Road trip ends in Grand Rapids

Published on October 21, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Seven things you need to know
- Seven of the Aeros' 13 goals this season have come from rookies - including a team-best three from first-round pick LW Benoit Pouliot. Only Omaha (eight) has more goals from rookies. Grand Rapids, meanwhile, has just three points - and no goals - from rookies.
- Aeros third-year G Josh Harding turned in his best performance of the young season last night, stopping 37-of-39 shots, including all 20 sent his way in the first period. Harding ranks first among AHL netminders in games played (six), minutes (351), shots faced (176) and saves (159). Harding is looking for his first win since Game 4 of last season's West Division Semifinals against Peoria. He - and the Aeros - are 0-9-1 since. Harding has a great 2.27 gaa against the Griffins in his career, but just a 5-5-1 mark to show for it.
- Tonight's game features the 25th-ranked Aeros power play against a Grand Rapids penalty kill ranked second in the AHL. Houston is 4-for-51 (7.8 percent) with the man advantage this season, although it is 2-for-12 (16.7 percent) in the last two games. The Griffins, meanwhile, have killed off 33-of-36 (91.7 percent) of their shorthanded chances. Houston went 0-for-12 against the Griffins on Opening Night, but 1-for-5 last night.
- The Aeros are winless through six games (0-5-0-1) for just the second time in team history. Houston began its 1995-96 campaign with an 0-6-0-0 mark. The Aeros are winless in 10 straight overall (0-9-0-1) dating back to last season's playoffs. Houston joins Syracuse (0-5-0-0) as the lone winless AHL teams this season.
- 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 are 0-5-0-1 in their last six road games, making them 4-13-1-2 in their last 20 counting the playoffs. Tonight, Houston finishes off a five-game road trip. The Aeros return home for a four-game homestand, beginning next Friday against Hamilton in a rematch of the 2003 Calder Cup Finals, won in seven games by the Aeros.
- Houston has been outscored 15-7 from the second period on this season, including a 7-12 mark in the third period. The Aeros have led for 39:00 of a possible 365 minutes played.
- Aeros D Erik Reitz is the team's all-time leader in PIM's with 496 since Houston 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). Counting Reitz' four PIM's with NHL Minnesota last season, Reitz reached the 500 mark for his career last night.

Aeros at Griffins (Aeros are 27-26-7-2 all-time, Aeros are 12-16-2-0 at Grand Rapids)
- Tonight is the 63rd all-time meeting between the teams - 31st in Grand Rapids.
- Houston took three of the four regular season meetings in 2005-06, including both at Van Andel Arena.
- A victory at Van Andel last night would have given the Aeros their first-ever three-game winning streak in Grand Rapids.
- Houston has lost three straight overall in the series for the first time since a four-game slide from 1/28-3/23/03.
- Ten of the last 14 meetings in the last three seasons have been decided by one goal.
- Aeros LW Roman Voloshenko scored six goals in three games against Grand Rapids last season, including four goals at Toyota Center 10/21.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros (0-5-0-1) are in their sixth American Hockey League season and 13th overall...Houston is 0-3-0-1 to begin a five-game road trip...The Aeros' top two scorers, RW Matt Foy (1-3=4) and C Wyatt Smith (2-2=4), were both recalled to NHL Minnesota earlier this week...D Curtis Murphy is the team's leading returning scorer from last season 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....G Josh Harding is 0-5-1 with a 2.91 gaa and a .903 save pct. this season...Harding ranks first in the AHL in games (six), minutes (251), shots faced (176) and saves (159)...G Dieter Kochan was signed to a 2006-07 AHL contract earlier this week...The veteran netminder, released by AHL Chicago on Monday, was a member of the Aeros' 2003 Calder Cup title team.

Scouting the Griffins
Grand Rapids (3-1-1-0) trails only unbeaten Rochester (5-0-0-0) for the top spot in the North Division...Grand Rapids plays game three of a eight-game homestand...C Krys Kolanos paces the Griffins with five points (2-3=5), just ahead of a trio of teammates, including RW Josh Langfeld (2-2=4)...D Dan Smith leads the blueline with three points (0-3=3)...G Jimmy Howard - an All-Rookie AHL selection last season - is 2-1-0 with a 2.63 gaa., while G Stefan Liv is 1-1-0 with a 2.51 gaa.

2006-07 meetings (2nd of 4 meetings, Aeros are 0-1-0-0 overall, First meeting at Grand Rapids)
October 7 Grand Rapids 3 at Houston 1
Last Night Houston 1 at Grand Rapids 2
Tonight Houston at Grand Rapids
November 26 Grand Rapids at Houston

Friday's game
Brendan Brooks and Ryan Oulahen scored 1:57 apart midway through the second period and Jimmy Howard made 24 saves, as the Grand Rapids Griffins held off the Houston Aeros 2-1 at Van Andel Arena. Rookie Benoit Pouliot scored a power play goal and Josh Harding had 37 saves for Houston (0-5-0-1), which finishes off a five-game road trip Saturday in Grand Rapids. The Aeros played without their top two scorers - Wyatt Smith and Matt Foy - both recalled to NHL Minnesota.

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 39-28-6 all-time on the road in October, including a 17-11-2 mark since joining the AHL in 2001-02.

Power play update
- Houston is 25th in the AHL with the man advantage at 7.8 percent (4-for-51).
- Grand Rapids is second on the PK this season at 91.7 percent.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is 15th this season on the PK at 81.8 percent.
- Grand Rapids is 11th in the league on the power play this season at 20.7 percent (6-for-29).

From here to there
- The Aeros had 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.

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).

Aeros/Griffins connections
- Griffins D Jason Beckett played the 2003-04 season with the Aeros, totaling 11 points (4-7=11) and 168 PIM's in 72 games. Beckett also played with Aeros C Bryan Lundbohm (2001-03) and C Wyatt Smith (2002-03) in AHL Milwaukee.
- Grand Rapids LW Brock Radunske and D Kyle Quincey, and Aeros assistant coach Cam Stewart each hail from Kitchener, Ont.
- Aeros C Alex Leavitt and Griffins C Matt Hussey were teammates the University of Wisconsin in 2001-02.
- Houston RW Matt Foy and Grand Rapids C Evan McGrath are both from Oakville, Ont.
- Houston D Ryan Stokes played 13 games for OHL Barrie in 2002-03. The Colts' leading scorer that season was Grand Rapids C Eric Himelfarb. Stokes also played the 2003-04 OHL season alongside Griffins D Kyle Quincey, in Mississauga.
- Grand Rapids C Eric Himelfarb and Houston RW Joel Ward each hail from Toronto, Ont.
- Griffins RW Brendan Brooks teamed with Aeros assistant coach Matt Shaw, then Quad Cities' head coach, to win the UHL's regular-season title with the Mallards in the 1999-2000 season.
- Aeros D Curtis Murphy and Griffins D Nick Naumenko were teammates at the University of North Dakota from 1994-96.
- Grand Rapids assistant coach Jim Paek had two stints with the Aeros, in 1995-96 and 1998-99, totaling 10 points (2-8=10) in 36 games.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Hockey League Stories from October 21, 2006


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central