Showing posts with label Carson McMillan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carson McMillan. Show all posts
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Facing A Face-Off
So kids, have you ever wondered what's it like to be part of a face-off? Well, since the Aeros are losing 3-1 midway through the second to the Rochester Americans, and since there doesn't really appear to be much worth talking about in the game, here's a few photos from the first period of Carson McMillan taking a face-off.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Some Game Photos
I haven't done much with the photos this season, but I went down and took a few this afternoon and I thought I would share. So...
This first picture is of Tyler Cuma pushing the puck up the ice. Coach John Torchetti wasn't too happy with the D play today. He wants them pushing the puck up the ice. He wasn't happy with what they were doing with the puck, though. He doesn't want them acting as shooters. He wants them to put the puck on the net and let what happens happen. A d-man shooting the puck for a goal goes high, and he doesn't want the puck going high. He wants the rebound.
Here's a shot of Matt Kassian trying to get to some clear space on the ice.
Here is the result of one of the teams's scoring attempts in the second period. Which means there was no goal scored on this play.
This is Joey Martin, one of the new kids who has arrived in the past week or so due to the injuries in both Houston and Minnesota. Torchetti singled him out during our post-game presser and was very, very complimentary.
And here's Carson McMillan, one of the walking wounded who has just returned to play.
This first picture is of Tyler Cuma pushing the puck up the ice. Coach John Torchetti wasn't too happy with the D play today. He wants them pushing the puck up the ice. He wasn't happy with what they were doing with the puck, though. He doesn't want them acting as shooters. He wants them to put the puck on the net and let what happens happen. A d-man shooting the puck for a goal goes high, and he doesn't want the puck going high. He wants the rebound.
Here's a shot of Matt Kassian trying to get to some clear space on the ice.
Here is the result of one of the teams's scoring attempts in the second period. Which means there was no goal scored on this play.
This is Joey Martin, one of the new kids who has arrived in the past week or so due to the injuries in both Houston and Minnesota. Torchetti singled him out during our post-game presser and was very, very complimentary.
And here's Carson McMillan, one of the walking wounded who has just returned to play.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
A Win Is A Win Is A Win, No Matter How Ugly It Is
It's the night before Halloween. There was a scary looking guy dressed up in a clown costume behind the glass. And the Aeros (6-1-0-3, 15 points) put on a frightening display of hockey. But in the end, they got the come-from-behind 5-3 win over the visiting Charlotte Checkers (6-3-1-0, 12 points).
And that's all that matters. Right?
Both the Aeros and Checkers were playing their third games in three nights, and it clearly showed in a first when both teams played sloppy and choppy. It was the type of first period where, if you were attending your first game ever, you would look at a friend and ask why it was they said hockey was so great. The teams seemed to lack focus, and just weren't getting much done.
The Aeros did have the 1-0 lead after one, though, despite being outshot 13-5, thanks to Jeff Taffe rescuing a turnover on an Aeros power play and hitting the top bar from just under the blue line. But then came the second period. A period of hockey so ugly that one would be forgiven for thinking they were stuck inside a horror movie.
The Aeros actually grabbed the 2-1 lead at the 10:53 mark of Kris Foucault deflected a Justin Fontaine shot into the goal. And then things fell apart as, beginning with a Tyler Cuma roughing call at the 13:09 mark, the Aeros spent the rest of the period on either 5-on-4 or 5-on-3 penalty kills.
The Aeros weren't the victims of bad officiating either. Every one of the five straight penalties they received over the last seven minutes of the second period was deserved and earned. And head coach John Torchetti had no problem with the officiating.
"We're doing it," he said. "We've got a 2-1 lead. We throw a punch. There's no reason for that. Then we take a slashing penalty in the neutral zone. They can't score there. We have to be mentally tough. And I don't see that yet."
Torchetti wasn't happy with the team's mental approach, and he wasn't willing to let the fact that the team was playing the third game in three nights serve as an excuse.
"They [Charlotte] were playing three-in-three," he said. "They looked pretty good. There's no excuses. You can't give an excuse when you're playing four playoff games in five nights. They are, too. That's where we've got to be mentally prepared in our minds."
As has become the norm for this Aeros squad, they saved the best for the third period, if you classify the best as skating harder and making shots. They were still committing stupid penalties, and had to fight off one last 5x3 penalty kill late in the third. The good news was the stupidity also got to Charlotte, and at one point, both teams were skating three-on-three thanks to penalties.
With the threat of another overtime quick approaching, Casey Wellman flew down the ice and appeared to bang a shot off the post with 2:15 left in the game -- the goal light momentarily went off -- but the refs, who were in good position, immediately waived it off. And Carson McMillan never stopped skating. He forced a Charlotte turnover and then slipped the puck between the legs of Charlotte goalie Mike Murphy just five seconds after the Wellman shot to put the Aeros up 4-3 with 2:10 left in the game.
"I just tried to get a stick on puck and keep the puck in zone," McMillan said. "It popped out of my stick, and I just tried to put it on net, and it found a hole and I couldn't be happier."
David McIntyre sealed the win for the Aeros when he got the empty-netter to make it 5-3 with just 52 seconds left.
And so ends another weekend of Aeros hockey. As bad as they played in the two games here at Toyota Center, they were still able to come away with five out of a possible six points. The entire six points would have been nice, but a for team that's not playing it's best hockey, one still has to be happy to escape with points because, at the end of the season, points gained at the start of the season are just as important as points gained at any other time.
That doesn't mean Torchetti's happy. And that doesn't mean he's not expecting this team to improve.
"When this team matures and understands what it's balance will be -- they'll be a godo hockey team," he said. "Right now, I think we're playing okay, but we still haven't played 60 minutes."
The Aeros return to action at Toyota Center next Sunday afternoon when they face the Toronto Marlies. Before that, they'll play the Lake Erie Monsters in Cleveland on Thursday night and the Hamilton Bulldogs in Hamilton on Friday.
And that's all that matters. Right?
Both the Aeros and Checkers were playing their third games in three nights, and it clearly showed in a first when both teams played sloppy and choppy. It was the type of first period where, if you were attending your first game ever, you would look at a friend and ask why it was they said hockey was so great. The teams seemed to lack focus, and just weren't getting much done.
The Aeros did have the 1-0 lead after one, though, despite being outshot 13-5, thanks to Jeff Taffe rescuing a turnover on an Aeros power play and hitting the top bar from just under the blue line. But then came the second period. A period of hockey so ugly that one would be forgiven for thinking they were stuck inside a horror movie.
The Aeros actually grabbed the 2-1 lead at the 10:53 mark of Kris Foucault deflected a Justin Fontaine shot into the goal. And then things fell apart as, beginning with a Tyler Cuma roughing call at the 13:09 mark, the Aeros spent the rest of the period on either 5-on-4 or 5-on-3 penalty kills.
The Aeros weren't the victims of bad officiating either. Every one of the five straight penalties they received over the last seven minutes of the second period was deserved and earned. And head coach John Torchetti had no problem with the officiating.
"We're doing it," he said. "We've got a 2-1 lead. We throw a punch. There's no reason for that. Then we take a slashing penalty in the neutral zone. They can't score there. We have to be mentally tough. And I don't see that yet."
Torchetti wasn't happy with the team's mental approach, and he wasn't willing to let the fact that the team was playing the third game in three nights serve as an excuse.
"They [Charlotte] were playing three-in-three," he said. "They looked pretty good. There's no excuses. You can't give an excuse when you're playing four playoff games in five nights. They are, too. That's where we've got to be mentally prepared in our minds."
As has become the norm for this Aeros squad, they saved the best for the third period, if you classify the best as skating harder and making shots. They were still committing stupid penalties, and had to fight off one last 5x3 penalty kill late in the third. The good news was the stupidity also got to Charlotte, and at one point, both teams were skating three-on-three thanks to penalties.
With the threat of another overtime quick approaching, Casey Wellman flew down the ice and appeared to bang a shot off the post with 2:15 left in the game -- the goal light momentarily went off -- but the refs, who were in good position, immediately waived it off. And Carson McMillan never stopped skating. He forced a Charlotte turnover and then slipped the puck between the legs of Charlotte goalie Mike Murphy just five seconds after the Wellman shot to put the Aeros up 4-3 with 2:10 left in the game.
"I just tried to get a stick on puck and keep the puck in zone," McMillan said. "It popped out of my stick, and I just tried to put it on net, and it found a hole and I couldn't be happier."
David McIntyre sealed the win for the Aeros when he got the empty-netter to make it 5-3 with just 52 seconds left.
And so ends another weekend of Aeros hockey. As bad as they played in the two games here at Toyota Center, they were still able to come away with five out of a possible six points. The entire six points would have been nice, but a for team that's not playing it's best hockey, one still has to be happy to escape with points because, at the end of the season, points gained at the start of the season are just as important as points gained at any other time.
That doesn't mean Torchetti's happy. And that doesn't mean he's not expecting this team to improve.
"When this team matures and understands what it's balance will be -- they'll be a godo hockey team," he said. "Right now, I think we're playing okay, but we still haven't played 60 minutes."
The Aeros return to action at Toyota Center next Sunday afternoon when they face the Toronto Marlies. Before that, they'll play the Lake Erie Monsters in Cleveland on Thursday night and the Hamilton Bulldogs in Hamilton on Friday.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Carson McMillan Suspended
Just a quick note -- I probably shouldn't blog while at work -- that the AHL just announced a bunch of suspensions for this week. And number one on the list is Carson McMillan who has been suspended for four games, beginning this week, for an illegal check to the head he delivered during Saturday's game against the Rampage.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
View From The Press Box -- Aeros Take 2-0 Series Lead on Hamilton
Colton Gillies with the game winner.
The Aeros played an overall better game tonight in defeating Hamilton 3-2 this afternoon. Matt Hackett played another good game, and the Aeros were able to find more ways to get the puck past Drew MacIntyre, which was supposed to be impossible.
The Aeros aren't out of the woods yet. They now have three games to play in Hamilton, and they're looking a bit beat up. All that's known on Brett Bulmer was a cryptic "he's out" that I got from the team before the game. But whether that was just for the game or the series is a question mark, though after seeing him on crutches after the game, I'm not expecting him back on Tuesday.
As for Carson McMillan, your guess right now is as good as mine. Mike Yeo didn't know and said that they were awaiting the results from the medical tests.
I'll try to get back later tonight with quotes from Yeo, Jon DiSalvatore, Colton Gillies, and Matt Kassian, but since I want you to read my Press story in the morning, don't expect too much ;-) But since we had to fight through a gaggle of TV cameras to get our stuff after the game, you better bet I'll get something posted.
If you're curious, the Press story tomorrow will have a quote from Matt Kassian on Derek Boogaard, but I was also able to get this from Colton Gillies, who was Boogaard's teammate for a season in Minnesota.
"He was a really good guy," Gillies said. "It’s not a good thing."
And I didn't press it further since Gillies seemed to get choked up over the matter.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Notes And Observations From Game Four
The two biggest Aeros stars of the game, Carson McMillan and Colton Gillies, celebrate at the end of the game.
The Houston Aeros 3-2 (OT) victory was actually about two Aeros team. There was the team that played in the first period, the third period, and the overtime. That team played with confidence, attacked the net, and basically made plays. Then there was the team in the second period that played like it was still Tuesday night. Luckily Milwaukee wasn't able to grab the lead in the second period, and the good Aeros were able to return and get the win.
So, on to some random thoughts and notes.
1. Great game, once again, by the third line as Colton Gillies, Warren Peters, and Jed Ortmeyer have really stood out and excelled in this series. Ortmeyer attacked the net early in the first period with a shot from mid-range. Gillies was in the right spot for the rebound, and the Aeros were in front.
2. The goals tonight came about from the Aeros doing what they do best. Attacking and getting what they call secondary goals -- goals off of rebounds or passes down in traffic and taking advantage.
"The style of play, like tonight, where we got our goals, was right in front," Gillies said. "They were secondary opportunities. That’s where you’ve got to get your goals with a team like this."
The Aeros didn't get many of those secondary opportunities on Tuesday night -- except from the third line, so they worked at getting more tonight.
3. Mike Yeo, as promised, made some line changes, but no lineup changes. I'll try to address the Matt Kassian situation in a bit, but first...Yeo moved Chad Rau up to the first line with Jon DiSalvatore and Patrick O'Sullivan and placed Cody Almond with Robbie Earl and Casey Wellman. The third and fourth lines were not changed, which made sense, especially with the third line, since that's the one line that has been working at a top notch level this entire playoff series.
"I thought that they did very well," Yeo said. "The offensive zone time from O’Sullivan, Rau, and DiSalvatore, they could have had four goals tonight. I thought that they complimented each other well. And I really like the physical presence that Cody Almond brings to Robbie Earl and Casey Wellman’s line. It gives them a guy that’s going to be hard on the forecheck, physical down low and strong on pucks and get to the net. It’s a nice – a different element on that line."
4. That said, the play of the top two lines still isn't where it needs to be. Robbie Earl was agonizingly close in the second period, and O'Sullivan's goal was on the power play. While I love the play we're seeing from the third and fourth lines, it's got to be asking for trouble to keep depending on them to handle the brunt of the scoring load.
5. Our friends in Milwaukee were a bit pissed the other night because they didn't think Mike Yeo said enough nice things about Milwaukee's game. So we asked him about the play of Milwaukee goalie Jeremy Smith, who is about the only reason this game went into OT.
"He was very good," Yeo said. "He was very good tonight. I give him a lot of credit for that. But there were a lot of things in our game that I really liked. I loved how many times we gave him opportunities to be good.
"The way we were taking pucks to the net, and the way we were shooting and attacking the net, not only off the rush, but in the offensive zone, I think we made it a much more difficult game for him. And that’s what he have to continue to do. He’s obviously a very good goalie."
6. The Aeros teased the fans who were around for the pregame skate as the Aeros sent out 19 skaters. One of those 19 was Matt Kassian. However, come game time, Kassian was indeed scratched. And frankly, despite what some desire, it is very doubtful that Kassian will be playing this series as the team likes what it's seeing from Brett Bulmer.
This quote from Yeo, when asked about the current McMillan line and the game-winner probably says it all.
"We let the other lines go out there and do their thing," he said. "Those guys – I thought that line was very good for us tonight. Not just in the overtime period, as far as Carson’s line. I thought that Bulmer, to me took another step in his game. And I think the last two games Palmer’s been very, very good.
"But that’s set up because we’re playing our game. Those guys get on in a good change. And now [Milwaukee’s] tired and we’re able beat them on an icing call. And we’re able to keep tired guys in the defensive zone and force them to defend down there.
"As much as a credit as it to those guys, because they played a great game, it’s also a credit to the other guys who were on the ice before them."
7. Carson McMillan has two goals in the playoffs this season. Both goals have been game-winning goals, and both goals have been in overtime. We spoke to McMillan after the game, but because I have to give something to the Press, you're going to have read his thoughts about the goal there.
However, McMillan did offer up some thoughts on the line shifting, and about how the team just sticks together no matter what.
"We’re a close group," McMillan says. "Anytime we shift lines, it’s just – maybe it might click some more chemistry. I think the guys just went out tonight and wanted to work hard for each other. When you do that, good things happen."
8. Friday will be the last time for the Aeros to take advantage of the home ice against Milwaukee. The Aeros are hoping to take advantage of the so-called hot ice. That said, they know they just can't depend on the heat/conditions to get to Milwaukee.
"It is a hot rink," Gillies said. "Our fans are great to us, too. That helps us out, huge. We can hope for that, but we’ve got to be ready. They’re going to come out really hard. It’s going to be an intense game tomorrow for sure."
And that was echoed by McMillan: "I think sometimes it is [the hot rink being an advantage], but they came early, probably got a couple of practices in. I’m sure they’re used to it by now. We’ve just got to stay hydrated, because it is hot, and stick to our game and know that good things happen."
10. The series is tied 2-2. Milwaukee's owned the odd-numbered guys, and Houston's owned the even-numbered games. Does that change on Friday night? Well we'll know this evening.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
The Game Winner (Some Blurry Photos)
That was an exciting night here at Toyota Center as the Aeros get the 3-2 OT win to even the series at 2-2. As Andrew promised below, I'll be back later with some quotes from the game star, Carson McMillan, as well as Colton Gillies and Mike Yeo.
But I thought I would share these somewhat awful photos I got of the game-winner. The first photo shows Jarod Palmer moving into position with the puck. You see the just how little space he has to work with for the pass. The second shot is just as the puck's gone in the net, though you can't really tell. The third one's really out of focus, and while I know it won't meet with the approval of Mr. Fred, or myself really, I do think you can get a nice view of the expression on Palmer's face as he's falling down. Then you get McMillan's expression as Max Noreau comes running at him. Then we have the big celebration.
But I thought I would share these somewhat awful photos I got of the game-winner. The first photo shows Jarod Palmer moving into position with the puck. You see the just how little space he has to work with for the pass. The second shot is just as the puck's gone in the net, though you can't really tell. The third one's really out of focus, and while I know it won't meet with the approval of Mr. Fred, or myself really, I do think you can get a nice view of the expression on Palmer's face as he's falling down. Then you get McMillan's expression as Max Noreau comes running at him. Then we have the big celebration.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Have A Little Faith, Baby
The Peoria game plan was simple tonight. Hit the Aeros. Hit the Aeros again. Keep hitting the Aeros until they gave in because they're a soft team. And Peoria did hit the Aeros tonight. And they kept hitting the Aeros. And the Aeros might not be the world's most physical team. They may rely on skill over brute force. But if the Aeros have shown anything over these last several months, it's that they'll take the pounding and win the game because while you're pounding them, they're playing smart, sticking to the system, and playing the game.
They're doing things the right way. And that led to the Aeros getting the tough 3-2 OT win tonight.
It's also the game the Aeros were expecting.
"It was exactly what we expected it to be, a real tight checking, close game," head coach Mike Yeo said. "Hard fought by both teams. I thought Peoria gave us what we could handle tonight. They played a great game. They were physical, and they were aggressive. They had some good chances, and I thought [Hackett] had to play great for us in order to give us that chance to win the game."
We watch the Aeros a lot, so we know that this team is more than just Patrick O'Sullivan and Robbie Earl and Jon DiSalvatore. We know that Warren Peters and Jed Ortmeyer and Jared Palmer and Carson McMillan will grind away and grind away. And when you're not looking, when you're focused on the glamour guys, pow, they attack.
It's easy to forget about the depth that this team has. The third line consists of Jed Ortmeyer, Warren Peters, and Colton Gillies. Think about that.
"It’s roles," Yeo says. "It’s doing different jobs. Sully does his job on the power play to equalize there and sets up Chad Rau and Rauser buries it. But you need guys – I thought the penalty killers did a great job despite the fact they got the one goal tonight. I thought our penalty killing was great in key times for us.
"And then you’ve got guys like Carson McMillan and Jarod Palmer who are playing on the fourth line, but they were kind of bouncing around tonight. Palms goes out and scores right after they score and really gets the momentum back in our favor. And those hurt for that team. I know it hurts when you’re on the other side. And then both of those guys contribute and do a good job of creating a turnover in the neutral zone and find a way to get her in the net."
We like to talk about the jump the team made with the arrival of Patrick O'Sullivan and Jed Ortmeyer. And there's a lot to that. O'Sullivan's arrival especially, with his ability to score almost at will, opened things for Jon Disalvatore and took some pressure off of some of the other guys to be the go-to guy. But it was also at about that this time that Robbie Earl went to Mike Yeo and asked what he could to do to make the team better. And Casey Wellman got healthy.
And then there is the Ortmeyer factor. A factor which is also shared by Warren Peters and DiSalvatore. They're veteran guys who have been around, and they know what it takes for a team to win. We've been told by several guys just how much it means to see the effort that Ortmeyer goes through to just to be able to play every night. And then the guys see DiSalvatore and Peters willingly planting themselves in front of the goalie game after game, shift after shift, doing the dirty work that makes it that much easier for their teammates to get better chances at scoring.
And there's this. We always hear about the guys who are supposed to the NHL stars and can't make it and get sent back to the minors and who go into sulky malcontent mode. Patrick O'Sullivan did not do this. He's gone out there and played hard and worked every shift.
As such, the Aeros now find themselves up 2-0 in the series. They're not in the clear yet, though. I doubt Peoria's going to give up. And there are now three games in three nights for the Aeros to play next week in Peoria. But while we all complain about the number of three-in-threes the Aeros played this season, you can't help but wonder if that's going to be to the Aeros advantage next week.
But we're just going to have to wait until next week to find out, I guess.
Now on a humorous note...One of our more frequent commenters, I'm talking to you B2Bomber, jokingly jumped on the "negative waves" that Andrew was sending about the team, and he was using a movie reference. I caught it, Andrew didn't.
For those of you who didn't catch B2B's reference, he quoted a character named Oddball bitching about the "negative waves" that Moriarty was spreading. This comes from a vastly underrated Clint Eastwood movie of the late-1960s called "Kelly's Heroes," and the character of Oddball is played by Donald Sutherland. I did a Youtube search, and came up with this clip. So, enough with the negative waves about the Aeros already. Have a little faith, baby. Have a little faith.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Aeros Beat Peoria 3-2 In OT (A Few Photos)
You've got to love playoff hockey. Especially playoff hockey that goes into OT, and especially when your team is the one that comes out on top. And tonight it was the Aeros who came out on top 3-2 in OT with Carson McMillan netting the puck at the 11:34 mark. That puts the Aeros up 2-0 in the best of the seven. And here's a good note: the Aeros are 5-1 all-time in playoff series when they go up 2-0. I'll come in with quotes and a story later, but I thought I would throw up a few photos from the OT.
This first photo is the closest that I have to Carson McMillan's game-winner. There were a lot of bodies in the area, and this is the closest to a clean shot.
Now we know the puck's gone in because Jon Disalvatore reacts.
Here's more of DiSalvatore reacting. He has spoken to me about how important it is to him to get out of the first round of the playoffs. And the odds of that happening are getting better and better.
Here's a big group hug as everybody skates out to the ice.
And here's Jared Spurgeon, Matt Kassian, and Carson McMillan skating off. I just love the smile on Kassian's face, and it looks like McMillan has the puck in his glove and is kissing it.
This first photo is the closest that I have to Carson McMillan's game-winner. There were a lot of bodies in the area, and this is the closest to a clean shot.
Now we know the puck's gone in because Jon Disalvatore reacts.
Here's more of DiSalvatore reacting. He has spoken to me about how important it is to him to get out of the first round of the playoffs. And the odds of that happening are getting better and better.
Here's a big group hug as everybody skates out to the ice.
And here's Jared Spurgeon, Matt Kassian, and Carson McMillan skating off. I just love the smile on Kassian's face, and it looks like McMillan has the puck in his glove and is kissing it.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
3/19/11 -- Aeros v. Rampage -- The Separation Edition
The Aeros needed the win over San Antonio Rampage tonight. They needed the win to get points and stay close to Milwaukee, but more importantly, they needed the win so that they could start to get some separation from themselves and the clubs below them. And they needed to start sensing the kill and putting opponents out of their playoff misery.
And with a convincing 5-1 win over the Rampage tonight, before a huge, electric crowd of 11,273, the Aeros did everything they needed to, and more. Mike Yeo, getting some players back healthy, did some line shuffling, and saw a huge payoff, and Carson McMillan scored two goals within 19 seconds to put the Aeros up 4-0 late in the second period and put the final nail in the Rampage coffin for the night.
So let’s get to it.
1. Important stuff first: Milwaukee lost 3-2 to Lake Erie, so the Aeros moved back to a point out of first place. Bigger than that, Rockford beat Peoria 4-3 and Oklahoma City beat Chicago 4-3. And with Texas not playing tonight, the Aeros are finally getting some of that mythical separation between themselves and the teams behind them in the playoff hunt. Separation that’s going to be important that last week when the Aeros are off for eight days while everybody else plays multiple games.
The Aeros are now five points up on Peoria and Oklahoma City. They’re six points up on Texas, seven points up on Chicago, and eight points up on a San Antonio team that is fading, and fading quickly.
2. The game tonight was scoreless after one period. But the Aeros controlled the action in a fight-filled period and set the stage for a second period where they lit up the Rampage for four goals.
3. The goals in the fourth period were all things of real beauty. Patrick O’Sullivan got the first goal, a sick little number made possible off of a Jon DiSalvatore play down in the corner. O’Sullivan got the puck in the slot and just did what he does. San Antonio’s Joe Fallon never stood a chance of stopping the shot.
The second goal saw Robbie Earl, from about the same spot as O’Sullivan’s, flipping the puck over the Fallon’s stick off of a pass from Cody Almond. And like O’Sullivan’s goal, it was just one of those goals that make you go “WOW,” even when you’re sitting in the press box and you’re not supposed to be cheering.
Then it was the Carson McMillan show as at 16:55 he took a shot from the left circle and lifted it over Fallon and right under the cross bar to put Houston up 3-0. And just as everybody was settling down, he struck again, getting a pass from Jed Ortmeyer as he crossed in front of the goal, where he tipped it past Fallon.
4. McMillan’s been a key guy for the Aeros this year. He’s been doing all of the gritty stuff that doesn’t really get the notice because it’s not glamorous, so nobody was happier for McMillan tonight than Yeo.
“I’m happy for him,” Yeo said. “The thing is, he doesn’t need to score to have a great game. He understands that. That’s one of the reasons why I think he’s really put himself on the map as far as being a prospect in this organization this year. He’s a guy that – he’s just a great role player. Whatever his job is he’s going to go out and do it that night. The reason I’m happy for him is, he’s been a guy who’s moved up to top lines and moved up in the lineup, and he’s scored some goals and he’s got some points, and the next thing you know he’s back on the fourth line. But whether he’s on the fourth line or the second line he’s equally as important to us. I was happy to see it. Every time he’s handled it with unbelievable attitude and I was happy to see him get rewarded.”
5. Yeo was happy about his team’s play for the entire game. Especially with the way they came out and stuck to the game plan and executed and dominated. We asked him about that second period after the game, and he said the second period happened because of the play in the first period.
“That’s the way you draw it up right there,” he said. “I thought the first period was good, too, actually. We had a game plan, and the guys were committed to it right from the start. We didn’t bury pucks in the first period, but we started to tilt the ice, and when you do that, you put yourself in a position to do what we did in the second period.”
6. Colton Gillies returned to action tonight, and his play was noticeable throughout, especially early in the game when the Aeros were on the penalty kill. But Yeo also thought Gillies did a great job throughout of the night of wearing down the San Antonio defensemen, and by making them look for him throughout the night every time they tried to make something happen throughout the game.
7. With the return of Gillies, and with Scott Campbell joining the team out of college, the Aeros did a bit of line reshuffling. Cody Almond rejoined the top line with Patrick O’Sullivan and Jon DiSalvagore, while Casey Wellman joined line two with Robbie Earl and Chad Rau. Carson McMillan moved up to line three with Jed Ortmeyer and Colton Gillies while the new guy played with Jarod Palmer and Jean-Michel Daoust.
Yeo thinks this gives the team really good balance on the main two scoring lines, and he likes the added threat that now comes from the third line.
8. The team also saw defenseman Jeff Penner take the ice for the first time tonight, and he looked good. Which is important seeing as how Marco Scandella broke a finger playing for the Wild today and Nate Prosser was recalled to join them.
9. The Aeros did try to get McMillan his hat trick tonight. The Aeros got a 4:00 power play to end the game, and McMillan was out there, in front of the goal, for most of it. He told us after the game that Ortmeyer made sure that Mike Yeo knew just what the stakes were, and that McMillan got out on the ice, and McMillan then told us that Jon DiSalvatore did everything within his power to set up the goal.
10. This was a really physical game that at times, especially late in the third period, threatened to escalate out of control as San Antonio seemed to be taking their frustrations out on the Aeros.
“I think frustration was a big part of it,” Yeo said. “I also think that the fact that we play them tomorrow and they want to put up a fight and say hey, we’re not going to roll over and die. I don’t mind that stuff. We have guys that can handle themselves. I love seeing another get frustrated and doing that stuff because it means we’re getting to them. And I’d love to see it happen again tomorrow.”
And Yeo expects more of this type of play from the Rampage tomorrow.
11. It might just be me, but it seemed to me that the Aeros were sensing it tonight. They were sensing that playoff spot, and they were sensing that the Rampage are about down for the count. There are still nine games left, but the Aeros are finally getting some separation between themselves and the teams below them, and they really seemed to be playing with confidence and a great sense of purpose of tonight.
But who knows what will happen tomorrow.
It's been a while since I've played a video, but there's this song that's been going through my head lately -- and is kind of stuck on my iPod repeat, that I think just gets the proper attitude of tonight's game. It's kind of sassy, with a 70s soul vibe and lots of sax and keyboard. So here are Fitz and the Temptations with "Money Grabber."
And I'll try to get some photos up later.
And with a convincing 5-1 win over the Rampage tonight, before a huge, electric crowd of 11,273, the Aeros did everything they needed to, and more. Mike Yeo, getting some players back healthy, did some line shuffling, and saw a huge payoff, and Carson McMillan scored two goals within 19 seconds to put the Aeros up 4-0 late in the second period and put the final nail in the Rampage coffin for the night.
So let’s get to it.
1. Important stuff first: Milwaukee lost 3-2 to Lake Erie, so the Aeros moved back to a point out of first place. Bigger than that, Rockford beat Peoria 4-3 and Oklahoma City beat Chicago 4-3. And with Texas not playing tonight, the Aeros are finally getting some of that mythical separation between themselves and the teams behind them in the playoff hunt. Separation that’s going to be important that last week when the Aeros are off for eight days while everybody else plays multiple games.
The Aeros are now five points up on Peoria and Oklahoma City. They’re six points up on Texas, seven points up on Chicago, and eight points up on a San Antonio team that is fading, and fading quickly.
2. The game tonight was scoreless after one period. But the Aeros controlled the action in a fight-filled period and set the stage for a second period where they lit up the Rampage for four goals.
3. The goals in the fourth period were all things of real beauty. Patrick O’Sullivan got the first goal, a sick little number made possible off of a Jon DiSalvatore play down in the corner. O’Sullivan got the puck in the slot and just did what he does. San Antonio’s Joe Fallon never stood a chance of stopping the shot.
The second goal saw Robbie Earl, from about the same spot as O’Sullivan’s, flipping the puck over the Fallon’s stick off of a pass from Cody Almond. And like O’Sullivan’s goal, it was just one of those goals that make you go “WOW,” even when you’re sitting in the press box and you’re not supposed to be cheering.
Then it was the Carson McMillan show as at 16:55 he took a shot from the left circle and lifted it over Fallon and right under the cross bar to put Houston up 3-0. And just as everybody was settling down, he struck again, getting a pass from Jed Ortmeyer as he crossed in front of the goal, where he tipped it past Fallon.
4. McMillan’s been a key guy for the Aeros this year. He’s been doing all of the gritty stuff that doesn’t really get the notice because it’s not glamorous, so nobody was happier for McMillan tonight than Yeo.
“I’m happy for him,” Yeo said. “The thing is, he doesn’t need to score to have a great game. He understands that. That’s one of the reasons why I think he’s really put himself on the map as far as being a prospect in this organization this year. He’s a guy that – he’s just a great role player. Whatever his job is he’s going to go out and do it that night. The reason I’m happy for him is, he’s been a guy who’s moved up to top lines and moved up in the lineup, and he’s scored some goals and he’s got some points, and the next thing you know he’s back on the fourth line. But whether he’s on the fourth line or the second line he’s equally as important to us. I was happy to see it. Every time he’s handled it with unbelievable attitude and I was happy to see him get rewarded.”
5. Yeo was happy about his team’s play for the entire game. Especially with the way they came out and stuck to the game plan and executed and dominated. We asked him about that second period after the game, and he said the second period happened because of the play in the first period.
“That’s the way you draw it up right there,” he said. “I thought the first period was good, too, actually. We had a game plan, and the guys were committed to it right from the start. We didn’t bury pucks in the first period, but we started to tilt the ice, and when you do that, you put yourself in a position to do what we did in the second period.”
6. Colton Gillies returned to action tonight, and his play was noticeable throughout, especially early in the game when the Aeros were on the penalty kill. But Yeo also thought Gillies did a great job throughout of the night of wearing down the San Antonio defensemen, and by making them look for him throughout the night every time they tried to make something happen throughout the game.
7. With the return of Gillies, and with Scott Campbell joining the team out of college, the Aeros did a bit of line reshuffling. Cody Almond rejoined the top line with Patrick O’Sullivan and Jon DiSalvagore, while Casey Wellman joined line two with Robbie Earl and Chad Rau. Carson McMillan moved up to line three with Jed Ortmeyer and Colton Gillies while the new guy played with Jarod Palmer and Jean-Michel Daoust.
Yeo thinks this gives the team really good balance on the main two scoring lines, and he likes the added threat that now comes from the third line.
8. The team also saw defenseman Jeff Penner take the ice for the first time tonight, and he looked good. Which is important seeing as how Marco Scandella broke a finger playing for the Wild today and Nate Prosser was recalled to join them.
9. The Aeros did try to get McMillan his hat trick tonight. The Aeros got a 4:00 power play to end the game, and McMillan was out there, in front of the goal, for most of it. He told us after the game that Ortmeyer made sure that Mike Yeo knew just what the stakes were, and that McMillan got out on the ice, and McMillan then told us that Jon DiSalvatore did everything within his power to set up the goal.
10. This was a really physical game that at times, especially late in the third period, threatened to escalate out of control as San Antonio seemed to be taking their frustrations out on the Aeros.
“I think frustration was a big part of it,” Yeo said. “I also think that the fact that we play them tomorrow and they want to put up a fight and say hey, we’re not going to roll over and die. I don’t mind that stuff. We have guys that can handle themselves. I love seeing another get frustrated and doing that stuff because it means we’re getting to them. And I’d love to see it happen again tomorrow.”
And Yeo expects more of this type of play from the Rampage tomorrow.
11. It might just be me, but it seemed to me that the Aeros were sensing it tonight. They were sensing that playoff spot, and they were sensing that the Rampage are about down for the count. There are still nine games left, but the Aeros are finally getting some separation between themselves and the teams below them, and they really seemed to be playing with confidence and a great sense of purpose of tonight.
But who knows what will happen tomorrow.
It's been a while since I've played a video, but there's this song that's been going through my head lately -- and is kind of stuck on my iPod repeat, that I think just gets the proper attitude of tonight's game. It's kind of sassy, with a 70s soul vibe and lots of sax and keyboard. So here are Fitz and the Temptations with "Money Grabber."
And I'll try to get some photos up later.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Aeros-Stars Photos
Sorry. I don't have a lot of time at the moment -- when you work for yourself, you've got to work every hour possible, so I'm working. I'll try to get some more photos and some quotes up in the morning -- I think we got some nice stuff out of Mike Yeo after the game.
Anyway, there's nothing special, game-wise, about this sequence of photos. It's just that it was something I've been working on -- tracking a play from one end to the other. And this is one of my better attempts. So I'll hope you let me put my experiment up and I'll try to get more tomorrow.
(And no, I don't have that save of Hackett's that threw Heather into a fit -- I have the bruises to prove it. I wasn't in position for it, and even if I was, I wouldn't have done it justice. That save would have needed Mr. Fred's photo work to do get even close to doing it justice.)
Good night everybody.
Anyway, there's nothing special, game-wise, about this sequence of photos. It's just that it was something I've been working on -- tracking a play from one end to the other. And this is one of my better attempts. So I'll hope you let me put my experiment up and I'll try to get more tomorrow.
(And no, I don't have that save of Hackett's that threw Heather into a fit -- I have the bruises to prove it. I wasn't in position for it, and even if I was, I wouldn't have done it justice. That save would have needed Mr. Fred's photo work to do get even close to doing it justice.)
Good night everybody.
Monday, November 1, 2010
10/31/10 -- Aeros v. Stars -- The Monster Mash Edition
The Aeros got the 4-2 win over the Texas Stars tonight, improving their record to 4-5-1-0 in the process. There was some good defensive play. Anton Khudobin gave up two goals, but seeing as how he faced nearly 40 shots, that's a pretty good average. So on with the hail of bullets.
1. Did someone at Toyota Center forget to pay the A/C bill? It was ridiculous how hot the arena was. It was uncomfortable in the stands, so I would hate to think of how miserable it was for the players.
2. Was that a nice pass by Warren Peters to Carson McMillan for that third goal, or what? McMillan gave all of the credit for the goal to Peters. But think about it, how many times have we seen an Aero whiff on a supposedly easy, can't miss shot like that? But McMillan buried the shot, so he deserves some credit as well.
3. Andrew called the Nate Prosser goal in the third period, the one that made it 4-2. He made a comment about Matt "Gretzky" Kassian with the assist before Prosser even had the puck off of the pass. I just wish he would give me the damn lottery numbers.
4. Kris Fredheim's goal in the first period was a rocket of a shot -- one of those Max Noreau-type things. It was also Fredheim's first professional goal.
5. Marco Scandella -- I don't really know what all to say. He made numerous good plays on the defensive end, and he even got an assist. I don't remember who we gave the stars to -- but I argued that Scandella deserved one for his defensive play.
6. Guess what, the Aeros are on a winning streak. Sure, it's only a two-game streak, but a streak has to start somewhere, right?
7. Mike Yeo said the team had a good weekend -- there will be quotes in the mothership tomorrow. The team might have lost to San Antonio on Friday night, but he liked the team's play in the first period that night, and he was encouraged by how the team worked through the heat, the third game in three days, and letting Texas tie the score to come on strong and win the game.
8. He was happy to get the home win, especially because he thought you, the fans, deserved the win for sticking with the team.
9. The team's not out of the woods. He's going to spend this week working on focus while continuing to work on their understanding of the offense.
10. I don't know about you, but maybe the Aeros should just start declining power play chances. I don't even think the Aeros were this bad on the power play last season, and they were bad last season. My solution is to just stick four guys down by the net and let Noreau fire away from the blue line. But that's probably why I'm not a coach.
11. Here's a stat that won't surprise you. The Aeros are 4-1-0-0 when they score the first goal. Of course, their primary problem this season has been just scoring a goal at any point.
12. The Dynamics "Where's Waldo" Halloween costumes just didn't work for me, though I kind of liked the glasses thing.
13. I want to apologize for the delay in getting this posted -- I'm working a temp job at the moment (hoping that it goes permanent) and I had to do some work for it when I got home, along with writing a story for the mothership.
14. That said, I won't be around for Friday's game with Toronto. I'll be covering the Houston Cougars/UCF Knights game at Roberstson Stadium for the mothership -- college football gets bigger readership numbers.
15. Things go better with a win, don't they?
16. Do something about the air conditioning. Please.
17. In honor of Halloween, here's a Craig Ferguson clip from Friday night -- I think he's one of the funniest guys on television.
1. Did someone at Toyota Center forget to pay the A/C bill? It was ridiculous how hot the arena was. It was uncomfortable in the stands, so I would hate to think of how miserable it was for the players.
2. Was that a nice pass by Warren Peters to Carson McMillan for that third goal, or what? McMillan gave all of the credit for the goal to Peters. But think about it, how many times have we seen an Aero whiff on a supposedly easy, can't miss shot like that? But McMillan buried the shot, so he deserves some credit as well.
3. Andrew called the Nate Prosser goal in the third period, the one that made it 4-2. He made a comment about Matt "Gretzky" Kassian with the assist before Prosser even had the puck off of the pass. I just wish he would give me the damn lottery numbers.
4. Kris Fredheim's goal in the first period was a rocket of a shot -- one of those Max Noreau-type things. It was also Fredheim's first professional goal.
5. Marco Scandella -- I don't really know what all to say. He made numerous good plays on the defensive end, and he even got an assist. I don't remember who we gave the stars to -- but I argued that Scandella deserved one for his defensive play.
6. Guess what, the Aeros are on a winning streak. Sure, it's only a two-game streak, but a streak has to start somewhere, right?
7. Mike Yeo said the team had a good weekend -- there will be quotes in the mothership tomorrow. The team might have lost to San Antonio on Friday night, but he liked the team's play in the first period that night, and he was encouraged by how the team worked through the heat, the third game in three days, and letting Texas tie the score to come on strong and win the game.
8. He was happy to get the home win, especially because he thought you, the fans, deserved the win for sticking with the team.
9. The team's not out of the woods. He's going to spend this week working on focus while continuing to work on their understanding of the offense.
10. I don't know about you, but maybe the Aeros should just start declining power play chances. I don't even think the Aeros were this bad on the power play last season, and they were bad last season. My solution is to just stick four guys down by the net and let Noreau fire away from the blue line. But that's probably why I'm not a coach.
11. Here's a stat that won't surprise you. The Aeros are 4-1-0-0 when they score the first goal. Of course, their primary problem this season has been just scoring a goal at any point.
12. The Dynamics "Where's Waldo" Halloween costumes just didn't work for me, though I kind of liked the glasses thing.
13. I want to apologize for the delay in getting this posted -- I'm working a temp job at the moment (hoping that it goes permanent) and I had to do some work for it when I got home, along with writing a story for the mothership.
14. That said, I won't be around for Friday's game with Toronto. I'll be covering the Houston Cougars/UCF Knights game at Roberstson Stadium for the mothership -- college football gets bigger readership numbers.
15. Things go better with a win, don't they?
16. Do something about the air conditioning. Please.
17. In honor of Halloween, here's a Craig Ferguson clip from Friday night -- I think he's one of the funniest guys on television.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Meet Your 2010-11 Aeros: Carson McMillan
CARSON MCMILLANBorn: September 10, 1988 (age 21)
Brandon, Manitoba
6 ft 02
213 lbs
Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Career Transactions:
Minnesota Wild seventh round draft pick (number 200 overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
Carson McMillan’s not the most graceful of skaters. He’s not going to be a big scorer, witness his eight points (4+4=8) in 56 games for the Aeros last season. This is something that McMillan confessed at the end of last season, as he was coming to grips that he wasn’t going to be that scorer at this level that he’d been in the lower ranks. What he will be, if he can keep his head on, is a good third or fourth line guy. Think Mitch Love or Jason Ryzner in 2008-09. He’ll provide some good energy off the bench. He also provides a physical presence, and if he plays within himself, there’s no reason he can’t be a consistent ice presence when the team needs a key defensive stop.
McMillan’s best hockey last season seemed to come early on, when he was teamed up with Cody Almond and Peter Zingoni. Zingoni’s veteran presence seemed to be a really good fit with Almond and McMillan, and for the first few weeks of the season, they were easily Kevin Constantine’s best line on the ice. Then the injury bug hit Almond and Zingoni, and McMillan never seemed to be able to recover his game.
McMillan’s biggest problem was using his head. He was called for stupid penalty after stupid penalty last season, and he served a suspension for a hit on a Texas Stars player. But if he can get the penalty problem under control, and if he can work on the puck control, then he’s got the skill set necessary to be a key guy on one of the energy or checking lines. And as much as we all like scoring, those lines often end up being the most important lines on the ice.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Some Thoughts From Game 79
I've sat awhile tonight, wondering what to write about this last game (home game) of the season. Maybe I should have sat on my deck with a beer, like Heather, then again, seeing as how I live off of Milam, not far from a bunch of bars and clubs, sitting here, watching my tape delay of the Astros game (I wanted to hear how Jeff Bagwell did in the broadcast booth) and working on an unrelated assignment for the mothership, I still find myself unsure of just what to say, so here we go.
It's been a difficult season to cover the team. Not access wise. And the guys have always been willing to sit after a game and talk. It's just that it has been tough to write about them this year. There's been multiple games this season that have ended with the close loss. A close loss resulting from goalies that were perfect for just 58 minutes. Or from Aeros shots bouncing off of a post. The game the Aeros won 4-2 tonight was, in many ways, a perfect example of the type of games the Aeros have lost the entire season -- see that second period where they got off 24 shots but could only score once, then saw Texas score on two of their first four shots of the third period to take the lead.
******************
I'll probably do a proper write up later in the week -- Andrew's going to San Antonio tomorrow for that purpose, and hopefully I can get some stuff from him to use in the mothership, and here. So for now I'll just reference some other things from the game, and just throw out some general thoughts.
Heather referenced Carson McMillan's expression when he scored the go-ahead goal in the third. I spoke with him about that afterwards. What struck me about his response was that he wasn't trying to take credit for the goal. He thought it was a great shot by Jamie Fraser, and he wasn't going to take credit for the tip-in, but Duncan Milroy went up and told the officials that McMillan tipped it.
******************
Luke Strand was at the game, again, visiting with his friends Kevin Constantine and Troy Ward, and taking in the game. I talked to him a bit after the game, while the guys were out on the ice for the jersey auction. He was just amazed, after watching the team, that they were out of the playoffs. He just didn't see the quit that you normally see from a team that doesn't give a damn anymore. And there was the talk about what could have been as he noted the guys and goal scorers from last year's team that were no longer here, and just how different things could have been had they been here this year.
******************
Congratulations to Max Noreau for second team AHL. Maybe if certain people would have remembered to send the voting info to Andrew and myself -- as the guys in the past did -- he could have got up to first team. Still, Noreau's a class guy. He came up with a rocket shot, became a very good offensive defenseman, and this year worked on his defensive play. And just think of how bad the power play would have been without Noreau.
******************
The Aeros will finish the season with at least 80 points, and at least the .500 mark. And depending on what happens tomorrow, they might not even finish in last place. Not that that means anything other than the guys didn't quit.
*****************
You guys have indulged me all year with my Beatles obsession. So as the season ends, I can think of no better way to close out than with my favorite song of all-time. So here's The Beatles with "Hey Jude."
It's been a difficult season to cover the team. Not access wise. And the guys have always been willing to sit after a game and talk. It's just that it has been tough to write about them this year. There's been multiple games this season that have ended with the close loss. A close loss resulting from goalies that were perfect for just 58 minutes. Or from Aeros shots bouncing off of a post. The game the Aeros won 4-2 tonight was, in many ways, a perfect example of the type of games the Aeros have lost the entire season -- see that second period where they got off 24 shots but could only score once, then saw Texas score on two of their first four shots of the third period to take the lead.
******************
I'll probably do a proper write up later in the week -- Andrew's going to San Antonio tomorrow for that purpose, and hopefully I can get some stuff from him to use in the mothership, and here. So for now I'll just reference some other things from the game, and just throw out some general thoughts.
Heather referenced Carson McMillan's expression when he scored the go-ahead goal in the third. I spoke with him about that afterwards. What struck me about his response was that he wasn't trying to take credit for the goal. He thought it was a great shot by Jamie Fraser, and he wasn't going to take credit for the tip-in, but Duncan Milroy went up and told the officials that McMillan tipped it.
******************
Luke Strand was at the game, again, visiting with his friends Kevin Constantine and Troy Ward, and taking in the game. I talked to him a bit after the game, while the guys were out on the ice for the jersey auction. He was just amazed, after watching the team, that they were out of the playoffs. He just didn't see the quit that you normally see from a team that doesn't give a damn anymore. And there was the talk about what could have been as he noted the guys and goal scorers from last year's team that were no longer here, and just how different things could have been had they been here this year.
******************
Congratulations to Max Noreau for second team AHL. Maybe if certain people would have remembered to send the voting info to Andrew and myself -- as the guys in the past did -- he could have got up to first team. Still, Noreau's a class guy. He came up with a rocket shot, became a very good offensive defenseman, and this year worked on his defensive play. And just think of how bad the power play would have been without Noreau.
******************
The Aeros will finish the season with at least 80 points, and at least the .500 mark. And depending on what happens tomorrow, they might not even finish in last place. Not that that means anything other than the guys didn't quit.
*****************
You guys have indulged me all year with my Beatles obsession. So as the season ends, I can think of no better way to close out than with my favorite song of all-time. So here's The Beatles with "Hey Jude."
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
An Early State of The Season Report
I've got a kind of state of the season report on the team posted over at the mothership. You can, for the moment, expect more of that kind of material over at the Press as generally do one post a week over there on hockey, and the game recap stories there are kind of dated as my Houston Cougars material is considered to be primary, and also because the Press generally doesn't post stuff on the weekends and game recaps are kind of useless two or three days down the road.
I would, however, ask that you go read the Press post as a) it's how I get my press pass, so clicking, reading, and leaving comments there lets the bosses know that you're interested, and b) I think it's a halfway interesting post on a team that's still searching for it's identity.
You'll read about the second period problems, the unsettled goalie situation, and my thoughts on the team's best line, which is the third line of Peter Zingoni, Carson McMillan, and Cody Almond. I didn't mention the Craig Weller trade because I actually wrote this Sunday night, and I didn't know, at the time, who the Wild was going to send to Houston to take his place. I'm not surprised it's Jaime Sifers as I think it was intended that he would start the season here anyway.
Oh well. I hope you guys make it to to game tomorrow night.
I would, however, ask that you go read the Press post as a) it's how I get my press pass, so clicking, reading, and leaving comments there lets the bosses know that you're interested, and b) I think it's a halfway interesting post on a team that's still searching for it's identity.
You'll read about the second period problems, the unsettled goalie situation, and my thoughts on the team's best line, which is the third line of Peter Zingoni, Carson McMillan, and Cody Almond. I didn't mention the Craig Weller trade because I actually wrote this Sunday night, and I didn't know, at the time, who the Wild was going to send to Houston to take his place. I'm not surprised it's Jaime Sifers as I think it was intended that he would start the season here anyway.
Oh well. I hope you guys make it to to game tomorrow night.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
10/10 -- Aeros v. Stars -- The Celebration of Newbies Edition
The Aeros and Stars battled tonight, in front of 5736 at the Toyota Center, and just as Friday’s game between the two was close, so was this one. So close, in fact, that the game went to a shootout before Jon DiSalvatore hit the lone goal for either team, giving the Aeros the 2-1 victory and increasing their record to 2-2-0-0 (4 points).
Tonight’s game belonged to the newbies, especially the fourth line which featured Peter Zingoni anchoring the wings of Cody Almond and Carson McMillan. While several of the lines featured some energy, and while DiSalvatore and Nathan Smith -- two more newbies -- had several opportunities to get scores, it was Zingoni who scored the one Aeros regulation goal, virtually shoving the puck past former Aero playoff hero Matt Climie to put the Aeros up 1-0 at the 17:26 mark of the first.
“It was a great forecheck from my linemates Cody Almond and [Carson] McMillan,” Zingoni said. “They stayed hard on the puck and got the puck to the net. [McMillan] gave me a nice little pass crossing…[Climie] made a nice initial save, and I just kind of buried my head and just kept working on it.”
The Stars tied the game at 5:11 of the second when Brad Lukowich’s shot hit off of one of Anton Khudobin’s defenders and deflected past him. But after that, Climie and Khudobin kept the offenses in check even though the Aeros had several good chances in overtime to get the score. Smith was working Climie so hard at about the 2:34 of OT that it looked like the two were going to come blows, but alas, the Aeros were unable to get the score.
Texas went first, and Khudobin easily stopped Kevin DeVergilio’s attempt. In fact, he easily stopped all of the Texas attempts, and if not for DiSalvatore getting it past Climie on the Aeros first shootout attempt, this game might still be underway.
Khudobin said after the game that the shootout was one of the best parts of his game when he was in Russia, but that it has suffered here. Tonight, however, he was solid. “I was sure I was going to stop the pucks [in the shootouts],” Khudobin said. “I was focusing on the pucks.”
The Aeros, as with last week, lost the first game of a weekend series, but came back to the win the second. And head coach Kevin Constantine noted how tough that was this weekend against the Stars.
“They’re a good team,” he said. “They’re on the road playing, and they haven’t lost a game in regulation out of four. They don’t give you much room. Getting pucks to the net is hard. We’ve got to give them some credit. They’re a very good team.”
As for his team’s play tonight, Constantine noted that they were more consistent tonight, and that while they might not have had the intensity at the start of Friday’s game, neither did they sink to the depths to which they sunk on Friday.
The Aeros will return to action next weekend when they take on the San Antonio Rampage for two games at Toyota Center on Friday and Saturday.
SOME MISCEALLANEOUS GAME NOTES:
The Aeros are still, at this point, a team in flux. The lineup for tonight’s game had some big changes, and Constantine and his staff are still trying to find the right mix of players. GM Jim Mill noted during the game that the Aeros are carrying a big roster, but that several players had been released. And Constantine told us after the game that the roster would be thinned come next week.
“We purposely held guys around longer than normal just to be real thorough in evaluation of who we want to play and who should make the team,” he said. “There’s a negative to that as it’s kind of hard to become a team and work with individual guys. The positive of that is that your decisions are better.”
Released before the game were right wing Simon Ferguson, left wing Gregg Johnson, and right wing Matt Fornataro. Mill noted with Ferguson that this really had nothing to do with his play, but just that there are a lot of veterans on the team, and that they did not foresee the Wild sending Craig Weller and Andy Hilbert down to the team. Mill stated that he liked Ferguson and that Ferguson would be one of the first guys he contacts should their be an opening on the roster.
What I don’t think either Mill or Constantine intended was that the team would be losing players to Minnesota. However, during tonight’s game in San Jose, the Wild, according to tweets from reporter Michael Russo, lost John Scott, Cal Clutterbuck, and Petr Sykora to injuries. The severity of the injuries isn’t yet known, though while Scott had returned to the bench, Clutterbuck and Sykora had not.
*********************
Once again, I was impressed by the play of the rookies. Chad Rau had a nice game on Friday, and Almond and McMillan were nice surprises. They were hitting, they were attacking the net, and they brought an energy to the game that was kind of like what Clutterbuck used to do, and kind of like the Love/Ryznar/Kassian line last season.
Peter Zingoni, the veteran who played with them, was impressed.
“We did a great job, and I give a lot of credit to them,” he said. “It’s their first pro game. They did an awesome job….It was a lot of fun playing with them….they gave a good impression for the coach and the staff.”
And just as Rau got his first professional point on Friday, McMillan got his first professional point tonight when he assisted on Zingoni’s score. Also, note, that the score sheet is wrong. Almond, not Nathan Smith, was on the ice with Zingoni and McMillan when Zingoni scored. Zingoni even credited Almond, and Almond could easily be seen behind Zingoni on the replay.
Also, my apologies to McMillan. I believe that on the little video discussion with myself and Andrew that I said Corey McMillian instead of Carson. That was a stupid mistake on my part.
*****************
I’ve got a problem, again, with the people who decided on the three stars. I’ve got no problem with Zingoni’s star, though I would have made him the third star. Matt Climie was a deserving star, but I would have made him two instead of three -- he did stop 30 of 31 game shots and four of the five shootout shots. And though Jon DiSalvatore did a nice job to get the shootout goal, I fail to understand how Khudobin, who stopped 23 of 24 game shots and all five that he faced in the shootout, could not have been given his proper recognition.
*****************
As for our video to play us out tonight, I just can’t think of anything better than “Under Pressure” from Queen and David Bowie as a little salute to the excellent goaltending from Climie and Khudobin.
Tonight’s game belonged to the newbies, especially the fourth line which featured Peter Zingoni anchoring the wings of Cody Almond and Carson McMillan. While several of the lines featured some energy, and while DiSalvatore and Nathan Smith -- two more newbies -- had several opportunities to get scores, it was Zingoni who scored the one Aeros regulation goal, virtually shoving the puck past former Aero playoff hero Matt Climie to put the Aeros up 1-0 at the 17:26 mark of the first.
“It was a great forecheck from my linemates Cody Almond and [Carson] McMillan,” Zingoni said. “They stayed hard on the puck and got the puck to the net. [McMillan] gave me a nice little pass crossing…[Climie] made a nice initial save, and I just kind of buried my head and just kept working on it.”
The Stars tied the game at 5:11 of the second when Brad Lukowich’s shot hit off of one of Anton Khudobin’s defenders and deflected past him. But after that, Climie and Khudobin kept the offenses in check even though the Aeros had several good chances in overtime to get the score. Smith was working Climie so hard at about the 2:34 of OT that it looked like the two were going to come blows, but alas, the Aeros were unable to get the score.
Texas went first, and Khudobin easily stopped Kevin DeVergilio’s attempt. In fact, he easily stopped all of the Texas attempts, and if not for DiSalvatore getting it past Climie on the Aeros first shootout attempt, this game might still be underway.
Khudobin said after the game that the shootout was one of the best parts of his game when he was in Russia, but that it has suffered here. Tonight, however, he was solid. “I was sure I was going to stop the pucks [in the shootouts],” Khudobin said. “I was focusing on the pucks.”
The Aeros, as with last week, lost the first game of a weekend series, but came back to the win the second. And head coach Kevin Constantine noted how tough that was this weekend against the Stars.
“They’re a good team,” he said. “They’re on the road playing, and they haven’t lost a game in regulation out of four. They don’t give you much room. Getting pucks to the net is hard. We’ve got to give them some credit. They’re a very good team.”
As for his team’s play tonight, Constantine noted that they were more consistent tonight, and that while they might not have had the intensity at the start of Friday’s game, neither did they sink to the depths to which they sunk on Friday.
The Aeros will return to action next weekend when they take on the San Antonio Rampage for two games at Toyota Center on Friday and Saturday.
SOME MISCEALLANEOUS GAME NOTES:
The Aeros are still, at this point, a team in flux. The lineup for tonight’s game had some big changes, and Constantine and his staff are still trying to find the right mix of players. GM Jim Mill noted during the game that the Aeros are carrying a big roster, but that several players had been released. And Constantine told us after the game that the roster would be thinned come next week.
“We purposely held guys around longer than normal just to be real thorough in evaluation of who we want to play and who should make the team,” he said. “There’s a negative to that as it’s kind of hard to become a team and work with individual guys. The positive of that is that your decisions are better.”
Released before the game were right wing Simon Ferguson, left wing Gregg Johnson, and right wing Matt Fornataro. Mill noted with Ferguson that this really had nothing to do with his play, but just that there are a lot of veterans on the team, and that they did not foresee the Wild sending Craig Weller and Andy Hilbert down to the team. Mill stated that he liked Ferguson and that Ferguson would be one of the first guys he contacts should their be an opening on the roster.
What I don’t think either Mill or Constantine intended was that the team would be losing players to Minnesota. However, during tonight’s game in San Jose, the Wild, according to tweets from reporter Michael Russo, lost John Scott, Cal Clutterbuck, and Petr Sykora to injuries. The severity of the injuries isn’t yet known, though while Scott had returned to the bench, Clutterbuck and Sykora had not.
*********************
Once again, I was impressed by the play of the rookies. Chad Rau had a nice game on Friday, and Almond and McMillan were nice surprises. They were hitting, they were attacking the net, and they brought an energy to the game that was kind of like what Clutterbuck used to do, and kind of like the Love/Ryznar/Kassian line last season.
Peter Zingoni, the veteran who played with them, was impressed.
“We did a great job, and I give a lot of credit to them,” he said. “It’s their first pro game. They did an awesome job….It was a lot of fun playing with them….they gave a good impression for the coach and the staff.”
And just as Rau got his first professional point on Friday, McMillan got his first professional point tonight when he assisted on Zingoni’s score. Also, note, that the score sheet is wrong. Almond, not Nathan Smith, was on the ice with Zingoni and McMillan when Zingoni scored. Zingoni even credited Almond, and Almond could easily be seen behind Zingoni on the replay.
Also, my apologies to McMillan. I believe that on the little video discussion with myself and Andrew that I said Corey McMillian instead of Carson. That was a stupid mistake on my part.
*****************
I’ve got a problem, again, with the people who decided on the three stars. I’ve got no problem with Zingoni’s star, though I would have made him the third star. Matt Climie was a deserving star, but I would have made him two instead of three -- he did stop 30 of 31 game shots and four of the five shootout shots. And though Jon DiSalvatore did a nice job to get the shootout goal, I fail to understand how Khudobin, who stopped 23 of 24 game shots and all five that he faced in the shootout, could not have been given his proper recognition.
*****************
As for our video to play us out tonight, I just can’t think of anything better than “Under Pressure” from Queen and David Bowie as a little salute to the excellent goaltending from Climie and Khudobin.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Round 3, Game #4 -- Aeros vs. Moose -- Photos -- Part 2
I realized I'd not given you a shot of Carson McMillan yet.
Some Marco Rosa.
A swooping Danny Irmen.
Bryan Lundbohm and ex-Aero Mark Cullen
A calm Cory Schneider is about to catch the puck.
Matt Beaudoin rushes up the ice.
Greg Rallo lifts the stick of Matt Kassian.
Cory Schneider with some leather larceny.
Mitch Love is cross-checked by Nolan Baumgartner.
Mitch Love is given a ride along the Aeros bench by Guillaume Desbiens.
Krys Kolanos gets off one of his terrific shots on Cory Schneider. Often times these find their way through, under the arm of the netminder.
Cory Schneider takes some refreshment during a stoppage in play.
All Photos:Fred Trask
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Carson McMillan joining the Aeros
In a battle that included two future Aeros, the Kelowna Rockets upset the Calgary Hitmen this weekend sending one of those Aeros to his new team. So, welcome to Carson McMillan, who we hear is quite a good player and really blossomed this year in Calgary. Here's a bit from the Calgary Sun on him.
Apparently he flew into Milwaukee in time to watch the craptastic meltdown last night. Suppose he's wondering what level of hell he's stumbled into? Nah. These guys take it all in stride. Not sure if he'll play Wednesday. I guess that depends on injuries, but I'm sure John will give us the goods tomorrow when he gets up to the Cheese State.
Cody Almond will continue on to the Memorial Cup tournament with the Rockets, which you can watch in the states on the NHL Network starting Friday. If you haven't checked out this tournament before, you should. It's fun to watch these kids play, and they do play with a ton of heart. Plus, you can get a sneak preview of Almond Joy and see what he's like. I'm looking forward to that.
Apparently he flew into Milwaukee in time to watch the craptastic meltdown last night. Suppose he's wondering what level of hell he's stumbled into? Nah. These guys take it all in stride. Not sure if he'll play Wednesday. I guess that depends on injuries, but I'm sure John will give us the goods tomorrow when he gets up to the Cheese State.
Cody Almond will continue on to the Memorial Cup tournament with the Rockets, which you can watch in the states on the NHL Network starting Friday. If you haven't checked out this tournament before, you should. It's fun to watch these kids play, and they do play with a ton of heart. Plus, you can get a sneak preview of Almond Joy and see what he's like. I'm looking forward to that.
Friday, April 24, 2009
More Fresh Meat: Carson McMillan signed by the Wild
Aeros fans got another glimpse at the potential future of the team today when the Wild signed 2007 7th round draft pick Carson McMillan to a 3-year entry level contract.
From the Wild:
Anyway, looking forward to seeing both of these guys next season as they're coming out of juniors looking like pretty solid picks by the Wild. I've even seen McMillan compared to Clutterbuck a little bit, so that should be good for some fun if it's true.
From the Wild:
McMillan, 20 (9/10/88), recorded career-highs with 31 goals, 41 assists, 72 points and 93 penalty minutes (PIM) in 68 games during his fourth season with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2008-09. The 6-foot-1, 206-pound native of Brandon, Manitoba added seven game-winning goals, five power play tallies and four shorthanded goals helping lead Calgary to a 59-9-3-1 regular season record. He has tallied eight points (2-6=8) in 12 playoff games this season.Of course, Cody Almond, who was signed a couple of weeks ago and will also likely be an Aero next season, plays for Kelowna, so there could be a baby Aeros match-up in the WHL Championship. We'll have to keep an eye on that.
The Hitmen are undefeated in 12 playoff matches and will play either Kelowna or Vancouver in the WHL Championship series. The winner of the WHL Championship series will advance to the Memorial Cup.
Anyway, looking forward to seeing both of these guys next season as they're coming out of juniors looking like pretty solid picks by the Wild. I've even seen McMillan compared to Clutterbuck a little bit, so that should be good for some fun if it's true.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Next year's rookies
Lost in the shuffle of the goalie drama was a little blurb from Russo about the Wild being in contract negotiations with two of the prospects I mentioned here. I figure with a three-game-loss weekend, looking down the road to potentially happier days might be a nice diversion.
Carson McMillan's Calgary Hitmen swept the first round of their playoffs, though their opponent for the next round starting Friday has yet to be decided. Still looking like they'll go deep and we won't see him this season, but in Russo's feature on him today, he is projected to play in Houston next season.
Apparently he's a bit of a Clutterbuck clone, which is mighty appealing, isn't it? Gritty winger who likes to hit and will go to the net, contributes a bit of offense, fearless. The trick is to still do all that stuff in a smart, controlled way even at professional speeds. Here's hoping...
Today, theyare also in the process of signing signed Cody Almond, whose Kelowna Rockets are squaring off in round 2 of their playoffs against the Tri-City Americans on Friday. I've gotten to be friends with one of their photographers, so I've asked for a bit of a scouting report and maybe a photo, which I'll put here if I can get one.
Justin Falk is from this same 2007 draft class as these two guys, so there will be quite the youth movement between those three.
Carson McMillan's Calgary Hitmen swept the first round of their playoffs, though their opponent for the next round starting Friday has yet to be decided. Still looking like they'll go deep and we won't see him this season, but in Russo's feature on him today, he is projected to play in Houston next season.
Apparently he's a bit of a Clutterbuck clone, which is mighty appealing, isn't it? Gritty winger who likes to hit and will go to the net, contributes a bit of offense, fearless. The trick is to still do all that stuff in a smart, controlled way even at professional speeds. Here's hoping...
Today, they
Justin Falk is from this same 2007 draft class as these two guys, so there will be quite the youth movement between those three.
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