From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Monday, January 17, 2005
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

Aeros Weekly Report

PDF version

Coming attractions:

WED, vs. EDM, 7:05 p.m.
The Aeros are 2-1-0-0 against the Road Runners, and the teams wrap up their season series in this game. Houston lost the only Toyota Center meeting, 6-3, back on November 14, as Edmonton scored twice in each period and got two goals and an assist from NHL’er Raffi Torres.

FRI, at SAN, 7 p.m.
The Aeros haven’t been in San Antonio since Opening Night, when they lost a tight 2-1 decision. Houston is 1-1-1-0 against the Rampage this season, and is 5-3-3-2 all-time at SBC Center. The Aeros are 16-5-4-2 overall versus San Antonio. Mark Cullen’s brother, Joe, was recently traded to the Rampage and will face off against his sibling for the fourth time this season.

SAT, vs. GR, 7:35 p.m.
Baseball Caps (3,000), Chilly’s Birthday Bash
Remarkably, the Griffins make their first of four trips to Toyota Center in 2005 after the season’s midway point. Houston won two of three in Grand Rapids in November. The Aeros are 12-8-5-0 all-time at home versus the Griffins, including a 3-2-0-0 mark last season. Mascots from around the Houston area will join Chilly at Toyota Center for a night of entertaining fans, and they’ll also face off against a youth hockey team during one intermission.

SUN, vs. GR, 5:05 p.m.
Family Day
Get four tickets, four pucks, $20 in Toyota Bucks and free parking, all for just $59! Visit www.aeros.com/themenights to order. Username is Family, password is Aeros.

This week on Aeros.com – Log on to www.aeros.com this week to submit your question for the Erik Reitz Q&A session. Reitz was picked by fans recently in an online poll to be the subject of the next Q&A session. Send questions to qanda@aeros.com before noon Thursday. Also, click here to read the latest Junior Reporter feature from Michael McHugh. The 13-year-old recently sat down with Wild assistant coach and “Miracle on Ice” player Mike Ramsey.

Fan Club event is January 29 – The “Houston Aeros Fan Club” will have a pre-game dinner at the exclusive Red & White Wine Bistro on Saturday, Jan. 29, as the Aeros take on the Chicago Wolves. Never before has the Red & White Wine Bistro been open for an Aeros game, and we want to extend this opportunity to our most dedicated fans. The cost is $38 per person, which includes the “Chef’s Table” buffet dinner consisting of 2 carved meats, and a variety of appetizers, entrées, salads and soft drinks. The Red & White Wine Bistro is located in the south end zone. Once you’re finished with dinner, you can make your way down to your seats for the puck drop. All reservations must be must be submitted no later than this Friday, Jan. 21 at 5 p.m. Click here to make your reservation. Username is Aeros, password is FanClub. To learn more about the Red & White Wine Bistro, click here. If you have additional questions or to make your reservation by phone, please contact Peter Austin at 713.361.7953 or paustin@aeros.com.

Law on verge of milestonse - Kirby Law enters this week having played in 499 professional games, including NHL, AHL and IHL. His two power play goals in last Friday’s game moved him to 298 (143=155=298) career AHL points in 422 games.

Fill ‘er up - Houston is averaging 5,027 fans through 18 home games, which is a 14.1 percent increase over the same time span in 2003-04.

A tough stretch - The Aeros are 2-6-0-0 to begin a stretch of nine straight games versus teams with records above the .500 mark. The Aeros next play a team with a losing record this Friday in San Antonio, but then their next seven games are versus Milwaukee, Chicago and Grand Rapids, the top three teams in the West Division. Five of Houston’s eight games to begin the current rough stretch were against first-place teams, including three against Milwaukee and two versus Manitoba, which holds down the best record in the conference.

Smith ties record - Aeros goalie Mike Smith has appeared in 15 straight games - 13 starts - including one game where he replaced the injured Josh Harding with five seconds remaining 11/28. Smith’s 15-game run ties Frederic Chabot’s franchise record, set December 8, 1999-January 21, 2000.

Let them shoot - Houston is just 9-14-2-1 when outshooting an opponent, but it is 8-2-0-0 when getting outshot or the shots are even. Aeros goalies don’t mind work - they are only 2-9-0 when seeing 23 shots or less, but 15-9-1 when seeing 24 or more. The Aeros have allowed 22 or fewer in each of the last four games, but they have won only one.

Home woes - Houston and Grand Rapids are the lone AHL teams that are above .500 on the road, but below that mark at home.

Tough to come back - The Aeros have scored first in just one of their last seven games.

Offense needed - Houston has scored just six goals in its last six losses.

Down on the farm - The CHL’s Austin Ice Bats are 17-14-2, in second place in the Southeast Division, just one point behind Corpus Christi...F Dallas Anderson has 10 points (5-5=10) and 181 PIM’s in just 27 games...Anderson is tied for third in the CHL in PIM’s...The ECHL’s Pensacola Ice Pilots are 22-9-3 and are up by five points in the South Division...LW Jordan Krestanovich has 25 points (9-16=25)...RW Jason Beckett has 16 points (5-11=16) and is plus-15, second best on the team...D Ryan Stokes has nine points (1-8=9) and 76 PIM’s and is a plus-eight...LW Bill Kinkel has two goals and 72 PIM’s in 11 games...ECHL Louisiana is 16-18-3 and in fifth place in the six-team South Division...LW David Bararuk (11-18=29) is second on the team in scoring while D Maxime Fortunus has 15 points (4-11=15)...RW Mark Rooneem has 14 points (7-7=14) and had his first pro two-goal game last week...D Chris Heid has seven points (2-5=7) in 12 games since being reassigned December 23...UHL Quad City is 16-15-5, in fourth place in the West...G Robert Gherson is 6-5-3 with a 2.54 gaa and was unbeaten in two starts last week...C Mike Kompon has a team-best 40 points (12-28=40)...Kompon is first among all UHL rookies in both points and assists.

Player of the week C Mikko Koivu -
Only Aero to tally at least a point in all three games last week as team went 1-2-0-0...Posted goal and assist and was a plus-one in franchise-record 7-0 home win over Milwaukee on Tuesday...Picked up one assist in 3-2 loss to Manitoba on Friday, and scored Houston’s lone goal in 3-1 loss to Moose on Sunday...Has a three-game point streak, a season-high in this his first campaign in North America...Longest point streak on the team this season is four, set by both Rickard Wallin and Pierre-Marc Bouchard.

Koivu this week...
1/11 vs. MIL 1-1=2, +1
1/14 vs. MTB 0-1=1, E
1/16 vs. MTB 1-0=1, E
Totals - 3gp, 2-2=4, +1

Aeros win big, then lose two to Moose
HOU 7, MIL 0; MTB 3, HOU 2; MTB 3, HOU 1

Tuesday: Rickard Wallin notched a goal and two assists, Ray Giroux was one of five players with a goal and an assist, and Mike Smith made 16 saves for his third shutout of the season, as the Houston Aeros beat the defending Calder Cup champion and first-place Milwaukee Admirals 7-0 at Toyota Center for the biggest home win in their 11-year history.
Giroux and Wallin finished the evening with a plus-four rating, while Kirby Law, Junior Lessard, Mikko Koivu, Stephane Veilleux and Matt Foy (two assists) each tallied two-point nights for Houston, which owned a massive 55-16 shot advantage and had lost its first six Toyota Center meetings with the Admirals by a combined 26-10 margin. Marc Cavosie added a goal.
Friday: Josh Green broke a tie 5:58 into the third period and Alex Auld finished with 38 saves for his fifth straight win, as the Manitoba Moose beat the Houston Aeros 3-2 on Derek Boogaard Bobblehead Night at Toyota Center. Jeff Hereema and Brandon Nolan also scored for Manitoba.
Law scored a pair of power play goals and Smith made 18 saves for Houston.
Sunday: Green scored a pair of goals and Peter Sarno added a goal and two assists, as the Manitoba Moose defeated the Houston Aeros 3-1 at Toyota Center to remain unbeaten in the last 14 road games (12-0-1-1). Auld made 38 saves and Wade Brookbank chipped in two assists for Manitoba, which has won five straight and eight of nine to climb to 57 points, best in the Western Conference.
Smith, tying a franchise mark by appearing in his 15th straight game, stopped 12-of-15 shots before being replaced by Kyle Kettles (seven saves) for Houston, which has lost four of five. Koivu helped the Aeros avoid the shutout with a third-period goal.
Houston has lost four of five at Toyota Center and is 8-9-1-0 at home, one of two AHL teams with a winning record on the road but not at home.

West Standings - The Aeros enter this week with 37 points, in sixth place in the West. But Houston has seven games in hand on San Antonio and two in hand on Grand Rapids, who are tied for third at 40, and five in hand on Cincinnati, in fifth with 38.
West Division Standings, 1/17
Milwaukee 25-10-2-1=53
Chicago 23-12-4-1=51
Grand Rapids 19-17-1-1=40
San Antonio 17-20-2-4=40
Cincinnati 18-21-0-2=38
Houston 17-16-2-1=37
Utah 9-27-0-2=20

Aeros’ Practice schedule:
Monday - 10-11:30, Sugar Land
Tuesday - 10-11:30, Sugar Land
Wednesday - 10-11, pre-game skate, vs. EDM 7:05 p.m.
Thursday - 10-11:30, Sugar Land
Friday - at SAN, 7 p.m.
Saturday - vs. GR, 7:35 p.m.
Sunday - vs. GR, 5:05 p.m.


---HOUSTON AEROS, BE A FAN---