CALDER CUP FINALS GAME 1 POSTGAME REPORT
MAY 27, 2011: HOU 3, BNG 1

HOUSTON --- Jed Ortmeyer scored twice and goaltender Matt Hackett stopped 23 of 24 shots as the Houston Aeros upended the Binghamton Senators 3-1 in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Finals in front of 8,018 fans at Toyota Center on Friday night.

The Aeros, sparked by Ortmeyer, Colton Gillies and Marco Scandella, rallied for three goals in the third period to take the lead. That trio combined for goals at 1:47 and 6:09. For Ortmeyer, it was his fifth and sixth markers of the postseason while both Gillies and Scandella notched their second dual-assist games each.

Warren Peters added an empty-net goal with 36 seconds left in the game to seal the win. Hackett improved to 8-2 on home ice in the postseason.

The teams face off in Game 2 on Saturday night at Toyota Center with a 7:35 p.m. faceoff.

Binghamton broke a 0-0 deadlock at the 16:17 mark of the second period on Bobby Butler’s 11th goal of the playoffs.  Colin Greening earned the helper by stealing the puck from Aeros goaltender Matt Hackett behind the goal line and fed it to Butler at the bottom of the right circle. 

Senators goaltender Robin Lehner made 38 stops in the loss.

BOMB DROPPINGS
The Aeros improved to 3-0 in Game 1 of a championship series and 2-0 in Calder Cup Finals Game 1’s… Houston allowed the first goal for the 11th time this playoff campaign. They are 7-4 when doing so… On home ice, Houston has 4-0 record when allowing the first goal… The Aeros improved to 3-4 when trailing after two periods… When allowing one goal or less, the Aeros are 5-0… Jed Ortmeyer notched Houston’s fifth two-goal game by one player this postseason…The 8,018 on hand was the largest home playoff crowd since Game 5 of the 2003 Calder Cup Finals.

AEROS STARTERS
F – Almond, Earl, Palmer
D – Noreau, Bagnall
G - Hackett

AEROS SCRATCHES
Fraser, Penner, Lofquist, Foucault, Bulmer, Campbell, Fredheim, Morency, Buck, Kassian, Broda, Cuma

NEXT GAME
Calder Cup Finals – Game 2
Sat., May 28, 7:35 p.m. (CST)
at Houston

DECIDING GOAL
Ortmeyer (6:09, 3rd)

POWER PLAYS
HOU: 0/2
BNG: 0/2

GOALIES
HOU: Hackett (23/24, W)
BNG Lehner (38/40, L)

SERIES
HOU leads 1-0