Round 2,Game #4: Aeros vs. Milwaukee -- Nasty Boys Edition

Sometimes, there's just not that much one can say about a hockey game. Not because there's nothing to say, but just because it's such a visceral experience that one has to have been there. And tonight's Game Four was just such a game. Because it was more than just a 2-0 win. It was more than just the Aeros being in the right place at the right time with the puck. It was Anton Khudobin standing at center ice being serenaded by the crowd of 3189 after the game.

It's a thing like the crowd singing "Happy Birthday" to Khudobin that goes beyond mere words. You had to be there. You had to feel the crowd. You had to see the expression on Khudobin's face.

“I told the PA Announcer at center ice, this is my best happy birthday ever,” said Khudobin. “It is May 7, and I have never played hockey this late in the year. We played well, we got the 2-0 win and we now lead the series. I am very happy about that.”

And while Khudobin might be happy, his teammates are estactic, because without Khudobin, who was thought to be the team's weak link heading into the playoffs, it's doubtful that the Aeros would be leading this series with Milwaukee three games to one.

"That’s our playoffs right there. Anton," Benoit Pouliot said. "He’s never really had an off game."

Anton Khudobin stopped 27 shots for his second shutout of the playoffs. But Khudobin's goal play aside, if not for Benoit Pouliot being in the right place at the right time in the first period, Khudobin's play might not have been enough. But with the Aeros on the power play, Clayton Stoner got the puck down low to Marco Rosa who worked behind the net, drew Drew MacIntyre toward him, leaving a spot in the net open, and Rosa found Pouliot and Pouliot put the puck in the net to give Houston the 1-0 lead at 16:56 of the first period.

But Drew MacIntyre settled down, Milwaukee shut down the Aeros offense, and the Aeros went into operation shut down as they were once again out shot and out chanced by the Admirals, but once again found themselves unable to get the puck past Khudobin. Finally, with just under two seconds remaining on the clock, Krys Kolanos got the empty netter to put the Aeros up 2-0 and seal the victory.

"I was so happy. I was jumping in the air," Khudobin said about the Kolanos goal. And then, shortly thereafter, Khudobin stood at center ice as the fans wished him a very happy birthday.

"What can you say," Kevin Constantine said. "He’s done a great job for us."

A great job that has the Aeros just one win shy of the Western Conference finals. One win that come as early as Saturday night in Game Five at Toyota Center.

SOME MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES:

Kevin Constantine was pleased that the team won the game. But he couldn't help but note that, once again, Milwaukee dominated the game, getting more chances and more shots once again.

"We got out-chanced in games two and three, and my guess is we got out-chanced again tonight," he said. "Part of that sometimes stems from when you play with a lead. You’re less inclined to go get your chances, and you’re more inclined to sit back."

Looking at the numbers, the Aeros were once again out shot in all three periods, especially the third period where the Admirals had the 12-2 shot advantage. But then again, the Aeros made one of their two third period shots and Milwaukee made none of theirs, so it can be argued that while the Aeros were out-chanced, they knew better how to take advantage of their chances.

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The numbers don't lie. The Aeros got the first goal. They got a goal on the power play. They didn't let Milwaukee score on the power play, and they had the lead after the first period. When those things happen in the playoffs, the Aeros win. The Aeros are now 6-1 when scoring first. They're 5-0 when leading after the first period. They're 6-3 when scoring a power play goal. They're 7-1 when not allowing a power play goal.

The surprising thing, watching the Aeros in the playoffs, has been their ability to get the early lead and keep it. Because anyone who watched this team during the regular season knows that the Aeros were known for doing it a bit backwards. They would score early, grab the lead, and lose the game while they would fall behind early, charge back late, and get the win.

"Mostly it’s been a year-long process. I thought in the first half of the year we were about the worst team I’ve ever coached when it comes to not being able to take a lead into the third and keep it," Constantine said. "If you look at our play in the second half, we became much better with the lead, and that’s kind of carried over into the playoffs."

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This game was rather brutal at times. Tomas Mojzis was knocked out of the game early in the first period with a left knee injury after being knocked to the ice by one of the Admirals. Both teams leveled bone-crunching hit after bone-crunching hit to each other.

For the most part, referee Francois St. Laurent kept silent with the whistle and handed out very few penalties. From the press box, it looked like some of the hits -- besides the one to Mojzis -- really hurt. But Benoit Pouliot took a decidedly different view: "I don’t know if it was the roughest game [of the playoffs]," he said, "but it was actually pretty fun to play."

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It's safe to say that the Aeros made the playoffs on the strength of their special teams -- their power play and penalty kill were among the best in the league -- so it's only fitting that out of 11 playoff games, the Aeros have 13 power play goals. And the Aeros once again shut down the Milwaukee power play.

And seeing as how Milwaukee has now outshot Houston 118-73, it's definitely a plus that the Aeros have been able to score on their power play chances. The Aeros are 3-for-21 on the power play against Milwaukee, while the Admirals are only 1-for-15.

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Anton Khudobin was thought to be the weakest link for this Aeros team in the playoffs. And at times he has looked very shaky in the goal, especially with his penchant for long rebounds. The team seems to be coalescing around him, and he seems to be getting better and gaining confidence the more he plays. But he just seemed to give a little something extra for his birthday.

"We didn’t want to wish him Happy Birthday before the game," Constantine said. "It was kind of like you don’t say shutout in the middle of the game. But it’s a pretty good birthday gift for him."

And Constantine is pleased by the way Khudobin has grown as a goalie during the playoffs. "The good news is that Anton’s done two things for me as a goalie," he said. "Number one is he’s responded to losses with good outings. I think that’s a sign of a good goalie. And he’s gotten better over the course of the last month where he’s played, so he’s making adjustments to play at this level."

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Because the game appeared to be rather brutal and hard hitting on the ice, I thought the perfect song to end the night with would be a little Janet Jackson, or rather, Ms. Jackson, if you're nasty.