Three-in-three finishes in San Antonio

Published on January 14, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Eight things you need to know

Playing in his 593rd pro game, Houston veteran C Jason Morgan matched a career-high with two goals last night in Omaha. Morgan last scored twice more than four seasons ago, 12/21/02 against Manchester. Morgan has five points (4-1=5) in 10 games since returning from a two-month recall/injury absence. Three of Morgan's four goals have tied the game - including both last night.
Aeros D Curtis Murphy has 13 points (2-11=13) over his last 13 games to move to 24 points (5-19=24) this season - moving him into fifth place among AHL defensemen. This comes after a cold spell where Murphy was held pointless in six games - a season-high. Earlier this week, Murphy was selected to participate in the 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic - his fifth appearance in as many AHL seasons. A three-time International Hockey League All-Star, Murphy has participated in eight All-Star games in as many professional seasons in North America.
Aeros RW Mattias Weinhandl has a team-best 17 points (9-8=17) in 13 games since getting assigned by the Minnesota Wild last month. Weinhandl is tied for the team lead with six multiple-point games, and he has six points points (4-2=6) in the last three contests. Weinhandl has a goal in each of the Aeros' six road games since he joined the team, with seven goals in that span.
Houston's third-year G Josh Harding has played in all but five of the Aeros' first 40 games. Harding ranks first in the AHL in games played (35), minutes (2,091), is second in shots faced (1089) and saves (1,002), and third in wins (16). Harding is 12th in gaa (2.50) and fifth in save pct. (.920). Harding is 16-9-3 with a 2.38 gaa and a .924 save pct. in his last 28 decisions since starting the season 0-5-1. The Aeros' record for most games played by a goalie in one season is 72 - set by Frederic Chabot in 1996-97 in an 82-game season. Harding is on pace for 70 this season.
Aeros rookie RW Danny Irmen has eight points (3-5=8) in his last seven games, including a career-best three points (1-2=3) last night. Irmen, who is tied for the team lead with six multiple-point games, ranks tied for 23rd among AHL rookies with 22 points (11-11=22).
Aeros LW Roman Voloshenko has points in seven of his last nine games, with seven points (3-4=7) in that span. Voloshenko, who netted 60 points (33-27=60) in his rookie season of 2005-06, currently ranks tied for fifth on the Aeros roster with 19 points (6-13=19).
Houston is finishing off just its third set of three games in three nights this season. The Aeros played both of the previous finales at home, losing a third-period lead in a 4-3 defeat to Hartford 11/19, and defeating Grand Rapids 6-1 on 11/26. Houston has three more sets of three-in-three remaining, but none until March.
With last night's 5-4 shootout loss in Omaha, the Aeros remain the lone AHL team without a decision in OT. Houston is 5-4 in shootouts. San Antonio is one of the AHL's best extra time teams, with a 3-1 OT mark and a 4-1 shootout record.

Aeros at Rampage (Aeros are 37-11-6-3 overall, Aeros are 13-8-4-3 at San Antonio)
Tonight is the 58th all-time meeting between the teams - 29th in Houston.
Houston is just 1-4-0-1 in its last six trips to AT&T Center. The Aeros were 12-4-4-2 in the first 22 meetings there.
The Aeros are 22-6-2-1 in the last 31 overall meetings.
Since a three-game winless slide in the series 12/27/03-1/17/04, the Aeros have unleashed a 27-7-3-2 mark.
Aeros RW Matt Foy has eight goals and two assists in nine games against San Antonio this season. He has 25 points (15-10=25) in 37 career games against the Rampage.
San Antonio C Yanick Lehoux has 13 points (4-9=13) in the first nine meetings with Houston this season - but none in the last meeting, last Sunday. Lehoux has 16 points (8-8=16) overall in 13 career games versus Houston.
Aeros G Josh Harding is 15-3-1 with a 1.98 gaa and a .933 save pct. in his career against the Rampage. After dropping his first lifetime meeting - and first lifetime start - with the Rampage, Harding is 15-2-1 in the last 18 decisions.
Tonight is the team's sixth meeting in the last 32 days. But they don't play again for two months - until a 4/14 and 4/15 home-and-home.

Scouting the Aeros
The sixth-place Aeros (17-18-0-5) have 39 points and are five points behind fifth-place Iowa and six away from fourth-place Milwaukee...Houston has points in three straight games (2-0-0-1) for the first time since a season-high five-game winning streak 11/4-11/17...Team scoring leader RW Matt Foy has 30 points (15-15=30)...Next are veteran D Curtis Murphy (5-19=24), rookie RW Danny Irmen (11-11=22) and rookie LW Benoit Pouliot (15-6=21)...G Josh Harding is 16-14-4 with a 2.50 gaa and a .920 save pct....D Dieter Kochan is 1-0-0 with a 0.00 gaa and a 1.000 save pct., and returned to back up last week after missing 29 games due to injury...Kochan's next start will be his first since 2/22/06, with Portland at Providence.

Scouting the Rampage
San Antonio (15-22-1-1), AHL affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes, snapped a two-game skid with a 3-2 home shootout victory over Milwaukee on Friday...The win was the Rampage's fifth in seven games...San Antonio is seven points behind the sixth-place Aeros...Tonight the Rampage play its league-high 26th home game...C Yanick Lehoux leads the Rampage in scoring with 37 points (16-21=37) - 13 more than any other teammate...Veteran D Bryan Helmer paces the blueline with 15 points (4-11=15)...G Josh Tordjman is 8-7-1 with a 2.39 gaa, while G David LeNeveu is 3-10-0 with a 3.96 gaa.

2006-07 meetings (10th of 12 meetings, Aeros are 5-3-0-1 overall, Aeros are 1-2-0-1 at San Antonio)
October 15 Houston 4 at San Antonio 5 (SO)
November 17 San Antonio 1 at Houston 4
November 21 Houston 2 at San Antonio 4
November 24 San Antonio 3 at Houston 5
December 14 Houston 3 at San Antonio 1
December 26 San Antonio 2 at Houston 3 (SO)
December 29 Houston 2 at San Antonio 3
December 30 San Antonio 6 at Houston 4
January 7 San Antonio 1 at Houston 4
Tonight Houston at San Antonio
April 14 Houston at San Antonio
April 15 San Antonio at Houston

Saturday's game
Carsen Germyn scored two goals, Justin Taylor posted a goal and an assist and defenseman Tim Ramholt scored the deciding shootout goal, as the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights defeated Houston 5-4 for their fifth win over the Aeros this season in as many attempts. Kris Chucko also scored and Curtis McElhinney made 21 saves for Omaha. Jason Morgan scored two goals, Danny Irmen posted a goal and two assists, Mattias Weinhandl also scored and Josh Harding made 35 saves for Houston, which earned its first point of the season when trailing with five minutes left in regulation.

Quick Hits
Eight of the Aeros' 17 victories have been in come-from-behind fashion.
The Aeros are 6-5-0-5 in one-goal games. But after eight of their first 12 games were decided by one goal, just eight of Houston's last 28 contests has been decided in that fashion.
Houston is 16-6-0-4 when scoring three goals or more, and just 1-12-0-1 when scoring two or fewer.
A win tonight would put Houston at the .500 mark for the second time this season - the other was 11/18 after a 3-0 loss in Omaha. It would also put the Aeros above the .500 mark on the road for the first time since it was 5-4-0-1 after the aforementioned loss in Omaha.
Houston picked up another point last night when yielding 40 shots. The Aeros are 5-1-0-2 this season when allowing 40 or more shots.
The Aeros are 2-0-0-1 in their last three games, and have outscored their opponents 4-1 in the third period in that span.
San Antonio has scored just 28 first-period goals. Only Bridgeport (26) has scored fewer.
The Rampage's third-period goal total of 30 is the third fewest in the AHL.

Power play update
Houston is 23rd in the AHL with the man advantage at 14.2 percent.
The Aeros are 12-for-58 (20.7 percent) on the power play in their last 10 games, and a stellar 4-for-13 (30.8 percent) in their last three contests.
San Antonio is 17th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 81.8 percent.
The Rampage is 31-of-35 (88.6 percent) on the PK in the last five games.
The Aeros are 7-for-50 (14.0 percent) on the power play against San Antonio, but 2-for-20 (10.0 percent) at AT&T Center.

Penalty kill update
Houston is third in the AHL on the PK at 87.1 percent.
Since allowing an early PPG Friday, the Aeros have killed off 11 straight shorthanded chances.
San Antonio is 16th in the AHL on the power play at 16.7 percent.
The Rampage is 3-for-26 (11.5 percent) with the man advantage in the last five games.
San Antonio is 5-for-42 (11.9 percent) on the power play against Houston, including 0-for-12 in the last three AT&T Center meetings.

Aeros/Rampage connections
Rampage D Matt Jones enrolled at the University of North Dakota in 2001-02, a season after Aeros C Bryan Lundbohm left campus, and four after Aeros D Curtis Murphy graduated.
Rampage D Nick Martens is an alum of the University of Michigan, as is assistant coach Cam Stewart.
Houston LW Josh Olson played for San Antonio from 2002-05, while RW Joey Tetarenko skated with the Rampage in 2002-03.

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



American Hockey League Stories from January 14, 2007


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