AEROS POSTGAME, DEC. 15
GRIFFINS 5, AEROS 2

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. --- Cody Almond and Colton Gillies scored in the third period but the Houston Aeros couldn’t overcome an early 3-0 deficit in a 5-2 loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins Wednesday night at Van Andel Arena.

Maxim Noreau registered two assists for the Aeros, who continue their five-game road trip at Manitoba this Friday. Francis Pare and Jordan Owens collected a goal and two assists each for the Griffins.

BOXSCORE

GAMEDAY AUDIO CLIPS

The Griffins scored even strength, power play and shorthanded goals in the first 20 minutes of play. They connected on two of their first three shots, chasing Aeros starting goalie Anton Khudobin. Matt Hackett, who was saddled with the loss, stopped 24 of 26 in a relief role for the Aeros.

Pare bagged his seventh goal of the season at 4:12 and was followed up by Owens’ unassisted shorthanded tally at 7:55. Jakub Kindl scored the eventual game-winner on the power play at 15:27.

Jamie Johnson made it a 4-0 Griffins lead 4:27 into the third before the Aeros started to chip away. Almond knocked home his sixth of the season, on the power play, a minute after Johnson’s goal. Gillies pulled Houston within one at 16:43 until Brent Raedeke notched an empty-net goal with 1:06 remaining in regulation to seal the win for the Griffins.

Houston, which is 1-2-0-0 on its current road swing, dropped to 16-12-1-2 on the season and remains in fourth place in the West Division. The Griffins won their second in a row and jumped ahead of Manitoba into fifth place in the North Division.

The Aeros continue their five-game road with games Friday and Saturday at Manitoba with a 7:30 p.m. CST faceoff each night.

The team returns home Dec. 21, against Hamilton at 7:05 p.m. Fans who bring a toy to help support the Bay Star Ambulance/MD Anderson Cancer Center Toy Drive will receive two tickets to the Aeros game on New Year’s Day.

Call 713-974-7825 (PUCK) for more information on Aeros tickets and other promotions.

DECIDING GOAL
Kindl (15:27, 1st)

POWER PLAYS
HOU: 1/4
GR: 1/4

GOALIES
HOU: Khudobin (1/3, ND; Hackett (24/26, L)
GR: MacDonald (17/19, L)

TEAM RECORDS
HOU: 16-12-1-2
GR: 13-12-1-4

AEROS STARTERS
F: Almond, DiSalvatore, Buck
D: Scandella, Noreau
G: Khudobin

AEROS SCRATCHES
McBride, Palmer, Lampman, Fredheim

NEXT GAME
Dec. 17 at Manitoba, 7:30 p.m. CST

BOMB DROPPINGS
The Aeros allowed the first goal for just the 10th time this season… Houston has yet to win a game when allowing four or more goals (0-7-0-0) and is 0-5-0-0 on the road when doing so…In the month of December, the Aeros are now 5-3-0-0…The three Grand Rapids goals in the first period marked the second time this season Houston has given up a trio in the opening 20 minutes…Houston has scored a pair of goals in the third period 11 times this season…Robbie Earl saw his seven-game scoring streak snapped in the loss…The Aeros lost for just the fifth time when being out shot (11-5-0-2).