Aeros' most exciting finishes - Volume III

Up until now, we have talked about some honorable mentions and playoff games that were right up there with the most exciting finishes of all time.

This week, we have been looking at games in which the Aeros trailed late and pulled off your basic miracle to get one or two points. Now, we have arrived at the Top 5 games, in my opinion, of all time. These are home games, and today, we'll look at two of them.

I kind of lied Tuesday (due to circumstance beyond my control), so I am going to do three today and finish up with the last two tomorrow to get everyone ready for the rematch with Lake Erie. Your Aeros, by the way, are 0-2 this year against the Monsters.

The fifth most exciting comeback of all time: Aeros 3, Chicago Wolves 2

January 29, 2005 - Toyota Center

Down 2-0, won 3-2

This was a lockout year game, and the Aeros had probably their best collection of talent since the Calder Cup team. Brent Burns, Mikko Koivu, Josh Harding, Stephane Veilleux ... etc. Earlier in the year, Harding was knocked out with a concussion when he got run by Jeff Taffe, who currently plays for the Rockford IceHogs. This game featured Harding's first game back, and he quickly allowed goals on the first two shots he saw. After that, he was lights out and kept the Wolves off the board to stage the comeback. Christoph Brandner started things for the Aeros with less than a minute left in the second period, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard tied the game just 40 seconds into the third period. Those goals got the crowd of more than 9,500 people on its feet. Just when it looked like the Aeros were headed for overtime, Brent Burns took a pass from Bouchard and banked a shot off Kari Lehtonen from a sharp angle for the game winner. Harding stopped the last 17 shots he saw, and Burns' goal was an absolute beauty. The Aeros ended up playing the Wolves that year in the playoffs. After a split in the first two games in Rosemont, the Wolves came here and Lehtonen absolutely shut the door. The Wolves won the series in five games.

The fourth most exciting comeback of all time: Aeros 4, KC Blades 3

March 11, 2001 - Compaq Center

Ahead 3-1, down 4-3, won 5-4 in regulation

I remember this game VERY clearly. My then-girlfriend Dana (now my wife of eight years) was down from Milwaukee, getting to know me as a hockey fan. She had watched hockey in college, but was not overly convinced that this IHL stuff was really all that exciting. The small crowd looked really small in the Compaq Center, and I told her just to watch ... anything can happen. Well, the Aeros raced out to a 3-1 lead early in the third period on goals by Scott Hollis, Bobby Reynolds and Shawn Carter. Looked like the game was clearly in hand, until the Blades got three straight goals by Josh Holden, Greg Hawgood and Steve Kariya to take a 4-3 lead. Time was winding down and it the result looked clear until Greg Pankewicz by accident (he was trying to pass to Reynolds, when the shot rolled off his stick and went five-hole) tied the game with 2:34 to go, setting up a wonderful finish. With 29.7 ticks left, Brett Harkins, who for several years tortured the Aeros as a member of the Cleveland Lumberjacks, snapped a shot by Corey Schwab for the game-winner.

The third most exciting comeback of all time: Aeros 4, Milwaukee Admirals 3 (SO)

March 12, 1999 - Compaq Center

Down 3-1, won 4-3 (SO)

I have to start this one with a confession. Of all the games on the list this week, this is the only one where I literally got up and left only to come back for the shootout. The star player in this game, David Oliver, literally scored two goals while I was walking up the stairs and then in the concourse. In this game, the beloved Cam Stewart put the Aeros ahead 1-0 early in the first period, and that was all Kay Whitmore would allow until Oliver took over. The Admirals tied the game on a goal by Richard Lintner on a play that was set up (by a different) Petr Sykora. With about two minutes left in the game, Oliver was denied on a clear breakaway and had a real good chance to put the rebound in the net. That is when I got up and left (hey, I had a hot date or something!) I heard the fans scream when Oliver made it 3-2 at 18:15. As I worked my way over to the escalator, the crowd went nuts again when Oliver tied it with just 29.7 seconds left in the game. I did not go back to my seats. I went to the closest seats and watched Oliver and Jeff Christian score in the shootout. Manny Fernandez stopped four of the five shots he saw in the tie-breaker and recorded the win.