Division doormat

Let me first apologize up front for being a little long-winded tonight. But after watching the team lose they way they did tonight, I think I needed to take a good, long look at the big picture.

I promise you though, that if you get through this you'll be a little smarter. If not, well, let me know, and I will put on some Stetson and make myself (and a few others) feel better than way.

When the Aeros get home from Chicago O'Hare Monday morning, it is very likely that the team will have a very nice grip on the basement in the West division standings. Right now, whether they admit it or not, the other teams on the Aeros schedule and circling "HOU" as two points. Just about every one of those teams still has a chance at making the playoffs, so these last dozen games are so will be just like the playoffs. Every game you see from here on out will have some sort of postseason implication, and the Aeros are going to get their opponents best every ... single ... night.

Friday's game carried the same theme as many of the Aeros games have had in recent weeks. That theme being blowing it late with a soft goal or two. It's easy to blame the goaltending on a last-place team, so I will back this up with a few facts.

Let's rewind a bit.

2/25 vs. Manitoba: In a close game, the Aeros tie it late. After allowing just six shots on goal in the third period, they lose with 3:24 left on a late Moose goal.

2/27 vs. Texas: Aeros allow Texas three goals on their first three shots and never recover.

3/3 at San Antonio: Aeros have a 3-1 lead in the third period. They allow seven shots after taking the lead, two of them go in and they lose in a shootout.

3/6 at Texas Stars: Down 3-1, the Aeros rally with two big goals in the third period. They allow just five shots in the third period, two of then go in and they lose 4-3.

3/12 (tonight) vs. Peoria: The Aeros race out to a 2-0 lead, they allow just 21 shots in the game (several fewer than that when it mattered) and Anton Khudobin allows a very soft goal by Nicholas Drazenovic.

What is the pattern in all these losses? Well, for one thing not enough goals ... but in several cases here, they are enough. Enough to at least get a point. Enough to at least get a good third period and hold on.

The Aeros goalies just aren't stopping enought pucks when they need to. Sure, who am I to criticize goaltending? Well ... I have seen enough goaltending, though, and here is one thing I do know: statistics.

Entering play Friday, the Aeros were the NO. 1 team in the league in shots allowed per game. At 25.85, they are the only team allowing fewer than 26 shots per game. Divide that by three. That averages out to less than NINE shots per period. Nine (wish I could make that flash).

The Aeros saves percentage by period is as follows:

• First - .900
• Second - .895
• Third - .893

It goes down every period, even though (and especially recently) they are allowing fewer and fewer shots as the games go on. My point to all of this is that their goaltending has not been very good. It has not been clutch, and with a team that struggles to score goals (yes, they are damn near the worst team in the league in that regard) the defense and the goalies have to find a way to limit opportunities and to make big saves.

Even with a huge mental lapse or two every period, their shots against numbers ARE good enough. Even with above average goaltending, the team should be winning more.

Maybe I am just being a little hard on the goalies tonight because of how the Peoria game ended. That was a terrible goal, so maybe I shouldn't be calling the guy out. But that is why I looked up the stats. From here on out, the goalies need to realize that there is a whole lot more to play for than any silly notion of the playoffs.

Barry is done this year due to injury, but I think his body of work warrants someone in the AHL giving him a shot in 2010-11. He also has four of the last six wins in net.

Wade Dubielewicz is rusty beyond belief right now, but I seriously don't think he is coming back to the Wild organization next year. If and when he gets any minutes down the stretch, he is playing for next year. If he has a European contract lined up for next year, I don't know about it. Wade has been a stand-up guy, too, win or lose, and I think he very much cares about how the rest of this season will turn out.

And Anton. Man, I love that kid. He always talks to the media... good or bad. He usually gives a pretty honest and candid assessment of his performance and his care and want to are very contagious in the locker room. But he, far more than anyone else, needs to have a good last few weeks.

The Wild are going to make some big decisions this offseason as far as where to take the team, and Anton needs to know that he is not penciled in the No. 2 or No. 3 spot on the depth chart going in to next year. They will bring someone in to challenge for that job, and Anton needs to find some clutch to go along with that great personality and go-get-'em attitude.

There is less than one month left to watch this hockey team. I hope I gave you something a little extra to look at next time you check them out.

Garrett Gamble killed in Afghanistan

It has not been a good month for former Aeros and their immediate families.

Recently, the daughter of former Aeros forward Jeff Christian was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Today, the DOD announced that the 20-year old son of former Aeros goalie Troy Gamble was killed in Afghanistan earlier this week. According to the Houston Chronicle, Lance Cpl. Garrett W. Gamble (pictured left) died Thursday while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Troy played for the Aeros their first two years in Houston (1994-95 and 1995-96) and did home radio and TV commentary with several broadcasters after that.

I believe Troy has been living and working in the Middle East the last few years, but I have seen him at a few games during the Kevin Constantine era. For those of you who know Troy, he is a very likeable person, and his kids adored him.

Say a prayer for the Gamble family ... And Garrett, thank you for your service to this country. Despite our many issues politically, and otherwise, we still live in the greatest country on Earth, thanks to men like you.

Rest in Piece, brother, and I hope the Aeros make time tonight for a well-deserved moment of silence.

Troy Gamble in action for the Canucks

Name that caption contest, Brusty style

Our friends at A.S.S. have done this before, and now it is our turn.

On the very bottom of this post is a picture, and we want you to turn in your caption that you think should go along with it.

We'll keep this open though the end of the weekend, so put on your thinking caps.

Now a little background ...

Sunday, I had a nice, relaxing (rare) day off, so I decided to take my son to a ball game. Rice was playing the TCU Horned Frogs at Minute Maid Park. We got there in the third inning with the Owls leading 1-0.

(Be sure to read John's recap and thoughts of the ENTIRE weekend here!)

After the Owls took a 3-1 lead later in the game, I decided to take my son, Caden, around the park to do a little exploring. So we get out to the bullpen, and lo and behold, there are several Aeros out there having a good time.

We chatted about baseball, and Danny Irmen was giving the bullpen catcher some good tips on *cough* life and stuff while one of the Owls' relievers was warming up. Barry Brust was kind enough to pose for this picture with Caden.

Barry Brust and Caden Ferraro

Barry, as always, was sporting one of his vintage NFL jerseys. In this case, I did not see the number,but it LOOKED like a Denver Broncos jersey.

After I took some crap for wearing a Detroit Tigers hat, we went to back to our regular seats to finish the game. The Owls scored two in the ninth to win the game, letting Irmen off the hook for helping the Rice reliever blow a key save.

To be fair, it was all in good fun. College baseball players get WAY more crap from the fans when they play at Olsen Field in College Station, even though Irmen would give them a good run for their money.

Now to our featured photo! In the game, Brust nearly caught a homerun ball with his hat. I saw the play happen from my seats down the third base line, but when Barry told me it was him, I had to find out if anyone took a picture. Well, here it is ... and it's very good.

Is this the last action shot we'll see of Barry Brust in Houston, Texas?

Now see, there is my entry for a caption ... what is yours?

Brust to undergo foot surgery

Hang on while I get some tissues...

*sigh*

So, it appears we've seen the last of Barry Brust with the Aeros this season. That stubborn foot pretended to be fixed, and it got him through 31 games this season between Houston and Florida, but it wasn't all better and started bugging him again recently.

And now, says Brusty, it's surgery time. They've told him he'll be out 6 weeks, which means he could possibly catch some playoff action in Florida if everyone's game for it. And who wouldn't be game for Brusty?

Anyway, so it sounds like they'll be doing the surgery in the next week or so here in Houston, so hopefully we'll still see* him around the halls before the final horn on this season blows. <---spot the subliminal message

Of course, we wish him a successful and speedy recovery, some good drugs, and may that foot never utter a peep of discontent for the rest of his playing days.

*And by "see" of course, I mean "stare lustily at"

Photo by Fred "another guy we really miss" Trask

Aeros get a win at long last: 3-1 vs. San Antonio

Let's drop the puck and get it on!!!

Oh, we already did that. Well, I'm watching the replay on FSNorth. NOT in crystal clear HD like it was on Wednesday but I guess beggars can't be choosers, can they?

We'll see if anything jumps out at me but it was, bottom line, just a good, smart, solid game from top to bottom for the Aeros.

First off, I want to give a cookie to Jaime Sifers for dropping to block a shot. That aspect of defensive sacrifice that's been missing from this team, particularly from guys who haven't been playing Constantine's system the last couple of years, has been painfully apparent and grew even more so on the losing streak of late.

Good solid shot blocking has been a trademark the last couple of seasons but nearly non-existent to any notable degree this season. I wouldn't wanna do it either, frankly, which is why I'm a goalie. I love to get hit with pucks but only because I have 40 lbs of gear keeping it from hurting TOO bad. It still hurts, believe me.

Still in spite of not a lot of significant shot blocking, the boys did a great job defensively. Good anticipation, good positioning, sticks in the right places, and plenty of hustle when it came to clearing rebounds. As KC said after, for him, success starts with playing hard. Smarts flow from that. And there was plenty of both tonight.

Khudobin was excellent, too. It's hard to stay focused and get in a rhythm when you're not seeing a lot of shots and in spite of not seeing a lot of shots, he had to make some really big saves. Of course, San Antonio shot wide about 37 times, too. That helps.

Seems like games (I almost typed "fights") with San Antonio aren't as nasty as they have been in years past but tonight there was a bit of a line scuffle that turned into a full on beating by Falk on superfox Stu Bickel (not the face! not the face!). Never really seen Falk look so pissed before, which was actually pretty cool. His judicious use of his mean streak is a good thing I think, and makes it all the more interesting when he lets her rip.

First goal was a nice set up on the power play by DiSalvatore and Milroy that Smith banged under the pads of a scrambling Tordjman.

The second was even prettier on a 3 on 2 with a give and go that inexplicably didn't get broken up by the San Antonio defense who were just mesmerized, I guess, and Smith again had the money shot off a juicy rebound from Tordjman.

And a very happy DiSalvatore picked up his second point of the night when he scored off a really, really.... REALLY.... sexy feed from Fraser through about 5 guys' feet. Fraser is really rocking the scoring touch lately. Thank you, sir.

That third one was one of the prettiest goals of the year. If only all opposing defensemen would stand around thinking about beer or dinner or boobs instead of breaking up the Aeros attack. You just can't let teams connect passes clear across the bottom of the slot like that.

And in saying that... While the Aeros were much improved, San Antonio's defense needs to own their share of the loss. They were bad. But at least Stu Bickel is hot. Did I mention that? Oh come on. Let me have my fun.

Anyway, that's about it. Other than Miika Wiikman, who was just traded from Hartford to Phoenix on Tuesday, made his debut with San Antonio in the third period as Tordjman was pulled. Odd stance he has, I thought, but nothing else really significant about it.

Oh yeah, San Antonio scored somewhere in there. And honestly, it was about 5 minutes left and I'm thinking, "Uh oh... Wednesday redo?" But no. They held on. Phew. Just good to get a win after a looooong time of not getting any.

Sorry for the lack of tweeting and lack of stick figure tonight. And probably lack of accuracy, detail, proper sports journalism, etc etc. here on the blog. John is off covering some college baseball thing, so we were a little short staffed at T3I tonight and my computer wasn't connecting to the wireless in the arena. We'll try and do better the next time.

Going off the board a bit on tonight's song. Just feels right. Aeros are realistically out of the playoff hunt, but there are 16 games left to play the spoiler. Still mountain to climb. Sing it, Kelly!

To help an old friend...

Well, I am sure many of you have heard by now. A member of the Aeros 1999 Turner Cup Championship team, forward Jeff Christian, is preparing for the battle of his life. It has nothing to do with hockey, and it's far more serious.

Christian, the only Aeros I believe to ever put on the sweater No. 72 (he was also named the comeback player of the year that season), found out recently that his daughter (Ryan) has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. As someone that can personally attest to getting some pretty awful news about a child, I implore you to stop by the Booster Club table Friday night and donate whatever you can to help out.

The Tailgunners will be raffling off an autographed Aeros jersey with the proceeds going to help Jeff and his family. Tickets are one for $5 or three for $10. I would really, really love for the booster club to be able to send $1,000 up his way. I know we can do it.

Jeff now plays in the CHL for the Missouri Mavericks, and is truly one of the guys that plays for the love of the game. He is one of the league's stars, but I assure you any and all help will be forever appreciated.

Below are some links to a few stories about this situation.

The initial story
Follow up (the Aeros' booster club is mentioned here, so let's not let them down!)
Story from KC Star

Let's be sure to show Jeff that he and his family are well-supported down in the Bayou City.

Andrew

Aeros slip-sliding down the drain

Although Wednesday's game was entertaining - especially in the third period -- it was equally heart-breaking for the Aeros, who are now the team everyone is circling as the "sure-fire win" on their game schedules.

I think the worst thing about last night's game was that the team lost after doing things that usually garner wins (scoring first, leading after first and having a multiple goal lead in the third period.)

SA Express-News recap
Houston Chronicle Road Report

I thought the Aeros played great defensively in the first period; they kept a lot of shots from getting through, and when they did Anton was in position to make a big save or two. The Aeros got on the board with a nice wraparound by Colton Gillies.

The Rampage tied the game in the second on goal by Brett MacLean, and the Aeros, I thought, were lucky to go into the intermission tied. In the third, the Aeros scored the next two goals, dominated play, and then completely left off the gas when they had the two-goal lead.

When San Antonio made it 3-2, the Aeros panicked and it was only a matter of time for the Rampage. Well, that time came with 13 seconds left in regulation after they held the puck in the Aeros zone for a full minute with Tordjman on the bench.

I did not see anyone trying to block a shot, and I did not see anyone getting in the passing lanes. The Rampage just moved the puck at will, and I don't think Anton had a prayer on the shot by Boedker that was deflected by Stefan Meyer and into the net.

Overtime was fairly even, and after Boedker scored in the first round of the shootout, it was over as the Aeros failed to get anything by Tordjman.

Very disappointing evening for the Aeros, who just keep losing and losing. They are not going to make the playoffs, and they really need to get on a small streak here just to stay out of the basement. These are the times when playing can me, as my five-year old son would say, "not so very much fun."

Deep down, I know the team isn't losing on purpose, and I know they want to win. But there are some key guys on the team that have been very disappointing upon their respective returns from Minnesota. There does not appear to be enough intensity, and it just (to me) looks like guys are playing for the bigger picture as opposed to giving all they can to generate wins "down in Houston."

What do I know? I am just a writer that tries to re-create what happens in a game so those that can't attend will have at least some idea of what went on during the game(s). I have never played hockey, and I am still learning the X's and Os all the time.

But I can say, with high confidence, that I can tell when a team is focused on winning and doing everything possible to extend its season. These Aeros are not doing that. As for why, I have some pretty good ideas and am starting to put a few of those puzzles pieces together. But I don't have enough yet to make a big deal out of that. If I start calling out guys on a blog, then I better damned sure-have my facts straight.

A lot of you see as many games as I do. Why do you think the Aeros are falling apart during crunch time?

Wild recalls Robbie Earl

The Wild have recalled Robbie Earl today.
Why?
They want a body in Calgary just in case they trade a player before the deadline.

Robbie works hard, and is the fastest player on the team, but I don't think he's been at his best since his initial recall to the NHL. I was going to ask him about that Friday, but I don't know that I will get the chance at this point. Russo believes that the Wild is close to trading Eric Belanger, and if that happens, Earl could be in St. Paul for the rest of the year.

For those of you hoping or thinking the Wild will get some help for the Aeros, don't bet on it.
Tony Hrkac is likely the only deal they are going to make. From what I understand, since Jon DiSalvatore has dibs on No. 14, Hrkac will sport No. 25 when he eventually plays for the team.

As far as when that when will be, I would have to think he'll make his Aeros 2010 debut on 3/12 at home vs. Peoria. We'll see.

I do believe the Aeros/Wild tried to make a deal for a forward via trade ... and I guess we'll see if any teams changed their minds later on today.

Tuesday afternoon pick-me-up

I recently got two huge compliments from two Aeros players about our blog. With out me asking them, they told me that it was by far the best AHL blog they'd seen. One of them said it was because we do not take ourselves too seriously and that it can be "very funny" at times. The other said they like getting three different takes on things that are happening to the team.

Well, that was the whole point when I got the grand idea to combine the great talents of John Royal, Fred Trask, Ms. Conduct (and SO without bragging) myself.

John put his take on the season earlier today and claimed the Aeros dead in the water.
Another writer did this with a Houston sports team five years ago, and wow, did they look silly four months later.

And for another one of those perspectives, here is mine:

They still got a pulse (and I guess they need to read the book pictured above).

Last week I think I said they were at the E.R. complaining of chest pains. After last week's debacle, well they have officially had a major M.I and got quadruple bypass surgery. Things are not great, by any stretch, but with a healthy diet and an official change in lifestyle, they can still get it done. But if they keep with the same diet (too much smoking, fried foods and leaving their goalies out to dry) they are going to need a heart transplant and will likely not survive due the lack of a good insurance plan. (I will let you use your own imagination has to what I mean by that.)

Here is why I still give them a shot at the postseason: Kevin Constantine has never missed the playoffs in years that he was not fired. I don't think he is going to get the boot between now and April 10, so there is somewhat of a streak at stake here.

Another reason? Well, there were three teams on the outside looking in this time last year that made it to the postseason in 2009.

The Worcester Sharks, Philadelphia Phantoms and Peoria Rivermen all jumped from the land of the dead to the land of the living in the last six weeks of the regular season. The Phantoms were eight points back last March 1 and Peoria was seven points back at the same time.

The Aeros need to make up a 10-point deficit in the last 18 games to get it done. That is highly unlikely, but not impossible. Of those three teams that rallied, Worcester got 24 points in their last 21 games, Philadelphia got 28 in their last 21 and Peoria got an amazing 32 points in their last 20 games to get a No. 2 seed.

First of all the Aeros need to win at least 12 of their last 18 games to even HAVE a shot. If they can do that, they are going to need one of the teams ahead of them to collapse. The Texas Stars are right in front of them, so we'll start there.

If Texas goes 7-11 down the way, the Aeros likely need 24 points to make the playoffs.
If Texas goes 9-9 through the end of the year, the Aeros will need 28 points to get in.
And if Texas goes 11-7 in their last 18 games, the Aeros will need to go 16-2 in their last 18 games.

Of the three teams that choked in 2009, the Wolves were the biggest "ahogo-ers" ... in their last 17 games last year, the Wolves only got 12 points. Peoria took their spot with an amazing run, but were still knocked out by our Aeros in the last round.

As you can see, it will make a mini miracle, and the playoffs are not likely. But I can't call them dead just yet.

For those of you wondering, last year's team got just 20 (9-8-1-1) points in their last 19 games and moved up from fourth place on March 1 to third. Injuries and that great Peoria run cost them a first-round bye, but I think things worked out for them.

No, no, it's resting!

John's piece for the Houston Press is out today and, well, he suggests that the prognosis is not good. Like, rigor mortis not good... Like, round up some pall bearers not good... Like, "honey, where do we keep the embalming fluid?" not good...

John says the only thing he regrets not including in his post is a statement that the Aeros are deader than a dead parrot. But even without it, it's a good piece, so go check it out. Leave comments. Let the Press know you care.