Aeros Lose 4-2 Texas -- The This Is Getting Tiring Edtion

The Aeros took to the Toyota Center ice tonight for the last time in two weeks. And with the way they played, Aeros fans might not be too angry if the team just decides to stay away for an even longer period of time.

The Aeros lost 4-2 to the Texas Stars tonight. There was a sloppy first period -- a too many men on the ice bench minor less than two minutes in the game was just the epitome of the sloppiness. They trailed 3-1 after that first period. They showed some life in the second period -- there was a nice goal by Jason Zucker to pull the Aeros to within 3-2. But the sloppiness returned in the third and the Aeros lost, again.

John Torchetti's statements are the game weren't much different from those we heard earlier this season, or Friday night, or last season. There's talk of a lack of commitment. Of guys who need to step up. Of letting the Stars feel too comfortable on Toyota Center ice. 

"We've got to work harder," Torchetti said. "I don't see the desperation that we need to see."

But what's it going to take for the team to show that needed desperation on ice? The answer seems unknown. Maybe hard work. Maybe execution. But until they figure it out, it's just miserable to watch.

"It's frustrating," Torchetti said. "We try to slap a puck in from the red line and it only goes two feet and it comes back and it's in the net. That's just how it's going. Nothing I can tell them except hey, you've got to keep battling through it. You've got to work harder."

Drew Bagnall spoke after the game, and he accepted some of the blame, as if he's not doing enough in his leadership role to make the urgency, the desire, the want to work harder aspect of the game evident to the younger guys.

"We have to come together as a team," he said. "It's no one individual player who's going to win or lose us a game. It's  team thing. It starts with leadership, and I'll take the brunt of the blame for that."

Torchetti just wants the guys leaving more of themselves out on the ice.

"The number one thing is, we've got to pay a bigger price," he said. "We're not paying any price at all. We don't even have one nick on our faces. We've played in four hockey games, and I don't think anyone's paid a price yet." 

But as frustrating as it is for Torchetti and Bagnall, it's more frustrating for the fans. The team's been sloppy. The play's been lackluster for the most part (Jason Zucker and Justin Fontaine being the most notable exceptions to that). Sure the team's been hit with injuries, but injuries can in no way excuse what's happening out on the ice. 

The Aeros are gone until November 25 when they host the Abbotsford Heat led by former Aeros assistant Troy Ward. Will the team play better on the road? Will they find themselves away from Toyota Center? That's still to be determined.

ONE FINAL NOTE:

Tonight's sacrificial goalie was Darcy Kuemper. 

Aeros Lose 5-4 in OT to Admirals

It was a tough night for the Aeros as they lost to the Milwaukee Admirals 5-4 in overtime. The Aeros, playing the third game of a three-in-three, as were the Admirals, jumped out to the quick lead, going up 2-0 on the Ads early in the first period off goals from Chay Genoway and Kris Foucault.

But the Ads put up a power play goal with 20 seconds left in the first period, then tied the game late in the second period as they pretty much dominated play. The Ads outshot the Aeros 16-5 in the first period and 5-4 in the second, and the Aeros just seemed to be playing tired.

The Aeros took the lead midway through the third period on a Jonas Brodin goal, but less than a minute later the Ads tied it at 3-3. And Kevin Henderson put Milwaukee back on top. The Admirals appeared to have the game locked up, only to have Nick Palmieri tip in a Marco Scandella shot with under a minute left in the game.

The Aeros lost 51 seconds into the overtime as Mattias Ekholm scored on the power play to end the game.

Both teams really appeared to be fighting through exhaustion in the third, but Milwaukee appeared to handle the situation better. So while the Aeros held the very, very early momentum, the Ads got in when they needed it and held on to it.

"It's just one of those situations, I think, where we deviated from our game plan and we let them back in the game and got away from what was working for us and got us those two quick goals," Drew Bagnall said after the game. "Hopefully it's a learning experience. It's still early in the year, and those things are going to happen against good teams. Every night each team can beat you, so we've got to be ready each night

This game was an important learning situation -- the whole weekend was -- and hopefully, like Bagnall said, the team does learn from it. There are a lot of youngsters on this team who have never played three games in three nights before, and for the team to progress and keep winning, they're going to have to learn to handle this situation.

"I think it's just something they have to come to terms with," Bagnall said. "You can tell them -- the biggest thing is in practice, when we're in drills and really tired, that's when you have to understand that's what playing in a three-in-three is like, especially in the third period, if you're on the penalty kill or you're stuck out on the ice. You have to make the simple play, the right play, and it's not always the play that's going to result in a goal, but it's a play that's not going to hurt your team."

But it does need to be remembered that there is some positive news out of the weekend. The Aeros came away with five out of a possible six points this weekend. Bagnall said that's another big thing for the team to learn. They've got to learn to look at the big picture, and the big picture is that getting points is a good thing.

And Bagnall thinks the team took a big leap this weekend. He likes the play of the young skill players, and this weekend was a key step in their continued development in working together as a team and not just as individual players.

"I just feel that they are exactly that, very skilled," he said. "They see the ice really well. And for young players, they use their teammates a lot. A lot of young guys will try to beat guys one-on-one. And I think this weekend we kind of came another step towards developing as a team, playing within the system, and finding a way to score goals that way."

Let's hope the appropriate lessens are being learned because the Aeros are going to play a lot more three-in-threes before the season is over.

They return to the ice on Friday night when they play in Oklahoma City before returning to Toyota Center to host the Admirals one final time for this season on Saturday night.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

Kris Fredheim, Jason Zucker, Brett Bulmer, and Tyler Cuma were the scratches. Zucker and Cuma were definitely injures. Bulmer skated on the ice pre-game, so the assumption is that he was a healthy scratch.

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We asked Bagnall about fighting, and about John Torchetti's desire to have Bagnall on the ice. Bagnall would prefer that as well, but he's not going to ask the rest of the team to do something that he wouldn't do.

"I just think that if I'm going to try and be in that leadership role and preach that we have to be a pack mentality, I can't go out there and expect guys to do something that I wouldn't do," he said. "In the same breath, I'm not going to fight twice in the same game every night. If I feel like someone's going to take advantage of our skill players, I'm going to step up and try to do something about it. Hopefully other guys fill that role, and they did throughout the course of the weekend."

Aeros Win, Aeros Win, The Aeros Win

I've been hearing about how bad the Aeros have looked this season. But aside from a couple of practices, I haven't seen either of the games. So I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw during tonight's 5-1 win over the Texas Stars.

First, here's Heather's gamer over at the Chronicle. It has quotes and everything.

The Aeros got the early lead, with Charlie Coyle putting the Aeros up early and with Marco Scandella Jason Zucker putting the team up 2-0 later in the first with a shot from the blue line (okay, I was down in the corner, so it looked like the blue line to me, but I didn't have a good view) tip-in of a Marco Scandella shot. The Stars made it 2-1 early in the third, but the Aeros put up three more goals and put this game out of reach.

The offense seemed to have a bit of a slow start early on in the game -- goal notwithstanding. It kind of looked as if the guys are still trying to learn each other and develop on-ice chemistry. But it looked like they began clicking as things moved on.

So here are some random thoughts.

1. I was impressed by Jason Zucker. It seemed to me, from my view down in the corner, that wherever there was action with the puck, you would find Zucker.

Zucker in action.

2. John Torchetti thought the most important thing for the Aeros was that they got a week off after losing their opening two games. It gave the team a chance to see what happens if they don't play the system. It also got him some time to sit the guys down with video so that they could watch their play. He said that this was the first time that some of the guys had ever seen themselves on video, and gives them a feel of what it'll be like on the next level.

Torchetti in action during the second period.

3. The win was good for the team, Torchetti said, because it showed the guys that the system does, indeed, work. And that if they play that system, the team wins. There's still a little too much individual play on the ice, but the improvement was notable.

4. Torchetti thinks some of the other guys have to step up and bring the tough-guy attitude. He likes that he's got Drew Bagnall -- Bagnall was in two fights during the game -- but he thinks it's better for the team if Bagnall's actually out on the ice instead of the penalty box for fighting. But it appears so far that Bagnall's the only guy who really wants to get physical.

5. The Aeros got over one hurdle by getting that first win. Now comes the team's first three-in-three. There are a bunch of guys on the Aeros who have never experienced anything like a three-in-three, and Torchetti says it's important the guys learn how to play on such days.

6. Brian Connelly was the quarterbacking the power play, and Torchetti wants him to start shooting the puck more than he is. Torchetti says that Connelly's used to being a pass-first guy on the power play, and he really wants Connelly to concentrate on taking his shot.

7. This is a big season for Matt Hackett who is hoping to make the leap to full-time action in the NHL (for the uninitiated, the NHL is supposedly the highest level of professional hockey that can be played. But the NHL has shut down the league once again. Frankly, I think the NHL is one of those myths, like Big Foot). Torchetti says the key for Hackett this season is consistency.

The team gives Matt Hackett the first of hopefully many celebratory head pats following the end of tonight's game.

8. And Wild fans, speaking of mythical beings, here's a photo of Mikael Granlund in action on the ice. Maybe someday.

Fight, Fight, Fight

A few words on the Aeros 5-1 win over the Texas Stars will come later. But first...

Drew Bagnall clobbered Antoine Roussel in the first period. And the fight was just in front of me, so...

Torch and Bagnall From Day One at SLICE

After a weekend spent at the Xcel Energy Center, the Aeros held their first workouts at SLICE today. It's going to be a bit of a different looking team for Aeros fans. Several fan favorites are gone -- Jon DiSalvator, Jed Ortmeyer, Warren Peters -- and there are a bunch of exciting looking youngsters just waiting to play their first games in Aeros colors.

And while the talent on the team looks incredible, it might not pay to get attached to some of these guys since they'll be playing in St. Paul as soon as the NHL owners fire Gary Bettman and bring in a non-idiot commissioner and players come together on a new labor deal and the lockout is lifted.

As for now, John Torchetti likes his team: "I like our mix. I think it’s going to be a good mix here."

Torchetti should have some fun with this roster, and he's promising that the fans are going to like what they see once the young guys have become adjusted to the speed of the game at this level and have gotten used to the team's system. And he's also promising that he's going to let players like Mikael Grunland have a little fun out on the ice.

"He sees the ice incredibly well. He’s very poised," Torchetti said about Granlund. "One thing I think you’ll notice about our team, we’ll be more of a puck possession team. He’s going to hold onto it. And once everybody understands the system, and it slows down, we’re going to be more puck possession. We’ll be more poised with the puck. We’re not going to force plays."

Drew Bagnall says the team is incredibly deep, talent-wise. But that means there are a bunch of guys who would normally be seeing lots of playing time who aren't going to be seeing playing time, at least at this level, but if everybody buys in, then watch out because this team is going to be something special.

"We’re going to have just an abundance of skill here," he said today. "We have guys that without a doubt should be on the majority of NHL clubs in the league playing for us here in Houston. Obviously it’s great for us as a team, but it also creates a situation where you have guys that are American league players, have been in the past, or should be right now, if there was an NHL, that won’t be able to be in the lineup each and every night. So the problem then starts to lie in coming together as a team, and not putting yourself ahead of it. You have to understand you might not get to play in every situation. You might not be on the power play, but you’re still part of the team, and you do whatever you can to play as a team."

It looks as if Bagnall will be taking on the old-man daddy role on the team this season, that role held on this team in years past by DiSalvatore and Ortmeyer. It's a role he's held before, he said, and he also believes that some of the others having moved on is good for some of the younger guys because their progression into leadership roles has been blocked.

"That’s kind of the situation we’re in this year," he said. "I’ve been in leadership roles in this organization and in the past when I was with Manchester. There’s no secret that we’re young, but we also have guys who have kind of not had to step into those roles because of the age that we had. We had Warren Peters and [Jed] Ortmeyer and Jon DiSalvatore, Jeff Taffe. Those guys are in place to try to build those leadership qualities in the younger guys. And they’ve had that time to kind of soak it up from those guys, and now it’s time to use it. They’ll step and come to the forefront. We’ve had guys who have played four seasons in this league, and I think they’re ready for this opportunity."

And Torchetti agrees, saying that he expects guys like Chad Rau, Carson McMillan, and Jarod Palmer to move into the team leadership roles.

But the Aeros aren't the only team that is going to benefit from the lockout. There are lots of teams in the AHL with an influx of NHL talent on their rosters, like the Oklahoma City Barons.

"It’s probably going to the best hockey in a lot of years ever in the American league," Torchetti said. "I’m on my 29th year coaching, and this is the strongest I’ve seen this league. It’s going to be a lot of fun hockey, especially for the fans to come out and see what a group that we have."

So there you have it, from the first day at SLICE.

Hey Look, It's Playoff Media Day

Joined some of my fellow media members out at SLICE for practice today. For what it's worth, the guys looked loose, I saw laughs and smiles, and the beginnings of playoffs beards were evident all around, except for Jon DiSalvatore, who we discovered last season can't really grow a beard, and John Torchetti, who was clean shaven.

The Aeros were a team that struggled this season. They struggled at times because of injuries in Houston. They struggled often because of injuries with the Wild. The team's best scorer was traded at mid-season and not replaced. The emotional leaders of the team, Jed Ortmeyer and Warren Peters spent most of the season with the Wild (where they weren't quite appreciated by that team's fandom).

Matt Hackett was good in goal, when he was here, but he spent lots of hours on airplanes between Houston and Minneapolis-St.Paul. But amazingly, even when Hackett was gone, the goaltending excelled. And if the Aeros are going to make a run for it this season, the key is going to be the play of Hackett. The players know it, Torchetti knows it, and Hackett knows it.

"He’s going to probably be the key [the Barons are] going to focus on as well," DiSalvatore told us today. "He’s got to be a huge leader for us in the playoffs. We’re going to lean on him. He knows what it takes to get all of the way there. It’s not going to be a surprise for him. Maybe he’ll be a little more comfortable in that setting right now. He’s a guy that’s got to be determined to outplay [Barons goalie Yann] Danis, and I think he’s up for the challenge and excited about it. It’s another year of maturity for Hackett, so I think you can expect good things out of him."

John Torchetti was big with the Hackett praise, as well: "He’s a big reason why we got in. That third period [Sunday], he won us the playoff spot. He was fantastic in every situation. And last year his experience, coming through as a rookie playing all of the way to the finals. And we all know what a hot goaltending can do to a team."

And Hackett gave his thoughts on taking what he went through last season and using this time around: "Playoffs are always the same. It’s always intense, everything’s a lot more amped. I played a lot last year. I played 24 games, something like that. I have experience. I know what to expect. Last year I was a little nervous starting off, but I’m sure I’ll be fine this year."

To a man, they're convinced that all of the roster shakeups during the season will play to their advantage. The young kids had to play in big situations, get big minutes they hadn't been expected to get. And with the rosters set, with the Wild unable to take anymore players away, the guys will get to experience some continuity.

"We’ve been talking about this all year," DiSalvatore said. "It’s been a struggle for guys that come in and out of the lineup to get comfortable. That’s what you have to do. You have to try to get guys as comfortable as possible. Guys that might not have played high-end minutes, they’re getting the opportunity. They’ve grown. We have a lot of guys who have grown and matured this year, so we feel like that experience is going to help them with this next level of pro hockey, which is playing in the playoffs. So we feel like that’s going to help them. And hopefully they feel comfortable enough, and they feel confident enough, that they can just go out and do their job."

"I just think that there’s been a lot of opportunity here this year," Drew Bagnall added. "We’ve obviously had to deal with a lot of injuries, most teams do, and we’ve had guys kind of benefit from it. They’ve been able to play in pressure situations that, maybe without those injuries they wouldn’t have been able to play in, so hopefully moving forward that can help them to contribute more in the playoffs when there is more on the line and they have to assume an even bigger role."

Bagnall also pointed to something that everybody senses. The guys love playing at Toyota Center, and they love the crowds, but as great as the crowds are -- more on that in a minute -- it's the conditions inside of Toyota Center which are the biggest help for the Aeros.

"Also, I think the fact that it’s a warmer building, it’s not an easy rink to play in, conditioning-wise, that might give us an edge, too," he said. "We’re used to it. We know the kind of preparation you need to have going in, and if we can get even that little bit of an edge on them – if they’re not ready, that could really help us. So we have to be prepared and take care of ourselves."

And the players are all depending on the folks in attendance to help out.

"I really like the fact that we got to play here at the Toyota Center," Bagnall said. "I love playing there. The atmosphere is great. We’ve had terrific support all year, and last year in the playoffs, it was almost deafening in the building, and for a  building that size to be that loud, it was really impressive."

"I think we have the best fans in the league," DiSalvatore said. "The support I’ve experienced here in Houston has been phenomenal. They are an extra player. I look at them as an extra player for us. They bring an energy to our team. They lift us up; they keep us going. We use them. It’s a major advantage for us to be able to start out at home and maybe jump out ahead in this series right off the bat."

 So I get the feeling they're hoping for a packed building tomorrow night.

Thoughts and Notes From A Sweep of Peoria

Before we go further, one thing needs to be said. We've said a lot of very good and well deserved things for Mike Yeo and the Aeros coaching staff for what the team has done this season. But I think we really need to give a shout out to GM Jim Mill for his work in assembling the pieces on this team. Jon DiSalvatore, Drew Bagnall, Warren Peters, Jed Ortmeyer and on and on, these were guys that Mill brought onto this team, and they've all played very, very key roles.

That said, as Yeo and Mill said after the game, this is only round one, there is still a lot that needs to get done. But the team has this confidence about itself. They know they're deep with four lines that can score goals. And they have brought in to what Mike Yeo is preaching about the system and the process.

Peoria dished out some punishment in this series, and they especially dished out some punishment in Game Four. The recipients of that punishment were Jon DiSalvatore, Patrick O'Sullivan, Robbie Earl, and Casey Wellman. The four guys who have that special on-ice talent. The goal was simple: to get the guys to feel the punishment so that they wouldn't finish their plays, or else would try and retaliate and end up in the penalty box. And that didn't happen.

"They really stepped up the physical play in the third period, and I’m really proud of the guys the way that they continued to go out and execute," Yeo said after the game. "They were getting hit, and they were getting hit hard. But that’s character. To me, that’s the ultimate hard player. The ultimate warrior. It’s easy to go out there and hit people and be tough like that, but to me a real tough player is a guy who will go out and make a play knowing that he’s going to take a hit and do the right thing for his teammates."

And that's the thing about this team. These aren't selfish guys. They're about winning games and not letting down their teammates. I think Drew Bagnall summed it up pretty well:

"I think – [Peoria's] a good team. They have some guys that can really bang," he said. "They tried to go after O’Sullivan and Robbie Earl and Jon DiSalvatore, our high end guys. I just have to give them credit because they didn’t take penalties. They sucked it up. And I think we were just very unselfish. We just knew that we were going to have to take stuff from them. And we knew that we would get them back by shaking hands with them at the end of the series.

"Our third line, Gillies, Ortmeyer, and Peters, they didn’t score a whole lot for us during the season, but in this playoff series, they were great, and they really shut down [Peoria’s T.J. Hensick]. It was great for us."

But this is only one series. The team is not done, and they're not satisfied, especially Mike Yeo.

"It feels great, but I can’t say that I feel satisfied right now," Yeo said. "It’s a step in the right direction. We’re a quarter of the way to our goal, and I’m very pleased with the way our team responded to a very tough team to play against. They came at us hard, and for the guys to keep their focus, and for the guys to fight through some adversity, some deficits we had to fight back on. For us, the ultimate picture, the ultimate goal, is to keep getting better. And I think that we did that these four games.'

I think it's good that the Aeros aren't satisfied. How often do we hear about teams that are just happy to make the playoffs? But not this team. And I'm looking forward to where they might end up.

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A real quick trivial matter: Peoria scored the first goal in every game. And they lost all four games. And in none of the games did the Aeros ever look panicked. These guys just seemed to have the attitude that if they just went out and did their thing, then the other team would break. And break Peoria did.

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And here's a special shout out to Darryl Sydor. Bagnall and Yeo said the team was aware of Ben Bishop's tendency to go out and play the puck. But it was Sydor who kept on the guys about it, reminding them to take a chance if the opportunity came. And Drew Bagnall took that opportunity.

"Just the way it happened – we had talked a lot about him playing the puck, and we talked that maybe, if you get that chance – this is something Darryl has talked to the defense about a lot, you fake like you’re going hard around and then you put it on net and maybe you can catch him cheating a little bit," Yeo said after the game.

And how about Drew Bagnall? Just think what it does to a team to have a guy who hasn't scored a goal the entire season be the guy who makes the tying goal in the most important game of the season?

"Certainly, you get a goal like that, it puts doubt in their minds, and the momentum that it brings to your team is huge," Yeo said. And Peoria never looked the same after that goal. Sure, they hit and played head hunter, and the game was tight and one of those things where you chew your fingernails up to your knuckles, but you just had to sense that things were going to go the right way for the Aeros after that.

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Next stop? Who knows? The Stars are up 2-1 on Milwaukee, and the Aeros will get the winner of that series.

As always, thanks for sticking with us at T3I.

A View From The Press Box

The Aeros took a licking tonight. They took the licking, but they kept on ticking, getting the 2-1 win over Peoria to sweep the Rivermen and move on to the next round of the playoffs.

I'll try to get on with quotes and photos later tonight, but I can't promise anything since it's been a long day, and I'm really tired. That said...

Drew Bagnall admitted he was lucky on his goal, a shot from around center ice that tied the game in the second. But while there was luck involved, it was a designed play. Bagnall and Mike Yeo said after the game that everyone knew of Bishop's tendency to play the puck, and that Darryl Sydor had been preaching to the guys that if they got the chance, to fake going hard around the glass then throw it to the net in the chance that something would happen. And what do you know, something happened. Good scouting from the staff.

Yeo was proud of the way that guys like O'Sullivan, DiSalvatore, Earl, and Wellman responded to the pounding they got. Knowing they were going to take the hit, they kept executing the system and made the plays that needed to be made.

Still, the hockey gods were smiling down on Houston. I don't know if you could tell over AHL Live, or from what Joe O'Donnell was saying on the radio, but it's impossible to describe just how close Peoria was to sending the game to OT there at the very end. Twice in the closing seconds the puck hovered on the ice, in empty space, inside the blue box, just millimeters away from that red line. And nobody was able to knock it in. Hackett said he thought he had the last one smothered in his chest, and was shocked when his teammates were screaming that the puck was behind him.

But sometimes, the hockey gods really do smile on you.

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A quick bit of trivia: I have now travelled to three Aeros playoff games where they had the chance to clinch a series and advance. And they've won all three. I think the Aeros/Wild need to keep that tidbit it mind.

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And one more thing, the Houston Press is kind of close to killing Aeros coverage because they don't think anybody in the city gives a damn about hockey -- they're giving me the playoffs to get numbers up, or no hockey coverage next year. So please go over and read the story I've got there tomorrow. Make sure to click on it if you can. Leave a comment if you want. Don't do it just for me, but do it so that the team can continue to get some coverage while the rest of the city's media covers losers like the Astros and the Texans.

Roughhousing At the Toy Box (In Photos)

Here's a few photos from Saturday's Aeros/Rampage game. There were two fights in the first period, won by the Aeros in my opinion, and then Dane Byers decided to pull a sneak attack on Drew Bagnall at the very end. Both Byers and Bagnall got 10 minute unsportsmanlike misconduct penalties though I don't recall seeing Bagnall throw any punches.

Before we get started, here's a photo of Jeff Penner, on the ice, during the game, to show that he really exists. And he had a good game tonight, in my opinion.

Here's the first fight of the game, with Cody Almond ending the the tussle with Bracken Kearns by throwing him to the ice.

Now here's Jarod Palmer, fist cocked, getting ready to unload yet again on Jeff May.

And here's the final altercation, towards the end of the game. Like I said, I didn't spot Bagnall going off on anybody during the melee, but then again, I might have missed it.

3/11/11 -- Aeros Lose To Moose

Okay, that was a tough loss. Very tough. Any game lost in a shootout is, in my opinion, a tough loss, but losing 2-1 like that, when you gain the early lead in the shootout...well, ouch. The Aeros had a rough first period, and if not for the play of Matt Hackett in the first, the Aeros would not have been close to getting this game to a shootout. Unfortunately for the Aeros, Manitoba's rookie goal, Eddie Lack was just as on his game as Houston's rookie goalie.

1. Mike Yeo wasn't happy with the play of his team in the first period, but he that on himself and his assistant coaches for failing to get the team ready for the drop of the puck. And while the bad luck of Robbie Earl and Patrick O'Sullivan in the second period -- hitting the posts on several occasions -- could have sapped the team of any momentum, Yeo had no problems with the second and didn't see it as proof that this was not going to be the Aeros' night.

"I wasn’t thinking it that time [second period]," Yeo said after the game. "I was thinking it wasn’t our time in the first period because I thought we were just not good. And I’ll take the blame for that. It was our week as coaches to make sure we were ready to go at the drop of the puck, but I liked the way we responded in the second period. I thought we were – as you said – starting to get the momentum and starting to tilt the ice. But having said that, obviously you would like to put in the net. But I felt like if we kept going like that we would give ourselves enough chances to get back in the game."

2. This was a tough game for Hackett to lose because Hackett played his ass off. I was down in that corner during the first period, and he was barraged with shot after shot (Manitoba got off 18 shots) and if he hadn't of been on his game then the score would have been way worse than 1-0 Manitoba after one period.

"It’s a tough way for Hack not to get the win because I thought he deserved it," Yeo said. "I thought he was great. Their guy was very good, too. I thought Hack was great. We had no business even being in that game after the first period. We were awful the first period, and Hack really gave us a chance."

3. Andrew asked about Hackett's perceived problems in the shoot out. Yeo said that wasn't the problem tonight. The problem rested with the Aeros not being able to get the puck back into the net after Patrick O'Sullivan started off the shoot out with a beauty of a shot.

4. Still, despite it all, the Aeros, as Yeo noted, did battle back to get a point tonight. And while it wasn't two points, the Aeros still came out better than Milwaukee, who lost to Rockford, Texas, who lost to Syracuse, and Chicago, who lost to Peoria.

5. And while the Aeros getting a point is a comfort, damn, it's getting hot in here. Milwaukee leads the division with 81 points. The Aeros are in second with 80. But Peoria's now in third with 79 points, Texas is in fourth with 78, Chicago's in fifth with 77, San Antonio in sixth with 75. Oklahoma City seems to be falling off, finally, and they sit in seventh with 73 points.

6. The Aeros and Wolves only have 12 games left while Peoria has just 13 and Texas just 14. While I'm more optimistic about the playoff scenarios than Andrew, who Heather has nicknamed Fun Killington, this is whole thing is just too damn close and I would really like to see some other teams start to fall by the wayside.

7. The Aeros welcomed back Casey Wellman, Cody Almond, and Drew Bagnall to the lineup tonight. As for the rest of the walking wounded, Yeo says not to expect to see any of them on Sunday. The bad news is that it appears that the MASH unit that is the Minnesota Wild suffered another shot on Friday night, so it's quite possible that somebody could be on plane Saturday morning.

8. Speaking of Drew Bagnall, for all of the great play by Hackett tonight, it might have been Bagnall who guaranteed that one point for the shootout. At one point in the third Hackett made a block but was out of the net. The puck bounced around and around in front of the net, just begging for one of the Moose to tap it in, but Bagnall flew into the scene and shot the puck out of the way of danger.

9. We spoke with Jed Ortmeyer for a bit after the game. Being the old man vet of the team -- and what a pick-up he has turned out to be, huh (thank you San Antonio for screwing the pooch there) -- who has handled these type of tight scenarios before, I asked him about what he's trying to tell the youngsters for handling the pressure, and I think he gave a great answer.

"There’s a bigger picture," he said. "The goal is to make the playoffs and to have a big run, and I think that at this point in the season you get banged up, start to mentally get a little bit fatigued, and you have to have the idea of having fun, making sure that coming to the rink everyday is fun."

He also said the team just has to stay with the process and not deviate from that. And when Ortmeyer speaks to the team, guys listen.

"But more than that, he’s a guy that has a very good pulse for what the team needs to hear at that time, whether it’s between periods, whether it’s on the bench," Yeo said. "He’s a guy when things get a little bit hectic and he needs to calm them down, he’s quick to do that, or if things are a little big sleepy, he’s quick to pick them up. I think a big part of that is experience, but it’s also making sure that first and foremost you go out and do the right thing to give yourself that credibility. So when you speak, guys listen."

10. A final thing. I really like these uniforms the team's won the past several games. I've always hated that stupid, cartoonish bomber logo -- yeah, I know, most of you love it -- because it just doesn't scream hockey to me. The unis they had on tonight, those screamed hockey. But since the team has yet to wear a game wearing them, I'm not counting on seeing them again.

Drew Bagnall Status

Just a quick note: in a quick aside after the game yesterday, Yeo did say that Drew Bagnall hurt his hand after the fight, and his status for this week, at least as of last night, was unclear. Yeo was hoping he would be available on Wednesday, but we might not know until Wednesday.

Aeros/Stars Action Photos

Here are some more photos from last night's game, as promised. Here's Gordie Howe with the ceremonial puck drop.

Here's Matt Hackett making a save in the first period.

And what would a Gordie Howe night be without a fight? Here's Jarod Palmer going at it with Raymond Sawada.

And here's the end of the fight as Sawada skates off toward the box. It kind of looks like Draw Bagnall wants to get in on the action.

And here's the end of the game and the guys showing their love for Matt Hackett.

10/22/10 -- Aeros v. Rivermen -- The Hail of Bullets Edition

I'm trying a different approach to these things, at this point. I just can't see writing up full-scale game stories -- I've been working a lot, and I want to get that sleep thing. So I'm going to feed you guys a hail of bullets reflecting some thoughts on this game that the Aeros lost 1-0 in overtime.

1. This was a hell of a game. It was one of the more entertaining games that I've seen the Aeros play in a long, long time. So I really, really, really don't understand why they were being booed off of the ice. I just don't get it.

2. Marco Scandella, wow. He's a young kid. He's not perfect, yet. But he just continues to amaze me every game. He's making hits. He's throwing his body around and blocking pucks. He's someone I find myself looking at constantly when he' s out on the ice -- and when I'm not looking at the Dynamics.

3. Mike Yeo on Scandella: "One of the biggest things, it’s obvious by the amount of ice time that we’re giving him. He’s a young guy, and young guys generally have a lot more to learn, but he plays a pretty mature game for a young guy. I think part of that is he has a very good understanding of what kind of player he is, and he’s going to be in the NHL, and he’s committed to being a solid defensive player, and he knows he has to go make a good first pass and try to contribute offensively when it’s there. But he also understands the foundation of his game, and that’s being strong one-on-one and being solid defensively."

4. I also like seeing Drew Bagnall on the ice. He's just not going to take crap off of anybody.

5. Anton Khudobin seems different to me this year. He seems to have matured and kicked his game up another level. I saw him challenging players. He didn't lose his poise like he might have at times in the past. And he played a hell of a game against one of the top teams in the AHL.

6. I saw a semblance, tonight, of what Mike Yeo wants this team to be. It wasn't there the entire game, but it was there. I hadn't seen it in the first two home games. There's still hesitation. There's still too much passing, trying to be too perfect. But I could actually see what Yeo wants to accomplish.

"I think that we have to, at this point in the season especially, we have to remember what it is we’re trying to do here," Yeo told us. "And I think that that game looked a lot more like our game is supposed to look. There was a lot of times where I felt like we were really taking it to them. We were getting good shifts in the offensive zone. Our forecheck was really effective, and the way were attacking pucks and creating turnovers was a lot better. Shooting pucks and going to the net."

7. I'm disappointed in the power play. Which seems to be the standard Houston Aeros observer response over the years. Yeo's disappointed, and he thought they were trying to be too perfect. One thing I noticed is that Max Noreau seems to be backing off a bit. I thought there were multiple times tonight when he had an opportunity from the blue line and didn't take it. We saw last year what a weapon the Noreau slap shot can be.

8. That said, I don't know what, if anything, the Aeros have planned for Brandon Rogers. And maybe it's just something with my memory, but I could swear that I remember that several seasons ago he and Noreau made a great power play duo.

9. I agree with Heather's assessment on Ben Bishop. The guy has really improved, and he stopped everything the Aeros through his way. I don't even think that the myth that fans have turned Krys Kolanos into could have gotten the puck past Bishop.

10. Where were the Ice Girls?

11. I hope you didn't pay any attention to the PA guy on the way out of the arena tonight, because despite what they said, the Aeros next two games aren't on the road. They play in San Antonio tomorrow, but then they host Lake Erie on Sunday.

12. Nothing against Jarod Palmer, but damn it, when I see the #19 on the ice, the first thing that pops into my mind is Danny Irmen. So can someone please get Palmer another a number.

13. I think The White Stripes are currently one of the most-overrated bands in rock music. They've done some good stuff, but most of what I hear just reinforces my belief that Jack White has bought into his own hype and mythology. Most of their "genius," to me, sounds rushed, and unfinished. But when they get a song right, they get the song right, such as in "Seven Nation Army."

Now to get to my point, I find the Aeros to be rough, unfinished. But I can see what they're aiming at. And I see "Seven Nation Army" as fitting the theme that Yeo wants for the team. An onrushing onslaught of attackers firing time after time on the net. So...

10/17/10 -- Aeros v. Barons -- The Who Really Gives A Damn Edition

I want to apologize. I know you come over here expecting to read lengthy analysis of each game with the hope that we can provide some answers. But I just don't feel like doing it tonight. Much the same, I guess, as the Aeros not feeling like playing hockey tonight.

That third period against the Barons was some of the worst hockey I've ever seen. And having Shaun Davis as the referee didn't make it any more bearable because that ass just refused to let the game end. I can't help thinking that this game wouldn't have turned into a game of chippy hits and fights if he would have made a point at sometime in the game, to assert some control over the game -- and no, calling five interference penalties on each team a period is not asserting control of the game. How this guy is still a referee amazes me, and frankly, expect for Jeff Smith who never calls penalties, I never notice the individual refs.

It's easy to forget, but at one point early in the third period the score was only 3-2 Oklahoma City, though I don't think anybody felt the Aeros were going to find a way to win. And it seems like, thinking back on it, that it was just mere minutes later that the score was 8-2 Barons.

So just a few thoughts in bullet fashion...

1. Where in the hell were the Ice Girls? Not that they have anything to do, but damn, don't tease us like that and have them one night and not the next.

2. Why is it that when Max Noreau fires a shot so hard that if flies through the net that the refs miss it, but when an opposing player does it like with tonight, the goal is counted? Yes, it was a goal -- Mike Yeo said afterwards there was no question it was a goal and Matt Hackett sure acted like it -- but damn it, Noreau's goals were no-doubt about it goals, too.

3. Yeo refused to put the blame for the loss on Matt Hackett, saying he was left out to dry way too much. And seeing how crappy the team played around him, that's probably correct.

4. Yeo did consider going with Anton Khudobin, but he said it seemed as if the Aeros were always shorthanded in the third, always killing a penalty, and that it just wouldn't be fair to Khudobin to throw him out in an unwinnable situation like that.

5. Seriously, is Shaun Davis the worst ref in the AHL or what?

6. Drew Bagnall got into a fight in the third period right after the Barons put up their seventh goal. From up top, it looked as if Linus Omark was taunting the Aeros bench after his goal and that things went from there. But Bagnall said he has no idea what Omark was doing. He just spotted something happening at the bench area and went after the biggest guy he could find. And it had nothing to do with the bench action. He was angry with himself and blaming himself for the seventh goal. What happened shouldn't have happened, he said: "I’m kind of embarrassed about it," he said.

7. We didn't talk to any other players, but I have the feeling they were just as embarrassed as Bagnall by that game.

8. What in the hell was that music thing during the first intermission? I'm as sick as the kid choirs as anybody, but really, if you get a band, make sure the lead singer can sing.

9. Where were the Ice Girls?

10. It was good to see Palmer Hestley at the game. Palmer was one of our media minders last year, and he put up with a lot from us, and from former members of the business office. Thanks again for the good work last year.

11. Of the Aeros six scratches, four were healthy scratches -- Jamie Fraser, Jarod Palmer, Kris Fredheim, and Brandon Buck. Make of that what you will.

12. After a good crowd on Saturday night, the crowd tonight looked like it was a Tuesday night game in December. Where was everybody, celebrating the Texans game, or something?

13. And for my closing music tonight, here's a classic from the original lineup of The Pretenders. And with the song, I'm throwing out a pop quiz. There's no prize for the correct answer except bragging rights. So here we go. What is the connection between The Pretenders and The Kinks, the stars of last night's video? (And no, The Pretenders covering The Kinks doesn't count).

10/16/10: Peoria 3, Aeros 2

Okay, I'm gonna try to be a bit balanced here in my game notes:

OMG DID YOU SEE DREW BAGNALL????

*ahem*

You know, when the team picks guys up during the summer, you hear from fans in their previous locations, you read scouting reports, etc. and it's always, "Oh, he's gritty and a good leader and a penalty killer and blah blah blah." And then you get the guy and it's like, "Eh. He's okay."

But Bagnall? Nope. If I'd bought him on eBay, I'd be tripping over myself to give the seller A+++++++. He is as he was represented. Tough, firey, intense. I'm not gonna lie, I went into a full on code red blush at least 3 times tonight watching him out there. That hip check early on that resulted in him just murdering Cracknell was like, Whoa.

Sorry to be talking like a Miley Cyrus song, but I totally had a teenage girl reaction to him. Party in the USA, indeed.


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The first period stunk and they knew that--we all knew that--but a little talking between periods and they came out firing in the second and third. I was starting to worry I wouldn't get to scout Peoria goalie Jake Allen, who was making his professional debut tonight, because he was seeing such wimpy shots.

But the Areos did finally start making him earn his money and I was very impressed. I'll save my scouting report for my goalie audience but the bottom line from an Aeros perspective is this: Peoria is very very good and their backup goalie is not going to be a weakness.

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Boy do these Aeros not take any shit physically. Doesn't seem like they're looking to start anything, but hey, buddy, if you wanna f**k with us, we're ready for ya. Kassian, Bagnall, Almond, Kalus... heck, even Earl, though his attempt at a scuffle got thwarted by the officials.

You can't help but love seeing that kind of passion so early in the season and, on top of that, I thought I sensed a fairly sparkly level of chemistry among the boys. Maybe more than we ever saw last year. So I asked Earl about it after the game and, maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but I swear his face lit up a little at the subject.

He said this team has gelled on and off the ice faster than just about any team he's been on and it really feels good for that to be happening.

Sometimes I feel like I'm talking about horoscopes or the Easter Bunny when I ask people about team chemistry, so it was nice for him to validate my feeling that it matters. And even nicer to hear that things actually are clicking with this roster the way they appear to be from the stands.

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On the coaching front, Yeo said the team has to basically stop passing so damn much and put the puck on the net. There were some awfully pretty set-ups tonight, and against a lesser defense who didn't get in the way so well, I'm willing to bet the Aeros would have run away with it.

But against a good team like this, I think you just have to keep it simple. Noreau had a great game in that respect. He shot and shot and just try to get it deep for a rebound chance or garbage goal or SOMEthing.

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That's all. I'm tired.  Hoping to get to see Hackett in goal tomorrow so I can finally see him in a game, though Yeo wanted to confirm his choice with the assistant coaches before saying anything. Yeo also said the roster will get shaken up a bit, too, so maybe we'll get to see Broda and Prosser, both of whom I've been excited to see play.

Thanks to everyone who came out. It was decent crowd and it seems like folks are just really happy for hockey season to be back. I know I am.

Meet your 2010-11 Aeros: Drew Bagnall

DREW BAGNALL
Born: October 26, 1983 (age 26)
Oakbank, MAN

6 ft 03
215 lb
Defense
Shoots Left

Transactions (from AHL.com): Selected by the Dallas Stars in the sixth-round (195 overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft…Traded to the Florida Panthers along with a draft pick (Enver Lisin) for Valeri Bure on March 8, 2004…Signed with the Los Angeles Kings as an unrestricted free agent on August 23, 2007…Inked a one-year deal with the Kings on July 20, 2009 ... Signed a two-way deal with the Minnesota Wild in July 2010.


In 2009-10, it can be argued that the Aeros had too many guys in leadership roles; conversely, that left too few other guys doing all the dirty work, etc. I feel this might be one of the contributing factors as to why the Aeros just did not hate losing bad enough and kept them from putting together anything more than just a three-game winning streak. I think the Aeros needed a "speak-with-your actions" kind of leader, and it looks like Jim Mill found just that with the signing of Drew Bagnall. Bagnall is a stay-at-home-guy that I think Aeros fans will be glad was not re-signed by the Los Angeles Kings Organization.

In 58 games for Manchester last year, Bagnall scored two goals and added 10 assists for 12 points. He added 113 PIMs and was the captain of a team that rode the back of goalie Jonathan Bernier through a respectable playoff run.

According to a well-respect hockey prospects site on the Internet: "Bagnall has good size and likes to play the body. He has solid instincts in all zones and usually can be counted on to make a key clear or keep the crease clear. He loves to shoot and join the rush. Bagnall also has very good stamina and can log a lot of minutes, including special teams play."

Bagnall is not known as a fighter, but he will stand up for anyone on his team. For more information on his fights from the past, click here.

Even though he has been mostly durable throughout his career, he did miss quite a few games (starting in December) with a lower body injury. He scored two goals last year, none of which came after he returned from injury.