Western Conference Power Rankings

Rampage stopped just short of franchise record

Last week and going forward, the San Antonio Rampage had a decent chance to move even higher up the Western Conference Power Rankings. They had won seven in a row, and went to OKC looking to set a franchise record for most consecutive victories.

Not so fast.

They got shut out there and then went home to face Lake Erie in front of more than 16,000 fans and a pink ice surface. The Rampage were about five seconds away from another shutout, but Mike Caruso scored San Antonio's only goal of the game before the last tick of the clock.

Rampage went 0-2 last week, fall to
seventh in the power rankings. 

Now the team hits the road for its annual rodeo road trip, where, like the Aeros, they will play 11 straight away from home. The Rampage should be able to work their way back up through the pack as five of their next six opponents are struggling right around or below the .500 mark of the season.

Trust me, we have not seen the last of the Rampage this season.

Other notes

Charlotte and Toronto just keep on trucking, and the Rochester Amerks really had a good week post All-Star break. The Aeros beat Texas and Lake Erie, but could not finish off the trifecta against the struggling Milwaukee Admirals.

Not a ton of movement elsewhere in the standings, but the Texas Stars did not have a good week, and they are going to have to get things going soon if they want a third straight trip to the AHL playoffs to start their franchise.

  2011-12 AHL Western Conference Power Rankings

                              February 6, 2012 edition

PR	Team	Record	Streak	Last Wk	+/-	For the record …
1	OKC	29-11-2-3	0-1	1-1-0-0	-	First team to 30 wins
2	CLT	26-16-2-2	2-0	2-0-0-0	-	Good start to road trip
3	TOR	23-17-3-2	2-0	2-0-0-0	-	Very tough at home
4	HOU	23-12-3-9	0-1	2-1-0-0	+3	They just won’t die
5	CHI	24-16-1-3	0-1	1-1-0-0	-	Cannauton w/ 10 goals
6	PEO	24-20-2-1	2-0	2-0-0-0	+2	Best forwards in AHL
7	SAT	24-20-2-0	0-2	0-2-0-0	-3	Rodeo trips under way
8	ABB	25-16-3-0	0-1	1-2-0-0	-2	3-7 in last 10 overall
9	RCH	21-17-6-3	3-1	2-0-1-0	+2	Kassian back from BUF
10	MKE	23-19-1-1	1-0	1-1-0-0	-	Big road win at HOU Sun
11	RFD	20-22-1-4	0-1	0-1-0-0	-2	158 goals against!
12	GRR	19-18-4-4	1-0	1-1-0-0	-	Rookie Nyquist is a beast
13	HAM	20-20-1-4	0-1	1-1-0-0	+1	Needs a push NOW
14	LEM	21-22-2-2	0-1	1-0-0-1	+1	Points in three straight
15	TEX	20-22-1-2	0-4	0-2-0-0	-2	Team is better than this

Let us know what you think about these rankings! Discuss, leave a comment, and tell us what you think.

The Aeros Lose In The Shootout Again (Yes, I Know, Shocking)

When I was a kid there was this cartoon called The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show which was a Flintstone's spin-off centered on the teenage kids of Fred and Barney.  One of the characters on the show was this kid called Schleprock, who literally walked around with a black cloud hanging over his head.

I bring this up because I'm convinced there's a black cloud of bad luck hanging over Toyota Center whenever the Aeros are playing there.  Like tonight where, once again, the Aeros lost a game in the shootout.  The Aeros have won just one game in the shootout this season, and that win came on the road, in Peoria.  This time, the Aeros lost 4-3 in the shootout, but unlike in games past, the Aeros actually were able to make shots in the shootout -- Casey Wellman and Kris Foucault were able to hit their shots -- but the San Antonio Rampage were able make three, including one that went through the net and was originally called a no-goal but, after consultation, was changed to a goal.

John Torchetti wasn't too sure about the call however, and after the game, he stormed out of the locker room to the ice, where he had them bring him the net for his own personal inspection.  He then had a nice, calm chat with the officiating crew -- way, way, way more calmer than the little discussion that Lane Lambert had with them after Game Five last season.

So of course we asked him about that goal, and about losing again in the shootout.

"You know what, it’s over," he said.  "That’s it.  I can see a puck going through the net on a point shot, but on a shoot-out, there’s no velocity?  It’s hard to do.  I can see if [the netting's] loose, but I just wedged it to get through a puck.  But whatever, it’s a point."

[For what it's worth, when we asked him, Matt Hackett said it was a goal, and the TV replays we were able to see off of the San Antonio TV replay monitors also seemed to indicate that it was a goal.]

The shootout wouldn't have mattered if the Aeros would have been able to hold on to their 3-1 second period lead.  But they couldn't.  There were multiple special teams breakdowns, and for a while, it seemed as if the Aeros were just content to let Casey Wellman do all of the offensive damage -- and welcome back Mr. Wellman.

And thus ended another three-in-three weekend.  The Aeros were unable to get a single win, but they were able to get a point in each game.  All three games went into overtime, and the Aeros were mixing and matching the roster at all times due to the Friday morning Wild call-ups.  And Torchetti offered up praise for the play of some of the newbies.

"Kids that come up, they want to come up," he said.  "[Chris] Clackson’s got a brother that plays in Chicago, so it’s in the bloodlines.  [Mike] McKenzie’s done a great job just working hard and just competing every night, and that’s what the game comes down to."

And as for the return of Wellman, Torchetti once again gushed with praise.

"He just plays hard.  He’s just come down and he’s accepted his role being sent back, and he’s just gone back to where he was.  And that’s kudos to him.  It shows you what kind of character he has as a person."

But in the end, the point is that the Aeros were only able to get a point out of a game where they appeared set to get two points.  It's a game where, once again, they failed to get the win at home.  Maybe this is just their Schleprock season when it comes to playing games at home.  Yet things could be worse.  They're still getting points after all.  Not two points, but one.  And one's better than none.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

This was the seventh straight Aeros game decided by one goal, and the fourth of sixth games to go into overtime.  They are 3-1-1-2 for this seven game stretch.

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Marco Scandella appeared to take a shot off of his knee late in the third period.  He was barely able to make it back to the bench, and immediately went to the locker room from which he did not return.  We asked Torchetti about his status after the game, but it was still too early to know anything.

And for the curious, Cody Almond is suffering from a lower body injury and Jeff Penner is suffering from an upper body injury.

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Yes, this game was on television.  San Antonio television, so it was probably available on one of the various Fox Sports Southwest channels.  No, I don't know why it wasn't being televised here, and no, I don't know why Aeros games seem to have vanished from that thing known as a television.  The only games that make it on TV are those when they play San Antonio, and that means getting the San Antonio call of the game.

Aeros Defeat Rampage 2-1 (IN OVERTIME!!!!!)

The Aeros did the unthinkable tonight.  They got the overtime win.

That's right.  You read that correctly.  The Aeros got the overtime win tonight, defeating the San Antonio Rampage 2-1 for their first OT win since March 15, 2011.  And boy, did it feel good.

"It's not even the New Year yet, so that's a good sign," head coach John Torchetti said shortly after the victory.   A victory powered by a pretty Jeff Taffe goal at 1:03 of the OT that came from the left of goalie Jacob Markstrom and was set up by a beautiful Jon DiSalvatore cross-ice pass from down low.

The Aeros tied the game in a most improbable fashion, scoring on the power play at 13:40 of the third period, Chad Rau taking a rebound and lifting it over the shoulder of Markstrom.

"It was good to see our power play," Torchetti said.  "It did a good job, got a big goal.  Got us back in the game, changed momentum.  I thought we played more of our style in the third."

The lone goal for the Rampage came at 3:31 of of the second period when San Antonio's Michael Caruso at mid-ice, hit the puck off of a stanchion and the puck flew past Hackett.  It was one of the goals that can kill a team, and in weeks past, it probably would have killed the spirits of the Aeros, but the veterans were back from Minnesota, and they were out in full force, as if willing the team to victory.

"Our leadership was fantastic tonight down at the end.  All of our leaders played huge roles.  Ortmeyer, Almond.  Strong penalty kill.  [Hackett] played big, Hack kept us in the game in the first."

The Aeros (17-6-2-7, 43 points) moved back into second place of the AHL's West Division with the win, bypassing the idle Abbotsford Heat, and they're one point behind the first place Oklahoma City Barons.  The Aeros return to action when they travel to San Antonio to face the Rampage on Friday night.  The Aeros return to Houston next year when they host the Barons on Sunday, January 1, 2012 at 5:05.

Aeros take first place in 3-2 win over Rampage

Hopefully most of you got to watch yesterday's game in glorious HD from San Antonio or were on the road trip with the team. Props to those who went as the post-goal cheers were very clear on the broadcast. I'm sure San Antonio fans absolutely hated you. :) Well done.

It was one of those games where the Aeros didn't look "all in" and didn't match San Antonio's urgency, but this team just happens to be good enough to make that work occasionally. Matt Climie didn't make it easy either. He was right where he needed to be all game long and the two goals against were just opportunistic.

He was coming off the flu, too, so I have to think there was some fatigue setting in by the time the game rolled around to the shootout. The SO goals by O'Sullivan, Earl, and Rau... well, they made it look easy on a goalie who has typically been money in the shootout, allowing only 5 goals in 32 attempts until last night.

Shots were wayyy lopsided in the first. 4-12 for San Antonio. Partially due to the 5 minute major Gillies got for boarding. It was an ugly hit, too, and the guy was lucky to skate off on his own. I know Gillies knows HOW to pull up and avoid these vulnerable hits. He has to do it.

That said, the boys (and Hackett) were fantastic on the kill and it worked out okay. Though I feel sure #18 is etched in the minds of that whole roster. It'll come back eventually.

Back to goalies, Hackett was also very good. One goal was on his defense. The other was tipped in. Neither one should he feel badly about.

Also, while I'm on Hackett... He's now the 5th ranked goalie in the AHL. And the top rookie. Snack on that, Jake Allen! Hackett's season is a great story that superstition prevents me from writing just yet, but I'll do it eventually.

And the Aeros get to enjoy first place for a full day as the entire league is off today, including Milwaukee one point behind first. They both play Tuesday night (Houston at Texas and Milwaukee hosting OKC) and both should reasonably win, but the Aeros have to respect Texas' position. Those teams from 3rd to 7th place are pretty damn motivated to climb over each other in the tight standings.

Roughhousing At the Toy Box (In Photos)

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

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

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

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

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

3/19/11 -- Aeros v. Rampage -- The Separation Edition

The Aeros needed the win over San Antonio Rampage tonight. They needed the win to get points and stay close to Milwaukee, but more importantly, they needed the win so that they could start to get some separation from themselves and the clubs below them. And they needed to start sensing the kill and putting opponents out of their playoff misery.

And with a convincing 5-1 win over the Rampage tonight, before a huge, electric crowd of 11,273, the Aeros did everything they needed to, and more. Mike Yeo, getting some players back healthy, did some line shuffling, and saw a huge payoff, and Carson McMillan scored two goals within 19 seconds to put the Aeros up 4-0 late in the second period and put the final nail in the Rampage coffin for the night.

So let’s get to it.

1. Important stuff first: Milwaukee lost 3-2 to Lake Erie, so the Aeros moved back to a point out of first place. Bigger than that, Rockford beat Peoria 4-3 and Oklahoma City beat Chicago 4-3. And with Texas not playing tonight, the Aeros are finally getting some of that mythical separation between themselves and the teams behind them in the playoff hunt. Separation that’s going to be important that last week when the Aeros are off for eight days while everybody else plays multiple games.

The Aeros are now five points up on Peoria and Oklahoma City. They’re six points up on Texas, seven points up on Chicago, and eight points up on a San Antonio team that is fading, and fading quickly.

2. The game tonight was scoreless after one period. But the Aeros controlled the action in a fight-filled period and set the stage for a second period where they lit up the Rampage for four goals.

3. The goals in the fourth period were all things of real beauty. Patrick O’Sullivan got the first goal, a sick little number made possible off of a Jon DiSalvatore play down in the corner. O’Sullivan got the puck in the slot and just did what he does. San Antonio’s Joe Fallon never stood a chance of stopping the shot.

The second goal saw Robbie Earl, from about the same spot as O’Sullivan’s, flipping the puck over the Fallon’s stick off of a pass from Cody Almond. And like O’Sullivan’s goal, it was just one of those goals that make you go “WOW,” even when you’re sitting in the press box and you’re not supposed to be cheering.

Then it was the Carson McMillan show as at 16:55 he took a shot from the left circle and lifted it over Fallon and right under the cross bar to put Houston up 3-0. And just as everybody was settling down, he struck again, getting a pass from Jed Ortmeyer as he crossed in front of the goal, where he tipped it past Fallon.

4. McMillan’s been a key guy for the Aeros this year. He’s been doing all of the gritty stuff that doesn’t really get the notice because it’s not glamorous, so nobody was happier for McMillan tonight than Yeo.

“I’m happy for him,” Yeo said. “The thing is, he doesn’t need to score to have a great game. He understands that. That’s one of the reasons why I think he’s really put himself on the map as far as being a prospect in this organization this year. He’s a guy that – he’s just a great role player. Whatever his job is he’s going to go out and do it that night. The reason I’m happy for him is, he’s been a guy who’s moved up to top lines and moved up in the lineup, and he’s scored some goals and he’s got some points, and the next thing you know he’s back on the fourth line. But whether he’s on the fourth line or the second line he’s equally as important to us. I was happy to see it. Every time he’s handled it with unbelievable attitude and I was happy to see him get rewarded.”

5. Yeo was happy about his team’s play for the entire game. Especially with the way they came out and stuck to the game plan and executed and dominated. We asked him about that second period after the game, and he said the second period happened because of the play in the first period.

“That’s the way you draw it up right there,” he said. “I thought the first period was good, too, actually. We had a game plan, and the guys were committed to it right from the start. We didn’t bury pucks in the first period, but we started to tilt the ice, and when you do that, you put yourself in a position to do what we did in the second period.”

6. Colton Gillies returned to action tonight, and his play was noticeable throughout, especially early in the game when the Aeros were on the penalty kill. But Yeo also thought Gillies did a great job throughout of the night of wearing down the San Antonio defensemen, and by making them look for him throughout the night every time they tried to make something happen throughout the game.

7. With the return of Gillies, and with Scott Campbell joining the team out of college, the Aeros did a bit of line reshuffling. Cody Almond rejoined the top line with Patrick O’Sullivan and Jon DiSalvagore, while Casey Wellman joined line two with Robbie Earl and Chad Rau. Carson McMillan moved up to line three with Jed Ortmeyer and Colton Gillies while the new guy played with Jarod Palmer and Jean-Michel Daoust.

Yeo thinks this gives the team really good balance on the main two scoring lines, and he likes the added threat that now comes from the third line.

8. The team also saw defenseman Jeff Penner take the ice for the first time tonight, and he looked good. Which is important seeing as how Marco Scandella broke a finger playing for the Wild today and Nate Prosser was recalled to join them.

9. The Aeros did try to get McMillan his hat trick tonight. The Aeros got a 4:00 power play to end the game, and McMillan was out there, in front of the goal, for most of it. He told us after the game that Ortmeyer made sure that Mike Yeo knew just what the stakes were, and that McMillan got out on the ice, and McMillan then told us that Jon DiSalvatore did everything within his power to set up the goal.

10. This was a really physical game that at times, especially late in the third period, threatened to escalate out of control as San Antonio seemed to be taking their frustrations out on the Aeros.

“I think frustration was a big part of it,” Yeo said. “I also think that the fact that we play them tomorrow and they want to put up a fight and say hey, we’re not going to roll over and die. I don’t mind that stuff. We have guys that can handle themselves. I love seeing another get frustrated and doing that stuff because it means we’re getting to them. And I’d love to see it happen again tomorrow.”

And Yeo expects more of this type of play from the Rampage tomorrow.

11. It might just be me, but it seemed to me that the Aeros were sensing it tonight. They were sensing that playoff spot, and they were sensing that the Rampage are about down for the count. There are still nine games left, but the Aeros are finally getting some separation between themselves and the teams below them, and they really seemed to be playing with confidence and a great sense of purpose of tonight.

But who knows what will happen tomorrow.

It's been a while since I've played a video, but there's this song that's been going through my head lately -- and is kind of stuck on my iPod repeat, that I think just gets the proper attitude of tonight's game. It's kind of sassy, with a 70s soul vibe and lots of sax and keyboard. So here are Fitz and the Temptations with "Money Grabber."



And I'll try to get some photos up later.

1/9/11 -- Aeros v. Rampage -- Some Photos and Notes

I don't have a lot of time at the moment -- I've got real work stuff to handle -- so I'll try to throw up some quotes and notes later today. As it is, all that really needs to be known is that San Antonio got the 1-0 lead in the first, but Kris Fredheim tied it about 30 seconds later.

Jean-Michel Daoust got the game winner later in the third, and Colton Gillies got an empty-netter to seal the 3-1 win. Matt Hackett, after getting pulled early last night for allowing four goals, was solid tonight in the win.

The really interesting thing to note is that Hackett wasn't supposed to start tonight. Mike Yeo was going to start Josh Tordjman, but Hackett came to Yeo a couple of hours before the game and said that he really wanted to go tonight, so Yeo let him go. I think that worked out rather well.

The three stars were 3. Fredheim, 2. Hackett, and 1. Daoust.

Now for some photos.

There's nothing special, gamewise, about this photo with Carson McMillan in a face-off. I just like it.


This is Fredheim's goal in the first. If you click on the photo, you should be able to see the puck right at the top of Ortmeyer's stick and behind Montoya.

This is Daoust's game-winner.

Matt Kassian congratulates Hackett after a great game.

And the star of the game, Jean-Michel Daoust.

Aeros make Rampage heads spin with last minute victory (literally)

I'm sure the guys will be on later with a more detailed account of the "did that just happen?" 4-3 win over San Antonio, so I'll just do a little brain dump:

• No matter how boring it gets playing the Texas Stars 487 times a year, I never get tired of San Antonio. Between the genuine rivalry that tends to bring out the chippiness, and Al Montoya, who always plays an entertaining game, there's just something about that match-up that I look forward to every time. You just never know what's going to happen, but you know SOMETHING is going to happen (see Monday's pigeon game delay).
• Today it was the odd storyline of San Antonio simply having too many veterans and having to scratch perfectly good players too often due to the veteran rule. So, today they release veteran NHLer Jed Ortmeyer and the Aeros snatch him up and have him in an Aeros jersey by 7:30 tonight. And then he creates the turnover that results in the game winner. Revenge served piping hot...
• Tyler Cuma got his first professional goal and has looked better and better since he finally got healthy and back on the ice. I remember his first training camp after he got drafted, he was blowing people away with his calm, powerful work on the blue line as, basically, a boy among men. But then it's been injury after injury and some adjustment to the pros. But tonight, I think we finally started to see that player again. The goal, along with that insane hip check and then another meaningful hit earlier in the game... well, it was for sure his best game so far.
• And it's coming at a good time because the Wild appear to be losing Marek Zidlicky, an important every-situation defenseman, due to a shoulder injury. They've already recalled Spurgeon, though I wouldn't be surprised to see them give several guys a chance through Zidlicky's absense (which looks to be fairly long). So the Aeros are down a top defensemen possibly for the remainder of the season. The more of these guys the Aeros can get clicking, the less it matters to lose one.
• Miss Aeros thingy was a snooze. Predictable. If there's only one leggy blonde in the bunch, she's winning. It's America. Of course that's what's gonna happen. At least have 2 leggy blondes next time to add some suspense. Or were there two? I dunno. Whatever. Hope the guys enjoyed it though. 
• If you haven't noticed, I really love hockey and I think anybody who doesn't love hockey just hasn't been properly exposed to it. So when they have enormous crowds like this, I desperately hope the Aeros put on a show worthy of the sport. I think tonight was a perfect example of the kind of game that will make someone a hockey fan. Fast, unpredictable, gritty (but not gratuitously violent). How could you leave this game and not leave thinking, "Damn, hockey is awesome!" It SO is! Come back! 

That is all from me for a while. I'm off to New England for the weekend so I'll miss the next couple. If you have any pull with the weather gods, please put in a good word for me. I'm a big ol' chicken about driving in wintery weather. *eep* 

Anton showed up, stole the show, and the injured Aeros won

When I first logged into the game tonight, I already knew that Casey Wellman and Matt Kassian were probably not going to play. Kassian ended up going Monday, but the Aeros were also without Warren Peters, Colton Gillies, Petr Kalus, and Joel Broda.

They called up two guys from the CHL and still managed to beat the San Antonio Rampage 2-1 in a game in which they were outshot 40-17.

I sure hope the Aeros got on the bus before the hockey gods decide to make things right in the world. Hey, I know those are the breaks sometimes, but when you get outshot 40-17, you can't say you won 'cause the other team was rusty.

What is going to happen is this: the Aeros are going to get absolutely drilled by San Antonio on New Years Day, so they better get at least one feel-good win in Milwaukee or Rockford later this week.

After getting killed by the Rampage on Saturday, things will level off for the Aeros. Even though they still have a schedule that was made by an elementary school janitor (no offense to those folks who, for sure, work harder than I do), most of their games will be at home and their travel is much more manageable.

What worries me right now is that they picked the wrong time to get hurt. And it is this schedule that is keeping them injured and without practice time.

If the Aeros lose the next three and fall back to .500, I still think they'll be OK to make a playoff run. Their 18 wins is not all that far off from most of the teams currently in playoff contention. But they have played more games than everyone else, and the numbers in the loss column are starting to pile up, too.

And to be fair, credit needs to go to Anton tonight, who played very well. Sir, you are the reason the team extended the winning "streak" to two games. I think we are all harder on Anton because we know what he is capable of doing. We know he can play down here and we know he is capable of holding his own in the NHL. But there are times when things snowball on him and he is going to allow one turd a game.

That is where he needs to settle down, and if he can play more games like he did Monday, he'll again be regarded as one of the better netminders in AAA hockey.

That is all for tonight. The Aeros will fly to Chicago for a pair of games in the Midwest later this week. Although, I too, will be in Wisconsin Wednesday, there is no chance I can make the four-hour drive down to see the boys. I am going to get to see the Wild host the Predators Friday night, and I am really looking forward to my first Wild game of the year.

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.

11/26/10 -- Aeros v. Rampage -- San Antonio Bulls Over The Aeros

I should write up the game tonight, a 5-3 Aeros loss to the San Antonio Rampage. But I just don't feel like putting in the effort. Kind of like the Aeros tonight, as they really didn't seem to give a damn about putting any effort into the game.

Think I'm being harsh? Well how about this from Mike Yeo: "I was very disappointed in the game. I’m very disappointed with the way we started, and the lack of urgency in our play. We talked about it in the morning about what a great opportunity it was, a great challenge playing against a first place team, and I thought right from the start we were making soft plays. There was no desperation in our game. We were losing every loose puck and battle – every one on one battle. And ultimately we got what we deserved tonight."

And trust me, there's more where that came from. But frankly, my sense of urgency for getting this written is kind of on the same level as the team starting the game. So let's just say the Aeros got the 1-0 lead. Quickly gave it up. They let the Rampage take the 2-1 lead in the second, tied it again, then quickly surrendered the lead. Yeah, it was just one of those nights.

A few quick points:

1. Both of the Aeros goals came on the power play. When's the last time the Aeros only goals in a game came off the power play?

2. Instrumental in both goals was the game's third star, Max Noreau. Noreau set up Casey Wellman for the first goal, then Noreau got the second goal on one of his patented laser shots, of which we've seen far too few of this season.

3. "One of the biggest keys is we’re shooting the puck a lot now," Noreau said of the power play. "We’re not looking for the pretty play all of the time now. It doesn’t have to be a tap-in goal. It could be a point shot with guys in front of the net shot. I’m thinking that’s our bread and butter so far, so just keeping doing that. When teams see that we’re shooting the puck a lot, we’ll try the pretty plays."

4. Mike Yeo wasn't happy with the power play. Then again, Yeo wasn't happy, rightfully, with much in tonight's game.

5. Yeo's not throwing the goalies under the bus. He put some of the problems that Hackett tonight on the play of the defensemen, especially those plays which found Hackett trying to field the puck and getting plays started.

6. "I’m not going to sit here and say Hack played great, that’s for sure," Yeo said. "Probably I think what we’re doing for right now is a game where we don’t play great, but a goalie wins a game for us. But having said that, a lot of the stuff that was happening, especially as far as playing the puck, was on the defensemen more than him. We have a plan for how we’re supposed to retrieve plucks, and that plan wasn’t executed too well. It’s a matter of going back and communicating with your goaltender and wanting the puck is ultimately what it comes down too."

7. What this game was missing tonight was Mitch Love. Or a Mitch Love type player. The team was down and not exerting much effort. The crowd was down, stuffed with too much turkey. This was the type of game that, when Love was here, sensing the lack of energy amongst the team and crowd, that Love would go out and get some action started that would ignite the team and the crowd.

8. Cal Clutterbuck was also good in this role in his one season with the Aeros. Clutterbuck had an ability to level a hit that would get the crowd and the team engaged in the game.

9. No video tonight. This game didn't deserve one.

Flattening their laurels: Aeros 3, Rampage 5

When I was a kid, I thought "laurels" were another term for butt cheeks when I heard the term "resting on your laurels." In fact, even long since knowing the etymology of the phrase, I still get a mental picture of someone resting on their ass when I hear it.

Whatever mental picture it conjures, Coach Yeo is pretty cheesed about the pattern of laurel-resting he's seeing from this Aeros team. They put together a string of success and then they stink for a few games. And then they hit bottom and pick themselves up and succeed again.

Tonight, there was a loud hissing sound in the building (we thought maybe they were preparing to drop the big board at center ice on Terry Koharski so he'd quit calling so many penalties and let the game have some flow -- Love you, Jeff Smith! *mwah*). But I'm hoping now that it was the sound of the Aeros hitting bottom in this game, because this was not a fun game to watch.

From top to bottom, any cohesiveness ended with Wellman's early goal (beauty, BTW) and I felt like Hackett didn't have his head together in nets.

I was particularly frustrated by his weak puck movement. I know I have a high standard there, but I'm of the opinion that puck playing for a goalie can be so dangerous that if you aren't pretty damn good at it, you should take the safe option.

Yeo put some of that back on the team tonight though, saying there's a prescribed way defensemen are supposed to deal with that stuff and it wasn't happening. So... I kinda take that back, Hack, but kinda not, too. I dunno.

The team very kindly gives us Time On Ice stats now and I'm looking at them tonight and wondering if Scandella is hurt. I need to get into Russo's habit of counting the bench every so often, but Scandella only had two shifts in the second period and none in the third. Unusual.

Also, Kassian was reassigned to Houston after the Wild game today, so hopefully we'll see him tomorrow. Having him back might inject some much-needed energy and hustle.

Anyway, another disappointing night, but the beautiful thing is that they get a chance to do better tomorrow. And talking to Max Noreau after the game, he feels sure they're going to bring it tomorrow night. I wish I shared his conviction.

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Bonus reading: Here's a funny story worth reading if you love old school hockey stories.

10/29/10: Rampage 5, Aeros 2

Sometimes when I can't process the horrors around me, like when I visit my in-laws, I imagine I'm leaving my body and observing the scene from outside myself. Detached, unemotional, unaffected.

I figure this coping mechanism is cheaper than therapy, and I mention this because, until the Aeros find some way to start winning games, you (and I) may find this useful.

The 5-2 loss to San Antonio started with so much promise. Just seconds into the game, Cody Almond got his first goal of the season, beautifully set up by Jon DiSalvatore as though the hockey gods had chiseled the skate marks into the ice themselves.

San Antonio tied it up halfway through the period on the power play, but hey, NBD. The Aeros were sticking it to the Rampage to the tune of double the shots on goal (18-9 in the first!)

And that feeling was so right, as the Aeros pulled ahead less than 2 minutes later on a PP goal by Max Noreau (phew! finally!).

But alas, SA ties it up with another power play goal just before the end of the period.

Despite the shot count looking very uneven, the Aeros mostly only dominated the first half of the period, and  only because San Antonio was turning the puck over left and right. The Aeros' 18 shots were more a testament to their ability to capitalize on the other team's failure, which is a useful habit to have... until the other team wakes up and quits failing.

Seven minutes into the second, Tikhonov set the Aeros on their heels for good with a short-handed, unassisted breakaway and as Joe said, that was the back breaker. And from there, San Antonio racked up a couple more goals just to put 'er away, though shots were even at 15 and 10 apiece in the final two frames.

One of the goals was squarely on Hackett, who mishandled the puck and basically put it on the stick of the Rampage while playing it behind the net. Rookie mistake and that one would keep me awake tonight if I were him, but hopefully he sees it as an opportunity to learn.

I was a little surprised Yeo didn't give the kid a break and sit him for the third period, but I guess he wanted him to battle through it. And maybe I'm still conditioned to Constantine's super quick hook. Coaches have their own philosophies on such things.

There was a fight of some sort near the end with a whopping 42 minutes of PIM handed out between the teams, Almond collecting 17 of those. I missed it since I cleverly "forgot" to watch the third period, and the archive isn't up yet. From the score sheet, it looks like it started with Almond slashing someone, and he and Bagnall paired off with May and (Captain) Picard.

I have my own hockey tomorrow night so I'll just pre-write the post-gamer.

Aeros lose 3-1, Krahn is fantastic, Khudobin is good but with no goal support, might as well sit on top of the net all night. They start slow but have a good second period, and just get bested in the third. Kassian almost scores (he had a breakaway tonight... no joke!) again. Bagnall punches someone. Robbie Earl with the goal. Drive home safely. See you Sunday.

BONUS
Did you know: The Aeros lead the league in average penalty minutes per game? I wonder how much of that is "toughness" PIM and how much is "I'm slow so I'm gonna hook/hold that guy" PIM. Maybe I'll sort through the numbers tomorrow and figure that out.