Sat., April 7, 2012

The Houston Aeros (32-24-5-10, 79 pts.) continue a five-game homestand and a three-in-three weekend on Saturday (7:35 p.m. CST) against the Peoria Rivermen (39-20-2-2, 82 pts.) at Toyota Center.

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 (32-24-5-10, 79 pts.) continue a five-game homestand and a three-in-three weekend on Saturday (7:35 p.m. CST) against the Peoria Rivermen (39-20-2-2, 82 pts.) at Toyota Center.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
---The Aeros hold the No. 9 spot in the eight-team Western Conference playoff race.
---The Aeros are winless in seven games (0-4-2-1).
---Eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs: the three division winners will be seeded first through third in order of points, and the next five teams in order of points will be seeded fourth through eighth.

THIS WEEK’S GAMES
Friday --- vs. Chicago (4-2 L)
Saturday --- vs. Peoria (7:35 p.m. CST)
Sunday --- vs. Milwaukee (5:05 p.m. CST)

LAST GAME
Joel Broda and Nick Palmieri scored for the Houston Aeros in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Wolves Friday night at Toyota Center.

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.

AEROS/RIVERMEN HEAD-TO-HEAD
This is the fourth of four meetings this season…  HOU is 1-1-1-0 against the Rivermen this season (0-0-0-1 at home, 1-1-0-0 on the road) … HOU PP is 1/16… PEO PP is 3/10… All-time HOU is 26-21-2-4 (14-9-1-2 home, 12-12-1-2 road).

RECENT AEROS TRANSACTIONS
---April 6: D Tyler Cuma reassigned by MIN
---April 4: D Tyler Cuma recalled by MIN
---April 4: D Josh Caron reassigned by MIN from EVE (WHL)
---April 3: F Cody Almond reassigned by MIN

AEROS INJURIES
Jeff Penner has missed the last 32 games… Mike McKenzie has missed the last 29 games… Darcy Kuemper is out for the remainder of the season with an upper body injury… G Joe Fallon is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

AEROS MILESTONES
---Jon DiSalvatore’s 20th goal (on March 3 at SA) was his 69th as an Aero, placing him first in franchise history (AHL only, 4th AHL/IHL). His 41st game on Jan. 21 at TEX was his 200th as an Aero, placing him 10th all-time in Aeros (AHL) history.
---Jeff Taffe notched his 400th AHL point with an assist on Jon DiSalvatore's goal on Jan. 8 at SA. Taffe had two assists while skating in his 500th AHL game on Jan. 21 at TEX.
---Drew Bagnall played in his 300th AHL game at TEX on Jan. 21.

AEROS PLAYER NOTES
--- Justin Fontaine’s season ranks among the top-5 in Aeros AHL rookie scoring. He has 11 multi-point games.
---Jeff Taffe leads the Aeros with 14 multi-point games, including a pair of four-point outings.
---Nick Palmieri has goals in three straight games (3-1=4).
---Chad Rau has points in three of his last six games (2-1=3).
---Carson McMillan's two assists on March 31 snapped a run of 15 games without a point.
---Chay Genoway was named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Houston community during the 2011-12 season.
---Jon DiSalvatore was named an AHL Second Team All-Star on Thursday.
 ---The Minnesota Wild has made 52 recalls from Houston this season involving 21 different players.
---The Aeros have made 177 transactions since opening day, involving 55 different players, both new team records.
---A total of 50 different players have seen ice time with the Aeros this season.
 
TEAM NOTABLES
---The Aeros are 6-9-1-2 against Midwest Division teams this season.
---Houston is 21-1-2-3 when leading after two periods.
---Houston has earned at least a point in 21 of the 38 games (11-17-3-7) in which they have allowed the first goal. They are 21-7-2-3 when scoring first.
---The Aeros netted two power play goals in the same period for the first time since scoring twice in the middle period against San Antonio on Jan. 8
---Houston has played 37 games that have been decided by one goal (14-8-5-10).
---The Aeros won four straight shootouts after losing nine of the first 10 this season until losing to LE on March 29. The Aeros edged Grand Rapids 3-2 on Jan. 11 for their first shootout victory of the season.

AEROS GOALIES
BRODEUR --- Has a 40-37-6 record in 102 AHL games with four shutouts, a 2.85 GAA and a .907 SV%. He also has appeared in seven NHL games, all with the Ottawa Senators, posting a 3-1-0 record with one shutout and 2.17 GAA and .922 SV%. The 6-foot-2, 186-pound Calgary native was selected to the Canadian all-star team for the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic, and joins the Aeros from the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL. Brodeur was a seventh-round selection (211th overall) of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

FALLON --- Signed PTO on March 3… Appeared in 47 games with Las Vegas of the ECHL this season, posting a 30-10-1-3 record along with a 2.39 GAA and .912 SV%...  Led the ECHL in wins (26) and minutes played (2739) and was tied for second in shutouts (3) when signed by HOU… Stopped 29/30 in 5-1 W over GR on March 10 for his first Aeros win… Was selected as the Reebok/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Mar. 18, 2012. Won all four starts, allowing just five goals on 125 shots (4-0-0, 1.20, .960) and stopping 11/13 in two shootouts.

HACKETT – Is 6-10-4 (2.68 GAA/.904 SV%) at home and 11-6-1 (2.31, .925) on the road… Won six-straight road starts from Oct. 28-Dec. 30…  Is 3-5-0 with a 2.30 goals against average (GAA) and a .927 save percentage (SV%) in 11 games with the Wild this season… Last Game: Stopped 23/26 in a 4-2 L vs. CHI on April 6.

POWER PLAY
Is 2/15 in the last three games… Went 8/38 in games 51-60 (21.1 %)… Went 8/43 in games 41-50 (18.6%)… Went 7/38 (18.4%) in games 31-40…  Went 5/37 (13.5%) in games 21-30… Went 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… Tied the 3/5 mark on March 10 vs. GR.

PENALTY KILL
Opponents are 4/12 on the PP in the last three games… Stopped 6/34 in games 51-60 (82.4%)… Stopped 30/39 (76.9 %) in games 41-50… Stopped 28/36 (77.7%) in games 31-40… Stopped 20/27 (74.0%) in games 21-30… Stopped 80/97 (82.4%) in games 1-20.

AEROS PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
4 – BAGH-nawl
7 – FRED-haym
8 – MED-vekh
13 – FOO-koh
14 – deh-SAL-vuh-tohr
20 – ROWH (like now)
21 – JOB-kee
22 – TAYF
26 – MACK-in-tyre
27 – mick-MILL-uhn
35 – KEHM-puhr
39 – GEHN-oh-way
44 – pawl-MAIR-ee
61 – KOO-muh
Torchetti --- TOHR-cheh-TEE
Van Ryn --- VAN-RIGHN
LaPlante --- luh-PLAHNT