Aeros Checkmate Checkers

It's been so long since the Aeros have played a game at Toyota Center that I just kind of figured they'd up and relocated to Des Moines already -- what, too soon? But the wounded warriors returned to Toyota Center tonight and matched the checkers move for move, getting the 4-1 win on the first night of a three-in-three.

Marco Scandella put the Aeros on the board at 11:24 of the first with a pretty shot he was able to get off and sneak between the goalie and the post as he was falling to the ice. Zach Phillips knocked in a rebound for the second goal, on a power play, at 12:16 of the first, then at 17:27 of the first, Justin Fontaine finished off the scoring with a shot from inches away which saw Charlotte's starting goalie, John Muse pulled from the game for Rob Madore, who got his first ever AHL action. (Carson McMillan got the empty-netter in the final minute for the final score.)

"It was a big win," head coach John Torchetti said. "Everyone stood up and they did a good job."

The Aeros have 14 regular season games remaining, and 10 of those 14 are at home, so let's hope the Aeros can take the time to rest up and get healthy as they make the final push for the Calder Cup playoffs.

And I know it's been awhile since we've seen the team, and had the chance to talk to John Torchetti, but he I don't remember him being as effusive and free with the praise as he was after tonight's win. But he knows his team's beat up, and he was thrilled to get the effort that he got out of a tired bunch of players. And most of the effort, most of the attitude the team's showing out on the ice, is the result of the veterans that were added to the team over the past couple of months, primarily Paul Mara, Jake Dowell, and Stephane Veilleux (who missed tonight's game due to an injury).

"Veilluex, Dowell, Mara have really changed the attitude in the building," Torchetti said. "Just working hard, holding guys accountable, telling them, hey, listen, this is the play. These guys play. Mara has 12-plus years. Jake has several years. Veilluex has nine years. They’ve got experience, and they’re bringing it. These guys are workers. That tells you a lot. We’re very fortunate to have guys that want to come down. They could be in a bad mood because they’re not being called up, but they’ve done a great job for us, and I’m really happy that they play for us."

Everything wasn't perfect for the team tonight. The team hasn't played since Friday, and he thought they looked really sluggish out on the ice. But he was trying to give the team some rest -- he worked them really hard on Sunday and Monday. And after the long road stretch where the team was seemingly playing every other night, he needs the team to get back into a rhythm.

He also wasn't happy with the penalties the guys got, and have been getting.

"We’ve got to stay out of the box," he said. "We’ve got to be smarter, especially with offensive zone penalties. It’s gone a kill us. We were short a guy…[Rau was out on a suspension] We're down to four [penalty] killers. I think Jake [Dowell] got into a fight to get a breather…."

"We’ve got to cut this out," he continued later. "But our past four or five games, we’re averaging five-plus [penalties], and that’s going to kill you one night. We’re wasting energy, and we’ve got to have better poise."

But tonight the Aeros got the win to improve their record to 32-22-4-4 (72 points), and five points behind Charlotte for the second spot in the South Division. They face the Barons in Oklahoma City tomorrow night, then they're back at Toyota Center to host Rochester on Saturday. So until then.

POST SCRIPT

Could whoever is doing the sound at Toyota Center please learn the volume control knob is located on the sound board. Please? I don't think the sound was even that loud for Eric Clapton's concert last Sunday. And can somebody please tell me why Joe O'Donnell's radio broadcast was being broadcast in the seating areas? His pregame show was louder than the anthem.

Aeros Lose 3-2 to Monsters

John Torchetti was not a happy man after tonight's 3-2 Aeros loss to the Lake Erie Monsters. The Aeros played a better game than they did in Friday's loss to the Stars, but the team was sloppy and depending too much on goalie Darcy Kuemper to make way too many saves.

"We’ve got a lot of hockey players that think they’re better than they are," Torchetti said. "And that’s the end of the subject."

But it wasn't quite the end of the subject. He spoke of the lacking leadership and accountability. And he said the team had to tighten up their act on the ice.

The Monsters scored first. The Aeros tied it up on the power play when Charlie Coyle sent a puck cross-ice to Jason Zucker who one-timed it backdoor for a pretty goal. It stayed that way through the third when the Monsters took the 2-1 lead before Johan Larsson tied it on the power play. But this is the Aeros, and just moments later, the Monsters scored again.

"That’s how losing streaks start," Torchetti said. "Because we’re not detailed and we’re not committed."

The Aeros are going to have work harder now that the NHL season is preparing to start. Mikael Granlund is gone. And since this is he Wild the team's dealing with, the injuries will start pretty quickly. That means a lack of chemistry, a lack of consistent line. That means talent alone is not going to be enough. And if the team doesn't pay attention to the details and if it's not committed to the system, then this team could indeed be in for losing streak.

And if any of these guys are expecting automatic call-ups just because of the Wild-injury history, then maybe they all to think on that some more.

"In the end, the NHL executives on our team ask us who’s playing well," Torchetti said. "So it ends up hurting you more than anything. If you think you’re trying to not get hurt for up there, you’re not even going to be part of their training camp because what you do this week is what you for next week to get in there."

The Aeros have a chance to break the losing streak before it can really get tomorrow tomorrow at 5:00. But who knows what Aeros team is going to show up.

Aeros Get 1-0 Win Over Rampage

It wasn't a pretty win tonight. There wasn't a lot of graceful skating. There wasn't a lot of scoring. There weren't even a lot of shots. But pretty doesn't matter. Not when you're on the winning side of a 1-0 shutout.

Nick Petersen took care of the scoring for the Aeros, netting a goal early in the second period. That goal was all that the Aeros needed, especially with Darcy Kuemper pitching the shutout, finishing the game with 19 saves as the Aeros stopped the Rampage four-game points streak in front of 6045 fans.

"Kuemper came up big tonight," head coach John Torchetti said. "We did a good job. They had to press for a goal, so they we were going to be a little bit more aggressive and take a little more chances. I thought we did a good job. I thought some guys had some big nights. The penalty kill came through. And we just have to keep feeding off of that."

Kuemper credited his teammates with the win.

"We controlled most of the play," he said. "There were a few chances, but the team did a great job in front of me. You limit the shots to under 20 that makes my job really easy. I just tried to play my part in the win."

And Torchetti said the win came about from something he's been preaching to the team: you've got to have a checking mentality to win the game: "That’s why you have to have a checking mentality," he said. "I’ve been preaching that since game one. You’ve got to be able to win a game 5-1 or 1-0."

Now the Aeros are off for Austin and a game tomorrow with the Stars. 

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

Who will play for the Aeros against the Stars is still slightly in question: Mikael Granlund missed tonight due to injury -- despite what you might have read elsewhere. And Brian Connelly was injured in the third period -- the extent of his injury wasn't known when we talked to Torchetti -- and Torchetti joked afterward that the Aeros must always have at least six injured players.
 

Zucker Ties AHL record, Aeros win :05 into OT

Johan Larsson and Jason Zucker shocked the Abbotsford Heat and just about everyone else inside Toyota Center with his ninth goal of the season just five seconds into overtime Sunday afternoon.

The teams traded goals in regulation, and after the Aeros wasted a power play gift late in the third period, Zucker and Larsson teamed up for the stunning finish (video below). The goal tied the AHL record for the fastest overtime goal. Zucker's goal tied the record set by Dave Saatzer of the Nova Scotia Voyageurs in 1980, and tied by Chris Corrinet of the Portland Pirates in 2002.



The AHL schedule gods were on the Aeros side this weekend for sure. The Heat, playing its third game in three days, made just enough mistakes to let the Aeros get an extra point in the standings.

Make no mistake: The Heat is the best team the Aeros have played so far on both sides of the puck. They have points in all but two (16 of 18) of their games thus far. OKC, who is here later this week, surely has more offensive power, but the Heat are smart, well coached, have the league's top PK united and they have three (THREE!) goalies that can steal two points on any given night.

Some high-level themes that stood out for me include the Aeros giving up two goals on turnovers. Everyone we talked to after the game said exactly the same thing: The Heat wait for you to make a bad mistake, and they punish you quickly.

Hackett again solid, letting in just two goals and giving his team a chance to win. When only two go in, you have a chance to win every game. On the first Heat goal, Hack made a great save, then got a little post luck before a Charlie Coyle turnover led to a 1-1 game. Hackett was screened on the second goal after Connelly and Bagnall both turned the puck over ... and then Zucker missed a block. After all that, Estoclet gets in front of Hackett, distracting him just enough. Click below for a good view of how that play developed.

Taylor was good, too, but the Aeros wasted about 3-4 other prime chances that would have kept the Heat from getting the OT point. McIntyre missed a breakaway, and one player (I was reading something and looked up just in time to see the end of it) missed an open net after Taylor was caught out of position in the second period.

UPDATE - Thanks to the Art and Hockey blog, we find out that it was Palmer who missed the empty netter. And she got a splendid picture of the aftermath. But don't look at the hockey players, look at the fans (including one of the Anthem singers in Row 2) ... their faces say it all!

MY, oh MY! (Photo by Art and Hockey)

The goal scored at the end of the second was indeed about a half second too late. The officials got the calls right on both calls (when Mac hit the crossbar on the breakaway and the late goal at the end of the second).

As for the final sloppy power play - look, that is what you are going to get with a ton of rookies and second-year players getting a season-long baptism by fire. The younger players are the more gifted scorers, and they are going to hit one night (see Friday's late PP goal in San Antonio) and they are going to strikeout the next. What I would like to them them improve upon is the desperation to keep the puck in the zone. While I know you don't want to over commit and cause a breakaway, there are a few players that look a little laggard when it comes to keeping a play alive.

I am not going to mention names here, because I have only seen about a third of the games live this year. I think this is an effort issue and not an growing pains issue, so I will wait and see if I see any improvement from these players this weekend.

The Aeros are in the top third of the league in points and points percentage. Given the injury to their top two (arguably) playmakers and (not arguably) one of their top scorers, I think you'll take that.

So what are your thoughts on the game? The Aeros earned four out of four points this weekend and have won three in a row and four of five overall.

Off the post ... and in. (Photos by Morris Molina, Houston Aeros)

Justin Fontaine has 14 points in November. He is en fuego.

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 (SO) To Monsters

If you look closely, you'll see a slight problem with the brand new gigantic scoreboard.

This is getting tiring. The Aeros get off to a crappy start. They get back into the game. They tie it late. They play a tough overtime, then lose in the shootout. Yeah, it's a familiar story. 

It happened again tonight as the Aeros lost to the Lake Erie Monsters 5-4 in the shootout. They're now 5-4-1-2 (12 points) 12 games into the season. And as head coach John Torchetti told us after the game, with their offensive skill guys out of action for several more weeks to come, the Aeros are going to have to get used to playing these types of games, and somebody is going to have to step up at some point and take over.

"This is our team," he said. "Until we understand that we have to come out and play consistently our roles, and do what we're asked to do and play our system, we're going to be playing like this for a long time, until we get to work and understand that commitment as a hockey team."

The Aeros fell behind quick, losing 2-0 midway through the first period. Nick Palmieri got the Aeros on the board late in the first, then Justin Fontaine tied early in the second with a spectacular goal that had him falling and flipping the puck off of his stick.

The Aeros would fall behind again, only to have Chad Rau tie it, then they fell behind again, only to have Jason Zucker tie just before the end of the third period.

Then came the shootout and shot after shot into the stomach and pads of the Lake Erie goalie. And just like that, it was over. The Aeros got a point, yay, but do these things really feel like wins? Not after the last two years.

Torchetti might have been even-keeled-like after Thursday's loss, but he seemed to be trying to send messages tonight. Messages of disappointment. Messages of guys just not getting it.

"We've got to play defense, bottom line," he said. "We've got one line tonight that wanted to cheat all over the ice and gave up two goals and they didn't want to commit to playing defense, and until they do, we're not going to be a winning hockey club."

And this: "We have to be more focused. Our young guys have to understand that we have to be ready for a 60 minute hockey game. They think that they're going to free points. This is a tougher league. Tough league."

He said several times that with the skill guys like Mikael Granlund out, there are some other guys who really need to step up there games, and aren't. This is their chance, and they're not taking it. "We've got guys who are still sleeping," he said.

So ends another night from Toyota Center. Another night ending in another defeat in the shootout. Yeah, yeah, they got a point. Yeah, yeah, it's always nice to get a point. But wouldn't it be nice for them to actually get two points for once.

MISCELLANEOUS RANT:

Dear Toyota Center, thanks for that huge-ass video screen and scoreboard. But how about making sure the damn clocks are synchronized. Is that really to damn much to ask?

If you look carefully at the photo above, you'll notice that clocks show a different time. And this is during game action. It happened at the end of the first period, the end of the second period, the end of the third period, and the end of overtime.

Yes the Aeros are just a mere tenant. Yes the Rockets are the masters. But would the clock really keep malfunctioning like that if the Rockets were playing the Lakers? No, no it wouldn't. So why was it happening in period after period tonight?

Aeros Lose In Shoot Out To Griffins

The Aeros have got this whole come-from-behind-in-the-third-period thing down to a science. They did it on all three games of this weekend's three-in-three, but got the win only once, on Saturday night.

Tonight, down 1-0 to the Griffins late in the third, they tied the game and sent it to OT. Then they were on the power play at the end of the OT, and couldn't score. And despite have some fantastic shot opportunities in the shoot out, they couldn't get the puck into the net while Matt Hackett was beat twice, giving the Griffins the 2-1 (SO) win.

Both teams were playing the final game of a three-in-three, and it showed. But Hackett played a hell of a game, keeping the Aeros in the action while the Aeros had numerous opportunities to score but had difficult times getting the puck in the net.

And getting the puck in the net is probably going to be a bit of a problem for the Aeros for the foreseeable future seeing as how the team's top goal scorers are injured. John Torchetti says the guys are just going to have the play the system and get used to tight games.

By the way, there is no timetable for the return of Mikael Granlund, though Torchetti did say that the injury wasn't as bad as they feared.

An injured Jason Zucker limps off of the ice at the end of overtime.

Zack Phillips misses just wide in the shootout.

Matt Hackett with a shootout stop.

Justin Fontaine tries to go five hole but the shot is stopped.

And here is the shoot out game winner for the Griffins.

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.

******************************

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.

Aeros Lose Game Two, Face Elimination Sunday Night

Last night it was hard to tell just how much of the loss was on the Aeros not showing up to play the game, and how much of the loss was due to the Barons being the superior team. Tonight we know the answer.

The Aeros lost Game Two of this opening round Best of Five series to the Barons by the score of 4-1. Yes, the Aeros actually did find a way to score a goal on Yann Danis. And they actually appeared to make more of an effort, holding the Barons to only 37 shots tonight while totaling a stupendous 20 shots of their own. (Cody Almond scored at 3:48 of the third period.)

But though the Aeros effort factor was noticeably improved, it just didn't matter, so superior was the play of the Barons, proving tonight, perhaps even more than last night, why it is that they're the number one seed in the Western Conference.

Matt Hackett made a valiant effort to play tonight, stopping 19 of 21 shots. But he played injured, and whatever injury he suffered last night he aggravated horribly on the second goal, leaving the ice bent at his waste, not to return.

But even if Hackett wasn't injured, it would be difficult to see the Aeros finding a way to contend on Sunday and take this series to a fourth game. And frankly, if the Aeros were able to win Sunday and take it to game four on Tuesday, does anybody think they're healthy enough, or talented enough, to make it to game five on Wednesday?

It was an ugly day in Houston today. Massive storms that caused power outages throughout the city as the afternoon moved into evening. And the Aeros game tonight was just as ugly as the weather outside.

There's Ugly, Then There Are The Aeros In Game One

There's ugly, and there's ugly. And damn, there was this game one 5-0 loss to the Oklahoma City Barons.

Andrew covered it pretty well below. And I'll have more in the Press tomorrow, but let's just say this: if Matt Hackett continues to be the only player showing up to play, then the Aeros Calder Cup run ends on Sunday night in Oklahoma City.

Here's how bad it was. In just over 36 minutes of play, Hackett faced 37 shots. That's over a shot a minute. That he only let in four goals was, in my estimation, rather remarkable. And I know what John Torchetti said after the game -- we were all down there -- but it sure looked like Hackett got injured before the third goal, and he really had trouble moving around before the fourth goal. Then again, when you're having to carry an entire team on your back because they're refusing to play, you're probably going to feel some pain.

Torchetti put the loss on himself, saying it's his fault for not getting the team properly prepped to play. There might be something to that, but it looked like they didn't even give a damn out on the ice. And frankly, if the Barons hadn't of taken their feet off of the gas in the third period, I could've easily seen the final score being about 10-0.

They'll give it a go again on Friday for game two. Torchetti says that Hackett's healthy and that he'll be playing. But frankly, if the rest of the team fails to show up again, it's probably not even going to matter.

Aeros Lose 2-1 (SO) to Milwaukee

These posts are tiring to write, so...

The Aeros didn't win for the eighth time in nine games. This time, they lost 2-1 to the Milwaukee Admirals in the shootout -- yes, I know, shocking. The shootout loss, they're 11th of the season, ties an AHL record. And except for Brett Bulmer getting his first goal as an AHLer, there's really not much positive to say.

The AHL website says the Aeros are now in sixth place. Aeros PR is saying the Aeros are in eighth. I'm going with Aeros PR. There are three games left in the season. Will there be a post-season? Who knows? But even if they make it into the Calder Cup playoffs, do you have any confidence they'll get out of the first round?

Last year's team was special. This year's, not so much. I expound on this for tomorrow's post in the Press (stop bitching, I have to give them some decent stuff), but Jed Ortmeyer and Patrick O'Sullivan aren't around for the Aeros this season -- I'm still not understanding why Ortmeyer couldn't come back, but I'm slow -- and the Aeros just really appear to miss their presence out on the ice.

Oh well.

Aeros Lose To Wolves, Now 0 For Last 7

Let's keep this short and sweet. The Aeros led the Wolves 2-1 with 5:49 remaining in the game. They ended up losing 4-2. They're now 0-4-2-1 for their last seven games, and they're now in ninth place in the playoff standings after a win by Lake Erie which catapulted the Monsters from 10th place to seventh.

It was the same story for the team. Good start with no follow through. Torchetti told us after the game that it's time the veterans stood up, which is something we've been hearing for awhile now.

There's five games left in the season for the Aeros, so it's never over until it's over, or for you Animal House fans:  "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" But with games against Peoria tomorrow and Milwaukee on Sunday, the season could be almost over.

And frankly, at this moment, I just don't have much left to say. If you've got anything to add, please feel free to do so.

Bulldogs Bite Aeros, Win 3-2 in OT

John Torchetti was rather calm and collected when he came out to address the media long, long after tonight's 3-2 OT loss to Hamilton. He wasn't so calm in the locker room, however, as shouting and things being tossed could be heard in the corridor outside the locker room.

He's probably right to be angry. The Aeros are now 0-3-2-1 for their last six games, and with this loss, though the Aeros got a point, they dropped to seventh in the standings, and the reason for those losses, according to Torchetti is rather simple: the team's not playing very good hockey.

"It’s tough," Torchettis said. "You know what, our last six games have been that way every night. I would love to give you an explanation, but it comes down to how simple we want to play. We’ve got to simplify our game."

They took the 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the game when Nick Palmieri got the puck back to Chad Rau who stuck the puck into the goal. But Hamilton scored three minutes later tying the game. And like so many of the goals the Aeros have surrendered lately, it came as a result of a defensive breakdown.

"First mistake, first goal – it was two-on-two, stay in our lanes," he said. "Where were you about getting the puck to go on offense when we were not even going to get any offense from it, so we give them the middle of the ice. Just a rookie mistake."


The second Hamilton goal came late, late in the third period, after the Aeros, had again, taken a lead early in the period, this time with Palmieri getting the goal. But then there was another defensive breakdown hanging Hackett out to dry, and the game was tied.


Then the game goes into overtime, there's a turnover, and the game's over.


"The third goal, we turned the puck over," Torchetti said. "Instead of just passing it to the boards, we tried to pass it through the guy, and then we’re not focused because we made the turnover and we didn’t gap up. And now we’re so far back the guy just shoots it, our guy puts a stick in the way, Hack’s playing the shot, it gets deflected, there’s nothing you can do about it. It was over."


The game was about more than just the Aeros own mistakes. The game started nearly hour late because the ice compressor broke down and the ice started melting. But while Torchetti was very upset about the officiating during the late stages of the game, he did compliment the crew when it came to delaying the game and making sure it was safe to skate on the ice.


"Everyone did a good job," Torchetti said. "It is what is. Compressor goes down, you just have to make adjustments. The referees did a good job. [Official] Zac [Weibe] and Carl, Carl Sasyn [linesman] was pretty much like an ice man, so kudos to him. He did a hell of a job. He should have been double-paid tonight."

But late in the game, Cody Almond was sent flying into the boards when he was sent flying by a stick to his skates and no penalty was called. And there seemed to be some officiating confusion, as they were looking at a possible icing call on the play.

"It wasn’t icing," Torchetti said. "It hit his skate. 12,000 people seen it, except there were 12,003 people and only 12,000 seen it."

But the Aeros didn't lose this game because of the AHL's standard sub-par officiating. The Aeros lost this game because of bad hockey on their part. Sloppy defense. Sloppy puck-handling. Lack of discipline. And with the team not playing a game until Friday, they're going to be getting lots and lots and lots of practice time at SLICE.

"This is going to be the hardest week we’ve ever worked," Torchetti said. "Guarantee it. There’s no days off now. I don’t care if you’re tired. This team has to understand what discipline is because we’re not doing it right now."

But it's beginning to look like that, even if the team does begin to understand what discipline is, it's going to be too late to save a playoff spot.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

The Aeros are now 32-23-5-10 on the season with 79 points. Abbotsford is in fourth place with 80 points. Charlotte and San Antonio both won tonight with both also reaching 79 points on the season. The Checkers are in fifth place, and the Rampage move into sixth place with the Aeros now in seventh place.

Rochester, Peoria, and Lake Erie are all poised three points behind the Aeros. There are six games left in the season, but for the Aeros, time might be close to being over.

Aeros Lose Fifth In Row

Tomorrow's post in the mothership will be on the Aeros's playoff hopes seemingly slip slidin' away, to rip-off Mr. Paul Simon. The Aeros failed to win their fifth straight game, losing 4-3 in the shootout to the Lake Erie Monsters who jumped into seventh place in the playoff standings.

The Aeros gained a point, which moves them up from sixth to fifth place with 78 points. The Heat also lost in the shootout tonight, so they too have 78 points, but they've won more games, so they get the coveted fourth slot.

Frankly, I'm shocked the Aeros were able to get a point tonight. Matt Hackett didn't have much defensive help -- I was down in that corner for the Monsters second goal, and it seemed that he was screened by the entirety of both teams. And the team was inept in the shootout.

The season's not over, and the Aeros control their own destiny -- and bright side, damn it, they're in fifth place. But they have not done themselves any favors over the past two weeks. And it's possible that, come Sunday evening, the Aeros will have had several more teams leapfrog them in the standings.

Torchetti was happy to see the team get a point tonight, because, as he pointed out, they did everything possible to give away points. He made it very clear: if this team wants to make the playoffs, they have to start playing the system.

In other words, it's all in their control, and right now, it's just slip slidin' away.

Aeros Lose To Rockford: A Comedy Tonight

Sometimes things get so bad that you want to cry, but instead, you just have the urge to laugh. Like, for instance, now. Things are just so damn bad with the Wild that it's no longer sad, it's funny. And things are just so bad with the Wild that the Aeros have started getting sad. But after today/tonight, it's not sad, it's funny.

The Aeros lost to the Rockford IceHogs tonight 4-1. That's the second loss in a row, and the second on this four game road trip. As Andrew and Heather wrote below, Joe Fallon's injured and Matt Hackett's with the Wild because the brittle twins that play in goal for the Wild are, as you guessed, injured.

The result was that the Aeros threw a guy just literally out of college between the pipes tonight -- he's got just two games of ECHL experience -- named Scott Greenham. Now it would be easy to put the loss on Greenham since Rockford did score four goals. But then you look at this stat: Rockford out shot Houston 41-18, including 16-2 in the second period. Yes, you saw that right, 41-18, and it becomes a wonder that Rockford only scored three times on Greenham -- the fourth goal was an empty-netter.

That leads to the question of what happened to that offense we were bragging about just last week. There have been no roster changes. The lines haven't changed. But the Aeros can no longer score any goals. It's ridiculous, really ridiculous. What makes it more ridiculous is that the Wild's Matt Cullen broke a finger in tonight's loss to Buffalo (shocking, right? The Wild losing, and a Wild getting hurt) which will necessitate the Wild calling up one of the Aeros forwards, which in itself is funny seeing as how the Aeros forwards have forgotten how to shoot the damn puck.

However, despite the loss, the Aeros are still in fourth place. Yes, that's right, they're still in fourth because just about everybody below them in the standings also lost tonight. So for one more day, the Aeros hang on to fourth place with 76 points. The Heat, Americans, and Rivermen are tied for fifth with 75 points, and the Checkers are hanging onto the eighth spot with 74 points. The Rampage and Monsters are tied for ninth with 73 points, and the Admirals are in 11th with 70 points.

Yep, that's right, a total of six points separate the fourth spot from the 11th spot in the standings. And we thought it was ridiculously close last season.

The Aeros play in Chicago on Sunday afternoon. Peoria, Abbotsford, and Charlotte also play on Sunday. So it's conceivable that, come tomorrow night, the Aeros could be sitting in seventh place.

Like I said, it's so sad, it's funny.  Which leads to this video from a classic Broadway musical/movie of the 1960s called A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. So here's the opening song, "A Comedy Tonight."

(By the way, my apologies to Joe Fallon. I wrote about him in the Press on Friday, so of course he was injured.)

Fallon Keeps The Train Rolling

Both the Aeros and the Barons were playing their third game in three nights, and at times, especially in that third period, it looked like it. And of all of the guys who have played in these three games for the Aeros, none has put in the minutes, been under the pressure, as goalie Joe Fallon. And for the third night in a row, Fallon delivered, backstopping the Aeros to their third straight win (the second in two nights to go to the shootout) by the score of 2-1.

Earlier this month, when the Aeros were dying on the road, and Matt Hackett was called up and Darcy Kuemper was too injured to plays, the panic seemed to set in. Especially at the thought that two ECHL goalies were now tending goal for the Aeros. But after this weekend, after this past week, after this six game homestand, is there really any reason to worry?

The Aeros took the early 1-0 lead on Oklahoma City as David McIntyre, fresh off his shoot-out heroics from last night, scored 1:55 into the game on what appeared to be a mistake shot that kind of floated past the Barons' Yann Danis -- I would try to offer up a better description of the goal, but Toyota Center only showed replays of nonsense for the night, when they could be bothered to show replays, but refused to replay any of the goals in the game.

The Barons tied it at the 18:47 mark of the second period when they scored on the power play. That came after the Barons dominated the period, outshooting the Aeros 12-4. John Torchetti attributed that differential to the Aeros being sloppy with the puck.

"Every turnover probably brings you a shot-and-a-half," he said. "So if you have nine, you’re looking at 13 shots. That’s the difference. We’ve got to make sure to get better puck control. You kind of get away with a little bit at home because you’ve got your match-ups, and on the road you don’t. That’s the detail part of the game."

That was also pretty much the story in the third period, yet both teams appeared to have trouble standing on their skates, so tired did they appear to be. But Joe Fallon stood tall, stopping another 12 Baron shots and sending the game into overtime where he made one of those saves that's just so special you can't find the words to describe it, so spectacular was it -- essentially Fallon went one way, the puck went across him to the other side on a pass, the shot was made and looked to be the game-winning goal, but Fallon was able to reach back and grab the puck in the air and save the game (tip of the hat to Drew Bagnall who was able to tip the shot and slow it down).

"Let’s just hope next time that my feet are working more so I can get over into position better," was Fallon's basic response to the play.

The game went to the shootout where the Barons made their first two shots. But Fallon shut them down from there while the Aeros came to life. Jon DiSalvatore went top shelf in the third round, Jeff Taffe banged it in the fifth round, and Joel Broda sunk the game winner in round seven.

But exciting as that shootout was, it wouldn't have happened without the excellence of Fallon. And here's the thing, Fallon played all three games this weekend, meaning he played 190 minutes of hockey and went a total of 13 rounds in two shootouts.

"I tell you what, he’s come in and given us a lot of confidence," Torchetti said. "He’s played with a lot of confidence. It just goes to show you, that’s what it’s all about, I think. Giving people chances, and he’s taking advantage of it. He’s got experience. He’s come in and done a fantastic job for us. He likes a challenge. I’ll tell you what, he’s done a great job."

And nobody should argue with that fantastic job bit, especially after this weekend. As to why Fallon went back out today and didn't get any rest, well, as Fallon assured us after the game, that's the way he wanted it.

"Torch asked me if I wanted to go again, and I said, yeah, let’s do it, let’s keep the train rolling, and it paid off today," he said.

In this past week, the Aeros have gone from sitting in 10th place to sitting in fourth place with a record of 32-20-3-9 (76 points) with 12 games to play. The Rivermen sit in fifth with 73 points, percentage points ahead of the Heat who also have 73 points, but fewer wins. The Checkers have dropped down to sixth place with 72 points, while the Americans and Monster are battling it out for eighth with both have 71 points, but Rochester having the better winning percentage. The Rampage are now the tenth place, and they have 70 points.

So while the Aeros were able to make up ground and get some slight spacing on the teams behind them, this season's not over by a longshot. They've got the week off from games (but not off from practicing) before a three-in-three this weekend with two games in Rockford and a Sunday game in Chicago -- hopefully our Midwest Bureau Chief, Chris Jerina, will be able to get some photos and make a report for us from there.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

Tyler Cuma was a late scratch from the game. He skated pregame, but had a slight lower body injury. While he could've played, Torchetti said they decided that it was better that he sit out and get the extra rest time....Kris Foucault was a healthy scratch, allowing Nick Palmieri, freshly arrived from the Wild, to play....Also, it is expected that, sometime soon, Matt Hackett will be returning to the team as it's appearing that both Wild goalies will actually be healthy.

Also, I apologize for taking so long to get this posted, but I wanted to post a video honoring Joe Fallon, who had me thinking of Jimmy Fallon, so I went into Hulu watching old Jimmy Fallon skits from Saturday Night Live. And that led me from one video to another to another, and so on, and so on, and so on.  Anyway, for your enjoyment, here's one of my favorites, The Barry Gibb Talk Show.

View From The Press Box: Aeros Cool Off Heat

How about that? In the space of a two-and-a-half hours the Aeros went from 10th place in the Western Conference playoff standings to sixth place. And they did so in rather impressive fashion, dominating the Abbotsford Heat and getting the 4-1 win in a game that wasn't near as close as that final score indicates.

The damage came, again, from the Aeros power play unit as the team's first two goals came off the power play. Justin Fontaine netted both of the power play goals with Jeff Taffe getting an assist on each and Kris Fredheim and Chay Genoway getting the other assists.

Jeff Taffe struck for his third point of the game early in the second when he took the pass from Genoway and stuck it past Heat goalie Leland Irving. And the Aeros final goal came off of the stick of Jon DiSalvatore who blasted a slap shot from way up above the left circle past Irving -- the assist going to, you guessed it, Taffe.

The game was marred by multiple fights -- Almond was hit with two fighting majors -- and it got really, really ugly at the start of the third period when Abbotsford's Akim Aliu went after Almond just seconds into the period. A semi-brawl ensued, and by the time the bodies were separated and the penalties were handed out, it was clear the Heat were beaten -- Aliu got 2:00 for instigating, 5:00 for fighting, and a 10:00 game misconduct, Hugh Jessiman got 2:00 for roughing and a 10:00 game misconduct while Almond got five for fighting and Carson McMillan got 2:00 for roughing (how Drew Bagnall escaped without a penalty is still surprising).

The Heat scored seconds later, but it was clear that it was way too little, too late, and that the Aeros were going to pull out this game.

Justin Fontaine looked really good for the Aeros, but the true star of the game was Taffe and the power play.

"A good power play, you have to stay with it," head coach John Torchetti said. "As long as your power play doesn't take momentum away, you've got to stay with it. And if they just stick with what we keep teaching them -- and they're doing a great job of that -- and just take what's given to you -- once you learn to just take what's given to you -- and you're going to shoot, you have to be shooting first...it starts with the shot."

Torchetti spoke glowingly about the play of Genoway, calling him a big plus who's really smart and who will be really dangerous once he learns to shoot the puck.

And speaking of dangerous, Taffe had his second four point night in his last three games, once again getting a goal and three assists. Torchetti credits this with Taffe getting more aggressive and competing for more pucks. He's challenged the vets to do more on the ice, and he says that, at times, challenging the vets and drawing more out of them on the ice hasn't been pretty because he can't always be nice, but that they have responded.

"I have a rapport with my veterans, and I trust them," Torchetti said. "We had a talk at Christmas -- now that we're down to three [veterans]...I'm going to be harder on you because I expect you to play at a level. I expect our team to still win....You're going to be pressured."

And in goal again tonight was Joe Fallon who stopped 26 of the Heat's 27 shots, including making several tough stops early in the game when the Heat seemed to be controlling the action.

"He played big," Torchetti said of Fallon. "He's getting comfortable, he's being confident. He's challenging. He's doing a good job for us."

The Aeros are now 29-20-3-9 on the season with 15 games to play. They're tied, pointswise, with four other teams who all have 70 points, but the Aeros winning percentage has them in a tie for sixth place with San Antonio, and they're only a point behind Chicago and Peoria, who both have 71 points.

If the Aeros keep playing hockey like they did tonight, aggressive, attacking the net, shooting the puck, they could still be dangerous. But this weekend could be the key as they take on a rapidly improving Rockford club on Friday, face Abbotsford again on Saturday, and Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Jon DiSalvatore said on Sunday that this is all in their control. And it is. They just have to keep winning and getting points. If the bleeding can stop in Minnesota and the guys here can actually stay here and stay healthy, then the Aeros might still be able to pull this out.

As for tonight, it was sure was a fun game to watch.

Aeros Lose 5-2 To Griffins

Sorry, I figured someone else was handling Sunday's game. My bad.

But really, what is there to say?  The Aeros lost 5-2 to the Grand Rapids Griffins one day after they'd dominated them.  Head coach John Torchetti was happy with the effort, and liked what he got on his power play.

But I figure this is about what we're going to see the rest of the season.  The team will look good one game, then bad the next.  Matt Hackett's not coming back anytime soon.  Darcy Kuemper won't be back this season.  So prepare for the ECHL goalies.  That means the defense has to step up, and the offense.  And Sunday, neither stepped up too much.

Some of the lines are beginning to get some form and chemistry that come from playing several games together, particularly the DiSalvatore/Taffe/Rau line.  Jared Palmer's back and he had a few slick moves on the ice.  McMillan, Almond and Fontaine seem to be turning into a decent line.

But who knows how long they'll be around.  DiSalvatore said after the game he's never experienced anything like what has happened to the Wild this season.  It's almost like the Wild's arena was built on top of a Native American graveyard and there's been some kind of curse placed on the team -- you could also call it the curse of Marian Gaborik who seems to have willed all of his injuries onto the entire Wild roster for now and forever.

The Aeros lost ground this weekend, slipping into 10th place in the conference playoff standings.  The good news is they're only two points out of sixth place, and they have two games with the Abbotsford Heat this week, and since the Heat are just up there in front of them, there's a chance the Aeros could gain some ground.

Of course, by the time this week is over, the entire roster could be up in Minnesota.

I'll have a post in the mothership sometime later today.  Go give it a read.

UPDATE: Here's the Press story. Like I said, click it and go vent.

Do You Believe In Miracles? The Aeros Win In The Shootout

It finally happened.  The unthinkable.  The unbelievable.  The Aeros won a game in the shootout, coming back from a 4-1 second period deficit to defeat the Lake Erie Monsters 5-4.

That's right.  You read me correctly.  The Aeros won a game, at home, in the shootout.

The Aeros took the early lead when David McIntyre made a great play from down low and put the puck in at 6:56 of the first.  But things quickly fell apart as Lake Erie scored three unanswered first period goals, the first coming at 12:39 and the second goal coming at 13:47 on an own-goal when Chay Genoway proceeded to pass the puck to Matt Hackett and Hackett muffed the play and knocked the puck into his own goal.  Luke Walker got the third goal at 18:31 when he went backhand on Hackett.

"Tonight's theme was weather the storm," Torchetti said.  "I told them I don't mind weathering a storm, but not our own. We created our own storm.  That's the thing.  Once we get this thing going right, we'll be heading in the right direction."

The Monsters scored early in the second to make it 4-1, and for most of the second the Aeros resembled the Keystone Kops out on the ice as nothing, nothing, appeared to be going right.  Missed passes.  Overskating the puck.  Not taking shots when they were there and taking shots when they didn't have them. But Chay Genoway struck on the power play with a rocket from the right circle at 18:54 to make it 4-2 going into the second intermission.

The Aeros made it 4-3 at the 11:03 mark when Jon DiSalvatore faked out Lake Erie's goalie Gerald Coleman, passing the puck to Jeff Taffe at the last moment who put the puck into the wide open net.  And Kris Foucautl tied it at 14:29 on a fluke, when down below the red goal line, he attempted to pass the puck up across ice to one of his teammates, only to have the puck bounce off of Coleman and into the net.

"Good things are happening," Torchetti said.  "They came out -- it was kind of a weird first period.  We were outshooting them eight to two and a couple of instances and the pucks in the net.  They did a good job executing on the power play.  Our penalty kill has to get better if we're going to be a contending team in the playoffs.  Has to get better."

The Aeros had some chances to win in overtime, especially early on when Coleman made a great stop on Chad Rau.  But with the crowd roaring, the Aeros came out first in the overtime and saw the impossible happen.  Justin Fontaine made a fantastic move that faked Coleman out of his skates and the Aeros were suddenly up 1-0 on the shootout.  Matt Hackett made some fantastic stops and the game was won when the final shooter, C.J. Stretch, buried the puck in the net for the 2-0 shootout lead and the 5-4 shootout win.

""I just went out there and tried to do it for the team," Stretch said.  "There were a lot of fans here, too, so that just kind of helps you out and gets you going.  I guess I just really wanted to score and it just happened."

The win was not without controversy as once again the Aeros were upset with the goal judges as Kris Foucault claimed his shootout shot went through the netting.  But the goal judge ruled no goal and after the game we were rewarded with another lecture on the need for better nets in the goals -- Andrew should be following up on this later.

There was a lot of bad hockey in this game by the Aeros, especially in the second period, but for now, it doesn't matter as the Aeros actually hung on to get the win before a crowd of 13,390, the largest ever crowd to see the Aeros play at Toyota Center.

"It was like, god, I hope we don't lose in front of this crowd because they deserved it," Torchetti said.  "They were great, they were loud.  It's what we like playing in front of every night, that's for sure."

The Aeros return to action tomorrow at 12:05 for a game against a well-rested Milwaukee Admiral team that rolled into Toyota Center well before game time tonight.

SOME MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

This was the first Aeros shootout win at home this season, and only their second shootout win for the season....

David McIntyre got to enjoy scoring a goal on his birthday...

The out-of-left field trivia of the night is that Chris Clackson is an iPhone app developer, having developed while in college an iPhone app called Grocery Time that helps with budgeting, keeping track of food freshness, etc....

How many more times this season will there have to be a controversy regarding the goal judges and the goal netting before something actually gets done?  From what we were hearing after the game the problem apparently is with the nets as pucks keep flying through the nets during the Toyota Center morning skates.  That raises the question: just how hard can it be to get new nets?  Especially nets that do what they're supposed to do and keep the puck in the goal?