Wolves score four unanswered goals to top Aeros 4-2
January 3, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release
Rosemont, IL â Steve Maltais broke a tie with 9:46 left in regulation, as the Chicago Wolves rallied from two goals down for a 4-2 victory over the Houston Aeros at Allstate Arena. Mike Weaver, Kurtis Foster and Derek MacKenzie also scored and Frederic Cassivi made 31 saves to snap a personal six-game winless streak for Chicago, which extended its unbeaten streak to six games (4-0-2). Johan Holmqvist stopped 31 shots, Stephane Veilleux picked up a goal and an assist and Kyle Wanvig scored his ninth goal in 10 games for Houston, but the Aeros had their season-high seven-game unbeaten streak (3-0-4) snapped and are now winless in five games (0-1-4). Houston fell for just the second time in 15 games (9-2-4), and is now four points behind third-place Milwaukee and five behind second-place Chicago. The Aeros, who led 2-0 after one and 2-1 after two, lost for the second time (9-2-2) when leading after 40 minutes.
Houston will look to rebound Sunday at 5 p.m. versus Rochester. The first 2,500 fans will receive the second set of Aeros trading cards.
Houston appeared to have the game on cruise control, up two goals in the second period, gaining 14 of the stanza's first 19 shots.
Chicago, however, struck back with an important goal with 4:17 left in the middle period on Weaver's first goal of the season. The tally came after Veilleux was elbowed to the ground by a Wolves player with no stoppage in play. Weaver threw one on net from the point, and it eluded a screened Holmqvist.
The Wolves looked like they would have more momentum headed to the third, as Houston's Jeff Hoggan was going off for tripping late in the second. However, after 20 seconds of play with Cassivi off for the extra attacker, Chicago's Foster threw a punch at Hoggan as he touched up, evening the teams at 4-on-4.
A key mistake cost the Aeros early in the third, as the Wolves went on a 5-on-3 for a full two minutes, after Houston failed to score on a power play of its own. Marc Cavosie was already called for tripping and Veilleux hit a Wolves player for an additional unsportsmanlike conduct.
Foster knotted the score with his seventh of the season on that 5-on-3 advantage, with 12:26 left. The tally was his fifth on the power play and third versus the Aeros. Foster's rocket from the point, on a helper from former Aero Greg Hawgood (three assists), eluded Holmqvist with 24 seconds left on the two-man advantage.
The stretch of play was eerily similar to Tuesday at home versus the Wolves, when Houston failed to score on a full two-minute, two-man advantage in the third period, then saw Chicago tie the game with less than four minutes remaining.
Cavosie nearly put his team back on top midway through the period, but Cassivi turned him aside. Derek Boogaard had a pair of swipes at the rebound, but didn't find the net.
Maltais then put Chicago on top with 9:46 left, putting the Wolves in the lead for the first time in the game. Maltais took a great pass from Kamil Piros and beat Holmqvist for his 11th of the season and second in as many nights.
Houston's Rickard Wallin went off for tripping two minutes later, as the Aeros were trying to mount their comeback.
The Aeros pulled Holmqvist with 1:18 left, but couldn't push across the equalizer. MacKenzie finished the scoring with an empty netter with 51 seconds remaining.
Houston finished 1-for-3 on the power play, while Chicago went 1-for-5. Tonight marked the first time in 16 games that the Aeros had fewer power plays than their opponents.
The Aeros broke on top for the 11th time in 13 games, on the power play at 4:46 of the first period. Wallin sent the puck in behind Cassivi, who went behind the net to play it. The puck took a crazy bounce off the corner boards right to Veilleux in front of the net, and Veilleux tapped it into te empty net for his sixth goal of the season. Veilleux scored a shorthanded goal last night, also with little resistance, after Cavosie beat Cincinnati goalie Ilya Bryzgalov to a loose puck at the blue line.
Holmqvist helped keep the Aeros in front a minute later, stopping Weaver as he crashed the net on a MacKenzie rebound and tried to go topshelf. Holmqvist dove to the back of the net to prevent the score.
Chicago thought it had evened the score with 7:30 left in the first period, but several Wolves crashed into Holmqvist, negating the goal.
Wanvig made it 2-0 with 11 seconds left in the period with his ninth goal in 10 games and 15th of the season. Wanvig made a spectacular move to get around Hawgood, threw a backhander to the far post, and the puck got under Cassivi. Travis Roche (two assists) started the play with a great takeaway behind Holmqvist, and then got the puck up ice to Veilleux, who fed Wanvig with a saucer pass. Wanvig caught the pass with his stick in mid-air and went in on Cassivi.
Notes:
Aeros defenseman Jan Vodrazka missed the game with an undisclosed injury. Houston played with six blueliners, including Jason Beckett, who has split time at forward and defense, and just 16 skaters overall, with Vodrazka and Zbynek Michalek (Minnesota) out of the lineup.
Veilleux notched his third multi-point game of the season and his second multi-assist game. He had a goal and an assist December 13 against San Antonio, and three helpers October 28 versus Cleveland. Veilleux also has a goal in two straight games for the first time this season and fourth time in his career. He'll go for his first career three-game goal streak tomorrow.
Roche has a pair of two-assist games in the last four contests, and he has five helpers in those last four games. Roche played in his 149th game with the Aeros.
The Aeros have at least one power play goal in 12 of 15 games.
Tonight marked the second time in as many nights that a player notched his first goal of the season against the Aeros. Cincinnati's Brian Gornick scored in his 11th game last night, and Weaver tallied tonight in his 36th game.
Houston was last "out power played" December 1 in a 3-1 home loss to Milwaukee. The Admirals had 10 power plays in that game to Houston's seven.
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from January 3, 2004
- Roadrunners Steal Point from Bulldogs - Edmonton Road Runners
- 7-0 Loss Caps Forgettable Week for Griffins - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Grizzlies Offense Hibernates in Freezing Manitoba - Utah Grizzlies
- Wolves score four unanswered goals to top Aeros 4-2 - Houston Aeros
- Rampage rally to tie in third, then dump Ducks in OT - Cincinnati RailRaiders
- Sound Tigers Lose 2-1 At Home To Norfolk - Bridgeport Islanders
- Red-Hot Corazzini moves Bruins past Lowell - Providence Bruins
- Bears and Pirates Skate to Rare 0-0 Tie in Portland - Hershey Bears
- Sound Tigers Sign Cheverie To PTO - Bridgeport Islanders
- Roadrunners Steal Point from Bulldogs - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Kings and Monarchs Announce Multiple Transactions - Manchester Monarchs
- David Oliver Re-Called by Dallas - Utah Grizzlies
- Bears in Portland Tonight to Take on the Pirates - Hershey Bears
- Libby Re-Assigned to Quad City - Portland Pirates
- Defenseman Mark Popovic Assigned to Cincinnati - Cincinnati RailRaiders
- Cincinnati Mighty Ducks Preview - Cincinnati RailRaiders
- Empire Vision Poster Night Returns Friday, January 16 - Syracuse Crunch
- Rampage Game Day - San Antonio Rampage
- Aeros Game Day - Houston Aeros
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.
