Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Monday, October 17, 2005
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

AEROS WEEKLY REPORT

This week on aeros.com – Check out aeros.com and theahl.com Friday for Junior Reporter Michael McHugh’s feature story on Aeros leading scorer Erik Westrum.

Coming attractions:

TUE, at OMA, 7 p.m.
The Aeros make their first ever trip to Omaha’s Civic Auditorium to take on the Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. The Knights are in their first AHL season, and are the affiliate of the Calgary Flames. Former Aeros defenseman Steve Bancroft, who turned 35 earlier this month, leads a young Omaha team coached by former Hartford head coach Ryan McGill.

THU, at OMA, 7 p.m.
Houston finishes off a five-game road trip, and then gets a short night's sleep before heading home to continue the three-in-three.

FRI, vs. GR, 7:35 p.m.
“A Winning Tradition” posters (5K)

The Griffins haven’t won in regulation at Toyota Center since March 5, 2004. Houston is 3-0-0-2 on “home” ice since, with one win coming in Saint Paul, Minn. Houston is 9-5-4-2 at home versus Grand Rapids since joining the AHL. It's sure to be an exciting renewal of one of the top rivalries in the AHL. Seven of the last nine meetings over the past two seasons have been decided by one goal, including Saturday's 3-2 road win.  Buy tickets.

SAT, vs. MCH, 7:35 p.m.
Autographed Team Photos (5K)

The Manchester Monarchs, AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, make their first ever trip to Texas. Former Aeros defenseman Marty Wilford is on Manchester’s roster. Buy tickets.

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.

Statistical update – C Erik Westrum’s nine points (4-5=9) tie him for second in the AHL…His three-game goal streak is one off the AHL lead, as is his four-game point streak…RW Kirby Law is tied for eighth in the league with seven points (3-4=7)…The line of Westrum, Law and Roman Voloshenko has accounted for 21 of Houston’s 28 forward points…D Curtis Murphy is tied for the league lead at plus-five, a total that is tops among all blueliners…Murphy and fellow D Kurtis Foster each have four assists, tied for third among AHL defensemen…C Patrick O’Sullivan, considered by many as the Wild’s top young prospect, has points in each of his first two pro games, including the GWG Saturday.

Alumni/Wild update – Pierre-Marc Bouchard (04-05) is tied for the team scoring lead with seven points (4-3=7)…Kyle Wanvig (01-05) and Matt Foy (03-05) are tied for sixth with three points apiece…Brent Burns (04-05) has a goal and an assist and is third among Wild defensemen in ice time (18:43 per game)…Derek Boogaard (03-05) got his first point – an assist – Friday, and notched his first two fighting majors Sunday against Anaheim…Stephane Veilleux (01-05) has been held without a point but is one of the key cogs in the Wild penalty kill, which ranks first in the NHL at 95.0 percent…Manny Fernandez (98-99) is 1-0-1 with a 1.46 gaa.

Former Aeros among NHL leaders – Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Kyle Wanvig are each tied for eighth in the NHL with a 33.3 shooting percentage…Bouchard is tied for fifth with five power play points…Matt Foy ranks tied for 14th in rookie scoring with three points and is tied for fourth in goals among first-year players with two…Foy is tied for fourth in shooting percentage among rookies at 22.2 percent…Manny Fernandez is sixth in the NHL in gaa at 1.46 and fifth in save pct. at .951.

Westrum’s start a historic one – C Erik Westrum’s nine points (4-5=9) tie him for the best four-game start in team history. Brian Wiseman, Cam Stewart and David Oliver all did it in the team’s 1998-99 Turner Cup championship season. Looking ahead, the best five-game start is held by both Wiseman and Oliver, at 10 points. Westrum has 148 career AHL points, and 150 pro points overall.

Third time a charm too? – The Aeros have won three of their first four games for just the third time in their 12 years. In both of the previous seasons they accomplished the feat, they won the league title. Houston was also 3-1-0-0 in 1998-99, when it won the Turner Cup, and the Aeros began their 2002-03 Calder Cup-winning season with eight straight victories.

Road success early – Houston has won back-to-back road games for the first time since a three-game streak November 19-23, 2004.

Stingy in the first, and at even strength – Houston is one of four teams to allow just one first-period goal. But their seven third-period goals allowed are tied for the most in the AHL. Also, the Aeros have yielded just two five-on-five goals in four games.

But in the third… – The Aeros have been outshot 60-30 in the third period, including 46-20 in the last three games.

Boogeyman gets on the scoresheet – Former Aero Derek Boogaard (2003-05), who had nine points (1-8=9) and 466 penalty minutes in two seasons with the team, picked up his first NHL assist Friday in only his third game with Minnesota. Sunday against Anaheim, he fought old nemesis Kip Brennan and also Todd Fedoruk.

Deep in the Heart of Texas – There have been four players since the San Antonio Rampage came into the AHL in 2002-03 to play for both the Rampage and the Aeros. Three of those four are currently in Houston – Joey Tetarenko, Josh Olson and the newly acquired Petr Taticek. Greg Crozier also played for both teams, but he played for Houston before going to San Antonio for a brief stint in 2003-04.

Player of the Week G Josh Harding
10/14 at PEO, 47-48, W 3-1
10/15 at GR, 38-40, W 3-2

Went 2-0-0 with a 1.50 gaa and a .966 save pct. last week…Both wins came against previously unbeaten teams, on the road…Helped kill off 20-of-22 shorthanded chances…Stopped career-high 47 shots, tying an AHL season-high, in 3-1 win at PEO Friday…Rivermen entered game 3-0-0-0…Was perfect on 17 shots in the third period…Made 38 saves in 3-2 win at GR Saturday…Griffins were also 3-0-0-0…Has allowed only two five-on-five goals this season…After allowing six goals in the third period in his first two games, he’s stopped 27-of-28 third-period chances in the last two…Tied for AHL lead in wins (three), is tied for second in minutes (239) and is second in saves (141)…Aeros rank last in AHL allowing 38.0 shots per game.

Chilly and friends at “Boo at the Zoo” – Chilly, Sonic Boom and Strike Force will be at the Houston Zoo’s Halloween celebration this Sunday from 2-4 p.m.

Weekly Wrap-up

Aeros win two on the road for 3-1-0-0 start
HOU 3, PEO 1; HOU 3, GR 2
The Aeros went on the road last week and won two games against previously unbeaten teams.
Friday: Erik Westrum scored the game-winning goal with 47 seconds remaining and Josh Harding was outstanding with a career-best 47 saves, as the Houston Aeros handed the Peoria Rivermen their first loss of the season, 3-1, at Carver Arena. Kirby Law also scored, and he and his linemates Westrum and Roman Voloshenko accounted for five points (2-3=5). Peter Olvecky added an empty-net goal and rookie Patrick O’Sullivan chipped in an assist in his pro debut.
Colin Hemingway scored a power play goal and Curtis Sanford finished with 22 saves for Peoria, which won its first three games of the season.
Peoria outshot Houston 16-9 in the first, 15-5 in the second and 17-11 in the third. But Hemingway’s early second-period, power-play goal was all Harding allowed, and he got the help he needed late.
Saturday: Westrum scored a pair of 5-on-3 goals, Curtis Murphy notched his second career three-assist game and Harding made 38 saves, as the Houston Aeros knocked the Grand Rapids Griffins from the land of the unbeatens, 3-2, at Van Andel Arena. O’Sullivan’s first pro goal went down as the game-winner and Kurtis Foster chipped in two helpers for the Aeros (3-1-0-0), who have won three of their first four games for just the third time in team history.
Jiri Hudler, who leads the AHL in scoring with 10 points, tallied a goal and an assist for Grand Rapids (3-1-0-0), which got another goal from Brett Lebda and 25 stops from Drew MacIntyre.
Harding was a big reason the Aeros killed off their first 10 shorthanded chances, including three lengthy 5-on-3’s. Grand Rapids, which entered the game a league-best 6-for-16 on the man advantage, finished 1-for-13 on the power play, while Houston got only six chances, scoring twice.

Aeros’ Practice schedule:
Monday - in OMA
Tuesday - at OMA, 7 p.m.
Wednesday - in OMA
Thursday - at OMA, 7 p.m.
Friday - vs. GR, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday - vs. MCH, 7:35 p.m.
Sunday – Off


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