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Tied for first, Houston begins five-game road trip

March 23, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Seven things you need to know
- The Aeros, having clinched a spot in the 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs on Sunday, find themselves in an unusual position this morning - tied for first. Houston has 94 points and is tied for first (with Milwaukee) for the first time since 11/5, but the Aeros have two games in hand. Houston, which has qualified for the playoffs in 10 straight seasons and 11 out of 12, has a magic number of 21 points to clinch the West Division. That's a total of its own points gained and points lost by the Admirals. The Aeros own two division titles in their first 11 seasons - 1998-99 and 2002-03 - both championship campaigns.
- The Aeros have been outscored 16-3 in the third period over their last nine games. They are just 3-5-1-0 in that stretch. Houston is minus-four (79-75) in the final 20 minutes this season.
- Houston LW Patrick O'Sullivan continues his push towards a possible Rookie of the Year title, despite being held without a point in three straight games for the first time since 10/21-10/28. O'Sullivan, who earlier this month became the first player ever to win back-to-back AHL Rookie of the Month Awards, is possibly on his way to another. O'Sullivan owns rookie team records in all major offensive categories, and he leads all AHL rookies in goals (42) and points (78), while ranking tied for fifth overall in the league in points. His 42 goals place him third in the AHL. Since 11/9, O'Sullivan has racked up 71 points (39-32=71) in just 52 games. O'Sullivan has an impressive 23 goals in the last 27 games. His 42 goals are the second-most in a single season in team history, trailing only Jeff Christian's total of 45 in 1998-99. O'Sullivan is just the second rookie since 1991-92 to record 40 goals. Rochester's Thomas Vanek also potted 42 in 2004-05.
- Aeros RW Kirby Law (36-57=93) leads C Erik Westrum (31-61=92) by one point for the top spot in the AHL's points race. Westrum was recalled by NHL Minnesota on Monday and made his Wild debut Tuesday. Brian Wiseman holds the top two single-season point totals in Aeros' history, notching a team-record 109 points in 1998-99 and 98 in 1997-98. Only 94 players in AHL history have topped the 100-point plateau.
- Aeros LW Roman Voloshenko netted his 30th goal of the season 3/15 in Chicago, giving the Aeros a team-record four players with 30 or more goals. Houston has four of the AHL's 13 30-goal scorers in 2005-06. Binghamton had four 30-goal scorers last season. On 3/17, Voloshenko picked up his 19th PPG - one off Jeff Christian's team record, set in 1998-99. Voloshenko is tied for third in the AHL this season in PPG.
- Houston has been shut out in back-to-back games for the first time since 1/8/04 (Milwaukee) and 1/9/04 (Worcester). The Aeros haven't scored a goal in 133:32 dating back to LW Peter Olvecky's PPG at 6:53 of the third period 3/17 in Milwaukee. Houston hasn't scored an even-strength goal in 146:34, since Olvecky's second-period goal at 13:51 in the Milwaukee game. The Aeros have put up 94 shots in the last two games without a goal. Houston has been shut out in three straight games just once - 3/19-3/24/95.
- The Aeros are winless in three straight games (0-2-1-0) for the first time since 3/18-3/20/05 (0-2-1-0). In that stretch, Houston lost 2-1 in Utah in overtime, and then 8-1 and 2-0 in back-to-back games in Manitoba. An Aeros non-win tonight would be their first four-game winless streak since an 0-2-2-0 run 3/28-4/9/04, nearly two full seasons ago.

Aeros at Knights (Aeros are 5-1-0-0 overall, Aeros are 2-1-0-0 at Omaha)
- The Aeros and Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, meet for the seventh time.
- Houston won the first five meetings of the season - including four by a single goal and three in overtime or a shootout - before Omaha earned a 6-1 decision at home 3/12.
- The Aeros play three of their final 12 games against Omaha. The teams right now are on track to also meet in the 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs in the West Division semifinals.
- In the last meeting, 3/12 in Omaha, David Moss posted two goals and an assist in a 6-1 Knights victory.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros (45-19-2-2) have the AHL's fourth-best points percentage (.691) after going 1-3-1-0 in their last five...Houston kicks off a five-game road trip to complete a stretch of nine of 10 road games through the end of March...The trek continues tomorrow in Chicago and Saturday in Iowa...RW Kirby Law has 93 points (36-57=93), one up on C Erik Westrum (31-61=92) for the top spot in the AHL...Westrum was recalled by the NHL's Minnesota Wild on Monday...LW Patrick O'Sullivan is first in rookie scoring and fifth overall with 78 points (42-36=78)...LW Roman Voloshenko (31-19=50) is second in goals among rookies and tied for ninth in points...D Curtis Murphy is second among AHL defensemen with a new career-best 58 points (10-48=58)...G Seamus Kotyk is 12-10-2 with a 2.95 gaa, while G Miroslav Kopriva is 6-3-0 with a 3.23 gaa.

Scouting the Knights
Omaha (32-26-2-8), AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, saw its five-game winning and six-game unbeaten streaks end Monday with a 1-0 loss at Milwaukee...The Knights currently hold the fourth and final playoff spot out of the West Division with 74 points, six clear of Iowa, which has a game in hand...The Knights have allowed just seven goals in their last six games, and are 6-1-0-1 in their last eight at the Civic Auditorium ...All-Star D Mark Giordano paces the Knights with 55 points (14-41=55)...Rookie LW David Moss has 48 points (21-27=48)...G Brent Krahn is 23-16-6 with a 2.46 gaa - sixth-best in the AHL, while rookie G Curtis McElhinney is 9-12-2 with a 2.37 gaa - fourth in the league.

2005-06 meetings (6th of 10 meetings, Aeros are 5-1-0-0 overall, Aeros are 2-1-0-0 at Omaha)
October 18 Houston 6 at Omaha 5 (SO)
October 20 Houston 4 at Omaha 3 (SO)
November 9 Omaha 1 at Houston 2
November 11 Omaha 1 at Houston 5
December 23 Omaha 3 at Houston 4 (OT)
March 12 Houston 1 at Omaha 6
Tonight Houston at Omaha
March 31 Houston at Omaha
April 11 Omaha at Houston
April 14 Omaha at Houston

Quick Hits
- The Aeros had won their last six one-goal games before going 0-1-1-0 in their last two. They are still an eye-popping 21-6-2-2 in such contests, and an impressive 28-10-2-2 in games decided by two goals or less. Houston has seen 16 of its last 21 games be decided by one or two goals, going 10-4-1-1. Houston's 21 one-goal wins are the most in the AHL.
- Houston is 100-for-471 on the power play for 21.2 percent - second in the 27-team AHL. The Aeros had a then franchise-record 94 PPG in the Turner Cup-winning season of 1998-99. Rookie LW Roman Voloshenko has 19 PPG - just one off Jeff Christian's franchise-record from 1998-99. The Aeros have four players with 14 or more PPG.
- In their last 14 victories, the Aeros have outscored their opponents 28-11 in the first period. In the last 33 games overall, Houston has a 43-24 goal margin in the opening 20 minutes, and on the season the Aeros are an AHL-best plus-30 (78-48). The Aeros are 27-1-1-1 when leading after one period this season.
- Murphy's Mission, benefiting I Have a Dream ®, has started off in strong fashion. D Curtis Murphy has picked up nine assists in 10 games for $900. An anonymous local donor is giving $300 per Murphy goal and $100 per assist to the charity. The "I Have a Dream"® Program helps children from low-income areas reach their education and career goals by providing a long-term program of mentoring, tutoring, and enrichment with an assured opportunity for higher education. A home hat trick at any point of the program will net the foundation a whopping $10,000. Murphy, who last month became the top defenseman goal and point scorer in team history, passed Greg Hawgood for the top spot on the team's all-time assist ledger 3/9. Murphy ranks second among AHL blueliners with 58 points (10-48=58) - a new career-high. Murphy is averaging nearly a point per game since New Year's. Murphy has 32 points (7-25=32) in 33 games in 2006.
- The Aeros pulled off yet another come-from-behind win 3/7 against Chicago. Houston has trailed at some point in 19 of its 45 victories, with six of the wins coming when trailing by two goals. The Aeros had 16 come-from-behind victories in 2004-05. They are an impressive 15-11-1-0 when allowing the game's first goal.
- Houston is 14-4-1-0 when allowing 29 or fewer shots this season, but also an impressive 10-1-1-0 when yielding 40 or more.
- The Aeros are 43-5-0-1 when scoring three goals or more, but they are 2-14-2-1 when scoring two or fewer. Three is also the magic number defensively, as Houston is 38-5-2-1 when allowing three of fewer goals and 7-14-0-1 when yielding four or more.

Power play update
- Houston is second in the league on the power play at 21.2 percent.
- Houston scored 28 PPG in a 15-game stretch 2/11-3/17 before going 0-for-9 in the last two games. It's just the second time this season that the Aeros have gone two straight games without scoring a PPG.
- The Aeros are 25-6-0-1 when scoring at least two PPG. Houston has scored two or more PPG in 22 of its last 43 games.
- Omaha is fourth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 85.1 percent.
- The Knights have killed off 29-of-32 (90.6 percent) shorthanded chances in the last five games.
- Houston is 8-for-49 (16.3 percent) on the power play against Omaha this season, including 5-of-24 (20.8 percent) on the road.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is fifth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 84.7 percent.
- The Aeros have allowed 13 PPG on 55 chances in the last seven games for just a 76.4 percent PK rate.
- Houston is 22-5-1-2 when not allowing a power play goal and 35-10-2-1 when allowing one power play goal or fewer.
- Omaha is 13th in the AHL on the power play at 17.7 percent.
- The Knights are 9-for-40 (22.5 percent) with the man advantage in the last five games.
- Omaha went 4-for-34 (11.8 percent) on the power play in the season's first five meetings, but the Knights scored four times on 12 chances alone in the last meeting, 3/12. Overall, Omaha is 8-for-46 (17.4 percent) with the man advantage versus the Aeros.

Aeros/Knights connections
- Knights D Steve Bancroft played for the Aeros for part of the 1999-2000 season. Bancroft, Omaha D Mark Giordano and Houston LW Joel Ward each hail from Toronto, Ont.
- Houston G Seamus Kotyk was a teammate off Knights D Steve Bancroft (2001-02) and LW Lynn Loyns in Cleveland (2001-04).
- Aeros D Shawn Belle and Knights LW Justin Taylor both hail from Edmonton, Alta.



American Hockey League Stories from March 23, 2006


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