In case you were elsewhere today, you might have missed the big news. The Aeros actually held a lead going into the third period. That's no lie, the Aeros skated out for the third period with a 2-1 lead. They promptly lost that lead :47 into the period, and they eventually lost the game 3-2. But with the Aeros, you take the small victories where you can find them, and for this game, it should be noted, the Aeros actually had a lead after two periods.
Now the hail of bullets.
1. The Aeros second goal was a thing of beauty. Jarod Palmer rushed the net with the puck. He drew a defenseman with him, and as he went past the goal, Lake Erie goalie John Grahame followed. Palmer passed back up the ice, and across the net, where he hit perfectly hit Casey Wellman with the puck, and Wellman buried the puck before Grahame could even think of getting back into position. And for once, the Aeros got the puck in the net.
2. I should know this. Those of us on press row should know this. But none of us do, so...is Max Noreau hurt? He's not shooting the puck as often as he did last year, especially on the power play, and when he does, the shot seems to lack the zip it's had in seasons past.
3. If Noreau's not hurt, then why the hell isn't he shooting it more on the power play?
4. I thought Marco Scandella had another good game. He bailed out Khudobin in the second period when Khudobin made a block and the puck bounced around the crease, seemingly forever. As a Lake Erie player came rushing for the puck, Scandella appeared from out of nowhere and swatted the puck away, preventing the goal.
5. Yeah, I'm liking what I see from Scandella.
6. It would have been nice to see Warren Peters swat the puck out of harm's way in the third period on the goal that tied the game. Peters thought he should have got to the puck, but didn't, saying: "Looking back on what happened – I was on the ice for one of them – we ended up going back into our zone, the puck went over my head, I guess close enough for me to grab it with my hand and try to take a swipe at it. The guy’s waiting on the other side, he bangs it into the empty net."
7. Where in the hell were the Ice Girls? Damn it, don't toss them out for just one game to start the season then get rid of them. You don't expect me to have to watch this team, do you?
8. I was the only one of us three there for the entire game. Heather went to something called an opera and didn't show up until the second period. Andrew's son was playing a little league baseball game, and he didn't arrive until the third -- note, the Aeros were winning when Andrew arrived, then promptly gave up the lead. Make of that what you will.
9. I thought the team looked awful in the first period. Whether it was just sluggishness from playing the third game in three days, or whether it was just bad play, I don't know. I thought the team looked better in the second. Heather thought I was nuts for saying this, but after all, she didn't see them in the first period. I thought their third period was the worst of the three.
10. There was no excuse for the way the team started that third period.
11. Mike Yeo agrees about that third period: "That’s a very disappointing way to lose a hockey game. Right there. For three games in three nights I thought, for two periods we’d done a lot of good things. But to come out – there were three mental lapses on the first goal, and there were two on the second. You’ve got to know – to be a winner you’ve got to know what the situation calls for. And we didn’t there in the third period."
12. For the commenter to an earlier post saying the Aeros should sign Krys Kolanos. Know this: Kolanos is unsigned at this point. There's a reason he's unsigned. So get over the mythology of Kolanos already.
13. The defenseman, for the most part, and in my opinion, have been very good. Especially Scandella and Drew Bagnall. And I think I understand why Brandon Rogers is being scratched every night. But it's obvious to all that the power play's not working, and in the past, before the current folks took over in St. Paul, Rogers was a good power play quarterback -- he was especially good at it getting it to Noreau in just the right spot for one of Noreau's shots. So maybe they should sit one of the ineffective forwards -- I think they can find a few to choose from -- and find away to get Rogers some ice time. If even for just the power play.
14. You know that Troy Ward's up in Abbotsford, looking at the power play stats, and laughing at all those who thought he and Kevin Constantine were at fault for the power play woes. Constantine's in Switzerland, and if I were in Switzerland, or anywhere in Europe, I wouldn't be wasting my time checking out AHL stats.
15. I did the math during the first intermission. It was 158:30 between goals for the Aeros. Yeah, that's bad.
16. When asked after the game if he saw anything good in the Aeros, Yeo responded that he liked seeing the team have a lead, and score some goals as opposed to losing with no goals. But that was said with an air of resignation.
17. Jarod Palmer: no more fights please. That was a pretty weak one in the first period. Leave the fighting to Bagnall or Matt Kassian. That's what they're there for.
18. The Aeros lost to the Lake Erie Monsters. How bad do you have to be lose to the Monsters, especially when this is the last game of a seven-game road trip.
19. After seven games: the Aeros are 2-4-1 (five points) and in last place in the West Division.
20. The Aeros have their third three-in-three in three consecutive weekends this week. They play in San Antonio on Friday, Austin on Saturday, and here for Sunday. Sunday is Halloween. If the Aeros play anything next Sunday like they did today, then that's going to be one scary Halloween.
21. On the plus side, next Sunday is Halloween which means the Dynamics will be in costume.
22. That's it for this edition. And I think the Rolling Stones and "Satisfaction" might be in order because this team is on a five game losing streak and nobody who is watching them is getting any satisfaction.
Showing posts with label Brandon Rogers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brandon Rogers. Show all posts
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
10/22/10 -- Aeros v. Rivermen -- The Hail of Bullets Edition
I'm trying a different approach to these things, at this point. I just can't see writing up full-scale game stories -- I've been working a lot, and I want to get that sleep thing. So I'm going to feed you guys a hail of bullets reflecting some thoughts on this game that the Aeros lost 1-0 in overtime.
1. This was a hell of a game. It was one of the more entertaining games that I've seen the Aeros play in a long, long time. So I really, really, really don't understand why they were being booed off of the ice. I just don't get it.
2. Marco Scandella, wow. He's a young kid. He's not perfect, yet. But he just continues to amaze me every game. He's making hits. He's throwing his body around and blocking pucks. He's someone I find myself looking at constantly when he' s out on the ice -- and when I'm not looking at the Dynamics.
3. Mike Yeo on Scandella: "One of the biggest things, it’s obvious by the amount of ice time that we’re giving him. He’s a young guy, and young guys generally have a lot more to learn, but he plays a pretty mature game for a young guy. I think part of that is he has a very good understanding of what kind of player he is, and he’s going to be in the NHL, and he’s committed to being a solid defensive player, and he knows he has to go make a good first pass and try to contribute offensively when it’s there. But he also understands the foundation of his game, and that’s being strong one-on-one and being solid defensively."
4. I also like seeing Drew Bagnall on the ice. He's just not going to take crap off of anybody.
5. Anton Khudobin seems different to me this year. He seems to have matured and kicked his game up another level. I saw him challenging players. He didn't lose his poise like he might have at times in the past. And he played a hell of a game against one of the top teams in the AHL.
6. I saw a semblance, tonight, of what Mike Yeo wants this team to be. It wasn't there the entire game, but it was there. I hadn't seen it in the first two home games. There's still hesitation. There's still too much passing, trying to be too perfect. But I could actually see what Yeo wants to accomplish.
"I think that we have to, at this point in the season especially, we have to remember what it is we’re trying to do here," Yeo told us. "And I think that that game looked a lot more like our game is supposed to look. There was a lot of times where I felt like we were really taking it to them. We were getting good shifts in the offensive zone. Our forecheck was really effective, and the way were attacking pucks and creating turnovers was a lot better. Shooting pucks and going to the net."
7. I'm disappointed in the power play. Which seems to be the standard Houston Aeros observer response over the years. Yeo's disappointed, and he thought they were trying to be too perfect. One thing I noticed is that Max Noreau seems to be backing off a bit. I thought there were multiple times tonight when he had an opportunity from the blue line and didn't take it. We saw last year what a weapon the Noreau slap shot can be.
8. That said, I don't know what, if anything, the Aeros have planned for Brandon Rogers. And maybe it's just something with my memory, but I could swear that I remember that several seasons ago he and Noreau made a great power play duo.
9. I agree with Heather's assessment on Ben Bishop. The guy has really improved, and he stopped everything the Aeros through his way. I don't even think that the myth that fans have turned Krys Kolanos into could have gotten the puck past Bishop.
10. Where were the Ice Girls?
11. I hope you didn't pay any attention to the PA guy on the way out of the arena tonight, because despite what they said, the Aeros next two games aren't on the road. They play in San Antonio tomorrow, but then they host Lake Erie on Sunday.
12. Nothing against Jarod Palmer, but damn it, when I see the #19 on the ice, the first thing that pops into my mind is Danny Irmen. So can someone please get Palmer another a number.
13. I think The White Stripes are currently one of the most-overrated bands in rock music. They've done some good stuff, but most of what I hear just reinforces my belief that Jack White has bought into his own hype and mythology. Most of their "genius," to me, sounds rushed, and unfinished. But when they get a song right, they get the song right, such as in "Seven Nation Army."
Now to get to my point, I find the Aeros to be rough, unfinished. But I can see what they're aiming at. And I see "Seven Nation Army" as fitting the theme that Yeo wants for the team. An onrushing onslaught of attackers firing time after time on the net. So...
1. This was a hell of a game. It was one of the more entertaining games that I've seen the Aeros play in a long, long time. So I really, really, really don't understand why they were being booed off of the ice. I just don't get it.
2. Marco Scandella, wow. He's a young kid. He's not perfect, yet. But he just continues to amaze me every game. He's making hits. He's throwing his body around and blocking pucks. He's someone I find myself looking at constantly when he' s out on the ice -- and when I'm not looking at the Dynamics.
3. Mike Yeo on Scandella: "One of the biggest things, it’s obvious by the amount of ice time that we’re giving him. He’s a young guy, and young guys generally have a lot more to learn, but he plays a pretty mature game for a young guy. I think part of that is he has a very good understanding of what kind of player he is, and he’s going to be in the NHL, and he’s committed to being a solid defensive player, and he knows he has to go make a good first pass and try to contribute offensively when it’s there. But he also understands the foundation of his game, and that’s being strong one-on-one and being solid defensively."
4. I also like seeing Drew Bagnall on the ice. He's just not going to take crap off of anybody.
5. Anton Khudobin seems different to me this year. He seems to have matured and kicked his game up another level. I saw him challenging players. He didn't lose his poise like he might have at times in the past. And he played a hell of a game against one of the top teams in the AHL.
6. I saw a semblance, tonight, of what Mike Yeo wants this team to be. It wasn't there the entire game, but it was there. I hadn't seen it in the first two home games. There's still hesitation. There's still too much passing, trying to be too perfect. But I could actually see what Yeo wants to accomplish.
"I think that we have to, at this point in the season especially, we have to remember what it is we’re trying to do here," Yeo told us. "And I think that that game looked a lot more like our game is supposed to look. There was a lot of times where I felt like we were really taking it to them. We were getting good shifts in the offensive zone. Our forecheck was really effective, and the way were attacking pucks and creating turnovers was a lot better. Shooting pucks and going to the net."
7. I'm disappointed in the power play. Which seems to be the standard Houston Aeros observer response over the years. Yeo's disappointed, and he thought they were trying to be too perfect. One thing I noticed is that Max Noreau seems to be backing off a bit. I thought there were multiple times tonight when he had an opportunity from the blue line and didn't take it. We saw last year what a weapon the Noreau slap shot can be.
8. That said, I don't know what, if anything, the Aeros have planned for Brandon Rogers. And maybe it's just something with my memory, but I could swear that I remember that several seasons ago he and Noreau made a great power play duo.
9. I agree with Heather's assessment on Ben Bishop. The guy has really improved, and he stopped everything the Aeros through his way. I don't even think that the myth that fans have turned Krys Kolanos into could have gotten the puck past Bishop.
10. Where were the Ice Girls?
11. I hope you didn't pay any attention to the PA guy on the way out of the arena tonight, because despite what they said, the Aeros next two games aren't on the road. They play in San Antonio tomorrow, but then they host Lake Erie on Sunday.
12. Nothing against Jarod Palmer, but damn it, when I see the #19 on the ice, the first thing that pops into my mind is Danny Irmen. So can someone please get Palmer another a number.
13. I think The White Stripes are currently one of the most-overrated bands in rock music. They've done some good stuff, but most of what I hear just reinforces my belief that Jack White has bought into his own hype and mythology. Most of their "genius," to me, sounds rushed, and unfinished. But when they get a song right, they get the song right, such as in "Seven Nation Army."
Now to get to my point, I find the Aeros to be rough, unfinished. But I can see what they're aiming at. And I see "Seven Nation Army" as fitting the theme that Yeo wants for the team. An onrushing onslaught of attackers firing time after time on the net. So...
Friday, October 15, 2010
Meet Your 2010-11 Aeros: Brandon Rogers
BRANDON ROGERSBorn: February 27, 1982 (age 28)
Rochester, NH
6 ft 1
198 lb
Defenseman
Shoots: Left
(Photo courtesy of Fred Trask)
Career Transactions: Is currently signed to a AHL contract with the Aeros....Signed as a free agent by Minnesota, July 15, 2008....Signed by Houston (AHL), August 23, 2007....Originally selected by Anaheim in the fourth round (118th overall) in 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
What is there to say about Brandon Rogers? I think it's become obvious over the years that I'm a fan of the guy as a player, and as a person. After all, how can you not like a guy who was the AHL Man of the Year, and yet thought nothing of it because going out into the community was just a regular part of being a hockey player?
Rogers didn't have the best of seasons, points-wise, last year, getting only eight points (3+5=8) in 60 games after having scored 32 and 28 in the previous two seasons. Yet the lack of scoring last season is probably, one of the reasons I'm a fan as Rogers sacrificed his scoring to help the team, moving from defense to take over as the checking line center because injuries and call-ups kept the team decimated throughout the season. That shouldn't be a problem this year -- one can hope -- as the team seemed determined to be bring in forwards this off-season.
I don't see Rogers as a flashy guy. I think he's more of a steady presence who's not going to make stupid plays and who will find some way to make a contribution. He's also, for me, somebody I can always go to in the locker room and who give me a quote despite the night he or the team just had.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
So Guess Who Went To Aeros Practice Today
Spent some time up at SLICE this morning as the guys practiced. And I've got a few notes and observations to share as the team preps for its first of many three-in-three's this season.
First: Matt Hackett will get the start in Oklahoma City on Friday night. Anton Khudobin will get the Saturday start at the home opener. Sunday's starter is to be determined, though Mike Yeo is saying that he hopes to have a rotation kind of system going for the first part of the year.
Second: the team is busing up to Oklahoma City tomorrow and returning by bus on Friday night/Saturday morning directly after the game. But whereas Kevin Constantine liked to put the team up in the Courtyard Marriott by Toyota Center on these kind of occasions, the team is instead returning to Sugar Land and will spend the time in their own beds before heading up for Toyota Center.
Third: I'm getting old. I couldn't believe how young Hackett looked as I talked to him -- read the mothership tomorrow for more on that.
Fourth: The guys did look like they were having more fun on the ice, and there was some excitement around them that I didn't see last season. Once again, check the mothership on that tomorrow as I talked to Brandon Rogers about that.
Fifth: Speaking of Rogers, he's number 38 this season.
Sixth: I was freezing at SLICE this morning, which means they must have fixed the compressor.
First: Matt Hackett will get the start in Oklahoma City on Friday night. Anton Khudobin will get the Saturday start at the home opener. Sunday's starter is to be determined, though Mike Yeo is saying that he hopes to have a rotation kind of system going for the first part of the year.
Second: the team is busing up to Oklahoma City tomorrow and returning by bus on Friday night/Saturday morning directly after the game. But whereas Kevin Constantine liked to put the team up in the Courtyard Marriott by Toyota Center on these kind of occasions, the team is instead returning to Sugar Land and will spend the time in their own beds before heading up for Toyota Center.
Third: I'm getting old. I couldn't believe how young Hackett looked as I talked to him -- read the mothership tomorrow for more on that.
Fourth: The guys did look like they were having more fun on the ice, and there was some excitement around them that I didn't see last season. Once again, check the mothership on that tomorrow as I talked to Brandon Rogers about that.
Fifth: Speaking of Rogers, he's number 38 this season.
Sixth: I was freezing at SLICE this morning, which means they must have fixed the compressor.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
2/25/10 -- Aeros v. Manitoba -- We Need Some Help Edition
I'm short on time, so straight to the talking points from tonight's 3-2 loss to Manitoba.
Barry Brust took the loss on himself.
"I think the onus is on me. I’ve got to come up with a save. The second goal, they got a big break and hit our d-man’s stick and went right down the ice. The third goal, I thought I had it, but obviously I didn’t. That’s up to me. I’ve got to buckle down and be better."
But buckle down and be better is something that can be said of the entire team. It wasn't just Brust who lost focus after the tying goals. Those goals didn't just happen in isolation. It's been a season long problem that the team has to find a way to address.
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And speaking of season long problems, the injury bug hit again. Max Noreau took a shot off of his right ankle. He came back out to play, but I saw it after the game, and it was swollen. They're going to x-ray it tomorrow, and he's hoping that it's not broken -- if it is, you can probably kiss what playoff chances the team has left has nil.
As for why he came back out -- he scored the team's final goal -- he said that it was because they checked the ankle, and said that it couldn't get any worse if he played on it. The hockey boot keeps everything kind of tight. But we should know more tomorrow.
Constantine is hoping that Brandon Rogers can return this weekend, but he's suffering from a concussion, so the team isn't going to rush anything.
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And for those of you who weren't following on Twitter -- shame on you -- the rumor is that the Aeros might be getting some help next week. The guys up in Milwaukee who handle the Admirals Short Shifts blog tweeted during the game that Tony Hrkac has signed a contract and is returning to the team next week. That will definitely increase the team speed from slow to even slower. Hrkac was a great presence on the team last season -- especially during the playoffs when the team was battling through tough playoff series after tough playoff series, and he showed that he still had some gas left in the tank. Hopefully, he can help the guys keep their focus on their games after they score a goal.
We checked with the Aeros, and all that we could get was a no comment.
The Aeros play in Texas on Friday, then host the Stars on Saturday night. With a record of 28-25-6-1 (63 points), they definitely need to get two wins this weekend.
And though I know I've played this song already this season, I thought it was apropos of the night. So here's The Beatles with "Help."
Barry Brust took the loss on himself.
"I think the onus is on me. I’ve got to come up with a save. The second goal, they got a big break and hit our d-man’s stick and went right down the ice. The third goal, I thought I had it, but obviously I didn’t. That’s up to me. I’ve got to buckle down and be better."
But buckle down and be better is something that can be said of the entire team. It wasn't just Brust who lost focus after the tying goals. Those goals didn't just happen in isolation. It's been a season long problem that the team has to find a way to address.
*******************************
And speaking of season long problems, the injury bug hit again. Max Noreau took a shot off of his right ankle. He came back out to play, but I saw it after the game, and it was swollen. They're going to x-ray it tomorrow, and he's hoping that it's not broken -- if it is, you can probably kiss what playoff chances the team has left has nil.
As for why he came back out -- he scored the team's final goal -- he said that it was because they checked the ankle, and said that it couldn't get any worse if he played on it. The hockey boot keeps everything kind of tight. But we should know more tomorrow.
Constantine is hoping that Brandon Rogers can return this weekend, but he's suffering from a concussion, so the team isn't going to rush anything.
********************************
And for those of you who weren't following on Twitter -- shame on you -- the rumor is that the Aeros might be getting some help next week. The guys up in Milwaukee who handle the Admirals Short Shifts blog tweeted during the game that Tony Hrkac has signed a contract and is returning to the team next week. That will definitely increase the team speed from slow to even slower. Hrkac was a great presence on the team last season -- especially during the playoffs when the team was battling through tough playoff series after tough playoff series, and he showed that he still had some gas left in the tank. Hopefully, he can help the guys keep their focus on their games after they score a goal.
We checked with the Aeros, and all that we could get was a no comment.
The Aeros play in Texas on Friday, then host the Stars on Saturday night. With a record of 28-25-6-1 (63 points), they definitely need to get two wins this weekend.
And though I know I've played this song already this season, I thought it was apropos of the night. So here's The Beatles with "Help."
Friday, February 12, 2010
2/12/10: Aeros vs. Griffins: Well, That Sucked Edition
Sorry, I've got no comforting words after this one. The final score might have been 7-2, but trust me, it wasn't that close. Barry Brust didn't appear to have his best game tonight, but then again, his defense didn't appear to have its best game either as both he and Wade Dubielewicz, who played the last part of the third period, were both hit repeatedly by odd-man rushes and breakaways.
Kevin Constantine wasn't in the best of moods afterwards. He was disappointed by his team's non-thinking on the ice. He was very displeased about how the team played a chance at a potential 5-3 power play into being on the penalty kill. The defense wasn't good. The offense didn't take advantage of their chances. There's just nothing good to say.
Peter Zingoni left the game in the first with a lower body injury. Constantine played only three centers in the second period, then he moved Brandon Rogers up front in the third.
The Aeros needed this win tonight -- they just about need a win every time they play. And they looked awful. Not sure of what else there is to say. So I'm out going to wrap it up. Let's hope tomorrow night leaves us with a better result.
Apologies, again, for the short post. I've got to get up at 5:00 a.m. for the temp job -- I'm should get about 65 hours this week and I have decided that sleep is overrated. Hopefully Heather or Andrew can add some more words of wisdom than I'm capable of at the moment.
Kevin Constantine wasn't in the best of moods afterwards. He was disappointed by his team's non-thinking on the ice. He was very displeased about how the team played a chance at a potential 5-3 power play into being on the penalty kill. The defense wasn't good. The offense didn't take advantage of their chances. There's just nothing good to say.
Peter Zingoni left the game in the first with a lower body injury. Constantine played only three centers in the second period, then he moved Brandon Rogers up front in the third.
The Aeros needed this win tonight -- they just about need a win every time they play. And they looked awful. Not sure of what else there is to say. So I'm out going to wrap it up. Let's hope tomorrow night leaves us with a better result.
Apologies, again, for the short post. I've got to get up at 5:00 a.m. for the temp job -- I'm should get about 65 hours this week and I have decided that sleep is overrated. Hopefully Heather or Andrew can add some more words of wisdom than I'm capable of at the moment.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
A Few Minutes With Brandon Rogers
I've been fascinated by the move of Brandon Rogers to the center position this season. Especially since Rogers has never played forward before in his life. So I spoke with Rogers about the move after Sunday's game, then I got some comments from Kevin Constantine.
You can find the story over at the mothership. So give it a read.
And let me just say that I think Rogers is one of the nicest guys on the team. He's not flashy. He just does his job. And maybe we need to find a reason to talk to him more often after games because he'll generally give us a good answer.
And Merry Christmas, everybody.
You can find the story over at the mothership. So give it a read.
And let me just say that I think Rogers is one of the nicest guys on the team. He's not flashy. He just does his job. And maybe we need to find a reason to talk to him more often after games because he'll generally give us a good answer.
And Merry Christmas, everybody.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
12/20 -- Aeros vs. Griffins -- The Magical Mystery Tour Edition
Well how about that? The Houston Aeros looked like a professional hockey team on the ice tonight -- on the offensive end -- and they showed that good things can happen when you score goals as they got the 5-3 win over the Grand Rapids Griffins this afternoon.
Grand Rapids got the scoring started when Patrick Rissmiller scored on Wade Dubielewicz at 4:40 of the first period, and it kind of looked like that this was going to be another one of those games where the Aeros get blown out before going on break. But at 14:46 of the first Max Noreau got a nice pass from Duncan Milroy, proceeded to fake a Grand Rapids defenseman of out of his gear, then snapped the shot by Daniel Larsson to tie the score.
The second period was all the Aeros as Andy Hilbert got a nice cross-ice pass from Jean-Michel Daoust and put the puck in the net to make it 2-1 at 2:56. Duncan Milroy punched in a Brandon Rogers rebound at 6:49 to make it 3-1, then Jon DiSalvatore made it 4-1 on an unassisted goal as he skated around the Grand Rapids defense and made use of a screen to get the puck past Larsson.
Grand Rapids changed goalies to start the third, and the change seemed to suit the Griffins as they got the puck past Dubielewicz twice to make the score 4-3 with nearly 15 minutes remaining in the game. But Grand Rapids would get no closer and Noreau would get the empty-netter at 19:37 to make the final 5-3.
“It’s fun. I’m not going to lie,” Dubielewicz said about playing a game with a big lead. “When we put up four, it’s not that you can relax by any means, but you can get in the game, you can get in the flow of things, and if you make a mistake it’s not going to cost you two points. That’s what it was tonight. It was nice. It was a lot of fun.”
The Aeros now head into the Christmas break with a record of 16-13-2-1 (35 points) and are percentage points ahead of Rockford for fourth place in the jam-packed West Division. The Aeros return to play on Saturday night when they host the San Antonio Rampage at 7:35.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:
Andrew did the checking on this, and it’s rather amazing when you think of the team this year. But every year since Constantine’s been here, the team has headed into the Christmas break at or just above five hundred. The 2007-08 team was 15-12-1-1 (32 points) at this point. Last year’s team was 15-10-1-6 (37 points), and this year’s squad is 16-13-2-1 (35 points).
“That’ll be all right if the second half goes like the way the second half went both years,” Constantine said. “I mean, a chance to climb up in standings. At least we’ve put ourselves in a position to be competitive in the division. We’ve got to figure out a way now to have an even better second half because it’s a good division and we’ve got to climb our way into making sure we’re in the playoffs.”
As for what’s in store for the second half, Constantine would like to see the team improve it’s play at home, put some more points on the board, and go off on a long winning streak.
“So somewhere we need to put at least one stretch, this year we have to put some type of string together at some point just to kind of insure we make the playoffs.” he said.
He is pleased that the team won four of the last five games of this stretch, but he and the players are upset that they couldn’t go into the break with a five game win streak.
Brandon Rogers thinks the team is what it is, which is a team that’s going to win 90-percent of its games by a 2-1 score.
“Obviously we always want to get better offensively,” he said. “That’s one of the things we work on all of the time in practice is making sure we’re scoring goals and trying to get better offensively because our base is always going to be strong defense, and if we can get better offensively, and keep building on that all year, then we’ll be a better team over all.”
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Some of the young guys like Chad Rau were looking kind of tired coming into these past several games, primarily because they’ve never played this many games before. But Constantine hasn’t had many resources at his disposable because of injuries in Houston and in Minnesota. However, he expects Petr Kalus and Colton Gillies to be able to return to play next Saturday when the team returns to action, and he expects Peter Zingoni to be able to start getting back on the ice and testing his injury when the team returns for practice, those his return to game action is further off.
Also, as Heather mentioned in a post below, Wade Dubielewicz is off to Switzerland to join Team Canada in some international hockey action. He departs on the Tuesday, and he should return to the Aeros on the January 1st. Until then, the goalies will be Anton Khudobin and Barry Brust, which should make Heather happy.
*****************
I’ve just about had it with the cheerleading from the PA, the PA speaking during game action, PA spots extending after for a long time after game action has resumed, the sound effects that pop up from nowhere during game action, and certain various people who don’t know how to turn off their microphones. There’s not much I can do about it as we reporters have a reputation about bitching about everything. But I know that there are many of you out there who are getting a bit pissed about this, as well. So, might I suggest, that, if you’re bugged, too, you go here and start firing off some emails to some of the people who might be in a position to do something about this. It’s making the team look unprofessional. But don't bother the people in Hockey Ops, Corporate Partnerships, Ticket Sales, Joe O'Donnell, or the receptionist.
*****************
And to end things tonight, I’m going to go with The Beatles “Magical Mystery Tour.” Primarily because, on several of the goals, especially Noreau’s first period goal, I had flashbacks to last year’s squad which seemed to be able to score at will. So until next Saturday, may you all have a Merry Christmas and may you all enjoy a Magical Mystery Tour of your own.
Grand Rapids got the scoring started when Patrick Rissmiller scored on Wade Dubielewicz at 4:40 of the first period, and it kind of looked like that this was going to be another one of those games where the Aeros get blown out before going on break. But at 14:46 of the first Max Noreau got a nice pass from Duncan Milroy, proceeded to fake a Grand Rapids defenseman of out of his gear, then snapped the shot by Daniel Larsson to tie the score.
The second period was all the Aeros as Andy Hilbert got a nice cross-ice pass from Jean-Michel Daoust and put the puck in the net to make it 2-1 at 2:56. Duncan Milroy punched in a Brandon Rogers rebound at 6:49 to make it 3-1, then Jon DiSalvatore made it 4-1 on an unassisted goal as he skated around the Grand Rapids defense and made use of a screen to get the puck past Larsson.
Grand Rapids changed goalies to start the third, and the change seemed to suit the Griffins as they got the puck past Dubielewicz twice to make the score 4-3 with nearly 15 minutes remaining in the game. But Grand Rapids would get no closer and Noreau would get the empty-netter at 19:37 to make the final 5-3.
“It’s fun. I’m not going to lie,” Dubielewicz said about playing a game with a big lead. “When we put up four, it’s not that you can relax by any means, but you can get in the game, you can get in the flow of things, and if you make a mistake it’s not going to cost you two points. That’s what it was tonight. It was nice. It was a lot of fun.”
The Aeros now head into the Christmas break with a record of 16-13-2-1 (35 points) and are percentage points ahead of Rockford for fourth place in the jam-packed West Division. The Aeros return to play on Saturday night when they host the San Antonio Rampage at 7:35.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:
Andrew did the checking on this, and it’s rather amazing when you think of the team this year. But every year since Constantine’s been here, the team has headed into the Christmas break at or just above five hundred. The 2007-08 team was 15-12-1-1 (32 points) at this point. Last year’s team was 15-10-1-6 (37 points), and this year’s squad is 16-13-2-1 (35 points).
“That’ll be all right if the second half goes like the way the second half went both years,” Constantine said. “I mean, a chance to climb up in standings. At least we’ve put ourselves in a position to be competitive in the division. We’ve got to figure out a way now to have an even better second half because it’s a good division and we’ve got to climb our way into making sure we’re in the playoffs.”
As for what’s in store for the second half, Constantine would like to see the team improve it’s play at home, put some more points on the board, and go off on a long winning streak.
“So somewhere we need to put at least one stretch, this year we have to put some type of string together at some point just to kind of insure we make the playoffs.” he said.
He is pleased that the team won four of the last five games of this stretch, but he and the players are upset that they couldn’t go into the break with a five game win streak.
Brandon Rogers thinks the team is what it is, which is a team that’s going to win 90-percent of its games by a 2-1 score.
“Obviously we always want to get better offensively,” he said. “That’s one of the things we work on all of the time in practice is making sure we’re scoring goals and trying to get better offensively because our base is always going to be strong defense, and if we can get better offensively, and keep building on that all year, then we’ll be a better team over all.”
*****************
Some of the young guys like Chad Rau were looking kind of tired coming into these past several games, primarily because they’ve never played this many games before. But Constantine hasn’t had many resources at his disposable because of injuries in Houston and in Minnesota. However, he expects Petr Kalus and Colton Gillies to be able to return to play next Saturday when the team returns to action, and he expects Peter Zingoni to be able to start getting back on the ice and testing his injury when the team returns for practice, those his return to game action is further off.
Also, as Heather mentioned in a post below, Wade Dubielewicz is off to Switzerland to join Team Canada in some international hockey action. He departs on the Tuesday, and he should return to the Aeros on the January 1st. Until then, the goalies will be Anton Khudobin and Barry Brust, which should make Heather happy.
*****************
I’ve just about had it with the cheerleading from the PA, the PA speaking during game action, PA spots extending after for a long time after game action has resumed, the sound effects that pop up from nowhere during game action, and certain various people who don’t know how to turn off their microphones. There’s not much I can do about it as we reporters have a reputation about bitching about everything. But I know that there are many of you out there who are getting a bit pissed about this, as well. So, might I suggest, that, if you’re bugged, too, you go here and start firing off some emails to some of the people who might be in a position to do something about this. It’s making the team look unprofessional. But don't bother the people in Hockey Ops, Corporate Partnerships, Ticket Sales, Joe O'Donnell, or the receptionist.
*****************
And to end things tonight, I’m going to go with The Beatles “Magical Mystery Tour.” Primarily because, on several of the goals, especially Noreau’s first period goal, I had flashbacks to last year’s squad which seemed to be able to score at will. So until next Saturday, may you all have a Merry Christmas and may you all enjoy a Magical Mystery Tour of your own.
Friday, December 18, 2009
12/18: Aeros 2, Texas 5
You could see this one coming a mile away. The Texas Stars are just damn good. They've slumped a little in goal with Brent Krahn's injury, but Climie is still an excellent goalie and his backup, Dallas prospect Bachman is also proving to be quite good.
The win against them on Tuesday in their barn was... maybe not a fluke... but that certainly wasn't the Texas Stars you get on most nights. And they knew it and you can bet they were looking to redeem themselves like a book of S&H Green Stamps. (How much did I just age myself?)
On top of that, the Aeros are playing 4 games in 6 nights and they looked a little tired. I thought the Stars had the edge on speed and sharpness all night, even though the Aeros seemed to be giving it all the gas they had.
One of the guys will probably give you the full quote, but after the game, Constantine said the goals against were Team Goals Against. Indeed they were. Breakdowns started upfront and rolled back to the net. Man, that second goal on Dubie by Peters was just sick. Sure Gunderson got beat badly on it, but it was a sweet goal finding the hole over Dubie's shoulder.
I continue to be impressed by Cody Almond. He just has terrific vision and hockey sense and does the "little things" coaches always talk about that make a big difference.
Brandon Rogers is another guy who really seems to have that ability to dig deep and find energy when others seem to be lagging a bit. He was terrific tonight. And really, you can't say enough about a guy who goes from being a cornerstone of a team's defense to being the STARTING CENTER. This isn't just like John Scott filling in on the wing. That's still a tough transition, but centers have more responsibility, a LOT more skating, and then to be the starting center? Wow.
We always have a laugh about it and shake our heads when he's announced as such each night because of what it says about the team as a whole, but it says nothing but really great things about Brandon.
This isn't going to be popular, but I'm going old school with the stick figure today. Well, technically there's no stick figure at all, but this is the kind of thing where a string of photos from Fred would probably give us some proof one way or the other as to that no-goal call.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter, but we all felt like based on replays that it was not a goal. It looked like it hit the back of the post and out, but I really don't believe if you could look down from above, that the puck was ALL the way over the line.
This drawing conclusively proves that T3I needs Fred taking pictures for us, because that is just craptastic and proves absolutely nothing.
Speaking of Fred, be sure and tell him HAPPY BIRTHDAY because he turns 29 today (Saturday)! Happy Birthday Freddycakes!
The win against them on Tuesday in their barn was... maybe not a fluke... but that certainly wasn't the Texas Stars you get on most nights. And they knew it and you can bet they were looking to redeem themselves like a book of S&H Green Stamps. (How much did I just age myself?)
On top of that, the Aeros are playing 4 games in 6 nights and they looked a little tired. I thought the Stars had the edge on speed and sharpness all night, even though the Aeros seemed to be giving it all the gas they had.
One of the guys will probably give you the full quote, but after the game, Constantine said the goals against were Team Goals Against. Indeed they were. Breakdowns started upfront and rolled back to the net. Man, that second goal on Dubie by Peters was just sick. Sure Gunderson got beat badly on it, but it was a sweet goal finding the hole over Dubie's shoulder.
I continue to be impressed by Cody Almond. He just has terrific vision and hockey sense and does the "little things" coaches always talk about that make a big difference.
Brandon Rogers is another guy who really seems to have that ability to dig deep and find energy when others seem to be lagging a bit. He was terrific tonight. And really, you can't say enough about a guy who goes from being a cornerstone of a team's defense to being the STARTING CENTER. This isn't just like John Scott filling in on the wing. That's still a tough transition, but centers have more responsibility, a LOT more skating, and then to be the starting center? Wow.
We always have a laugh about it and shake our heads when he's announced as such each night because of what it says about the team as a whole, but it says nothing but really great things about Brandon.
This isn't going to be popular, but I'm going old school with the stick figure today. Well, technically there's no stick figure at all, but this is the kind of thing where a string of photos from Fred would probably give us some proof one way or the other as to that no-goal call.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter, but we all felt like based on replays that it was not a goal. It looked like it hit the back of the post and out, but I really don't believe if you could look down from above, that the puck was ALL the way over the line.
This drawing conclusively proves that T3I needs Fred taking pictures for us, because that is just craptastic and proves absolutely nothing.Speaking of Fred, be sure and tell him HAPPY BIRTHDAY because he turns 29 today (Saturday)! Happy Birthday Freddycakes!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
10/27 -- Aeros v. Bulldogs -- Helter Skelter Edition
Midway through the second period tonight, I’m not sure that many of the 3134 people inside of Toyota Center were giving the Aeros much of a chance of pulling off the win against the Hamilton Bulldogs. The Aeros were, of course, playing their standard style of second period hockey. In other words, they were being dominated.
Then at 4:50 of the second Petr Kalus went to the box for elbowing. Penalty killed. Then at 7:53 J.P. Testwuide went to the box for tripping, and he was followed 32 seconds later by Clayton Stoner who got nailed for a high-stick. And that’s when Hamilton went all Biblical on goalie Wade Dubielewicz. But Dubielewicz, with some help from the team’s excellent penalty kill, killed the five-on-three. Then at 12:21 Duncan Milroy got nailed for roughing and Hamilton was back on the power play.
Yet the score at the end of the second period was the same as the score at the end of the first. Houston and Hamilton were tied at 1-1.
The third period was a bit different as Dubielewicz let in a goal at 10:54 when he appeared to be shielded. Robbie Earl tied the score at 11:41 when he banked in a shot off of Hamilton goalie Cedrick Desjardins. But Dubielewicz failed to cover a rebound at 14:21 and the Bulldogs were right back in front at 3-2.
But two minutes later, Colton Gillies went into the corner after the puck where he fed Chad Rau. Rau missed the shot, but Jon DiSalvatore got the puck at just the right spot in the slot and slipped it past Desjardins to knot the score at 3-3.
“We had a good solid chip in to the corner,” Gillies said. “And I was first on the puck. The defense came down and tried to hit me. I just tried to protect the puck and turned off them. Rau was actually going to the net and I gave it to him in front. He had a good scoring opportunity, but the goalie made a great save. We had a rebound right in the slot where DiSalvatore got to put it up high and the goalie was down and out.”
The team’s made it through overtime and into the shootout, and as they did during the game, the Aeros fell behind as Hamilton scored on their first two chances. But Dubielewicz shut them down the rest of the way as first Jean-Michel Daoust, then Chad Rau, and finally Colton Gillies scored to get the 4-3 victory.
“We had to come from behind the whole game,” head coach Kevin Constantine said. “And then we had to come from behind in the shootout, and the shootout paralleled the whole game kind of. That was kind of interesting to me.”
But listening to the guys talk about their desultory second period, and listening to Constantine go on about the continued disappointment of the team’s play in the second period throughout the year, I think he and the players would rather just skip the interesting part for a good, solid three period performance that results in a win.
And they next get a chance for that kind of victory on Thursday night when they take on Grand Rapids in Grand Rapids.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES:
The win was the team's third straight, and it improved their record to 6-4-0-0 (12 points) on the season. That puts the Aeros in a tie, points wise, with the Texas Stars for second place in the division.
While the team is not happy with their play so far, or with their record, there is one thing to be considered. Except for the Lake Erie Monsters, every team that the Aeros have played so far are at the top of their respective division -- and Lake Erie is only one game below five hundred. Hamilton, the team Houston defeated tonight, has yet to lose a game in regulation this season, and are now 4-0-0-2 on the road.
They've split a two-game with Manitoba. They've lost two of three to Texas, and they've won all three games against San Antonio. And those are the three teams that are supposed to be among the best in the Western Conference. So it's possible, just possible, that some of the team's problems can be linked to their early schedule so far. For instance, the Aeros are yet to face Chicago, and the Wolves, despite the money spent, are having a season so bad that they've already fired their coach.
And while Constantine would like to see the team get rid of this second period funk, he noted that it might be part of the personality of this club. Last year's club, he reminded us, was known for coming from behind only to give up leads in the third period, and it took awhile for the club to learn how to handle that issue.
So perhaps it's not quite the time for panic mode.
*****************
Man, Hamilton is a quick team. It appeared throughout the night that every single player on that team was as fast as Carl Lewis.
*****************
The key to the game, to Constantine and several of the players, was the team's play on penalty kill after penalty kill in the second period.
Dubielewicz "played awesome [on those penalty kills]," Colton Gillies said. "We had a great penalty kill tonight. We couldn’t have asked anything more from our goalie and our penalty kill. They did what they came here to do. We came in here in between the second and third and we just had to settle down. There were a lot of guys who got a lost rest in the second because of all of the penalty killing, and those guys had to step it up and do their thing."
And Constantine thought it was the momentum that the team gained off of killing the penalties that propelled them to victory.
"I thought the biggest moment of the game was when we killed -- not just the three on five, certainly the three on five, but the momentum that we saved for ourselves with those penalty kills..." Constantine said. "Obviously it wasn’t very disciplined on our part, but the guys that went out and killed it were fantastic. I thought the biggest momentum change in the game as far as the way the game could have gone was right there."
****************
Brandon Rogers played center for the third game in a row tonight. The primary reason for this is that the team is short of healthy centers. When he first moved Rogers from defense to center, the only available natural centers were rookies Chad Rau and Cody Almond. Then Nathan Smith came back from Minnesota, only to have Almond break his wrist and be out for at least a month.
"I’ve always found that D -- at least in your own end -- can play center really good," Constantine said. "Maybe they’re not brilliant through the neutral zone making plays. But when you have a guy like [Rogers] at center, it really, it’s a settling shift. You know he can come back in his own end and get the job done."
And this is something that I think the team will continue doing, primarily because the Aeros have nine defensemen on the team, and Constantine doesn't like having to sit three of his best players every night.
*****************
One of the comments to a previous post stated that Dubieleiwcz was injured during the game. If this was so, I didn't see any sign of it. He played the entire game, and the shootout, and he appeared to be in good shape in the locker room after the game. However, I wouldn't put it past me to have missed something.
And Dubielewicz had one of those games last night. I agree with Andrew below that it appeared to me in the press box that he should have easily stopped two of the three shots that went in for goals. Then again, he was spectacular in the second period when he was under pressure due to the constant penalties. And when he got burned on the first two shots of the shootout, I thought the team was history, only to see him stop the next three while the Aeros made their shots.
Now I've been listening to The Beatles' White Album a lot lately. It's not my favorite, but it's been matching my mood. And the first thing that popped into my head during the second period, and throughout the rest of the game was The Beatles song off of that album, "Helter Skelter." So, to play us out tonight, here's The Beatles with "Helter Skelter."
Then at 4:50 of the second Petr Kalus went to the box for elbowing. Penalty killed. Then at 7:53 J.P. Testwuide went to the box for tripping, and he was followed 32 seconds later by Clayton Stoner who got nailed for a high-stick. And that’s when Hamilton went all Biblical on goalie Wade Dubielewicz. But Dubielewicz, with some help from the team’s excellent penalty kill, killed the five-on-three. Then at 12:21 Duncan Milroy got nailed for roughing and Hamilton was back on the power play.
Yet the score at the end of the second period was the same as the score at the end of the first. Houston and Hamilton were tied at 1-1.
The third period was a bit different as Dubielewicz let in a goal at 10:54 when he appeared to be shielded. Robbie Earl tied the score at 11:41 when he banked in a shot off of Hamilton goalie Cedrick Desjardins. But Dubielewicz failed to cover a rebound at 14:21 and the Bulldogs were right back in front at 3-2.
But two minutes later, Colton Gillies went into the corner after the puck where he fed Chad Rau. Rau missed the shot, but Jon DiSalvatore got the puck at just the right spot in the slot and slipped it past Desjardins to knot the score at 3-3.
“We had a good solid chip in to the corner,” Gillies said. “And I was first on the puck. The defense came down and tried to hit me. I just tried to protect the puck and turned off them. Rau was actually going to the net and I gave it to him in front. He had a good scoring opportunity, but the goalie made a great save. We had a rebound right in the slot where DiSalvatore got to put it up high and the goalie was down and out.”
The team’s made it through overtime and into the shootout, and as they did during the game, the Aeros fell behind as Hamilton scored on their first two chances. But Dubielewicz shut them down the rest of the way as first Jean-Michel Daoust, then Chad Rau, and finally Colton Gillies scored to get the 4-3 victory.
“We had to come from behind the whole game,” head coach Kevin Constantine said. “And then we had to come from behind in the shootout, and the shootout paralleled the whole game kind of. That was kind of interesting to me.”
But listening to the guys talk about their desultory second period, and listening to Constantine go on about the continued disappointment of the team’s play in the second period throughout the year, I think he and the players would rather just skip the interesting part for a good, solid three period performance that results in a win.
And they next get a chance for that kind of victory on Thursday night when they take on Grand Rapids in Grand Rapids.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES:
The win was the team's third straight, and it improved their record to 6-4-0-0 (12 points) on the season. That puts the Aeros in a tie, points wise, with the Texas Stars for second place in the division.
While the team is not happy with their play so far, or with their record, there is one thing to be considered. Except for the Lake Erie Monsters, every team that the Aeros have played so far are at the top of their respective division -- and Lake Erie is only one game below five hundred. Hamilton, the team Houston defeated tonight, has yet to lose a game in regulation this season, and are now 4-0-0-2 on the road.
They've split a two-game with Manitoba. They've lost two of three to Texas, and they've won all three games against San Antonio. And those are the three teams that are supposed to be among the best in the Western Conference. So it's possible, just possible, that some of the team's problems can be linked to their early schedule so far. For instance, the Aeros are yet to face Chicago, and the Wolves, despite the money spent, are having a season so bad that they've already fired their coach.
And while Constantine would like to see the team get rid of this second period funk, he noted that it might be part of the personality of this club. Last year's club, he reminded us, was known for coming from behind only to give up leads in the third period, and it took awhile for the club to learn how to handle that issue.
So perhaps it's not quite the time for panic mode.
*****************
Man, Hamilton is a quick team. It appeared throughout the night that every single player on that team was as fast as Carl Lewis.
*****************
The key to the game, to Constantine and several of the players, was the team's play on penalty kill after penalty kill in the second period.
Dubielewicz "played awesome [on those penalty kills]," Colton Gillies said. "We had a great penalty kill tonight. We couldn’t have asked anything more from our goalie and our penalty kill. They did what they came here to do. We came in here in between the second and third and we just had to settle down. There were a lot of guys who got a lost rest in the second because of all of the penalty killing, and those guys had to step it up and do their thing."
And Constantine thought it was the momentum that the team gained off of killing the penalties that propelled them to victory.
"I thought the biggest moment of the game was when we killed -- not just the three on five, certainly the three on five, but the momentum that we saved for ourselves with those penalty kills..." Constantine said. "Obviously it wasn’t very disciplined on our part, but the guys that went out and killed it were fantastic. I thought the biggest momentum change in the game as far as the way the game could have gone was right there."
****************
Brandon Rogers played center for the third game in a row tonight. The primary reason for this is that the team is short of healthy centers. When he first moved Rogers from defense to center, the only available natural centers were rookies Chad Rau and Cody Almond. Then Nathan Smith came back from Minnesota, only to have Almond break his wrist and be out for at least a month.
"I’ve always found that D -- at least in your own end -- can play center really good," Constantine said. "Maybe they’re not brilliant through the neutral zone making plays. But when you have a guy like [Rogers] at center, it really, it’s a settling shift. You know he can come back in his own end and get the job done."
And this is something that I think the team will continue doing, primarily because the Aeros have nine defensemen on the team, and Constantine doesn't like having to sit three of his best players every night.
*****************
One of the comments to a previous post stated that Dubieleiwcz was injured during the game. If this was so, I didn't see any sign of it. He played the entire game, and the shootout, and he appeared to be in good shape in the locker room after the game. However, I wouldn't put it past me to have missed something.
And Dubielewicz had one of those games last night. I agree with Andrew below that it appeared to me in the press box that he should have easily stopped two of the three shots that went in for goals. Then again, he was spectacular in the second period when he was under pressure due to the constant penalties. And when he got burned on the first two shots of the shootout, I thought the team was history, only to see him stop the next three while the Aeros made their shots.
Now I've been listening to The Beatles' White Album a lot lately. It's not my favorite, but it's been matching my mood. And the first thing that popped into my head during the second period, and throughout the rest of the game was The Beatles song off of that album, "Helter Skelter." So, to play us out tonight, here's The Beatles with "Helter Skelter."
Thursday, April 16, 2009
More on the Man of the Year
Nice little article from Brandon Rogers' hometown paper on his MotY honors, in case you need a big case of the warm-fuzzies today.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Aeros vs San Antonio 4/12 -- Photos Part 2
Here is a series of shots that show Anton Khudobin staying with the puck and concentrating until he has it covered. It gave those of us in the stands a bit of a scare.
Matt Beaudoin scores from nearly the same spot as Krys Kolanos did earlier.
Krys Kolanos was a presence on the ice all night and got his hat trick with the empty net goal.
Mitch Love battled hard all night.
And here are a couple of Brandon Rogers photos as the third star of the night. I'm posting these for his parents who were able to come to Houston last weekend to present Brandon with his award and enjoy a few games. It was a pleasure to meet them.
All Photos:Fred Trask
Matt Beaudoin scores from nearly the same spot as Krys Kolanos did earlier.
Krys Kolanos was a presence on the ice all night and got his hat trick with the empty net goal.
Mitch Love battled hard all night.
And here are a couple of Brandon Rogers photos as the third star of the night. I'm posting these for his parents who were able to come to Houston last weekend to present Brandon with his award and enjoy a few games. It was a pleasure to meet them.
All Photos:Fred Trask
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Aeros vs San Antonio 4/12: Welcome to The Krys Kolanos Show
“For our psyche, it was definitely important to get a win,” Brandon Rogers said after the game. “It’s kind of nice to have a positive.”
The Aeros have been in a downward spiral this past month, and they were only 2-6-1-1 for their past 10 games. So while maybe their were some of you out there who were hoping the Aeros would lose this game so they would end up facing the Milwaukee Admirals in the first round of the playoffs instead of the Peoria Rivermen. The Aeros felt differently. They wanted this win.
And while it wasn’t easy, needing a Krys Kolanos empty-netter to guarantee the 6-4 win over the San Antonio Rampage, the Aeros still got the much needed win that their psyche so sorely needed.
The Aeros offense, especially in the first period, was turning over the puck left and right while not converting on scoring opportunities. And while they ended up not really having many opportunities for the rest of the game, they did get much better at converting. Especially one Krys Kolanos.
The scoring started fourteen seconds into the second period when Bryan Lundbohm virtually stole the puck from San Antonio goalie Josh Tordjman and buried it in the net. Now this being the Aeros, the Rampage were able to tie the game about a minute later as they got a power play goal on Anton Khudobin at 1:16.
Then the Krys Kolanos show got started.
At 7:49 of the second, just seconds into a power play, Kolanos fired a laser of a shot from up high to make the score 2-1. The goal came so fast that the Toyota Center video screen was still showing the Aeros logo as the game was coming back from a break. Then at 14:11, Jesse Schultz broke toward the Rampage goal with Kolanos coming up the other side. Schultz kept the puck as long as possible, and just as Tordjman committed, slipped the puck over to Kolanos who made the shot and got the score to 3-1.
Within seconds of the second Kolanos goal, Wyatt Smith made the score 3-2 on a play where it looked like Khudobin just lost track of the puck which was hanging in the air in front of him. At 18:34, Brandon Rogers fired a pass to Matt Beaudoin who tipped in the puck, and as the second period ended, the score was 4-2.
Jesse Schultz made the score 5-2 Houston on a breakaway at 9:22 of the third, but the Rampage, with some help from the Houston defense, got back into the game, and with a minute left in the game, the score was 5-4. But with the San Antonio net empty, Benoit Pouliot got the puck and started skating toward it with just a defender coming with him. Pouliot probably could have buried the puck at any point, but he waited for Kolanos to get in on the play then passed it across, allowing Kolanos to get the goal, and the hat trick, with only 15 seconds remaining in the game.
The next stop for Houston is Peoria, a team they’ve seen a lot in the past month. But now they’ve got some momentum and a much-need lift of the psyche. “We’ve been in a bit of a losing skid,” Clayton Stoner said. “Going into the playoffs on winning note was a huge lift for the team.”
As to how large a lift is something we’ll have to wait until Wednesday to find out.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES:
The win moved the Aeros past Rockford and into the third seed for the playoffs. As such, they get to face the Peoria Rivermen, one of the hottest teams in the league for the past month or so. These teams played each other eight times, with each team winning four games, and with three of the games going into the shootout. The teams have played each four times in the past month, and Peoria holds the edge in those games with a 2-1-0-1 record.
“We’ve got a pretty good read on this team,” Clayton Stoner said. ‘We’ve played them a lot the past month, so we know their tendencies. They’re a hard working team, and they play very physical. So we better show up physically.”
“Ever since they got Legace they’ve been a great team,” Kevin Constantine noted. ‘They were a good team before that, but he’s made them a better team. They’re probably the hottest team in our division down the stretch. So it should be hopefully a good series.”
Game one of the series is Wednesday night at 7:00 in Peoria. Game two is Friday night at 7:00, also in Peoria. Games three through five are supposed to be in Houston, but until the Houston Rockets get their playoff status settled, the dates and times for those games will be up in the air. Games six and seven are scheduled for Peoria on Saturday April 25 and game seven is scheduled for Monday April 27.
*****************
The goalie situation is still up in the air. Constantine says that Barry Brust is definitely out for the first round, and Nolan Schaefer has not yet been cleared to play. As for Wednesday night’s game one, it’s possible that Schaefer could play. “We hope that,” Constantine said. “We just don’t know. It’s still a day-by-day thing….we really, really don’t know.”
Brandon Rogers isn’t concerned about who plays in goal. And he feels that the problems the goalies, especially Anton Khudobin have been having lately, are more the part of poor defensive play in front of them than it is the fault of the goalies.
“In fairness to those guys,” Rogers said. “I think they’ve done a pretty good job all year. Anton’s come in and played great for us, he’s had some defensive breakdowns in front of him that have cost him some goals and even wins.”
As to whether Schaefer or Khudobin plays, Rogers says it doesn’t matter: “We have complete faith in him or Schaefer, whoever’s going to be in there.”
*********************
The one thing the Aeros have this time around for the playoffs that they didn’t have the last time is Krys Kolanos. And the team appears to play markedly better hockey when he is with the team. He finished the season with 51 points (31-20=51) in just 45 games. It’s fascinating to think what his numbers, and the team’s record, would like if he had been here for all 80 games.
“It’s definitely nice to have a scoring punch you count on,” Rogers said of Kolanos. “Obviously last year we didn’t have that. We struggled to score in the playoffs. This year we don’t have that problem so it’s all going to come down playing team defense and everybody committing to keeping the puck out of our net because we know if we have the chance we’ll score.”
Kolanos finished the regular season by getting five goals in his final two games, including getting a hat trick tonight, the team’s only hat trick at Toyota Center this year, and the team’s second hat trick of the season (Matt Beaudoin accomplished the feat in Iowa on February 14).
Corey Locke finished the season as the team’s leading scorer, getting two more assists tonight to finish 79 points (25-54=79). Locke finished the season in a tie for seventh place in scoring in the AHL.
*********************
Zooperstars? Seriously? Zooperstars? That’s really the best you could for between period entertainment? Well, I guess it could’ve been worse in that the Aeros could have gone with the 20 choirs singing “God Bless America.” But still.
Here’s an idea. You’ve got the Lady Dynamics, so use them. Let them do dance routines on the ice between periods. You do on the occasional weeknight game when nobody’s there to watch, so why not let them strut their stuff when there’s a big crowd? I know that I would definitely get more enjoyment out of that.
The Aeros have been in a downward spiral this past month, and they were only 2-6-1-1 for their past 10 games. So while maybe their were some of you out there who were hoping the Aeros would lose this game so they would end up facing the Milwaukee Admirals in the first round of the playoffs instead of the Peoria Rivermen. The Aeros felt differently. They wanted this win.
And while it wasn’t easy, needing a Krys Kolanos empty-netter to guarantee the 6-4 win over the San Antonio Rampage, the Aeros still got the much needed win that their psyche so sorely needed.
The Aeros offense, especially in the first period, was turning over the puck left and right while not converting on scoring opportunities. And while they ended up not really having many opportunities for the rest of the game, they did get much better at converting. Especially one Krys Kolanos.
The scoring started fourteen seconds into the second period when Bryan Lundbohm virtually stole the puck from San Antonio goalie Josh Tordjman and buried it in the net. Now this being the Aeros, the Rampage were able to tie the game about a minute later as they got a power play goal on Anton Khudobin at 1:16.
Then the Krys Kolanos show got started.
At 7:49 of the second, just seconds into a power play, Kolanos fired a laser of a shot from up high to make the score 2-1. The goal came so fast that the Toyota Center video screen was still showing the Aeros logo as the game was coming back from a break. Then at 14:11, Jesse Schultz broke toward the Rampage goal with Kolanos coming up the other side. Schultz kept the puck as long as possible, and just as Tordjman committed, slipped the puck over to Kolanos who made the shot and got the score to 3-1.
Within seconds of the second Kolanos goal, Wyatt Smith made the score 3-2 on a play where it looked like Khudobin just lost track of the puck which was hanging in the air in front of him. At 18:34, Brandon Rogers fired a pass to Matt Beaudoin who tipped in the puck, and as the second period ended, the score was 4-2.
Jesse Schultz made the score 5-2 Houston on a breakaway at 9:22 of the third, but the Rampage, with some help from the Houston defense, got back into the game, and with a minute left in the game, the score was 5-4. But with the San Antonio net empty, Benoit Pouliot got the puck and started skating toward it with just a defender coming with him. Pouliot probably could have buried the puck at any point, but he waited for Kolanos to get in on the play then passed it across, allowing Kolanos to get the goal, and the hat trick, with only 15 seconds remaining in the game.
The next stop for Houston is Peoria, a team they’ve seen a lot in the past month. But now they’ve got some momentum and a much-need lift of the psyche. “We’ve been in a bit of a losing skid,” Clayton Stoner said. “Going into the playoffs on winning note was a huge lift for the team.”
As to how large a lift is something we’ll have to wait until Wednesday to find out.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES:
The win moved the Aeros past Rockford and into the third seed for the playoffs. As such, they get to face the Peoria Rivermen, one of the hottest teams in the league for the past month or so. These teams played each other eight times, with each team winning four games, and with three of the games going into the shootout. The teams have played each four times in the past month, and Peoria holds the edge in those games with a 2-1-0-1 record.
“We’ve got a pretty good read on this team,” Clayton Stoner said. ‘We’ve played them a lot the past month, so we know their tendencies. They’re a hard working team, and they play very physical. So we better show up physically.”
“Ever since they got Legace they’ve been a great team,” Kevin Constantine noted. ‘They were a good team before that, but he’s made them a better team. They’re probably the hottest team in our division down the stretch. So it should be hopefully a good series.”
Game one of the series is Wednesday night at 7:00 in Peoria. Game two is Friday night at 7:00, also in Peoria. Games three through five are supposed to be in Houston, but until the Houston Rockets get their playoff status settled, the dates and times for those games will be up in the air. Games six and seven are scheduled for Peoria on Saturday April 25 and game seven is scheduled for Monday April 27.
*****************
The goalie situation is still up in the air. Constantine says that Barry Brust is definitely out for the first round, and Nolan Schaefer has not yet been cleared to play. As for Wednesday night’s game one, it’s possible that Schaefer could play. “We hope that,” Constantine said. “We just don’t know. It’s still a day-by-day thing….we really, really don’t know.”
Brandon Rogers isn’t concerned about who plays in goal. And he feels that the problems the goalies, especially Anton Khudobin have been having lately, are more the part of poor defensive play in front of them than it is the fault of the goalies.
“In fairness to those guys,” Rogers said. “I think they’ve done a pretty good job all year. Anton’s come in and played great for us, he’s had some defensive breakdowns in front of him that have cost him some goals and even wins.”
As to whether Schaefer or Khudobin plays, Rogers says it doesn’t matter: “We have complete faith in him or Schaefer, whoever’s going to be in there.”
*********************
The one thing the Aeros have this time around for the playoffs that they didn’t have the last time is Krys Kolanos. And the team appears to play markedly better hockey when he is with the team. He finished the season with 51 points (31-20=51) in just 45 games. It’s fascinating to think what his numbers, and the team’s record, would like if he had been here for all 80 games.
“It’s definitely nice to have a scoring punch you count on,” Rogers said of Kolanos. “Obviously last year we didn’t have that. We struggled to score in the playoffs. This year we don’t have that problem so it’s all going to come down playing team defense and everybody committing to keeping the puck out of our net because we know if we have the chance we’ll score.”
Kolanos finished the regular season by getting five goals in his final two games, including getting a hat trick tonight, the team’s only hat trick at Toyota Center this year, and the team’s second hat trick of the season (Matt Beaudoin accomplished the feat in Iowa on February 14).
Corey Locke finished the season as the team’s leading scorer, getting two more assists tonight to finish 79 points (25-54=79). Locke finished the season in a tie for seventh place in scoring in the AHL.
*********************
Zooperstars? Seriously? Zooperstars? That’s really the best you could for between period entertainment? Well, I guess it could’ve been worse in that the Aeros could have gone with the 20 choirs singing “God Bless America.” But still.
Here’s an idea. You’ve got the Lady Dynamics, so use them. Let them do dance routines on the ice between periods. You do on the occasional weeknight game when nobody’s there to watch, so why not let them strut their stuff when there’s a big crowd? I know that I would definitely get more enjoyment out of that.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Brandon Rogers Is The AHL Man of The Year
Congratulations are in order for Aeros defensman Brandon Rogers who, today, was named the winner of Yanick Dupree Memorial Award as the 2008-09 AHL Man of the Year. The award is presented for outstanding contributions to the local community and charitable organizations.
Each team nominated a player for the award, so Rogers beat out 28 other players for the award.
Now, let's just hope that someone with the Aeros front office decides to tell him about his winning the award, and he doesn't have to wait to hear from one of his teammates.
(Oh, and isn't it nice to see that the Aeros are still able to win something?)
Each team nominated a player for the award, so Rogers beat out 28 other players for the award.
Now, let's just hope that someone with the Aeros front office decides to tell him about his winning the award, and he doesn't have to wait to hear from one of his teammates.
(Oh, and isn't it nice to see that the Aeros are still able to win something?)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
A Brief Chat With The Aeros Man Of The Year
Houston Aeros defenseman Brandon Rogers was named last Thursday as the Houston Aeros Man of the Year by the AHL. This makes Rogers one of the 29 finalists in competition for the AHL’s Man of the Year Award, known as the Yanick Durpee Memorial Award.
Rogers was nominated for the award by the Aeros PR staff. I asked them what it was that set Rogers apart from the rest of the guys on the team, and their response was that all of the guys on the team are great when it comes to going to the schools and hospitals and visiting with people, but Rogers was always that one guy who willingly did more than was expected.
Rogers himself was pleased to have received the honor, but a bit surprised. “It’s a nice honor,” he said after Friday’s game. “I didn’t even know that I was getting it, to be honest with you. One of the guys, coming to the rink today, congratulated me on it, and I said for what? I didn’t even know.”
Rogers doesn’t see the team’s humanitarian outreach as a duty. It’s something that he enjoys. Not only because of the people that he gets to meet, but because of the perspective on life that it provides.
“I get a lot of enjoyment out of it,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity for us to meet some people, some kids, people of all ages, really, that are in some unfortunate situations. It really puts things in perspective. For us to take some time out of our day to put a smile on a face or to help out any way we can is the least that we can do in the position that we’re in.”
And he doesn’t really see himself as putting out extra effort to make himself available. “It’s really not too much to ask for anyone to do it,” he says.
Now I see myself as a bit of a neutral observer here as I’m not around these guys all of the time like the staff is, but to me, all of the Aeros seem to be a great bunch of guys who are always great with the fans and always appear to be willing to go out and make appearances. And to me, they all seem to want to do everything possible to be a part of the Houston community.
So though Rogers might not think he’s doing anything out of the ordinary to set himself apart from his teammates, with the efforts the rest of the team put into their off-ice activities, he must really be doing a little extra something.
Rogers was nominated for the award by the Aeros PR staff. I asked them what it was that set Rogers apart from the rest of the guys on the team, and their response was that all of the guys on the team are great when it comes to going to the schools and hospitals and visiting with people, but Rogers was always that one guy who willingly did more than was expected.
Rogers himself was pleased to have received the honor, but a bit surprised. “It’s a nice honor,” he said after Friday’s game. “I didn’t even know that I was getting it, to be honest with you. One of the guys, coming to the rink today, congratulated me on it, and I said for what? I didn’t even know.”
Rogers doesn’t see the team’s humanitarian outreach as a duty. It’s something that he enjoys. Not only because of the people that he gets to meet, but because of the perspective on life that it provides.
“I get a lot of enjoyment out of it,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity for us to meet some people, some kids, people of all ages, really, that are in some unfortunate situations. It really puts things in perspective. For us to take some time out of our day to put a smile on a face or to help out any way we can is the least that we can do in the position that we’re in.”
And he doesn’t really see himself as putting out extra effort to make himself available. “It’s really not too much to ask for anyone to do it,” he says.
Now I see myself as a bit of a neutral observer here as I’m not around these guys all of the time like the staff is, but to me, all of the Aeros seem to be a great bunch of guys who are always great with the fans and always appear to be willing to go out and make appearances. And to me, they all seem to want to do everything possible to be a part of the Houston community.
So though Rogers might not think he’s doing anything out of the ordinary to set himself apart from his teammates, with the efforts the rest of the team put into their off-ice activities, he must really be doing a little extra something.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Aeros v. Rockford 3/27 - Photos Part 1
It was Lyme Disease Awareness night and it was good to see the guys support Nolan Schaefer and his wife Lisa in their fight against the disease and to educate the public (as well as doctors) about Lyme Disease. Please take a trip over to Unmask Lyme and educate yourself. You'd be wise to read the horrific story of Lisa's struggle with the disease, the horrors she went through in getting it properly diagnosed, and her struggle to cope with this terrible disease. Keep Nolan and Lisa in your prayers.
Unfortunately Nolan had a slight injury tonight and didn't get the start. Here you can see he has his entire stick wrapped in the green tape the team used to show their support. Several players kept some tape on themselves or gear throughout the game.
This one made a funny sound when it hit his stick and I thought perhaps the stick had broken.
There was discussion on some of the calls made, and not made, by Nygel Pelletier in this one. Here you can see a "no call" of what I think is a pretty clear holding offense by Robbie Earl.
Literally 2 seconds later Earl was hit with a goaltender interference for this. (Forgive the focus on this one it's a crap photo but it still clearly shows there was no penalty) He was skating through the top of the crease and Niemi clearly steps up into him, obstructs him with the stick and sticks his leg out. If there was ANY penalty to call here it was on Niemi. My guess is this was a make up call for not calling the obvious hold.
Earl pleads his case, to no avail.
This was the "no call" on Schultz. It looked to me like there was a penalty to be called here but I've not watched it on TV yet to see for sure, it could have been a good no call though. In any case, Schultz showed great effort to stay with the puck and make the play here.
And here is a Tony Hrkac for the Circus Hrkac crowd.
I'll have more photos later, especially some fantastic shoot out saves.
All Photos:Fred Trask
Unfortunately Nolan had a slight injury tonight and didn't get the start. Here you can see he has his entire stick wrapped in the green tape the team used to show their support. Several players kept some tape on themselves or gear throughout the game.
Here is a shot of Brandon Rogers - The Aeros finalist for the AHL Man of the Year. It would have been nice if someone from the Aeros had informed Brandon of this honor. Congratulations and good luck in your bid to win the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award Brandon
Benoit Pouliot has really turned it on since his return from the NHL. He's been very physical, hit the score sheet regularly and his play has been notably better. Great job Benoit, your hard work is definately being noticed.
Anton Khudobin had a great night. He was outstanding in the shoot out and one of the biggest reasons the Aeros were able to get a point out of this one. Here he is locked in on a shot from Rockford's Tim Hambly
This one made a funny sound when it hit his stick and I thought perhaps the stick had broken.
Antti Niemi had a big night for Rockford after an easy first period.
Here is the Albers goal reaction from Pouliot, Kolanos, Niemi and Hambly.
This is the Robbie Earl goal that put the Aeros up 2-1 in the 3rd period.
There was discussion on some of the calls made, and not made, by Nygel Pelletier in this one. Here you can see a "no call" of what I think is a pretty clear holding offense by Robbie Earl.
Literally 2 seconds later Earl was hit with a goaltender interference for this. (Forgive the focus on this one it's a crap photo but it still clearly shows there was no penalty) He was skating through the top of the crease and Niemi clearly steps up into him, obstructs him with the stick and sticks his leg out. If there was ANY penalty to call here it was on Niemi. My guess is this was a make up call for not calling the obvious hold.
Earl pleads his case, to no avail.
This was the "no call" on Schultz. It looked to me like there was a penalty to be called here but I've not watched it on TV yet to see for sure, it could have been a good no call though. In any case, Schultz showed great effort to stay with the puck and make the play here.
And here is a Tony Hrkac for the Circus Hrkac crowd.
I'll have more photos later, especially some fantastic shoot out saves.All Photos:Fred Trask
Thursday, March 26, 2009
AHL/Aeros Man of the Year
The AHL announced this afternoon the Man of the Year team winners for each AHL team.
Good on ya, Brandon.
...selected by their respective clubs for their outstanding contributions to the local community and charitable organizations during the 2008-09 season.The Aeros Man of the Year is defenseman Brandon Rogers.
From this list of finalists, representatives from American Specialty and the AHL will choose the winner of the 2008-09 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award. The AHL’s annual Man of the Year award is named after the late Yanick Dupre, who died in 1997 at the age of 24, following a 16-month battle with leukemia.
Good on ya, Brandon.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
QCY 03/13 - A Stinker - Part 2
Many of the Aeros struggled all night and unfortunately Nolan Schaefer was one of those Aeros.
Even on a night when the posts were Nolan's friends, it just wasn't enough. Here you can see a shot on an early QC power play that just wouldn't go over the line.
It hit the post and came back out behind Schaefer.
Rogers was able to clear it away just before John Vigilante could poke it home.
Schaefer still made plenty of big stops
but it seemed like he had to struggle and everything looked difficult for him.
Here you can see the Farynuk goal in the second period going in over Schaefer's shoulder.
One of the bright spots of the game was this goal by Jesse Schultz from Maxim Noreau. This was the goal described by John Royal in his post below.
All Photos : Fred Trask
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