Sunshine Kids continue to profit as Aeros pull away for 4-1 win

Published on March 8, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Houston, TX – Kevin Mitchell, Mark Cullen and Dan Cavanaugh keyed a four-score third period with a goal and an assist apiece and Johan Holmqvist made 37 saves and helped thwart a pair of Grand Rapids five-minute power plays, as the Houston Aeros pulled away from the league-leading Griffins for a 4-1 victory at Toyota Center. Jan Vodrazka scored his first goal in more than a calendar year and Mitchell's 80-footer with 7:19 left in regulation was the game-winner for the Aeros, who became the first team to beat the Griffins four times this season. Cullen, meanwhile, earned another $150 for "Sunshine Kids", an organization which aids children with cancer. Houston moved to 60 points – five clear of the fifth-place tandem of San Antonio and Cincinnati. The Aeros are now 4-1-1-0 in their last six and play host to the Rampage Friday at 7 p.m. to open up an important home-and-home series.

Kevin Miller scored and Marc Lamothe stopped 32 shots for the Griffins, who had their two-game winning streak snapped and finished their four-game Texas swing with a 2-2-0-0 mark. The Griffins yielded just 30 third-period goals in their first 64 games, 10 fewer than any other AHL team, but they gave up four tonight. Grand Rapids had outscored Houston 10-1 in the final stanza of their first eight meetings this season. The Griffins were handed their worst loss since a 4-1 defeat at Toyota Center on February 18.

Neither team made it on the scoreboard through two periods, but it didn't take the Aeros long to go on top in a wild third frame. Just 1:46 into the period, Cullen won the faceoff back to Vodrazka, whose one-timer from the left point through a screen beat Lamothe five-hole for his first goal as an Aero. Vodrazka hadn't scored in the last 64 games, dating back to his goal with Saint John versus St. John's on February 19, 2003.

With just inside 12 minutes left, Holmqvist flashed some serious pad and leather. He kicked out Danny Groulx' attempt from the right point, then dove well to his left to nab a Jiri Hudler rebound attempt with his glove.

Houston went shorthanded with 11:05 left in regulation with a holding call to Travis Roche, and Grand Rapids took only 38 seconds to capitalize and tie the game. Groulx ripped a shot from the point, and Holmqvist got a piece of the puck with his blocker, but it popped up in the air, and Miller poked it by the netminder for his team-best 23rd of the season with 10:27 remaining. The goal snapped Holmqvist's shutout streak at 132 minutes, 25 seconds.

Houston then went down a man again with 9:49 left, as Derek Boogaard sent Darryl Bootland hard into the boards behind Holmqvist. Boogaard picked up an elbowing minor as Bootland was slow to get up and head back to the bench.

But the Aeros killed off that advantage, then used Mitchell's craftiness to go back on top 2-1 with 7:19 remaining. Mitchell took a pass from Cavanaugh and faked a dump-in to the right corner from just inside center ice. Lamothe bit on the fake and started out of the net as Mitchell lofted the puck on goal. By the time the netminder stopped at the post, he couldn't find the puck, which hit the far corner of the net for Mitchell's third of the season.

"It's something I've done before and it worked for me when I was younger," said Mitchell, who has a goal and four assists in the last five games. "He went for it. I don't think he even saw the puck."

"I was aiming for that corner," Mitchell added with a laugh.

"He's tried it five or six other times this season and nearly beat some other goalies or at least had them thinking about it," said Aeros head coach Todd McLellan. "Tonight we worked hard enough to get that break."

Houston didn't stop there, scoring twice in the final 2:42 of the game to continue to pour it on. With the Aeros on the power play, Cullen took a great feed between the circles from Matt Foy and snapped one high over Lamothe for his eighth of the season.

Grand Rapids continued to unravel, going down two men in the waning minutes after a spearing major to Ryan Bonni. Mitchell ripped one from the point, and Boogaard, the Aeros enforcer looking for a goal the game after he was turned away on a penalty shot, deflected the puck inches wide after taking a whack from Lamothe. Cavanaugh picked up the puck and slid it by the netminder for his 11th of the campaign.

"We kind of used the analogy tonight of a baseball game," said McLellan. "We didn't have to hit a home run every time up, a bunch of singles would be okay. We did a lot of the little things well. Scoring first and playing with the lead certainly made it better for us."

Houston finished 1-for-5 on the power play, while Grand Rapids went 1-for-4.

The Aeros were tested early on when Boogaard went off for a five-minute high sticking major just 4:01 into the game. Houston actually outshot the Griffins 5-2 in the extended man advantage. Grand Rapids entered tonight's game tied for second in the AHL on the power play.

Miller had the Griffins' best chance of the power play with 1:20 remaining on it, but Holmqvist turned him aside from the low slot.

The Aeros enjoyed a pair of odd man rushes while shorthanded, but Lamothe made several key saves, robbing both Michael Schutte and Mika Hannula with acrobatic stops.

Houston nearly went up with the game's first goal with 2:30 left in the opening period and the Aeros on the power play. Foy broke in 2-on-1 with Cullen, who didn't get all of his attempt and the puck floated high and just over the net.

The Aeros had another great chance to start the second period when Roche eluded a defender in the right circle and fed Kyle Wanvig, whose attempt was turned aside by Lamothe.

Grand Rapids went on yet another five-minute power play at 6:50 of the second when Hannula was sent to the box for a high sticking major. The Griffins did dominate this man advantage, but Holmqvist gloved aside several chances into the corner to keep the game tied. Holmqvist's best save of the power play came with 9:40 left in the stanza, when Miller broke in alone after the Aeros missed a defensive assignment. Holmqvist stuck out the pads in each direction and stoned Miller's attempt to sneak it inside the post. The Griffins ended the advantage with five attempts before Holmqvist dove on a loose puck just outside the crease, bringing the crowd to its feet after Grand Rapids had kept the puck in the zone for nearly two full minutes.

Notes:

The Aeros have scored first in five straight games.

Cincinnati is the only other team with as many as three victories against Grand Rapids.

Houston's four goals in the third scored tied a season high for a period, set three times previously, most recently January 30 in a 5-2 win at Manitoba.

Holmqvist is 3-0-0 with an 0.67 goals against average in his last three games. He evened his career mark against Grand Rapids at 5-5-0.

Houston scored four or more goals against the Griffins for only the third time in the last 17 regular-season meetings.

The Aeros are averaging 3.50 goals per game over the last six home games.

Boogaard had two of his four points this season in the last four games.

Mitchell, sent to ECHL Louisiana for much of the first half of the season, has 15 points (3+12=15) in the last 21 games.

Cullen has seven goals and four assists in 17 career games against Grand Rapids.

Mitchell's two-point game was his second as an Aero, first since January 24 versus Syracuse.

Cavanaugh notched his fourth two-point game, the first since back on December 7 against Chicago. Cavanaugh's goal was his 75th pro point.

Cullen has five multiple point games, and has a goal and four helpers in the last two games to help raise $300 in 72 hours for Sunshine Kids. Cullen was diagnosed with malignant melanoma last September.

Houston's Jason Beckett had seven penalty minutes, moving him to 505 in his pro career.

The Aeros moved over the .500 mark (10-9-3-1) against the West Division at Toyota Center.

Houston is 18-7-5-1 when scoring first.

The teams finish up the season series in the Aeros' regular-season finale April 10, at Toyota Center.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 8, 2004


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