From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Monday, April 4, 2005
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

Aeros Weekly Report

This week on aeros.com – Log on to Aeros.com and theahl.com Wednesday for Junior Reporter Michael McHugh’s feature story on Aeros’ leading scorer Pierre-Marc Bouchard.

Coming attractions:

TUE, at MIL, 7 p.m.
Watch the game live on the Internet with B2 Networks for $6. Users must have hi-speed internet. Visit Aeros.com for details. The Admirals are in a playoff race of their own, as they are four points behind first-place Chicago but with three games in hand. Houston is 3-5-1-0 against Milwaukee this season, losing four of the last five meetings after winning two of the first four. Since winning 5-2 at Bradley Center on November 13, Houston is 0-2-1-0 in Milwaukee. The Admirals handed the Aeros a 5-0 loss in the last meeting in Wisconsin on March 10.

WED, at UTA, 8:05 p.m.
The Aeros have a .750 winning percentage this season versus Utah, with only one regulation loss in eight games (5-1-0-2). Houston has at least one point in each of its four trips to West Valley City this season (2-0-0-2), and in seven straight meetings overall (5-0-0-2).

FRI, at CIN, 6:35 p.m., broadcast joined in progress at 7 p.m.
In a game that will help decide the race for the final two playoff spots in the West, Houston tries to avenge two last-minute losses in Cincinnati in February. The Aeros beat the Ducks 4-1 at Toyota Center last Wednesday.

SAT, at SAN, 7 p.m.
The Rampage will try to avenge a 4-1 home loss to the Aeros on Sunday.

SUN, vs. SAN, 5:05 p.m., Internet only broadcast
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. The Aeros have won the last three home meetings with the Rampage by a combined 17-1 margin.

West Division standings/schedule (3-5 only)

3t. Houston 73 GP, 83 PTS
3t. Cincinnati 73 GP, 83 PTS
5. Grand Rapids 73 GP, 80 PTS

HOU
4/5 @ MIL
4/6 @ UTA
4/8 @ CIN
4/9 @ SAN
4/10 vs. SAN
4/15 vs. CHI
4/17 vs. UTA
7GR (3H, 3R)

CIN
4/6 @ CHI
4/8 vs. HOU
4/9 vs. CLE
4/10 @ CLE
4/15 @ GR
4/16 vs. MIL
4/17 vs. GR
7GR (4H, 3R)

GR
4/7 @ SAN
4/8 @ UTA
4/9 @ UTA
4/12 @ MIL
4/15 vs. CIN
4/16 vs. SAN
4/17 @ CIN
7GR (2H, 5R)

Four straight – Houston has won a season-best four straight, and is unbeaten in regulation in the last six (5-0-0-1) to tie a season-high. The Aeros last won four in a row during a season-best, six-game streak December 5-17, 2003. The Aeros’ four-game winning streak is tied for the second longest active run in the AHL. During its four-game win streak, Houston has outscored its opponents 18-5 overall, including 6-0 in the first period and 8-1 in the second.

Four straight for Law, too - Aeros captain Kirby Law has a goal in each of his last four games, tied for the team season lead with Mikko Koivu and Matt Foy. Law trails Cincinnati’s Joffrey Lupul’s seven-game goal streak for the active AHL lead. Law leads the Aeros with 24 goals. Law needs six goals over his last seven games to become the ninth 30-goal scorer in team history.

McLellan hits 150 - Sunday’s win made Todd McLellan the second head coach in Aeros history to record 150 wins with the team. McLellan is 150-127-36 in his four seasons with the Aeros. Dave Tippett went 165-85-36 in 3 1/2 seasons with Houston from 1995-1999.

Houston ‘D is stifling - The Aeros are tied for seventh in the AHL, allowing 2.44 goals per game. That puts them on a pace to yield only 195 goals, which would be a franchise record by two. Houston allowed 197 in the 1998-99 season. The Aeros are also on pace to eclipse their team records in home goals allowed (92), and they are just behind the pace in road goals allowed (104).

What a week for the D-men - Outscoring its opponents 15-3 last week, several Aeros’ plus-minus columns got significant increases - especially the defensemen. Ray Giroux was plus-seven in three games to move to a team-best plus-10. Patrick Traverse returned after missing 11 days due to injury and went plus-five, and Brent Burns was plus-five in three games as well.

Two at 18 - Goalies Josh Harding and Mike Smith have each won 18 games, marking just the second time in Aeros history two goalies have done that. Frederic Chabot (23) and Jason Elliott (19) accomplished the feat in 2000-01.

‘Rooters update - Aeros defensemen and alternate captains Todd Reirden and Ray Giroux combine to bring a group of underprivileged children out to each and every Aeros game. This week’s group is Golden Boys Adolescent Home (Sunday).

Down on the farm - The Pensacola Ice Pilots are 49-16-5 and have clinched the Brabham Cup, the overall points leader...Only one Brabham Cup winner has ever skated away with the post-season Kelly Cup...LW Jordan Krestanovich has 66 points (26-40=66)...LW Mark Rooneem has eight points (2-6=8) in six games since being reassigned from Louisiana, and has 35 points (19-16=35) in 63 games overall...UHL Quad City is 36-29-11...The Mallards hold down the eighth and final spot in the playoff chase by five points over Flint...Quad City has two of the frontrunners for league Rookie of the Year, and they are both Aeros prospects...G Robert Gherson is 23-11-7 with a 2.24 gaa to rank second in the UHL..C Mike Kompon has 81 points (32-49=81)...Kompon leads all UHL rookies in assists, is tied for first in points and is tied for second in goals...His 81 points rank him tied for 12th overall in the league.

Player of the week G Josh Harding -
Rookie netminder from Regina, Sask, went 3-0-0 with a 1.00 gaa and a .970 save pct. last week...Stopped 34 shots as Aeros beat Cincinnati 4-1 to move into sole possession of third place Wednesday...Made 30 saves in 7-1 win over San Antonio on Saturday, then 34 more in Sunday’s 4-1 victory over the Rampage...Tied for fifth in the AHL in gaa (2.03), including first among Western Conference goalies and rookie goalies...Hasn’t allowed a first-period goal in last five starts.

Harding this week...
3/30 vs. CIN 34-35, W
4/2 vs. SAN 30-31, W
4/3 at SAN 33-34, W
Totals - 3gp, 3-0-0, 1.00 gaa, .970 pct. (97-100)

Aeros have won four straight, are 5-0-0-1 in last six
HOU 4, CIN 1: HOU 7, SAN 1; HOU 4, SAN 1
The Aeros continued their torrid pace last week by sweeping three games by a combined 15-3 score.
Wednesday: Rookie Bill Kinkel, a 6-foot-5, 239-pound winger recalled from ECHL Pensacola earlier today and appearing in his fourth career AHL game, got a hat trick as the Houston Aeros took over sole possession of third place in the West Division with a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks at Toyota Center. Josh Harding made 34 saves to snap a four-game winless streak, Kirby Law tacked on an empty-net tally and Mikko Koivu added two assists for Houston.
Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 18 shots, including a Pierre-Marc Bouchard penalty shot, and Joffrey Lupul scored for Cincinnati.
Saturday: Mikko Koivu tallied a goal and two assists, Pierre-Marc Bouchard supplied three helpers and Josh Harding made 30 saves, as the Houston Aeros defeated the San Antonio Rampage 7-1 at Toyota Center. Rickard Wallin, Kirby Law, Dan Cavanaugh, David Bararuk and Marius Holtet each added goals for Houston.
Phil Osaer, just up from ECHL Texas, made 34 stops and Juraj Kolnik scored for San Antonio.
Sunday: Mikko Koivu scored his ninth goal in 10 games against San Antonio, Kirby Law extended his goal streak to four games and Josh Harding made 30 saves for his third straight win, as the Houston Aeros knocked off the Rampage 4-1 at SBC Center. Jeremy Reich and Ray Giroux also scored for Houston, which has outscored San Antonio 19-2 in the last three meetings. The Aeros, who have outscored their opponents 25-7 in the last six games, are 7-1-2-0 versus the Rampage this season, with a whopping 38-16 goal margin.
Patrick DesRochers turned aside 33 shots for San Antonio, which has lost nine of 10 since a 4-3 overtime win over Houston on March 3 and hasn’t scored more than one goal in any game in that span. The Rampage are 3-16-1-1 since winning three straight in early February and have scored two goals or fewer in 16 of the last 17 meetings with Houston.

Aeros’ Practice schedule:
Monday - Travel Day
Tuesday - at MIL 7 p.m.
Wednesday - at UTA 8:05 p.m.
Thursday - Travel Day
Friday - at CIN 6:35 p.m.
Saturday - at SAN 7 p.m.
Sunday - vs. SAN 5:05 p.m.


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