Aeros' most exciting finishes - Championship Version

And now, after a week's delay, we've arrived at the two most exciting, last-minute comebacks in Aeros history. There were more than 1,000 games to look through as I replayed them all in my mind's eye. Thankfully, I will never forget the winner and the runner up just happened a few weeks ago.

The second most exciting comeback of all time: Aeros 4, San Antonio 3

January 1, 2011 - Toyota Center

Down 3-2, won 4-3 in regulation

Tying the game has not been a problem for the Aeros over the years. Statistically, it's bound to happen every now and then when you've got the extra attacker on the ice. Lord knows it has happened to the Aeros a time or two. (Remember Game 5 against Manitoba? Two goal lead with time winding down, and the Moose get two VERY late goals before Hrkac wins it in OT?) I had a feeling the Aeros were going to tie this game, and I told John and Heather just that about 30 game seconds before it actually happened. With Hackett on the bench in the game that the PA announcer announced him as Anton Khudobin, the Aeros made it 3-3 on a goal by Chad Rau. He scored with 55 seconds left, and what do the Aeros do? They keep bringing it, and they catch Al Montoya napping a little bit as Jed Ortmeyer steals the puck and sends it to Warren Peters for a quick shot. He puts it in the back of the net, and the crowd of 10,552 goes nuts. Two goals in the last minute to win it, not just tie it, and to do it in front of that big crowd was just great. Second-best comeback and finish of all time, in my book.

The MOST exciting comeback of all time: Aeros 4, Grand Rapids 3, Shootout

March 6, 1998 - Compaq Center

Down 3-1, won 4-3 in a shootout.

I was an intern with the Aeros in 1997-98. My first memory of that job was visiting with my boss, Todd Sharrock, who how holds a similar position for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Freddie Chabot walks in the door. He asks Todd how the team was shaping up, and Todd looked at him with a big grin and said, "You're going to love it. We got some guns to put in front of you this year." What he meant by that is this. They year before, Freddie was unbelievable. MVP of the league, but the Aeros could not score for shit, and they were knocked out the playoffs by the Long Beach Ice Dogs. But for 97-98, they got Brian Wiseman, Ken McRae, David Oliver and others to pack a punch.

Fast forward to March, and the Aeros are one of the league's best teams. They ran their record up to about 21 games over .500 before they hit a bit of a slump. They went a pedestrian 7-9-3 over the next six weeks and played an awful game in Utah the Wednesday night before this game. In the first 10 minutes, the Griffins scored three times against Ryan Bach. Travis Richards made it 1-0, then former Wild player Shane Hnidy made it 2-1 after a power play goal by Wiseman tied it up. Richards scored again and Dave Tippett yanked Bach and put in Christian Soucy, who has just been called up from the Austin IceBats. The comeback was on, and Soucy made his impressive debut with the team by stopping all 18 shots in regulation the rest of the way.

With time winding down, Oliver made it 3-2 win a goal at 18:11 of the third. Then, with less than 15 seconds left and the goalie on the bench, the Aeros kept the pressure up. Cam Stewart found Wiseman open between the hash marks, and Wiseman tied the game at 19:59. Less than one second actually remained on the clock, and again, because of IHL rules, they went straight to the shootout. The Aeros lit up Patrick Lalime like a Christmas tree and won the game.

I asked Yeo after one of the games last week if he remembered this game. He thought for a second, and I think he did say he remembered. "That was one thing about those two teams, we never felt like we were out of a game. Ever," said Yeo.

That game got the team back on the right track that year. They won five in a row after that, nine of 10 overall and finished with a 12-3-3 run that got them home ice in the first round of the playoffs. Even though they were bumped out of the first round by Milwaukee that year, that season set the stage for a remarkable encore. The 1998-99 team was just an incredible team to watch. Maybe it all started with that 4-3 shootout win where the Aeros tied the game with less than one second left on the clock. Sometimes, that's all it takes.