Sun., Jan. 1, 2012

The Houston Aeros (18-6-2-7, 45 pts.) host the Oklahoma City Barons (21-8-1-3, 46 pts.) at Toyota Center on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. to open the 2012 calendar year. The Aeros have won two straight games including a 5-2 victory at San Antonio on Friday. The Barons are 1-1-1-2 in the last five games and fell at home to San Antonio 4-3 last night. Houston trails the Barons and Abbotsford Heat by one point in the race for the top points spot in the West Division, Western Conference and overall in the AHL.

AEROS BROADCASTS
Radio: 1070 KNTH-AM
Listen online: www.aeros.com
Watch online: www.ahllive.com
Listen via Smartphone: Download the TuneIn Radio app; search Houston, then KNTH.

LIVE SCORING AND STATS
The AHL provides live scoring and stats via the GameCenter tab at www.theahl.com.

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OVERVIEW
The Houston Aeros (18-6-2-7, 45 pts.) host the Oklahoma City Barons (21-8-1-3, 46 pts.) at Toyota Center on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. to open the 2012 calendar year. The Aeros have won two straight games including a 5-2 victory at San Antonio on Friday. The Barons are 1-1-1-2 in the last five games and fell at home to San Antonio 4-3 last night. Houston trails the Barons and Abbotsford Heat by one point in the race for the top points spot in the West Division, Western Conference and overall in the AHL.
 
THIS WEEK’S GAMES
Monday (Dec. 26) --- vs. San Antonio (2-1 W, OT)
Friday (Dec. 30) --- at San Antonio (5-2 W)
Sunday (Jan. 1) --- vs. Oklahoma City (5:05 p.m.)

AEROS BROADCASTS
Radio: 1070 KNTH-AM
Listen online: www.aeros.com
Watch online: www.ahllive.com
Listen on Smartphone including BlackBerry: Download the TuneIn Radio App; search Houston, then KNTH.

LIVE SCORING AND STATS
The AHL provides live scoring and stats via the GameCenter tab at www.theahl.com.

GOING TO AEROS HOME GAMES
On-street, garage and surface parking surround Toyota Center… The Box Office and Will Call windows are located on La Branch Street… Due to recent road construction surrounding Toyota Center, the Aeros encourage all guests to allow extra time for parking or visiting the box office.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Aeros fans can get four tickets, four Aeros gifts and parking for any Sunday game with prices starting as low as $52… The Aeros will host the first-ever ISHL All Star Game, presented by The College Money Guys, featuring the best high school hockey players from around the area, on Jan. 1.

AEROS/BARONS HEAD-TO-HEAD
---This is the fifth meeting this season… Houston is winless against the Barons (0-1-0-3)… The Aeros have dropped the last three meetings via shootout… HOU PP is 2/24 (8.3%)… OKC PP is 4/14 (28.6%)… The Aeros are 9-2-0-3 all-time vs. the Barons (4-1-0-2 at home, 5-1-0-1 on the road).

WATCH FOR THIS
---If OKC beats Houston on Sunday, OKC’s Todd Nelson will be the head coach for the Western Conference at the 2012 AHL All Star Classic. If Houston beats OKC on Sunday, Abbotsford’s Troy Ward will be the head coach for the Western Conference (the determining factor is points percentage).

RECENT AEROS TRANSACTIONS
---Jan. 1: F Jed Ortmeyer reassigned by MIN
---Dec. 29: F Jed Ortmeyer recalled by MIN
---Dec. 29: F Jon DiSalvatore reassigned by MIN
---Dec. 29: F Matt Kassian recalled by MIN
---Dec. 27: F Jon DiSalvatore recalled by MIN
---Dec. 27: D Nate Prosser recalled by MIN
---Dec. 23: F Jed Ortmeyer reassigned by MIN

AEROS INJURIES
None reported

AEROS MILESTONES
---Jon DiSalvatore: 22nd goal will be 200th career goal… 18th goal will be 69th as an Aero, placing him first in franchise history (AHL only, 4th AHL/IHL).
---Jeff Taffe’s 12th goal will be his 200th as a pro… 33rd goal will be his 200th in the AHL… 37th game will be his 500th in the AHL… 61st game will be his 700th as a pro.
---Drew Bagnall’s 37th game this season will be his 300th in the AHL.

AEROS PLAYER NOTES
---Chad Rau has points in five straight games and goals in three of the last five games (3-3=6).
---Jeff Taffe has the game-winner in two straight games. Taffe has a five-game points streak (2-4=6).
---Cody Almond has goals in three of the last four games (3-0=3).
---Jon DiSalvatore made his Wild debut on Dec. 28 and skated 14:27 with two shots, two PIM and one hit. It was his first NHL game since March 7, 2006, and the sixth of his career.
---Jeff Taffe’s OT goal on Dec. 26 was his first since Nov. 18 at Texas.
---Drew Bagnall is on pace to surpass his career-high for points in a season (12).
---Jarod Palmer scored his first NHL goal on Dec. 29 as the Wild beat EDM 4-3.
---Matt Kassian, Nate Prosser and Jarod Palmer each earned Three Star nods in a 4-3 win over EDM on Dec. 29.

TEAM NOTABLES
---The Aeros faced five power plays in four games from Dec. 16-21 and allowed two goals. On Dec. 26, the Aeros held SA 0/5 on the PP.
---Houston has earned at least a point in 14 of the 17 games (6-3-2-6) in which they have allowed the first goal. They are 12-3-0-1 when scoring first.
---Houston has made 33 transactions since Dec. 1 involving 17 separate players.
---The Aeros play nine of 11 games at home from Dec. 8-Jan. 6.
---The Aeros are 13-0-0-2 when leading at the end of two periods.
---Houston has played 15 games that have decided by one goal (5-1-2-7).
---The Aeros broke the 100,000 mark in attendance this season with the 4,608 who attended the game on Dec. 18.

AEROS GOALIES
HACKETT – Is 4-5-2 (2.58 GAA/.902 SV%) at home and 8-0-1 (1.88 GAA/.942 SV%) on the road… Has won six-straight road starts… Made his NHL debut on Dec. 6 and made 34 saves in a 2-1 win at SJ after entering the game early in the first period to relieve an injured Josh Harding… Last Game: Stopped 38 of 40 in a 5-2 W at SA on Dec. 30.

KUEMPER --- Is 1-0-2 at home (.86 GAA/.972 SV%) and 2-1-1 on the road (2.46 GAA/ .916 SV%)… Led the ECHL in both GAA (1.74) and save percentage (.941) at the time of his recall on Nov. 29 and posted a 7-1-0 record with the Ontario Reign… Recorded his first pro shutout with 1-0 win on Dec. 9 vs. SAN (33 saves)… Last Game: Stopped 5/5 in 20 minutes of third period relief work on Dec. 18 vs. RCH.

POWER PLAY
Is 4/15 in the last four games… Went 5/37 (13.5%) in games 21-30 after going 20/106 (18/9%) in games 1-20… Set a season-high going 3/5 in a 4-2 win at SAN on Oct. 28… Casey Wellman leads the team with 7 PPG.

PENALTY KILL
Opponents are 1/16 in the last three games… PK stopped 20/27 (74.0%) in games 21-30 after stopping 80/97 (82.4%) in games 1-20… Allowed goals in five straight before holding TOR 0/6 on Nov. 6.

AEROS PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
4 – BAGH-nawl
7 – FRED-haym
8 – MED-vekh
14 – deh-SAL-vuh-tohr
20 – ROWH (like now)
22 – TAYF
26 – MACK-in-tyre
27 – mick-MILL-uhn
35 – KEM-per
39 – GEHN-oh-way
41 - ORT-migh-er
42 – KASS-ee-uhn
61 – KOOH-muh