- No matter how boring it gets playing the Texas Stars 487 times a year, I never get tired of San Antonio. Between the genuine rivalry that tends to bring out the chippiness, and Al Montoya, who always plays an entertaining game, there's just something about that match-up that I look forward to every time. You just never know what's going to happen, but you know SOMETHING is going to happen (see Monday's pigeon game delay).
- Today it was the odd storyline of San Antonio simply having too many veterans and having to scratch perfectly good players too often due to the veteran rule. So, today they release veteran NHLer Jed Ortmeyer and the Aeros snatch him up and have him in an Aeros jersey by 7:30 tonight. And then he creates the turnover that results in the game winner. Revenge served piping hot...
- Tyler Cuma got his first professional goal and has looked better and better since he finally got healthy and back on the ice. I remember his first training camp after he got drafted, he was blowing people away with his calm, powerful work on the blue line as, basically, a boy among men. But then it's been injury after injury and some adjustment to the pros. But tonight, I think we finally started to see that player again. The goal, along with that insane hip check and then another meaningful hit earlier in the game... well, it was for sure his best game so far.
- And it's coming at a good time because the Wild appear to be losing Marek Zidlicky, an important every-situation defenseman, due to a shoulder injury. They've already recalled Spurgeon, though I wouldn't be surprised to see them give several guys a chance through Zidlicky's absense (which looks to be fairly long). So the Aeros are down a top defensemen possibly for the remainder of the season. The more of these guys the Aeros can get clicking, the less it matters to lose one.
- Miss Aeros thingy was a snooze. Predictable. If there's only one leggy blonde in the bunch, she's winning. It's America. Of course that's what's gonna happen. At least have 2 leggy blondes next time to add some suspense. Or were there two? I dunno. Whatever. Hope the guys enjoyed it though.
- If you haven't noticed, I really love hockey and I think anybody who doesn't love hockey just hasn't been properly exposed to it. So when they have enormous crowds like this, I desperately hope the Aeros put on a show worthy of the sport. I think tonight was a perfect example of the kind of game that will make someone a hockey fan. Fast, unpredictable, gritty (but not gratuitously violent). How could you leave this game and not leave thinking, "Damn, hockey is awesome!" It SO is! Come back!
That is all from me for a while. I'm off to New England for the weekend so I'll miss the next couple. If you have any pull with the weather gods, please put in a good word for me. I'm a big ol' chicken about driving in wintery weather. *eep*
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Here is one serious fan still awake in the early hours of January 2 after a GREAT night of hockey, highlighted by the Winter Classic and the Aeros last minute win over San Antonio. And, Cody Almond's "shortie" at the end of the first was a beauty!
Hockey is not only AWESOME...Hockey is IT (borrowing from the old Coke metaphor).
By my "fuzzy" math, the Aeros have 41 games remaining (24 home and 17 road...30 v West and 11 v North). Aeros fans should have a lot to look forward to.
The only other hockey blog (besides your professional report) that I found covering tonight's game was "artsnhockey" which included some very memorable photos, worth the time for anyone still on an adrenalin roll.
Go Aeros!
This was not only one of the most entertaining games of the season, it was a game the Aeros could not have played one month ago.
Think of it, they won though not scoring first. They not only came back from behind, they cam back three times in a single game. Remember that until recently, if the Aeros gave up the first goal, you might as well go home or turn off AHLlive and watch Center Ice on TV. Same if they ever fell behind after leading.
The Aeros also scored a goal after pulling our goalie, whichI can’t remember them doing in all of CY 2010, at least not at home. More often, the Aeros give one up after the other team pulls theirs.
An they scored twice in a minute. Not sure that has been done this season, either. At least it certainly doesn’t feel like it.
I don’t know if Yeo has them believing in themselves, or if they got POed with losing, or their schedule courtesy of the AHL Department of Sadism, or if it was the sight of S.A. Rampage sweaters, or just that Montoya was in net – but in any event it was great to see.
I give Ortmeyer credit for just knowing which goal to attack. He could be a leader we are currently missing,
At least that’s my dellusion.
OK, there were some things I didn’t like:
Missing two empty nets for one.
Shaun Davis for two. Phantom penalties, non-calls, and totally confused by a clear Rampage goal. Not to mention getting in the way frequently. What game was he watching? The Winter Classic on his iPhone?
Third, the idiot fans at the Toyota Center. I know Houston is still not a hockey literate city, but how on earth can you, with five minutes left in an entertaining one-goal game, start doing the freaking Wave????? That tells me we got a lot of people who still can’t appreciate hockey in this city.
I’ll let Ms. step in on this one if she wants, but I don’t think Hackett was really seeing the puck that well. On the second goal he acted like it was a screen, but there was nobody to screen him. I’m less certain on the first – it might have been slightly tipped.
This could go down as a very important game for this team. Then again, maybe not - it's up to them. We’ve certainly been let down by sports teams in this city recently.
I agree with FC about the WAVE. You don't do the WAVE at a hockey game. The fans were acting like hillbillies in Hollywood.
The third SA goal WAS a goal. I know there was some doubt but not from my viewing angle.
I thought the boys played well in the first two periods. I guess I don't know as much about hockey as I thought if Yeo thought they left a turd on the ice.
Two goals in the final minute! Wow! It's been a long time since that's happened. The plus was we didn't let them get an ENG.
Ortmeyer was probably chuckling to himself all the way off the ice.
Almond played well but I still think Prosser is an "unsung" talent as of late. He seems to be doing all the "right stuff". He sure doesn't play like a rookie to me.
All I can say is I'm still excited about the last minute of the game. I hope the trend sticks.
Ms. Conduct.. safe journey. Keep warm. And if it snows, blows too much stay IN, watch hockey on the TV!
FC: re the idiot fans. I'm of two minds. First, I was just happy to see that large a number of fans in the building. Especially a large number of actual fans not a group of kids shipped in on buses and skipping out on a day of school.
Second, the inventor of The Wave needs to be put against a wall and shot. But the fans don't know how to use it in baseball or football, either. So it's just not at hockey.
My thoughts on the "Wave."
I myself am not a fan of the wave, even at football, basketball or baseball games, much less hockey.
But when one considers that the Aeros (and even the NHL) are all trying to expand the popularity of hockey, it was nice to see new fans enjoying the game.
Myself and some of the other STH's around me were talking about the ticket giveaway's and cheap tickets that the Aeros have done and on those nights, many times the level of play had been so bad, that "new" fans would never want to return to a hockey game, ever.
Even many of the super-fans that post on this site and the old "I.A" site often complain about why they are still spending money on season tickets to the Aeros, when they were playing like they did last season.
Imagine someone coming for the first time; all pumped up for their first hockey game, that knows almost nothing about hockey and they treated to only seeing the equivalent of going to a professional golf game and only getting to see the golfers walk down the fairway, never getting to see them make a drive or a putt.
BORING, which is what a lot of last seasons games were.
So for me, as much as I hate the Wave, I was thrilled to see wave from a large crowd at an Aeros game, enjoying themselves.
That's all I got to say about that.
@Bobby (and others)-
What "The Wave" says to me is "I'm bored, what I'm seeing isn't exciting, so therefore I have to make my own excitement".
I can see fans doing "The Wave" in one of those 2-0 snoozefests we have seen all so often the last several years where the Aeros don't even try to skate until there are five minutes left in the game and they have only generated 11 shots - mostly from the point - in the first 55.
But not at a game like last night. The game was 100% capable of generating and keeping fan interest. So that leads me to believe many fans had no comprehension of what was going on out there on the ice.
@FC fans you say? Most of those invaders where there for the heck of it, and would have gone to anything to cut the boredom of the day after.
I was sitting next to some who kept asking me: Have we won, yet? When clearly Aeros had won with 4 goals.
I guess, they were in cloud cuckoo land or still so fogged (and smelling like a brewery) over from the night before, they had no clue what team was playing whom, and why! Maybe even WHAT sport! But what can you expect with FREE tickets, cheap Center Ice seats for a crowd that just wanted to whoop it up, naked girls or not. BTW I would have too voted for Ms Polka Dot Bikini.
But Blondes usually take it all. Also get more tips , too, as I can confirm when in my salad days, I worked a few evenings as a part time waitress- just for fun and pocket $.
Wearing a truly awful straw like BLOND wig, my tips tripled. Just saying. perhaps not so dumb as that, us blondes, artificial or not.
Whoopee Aeros!
Hey folks, what's with the fan snobbery? Do you truly prefer games with 200 people in attendance? I'll take a crowd like last night's any time. There was an energy in the building they rarely get. Do I like The Wave, no, it's the stupidest thing ever invented, but to me it showed they were engaged. They do it at every single every sporting event in existence.
Whether last night's fans were truly fans, or just first timers who didn't understand the game, I'm happy they were there. Seeing more than a few hundred seats with live butts in them and seeing them all rise and hearing them cheer when we scored was fantastic. Even if they didn't know or care what was going on, it sure made it exciting and enjoyable for those of us who never miss a game.
What happened with McBride? I know that the team signed him PTO last week, but he's not on the roster...
I really like him and I think he adds alot to the team in the 'spunk' department and he put up a few points. Does anyone know what's going on?
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