Aeros seemed to have lost their intensity, and certainly their dominance, when faced with a determined and angry Lake Erie Monsters team today.
To be honest, the first two periods were freezing constantly on AHL Live (they got it fixed in the third) but it certainly seemed like a role reversal (though with better defense in their own end for the Aeros) from yesterday's game.
There's so much that's mental about hockey and I can't help but wonder if between the 6-0 drubbing and Kalus's behavior, the wind was maybe out of the Aeros sails a bit. I dunno. Just a theory. Probably full of merde again.
Regardless, goalie Tyler Weiman was certainly back to his usual form and redeemed himself nicely, as did the rest of the team, really showing character to man up after a tough loss yesterday.
The boys flew back after the early game and will be on home ice tomorrow at 4:05 against Chicago. Apparently Chris Chelios was being scouted by Phoenix this weekend. He got two assists in the 4-3 OT win. (And in a display of massive homerism... and yes, I see that the tying goal was made after the stars were chosen, but still... check out the three stars.)
Brusty update: He didn't play tonight contrary to some conjecture, though it never really made much sense to me that he'd play back to back in his first start in 7 months.
However, the Everblades are on a 3 game win streak since he arrived. You know who could use luck? Houston. Just saying.
Next game for Florida is Wednesday against Brusty's former ECHL team, the Reading Royals.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Word count for dummies
Saw a comment from an earlier post about the Chronicle not printing 10 words about the Aeros game in Cleveland Friday night.
To end any confusion or argument, the story was actually 360 words, which is actually much longer than some home game reports.
Here is a copy of the article:
CLEVELAND — The last time the Aeros were on the road, they scored just two goals in three straight losses to Grand Rapids (twice) and the Texas Stars.
Friday night in the first of back-to-back games against the Lake Erie Monsters, the Aeros tripled that output in a single game with a 6-0 shutout win at Quicken Loans Arena.
Six different players scored and Jon DiSalvatore recorded three assists. Anton Khudobin made 17 saves as the Aeros (9-7-0-0) won their third straight game and jumped past Peoria for sole possession of second place in the West Division standings.
The Aeros scored the first goal of the game late in the opening period when Nathan Smith took a pass from DiSalvatore and beat Monsters goalie Tyler Weiman with 1:36 left.
With three goals in the first eight minutes of the second period, the Aeros blew open the game and chased Weiman from the net.
Danny Irmen scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season 99 seconds into the period, and Clayton Stoner made it 3-0 when he scored his third goal of the season at 5:46.
Less than three minutes later, Max Noreau beat Weiman after taking a pass from Duncan Milroy at 8:10.
Noreau’s goal spelled the end of the night for Weiman, who blanked the Aeros 1-0 last month at Toyota Center.
Peter Kalus did not light the lamp in his first 14 games with the team, but he has scored goals in back-to-back games. The Aeros have scored at least four goals in a season-high three straight games.
The Aeros played the game without winger Robbie Earl, who was recalled to Minnesota on emergency conditions and played 5:21 in the Wild’s 3-1 loss at Washington Friday. Earl will likely be with the Wild and will miss tonight’s game against Lake Erie and Chicago on Sunday.
Also, Aeros goalie Barry Brust was assigned to the Florida Everblades earlier this week on a conditioning assignment. Brust made 34 saves as the ‘Blades beat the Toledo Walleye 4-3 in a shootout.
Brust will play tonight in the rematch.
To end any confusion or argument, the story was actually 360 words, which is actually much longer than some home game reports.
Here is a copy of the article:
CLEVELAND — The last time the Aeros were on the road, they scored just two goals in three straight losses to Grand Rapids (twice) and the Texas Stars.
Friday night in the first of back-to-back games against the Lake Erie Monsters, the Aeros tripled that output in a single game with a 6-0 shutout win at Quicken Loans Arena.
Six different players scored and Jon DiSalvatore recorded three assists. Anton Khudobin made 17 saves as the Aeros (9-7-0-0) won their third straight game and jumped past Peoria for sole possession of second place in the West Division standings.
The Aeros scored the first goal of the game late in the opening period when Nathan Smith took a pass from DiSalvatore and beat Monsters goalie Tyler Weiman with 1:36 left.
With three goals in the first eight minutes of the second period, the Aeros blew open the game and chased Weiman from the net.
Danny Irmen scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season 99 seconds into the period, and Clayton Stoner made it 3-0 when he scored his third goal of the season at 5:46.
Less than three minutes later, Max Noreau beat Weiman after taking a pass from Duncan Milroy at 8:10.
Noreau’s goal spelled the end of the night for Weiman, who blanked the Aeros 1-0 last month at Toyota Center.
Peter Kalus did not light the lamp in his first 14 games with the team, but he has scored goals in back-to-back games. The Aeros have scored at least four goals in a season-high three straight games.
The Aeros played the game without winger Robbie Earl, who was recalled to Minnesota on emergency conditions and played 5:21 in the Wild’s 3-1 loss at Washington Friday. Earl will likely be with the Wild and will miss tonight’s game against Lake Erie and Chicago on Sunday.
Also, Aeros goalie Barry Brust was assigned to the Florida Everblades earlier this week on a conditioning assignment. Brust made 34 saves as the ‘Blades beat the Toledo Walleye 4-3 in a shootout.
Brust will play tonight in the rematch.
Aeros v. Lake Erie: Today at NOON (CT)
I'm finally fully saturated in Brustydom and ready to move on to cover the team I actually cover. *sheepish*
So, I'm watching the archive of last night's 6-0 plastering of the Lake Erie Monsters, and I hear Joe say "these two teams meet up at noon tomorrow." Huh?
Yeah, way to keep up. Apparently, the boys meet up at the unusual time of noon (CT) today. So, if you planned to listen and are as oblivious as me, here's your heads up.
I'll go ahead and post this and then come back and add some comments about last night's game. Check in just before game time and hopefully I'll be done. Some interesting stuff from the game that sets up some intrigue for today.
---------------
Okay, the Aeros scored more goals in the last 3 games then they did in the previous 8 games. Have the Aeros just run into cold goalies or did the Goalie Angel's magic goal scoring fairy dust actually work?
It helps to have that whole power play nonsense behind them, as they score on two of four power play opportunities last night. They're still in the basement for that particular stat but last time I checked, the W stat is the one that matters. And they've still only allowed an incredibly stingy 2 power play goals in 16 games. Think about that. That's a pretty sparkly feather in the cap of this Aeros defense and penalty kill.
And last night was no different, as the Aeros were rock solid defensively. Khudobin had some good saves in his 17 stops for the shutout, but the defensive play in front of him that not only kept a ton of shots away from him, but also cleared his rebounds to safety, was the real first star IMO. Watching that game with goalie eyes, I think Anton owes some steak dinners to a few guys.
Nathan Smith got the first goal on the power play in the first period. Then, in the second period, Danny Irmen got goal number 2 when he collected a pass from DiSalvatore (three assists on the night), who was behind the net, and just kinda tossed a shot almost behind himself and Tyler Weiman was just a little off angle for it.
Third goal came from Stoner off a rocket from the point that must have gone through about 5 guys. That one had eyes for sure. And less than 2.5 minutes later, Noreau got a great feed from Milroy and just sniped a beauty past Weiman, who then got the hook in favor of Trevor Cann.
Apparently, Weiman, who is actually a very good goalie, having shut out the Aeros for over 122 minutes until last night, was coming off a bit of a flu bug so maybe that accounts for some of his struggles. Then again, sometimes it's just not your night.
The Aeros 5th goal came just prior to the buzzer at the end of the second period when Brandon Rogers potted the second power play goal of the night and his second goal of the season.
The biggie though, was the Aeros 6th goal, scored by Petr Kalus off the breakaway. He didn't get the shot off but he kind of kicked Cann's leg back as he was being harassed by a Monsters defenseman, and the momentum of the puck just carried it right into a gap between the goalie's leg and the post.
The goal was kind of a greasy one but even greasier was when Kalus skated to the Aeros bench with his hand behind his ear and one leg up, basically saying, "I can't hear you" to the silenced Lake Erie bench and crowd.
A real douchebag move and he got a 10 minute misconduct for it, which I think was a gift from the refs to keep him from getting murdered on his next shift. In the video, you can even see Noreau shaking his head and telling him to knock if off as he gets to the Aeros bench.
The team was embarrassed by the move and made no bones about it later with the local reporter in the room. This is one of the best game stories I've read all season. It goes into Kalus' idiocy, the embarrassing score, and Weiman's tantrum after he got the hook. It's like a friggin' soap opera, so go read it. Great stuff.
We'll see if Kalus plays today, though you can be sure the players on the Monsters bench won't soon forget what he did, so even if Constantine keeps him out to minimize the distraction, that move is gonna come back to bite him eventually.
This Monsters team is mad and embarrassed and will be loaded for bear today. So either the refs will call it tight in order to keep the peace resulting in a boring, penalty-laden affair, or the Monsters will turn the Aeros physicality around on them and it will be a hootenanny. 15 minutes until we find out.
So, I'm watching the archive of last night's 6-0 plastering of the Lake Erie Monsters, and I hear Joe say "these two teams meet up at noon tomorrow." Huh?
Yeah, way to keep up. Apparently, the boys meet up at the unusual time of noon (CT) today. So, if you planned to listen and are as oblivious as me, here's your heads up.
I'll go ahead and post this and then come back and add some comments about last night's game. Check in just before game time and hopefully I'll be done. Some interesting stuff from the game that sets up some intrigue for today.
---------------
Okay, the Aeros scored more goals in the last 3 games then they did in the previous 8 games. Have the Aeros just run into cold goalies or did the Goalie Angel's magic goal scoring fairy dust actually work?
It helps to have that whole power play nonsense behind them, as they score on two of four power play opportunities last night. They're still in the basement for that particular stat but last time I checked, the W stat is the one that matters. And they've still only allowed an incredibly stingy 2 power play goals in 16 games. Think about that. That's a pretty sparkly feather in the cap of this Aeros defense and penalty kill.
And last night was no different, as the Aeros were rock solid defensively. Khudobin had some good saves in his 17 stops for the shutout, but the defensive play in front of him that not only kept a ton of shots away from him, but also cleared his rebounds to safety, was the real first star IMO. Watching that game with goalie eyes, I think Anton owes some steak dinners to a few guys.
Nathan Smith got the first goal on the power play in the first period. Then, in the second period, Danny Irmen got goal number 2 when he collected a pass from DiSalvatore (three assists on the night), who was behind the net, and just kinda tossed a shot almost behind himself and Tyler Weiman was just a little off angle for it.
Third goal came from Stoner off a rocket from the point that must have gone through about 5 guys. That one had eyes for sure. And less than 2.5 minutes later, Noreau got a great feed from Milroy and just sniped a beauty past Weiman, who then got the hook in favor of Trevor Cann.
Apparently, Weiman, who is actually a very good goalie, having shut out the Aeros for over 122 minutes until last night, was coming off a bit of a flu bug so maybe that accounts for some of his struggles. Then again, sometimes it's just not your night.
The Aeros 5th goal came just prior to the buzzer at the end of the second period when Brandon Rogers potted the second power play goal of the night and his second goal of the season.
The biggie though, was the Aeros 6th goal, scored by Petr Kalus off the breakaway. He didn't get the shot off but he kind of kicked Cann's leg back as he was being harassed by a Monsters defenseman, and the momentum of the puck just carried it right into a gap between the goalie's leg and the post.
The goal was kind of a greasy one but even greasier was when Kalus skated to the Aeros bench with his hand behind his ear and one leg up, basically saying, "I can't hear you" to the silenced Lake Erie bench and crowd.
A real douchebag move and he got a 10 minute misconduct for it, which I think was a gift from the refs to keep him from getting murdered on his next shift. In the video, you can even see Noreau shaking his head and telling him to knock if off as he gets to the Aeros bench.
The team was embarrassed by the move and made no bones about it later with the local reporter in the room. This is one of the best game stories I've read all season. It goes into Kalus' idiocy, the embarrassing score, and Weiman's tantrum after he got the hook. It's like a friggin' soap opera, so go read it. Great stuff.
We'll see if Kalus plays today, though you can be sure the players on the Monsters bench won't soon forget what he did, so even if Constantine keeps him out to minimize the distraction, that move is gonna come back to bite him eventually.
This Monsters team is mad and embarrassed and will be loaded for bear today. So either the refs will call it tight in order to keep the peace resulting in a boring, penalty-laden affair, or the Monsters will turn the Aeros physicality around on them and it will be a hootenanny. 15 minutes until we find out.
Flashing your Brusts ...
Ahhh, it's good to have friends in swampy places! Fred may not be able to take pictures for us at Aeros games, but he just happens to have a fellow photographer friend, Bethani Shilladay, who shoots the Everblades and was kind enough to share her shots of Brusty with us.
Thank you Fred and thank you Bethani! Beautiful shots!!
The new pads actually look pretty good with the special camo sweaters the Blades were wearing last night (they were auctioned off after the game). Would look better with an Aeros uni. Just sayin'. That's a lot of gold there, Brusty! :)
POKE CHECK! Haha... awesome. This is the one in the shootout.
Brusty's right... how'd he not see that coming? From this shot,
doesn't look like it's gonna work, but it does.
The best part of a win outside of the 2 points... Goalie nuzzles!
Was the fighter pilot mask deemed bad luck?
He's back in his Texas/Houston themed mask.
"You remember that time you played the puck so far up the ice it was almost icing? That was AWESOME!"
"And remember the time you whacked that screen with your stick? That was AWESOME!"
All photos: Bethani Shilladay
Thank you Fred and thank you Bethani! Beautiful shots!!
The new pads actually look pretty good with the special camo sweaters the Blades were wearing last night (they were auctioned off after the game). Would look better with an Aeros uni. Just sayin'. That's a lot of gold there, Brusty! :)
POKE CHECK! Haha... awesome. This is the one in the shootout.Brusty's right... how'd he not see that coming? From this shot,
doesn't look like it's gonna work, but it does.
The best part of a win outside of the 2 points... Goalie nuzzles!
Was the fighter pilot mask deemed bad luck?He's back in his Texas/Houston themed mask.
"You remember that time you played the puck so far up the ice it was almost icing? That was AWESOME!"
"And remember the time you whacked that screen with your stick? That was AWESOME!"All photos: Bethani Shilladay
Friday, November 13, 2009
BrustyWatch 2009: Well worth the wait
I'm not gonna make any bones about wearing my reporter hat here. I'm just a huge fan of Brusty's and seeing him play all of about 4 times in the last 10 months has really sucked.
I know it's sucked for him. It's just godawful being injured and worse having to sit on the sidelines while your team makes an epic playoff run. And then getting re-injured. Twice. Augh.
But it also sucked for those of us who love to watch him play. His aggressive style is shared by few other goalies at the elite levels of the game, so when one comes along who can play that way and be successful at it, AND they play for your team, you have to savor every heart-stopping moment of it.
Tonight,though, Brusty was back and in fine form 5000* miles away in Southern Florida for the Everblades, and his performance met every expectation and exceeded others.
It was just a balls out game, from the time he shoved his first screen in the back to move him out of his way, all the way to the monster diving poke check and slick glove save to win the shootout.
I'll be really candid here and say that I actually got a little choked up on that poke. You just knew at that point that he had this shootout in hand and they were going to win it. I mean, he dove to the ice and poked that thing clear to center ice. It was some seriously gutsy goaltending. And with a big fist pump, the Blades skated off with a 4-3 win.
First two goals against were scored 5 on 3 as the Blades were having some discipline problems. There was even a third 5 on 3 but it was shorter and they held them off that time. Hopefully if he's in net tomorrow, they'll play a little tighter game and he won't have to turn away 34 shots like he did tonight.
But... if you're sending a guy off to test his foot, knock the rust off, and get back into game shape, I guess nothing is better than trial by fire. En fuego, bitches!
Brusty said after that the foot felt "great" so that's excellent news, and may that continue to be the case.
Of course, this is all well and good for the Everblades fans. Selfishly, of course, I'd rather this be happening here in Houston. But clearly, the Aeros have one too many goalies, so who knows how it will all shake out. I would make some predictions but they'd just be wrong.
I'll add links to local media coverage here when it's available, and a little bird told me we may even have some photos coming. Actually, I might put all that follow-up stuff in a new post. Check back!
For now, here's some fantastic quotes in the Naples News write-up. Says he felt awkward, but it didn't come across watching.
Oh yeah, the Aeros won something like 32-0 against Lake Erie tonight. More on that later. Helluva night of hockey, gang.
* Real Feel Miles, not actual miles
I know it's sucked for him. It's just godawful being injured and worse having to sit on the sidelines while your team makes an epic playoff run. And then getting re-injured. Twice. Augh.
But it also sucked for those of us who love to watch him play. His aggressive style is shared by few other goalies at the elite levels of the game, so when one comes along who can play that way and be successful at it, AND they play for your team, you have to savor every heart-stopping moment of it.
Tonight,though, Brusty was back and in fine form 5000* miles away in Southern Florida for the Everblades, and his performance met every expectation and exceeded others.
It was just a balls out game, from the time he shoved his first screen in the back to move him out of his way, all the way to the monster diving poke check and slick glove save to win the shootout.
I'll be really candid here and say that I actually got a little choked up on that poke. You just knew at that point that he had this shootout in hand and they were going to win it. I mean, he dove to the ice and poked that thing clear to center ice. It was some seriously gutsy goaltending. And with a big fist pump, the Blades skated off with a 4-3 win.
First two goals against were scored 5 on 3 as the Blades were having some discipline problems. There was even a third 5 on 3 but it was shorter and they held them off that time. Hopefully if he's in net tomorrow, they'll play a little tighter game and he won't have to turn away 34 shots like he did tonight.
But... if you're sending a guy off to test his foot, knock the rust off, and get back into game shape, I guess nothing is better than trial by fire. En fuego, bitches!
Brusty said after that the foot felt "great" so that's excellent news, and may that continue to be the case.
Of course, this is all well and good for the Everblades fans. Selfishly, of course, I'd rather this be happening here in Houston. But clearly, the Aeros have one too many goalies, so who knows how it will all shake out. I would make some predictions but they'd just be wrong.
I'll add links to local media coverage here when it's available, and a little bird told me we may even have some photos coming. Actually, I might put all that follow-up stuff in a new post. Check back!
For now, here's some fantastic quotes in the Naples News write-up. Says he felt awkward, but it didn't come across watching.
Oh yeah, the Aeros won something like 32-0 against Lake Erie tonight. More on that later. Helluva night of hockey, gang.
* Real Feel Miles, not actual miles
I Am He As You Are He...
Bad news. You're going to have to get through this weekend's games, especially the Sunday game against Chicago, without me. That's right, there's not going to be a long meandering post making absolutely no sense after Sunday's game.
There's not a problem. I'll just be out of town and I'll be back for Wednesday's game -- speaking of which, I'm working on something for the mothership on Tuesday that's related to Wednesday's game, so watch this space. Meanwhile, I'm going to be in L.A. this weekend pitching a reality show to a reality show producer friend of mine -- I'm thinking Real Doc Review Attorneys of Harris County.
I'm not sure that either one wants it, but I'm turning over Sunday DJ duties to Andrew and Heather. Which means you probably won't be getting any Beatles songs as a video -- I'm making it a quest to see if I can connect a Beatles song/video to the rest of my game posts for this season. It's my working theory that The Beatles have a song that fits most situations.
So enjoy the games this weekend.
And because I can't, at the moment think of anyway that "I Am The Walrus" will ever relate to any Aeros game, I'm playing it here. See everybody on Wednesday night.
There's not a problem. I'll just be out of town and I'll be back for Wednesday's game -- speaking of which, I'm working on something for the mothership on Tuesday that's related to Wednesday's game, so watch this space. Meanwhile, I'm going to be in L.A. this weekend pitching a reality show to a reality show producer friend of mine -- I'm thinking Real Doc Review Attorneys of Harris County.
I'm not sure that either one wants it, but I'm turning over Sunday DJ duties to Andrew and Heather. Which means you probably won't be getting any Beatles songs as a video -- I'm making it a quest to see if I can connect a Beatles song/video to the rest of my game posts for this season. It's my working theory that The Beatles have a song that fits most situations.
So enjoy the games this weekend.
And because I can't, at the moment think of anyway that "I Am The Walrus" will ever relate to any Aeros game, I'm playing it here. See everybody on Wednesday night.
Robbie Earl recalled by Minnesota
The Wild's Chuck Kobasew was injured in last night's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, so the team has called up LW Robbie Earl to play in Washington tonight. His number will be 38 if you're planning on watching.
Robbie has 9 NHL games under his belt with the Maple Leafs. He currently leads Aeros scoring with 5 goals and 3 assists and a +1. Earl had 9 points in all of 33 regular season games last season with the Aeros, so he's clearly on pace to have a career year.
Robbie has 9 NHL games under his belt with the Maple Leafs. He currently leads Aeros scoring with 5 goals and 3 assists and a +1. Earl had 9 points in all of 33 regular season games last season with the Aeros, so he's clearly on pace to have a career year.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Barry Brust en route to ECHL Florida (With Updates)
Barry Brust has been with the Aeros for awhile, so he is like family. He's a good goalie on the ice and an even better person off it.
His foot injury last year was devastating at the time as it forced the Aeros into a rotating goalie situation to close out the regular season. The team barely made the playoffs, but a 10-10 showing got them to the Western Conference finals on the back of Anton Khudobin.
Nolan Schaefer was hurt, too, and even Khudobin could not finish the playoffs healthy.
To make matters worse, Barry hurt he same foot during training camp this year and has not played a minute. That will change Friday night at Germain Arena in Florida where he will take the ice for the first of two ECHL games with an alligator on his sweater.
(Growing up in Canada, you just know that is what all the boys brag about .... wearing an alligator on your uni.)
Seriously, though ... Barry needs minutes and this will give him a chance to test the foot and get into some sort of a rhythm. Before Christmas last year, he was on fire ... and that is the kind of netminder Barry can be at the AHL level. But in order to get there, he will need to see some shots, and this is the perfect chance for him to get that.
Barring the unforeseen, he will play Saturday in the second of back-to-back games against the Toledo Walleye. (Yes, I know ... it will be the gators vs. the fish in the all-marine affair. Anyone hungry?)
T3I will stay on top of Barry (not literally) and we'll post links to the game sheets and stories from the local newspapers.
Update: Here's a link to the Everblades beat writer's blog. Also, he'll be tweeting the games this weekend, so you can follow his Twitter here.
Another Update: I spoke with Aeros GM Jim Mill this afternoon. This is a rehab move to get Brust some solid playing time. Something more than practice. He needs game action to shake off the rust and to test his foot.
His foot injury last year was devastating at the time as it forced the Aeros into a rotating goalie situation to close out the regular season. The team barely made the playoffs, but a 10-10 showing got them to the Western Conference finals on the back of Anton Khudobin.Nolan Schaefer was hurt, too, and even Khudobin could not finish the playoffs healthy.
To make matters worse, Barry hurt he same foot during training camp this year and has not played a minute. That will change Friday night at Germain Arena in Florida where he will take the ice for the first of two ECHL games with an alligator on his sweater.
(Growing up in Canada, you just know that is what all the boys brag about .... wearing an alligator on your uni.)
Seriously, though ... Barry needs minutes and this will give him a chance to test the foot and get into some sort of a rhythm. Before Christmas last year, he was on fire ... and that is the kind of netminder Barry can be at the AHL level. But in order to get there, he will need to see some shots, and this is the perfect chance for him to get that.
Barring the unforeseen, he will play Saturday in the second of back-to-back games against the Toledo Walleye. (Yes, I know ... it will be the gators vs. the fish in the all-marine affair. Anyone hungry?)
T3I will stay on top of Barry (not literally) and we'll post links to the game sheets and stories from the local newspapers.
Update: Here's a link to the Everblades beat writer's blog. Also, he'll be tweeting the games this weekend, so you can follow his Twitter here.
Another Update: I spoke with Aeros GM Jim Mill this afternoon. This is a rehab move to get Brust some solid playing time. Something more than practice. He needs game action to shake off the rust and to test his foot.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
11/07: Aeros v. Rampage
As this team has revealed itself to those of us on the outside of it, this is the kind of game I've come to believe is in them.
And I mean that with both the good and the bad. The bad being that terrible few minutes at the end of the second when, suddenly, everyone in a bomber sweater just. stopped. skating. and Khudobin was having some pretty rotten puck-luck being the only one on the ice still playing. As I tweeted, that period just couldn't end fast enough.
The bad also being nearly 13 minutes of the third period without a single shot on goal. And usually we see the shot count doing something unusual and think, "Oh, the shot counter is asleep at the wheel, right?" But not last night. It seemed accurate, which is pretty scary.
But the good, and what is really at the heart of this team, is the resiliency and maturity to not panic, not grip, and not get discouraged, but instead, to regroup in the second intermission, continue to take advantage of chances, even if they were few and far between, and keep working together and standing up for each other.
Moments that stood out to me as critical:
The Power Play Goal
As Andrew said, it had to happen eventually, so you know it's coming, but it still feels really good to get it done. And carrying over from Thursday, it was especially nice that it came from Noreau's shot from the point that Zingoni deflected in the net. Noreau is on a monkey-shedding spree!
DiSalvatore's Goal
With no shots for 13 minutes in the third, there are a couple of options:
A) San Antonio finally pots the tying goal when the Aeros and Khudobin just can't withstand the onslaught any more.
B) SA goalie Tordjman gets flat and bored not seeing any shots and isn't sharp when he finally does see some shots.
Luckily for the Aeros, the universe gave them option B and DiSalvatore got the insurance goal and, if you're like me, you started to think, "Okay, maybe this team isn't going to choke away a 3-0 lead like SOME teams *cough*lastyearsAeros*cough*"
Kalus's Goal
So, Kalus sweeps across the front of the crease with the puck knocking a Rampage defenseman into Tordjman. They both end up in a pile to one side of the net, Tordjman on his butt, presumably waiting for the goaltender interference whistle that never came. Kalus picks up the puck and just wraps it around the other post while Tordjman and his d-man sit there in disbelief.
You're looking at the ref waiting for a wave-off or something, but nope. I'm no ref and I'm no expert, but gosh, how is that not goalie interference? At least, if I'm the goalie there, I'm expecting a call (but hopefully have the wherewithal to still play to the whistle). Are we not talking about this because it's the Aeros who prevailed there? Or because I'm wrong?
But at that point, it's over and you can see it in San Antonio's body language. Stick a fork in 'em.
Fights
Did the Aeros lose any of those fights last night? Punch of the night had to be Stoner's clocking of Bodie. Hard headed guy, that Bodie. His running around didn't help his team too much, I don't think. Might want to just play some hockey next time. But then again, the rivalry blood was boiling at a good clip last night, so maybe it's just one of those things.
Anyway, good win, if a bit sketchy at times. John's quotes from Khudobin were great and really reflect what I saw in his game. He was so good in the third and deserves props for having the mental fortitude to come back and be a wall after a couple of quick goals at the end of the second. Always good to get a little break to regroup after something like that.
Looking Ahead
Aeros are @ Lake Erie Friday and Saturday and then turn around and head home to play an afternoon game against the Chicago Wolves (special guest stars Chris Chelios and Manny Legace) on Sunday. Five days off is never good and Lake Erie and Chicago are no slouches, so this will be a great test of where this team really is.
Assuming I don't get a better offer, I'll be tweeting the games on Friday and Saturday for those who don't have AHL Live, so be sure you're following @3rdintermission on Twitter.
And I mean that with both the good and the bad. The bad being that terrible few minutes at the end of the second when, suddenly, everyone in a bomber sweater just. stopped. skating. and Khudobin was having some pretty rotten puck-luck being the only one on the ice still playing. As I tweeted, that period just couldn't end fast enough.
The bad also being nearly 13 minutes of the third period without a single shot on goal. And usually we see the shot count doing something unusual and think, "Oh, the shot counter is asleep at the wheel, right?" But not last night. It seemed accurate, which is pretty scary.
But the good, and what is really at the heart of this team, is the resiliency and maturity to not panic, not grip, and not get discouraged, but instead, to regroup in the second intermission, continue to take advantage of chances, even if they were few and far between, and keep working together and standing up for each other.
Moments that stood out to me as critical:
The Power Play Goal
As Andrew said, it had to happen eventually, so you know it's coming, but it still feels really good to get it done. And carrying over from Thursday, it was especially nice that it came from Noreau's shot from the point that Zingoni deflected in the net. Noreau is on a monkey-shedding spree!
DiSalvatore's GoalWith no shots for 13 minutes in the third, there are a couple of options:
A) San Antonio finally pots the tying goal when the Aeros and Khudobin just can't withstand the onslaught any more.
B) SA goalie Tordjman gets flat and bored not seeing any shots and isn't sharp when he finally does see some shots.
Luckily for the Aeros, the universe gave them option B and DiSalvatore got the insurance goal and, if you're like me, you started to think, "Okay, maybe this team isn't going to choke away a 3-0 lead like SOME teams *cough*lastyearsAeros*cough*"
Kalus's Goal
So, Kalus sweeps across the front of the crease with the puck knocking a Rampage defenseman into Tordjman. They both end up in a pile to one side of the net, Tordjman on his butt, presumably waiting for the goaltender interference whistle that never came. Kalus picks up the puck and just wraps it around the other post while Tordjman and his d-man sit there in disbelief.
You're looking at the ref waiting for a wave-off or something, but nope. I'm no ref and I'm no expert, but gosh, how is that not goalie interference? At least, if I'm the goalie there, I'm expecting a call (but hopefully have the wherewithal to still play to the whistle). Are we not talking about this because it's the Aeros who prevailed there? Or because I'm wrong?
But at that point, it's over and you can see it in San Antonio's body language. Stick a fork in 'em.
Fights
Did the Aeros lose any of those fights last night? Punch of the night had to be Stoner's clocking of Bodie. Hard headed guy, that Bodie. His running around didn't help his team too much, I don't think. Might want to just play some hockey next time. But then again, the rivalry blood was boiling at a good clip last night, so maybe it's just one of those things.
Anyway, good win, if a bit sketchy at times. John's quotes from Khudobin were great and really reflect what I saw in his game. He was so good in the third and deserves props for having the mental fortitude to come back and be a wall after a couple of quick goals at the end of the second. Always good to get a little break to regroup after something like that.
Looking Ahead
Aeros are @ Lake Erie Friday and Saturday and then turn around and head home to play an afternoon game against the Chicago Wolves (special guest stars Chris Chelios and Manny Legace) on Sunday. Five days off is never good and Lake Erie and Chicago are no slouches, so this will be a great test of where this team really is.
Assuming I don't get a better offer, I'll be tweeting the games on Friday and Saturday for those who don't have AHL Live, so be sure you're following @3rdintermission on Twitter.
11/7 -- Aeros v. Rampage -- The All You Need Is Love Edition
The Aeros played, without a doubt, their best game of the season tonight. As a result 8443 people got to see not only a 5-2 Aeros win, but also got to see an entertaining game that at times resembled not so much hockey as we have come to know it, but hockey as played in Slap Shot.
The Aeros dominated play in the first period, out-shooting the San Antonio Rampage 13-4, but also out hitting them. But they left the period with only a 1-0 lead because, as has become the norm, they just couldn’t hit the back of the net. The one goal was outstanding however as, at 11:31, Peter Zingoni got his stick on a Max Noreau slap shot from the point and thus deflected the puck just a touch to let it slip past Rampage goalie Josh Tordjman for the 1-0 lead.
But wait, it gets better. Not only did the Aeros take the lead on the shot -- a lead they never surrendered -- but the goal came on a power play. Yes, you read that right. The Aeros, are their 45th power play chance since last getting one, also against San Antonio, found a way to get the power play goal.
Things were just getting good, though.
The Rampage were on the power play early in the second period when Mr. Penalty Kill, Danny Irmen, got the puck and went into Krys Kolanos mode. Dragging Chad Rau with him, Irmen split for the San Antonio net and drew Tordjman toward him. As he did that, he sent a nice backhand pass to the trailing Rau who had buried the puck in the wide open net to put Houston up 2-0. And at 4:25, just seconds after the end of an Aeros power play, Clayton Stoner fed Robbie Earl and Earl, taking advantage of the angle he was at in terms of the goalie, went top shelf to put Houston up 3-2.
All of this scoring action was mixed with some hits that jarred even those of us sitting up high in the press box. Matt Kassian engaged in three fights, defeating Francis Lessard in the first, Troy Bodie in the third, and Ryan Hollweg after the game ended. Nathan Smith went after Kevin Porter after Porter attempted to decapitate Colton Gillies toward the end of the first period. Clayton Stoner took out Bodie in the second, and Petr Kalus and Sean Zimmerman went at it late in the third.
The Rampage got two goals late in the second, and came near to tying the game when a shot went off the post at about 19:10 of the second, but Jon DiSalvatore scored at 12:56 of the third to make it 4-2, then at 14:45, Petr Kalus came down on a breakaway attempt. He missed the initial shot but knocked the defenseman into Tordjman. Before Tordjman could recover, Kalus got the puck, went behind the net and got the wraparound into a wide open net to make it 5-2.
“It’s a rivalry game,” Kevin Constantine said afterwards. “It’s the team we’ve played the most since I’ve been down here. I think the rivalry goes way past me coming here as a coach. It’s a good rivalry game, and rivalry games always have a little more emotion and a little more passion in it. It’s pretty entertaining when a game gets that way. It was nice to get a win. It’s a nice heated rivalry, and that’s all good for the game.”
And it’s even better for the game when the Aeros get the win. And get the win they did.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES:
With the win, the Aeros record improved to 8-7-0-0 (16 points). But even better than that, the win moved the Aeros past San Antonio and Peoria and into a tie for second place with Rockford. The Aeros are behind only Texas, and they are now a point up on the Rampage and Rivermen. And for any of you who care, the Aeros are still in second place of the so-called Lone Star Faceoff.
The Aeros next play on Friday the 13th when they take on the Lake Erie Monsters -- how appropriate, I guess -- in Cleveland. They also play the Monsters on Saturday, then return home to take on the Chicago Wolves next Sunday.
*****************
What can one say about that Aeros penalty kill? They killed off another three San Antonio power plays. The Aeros have now killed 53 of 55 power plays this season. That is the number one penalty kill in the AHL.
"It starts with pride," Kevin Constantine says of his team's penalty kill. "And then it starts with trying to be fairly aggressive and put a lot of pressure when we can. It certainly has to be great goaltending -- that’s a big part of your penalty kill. And then maybe the occasional shot blocking if you get in trouble. We didn’t anticipate having the percentage that we have now. We’ve been in the top five the past two years, so the idea of being in the top five was something we were shooting for. This is a little above what are expectations were. It’s been nice to have that….The guys have done a great job killing."
The most spectacular of tonight's penalty kills had to be in the second period when the Aeros got the short-handed goal to go up 2-0. The play saw Danny Irmen breaking free with the puck and hitting Chad Rau with a fantastic pass and a wide open net. And just like Danny Irmen said his first goal on Thursday night would not have been possible without the play of Clayton Stoner, Rau said that this goal would not have been possible without Irmen's passing.
"It was a gift from Danny," he said. "I just tapped it in. He made a heck of a play. He made a nice backhand pass, and draw the guy to him and it was an empty net. It was a super nice play."
As for getting the short-handed goal, Rau said that a thing like that is a blast.
"It’s pretty nice," he said. "Your main concern out there is playing defense and making sure they don’t get one. So anytime you can kind of get an opportunity where they’re thinking more offense and they break down…it’s great….It doesn’t happen too often."
**************
Speaking of not happening too often...did I happen to mention that the Aeros scored a power play goal? And their third goal came just about two seconds after another power play expired. Could it be possible that with the proverbial monkey off of their backs the Aeros are going to break lose for the rest of the season on the power play?
"It would be nice if that happened," Constantine said. "If one turned into a nice 15-20 percent power play based on maybe getting some confidence from scoring. I don’t know if that’s going to happen. We need to keep working on it. We need to get that power play a little more consistent. You can see tonight it kind of changed the game because we scored on a power play and we haven’t been doing that. I’m just really happy those guys got some goals with it tonight."
*************
And let's not forget the stellar play, once again, of Anton Khudobin. I've got to confess, I didnt' always have confidence in Anton's abilities when he was up with the team last season. But the playoffs seemed to bring out the best of him last year, and it sure looks as if that confidence has stayed with him this year.
Anton didn't face a lot of action for the first half of the game. And as I've been told by numerous goalies, it's hard for a goalie to mentally stay in a game when he's not under the gun.
"It’s actually pretty hard when I don’t have lots of shots…," Khudobin said. "I try to stay focused on every puck. Sometimes, it’s just happening, like they score a couple of goals….Third period I just focused on their puck and I stopped all of them."
Which, he said, is difficult when it comes to San Antonio.
"They love to shoot from everywhere," he said. "So I have to beware of shots from everywhere. And actually they’re a really tough team to play against. They try to hit everybody. They’re running around. It’s just tough…."
It may be tough, but he handled it.
*****************
As Constantine said, this was a rivalry game between two teams that have already faced each other a bunch this season. And they looked like they were really sick of seeing the other guy opposite of them. I haven't seen this many fights in one game in a long time. Chad Rau attributed the fighting to the fact that both teams play pretty aggressive hockey and that this draw clashes.
That might be, but maybe it's just like John Lennon once sang, "All You Need Is Love." Yep, maybe all the Aeros need is Mitch Love to bring the fighting down a notch though I have to say that Kassian was quite impressive. And I don't think I've ever seen Stoner that angry before.
So let's go out tonight with The Beatles and "All You Need Is Love."
The Aeros dominated play in the first period, out-shooting the San Antonio Rampage 13-4, but also out hitting them. But they left the period with only a 1-0 lead because, as has become the norm, they just couldn’t hit the back of the net. The one goal was outstanding however as, at 11:31, Peter Zingoni got his stick on a Max Noreau slap shot from the point and thus deflected the puck just a touch to let it slip past Rampage goalie Josh Tordjman for the 1-0 lead.
But wait, it gets better. Not only did the Aeros take the lead on the shot -- a lead they never surrendered -- but the goal came on a power play. Yes, you read that right. The Aeros, are their 45th power play chance since last getting one, also against San Antonio, found a way to get the power play goal.
Things were just getting good, though.
The Rampage were on the power play early in the second period when Mr. Penalty Kill, Danny Irmen, got the puck and went into Krys Kolanos mode. Dragging Chad Rau with him, Irmen split for the San Antonio net and drew Tordjman toward him. As he did that, he sent a nice backhand pass to the trailing Rau who had buried the puck in the wide open net to put Houston up 2-0. And at 4:25, just seconds after the end of an Aeros power play, Clayton Stoner fed Robbie Earl and Earl, taking advantage of the angle he was at in terms of the goalie, went top shelf to put Houston up 3-2.
All of this scoring action was mixed with some hits that jarred even those of us sitting up high in the press box. Matt Kassian engaged in three fights, defeating Francis Lessard in the first, Troy Bodie in the third, and Ryan Hollweg after the game ended. Nathan Smith went after Kevin Porter after Porter attempted to decapitate Colton Gillies toward the end of the first period. Clayton Stoner took out Bodie in the second, and Petr Kalus and Sean Zimmerman went at it late in the third.
The Rampage got two goals late in the second, and came near to tying the game when a shot went off the post at about 19:10 of the second, but Jon DiSalvatore scored at 12:56 of the third to make it 4-2, then at 14:45, Petr Kalus came down on a breakaway attempt. He missed the initial shot but knocked the defenseman into Tordjman. Before Tordjman could recover, Kalus got the puck, went behind the net and got the wraparound into a wide open net to make it 5-2.
“It’s a rivalry game,” Kevin Constantine said afterwards. “It’s the team we’ve played the most since I’ve been down here. I think the rivalry goes way past me coming here as a coach. It’s a good rivalry game, and rivalry games always have a little more emotion and a little more passion in it. It’s pretty entertaining when a game gets that way. It was nice to get a win. It’s a nice heated rivalry, and that’s all good for the game.”
And it’s even better for the game when the Aeros get the win. And get the win they did.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES:
With the win, the Aeros record improved to 8-7-0-0 (16 points). But even better than that, the win moved the Aeros past San Antonio and Peoria and into a tie for second place with Rockford. The Aeros are behind only Texas, and they are now a point up on the Rampage and Rivermen. And for any of you who care, the Aeros are still in second place of the so-called Lone Star Faceoff.
The Aeros next play on Friday the 13th when they take on the Lake Erie Monsters -- how appropriate, I guess -- in Cleveland. They also play the Monsters on Saturday, then return home to take on the Chicago Wolves next Sunday.
*****************
What can one say about that Aeros penalty kill? They killed off another three San Antonio power plays. The Aeros have now killed 53 of 55 power plays this season. That is the number one penalty kill in the AHL.
"It starts with pride," Kevin Constantine says of his team's penalty kill. "And then it starts with trying to be fairly aggressive and put a lot of pressure when we can. It certainly has to be great goaltending -- that’s a big part of your penalty kill. And then maybe the occasional shot blocking if you get in trouble. We didn’t anticipate having the percentage that we have now. We’ve been in the top five the past two years, so the idea of being in the top five was something we were shooting for. This is a little above what are expectations were. It’s been nice to have that….The guys have done a great job killing."
The most spectacular of tonight's penalty kills had to be in the second period when the Aeros got the short-handed goal to go up 2-0. The play saw Danny Irmen breaking free with the puck and hitting Chad Rau with a fantastic pass and a wide open net. And just like Danny Irmen said his first goal on Thursday night would not have been possible without the play of Clayton Stoner, Rau said that this goal would not have been possible without Irmen's passing.
"It was a gift from Danny," he said. "I just tapped it in. He made a heck of a play. He made a nice backhand pass, and draw the guy to him and it was an empty net. It was a super nice play."
As for getting the short-handed goal, Rau said that a thing like that is a blast.
"It’s pretty nice," he said. "Your main concern out there is playing defense and making sure they don’t get one. So anytime you can kind of get an opportunity where they’re thinking more offense and they break down…it’s great….It doesn’t happen too often."
**************
Speaking of not happening too often...did I happen to mention that the Aeros scored a power play goal? And their third goal came just about two seconds after another power play expired. Could it be possible that with the proverbial monkey off of their backs the Aeros are going to break lose for the rest of the season on the power play?
"It would be nice if that happened," Constantine said. "If one turned into a nice 15-20 percent power play based on maybe getting some confidence from scoring. I don’t know if that’s going to happen. We need to keep working on it. We need to get that power play a little more consistent. You can see tonight it kind of changed the game because we scored on a power play and we haven’t been doing that. I’m just really happy those guys got some goals with it tonight."
*************
And let's not forget the stellar play, once again, of Anton Khudobin. I've got to confess, I didnt' always have confidence in Anton's abilities when he was up with the team last season. But the playoffs seemed to bring out the best of him last year, and it sure looks as if that confidence has stayed with him this year.
Anton didn't face a lot of action for the first half of the game. And as I've been told by numerous goalies, it's hard for a goalie to mentally stay in a game when he's not under the gun.
"It’s actually pretty hard when I don’t have lots of shots…," Khudobin said. "I try to stay focused on every puck. Sometimes, it’s just happening, like they score a couple of goals….Third period I just focused on their puck and I stopped all of them."
Which, he said, is difficult when it comes to San Antonio.
"They love to shoot from everywhere," he said. "So I have to beware of shots from everywhere. And actually they’re a really tough team to play against. They try to hit everybody. They’re running around. It’s just tough…."
It may be tough, but he handled it.
*****************
As Constantine said, this was a rivalry game between two teams that have already faced each other a bunch this season. And they looked like they were really sick of seeing the other guy opposite of them. I haven't seen this many fights in one game in a long time. Chad Rau attributed the fighting to the fact that both teams play pretty aggressive hockey and that this draw clashes.
That might be, but maybe it's just like John Lennon once sang, "All You Need Is Love." Yep, maybe all the Aeros need is Mitch Love to bring the fighting down a notch though I have to say that Kassian was quite impressive. And I don't think I've ever seen Stoner that angry before.
So let's go out tonight with The Beatles and "All You Need Is Love."
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