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Wanvig's two goals help Aeros to 2-2 tie

February 11, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Rosemont, IL – Kyle Wanvig scored twice, including the game-tying goal with 9:35 left in regulation, as the Houston Aeros and Chicago Wolves skated to a 2-2 deadlock at Allstate Arena. Johan Holmqvist turned aside 30 shots for Houston, which is 0-2-1-0 to start its season-long five-game road trip, which continues Friday at third-place Milwaukee. The fourth-place Aeros (49 points), who moved three points ahead of idle Cincinnati, are 0-4-1-2 in their last seven trips to Allstate Arena. Former Aero Brendan Yarema scored a shorthanded goal and Zdenek Blatny added a marker for the Wolves, who are 1-2-1-0 in their last four. Rookie Michael Garnett made 37 saves for Chicago, which was held below three goals for just the third time in 18 games.

Wanvig tallied his team-best seventh multi-point game of the season and his fourth multi-goal game. The goals came against Garnett, his teammate in juniors with Red Deer. Wanvig, who scored in the All Star Game on Monday, had been held without a point in his last six games prior to tonight.

The teams combined for the game's first two goals just 49 seconds apart late in the second.

A Houston error behind its own net led to Yarema's shorthanded score, when Holmqvist and Erik Reitz miscommunicated on the Aeros' power play with 6:26 left. Blatny stole the puck with Holmqvist out of the net and fed Yarema in front, and the former Aero tapped the puck into the empty net for his 12th of the season.

The Aeros wasted no time answering, as Wanvig tied things up on the same power play, with 5:37 remaining. Kevin Mitchell ripped a shot from the point, and Wanvig deflected the puck up and over his former Red Deer Rebels teammate for his team-leading 17th goal of the season – seventh on the power play. The goal was Wanvig's first since January 24.

Blatny snapped a 1-1 tie early in the third, as Shawn Heins, just out of the penalty box, fed Blatny for his seventh of the season at the 4:54 mark.

Wanvig's second of the game, though, knotted the game back up at 2-2 with 9:35 left in regulation. Chicago turned the puck over at center ice, and Dan Cavanaugh fed Zbynek Michalek, who got the puck to Wanvig just across the blueline. The All Star rocketed one past Garnett for his team-best 18th of the season.

Garnett robbed Wanvig of the hat trick with four minutes left, steering the winger's shot just wide. With time winding down in regulation, Holmqvist turned away Tommi Santala with his blocker.

The Wolves appeared to go on the power play with 1:14 left in overtime when Mitchell was sent off for cross checking, but Chicago's Karl Stewart picked up an instigating penalty at the same time as the pair dropped the gloves.

Chicago ended the extra session with a 4-2 shot advantage, but the teams couldn't break the tie.

Houston and Chicago went to overtime for the 10th time in the last 17 games, including four of the nine contests this season.

The Aeros are 0-3-10 in overtime, remaining one of two AHL teams without an extra session win. Houston had settled its last 11 games in regulation prior to tonight. Chicago is 2-3-7 in overtime.

Houston finished 1-for-5 on the power play, while Chicago went 0-for-3.

The Aeros outshot the Wolves 12-8 in the first period, despite taking more than 10 minutes to record their first shot. Houston registered the final nine shots of the stanza, but both netminders were up to task.

Each teams' best chance in the opening period came shorthanded. Seven minutes in, Houston's Darby Hendrickson broke in alone on Garnett but his backhander went off the crossbar.

With 13 minutes gone by in the first, Chicago broke in on a 2-on-1 shorthanded, but Blatny slid the puck just wide of the net.

The teams, who combined for 81 penalty minutes – mostly roughing minors – in Saturday's game, picked up 48 penalty minutes after the first period ended. Wanvig, Michalek, Stewart and Yarema each got 10-minute misconducts.

Houston came out of the blocks slow in the second period as well, as the Wolves notched the first five shots of the period and the Aeros didn't have a shot in the opening seven minutes of the stanza.

Notes:

The Aeros are 0-11-3-0 when allowing the game's first goal on the road. The Aeros allowed the game's first goal for the 10th time in 16 games overall.

Stephane Veilleux assisted on Wanvig's first goal, extending his point streak to a career-best five games. He has 11 points (6+5=11) in the last 14 games.

Eight of Mitchell's 12 points this season have come on the power play. He has nine points (1+8=9) in the last 10 games.

The Aeros scored two goals or fewer for the 18th time in 26 games and for the 34th time in 54 games this season.

Wanvig has four of his seven power-play goals this season versus Chicago. Six of his 18 goals overall have come against the Wolves.

Cavanaugh played in his 200th pro game, all with the Aeros.

Houston has only one win in its last 12 road games (1-7-4-0). It did snap a three-game road losing streak, one shy of an 8 ½-year franchise record.

The Aeros have at least one power play goal in each of their last four games.

Holmqvist has just one loss in his last five starts (3-1-1). He has just two wins in 11 career decisions versus Chicago (2-5-4). Holmqvist has played in each of the nine meetings this season (1-4-4).

Houston's last win at Allstate Arena came on January 15, 2003.

The Aeros' last overtime game was a 1-1 tie at San Antonio on January 17, capping off a streak of eight OT games in 10 contests.

Houston is winless in its last six games against Chicago (0-3-3-0), tying its longest winless streak ever in the series.

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