., was Minnesota's second-round pick (No. 56 overall) in the 2003 NHL Draft.
- Houston is 0-6-1-1 away from Toyota Center since its last road win, a 6-5 decision 3/15 in Chicago in which it took a 5-0 lead. It is the Aeros' longest road winless streak since a franchise-record 0-7-2-0 streak 1/31-2/26/04. A non-win today would tie that streak for the longest in team history. Houston is 1-8-1-1 in its last 11 road games after an 18-10-0-0 beginning to its road slate. Among playoff teams, only Bridgeport (.463) has a lower road points percentage.

Aeros at Stars (Aeros are 6-3-0-0 overall, Aeros are 2-2-0-0 at Iowa)
- Tonight is the 10th and final meeting of the season between the Aeros and Stars.
- The Aeros won the season's first three meetings, and have won three of the last four.
- Houston's high-powered trio of RW Kirby Law (7-8=15), LW Patrick O'Sullivan (3-9=12) and C Erik Westrum (6-5=11) have combined to post 38 points (16-22=38) in just nine games against the Stars.
- The Aeros had a partial affiliation deal with the Dallas Stars in 2004-05. G Mike Smith, D Patrick Traverse and forwards Junior Lessard and Marius Holtet all suited up for the Aeros last season. Smith went 19-17-3 with a 2.42 gaa and won Houston's lone playoff game.
- In the last meeting, 3/25 at Iowa, D Jim Fahey snapped a tie midway through the third period as the Stars rallied from a two-goal, first-period deficit for a 4-3 victory. RW Kirby Law had a goal and two assists for Houston, which couldn't overcome former Aeros G Mike Smith's 36 saves.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros (49-24-3-3) will finish second in the West Division, and hit the ice tonight trying to break an eight-game road slide (0-6-1-1)...RW Kirby Law has 108 points (42-66=108), 12 points up on Grand Rapids' Jiri Hudler and Aeros C Erik Westrum for the top spot in the AHL...Westrum was recalled to NHL Minnesota Wednesday but joined the Aeros today...LW Patrick O'Sullivan is first among rookies and fifth overall with 90 points (47-43=90)...LW Roman Voloshenko (33-27=60) is third in goals among rookies and tied for ninth in points...D Curtis Murphy is second among AHL defensemen with a new career-best 67 points (14-53=67), including his second three-point (2-1=3) effort in four games last night...In the last two weeks, the Aeros have signed RW Danny Irmen, D A.J. Thelen and D Chris Ovington to amateur tryouts...G Josh Harding returned to the Aeros Friday after a month-long stint with NHL Minnesota...Harding is 28-8-0 with a 2.67 gaa with the Aeros this season, and he still ranks fourth in the league in wins...Harding went 2-1-0 with a 2.59 gaa for the Wild, including a 27-save shutout of Chicago on Tuesday...Harding notched his 49th Aeros victory Friday night...G Seamus Kotyk is 15-15-2 with a 3.03 gaa.

Scouting the Stars
Iowa (41-30-1-7), AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers, has won 11 of 12 to take the fourth and final playoff spot in the West Division...The Stars whipped Peoria 5-1 last night, getting two goals from rookie LW Louis Eriksson...Veteran C Toby Petersen paces the Stars with 73 points (26-47=73), ahead of Eriksson (31-29=60) and former Aero RW Junior Lessard (25-32=57)...D Dan Jancevski leads the blueliners with 37 points (9-28=37)...G Mike Smith another former Aero, is 25-19-6 with a 2.50 gaa, while G Dan Ellis is 16-12-1 with a 2.70 gaa.

2005-06 meetings (10th of 10 meetings, Aeros are 6-3-0-0 overall, Aeros are 2-2-0-0 at Iowa)
November 3 Iowa 3 at Houston 5
December 28 Iowa 2 at Houston 3
January 12 Iowa 1 at Houston 6
January 13 Iowa 3 at Houston 2
January 26 Houston 4 at Iowa 6
February 17 Houston 4 at Iowa 1
February 18 Houston 4 at Iowa 3
February 23 Iowa 3 at Houston 4
March 25 Houston 3 at Iowa 4
Tonight Houston at Iowa

Quick Hits
- The Aeros are 9-1-1-0 all-time in season finales, but fell 4-3 in a shootout to Utah at home in 2005. Prior to that, Houston won four in a row. The Aeros' lone regulation loss in a season finale came in 2000, a 5-3 decision at Chicago. Houston is 8-3-0-0 in road finales.
- The Aeros have been outscored 30-16 in the third period over their last 20 games, and have allowed two OT goals and have lost in a shootout in that span. They are just 7-10-2-1 in that stretch. Houston is minus-five (93-88) in the final 20 minutes this season.
- The Aeros are 2-3-2-1 in their last eight one-goal games. Houston is still an eye-popping 23-8-3-3 in such contests, and an impressive 30-14-3-3 in games decided by two goals or less. Gearing up for what promises to be a very tight Calder Cup Playoffs, Houston has seen 24 of its last 31 games be decided by one or two goals, going 12-8-2-2.
- In their last 18 victories, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 33-13 in the first period. In the last 43 games overall, Houston has a 53-34 goal margin in the opening 20 minutes, and on the season the Aeros are an AHL-best plus-30 (88-58). The Aeros are 29-7-1-1 when leading after one period this season.
- The Aeros have won two of their last three victories in come-from-behind fashion. Houston has trailed at some point in 21 of its 49 victories, with seven of the wins coming when trailing by two goals, including Friday against Omaha. The Aeros had 16 come-from-behind victories in 2004-05. They are an impressive 17-15-1-0 when allowing the game's first goal.
- Houston is 15-6-2-0 when allowing 29 or fewer shots this season, but also an impressive 10-2-1-0 when yielding 40 or more.
- The Aeros are 47-7-0-2 when scoring three goals or more, but they are 2-17-3-1 when scoring two or fewer. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 40-6-3-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 9-18-0-2 when yielding four or more.

Power play update
- Houston is fourth in the league on the power play at 19.9 percent.
- Houston is 8-for-82 (9.8 percent) with the man advantage in the last 13 games, although the Aeros have scored a PPG in four straight games for the first time since a 15-game run 2/11-3/17.
- The Aeros are 25-8-0-1 when scoring at least two PPG.
- Iowa is 24th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 80.4 percent, the lowest ranked of any playoff-bound team in the AHL.
- The Stars have killed off 17-of-18 shorthanded chances (94.4 percent) in their last five games.
- Houston is 13-for-54 (24.1 percent) with the man advantage against Iowa, including 6-for-23 (26.1 percent) in Des Moines.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is tied for ninth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 83.3 percent.
- The Aeros have allowed 30 PPG on 120 chances in the last 17 games for just a 75.0 percent PK rate, and they allowed a season-high-tying five PPG 3/28 in Peoria.
- Houston is 24-6-1-3 when not allowing a power play goal and 38-12-3-2 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- Iowa is 24th in the AHL on the power play at 14.9 percent. Only Manchester (26th at 14.0 percent) ranks lower among playoff bound teams.
- The Stars are an improved 6-for-28 (21.4 percent) on the power play in the last four games
- Iowa is 10-for-58 (17.2 percent) with the man advantage versus Houston, including 4-for-26 (15.4 percent) at home. The Stars have scored three PPG in two of the last five meetings.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 16, 2006


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