SAT, at SAN, 7:00 p.m.
Back to winning
After a dramatic 6-5 shootout victory in San Antonio Friday night the Houston Aeros will return to AT&T Center to take on the Rampage again in the second of three straight games against the team. Houston earned the team’s first win of the season in that shootout, the same building where they won the last game of the 2006-07 season on April 14. San Antonio has a record of 2-1-0-1 heading into this week and will be playing three road games prior to hosting the Aeros, at Iowa on Tuesday and at Chicago both Wednesday and Friday nights. The Aeros upped the all-time record in San Antonio to 15-9-4-3 after Friday’s SOW.

SUN, SAN, 4:05 p.m.
Third of Three
The Rampage will make the first trip of the season into Houston as the last installment of this three straight against the Rampage. This afternoon dual marks the Aeros first Family Day and Puck Pals game. The Aeros have an all-time home-record of 24-4-2-0 when hosting the Rampage, including a 4-2-0-0 mark last season. Puck Pals and Family Day attendees are encouraged to dress up in their Halloween costumes, kids who do will be invited to join Chilly and the Aerodynamics on the ice between periods. Treats will be handed out as fans exit Toyota Center as part of the Halloween festivities.

All Aeros games are broadcast live on KNTH 1070-AM and through Aeros.com. For $6, you can also watch the game live via B2 Networks. Visit Aeros.com 10 minutes prior to gametime to order.

Player of the Week: C Serge Payer

10/17 vs. RFD, 0-0=0
10/19 at SAN, 1-1=2
Payer netted Houston’s first goal and assisted on the team’s last goal en route to the Aeros 6-5 shootout victory, the team’s first win of the season. The 6-foot-0, 191 pound center is currently tied for second on the team with four points (2-2=4) after Friday’s two-point performance. He marked Houston’s fourth multi-point game of the season for an individual.

Notables
• The Aeros tallied the first goal of the game against ROC Wednesday night marking the team’s first lead of the season after 185:59 of game time
• Houston tallied the team’s second power-play goal of the season Friday night, the first in 28 attempts. Special teams has struggled with the PP ranking last in the league at 5.4% (2 of 37) and penalty kill ranking tied for last at 72.41% (21 of 29)
• G Nolan Schaefer stopped all five San Antonio shootout attempts in Friday night’s victory

Aeros go one and one:
HOU 2 vs. RFD 3, HOU 6 at SAN 5
Wednesday: The Houston Aeros came out and took the team’s first lead of the season early in the first but gave up a third period lead to fall 3-2 to the Rockford IceHogs The IceHogs’ C Colin Fraser led the team with two goals and no penalty minutes and D Dustin Byfuglien marked two assists including one on the game-winning goal by C David Bolland. Houston’s goals came from D Clayton Stoner and C Adrian Foster, his second of the season. Houston’s G Barry Brust (0-2-0) got his second start of the season allowing three goals and stopping 25 of the 28 shots on net. IceHogs G Wade Flaherty improved his record to 2-0-0 in his second start blocking 26 of 28 in the victory.

Friday: The Houston Aeros marked its first win of the season dropping San Antonio 6-5 in a shootout. San Antonio had only two skaters record goals as C Joel Perrault led the team with a hat-trick and C Joey Tenute followed with two of his own markers. D Travis Roche contributed two assists for the Rampage. Houston split all five regulation goals amongst five separate players: D Shawn Belle, D Erik Retiz, RW Cal Clutterbuck, Hamilton and C Serge Payer. Payer also contributed an assist to lead the team with two points. Nolan Schaefer earned the win stopping 35 of 40 shots, including a career-high 19 saves in the first period, plus all five Rampage shootout attempts. Josh Trodjman started in net for San Antonio but was pulled after giving up three goals in 10:08 of game time. David LeNeveu took over in the goal and stopped 11 of 13 shots on net and blocked four of five in his shootout loss. Houston finished 1-for-9 on the power-play and the Rampage tallied on 2 of 6 attempts.

Affiliation News
After going 2-0-1-0 last week the Minnesota Wild hold a record of 7-0-1-0 and remains the only undefeated team in the NHL. The latest win came last night in a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avelanche. C Mikko Koivu, a former Aero, scored the game-winning goal with just over three minutes left to play. Mark Parrish and Brian Rolston each scored in the second period 2:02 apart to take a 2-0 lead before Colorado tied the game before the period ended. Niklas Backstrom stopped 29 of 31 shots on net for his fifth win of the season. Backstrom currently ranks second in the NHL with a 1.48 goals-against average and tied for third with his five wins.

G Josh Harding, also a former Aero, earned Saturday night’s victory when he stopped 33 of 34 shots in St. Louis in the team’s 3-1 win. Minnesota went up 1-0 on a Pavol Demitra goal mid-way in the second period. The Wild let the Blues hold a 1-1 tie for a mere 41 seconds until Eric Belanger netted the eventual game-winner with 11 seconds left in the second period. D Brent Burns, another former Aero, added an insurance marker halfway through the third.

Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout loss was the first game the Wild did not earn two points in this season. Backstrom blocked 26 of 29 shots and allowed all three shootout attempts. Demitra, Koivu and Rolston netted the three wild goals during regulation.

The Texas Wildcatters began its ECHL season last week dropping Friday nights 6-3 loss in Augusta and winning 6-2 Saturday in Charlotte to open the season with a 1-1-0-0 record. Saturday the Wildcatters lunged to victory with a four-goal third period giving netminder Anton Khudobin the win, having stopped 25 of 27 shots on goal. John McNabb’s first of two goals Saturday, both in the third period, proved to be the game winner. Peter Aubry allowed four goals on 23 shots in 40 minutes of game time in Friday’s loss. Khudobin replaced him in net for the third period allowing one goal in seven shots prior to Augusta’s empty net marker.