There’s not really much to say about tonight’s 5-1 Houston Aeros loss to the Texas Stars. The 4919 fans in attendance at Toyota Center saw lots of pink -- the Aero Dynamics looked really nice in pink -- and they saw lot of Texas Stars goals. Other than that, meh.
The Aeros, as has been the situation all season, played a really strong first period and threatened Stars goalie Brent Krahn multiple times early in the first. But after one period, the score was 0-0. That’s about the last good thing that can be said about the game as the Aeros, as has been the situation all season, failed to show up in the second period.
The Stars scored four times in the second at 5:45, 10:42, 13:50, and 15:13. After that last goal, Anton Khudobin was pulled for Wade Dubielewicz. But by then, it was far, far too late to save the game.
Kevin Constantine, as he’s been known to do in the past, pulled Dubielewicz at 12:11 of the third to go with the extra skater. Still the Aeros just couldn’t do much, and after the Stars netted an empty-netter at 15:15 to make it 5-1, Constantine sent Dubielewicz back out to end the game.
“I thought in the first period we had some chances,” Constantine said. “It would have been nice to get some goals out of those. The period was pretty even though. And then they clearly -- you guys don’t need me to tell you they dominated the second period. That’s two out of three games we’ve played them where they’ve been a lot better second period team than us. I’m trying to figure out: are we bad, or are they pretty good. I don’t know, I think they’re pretty good, actually.”
Whether the Stars are good or the Aeros are bad, the result is that the Stars have won two of the three games the teams have played this season. Luckily, the Aeros don’t face Texas again for a couple of weeks, so maybe Constantine and the staff can find some answers. The Aeros return to play on Wednesday night when they host the Lake Erie Monsters at 7:05.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES:
After tonight’s loss, the Aeros sit in a tie for fourth place with the Peoria Rivermen. The Aeros are 3-3-0-0 (6 points) and Peoria is 2-2-1-1 (6 points). Milwaukee sits in sixth place, just one point back. The Rampage are in first at 5-1-1-0 (11 points), and the Stars (4-1-0-1) and Rockford (4-2-1-0) are tied for second with nine points.
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It’s easy to blame Anton Khudobin for tonight’s loss. Easy, but not entirely correct. Khudobin did appear to get rattled after the second goal of the second period. But he didn’t appear to have a lot of help from his defense. The forwards were faked out several times by the Texas defensemen up on the point, and there were long stretches in the second period where the Aeros failed time after time to clear the puck from their zone. And when that happens, goals are almost guaranteed.
“They faked some shots to the points and went around our blocks and got some point shots,” Kevin Constantine said. “That’s a credit to the poise and confidence of their [defense] versus our forwards ability to cover the points. So two of their first three goals were point shots. But I also thought -- they spent time in our end, significant amounts of time in our end where we couldn’t defend and get the puck back. We weren’t quick enough to situations, and they had a very good game.”
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The giveaway for tonight was an Aeros calendar featuring the players in their hockey gear doing various non-hockey things -- playing golf, hanging out at the pool, lounging in a hot tub, etc. It’s a nice looking calendar, but I believe that I speak for all of the guys when I ask this one question: When are we ever going to get a calendar of the Aero Dynamics?
Who's with me on this, huh?
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Tonight’s game was also the annual Breast Cancer Awareness game, which means the players had pink on their uniforms and sticks, and the Dynamics were dressed in tight pink shirts. Joe O’Donnell was even wearing some pink. But the one thing the Aeros failed to do was play a song with the word pink in the title. I’m thinking of Aerosmith’s “Pink.”
So, to play us out tonight, here’s Aerosmith with “Pink.” (Warning, brief flash of nudity towards the end.)
Showing posts with label Brent Krahn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brent Krahn. Show all posts
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
10/9 -- Aeros v. Stars -- The Matt Beaudoin Is Not The Second Coming of Wayne Gretzky Edition
I find it hard to write about the kind of game that was played tonight. The Aeros came out hard, and fast, and physical. They took the 1-0 lead after Clayton Stoner fired in the puck from the blue line at 17:29 of the first. They left their intensity in the locker room for the second and most of the third periods, but trailing 3-1 late in the third, the Aeros still found a way to make it interesting before losing 3-2 in front of 8514 fans inside of Toyota Center.
There’s just not much to say.
Stoner put the fault on the entire team, saying that “we were turning over pucks at the blue line going into their zone and just giving up odd man rushes the other way. Then break downs in our own zones. I think pretty much we just handed them everything they got.”
In many ways, he is correct. But without the play of Texas Stars goalie Brent Krahn, Texas loses this game. The Aeros won the shot battle 35-20. They outshot Texas 12-4 in the first period. They hit Krahn with a six-man rush late in the third. And he made the stops, especially when it counted.
Still, the Aeros could have, should have won this game. But despite the massive off season roster turnover, this Aeros team played like year’s team. Consistently inconsistent. They came out strong, trailed off, then came back at the end.
“We’re a mature group,” Stoner said. “A lot of older guys. If we’re down a goal or two we can always come back.”
But head coach Kevin Constantine doesn’t want to hear comparisons to last year.
“There’s a lot of newness here,” he said. “New management, new players, getting used to things. It’s so much change, our style of play, you would think we would be fairly similar to last year once we all adjust to how we’re going to play. I would summarize the game with saying we had a good start. We had a lot of energy. We had a good first period. We had an average second period with a little too many turnovers. And didn’t manage the puck very good, and let them back into the game because of that.”
The Aeros and Stars go at it again tomorrow night, 7:35, at Toyota Center. And the Aeros will attempt to even up their record at 2-2. Something which Stoner thinks is possible. “I think we need to come out with a bit of an edge,” he said. “We can’t be happy with the way we handed them the game. We’ve just got to come out with an attitude and play like we deserve to win.”
MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES:
I’ve got to admit to a little disappointment from tonight’s game. After reading the comments here over the summer, I was convinced that Matt Beaudoin was the second coming of Gretzky and Crosby. Instead, all I saw tonight was the Beaudoin I saw during much of the regular season last year -- nothing. He’s a good guy. He was good in the locker room. He was very good in the playoffs. But you guys have got to get over him already. Mitch Love and Tony Hrkac played as important, or bigger, roles with this team last year than Beaudoin, and I can’t understand the adulation that has been coming his way.
Though, on the plus side, this did give me and Heather a fun way to waste time during the game as we were making “Matt Beaudoin is so great, how great is he?” jokes throughout the game.
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The Aeros have really got to let those of us sitting on press row pick the stars of the game. There’s just no justification for Texas goalie Brent Krahn not being the number one star of the game. Hell, he wasn’t even a star. I often asked myself this same question last year: are they watching the same game that I am?
I also think that they ought to turn over game scoring duties to those of us on press row. Heather, Andrew, GM Jim Mill, and myself all correctly identified Clayton Stoner as being the one to score the first period goal as soon as it happened, and verified it by way of replay -- thanks Jamie Spencer for that as, if I remember right, we didn’t always have replays on Friday games last year. But the stat crew gave it to right wing Jean-Michel Daoust. That mistake was corrected during the first intermission.
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The Aeros do not have a captain this year. They are using a system of rotating Alternate Captains, which is shared by the veterans, and will rotate among those who are not having to sit out during a particular game due to the Veteran Rule. Tonight's Alternates were Clayton Stoner, Brandon Rogers, and Ryan Lannon.
******************
I was impressed by rookie Chad Rau. He got the team’s second goal, late in third period, and he always seemed to be around the puck for the whole night. And Clayton Stoner was again delivering some quality hits during the game.
And I was impressed by P.A. guy Steve Vidal for correctly pronouncing new goalie Wade Dubielewicz’s name throughout the night. I think I would have nightmares every night if I had to pronounce it on a regular basis.
******************
And finally, before I go, it’s time to play DJ. So I thought I would bust out this little beauty from The Pretenders. First, because it gives me a chance to watch Chrissie Hynde. Second, because it’s a good song. Third, because the first line is the “reason we’re here” which allows me to remind you that, despite everything that’s happened, we here at T3I are here to give you the best game coverage possible. And fourth, as my dedication to Mitch Love who is off in Peoria this year (also, though he probably won't like it, it's also for Mr. Fred).
So here’s The Pretenders with the “Message of Love.”
There’s just not much to say.
Stoner put the fault on the entire team, saying that “we were turning over pucks at the blue line going into their zone and just giving up odd man rushes the other way. Then break downs in our own zones. I think pretty much we just handed them everything they got.”
In many ways, he is correct. But without the play of Texas Stars goalie Brent Krahn, Texas loses this game. The Aeros won the shot battle 35-20. They outshot Texas 12-4 in the first period. They hit Krahn with a six-man rush late in the third. And he made the stops, especially when it counted.
Still, the Aeros could have, should have won this game. But despite the massive off season roster turnover, this Aeros team played like year’s team. Consistently inconsistent. They came out strong, trailed off, then came back at the end.
“We’re a mature group,” Stoner said. “A lot of older guys. If we’re down a goal or two we can always come back.”
But head coach Kevin Constantine doesn’t want to hear comparisons to last year.
“There’s a lot of newness here,” he said. “New management, new players, getting used to things. It’s so much change, our style of play, you would think we would be fairly similar to last year once we all adjust to how we’re going to play. I would summarize the game with saying we had a good start. We had a lot of energy. We had a good first period. We had an average second period with a little too many turnovers. And didn’t manage the puck very good, and let them back into the game because of that.”
The Aeros and Stars go at it again tomorrow night, 7:35, at Toyota Center. And the Aeros will attempt to even up their record at 2-2. Something which Stoner thinks is possible. “I think we need to come out with a bit of an edge,” he said. “We can’t be happy with the way we handed them the game. We’ve just got to come out with an attitude and play like we deserve to win.”
MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES:
I’ve got to admit to a little disappointment from tonight’s game. After reading the comments here over the summer, I was convinced that Matt Beaudoin was the second coming of Gretzky and Crosby. Instead, all I saw tonight was the Beaudoin I saw during much of the regular season last year -- nothing. He’s a good guy. He was good in the locker room. He was very good in the playoffs. But you guys have got to get over him already. Mitch Love and Tony Hrkac played as important, or bigger, roles with this team last year than Beaudoin, and I can’t understand the adulation that has been coming his way.
Though, on the plus side, this did give me and Heather a fun way to waste time during the game as we were making “Matt Beaudoin is so great, how great is he?” jokes throughout the game.
*******************
The Aeros have really got to let those of us sitting on press row pick the stars of the game. There’s just no justification for Texas goalie Brent Krahn not being the number one star of the game. Hell, he wasn’t even a star. I often asked myself this same question last year: are they watching the same game that I am?
I also think that they ought to turn over game scoring duties to those of us on press row. Heather, Andrew, GM Jim Mill, and myself all correctly identified Clayton Stoner as being the one to score the first period goal as soon as it happened, and verified it by way of replay -- thanks Jamie Spencer for that as, if I remember right, we didn’t always have replays on Friday games last year. But the stat crew gave it to right wing Jean-Michel Daoust. That mistake was corrected during the first intermission.
******************
The Aeros do not have a captain this year. They are using a system of rotating Alternate Captains, which is shared by the veterans, and will rotate among those who are not having to sit out during a particular game due to the Veteran Rule. Tonight's Alternates were Clayton Stoner, Brandon Rogers, and Ryan Lannon.
******************
I was impressed by rookie Chad Rau. He got the team’s second goal, late in third period, and he always seemed to be around the puck for the whole night. And Clayton Stoner was again delivering some quality hits during the game.
And I was impressed by P.A. guy Steve Vidal for correctly pronouncing new goalie Wade Dubielewicz’s name throughout the night. I think I would have nightmares every night if I had to pronounce it on a regular basis.
******************
And finally, before I go, it’s time to play DJ. So I thought I would bust out this little beauty from The Pretenders. First, because it gives me a chance to watch Chrissie Hynde. Second, because it’s a good song. Third, because the first line is the “reason we’re here” which allows me to remind you that, despite everything that’s happened, we here at T3I are here to give you the best game coverage possible. And fourth, as my dedication to Mitch Love who is off in Peoria this year (also, though he probably won't like it, it's also for Mr. Fred).
So here’s The Pretenders with the “Message of Love.”
Friday, October 9, 2009
10/9 - Aeros v. Stars
In a very uneven game that started with the Aeros looking like they might never even allow a Stars shot on goal, but ended with the Aeros scrambling to make up a 2 goal deficit, the Texas Stars took home the 3-2 win tonight in the first ever regular season meeting between the teams.
Clayton Stoner opened up the scoring when he ripped a shot from the point past Stars goalie Brent Krahn, during a first period in which it took over half the period for the Stars to finally get a shot on goal. The Aeros dominated; the Stars must have given up 15 turnovers in the neutral zone. It was the kind of period where you're glad you're gonna see this team 11 more times this season.
But two different teams came out of the locker rooms at the second. The Aeros were flat and lacked the energy of the first. The Stars looked like they'd gotten a talking to in the room and were ready to make amends for a sorry first.
And make amends they did. Shots were almost exactly the reverse of the first period with the Stars gettin 11 to the Aeros 4, but they capitalized one extra time with goals from Rallo and McCulloch.
The McColloch goal was off a nasty rebound into traffic and the bouncing puck hopped past the pad of Dubielewicz.
The Aeros started the third on the power play, but it was Texas who scored first when Korostin popped the puck 5-hole on Dubie midway through the period on what looked like a bad play defensively for the Aeros.
With about 4 minutes left in the period, Constantine pulled Dubie from the net and the Aeros went to work with 6 men. Amazingly the Stars were unable to get the puck in the empty net, but had several good chances as the Aeros organized their man-advantage.
Though it was too little too late, rookie Chad Rau scored his first professional goal after the Aeros had been storming Krahn's crease for nearly 3 straight minutes. But the boys in the bomber sweaters were unable to get another puck past Krahn, who was truly outstanding in the final minute of play, stopping a whopping 18 of 19 shots.
Which leads us to the stick figure of the night:
Folks, Stars goaltending is out of this world. Climie is just as good as Krahn. The mere 4 penalties in this game indicate that it's not a rivalry yet, but give it time.
Clayton Stoner opened up the scoring when he ripped a shot from the point past Stars goalie Brent Krahn, during a first period in which it took over half the period for the Stars to finally get a shot on goal. The Aeros dominated; the Stars must have given up 15 turnovers in the neutral zone. It was the kind of period where you're glad you're gonna see this team 11 more times this season.
But two different teams came out of the locker rooms at the second. The Aeros were flat and lacked the energy of the first. The Stars looked like they'd gotten a talking to in the room and were ready to make amends for a sorry first.
And make amends they did. Shots were almost exactly the reverse of the first period with the Stars gettin 11 to the Aeros 4, but they capitalized one extra time with goals from Rallo and McCulloch.
The McColloch goal was off a nasty rebound into traffic and the bouncing puck hopped past the pad of Dubielewicz.
The Aeros started the third on the power play, but it was Texas who scored first when Korostin popped the puck 5-hole on Dubie midway through the period on what looked like a bad play defensively for the Aeros.
With about 4 minutes left in the period, Constantine pulled Dubie from the net and the Aeros went to work with 6 men. Amazingly the Stars were unable to get the puck in the empty net, but had several good chances as the Aeros organized their man-advantage.
Though it was too little too late, rookie Chad Rau scored his first professional goal after the Aeros had been storming Krahn's crease for nearly 3 straight minutes. But the boys in the bomber sweaters were unable to get another puck past Krahn, who was truly outstanding in the final minute of play, stopping a whopping 18 of 19 shots.
Which leads us to the stick figure of the night:
Folks, Stars goaltending is out of this world. Climie is just as good as Krahn. The mere 4 penalties in this game indicate that it's not a rivalry yet, but give it time.
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