Utah stretches Aeros winless streak to eight

Published on December 3, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Salt Lake City, UT – David Gove snapped a tie with 5:08 left in regulation and Mike Smith turned aside 25 shots, as the Utah Grizzlies beat the Houston Aeros 3-1 at the "E" Center, sending the Aeros to their eighth straight game without a win, a new franchise record. Jarrod Skalde added a power-play goal and Zenon Konopka scored 64 seconds after Gove as Utah snapped a three-game home winless streak.

Dan Cavanaugh had made it a 1-1 game 9:12 into the third for Houston, which fell to 0-6-1-1 in its last eight. Johan Holmqvist made 25 saves for the Aeros.

The Aeros went 0-for-8 on the power play and are 3-for-58 in the last nine games and one for their last 40 with the man advantage. Cavanaugh's goal snapped a streak of 224 minutes, 56 seconds – more than 3 ½ games – without an even-strength goal. The Aeros had one power play goal and a shorthanded tally in that span.

The Grizzlies carried a one-goal lead into the final 20 minutes, and Holmqvist helped keep Houston in it with his team shorthanded early in the third, turning aside Darrell Hay's attempt from close range.

Newcomer Ed McGrane, a rookie just up from CHL Corpus Christi, played a key role in Cavanaugh's game-tying goal. Smith went to the near corner to play the puck, and McGrane beat the netminder there. McGrane sent the puck to Cavanaugh, who tapped the puck into an open net for his sixth goal of the season at 9:12 of the third.

Houston appeared set to go on its ninth power play when Regan Darby was called for slashing with 7:03 left, but the Aeros' Derek Boogaard was called for roughing away from the play at the same time.

Utah reclaimed the lead with five seconds left in that 4-on-4 time, as Gove scored his fifth of the season at 14:52. With Utah trying to jam the puck near the outside of the net, Gove popped one off the crossbar past Holmqvist.

The Grizzlies went up 3-1 just more than a minute later, after an apparent icing call was waved off, as Konopka tallied at 15:56 to pad the cushion to two goals.

The Aeros were outshot 10-3 in the third period, scoring on one of their three shots.

Utah picked up six of the game's first seven shots, but a rejuvenated Holmqvist, who got the last two games off, stopped each shot.

The Aeros had several great chances just past the midway point of the first when Houston's Jan Vodrazka sent a shot on net. The puck was knocked down in front, and several Aeros had swipes at it before Smith could cover up.

After six straight Aeros shots, Utah went on top 1-0 with 6:43 left in the opening stanza on the power play. Antti Miettinen won a race to the puck along the boards and flipped a pass to Skalde, who got it by Holmqvist for his sixth goal of the season and second versus the Aeros.

The Aeros ended with six power plays in the middle stanza, including a pair of 5-on-3's – one for 18 seconds and the other for nearly a minute – but couldn't get on the scoreboards. Houston outshot Utah 13-5 in the stanza.

On a power play early in the second, Zbynek Michalek whistled one just wide early in the man advantage, then Smith stoned the blueliner. Smith also made a nice stick save on Erik Reitz later in the power play.

Houston's mild-mannered defenseman Jason Beckett attempted to fire up his team up twice in the second. Beckett tangled with Mark Wotton at 8:48 of the period, then at 18:27, Utah enforcer Mike Sgroi dropped the gloves with Beckett.

The Grizzlies finished 1-for-5 on the power play.

Notes:

Aeros head coach Todd McLellan shook things up in the lineup, skating Sweden natives Rickard Wallin and Mika Hannula on the same line. Vodrazka, who had played just one game this season due to injury, returned from a knee injury to play as well.

With several Grizzlies regulars, including former Aero Rob Valicevic, in Dallas, Utah lost Miettinen early in the second when Vodrazka checked him at center ice. Miettinen dropped his shoulder and headed to the Grizzlies locker room.

Utah had been outscored 28-13 in the third period this season, but held a 2-1 edge in the stanza tonight.

Houston has led in four of its last 15 games.

McGrane made his AHL debut. McGrane had 14 goals and 21 points in 19 games with CHL Corpus Christi this season.

Smith had his second outstanding effort versus Houston this season. The second-year netminder made 48 saves in a 2-1 win at Toyota Center on October 26.

The Aeros were outshot for the third straight game.

Utah has 17 points, three more than the last-place Aeros.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 3, 2003


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