Houston, TX – Brian Finley made 38 saves and eight different Milwaukee players scored goals, as the Admirals beat the Houston Aeros 8-2 at Toyota Center. Mathieu Darche, Timofei Shishkanov, Vern Fiddler and former Aeros Jay Henderson each registered a goal and an assist, while.Mike Farrell, Wyatt Smith, Andrew Hutchinson and Brad Tiley each added goals for Milwaukee, which has picked up at least a point in six straight games (3-0-2-1). Tony Hrkac had four assists for the Admirals tonight.

Rickard Wallin and Chris Bala each scored and Johan Holmqvist turned aside 22 shots before being replaced for the Aeros, who finished their seven-game homestand 2-4-1. Houston, which is the only team to hand the Admirals (4-1-3-1) a regulation loss this season, is on the road Friday and Saturday in Utah.

Fiddler got things going at the 7:25 mark of the first period, taking a feed from Shishkanov for his second goal of the season.

The Admirals made it 2-0 with 2:11 remaining in the opening stanza, just seconds after an Aeros power play had elapsed. Shishkanov scored after a faceoff in front of Holmqvist, his first second goal of 2003-04.

Houston controlled the second period, outshooting Milwaukee 16-6, but the Aeros were outscored 2-1 in the stanza.

Henderson’s first of the season, with 5:11 left in the period, made it 3-0. Hrkac sent a centering feed that went off a skate in front, and Henderson banged it home.

The Aeros answered right back, though, getting within 3-1 just 36 seconds later. Wallin took a great feed from Stephane Villeaux in the corner, and beat Finley for his fourth goal of the season.

Houston nearly got within one goal 30 seconds later, but after not scoring, the Aeros saw the deficit grow again to three goals. Farrell scored on an assist from Darche for his fourth of the campaign.

Aeros captain Dan Cavanaugh had a great chance in front early in the third period on the power play, but Finley made the save.

But the Admirals erased any hope of a comeback, scoring three times in a span of 4:40 early in the third. Smith knocked home a rebound 2:42 into the stanza for a 5-1 Milwaukee lead. The Admirals padded the lead to five goals at the 6:48 mark, as Tiley finished off a nifty feed from former Aero Curtis Murphy. Milwaukee made it 7-1 only 34 seconds later, when Darche knocked home a Fiddler pass.

The Darche goal spelled the end of the night for Holmqvist, who was replaced by Kyle Kettles. The second-year netminder, in his second relief appearance of the season, finished with five saves. Milwaukee solved Kettles with 7:03 remaining, as Hutchinson scored on Hrkac’s fourth helper of the night.

Bala’s first tally as an Aero, with the teams 4-on-4, finished the scoring with 4:13 remaining.

The Aeros finished 0-for-5 on the power play, while the Admirals went 0-for-1.

NOTES:
Murphy, traded from Minnesota to Nashville after last season, finished with one assist and was tied for a team-best plus-four.

Kettles was originally drafted by Nashville, Milwaukee’s NHL affiliate.

Thirteen different players had a point for the Admirals.

The Aeros are 3-0-0 when scoring first, and haven’t won (0-5-1) when allowing the first goal.

The Admirals didn’t get their lone power play until there was 5:22 left in the game, and the man advantage lasted just 43 seconds.

Milwaukee tied Binghamton for the most goals scored in an AHL game this season. The Senators put up eight goals on Worcester in an 8-2 victory.