Photos from Tuesday's OT win

Sorry for the delay on pics from Tuesday's game. The trade-off of having Jerina in town to shoot the game was that he had to finish his trip before we could get the pics.

It's worth the wait though. Have you seen a picture that sums up the second half of this season better?

The start of Buck's funny breakaway attempt. Well, maybe not funny to him, but I thought Dekanich coming out and challenging (as you can see by the ice markings) at the top of the circles was funny. Then that MKE d-man getting a stick in there and tipping Buck's shot JUST wide of the post. Just a crazy play full of grandiose effort on both sides.

Earl's OT game winner cele. Just another day at the office, right?

Earl gets mobbed by a bunch of happy guys. Is that Buck with the kissy face there? It's okay, man. I think we all wanted to pucker up for Earlsy after that goal.

Stickless Cody Almond prepares to sacrifice his face to the puck. Dude.

Finally, our boy Torch got himself an Aeros-themed mask that's pretty sharp:

Honoring his Bakersfield Condor past...

Never mind that he's not actually #39 here.

All photos courtesy of Chris "Tip of the Churro to Ya'!" Jerina. You can see the rest from this game right here. Muchas gracias for the photos, Chris!

View from the Press Box - Aeros win OT thriller over Admirals

It is hard to believe there are just 10 games left in the regular season.

It is also difficult to fathom that the Aeros could still, possibly, not make the playoffs. No need to go down that negative road today when you've got great things to talk about like the season Patrick O'Sullivan is having in Houston. Forget all the collapse talk when you've got Robbie Earl snapping a month-long goal drought with back-to-back games winners in crucial home games.

I had a good feeling about the game Friday for the same reason I had a real bad feeling about the last time the Aeros played in Cedar Park. One team was due to win against the other. My old friend Rob Daum used to challenge my law of averages argument. "What IS that, really," he used to ask. I'd change the subject by telling him, "Well, you're team is only as good as the starting goalie for your next game." Considering he had Tony Quesada and Miro Kopriva manning the pipes ... well, let's just say that is the end of the conversation.

Seventy down and 10 to go ... and speaking of laws of averages; the last four two-game winning streaks have been stopped with a regulation loss. If you like patterns, you can say the Aeros lose Saturday. If you like the law of averages argument, it's a win hands down.

You can spin just about anything, any way.

But I digress ...

I asked Robbie if the Aeros just wanted it more, did they perhaps will themselves to a win. "Well the game went to OT, ...I think both teams really wanted this one," he said. And I think that speaks volumes. That is how it is going to be for the last 10 games. Every mistake, every goal for and against will be under the microscope. Just as Forecheck said in a comment, "Welcome to the playoffs! "

Aeros stun Milwaukee in 3-2 OT win; join them in first place

Well, how about that snoozefest, huh?

Okay, maybe not. I think the Aeros 3-2 OT win over Milwaukee looked as much like playoff hockey as... playoff hockey. Hard hitting, fast, focused, and fun to watch from top to bottom.

Both goalies were fantastic in general, except for the incredible brain fart on that second goal against Milwaukee where Dekanich literally just stood there as O'Sullivan looked to be dumping the puck into the zone from center ice, but ended up putting it on net instead.

Poor Dex. I don't think I breathed for a full minute after this. He's a really good goalie. Just goes to show you how tough the position is that someone this good would space out like that.

At least, I'm calling it spacing out. He tracked it right into the net. Maybe he was screened but still. What a shock.

And what a momentum shift. The goal came just after Milwaukee took the lead on an iffy goal and you could feel a bit of a slump in the building because Dex is playing so well and how the hell will they get another goal? But then BOOM. Sully evens it up and maybe embarrasses the Ads a bit.

The game stayed tight the rest of the way, so I wouldn't say the momentum shifted TO the Aeros there, but it certainly came back to neutral again.

Credit to Andrew, he picked the Aeros to win right here today. And early in the game he called Robbie Earl with the GWG. How money is that? It seemed like it happened almost in slow motion, too.

Lots of guys had really good games, from my perspective. I feel like Daoust is playing like I want him to now. Falk looked great. Rau with two first assists. He reminds me of Pierre-Marc Bouchard. Maybe it's just me.

BTW, I think the Wellman, DiSalvatore, O'Sullivan line needs a name. Put your suggestions in the comments. They are a scary trio and my inner goalie just hates O'Sullivan. He just finds these holes, and he's so damn handsy and dangly and slick. Damn it. But keep it up dude.

Anyway, I'll wrap up with some quotes from Yeo who talked to us outside a locker room so jubilant, I think there might have been some monkeys in the room.

On staying even keeled and focused:
"It’s really important right now not to get too wrapped up in everything. We could have lost the game tonight and then you’re looking at the other teams and you feel like you’re at the bottom and you feel like the world is about to end. The opposite is we can’t get too excited either. The reality is we just need to win games. We need points. We got 2 points and that’s good but we’re going to lose another game along the way probably and we have to be able to react to it and it’s just a matter of going into each game and understanding that you go out and play your best game that night and you let the chips fall where they fall. That’s what we've been doing the last couple of games."

On the penalty kill that hasn't exactly been knocking it out of the park lately and allowed 2 PP goals on 3 chances tonight:
"I think we’re probably overusing some defensemen right now, just because of the inexperience of Fritche back there. You could see that the first goal that they scored was just fatigue on our part. We got caught on a long shift out there; those guys were out there almost 2 minutes.

Are we missing Peters? Are we missing Gillies? Yes, but it has to be better. These guys are capable of being better and I think there shouldn’t be any doubt in our system and what we’re trying to accomplish out there right now and it looks like at times there is. We have to work on it because that’s got to be a staple of our team. Because when we’re doing it well it well that’s a penalty kill that builds momentum for our group."

Finally, some general positivity about the current state of the team:
"I give our guys a boatload of credit because we haven’t been as fortunate with getting the first goal but we've stayed with it. I think our guys have been focused on playing a great game because of that, we've been able to bounce back from that."

The Aeros are now in 1st place with Milwaukee, who have FOUR games in hand on Houston. But as Yeo told us, the key right now, no matter who they're playing, is to get points.

Storylines to make you giddy - Mr. Sunshine edition

I kind of talked about the "heavier" side of tonight's game in the post below. There are only 11 games left, and this is a HUGE hockey game. The Aeros have Milwaukee two more times this year, and they need to beat them twice if they want a shot at the No. 1 seed entering the playoffs.

But if you aren't excited about tonight's game, you're just not paying attention. Here are some nuggets that ought to make you smile about paying your good hard-earned money to see a minor league hockey game:

• The Aeros are just coming off their latest must-win game, a 6-3 win over Manitoba. They scored six goals in the third, a 17-year old franchise record for goals in a period.
• Houston is 28-17-1-1 vs. West Division teams, and guess what, the Admirals play in the West.
• The Aeros are 20-8-0-3 since Jan. 1. Few teams in the AHL can match those numbers.
• Matt Hackett is going to start tonight; here's to hoping he finishes and allows two goals or less. All 38 of the Aeros' wins have come when the team allows three or fewer goals.
• Hackett (16-13-4) is second among AHL rookies and sixth overall with a 2.25 (overall) goals-against average. At home, Hackett is 8-4-2 with a 2.33 GAA and a .916 saves percentage.
• Patrick O’Sullivan is the main reason why the Aeros are 20-8-0-3 since Jan. 1; He has points in 11 of his last 12 games (6-13-19) and points in 20 of 26 as an Aero this season (14-19-33).
• Look at those numbers up there. That is effing crazy.
• Speaking of crazy numbers, look at what the arrival of O'Sullivan has done to Jon DiSalvatore.
• Jon DiSalvatore (22-29-51) has matched his career high in goals thanks to a 14-15-29 (29! points!) spurt since O’Sullivan joined the club.
• More on O'Sullivan - He is now fourth on the team in scoring with 14 goals, 19 assists for 33 points. Sick.
• And remember, even if the Aeros lose their last 11 games, they still finish above .500!
• (That last one was a positive nugget for Forecheck)

Aeros GameDay - Milwaukee visits for pivotal game

The last time the Aeros hosted the Milwaukee Admirals, they had a chance to leave the building all alone in first place. On Feb. 22, they blew a two-goal lead in the third period, one of the worst meltdowns of the year, and are still chasing Milwaukee today. Had they won that game, they'd still be in first place, as it turns out, but they get the same chance this evening at the Toy Box.

Win, and they're in first place all alone. Lose, and the Admirals keep their grip on the West.

The Aeros have lost three straight in the season series and have played four one-goal games against Milwaukee. They are equal in many ways with a top-ten goalie on either side and enough offense to get the job done most nights. The Admirals have some of their top skilled guys either out or in Nashville (Blake Geoffrion, for example), and the Aeros will still be without Warren Peters, who is still in Minnesota.

A loss tonight won't kill them, but it will speak volumes about the team in general. It will prove they cannot beat the team directly in front of them in the standings. It will show the coaches and team officials that they have not been able to take advantage of a very fortuitous schedule and, quite frankly, it should make them doubt whether or not they are good enough to make the playoffs.

I think they win tonight. I think they play with the kind of desperation (and discipline) they need show in a playoff race that has not had an equal since the team joined the AHL in 2001.

The Aeros have 11 games left, and I think they need 94 points, maybe 95 to secure their right to play for the Calder Cup. That means they need to go 6-5, maybe 6-4-1, just to qualify. That kind of a record will send them on the road to start the playoffs. I'd love to see what they can do with home ice advantage for the first time since ... God, when was the last time they had home ice? 2006, I believe!

The teams behind them are not playing well, so even this minor slump of late has not cost the Aeros. Texas has fallen back, Peoria is depleted beyond belief and Chicago's defense is so leaky, well even Peoria with six or seven ECHLers stole two or three points from them last week. San Antonio, once the king of the division is three or four games below .500 since New Year's, and OKC has the most brutal closing schedule I have ever seen.

It is there for the taking. If the Aeros can't win six or seven of their last 11 games, they don't deserve to have home ice. If they cannot win tonight, they don't deserve to call themselves one of the best teams in the AHL.

If they can't beat Milwaukee tonight, everyone that following the Aeros will just end up hoping, praying that nobody makes a big run during the eight long days where they don't play.

Here is an update look at the playoff picture. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Roster Updates - Update, Scandella back with Wild

As Andrew points out above, huuuuuge game tonight against the pesky Milwaukee Admirals, who are a mere 1 point ahead of Houston in first place.

Presumably Dekanich will start in goal and he's just been a boss this season. It's going to take a valiant offensive effort by the Aeros to sink his ship.

Good thing is that the Wild reassigned defenseman Marco Scandella to Houston now that Clayton Stoner is healthy (knock on wood). That should significantly strengthen the blue line.

Not so fast - It appears that Marco Scandella will play for another injured Wild player, per a recent Russo tweet. He practice for and play with the Wild when they lose to San Jose.

And they have signed Scott Campbell, a center just finishing up his college career at UMass-Lowell, to an amateur tryout contract. Apparently he was out most of this season with an injury, but presumably he's good to go.

Here's a press release on the signing.

Jed Ortmeyer: The Houston Aeros' Medical Miracle Man

My latest story in the mothership is up, and it's a little bit on Jed Ortmeyer. I have to admit, I didn't know until recently all of the medical stuff that he has to deal with so that he can keep playing hockey, but knowing it just makes watching him play all of the more enjoyable.

Now not included in my post is this little tidbit which I found to be fascinating, but didn't have room for. When he played for the New York Rangers, he was on two reality shows: Cash Cab and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The Cash Cab was for charity, and the Extreme Makeover dealt with trying to help out a New York fireman.

So, yeah, he's just one of those good guys. Give it a read.

UPDATE: Oh, I almost forgot, Heather also has a writeup on Ortmeyer at the Pro Hockey News site. So read it, too. Just read mine first. And leave comments.

3/13/11 -- Aeros Dog The Moose

It's tough to say that today's game was the biggest game of the season for the Aeros because it seems that since January every game has been the biggest game of the season. But if the Aeros had lost today they could have fallen into a tie for fourth place. So it was big for the Aeros to get the 6-3 win over Manitoba today.

This will be quick and dirty today because of some time constraints, but....

1. For those of you interested, the six goals the Aeros scored in the third period were a franchise record for goals scored in the third. And it was the first time since November of last season that they scored five goals in a period.

2. You can slowly see the Aeros regaining their confidence on offense, especially their big scoring lines. Patrick O'Sullivan's game-tying goal at the start of the third just seemed to open up the flood gates, and when a team gets a gift like the second goal, where the Manitoba goalie just seemed to hand the puck to Jon DiSalvatore, you just get the feeling that things are going your way.

3. Yeo said after the game that that DiSalvatore goal, which put the Aeros up 2-1, was a result of the ways the Aeros were just grinding away and wearing down the Moose defense and the goalie.

"We talked about it yesterday and our game plan going into every game is to grind teams down, regardless of whether they've played three games in three nights. That first period was only okay, but second period -- the amount of times that we made their D turn and go back for pucks," he said. "You could see towards the end of that period that we were just taking the game over. And that's what we talked about in between periods, as far as sticking with it, and we did. The first goal is getting the puck in deep and a good forecheck. And on the second goal you've got a skilled player like Casey Wellman coming down, and instead of taking a high risk play he chips the puck in behind the defense and makes them go back again, and from there, the game was over."

4. We talked to Jon DiSalvatore after the game, and I followed up on something I got from Jed Ortmeyer on Friday night. And that's the fact that those these games are grinders, and the Aeros have been having to play playoff caliber hockey since January, the game is supposed to be fun, and the best way to cope with the pressure is to go out and have fun.

"Since the day that [Ortmeyer's] got here, he's said that 'winning's fun, winning's fun,'" DiSalvatore said. "He's said that every day in the locker room. The result of winning is always fun. And we went on a big tear when he got here. And it was all based on little details that we really stuck to. And when you see us out there playing our game at a high level, and we're hemming teams in their own zone. You have so much more energy when you're playing in the offensive zone as you do than when you're playing defense. Our game, and what we stress to our guys, is let's just get the puck up the ice, and let's just play offense. It's easier on the D, and we have more energy as forwards. And it's a lot more fun when we're just moving the puck up quick..."

5. There are now 11 games left in the season for the Aeros, who are now 38-25-1-5 (82 points). Yet while it's hard to believe, the Aeros are still just in second place. They played incredible hockey in January and February and they're 3-2-0-1 so far in March. But for their incredible play, they can't put any distance between the clubs below them.

6. Both DiSalvatore and Robbie Earl noted after the game that the West Division is always the toughest division in the AHL in terms of teams making the playoffs. It's just par for the course in playing in this division. And as DiSalvatore told us, while things are tight and everybody's sweating it out, this is still fun for the players because they're always out playing for something meaningful.

7. That's it for me. I won't be here for Tuesday's game against Milwaukee -- vacation time -- but I'm sure Heather and Andrew will give you lots of good stuff on the game. And I hear that there should actually be some good photos -- instead of my crap -- for that game.

Scoreboard Watching

For those of you watching the scoreboard for scores around the league, know this...

Texas lost to Hamilton, Oklahoma City lost to Grand Rapids, and Manitoba stomped San Antonio 7-2. So nobody gained any ground on the Aeros tonight. And here's hoping that Manitoba used up its weekend allotment of goals tonight and have none for tomorrow.

Matt Hackett Has A Great Game Photos

I spent the first period down in Matt Hackett's corner of the ice. So I got a lot of photos as he was barraged by 18 shots. I think the photos speak for themselves, so no commentary, but, looking at photo number one which was just before the game, well, do you think he had any idea at that moment just what he was about to face?