Round 1, Game #4 -- Aeros vs.Peoria -- Photos 2

Here are a couple of shots of Matt Climie, he's a big one at 6' 3".

Ms C. has been touting the play of Justin Falk. Here is a big hit on Peoria's Julian Talbot.
Here is the hug from Robbie Earl on the Hrkac goal. You can see Legace is already yelling at the ref.
As the Aeros celebrate, referee Frederick L'Ecuyer explains to Manny Legace that the goal is good.
Anton Khudobin comes across the crease hard to stop the shot of Steve Wagner on the Peoria power play.
Unfortunately, he didn't make a solid stop and Peoria ties the game at 2.
This one was a back breaker. On a shot that looked high and wide, Khudobin got a glove on the puck only to have it flop to the ice behind him and trickle in before he could locate it.
Jesse Schultz gives the shot everything he has, as he stretches out airborne, on the back end of a 2 man penalty. He beats Manny Legace to bring the Aeros back within one goal.

All Photos:Fred Trask

Aeros vs Peoria 3/22 - Final Photos

Here are the final pics from the 3/22 game versus Peoria.
We'll start with another Manny Legace for Ms. Conduct.

Here is the shot that Andrew was referring to when he said: "Marco Rosa missed another wide open goal. But to his credit, he said one of the factors that prevented him from lifting that puck into an open cage was the snowy ice in where he had the puck." You can see he was creating some of his own snow here as he came to a stop.

He had to move back through that snow here and Legace bit on the hard move. Marco's move had him moving the wrong way. You can see that Marco had to kick the puck back up to his stick while moving back to the middle of the ice.

Here Marco has Legace down and out with an open net as he tries to lift the puck on the back hand.

Unfortunately he got no lift on the puck and Legace was able to make the save. The Aeros have to convert these if they plan on advancing.

This is the first Peoria shoot out attempt. Nolan Schaefer made an awesome pad save here . He just got the puck with the top of the toe on his right pad. This could have been the save Ms Conduct was mentioning when she wrote about Chris Holt's comment "One of Schaefer's saves (where he got a toe out JUST in time to deflect the puck away) had him going, "HOW'D HE DO THAT?!""

This was Locke's first shoot out goal. This goal may have set Legacy up for the sick shoot out goal I mentioned here.

I know Chis Holt was amazed at this shoot out save which had Schaefer coming back to his left after reacting to a hard fake then getting the puck with his stick at the last second. The net was wide open and Schaefer made a huge athletic play to get the puck.

Nolan won the game for the Aeros with this glove save on Carl Corazzini. The puck is hard to see but it's in the glove.

Here's another group hug for the group hug fans.

All Photos:Fred Trask

Aeros vs Peoria 3/22 - Game Photos

The game started off with a vicious hit on Tomas Mojzis by Peoria's Ryan Reaves.

It looked clean but it got all of Mojzis and he went down in an ugly manner. Tomas has really been getting pounded since he's returned from injury and this one looked like it hurt.Defensive partner Clayton Stoner thought Reaves took a little too much liberty in hitting Mojzis so he dropped the gloves to teach him a little respect.

Nolan Schaefer made some more big stops on the night.

Corey Locke started off the scoring on the night as he got Manny Legace all twisted up on this one. The crowd seemed to enjoy it.

The was plenty of physical play and I beleive it was Maxim Noreau who knocked out the glass with a big check on a Peoria player. The crew had to go to work and put the glass back in place.

Marco Rosa had an awesome tip in front of Manny Legace to put the Aeros up 2-0.

And he was pretty excited after it went in.

Corey Locke scored to make it 3-1 Aeros and the Rivermen seem to have some kind of problem with the celebration (which was quite mild) and Cam Paddock decided to give Matt Beaudoin a shot. This started a scrum and ended with Beaudoin and Danny Richmond fighting behind the net.

I'll have more photos later this week.
All Photos:Fred Trask

Aeros v Peoria 3/22 -- Cleaning up the garbage

The guys did a great job covering the game, but I've got a few notes.

First, the airing of grievances. I know I ride Pouliot pretty hard, but that's because I know he can be better than he plays at times, and yesterday was one of those times. Overskating the puck several times, passing to invisible teammates, showing all the hockey sense of a labrador retriever, etc.

He had a breakaway about 3 minutes into the game where he was just free and clear. Nothing but Benny and Manny. Manny's a little fella but he'll stop almost everything you put at him down low. The team had a lot of success going high on him.

So what does Beautiful Benny do? Shoots it right at his leg pad. That shot had all the creativity of a warm-up drill shot. I instantly got a headache.

Also, I gotta say, I love me a good hockey fight, but the one between Beaudoin and Danny Richmond after Locke's 2nd period goal was hard to watch. Not that Beaudoin didn't represent, but it was really a rather vicious one and so startling how it started in the midst of a goal celebration. Definitely felt like an attack on one of our skill guys, but kudos to Matt for giving the business right back. That's the kinda stones the boys are gonna have to show to get through the playoffs. Can't get pushed around.

That's all the grievances. Pretty painless, right? (Benny's shaking his head and giving me the middle finger, no doubt.)

On to the good stuff: First, shout out to Fred for noticing that Kolanos changed to a different stick before the 3-on-5 opportunity on which Locke scored (and Kolanos got the second assist). Uncanny.

Second, the most memorable part of the game for me, was watching back-up goalie Chris Holt watch the shoot out. He's a funny, engaging guy, and was he ever pumped up about the shoot-out. I mean, Manny Freaking Legace is out there for his team. What could go wrong?

Well, Rosa, Locke and Kolanos went wrong and made Manny look silly. Holt was off of his stool, pacing (and very kindly worried about not slicing one of my toes off in my open toed shoes, but rest assured, Chris, I was keenly aware of where your bladed feet were), and living and dying with every shot.

You might think guys get kinda blasé about these things after a while, and some may, but not Holt. He was talking to everyone down in the corner, fans sitting next to the corner. He even lamented on Brusty's behalf the way he got pulled for Schaefer in the shootout during a Peoria game earlier in the season. Remember those days? Wow. Hockey seasons are long, man. And thank goodness for that.

Anyway, that was pretty cool. Never got to watch a pro goalie watch his own team get picked apart in the shoot-out. Locker's crazy second goal had him doubled over in disbelief. One of Schaefer's saves (where he got a toe out JUST in time to deflect the puck away) had him going, "HOW'D HE DO THAT?!" Um, if anybody here knows how he did that, it's you, my friend.

Nice guy.

Here's my parting shot, which I hesitate to share for fear you'll think I'm crazy... but I'm all about full disclosure and I'm a goalie, so I'm allowed to be crazy and you're just supposed to accept it and carry on. Deal?

I got into this habit, as the season has progressed, of walking into the arena to the right of the seam in the sidewalk that takes me from my car to the entrance of the building. (It's not a superstition; it's a routine. Right, boys? Right? Boys? Hello?)

Anyway, last time I walked that way, the Aeros lost. On the way in yesterday, I couldn't decide what to do. So I alternated... left side of the seam. Right side of the seam. Back to the left. Maybe if there was a bad luck and good luck side, I'd spend just enough time on the good luck side to counteract any bad luck.

I'd say the game played out almost exactly like my walk into the building. I still don't know which side is which, though I have my suspicions, but if the guys keep playing like this, I feel safe in experimenting a little. By playoffs, I'll have it figured out.

Aeros vs Peoria 3/22 - Corey Locke SO Goal

Ok, this one deserves a post of its own. This was one of the sickest goals I've ever seen in the shoot out. I didn't think Locke was going to get this one off, let alone score.

Manny Legace really stretched this one out but it wasn't enough as Locke was able to out wait him and buried it top shelf.

Aeros vs Peoria 3/21 - Part 2

From the pre-game warm up skate we get our first view of Tony Hrkac. Tony looked ok out there in my opinion. He was sucking air a bit the first few shifts and he took a penalty, but he didn't look out of place. This is quite an accomplishment for a guy who has not played pro hockey for 3 years. I think there is a lot of promise in this as he can only add a tremendous calming influence on the younger guys. Once he gets a chance to gel a bit, I think we could see some good things.

Fan favorite, Mitch Love skated in the pre-game wearing a cage and sporting a black eye from his nasal surgery. He was a scratch for the actual game.

Nolan Schaefer, sporting his new gear, had to make quite a few big stops.

Here are a couple of "group hug" shots after the two Aeros goals. Several have mentioned to me that they enjoy these type of shots, so here you go.

Finally I'll close out with the requested Manny Legace love fest.
(A special thanks to Ms. Conduct for pointing out his middle initial is apparently F, I never would have known this fact without her post)


All Photos:Fred Trask