Kassian To The Show

The call-up express that is the Minnesota Wild continues today as Matt Kassian has been called up to the Wild.  Jon DiSalvatore, who played last night, is on his way back to Houston. 

Does anyone know if the guys on the Aeros roster get to keep their frequent flier miles on United/American/Southwest/USAir/Delta from all of the trips back and forth to St. Paul?

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.

Matt Kassian, Twitter Super Star

I've got a piece in the mothership today on Matt Kassian in which we discuss his funny and fantastic twitter feed. So go read it.

But I spoke with him last Sunday about a some other things, primarily his return to Houston after starting the season with the Wild, and I thought I would use this post to share those thoughts.

"The message [from Mike Yeo] is to keep working," Kassian said. "It’s kind of a difficult situation for me. It’s obviously disappointing, and you want to be there, but at the same time, I’m coming down here with a group of guys who have already done a fantastic job this season. And the coaching staff has done a fantastic job this season. You know you’re going down. You can look at it two ways. You can either be frustrated and angry and disappointed, or you can try to make the best of it. I’m back down here now, and it’s not where I want to be. But it’s not like I was out in the first two days of training camp. It’s another step forward for me. I was there for a reason, and I stayed around for a reason. It wasn’t like they didn’t like me and weren’t happy with what I was doing. So it’s just about working hard and getting back here. I’m excited to be here. It’s been my home for a few years, and I have a lot of friends and some family down here."

So there you go. Read the post in the Press if you get the chance. And if you're not already, give Kassian a follow on Twitter. It's well worth the time.

Quick Roster Notes

Per Wild beat writer Michael Russo, the Wild have placed Matt Kassian on waivers with the intent of returning him to the Aeros. Also per Russo, Marco Scandella and Justin Falk were told they could move out of the team hotel and find some more permanent housing in the Twin Cities area, so it looks doubtful that we'll be seeing them with the Aeros this season.

Aeros Round-Up

It's kind of unusual for August to have much news, but there's been a trickle of things coming down the wire in the last few days that, if you don't have Twitter, you might have missed.

John already covered the dates and David Burke's hiring as the Aeros new President. A little more on Burke (who I desperately want to call Burkie, a la Brian Burke) is that he's on Twitter! Which I think is pretty cool.

You can follow him at @DBurkeAeros if you so choose.

Between his and Kassian's twitter feed, which is really funny stuff, consider making the leap to the dark side. I put together a quick and dirty Aeros-centric list of follows that shouldn't overwhelm anybody to keep up with, if you just want to dip a toe in: http://twitter.com/#!/list/3rdIntermission/aeros-essentials

You do have to create an account to view it, it looks like, but I promise, it won't turn you into a hipster doofus.

Anyway, on to other news:

It looks like the Aeros will be announcing the assistant coaches pretty soon. On the defensive end, they're hiring recently-retired defenseman Mike Van Ryn, who played for Torchetti in Florida. Knee injuries pretty much spelled the end of his career a bit early, but he should still have plenty of fire in the belly to bestow upon the Aeros' youngsters.

Also, Sebastien LaPlante is the other assistant coach that is reportedly coming into the fold. He played on Torchetti's team in San Antonio and has most recently been assistant coaching the team at Northeastern University, where he played his college career.

So, lots of new blood in the mix this season and I'm excited to get things going... in September. Still not quite recovered from playoffs.

Some Monday Afternoon Thoughts And Quotes

Sign taped to the glass at SLICE.

Headed up to SLICE for the Aeros skate/practice today, and everyone appeared to be in good spirits with no feel of impending doom and/or destruction. So that's a good thing. The guys are ready to play, they're confident in their ability to win the game, they're having fun playing in June, and Mike Yeo is still a little peeved about the officiating on Saturday night.

First things first...it appears that the only people reading/commenting on today's story in the mothership are the people from Binghamton. It's another take on the officiating, and I also state my firm belief that the officiating is not why the Aeros lost games four and five, but that the Aeros and how they played are the reason they lost games four and five, but when you have a coach supporting what you've been writing the whole postseason about the officiating, then of course you're going to lead with that, right? Anyway, click here and go read.

And some other things before getting to the heart of this post. To the commenter claiming there's some kind of conspiracy to keep Matt Kassian from playing and how the use of Pascal Morency is in clear violation of the Clear Day Roster rules, I thought I would try to offer up an explanation.

Each team is allowed a Clear Day Roster with a maximum of 22 players. These are the only players who can play in the playoffs, with a few caveats. Amateurs don't have to be part of the Clear Day Roster, and once their seasons end, they can join the team and play, as happened with Brett Bulmer. The other caveat is if there is an emergency situation, such as a call-up to the NHL, a suspension, or an injury.

With the injury to Cody Almond on Friday night, the Aeros Clear Day Roster consisted of 21 healthy players. Thus, it's an emergency situation and they can add a player to the roster. Thus, Pascal Morency, who was not on the Clear Day Roster can be added to the playing roster and play on Saturday night. With the injury to Jared Spurgeon on Saturday night, I would expect to see the Aeros adding Kris Fredheim to the roster, though I expect Jeff Penner to get Spurgeon's playing time.

So, I hope that satisfies though of you who have been asking about the use of Morency.

Now on with the notes from practice.

There were no real surprises. Cody Almond and Jared Spurgeon didn't skate, and it appeared that Pascal Morency and Jeff Penner were skating in their spots -- Morency with Daoust and McMillan as he did Saturday night, and Penner teamed up with Marco Scandella. Jed Ortmeyer did not skate, but is fine. Matt Kassian, Brandon Buck, and Kris Fredheim were also out skating with the regulars -- Buck took Ortmeyer's spot so the third line could get in some practice.

Mike Yeo spoke to the assembled media after the game, and I'm sure many of you have seen the video clips the Aeros posted, or the snippets that will be on TV tonight. But for those who didn't, well, I was there.

I asked if he was going to ask the guys to skate a bit more cautiously given the uneven officiating and how the penalties are being called. The question elicited this response, which I'll give in full:

"We have to watch our discipline for sure. We’re going to do that. Obviously those statements [on Saturday] are made to hopefully make other people take notice. Even when I went back and watched the game again, I stand by my words. I think that there were some things that should have been called in the third period when we were taking the play to them that weren’t called especially. But we can’t – that’s over and done with. Those statements were made to hopefully draw some attention to it, but for us, we can’t think about it any further. It’s all about tomorrow and making sure that we play disciplined, but at the same time, we can’t change our game. We have to be playing hard, and we have to be playing that aggressive style that we do."

So yes, he's still a bit bothered by the officiating, and no, he's not going to have the guys change their style of play, aside from asking them to be a bit more disciplined, thus no obvious tripping penalties please, Mr. Gillies.

The majority of the questions from me and my brethren to Yeo and the players were about how to approach a game six, and what it's like to play in such a game when you know a loss means the season is over.

"This is a game seven for us obviously, it’s only game six, but we’re approaching it with that mentality," Yeo said. "We’ve been pretty strong in those games. When we’ve been faced with our back against the wall situations, when we’ve come out, we’ve had strong performances. We’re real excited about getting in front of our home crowd and doing everything we can to keep this series going."

Warren Peters faced a similar situation last year with the Texas Stars, but he thinks what he dealt with last year is irrelevant to anything. He instead offered up the following.

"We definitely haven’t made it easy on ourselves, not that you plan on doing that. The conference finals was a lot more stressful than maybe it needed to be, but again, that’s in the past. [Binghamton] deserve some credit in making it 3-2 and getting a win on home ice, which was big for them, obviously. They did a good job in getting that done. Now it’s our turn to respond.

[SNIP]

"We’ve had our backs against the wall a couple of times in the playoffs, and we’ve responded well. I expect the same thing from our team and the guys in our room because we’ve been doing it the whole second half of the season for sure."

Everybody seems to be focusing on how they handled the game seven situations in Milwaukee and here against Hamilton, and applying that approach to tomorrow's game six. That makes some sense, and it gives the team a semblance of confidence in that they know that, with their backs against the wall, facing a win or go home situation, they've responded by putting together a good game and getting the win. Yet tomorrow is somewhat different in that this is a game six, they've got to win this game just to get to a game seven.

Now Mike Yeo did face a somewhat similar situation as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins when they won the Stanley Cup, and he sees some similarities to those Penguins and these Aeros.

"I think the biggest thing is, the similarity between that and this is that our group has confidence. I think that if you look at a series as a whole, and the way things have panned out, then we’re down 3-2 but it could easily be a different series with a couple of bounces here or there. I think that for the most part we’ve out-chanced them, we’ve out-shot them, and for the better part of most games we’ve been, I believe, the better team.

"We had that same mentality [with Pittsburgh] in 09 when we were faced with having to win both games and one of those was being game seven on the road where we get to both at home. But I know that that team, this team, both believe in themselves. And we believe in ourselves, and that doesn’t necessarily guarantee us anything, but certainly it makes things a lot more possible for us."

The Aero with the longest tenure with the club is defenseman Max Noreau, who joined the club early during Kevin Constantine's first season at the helm four seasons ago. And yes, this game does mean a bit more to him because of his time here.

"I think it means a lot to me because of that run we had two years ago. We lost in the semi-finals. We were so close, but didn’t quite get it done. Now we’re in the finals, and we’re down 3-2. It’d be nice to get it done this time. I have a lot of belief in this team. Everyone does. We had a great meeting today, great practice. Seemed pretty upbeat. Nobody’s really down. We’re coming home. We have great fans; they’ve been really good to us in the playoffs this year. We’ve just got to stick with it and get the two wins this week."

And then Noreau came out with the really important stuff. It's the stuff we hear from the team a lot, and have heard from the team a lot when they're down, and though it's rather cliched and simplistic, it has worked for the team. They've got to forget about everything and just follow the process.

"We had a big talk about that today," he said. "The main focus was, focus on the process, and focus on the little details you have to do, whether it’s getting a puck deep or getting a shot on net. Don’t focus on whether you’re going to score the goal or block that shot or whether you’re going to win the game for us. Just focus on the details. Do the right thing every time you’re out there. And if you focus on that process, the result at the end, we’re going to get the win. It’ll take care of itself."

Without any doubt this has been a physical series which has seen the Aeros lose Cody Almond and Jared Spurgeon to injury. Noreau thinks this could be part of the Senators plan, but he noted that it's been tried before, and that those other teams that tried it failed.

"I think they’re a pretty skilled team, but I think that at home they definitely upped their intensity," he said. "Whether it was because of their fans or they just completely changed because they thought that that would work, they came at us definitely a lot harder the past three games. But I think we’re by far the most physical team of the two, we’ve just got to get back to doing that.

"It’s been a grind for us, a couple of game sevens, Milwaukee was a pretty physical team. So was Hamilton. And mentally it’s been tough for us, too. We were up three-nothing and [Hamilton] came back, so I think we’ve learned a lot in the past month or two. We’ve got to put all of that together and bring it together tomorrow."

And despite the importance of tomorrow's game, Noreau had a great perspective: it's June and the Aeros are one of the very few hockey teams still playing.

"It’s pretty special," he said. "To know that it’s only us and maybe the two NHL teams left, you might be only the last four teams left playing the in the world. It’s a pretty good feeling. We’re pretty fortunate. We’re pretty lucky. We feel lucky to be here. But at the same time, I think we deserve to be here. We worked really hard this year, and all the guys poured their hearts out. It’s do-or-die. We’ve got two games, but two games away from the Calder Cup. That’s how you’ve got to look at it. It’s a pretty big honor."

I've talked to JM Daoust a bit, and I'll throw that up in a post for tomorrow, as he's always a fun guy to talk to. But before I end, the guys offered up their thoughts on what they're expecting from the fans tomorrow night.

"Just what they’ve been doing is fantastic," Yeo said. "We’re hoping for a great turnout. Binghamton was well-represented. When we get back home, we’re playing in front of our home crowd. I know that they’re going to be loud; I know that they’re going to be into the game, and they’re going to crank up the energy level for our guys. We’re hoping that it’s a big crowd and ready to come out and cheer us on, hopefully setting us up for a game seven here."

Warren Peters was a bit more precise: "We hope that they’re loud. We came from a chaotic building, and we’d like ours to be as loud and as noisy as possible"

And then there's Noreau who once again put things in a proper perspective. No matter what the crowd is like, it's still up to the Aeros to do their job out on the ice.

"Just some enthusiasm, some energy, but the bottom line is it’s our livelihood right now," he said. "It’s do-or-die tomorrow and whether the fans are upbeat or not, we’ve got to go out and produce. I know the fans are going to show up. They’ve been there the whole playoff run. They’ve been unbelievable. It’s up to us. It’s going to start in our room and it’s going to finish on the ice."

Notes, Quotes & Observations from Game Two, Houston v. Hamilton

Do photos of the guys celebrating after a win ever get old?

QUICK: Before reading further, click on the link and check out my game story in the Press. There's some quotes from Colton Gillies on his game-winner, Mike Yeo on the team's play this weekend, and I include a nice quote from Matt Kassian on Derek Boogaard. And remember, I was there in the locker room long before the guys with the TV cameras started hanging around.

Here's the thing, Heather picked the Aeros in six. Andrew and myself picked them to win in seven. I don't remember seeing Heather's winning sequence, but mine had the Aeros winning games one, four, six, and seven while Andrew's, I believe, had the Aeros winning games two, four, six, and seven. So seeing them come out and win these first two games is just not what I was expecting. This wasn't because of the Aeros, it was because of Drew MacIntyre in goal for Hamilton and the fact that the Bulldogs are a very good team. So I just figured they find a way to get a split. But the Aeros, despite not playing their best hockey, figured out a way to get it done. And that's how it's done in the playoffs, right? You find a way to get it done.

1. Now I'm not expecting that the Bulldogs are going to roll over. The Aeros are on their way to Hamilton as this is posted, and I can guarantee that there's not one person associated with this Aeros team that thinks this series is over.

"I think the feeling, and you can ask any of the players, is we haven’t won anything yet," Gillies said yesterday. "Still a lot more games to be played and we’re just going to stick to the game plan that got us here."

2. Speaking of Gillies, who out there isn't enjoying his game in the playoffs? I asked Mike Yeo about Gillies yesterday, and about how it seems he's elevated his game. And as Yeo was quick to point out, this is how Gillies has been playing all season, the only difference is that he's now finding the net.

"He’s elevated his game, obviously, by putting the puck in the net," Yeo said. "But really, what he’s doing is going out and doing what he’s done for us all year long. He brings momentum for us when he’s out on the ice.

"I think the most important part is that line’s going out there against top lines. And they’re shutting them down. Quite often when you do that, then the other lines are going to get frustrated and you’re going to generate some opportunities off of the rush, or in the offensive zone because they’re a little bit more focused on the offense, especially when they’ve had to try to battle through all game. And they’re not getting much.

"Now he’s in a position where he’s doing all the things he’s supposed to do as Colton Gillies, but he’s capitalizing on his chances and he’s elevated his game."

3. But what does Gillies have to say about this? He's just doing what needs to be done. But he's not the hero. The entire team is responsible for where the Aeros are at at this moment.

"For me with playoffs, I’ve been going to the net a lot harder," he said. "I’ve been going to the net and trying to make sure my presence around the net is known. You can ask anyone of the players in the dressing room, including myself. It’s not about the goals, we’re here to win the game. If you score, good job, you get to be the hero for the night. But there’s a lot of guys in that room that do little things that don’t get noticed that deserve to wear the cape."

4. Now we talked to Matt Kassian after the game. I had him brought out because I wanted to ask him about Derek Boogaard. But then Andrew decided to ask some non-Boogaard questions, and the way he answered these questions goes to just what a classy, team-oriented guy Kassian is.

He wants to be playing. And it hurt to know that he was the guy who was going to have sit once the Milwaukee series started. But there were more important things than his feelings because he couldn't let his feelings impact the team.

"It’s not an easy thing," he said. "I don’t think people understand how difficult it can be on you mentally and emotionally, as well. When you’re here the whole season, you want to play and you want to be a part of it, but at the same time, you’re here to be a good teammate. You can’t bring any kind of that negative emotions that you feel about it into the dressing room. You really just have to have a good attitude and work through it.

"That’s difficult. It’s tough. You want to play, you want to be part of it. I’m the type of player who, if you play me four minutes I’m going to want to play five. If you play me five I’m going to want to play six. You play me 19 I’m going to want to play 20.

[SNIP]

"You never like to see an injury, especially to a young guy. It’s never good. And he’ll [Bulmer] be back, and it’s not too serious….At the same time, it’s an opportunity for myself to get back in there and be consistent and try to do what I in the first series. Just be consistent in the room and be consistent on the bench and the ice, too. Just play hard and make their [defense] hear footsteps and chip pucks out and that kind of thing."

5. Then comes Matt Hackett's play these first two games. Hackett said after game seven in Milwaukee that one of the problems he'd had was that he wasn't seeing enough shots, but that he thought he had adjusted to that problem. Well that hasn't been a problem in this series so far. We were talking to Kassian when Hackett came out and talked to the TV guys, so I don't know what he said. But if he keeps playing like he's been playing, the Aeros aren't going to have to worry about his play.

6. Jon DiSalvatore said an interesting thing about Hackett after the game, and how he'd been challenged after game six in Milwaukee to elevate his game, and how he's begun to understand the importance of goalie play in the playoffs. It's not clear from DiSalvatore's statements if this challenge came from Hackett's teammates, or if Hackett challenged himself. But this follows on what guys like Jed Ortmeyer said on Friday night about Hackett elevating his game after that sixth game in Milwaukee.

Here's what DiSalvatore said: "I think after game six in Milwaukee – in that Milwaukee series, a lot of guys were challenged, and that game six, Matt Hackett was challenged. And the kid has responded tremendously for us. He has really – I think he won us the first game of this series. And just the way that he’s kind of matured and accepted the true responsibility of how significant goaltending is in playoffs has been tremendous. We’re very proud of him, and we hope that he continues to strive to be better. He’s been excellent so far since that game six. Absolutely."

7. And since I've been following around the team a lot the past month or so -- I'm really sorry I can't make it to Hamilton -- I've seen a lot of Colton Gillies dealing with Hackett. After game four in Peoria, I was asking Hackett about some tough stops, and Gillies popped out from nowhere and went on about how Hackett saw everything.

And when asked about Hackett yesterday, Gillies was just as effusive in his statements: "Hackett, he’s a great goalie. That’s pretty much it. He’s definitely had a good series for us. He’s had a good season. With Milwaukee, he didn’t see a lot of shots for long periods of time, which could have been hard on him. But he’s playing well right now, and he’ll keep up. I know he will."

8. The defense had another good game. And after being really down on Justin Falk during the Milwaukee series, I think, like with Hackett, we're seeing a guy who has elevated his game. And the defense as a whole, has been good -- man, you've got to wonder just how good this team would have been with Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella around all year, and man, are we going to miss them next year.

"[Falk] in particular, but I thought the entire group was again very good," Yeo said. "[Hamilton] is a team, if your defense is not sharp, then they’re going to make them look bad. They’re committed to getting every puck in behind your defense and making them turn and go back. And they put them under heavy pressure.

"The way that we executed, not only were we able to relieve that pressure, we were able to get to our game a little bit more effectively. We were able to generate some speed off the rush and off the attack because of the way those guys went back and executed."

9. The officiating, as it's been throughout the playoffs, was atrocious. I'm still trying to figure out how Max Noreau was the one who got the four minute minor for roughing in the third period. Whether it's a blind Terry Koharski waiving off pucks that are goals, or Jean Hebert and Francis Charron yesterday who just seemed to have their heads stuck up their asses, there's just no way to explain it. I also don't know why the linesmen thought they were required to hold onto the puck for 20 minutes in the face off circle before dropping the puck to start action.

I'm working on a separate post/rant about the officiating, but the AHL should just really be ashamed by how bad things have been. And not just how bad they calls have been or not been against the Aeros. The officials have been equal opportunity offenders -- see Koharski blowing a goal call against Milwaukee in game seven -- and it's just a pity to see great series being dragged down by their awfulness.

10. And I just want to add that the crowds at Toyota Center have been fantastic and only getting better since the playoffs began. The crowds in Milwaukee were almost non-existent in Milwaukee last week -- there were just under 3000 for game six and, I think, about 3500 for game seven. But the Aeros have been getting some big crowds, and those crowds have been loud. And I'm not the only one who thinks so.

"The crowd’s been awesome, especially the last couple of games," Yeo said. "I think it’s been building as this playoff run has gone along. It seems like with the intensity that increases in the games, it’s increasing the atmosphere and the playoff vibe that we’re feeling right now.

"Right from the start of the game you can tell that the crowds are jacked up, they’re excited, and they’re feeling it. And because of that, it brings a little bit more life, and little bit more emotion to our guys."

So job well done. Now it's white-knuckle time as the guys head off for three games at Hamilton.

Bulmer Out/Kassian In

A brief injury update. Brett Bulmer is out today, and Matt Kassian is in. We couldn't confirm the seriousness of Bulmer's injury -- the Aeros wouldn't give out that info -- but I'm guessing that it's more than just one of those day-to-day things.

#Winning

I remember last year when I was covering for Andrew for the Chronicle and I thought the Aeros played a terrific game, had my story three-quarters written. I run downstiars for quotes and ... Yeo is just pissed. He hated the game. And I'm thinking, "Great! REWRITE!"

Well, tonight I got the opposite. I thought the second period was absolute crap and they were extremely lucky to get out of that with just a tie. Was expecting Yeo, or someone, anyone, to acknowledge this. (And then when they didn't, I didn't want to be the jackass to say, "Yeah, you won, good for you. But what about that AWFUL second period?")

But everyone we talked to was full of praise and pride. I mean, obviously limiting shots like that is impressive, but man, all three of us, at the end of the second period, said, "Milwaukee is winning this game tonight. No. Question."

Hey, shows you what we know.

What I do know is that Ally, @TheAnthemSinger, had the tweet of the night. She sits down behind the Aeros' net and often has signs with her: "NEW SIGN SIDE 1: Stay Hackett, stay. Good goalie. SIDE 2: Bad Goalie."

Seriously, this going behind the net and standing around back there in a crisis of indecision is going to burnnnnn like a thousand suns when it results in a goal. I am literally gonna have a stroke and die one of these nights watching that.

Seems like a fairly new thing, too. Looks like a Tordjman move, come to think of it. Stop doing that.

Also, in the third, I said, "Man, I'd LOVE a McMillan goal right about now." BOOM, I really DID have you in the pool, Big Mac! He's photogenic AND clutch. Can't really ask for much more from a hockey player.

I told the boys that if the Aeros lost tonight, I was going to do a stick figure of Kassian sitting in the stands in a suit in my usual "stick figures as a form of protest" way. Glad I didn't have to do that, because I wanna go to bed ASAP. And despite Bulmer passing it right to the stick of an Admiral when entering the zone on the first solid offensive chance I saw for him, he did seem to have more of an impact tonight, playing more minutes, etc.

Finally, props to the Aeros staff for the really funny Billy Madison clip. Totally went top shelf on that one. WTG.

Anyway, see you crazy kids tomorrow night. Bring your outside voices.

Fearless Prediction: Aeros In Six

So it appears that while Andrew was sending out an email asking for our predictions earlier this week, he's yet to post his. So, with the series between the Aeros and Admirals due to start tomorrow, I guess I'll get things started.

I'm worried about this series. I was also worried about Peoria for what it matters. Here's my big problem. The Aeros have will have gone 10 days between games when the puck drops tomorrow. And they've only played seven games the entire month. So I'm worried about the team being at the top of it's game. I'm worried about rust. I'm worried about the lost momementum that came from sweeping the Rivermen.

I went up to practice on Tuesday, and I saw the hardest practice I've seen this season -- admittedly, I haven't seen many, so that could have been the normal. But Mike Yeo had the squad going full out. And Matt Kassian thinks the way the squad practices, he said they've gone full-out in practice like this all season, will help them out. But who knows?

One other thing that bothers me is possible lineup tinkering. I can understand trying to find a way to get Marco Scandella out on the ice, but I'm not sure on how I feel about breaking up the forward lines to bring in somebody else. I think those four lines have incredible chemistry and all seem to work well. But Yeo said on Tuesday that the lineup we saw against Peoria won't necessarily be who goes out agains the Admirals, and that things might change from game to game. I'm not the coach, and I think Yeo's earned our trust this year, but still, I have to admit, I'm troubled.

That said, prediction time. I see the Aeros winning this thing in six. I think they lose the first game because of the rust, but win games two, three, and four before losing game five to send it back to Milwaukee.

I know the Aeros record against the Ads isn't that great this season. But their record against the Rivermen wasn't that great either. The thing I'm looking at is that Milwaukee, this season, didn't really face the Aeros roster as we know it. That last game, on April 1, was especially not representative of the team as, if I remember, there were only five d-men available with Max Noreau and Justin Falk being called up to the Wild. Matt Kassian also didn't skate, and the team was beat up and tired. And I'm sorry, but with Jared Spurgeon back, the possible addition of Marco Scandella, and with Max Noreau, Drew Bagnall, Nate Prosser, Justin Falk, and Jeff Penner, I just don't think you can say that Milwaukee should have the advantage on the defensive side.

Another thing that works in the Aeros favor is the incredible depth of this team. The Ads just can't concentrate on shutting down the first and second lines because, as this season has shown, the third and fourth lines have shown the ability to score goals. And as Warren Peters said, all of the lines, but especially the third and fourth lines, are more than willing to go in and do those things that get the trash goals.

And as with Peoria, Milwaukee's dealing with an uncertain goalie situation in that their number one goalie has been injured, and the last I heard they're still not sure what his status is for this upcoming series, though I'm sure that like Peoria with Ben Bishop, if it gets down to elimination time, Mark Dekanich will find some way to get out there between the pipes.

So those are my thoughts. The Aeros winning in six, which would work for me since I will be there should that happen.

It's Like Christmas

I went out to SLICE today to watch the Aeros practice and to see how the team's looking after a week off without playing an actual game. They learned last night that they'll be facing Milwaukee starting Friday night, and Mike Yeo and the coaches were putting the guys through the mill.

Yeo said after practice that there's a good chance that there will be some personnel changes once the series starts, and to not expect the same lineup as was out there for the series with Peoria. He didn't want to give out any details -- in case there's anybody from Milwaukee reading -- and he also said that it's possible that the lineup might change from game-to-game.

One of the things I'm interested is in all of the time off the team's had this month, and how they stay sharp and in game condition. It will be 10 days between closing out Peoria and playing game one against Milwaukee. And in the month of April, the team's played only seven games.

"It’s impossible to keep that edge the entire time," Yeo said. "We’ve been off for a long time, and we still have a few days to go. It’s impossible, and I don’t think it would be productive for us, too. So certainly there was a drop in that level, and we had a couple of days off after we won in Peoria. But then we picked things up for a couple of days, gave another day off, and as this week’s gone on, we’ve kind of started slow and we’re building towards the end of the week, so hopefully we’re ready to peak come Friday."

I also asked Matt Kassian about this. And I wanted to speak to Kassian about this because he missed a lot of time in March because of an injury, so he's had less game action than most of the team these past couple of months.

"A lot of it comes down to how you practice," Kassian said. "We’ve been a team this year that’s always practiced hard, probably a lot harder than most teams, if not all of the teams in the league. We go hard. And we do it for a reason. We do it for our conditioning, and we do it for situations like this, where maybe – for me as a player, I’ve been out for awhile – to not only get back in shape but mentally be at a pace to where things are happening at a speed you’re used to out there. So it’s the same for the whole team. When you go in a stretch where you’re not playing for seven or eight days, you might have some rust, but at the same time, you work so hard in practice that you try not to get any rust at all."

I also thought Kassian was a good person to talk to because he was on the team two years ago that advanced to the Conference Finals, and I wanted his opinion on the differences between the two teams. And Kassian delivered some good analysis, specifically about the differing mindsets of the two teams, a difference between expecting and hoping.

"I think we expect to do good things, whereas before we kind of went out and it happened," he said. "And we did them and it was because we worked hard. I think now, it’s having knowledge of what we’re capable of, and knowing that we have a good team and if we play we’re going to have a really good chance of doing well."

The team is going to begin prepping for the Admirals, a team they've seen a lot this season, but the big thing I got from Yeo, Kassian, and Warren Peters, is that it's not so much about what Milwaukee does, it's about what the Aeros do. It's about the Aeros concentrating on their game, playing their system, their process. Peter's thoughts on this were, I thought, important seeing as he was a key cog to a Texas team that went to the Calder Cup finals last year.

"You can’t occupy yourself too much with how they’re going to prepared, what they’re going to do," he said. "We know what to expect, as I’m sure they do as well. We definitely have to take care of ourselves first, before we can start worrying about what other teams are doing.

"If you’re stressing and your wasting energy on trying to decode what they’re going to do, it’s pretty tough. You’ve just got to go out there and play your game. Like I said, have confidence in your players and your teammates, and the system that we play, and the way we’ve shown we can play."

And Mike Yeo added this.

"Today we start with a practice. We’re focused on ourselves, and our systems, and making sure that the details are there, and our execution and the speed at which we do it. Tomorrow, there will be some special teams and some areas where we have to focus up on them, and some adjustments that we might have to make. And then come Friday, again, it’s a matter of getting ready for ourselves. We’ll have our pre-scout tomorrow, and go over exactly what to expect of Milwaukee, but again, we’re a team that’s gotten this far by focusing on ourselves and what it is that makes us successful. And after we cover that meeting tomorrow, the majority of it will be with what we have to do."

And the strength of this team, I think everyone will agree, is the incredible depth of this team. Sure, there are two lines of high-scorers that the other teams focus on and have to stop, but the Aeros also have third and fourth lines that, while their focus isn't scoring, aren't afraid to take a shot if the opportunity comes. And more importantly, all of the lines, especially three and four, have those guys who will go behind the net, bang in the corners, and hang out in front of the net, just hoping to get that trash goal.

Kassian laid out the importance and the quality of the depth when it comes to the playoffs.

"It’s huge. A lot of times in playoffs you have teams that will, especially if you have home ice advantage, will try to match-up lines. You look at us, we have the Gillies/Peters/Ortmeyer line out there. It’s a shutdown line, but obviously they’re an effective scoring line as well. As a shutdown line, other teams will do that to us, and it helps when you have so much depth that it doesn’t matter who you’re throw out there that you’re able to get the job done.

"It’s not like, as far as fourth line’s concerned, it’s not like we’re concerned about going out there and scoring goals and making a difference or being a difference. We’re concerned about going out there and doing our jobs, which is don’t get scored on, create energy, be hard on their skill players, be hard on their defensemen, and get offensive zone time and take the puck to the net when you get the opportunity. If the puck goes in, that’s a bonus.

"But when you look at playoffs and teams that are successful, that’s what happens. A lot of times you have your big players being big players, but you have guys who aren’t known for the big goals, and guys who aren’t known for the huge plays, that’s when they step up their game and have an impact.

"Look at McMillan with his overtime winner the other day. Obviously he had a good year and had a decent amount of points, but at the same time, he’s not a guy who would be the first player you’d pick to score an overtime winner. But he goes out there and goes hard to the net and bangs it home.

"For us, as far as we’re concerned, as a team, it’s not about any one guy, it’s about everybody. And any one guy is going to be a hero that night. Whether it’s Hackett in net, or Tordjman if he’s in net, or O’Sullivan – obviously he finished out the series for us with a huge goal – but at the same time, the goal before that, to pull us even, is Drew Bagnall who hasn’t scored all year. He steps it up, and scores a huge goal for us."

Peters weighed in on the subject, with the concentration on the difference his line makes.

"As far as my line goes, I’ve got two great linemates," he said. 'Ortmeyer with all of his experience. But he’s got some ability, and he’s got the ability to put the puck in the net. And Colton plays hard, and he goes in the hard areas, and in playoffs, you get rewarded a lot of times when you do that. And we’ve got three guys that don’t mind going in front of the net, getting banged around in order to get a second chance."

And I asked the guys about how much fun the playoffs are for them. And once again, Matt Kassian came out with some great analysis. And I've got to apologize. We get to speak to Kassian a lot in the tunnels after the game and during practice, but because of time and space limitations with our respective outlets, we don't often get him for quotes, but the guy is just fun to talk to, and he gives really great answers, like this answer to how much the playoffs are.

"The games mean something," he said. "Not that they don’t in the regular season, but they mean that much more. Hockey, and sports in general, it’s just a metaphor for life. The winning, the losing, the ups and downs. Some moments are bigger than others. Playoffs it’s like a honeymoon, or a wedding, or an anniversary. It’s a big thing. A big event. It just means that much more. It’s like a kid’s first Christmas, or as a kid, it’s like Christmas. You’re just so excited, you go to bed at night and you can hardly sleep because you’re just that excited to go out because it means you’re working for something. It’s so much fun, especially when you have the crowd behind you.

"The loudest I’ve heard the crowd all year was that game we won in overtime, when McMillan scored. It was electric. The crowd was great during the game, but in overtime, they kicked it up another couple of notches and it was just unbelievable. So much fun."

So there you go, some notes and quotes from today's practice as the guys prep for Game One in Milwaukee on Friday night.

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.

A Few Quick Items

The Aeros got the 5-4 win over the Oklahoma City Barons to sweep the series. Milwaukee beat San Antonio again, so points wise, the Aeros are still tied with Admirals for first place. And thanks to our pals in Rockford, who beat up on Chicago yet again, the Aeros, by our best calculation, are just two points away from clinching a playoff spot.

A few quick notes.

1. Patrick O'Sullivan did not play in the third period as a precautionary measure. He got the crap beat out of him over the weekend by the Barons -- who put him in their target -- and by some inept officiating that let him get beat up on. He was cramping and dehydrated during the second intermission, so it was decided to have him sit out. Robbie Earl suffered as well, and his third period ice time was also way reduced from what it normally would have been.

2. This weekend made it very clear that this team needs Matt Kassian healthy and back out on the ice. Pascal Morency might like to fight, but the team needs Kassian out there because Kassian's the kind of guy who can do to opposition scorers what the Barons were doing to O'Sullivan.

3. How great was it to see Nate Prosser back out there on the ice today? He saved some bacon numerous times in the game today, and Yeo was very complimentary of his game and very grateful to have his steadying influence back out on the ice.

4. Both Yeo and Jed Ortmeyer were very clear after the game that the team doesn't just want to make the playoffs. They want to keep winning and earn the number one seed.

5. Let's hear it for Ortmeyer. He played his 500th pro game on Friday night. And he was a huge influence in every game this weekend. The guys really seem to respect Ortmeyer, and when he's out there giving it everything he has, then they're going to go all out, too.

6. They next play on Thursday night when they host Chicago. And this game could be the one where they finally clinch a playoff spot in what has to be one of the toughest, most jumbled, most bizarre, most tight, playoff spot hunts ever.

Aeros Defeat Lake Erie -- Some Photos

It takes some time for me to transcribe, so before I did that and wrote up a little game story, I thought I would post some photos from the game. I spent the first period down by the Lake Erie goal. And I hate that damn little hole they give the photogs to shoot through because if you're above three feet tall it's almost impossible to get a nice angle, so I found myself shooting the plastic a lot, which seems to dull the picture.

(Remember, I'm no Mr. Fred.)

Kassian comes on strong behind the net. I thought he had a strong, physical first period. He got banged up in the second, and though I saw him on the ice in the third, he appeared to be limping quite a bit after the game.

Colton Gillies was banging guys into the boards throughout the first period. This is just before one such play.

Jean-Michel Daoust skating past the goalie as his penalty shot goes into the net.

Matt Hackett talked after the game about having great vision all night and his guys keeping his view of the puck clear. I like the kind of mini-wall look of this photo. And when I was shooting, I thought I had it all leveled out when shooting down to the other end. I guess I've got to work on that.

Coach Yeo thought it was one of his team's better over-all games all year, but he didn't think they were at their best in the first, and he didn't think they started playing their best hockey until about midway through the second period.

Deck the halls with Climie's jock, fa la la...

Oh man. What a night of hockey, gang. Nights like this are why I never wanna miss a game for teams I care about. You really just never know what's going to happen, like this 5-3 win over San Antonio with 4 goals for Casey Wellman.

Andrew gave you the recap below, but I'll fill in with my usual nonsense, starting with a funny from the locker room. Well, just outside the locker room because I haven't quite reached the level of professionalism where naked hockey butts wouldn't be a distraction. So we interview in the hall when I go downstairs. ;)

Anyway, we ask Wellman about that cuh-razy fourth goal where he spin-o-ramas and Matt Climie looks like he needs his dizzy medication cuz he's just blindsided by this play. Honestly, I might have cried if I hadn't been so busy trying  convey this beast of a goal on Twitter. It was a monster in and of itself. But to be his 4th goal of the night? Shut up.

Here's what he had to say about it:

Prosser got the puck and there was a guy on me at first, but he kinda just drifted away and there was just a wide open lane and Pross, thank God, saw me.

It's funny, I actually did that move on Hackett the other day (in practice). He wasn't very happy about it. He said it wasn't realistic. So it's good to kinda get back at him there.

I tend to agree with Hackett. That wasn't realistic but nevertheless, there it was before all our eyes. I tweeted afterward that they had to pause the game for Climie to go retrieve his jock from the rafters.

Now, Matt Climie is a very good goalie. One of the best in the league. He wasn't perfect tonight but that score isn't on him. The team in front of him let him down enough times that if they'd played smarter, this would have been a very different game.

Y'all know I love goalies and I hate to mock one of the ones I particularly like, but I hope I'm making up for it by whatever implications you might want to draw from the size of his jock. HOSS!

That said, I was SO disappointed to see only ONE hat hit the ice after his hat trick. Come on, gang. WTF is that about. We don't get to see too many hatties. I know times are tough but you can get a new hat. Nobody's head is freezing on the way home. That bummed me out a little.

When it came time to pick the stars, only the third star was up for any debate. It went to Earl for his two assists but Andrew brought up Kassian's fight. I'm not sure it helped anybody but it was a gentlemanly gesture to accommodate Hollweg's request (at least I'm assuming that's how it went down... can't imagine Kass had any other reason to want to fight).

Anyway, Kass, as usual, won it soundly, but Hollweg's a tough dude and hung in there and didn't look foolish in spite of limited connections. It was a very good fight, all things considered.

And speaking of which... I think it really shows the confidence San Antonio has in their abilities right now that the game DIDN'T get dirty. Think back to when SA was bad.  A 4-1 game would have deteriorated into a fight-fest rapidly in most cases, or at least been way chippier.

But they knew they could come work their way back if they stayed focused and disciplined. And frankly, with the Aeros letting up in the third and "bad habits creeping back in" as Yeo said, I was getting a bit worried. But Anton made a big stop (which you can see along with other pics at Artandhockey's blog here) and kept damage at a minimum to preserve the 2-goal lead to the buzzer.

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Finally, a note of thanks from us press dingalings to Brian Duval, whose tenure as the media relations intern for the Aeros ended today. He's been a total pleasure to deal with since this summer when he WAS the media relations department for a while before they hired Rich. So, we wish him the best of luck in his job search and everything to come in what is sure to be a bright career.

12/2/10 -- Aeros v. Rockford -- The My Humps Edition

So was this a strange day of hockey, or what? I know these kiddie games have become a part of every season, but it just seemed strange having to be at the arena that early in the day. I felt out of synch, and the players definitely looked like they were out of it. Still, the Aeros seemed to awake in the third period to tie the game at 2-2 and at 3-3, then they were able to get the win in the shootout as, once again, Anton Khudobin came through when it mattered while the Aeros shooters were able to get a few pucks past the Rockford netminder.

The win moves the Aeros to 12-9-1-2 (27 points) on the season, and puts them in fifth place, one point ahead of the Texas Stars and one point behind Oklahoma City for fourth place. Now for a few thoughts.

1. When did Matt Kassian turn into a good player, skills wise? I've always like Kassian, but he got the assist on the first goal today because he went behind the net for a wraparound like he was one of those skilled and graceful goal scorers we all hear about. I don't think he would have been able to pull off that move several seasons ago, or even last season.

2. And Cody Almond emerged from the dead, assisting on the first two goals and getting the game-tying goal at the 18:41 mark of the third.

3. Mike Yeo said that Almond's been working up to this game: "I think that he’s been getting a fair amount of chances lately and hasn’t been getting rewarded for them. It was definitely nice to see him find the back of the net. I think he’s been doing a lot of nice things, so hopefully that will reinforce a lot of those things that he’s been doing."

4. It seemed that both teams were just sleep-walking through that first period. Yeo sensed that they would have some problems before the game. He said that there was this lack of energy and urgency with the team before the game started.

5. I didn't mind the screaming kids that much -- thanks for the ear plugs, Heather. And I'm thankful that the Toyota Center sound crew kept the Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber to a minimimum.

6. That said, it seemed a bit strange to be playing The Black-Eyed Peas' "My Humps" during the game. I know it was a top 10 song -- which shows how far this country's musical tastes has fallen -- but listening to Fergie going on about her lady parts in an arena packed with elementary school kids just felt wrong.

7. The highlight of the game, besides the Aeros win, was Andrew's rendition of Miley Cyrus' "Party In The USA," which he dubbed "Party In the Ukraine" and which he sung with a Russian/Ukrainian accent. It was supposedly in honor of Anton Khudobin, which means it should have been "Party In The Kazahkstan," but that's only a minor quibble.

8. The press table was packed with NHL scouts today. I wonder if they realized it was the Aeros and the IceHogs playing?

9. I'm going on vacation. So I'll see all of you in a few weeks. Make sure to check the mothership tomorrow for the game story.

10. And to play us out, here's "My Humps," one of the worst songs ever recorded.

Setting the stage: Marlies, Call-ups, More Reading

I was startled awake at 5 o'clock this morning from a dream that a black widow spider was jumping at me. And in the hour and a half I've been awake, my day has only gotten peachier.

So, here's hoping a depleted Aeros team can rescue the bad start to my day with a win over the Toronto Marlies tonight. That would be nice.

Just some updates to set the stage for tonight's international showdown:

Lots of injuries in Minnesota mean Wellman is still up. They sent Gillies back to Houston, but called up Matt Kassian in his place. And Cody Almond was the latest sacrifice to the NHL gods with a call-up yesterday.

This all kinda sucks for the Aeros. The Marlies are coming off a huge 6-1 win over San Antonio two nights ago. I was going to say they've been enjoying warm Texas weather for a few days, but really, it's been pretty cold since they got here, so.... neener.

That said, the Marlies are 3-6-0 at the bottom of the North division just like the Aeros are at the bottom of the West division, so it might actually end up being a really good match-up. Basement cat vs. Basement cat.

That said, I can't say when I've been happier about a guy making his NHL debut as Kassian will be doing tonight against Calgary. He just seems like one of the good guys to me. And he's been a good soldier for a lot of years in this organization. He's worked his way up the system, made improvements where he needed to in order to become a consistent contributor and not just a 3-minute-a-game enforcer.

I'm sure he sees the bold writing on the wall: That breed of hockey player is dying. You have to be able to play regular shifts now and contribute to the overall game.

And this call up is a nod to the effort he's put into rounding out his game. Here's an article from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune with some good quotes from him.

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Meanwhile, back at the ranch, a couple of links from me to you. First is a little bit on Carson McMillan who already has 5 points in 10 games after having only 8 points in 56 games last year. It would certainly provide some unexpected offense if he were to keep up that pace.

Second, my Pro Hockey News piece came out this week giving a wrap-up of the last (or should I say first) 10 games. You guys already know all that stuff because you read T3I (and thank you for that) but just in case you can't get enough about the Aeros, give 'er a look.

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See you guys tonight.

Meet Your 2010-11 Aeros: Matt Kassian

MATT KASSIAN
Born: October 28, 1986 (age 23)
Edmonton, AB

6 ft 05
245 lb
Left Wing
Shoots: Left

Career Transactions: Selected by Minnesota in the second round (57th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Signed a 2-year contract to stay in the Wild system this off-season.

I don’t think it’s fair to say that Kevin Constantine had a favorite player. He appreciated some players more than others, but as long as the guys worked their asses off, as long as they worked on their games, did everything they could make their games better, did everything they could to make the team better, then Constantine liked them.

Matt Kassian fits that definition to a key. Kassian set career highs last year with 6 points (2+4=6) last season, and probably nobody was happier than Constantine because this was proof of Kassian’s work ethic. The guy was willing himself to be a better hockey player, to be something besides the team bruiser.

Mike Yeo is going to like Matt Kassian, just like Constantine liked Kassian, just like his teammates like him, and just like those of in the press box like him. Kassian’s a friendly guy, but he’s a worker. He’s not the most graceful guy, nor the most gifted of skaters. But it’s doubtful that anyone on the team’s going to work harder. And if anybody starts messing around with one of his teammates, then they're going to have to deal with Kassian because while he's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, Kassian's not afraid or shy about playing the protector/enforcer when the need arises.

And not that it matters, but in my opinion, Yeo’s not going to have a nicer guy on the team. Kassian’s always ready to a joke or a friendly greeting. He’s a great guy to know, and from what I can tell, he’s a hell of a teammate.

Nice Guy Matt Kassian

If you get the chance, I've got a story on Matt Kassian, enforcer, humanitarian, and all-around nice guy posted over at the mothership. Go give it a read.

3/31/10 -- Aeros v. Wolves -- Everybody Hurts

After being absent recently because of other, somewhat more pressing mothership duties -- I was off covering the NCAA Regional Finals (aka the Sweet 16 and Elite 8) -- I returned to Toyota Center for last night's Aeros game versus the Chicago Wolves. And let's just say that I don't think I've missed too much as the Aeros lost 4-0.

I had three highlights.

Number one: I generally bitch about the audio guys and their music selections a lot. But last night, they had a genius moment. After the third Chicago goal -- one on which Wade Dubielewicz appeared to be screened by his entire team -- the sound guys busted out R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts." It was just serendipity. It was perfect. Kismet. Never has a song so matched the moment. And as Heather said, someone is so getting fired.



Number two: during the first intermission, there was a group of kids singing "God Bless America." Right in front of those kids, there was another set of kids signing "God Bless America." Heather, who was in her own world, looked up from whatever she was doing, saw the kids, and wanted to know why they were doing "YMCA" during "God Bless America."

Number three: I talked to Matt Kassian last night about his being team's Humanitarian of the Year, which makes him the nominee for the league's award. I remember talking to Brandon Rogers when he got this last year, so I know how much this stuff means to the players. And Matt, who is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, gave me some really great stuff for a story I'm going to write for the mothership.

That Kassian story was going to be for today's mothership story, but the Houston Cougars interfered last night and decided to name a new coach for the men's basketball team, so the Kassian thing will run next week.

Do I have any thoughts on the game? Are you kidding, did you see the game? I don't think there were any highlights. Because the wireless was screwed up yet again, I spent the third period down in the press room, writing my mothership post on the Cougars, so I didn't get to see the young kid, Darcy Kuemper, play. I'm sure Heather will contribute some words on that later. Andrew talked to him after the game, while I was with Kassian, and he says Kuemper looks to be about 13.

The Aeros give it another try to tomorrow night. So maybe they'll have some better luck. Hah, who am I kidding? Did you see them play last night?