More on Kuemper's first pro shutout

So, I gave Kuemper a nickname after we talked to him tonight, because seriously, the kid was just beaming. Same thing as two seasons ago when he was here, he just beamed after his first pro win. And now his first pro shutout.

Obviously there's some adrenaline and happy feelings after such a great game, but we've talked to quite a few players after really great games and none have ever come close to being as radiant as Kuemper is.

I personally just felt happier and more positive and nicer having been in his presence. Not only do I enjoy the heck out of his game on the ice, he couldn't be lovelier and more genuine off the ice. 

But as you guys who have been around a while know, it's been a while since I've been inspired to draw. I'll write until the cows come home but bust out the stick figures? Yeah, that's special sauce.

My apologies, Darcy, if this gets you grief in the locker room, but know that they're just jealous. I don't think anybody on the current team has ever inspired a stick figure. It's a rare and precious gift.

So, his nickname is "Walking Sunshine." Because literally, this is what I saw during our post game chat. Just Darcy in his goalie pants and skates and The Glow. Might have to throw a little 50 SPF on Sunday, as I'm quite fair skinned.

Happy Darcy said:

"It's been nice. I kinda got lucky. Hack got called up here, so I've been getting an opportunity to play a lot. I'm starting to feel really comfortable out there and just taking advantage of the opportunity."

How different is the playing style here vs. the ECHL?

"The difference is how crisp it is, and structured. Everything happens so much faster, because everyone's in the right position. And that first game was a bit of an eye-opener for me, but since then I've calmed down, relaxed, and gotten used to the pace. Every game I feel more comfortable out there."

Do you put more pressure on yourself to keep the score low knowing the roster is thin?

"No you can't think about that. You can't worry about what you can't control. What you can control is what you bring to the table every day. You've got to be at your best regardless of who's in the lineup and give your team the best chance to win. And you know, if it's 1-0  or 5-4, a win's a win and we'll take them all."

Are you tired? This is a lot of games.

"In junior I played 60+ the last two years, so I'm pretty used to going a lot. It's nothing out of the ordinary for me."

As far as how much more is going to be on Kuemper's shoulders, the Wild play in Arizona Saturday night and Hackett will either back up or play. Sunday is a day off for them, but I'd be surprised if they sent him back to Houston yet.

I think that will depend on what Harding hears from the team doctors, as he returned back to St. Paul on his own yesterday or today. They expect him to practice Monday but with Kuemps doing fine here, they can afford to keep Hackett up as insurance for the two ailing Wild goalies.

Aeros beat Rampage 1-0, AT HOME!

Well, gang, that was a fun one. Partly because the first period was SUCH a gong show. Both teams were putting on a hilarious comedy of errors, but something told me they'd get it together, and they definitely did.

The longer the game went, the more cohesive the play by both teams. And the lack of penalties made the flow enjoyable, as Ian Croft did his best Jeff Smith impression, God love him. And speaking of penalties, that had to be one of the least contentious games I've seen between these two teams. No fights, just a little rough stuff as San Antonio got (understandably) frustrated that nothing was going in the net.

Which leads me to the star of the night, Darcy Kuemper, who stopped 33 shots for his first pro shutout (he came DARN close in his last ECHL game). The kid just never gives up, has great visual attachment to the puck, tracks it through traffic, through bounces around the crease, and always finds a way to get in front of it.

That said, the team did an excellent job keeping shooters to the outside, clearing rebounds, and cutting off passes to the back door (though he had to make a couple of doozy slides to get them when they did connect). I wish the AHL kept blocked shot records, because I guarantee the rest of the team blocked as many as Kuemper stopped. It takes nothing away from Kuemps to say that the shutout was a team effort. Shutouts always are.

After the game, Coach Torchetti was verging on speechless in his delight at the wealth of goaltending in the organization.

"We know what (Kuemper's) got. He's a special kid. We're very, very, very lucky to have the goaltending that we have in this organization, and the work ethic of (Kuemper and Hackett). Very competitive."

He too, though, gave credit to the team for their role in the win:

"Our guys at the end, though, Peters, blocking shots, we were laying down. That's a lot of hockey for us right there. A lot of people don't think so, but I do. I know I'm tired. They worked. I'm proud. Our goalie did a great job. Special teams came up. We got a win from the special teams, so we're seeing an improvement there. It's just a big win for our hockey team. We don't care who's out of the line-up. We're just gonna keep coming."

 As Andrew mentioned in his post, it was a sure thing San Antonio was going to come at this game with both barrels, and Torch said the team was well aware.

"We understand there's a storm coming, it's just how you handle it. There's another term that we call it (ed. note: Damn these recorders. Love to know what they call it, in the hope that it's something more creative than "shit storm"), but we have to embrace it and understand it's coming."

He went on to talk about how some of the guys who are used to playing 10 minutes are now having to learn to play 16 minutes, 3 games in a row. So those guys are having to learn some lessons in consistency. You won't get to the next level by just showing up.

"We talked about it. And then we found that groove. I thought we did a way better job in the second period pushing the pace, straight up, and getting opportunities.... It's just nice to win," Torchetti said. 

"I thought we were going to the shootout," he laughed.

When asked aboutthe closed door, players only team meeting after yesterdays game, Torchetti said:

"There's a right of playing here. There's no free nights. And that's the bottom line. We thought last night that, overall, we had some guys who thought they were going to show up and get some points. We're playing Oklahoma City. To me they're one of the top teams in the league, night in and night out... That's why we brought in (defenseman Mike) Montgomery. I thought he did a great job for us. He was very good."

We also talked to Kuemper after the game but I feel a stick figure coming on, so I'm gonna go draw that and do another post with his interview.

That said, however, the Aeros are now tied for first place in the AHL, the Wild ARE in first place in the NHL. I think probably the only person whose mind isn't blown by that is Mike Yeo.

View from the Press Box - Kuemper records first pro shutout

Wow ... are you tired?

That is one of the questions Torchetti asked us after that game.

For the record, he said he was tired ... and I can see why.

The Aeros worked their (you know whats) off Friday, and earned two points in the every-so-tough Western conference. OKC just keeps on winning, so the Aeros needed every one of Kuemper's saves just to get out of the building with a win.

Even though they only scored one goal, I thought the offence was much better than it was the day before. I counted two posts and three REALLY good saves by Jacob Markstrom. Friday just might be the first of many good battles between those two over the next couple of years. That kid is really good, too.

Players blocked shots, and when they didn't Kuemper get the scrambly plays from making too big a difference. The Rampage has to be frustrated. They played about 100 times better than they did Tuesday and still got no so soup.

After losing 6-1 Tuesday, you knew San Antonio would come out flying. They did, and the Aeros survived the first period and won because of Kuemper and a pretty Justin Fontaine power play goal.

The Aeros get some much needed rest before Peoria visits on Sunday. That game will be a real test. The Rivermen loaded up on a bunch of high scoring vets and really haven't done anything with that talent. It will be interesting to see where their give-a-damn is after a 3-1 loss tonight in OKC.

Peoria is slumping big time right now, and they should be way better than they are. Will nice to finally be able to see them up close in the team's first meeting since last year's playoffs.

Enjoy the weekend, folks ... we'll talk more on Sunday.

Weekend Preview - Aeros vs. Rampage/Rivermen

I wish I could read this team better. I really do. I know their head coach, John Torchetti, feels the same way.

He says he has no idea why they are so much better on the road. He says he has no idea why they cannot (even come close) to winning an overtime game. He says he has no idea why they can't play a full 60 minutes on home ice.

Except he did give us a pretty darn good reason in his postgame comments on Thursday. Lineup continuity, or, more specifically, the lack thereof. I think he wondered aloud as to how many games this season they have had the same lineup.

Before I say anything else, we have to give Torchetti and Jim Mill their due. How this team is among the top three in the AHL is beyond me, given all the circumstances. They found the right guys to play the right way (hmmm, kind of like the team about 1,000 miles due north.)

Right now, the team is missing Matt Hackett, Nate Prosser, Casey Wellman, Cody Almond, Jeff Taffe, Dave McIntyre and Jed Ortmeyer. And yet they keep playing well enough to earn points even when they are not at their best.

They rise to the occasion despite faltering special teams and losing player after player after player.

They have lost eight of their 12 home games, and yet they are still have a ton of points and are in the top 10 in attendance. Why? Everyone is stepping up, and they have some of the best goaltending in the league. They are playing well enough not to lose, and they have taken advantage of the weaker teams when they have played them.

I would be a fool to say, for sure, that the Aeros were going to have a letdown this weekend. Yet deep down, I just don't see how they can keep it going. I would also be a fool to say, for sure, that they could earn four points against the Rampage and the Rivermen.

Injuries and call-ups are part of every AHL season, but usually they are spread out a bit more. The Wild have been extremely unlucky on that front, and that has tricked down to the Aeros. Seven regulars are out of the lineup, and six of them will be out for the next week or so.

That is going to make it tough this weekend and on the rest of this homestand.

But how can you pick against them when they keep getting points and staying right at the top no matter what is thrown there way.

Just imagine how fun it could be next spring when/if the Aeros have most of these guys in the lineup.

The Aeros At The One-Third Mark

Let's give them something to cheer about.

After today's 2-1 shootout loss to the Oklahoma City Barons, the Aeros have now played 1/3rd of the season. While they're tied with the Barons with 35 points for first place (record with 14-4-2-5), it's probably safe to safe that nobody's entirely happy with the team's play, especially at home.

So after today's game, we asked John Torchetti about the team at the 25-game point, the play of Darcy Kuemper, having a roster full of new guys, etc.

On the play of the defensemen;

"You know what," he said. "Bottom-line is, our defensemen need to get the puck to the net. Our defenseman have got to do a better job breaking out. It doesn’t matter who’s in the lineup now. You’re in the American Hockey League. You want to get to the National Hockey League. You’ve got to be disciplined. You’ve got to come and be consistent every night, and that’s the difference in winning and losing. It cost us a point tonight."

[SNIP]

"All of it. Their D were just trying to shoot to get rebounds. Our D was trying to score. We don’t need to score from the point. Your job is to get the puck to the net. When you’re trying to score that means you’re going high, and that’s not going to work."

As for the state of the team as of game 25.

"I don’t know what it is, yet. I’d probably get a little better idea, but I don’t know if we’ve had the same lineup, twice. I know our team cares. I know it competes. I know it’s got good character. I know it wants to get better every day. And it’s our job to make sure we push them to that so that they’re ready to go to the NHL. And I hope they understand that that’s the main purpose behind our coaching staff.

"We don’t like to give up points to anybody. These are points that might decide home ice to whatever round it is because you know you’re going to be playing top teams you’re going to be playing them, and they’ll [OKC] be one of the top teams."

On the play of Darcy Kuemper, who joined the team on the last road trip.

"He’s going to be a lot of fun to watch. We’re very spoiled here with our goaltending, I can tell you that. Very, very happy. He works hard, though. He comes to work in practice. He wants to start in every game, and that’s what you want. He doesn’t like to be scored on. He’s got all of the characteristics of [Matt Hackett]. He’s a bigger goalie. He takes up a lot of the net, but he’s really detailed. His movement’s good, and he’s in position for the second shot. I thought he was the difference in the game for us, to get a point tonight."

It's easy to be disappointed with the team. But I tend to agree with something else Torchetti said. The team is getting points. They might not get two points every night, but one point is better than no points, and of 25 games, there are only four games in which the Aeros have failed to get a point.

There are improvements that need to be made. Some of the play probably needs to be tightened up. Then again, the Wild, as seemingly happens every year, are full of injuries which have necessitated call-up after call-up after call-up from Houston. And the Aeros themselves are suffering injuries to key players. Jed Ortmeyer's suffering from a lower body injury, but his return appears to be more imminent than the return of David McIntyre who is suffering from an upper body injury.

So that's 25 games down, and 69 51 more to go.

Some Game Photos

I haven't done much with the photos this season, but I went down and took a few this afternoon and I thought I would share. So...

This first picture is of Tyler Cuma pushing the puck up the ice. Coach John Torchetti wasn't too happy with the D play today. He wants them pushing the puck up the ice. He wasn't happy with what they were doing with the puck, though. He doesn't want them acting as shooters. He wants them to put the puck on the net and let what happens happen. A d-man shooting the puck for a goal goes high, and he doesn't want the puck going high. He wants the rebound.


Here's a shot of Matt Kassian trying to get to some clear space on the ice.


Here is the result of one of the teams's scoring attempts in the second period. Which means there was no goal scored on this play.


This is Joey Martin, one of the new kids who has arrived in the past week or so due to the injuries in both Houston and Minnesota. Torchetti singled him out during our post-game presser and was very, very complimentary.


And here's Carson McMillan, one of the walking wounded who has just returned to play.

Aeros Lose 2-1 (Again) In Shootout (Again)

We'll put some quotes up later, but...The Aeros lost to the Barons this afternoon by the score of 2-1. The Barons scored in the second period, and it looked like another home loss for the Aeros until Jarod Palmer got a wraparound with 2:00 left in the third to tie it.

Neither team scored in OT, which means the shootout. And the Aeros are awful in the shootout. The Aeros actually scored once in the shootout, and it was Warren Peters getting the puck in the net. But nobody else had any luck and the Aeros got the loss.

For a day game, it was kind of quiet. The kids seemed to be at a lower pitch -- I didn't even wear my ear plugs in the third period. And neither team, to me, seemed to have any energy. So can we please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please stop these damn kiddie games, especially after most of them had left the arena before the third period was over.

With the shootout loss, the Aeros move to 14-4-2-5 (35 points) for the season, and as of right now, they're tied with the Barons for first place.

The Aeros return to action tomorrow night when they take on the Rampage at Toyota Center at 7:35.

P.S.: Jeff Taffe was unavailable today because he's been called up to the Wild, and if Cal Clutterbuck can't go for the Wild tonight, then Taffe might end up getting some action. And David McIntyre and Jed Ortmeyer are still aways from returning to action.

Aeros add McKenzie and Nolan to depleted roster

Oh hey! First off, apologies (though not terribly sincere) for not posting anything about the Aeros 0-4 white washing by the Marlies on Saturday. That was gross and frankly, I couldn't bring myself to rehash it here.

What happens in Toronto stays in Toronto. That cool with you guys?

But tonight, the team gets to move on from that ugliness to battle the Rampage on their home turf. Andrew predicted a 3-1 loss, but I'm not sure what to think. I do think this game could easily be an"overlooked" one. I don't get the sense that there's been an opportunity to hit the reset button. But then again, SA isn't very good, so this could be one the Aeros sneak by in.

But who knows. At least they're getting some help in the form of a new forward and a backup goalie (Hackett is still with the Wild, who play in San Jose tonight).

McKenzie

The first is Mike McKenzie, who is the son of well-respected TSN hockey writer Bob McKenzie. I've followed Mike on Twitter for a long time now and he seems like a good kid. And he's been a good soldier for the Everblades and Charlotte.

Russo is reporting that McKenzie has signed a 2 way AHL contract with the Aeros, so it appears he might be with them for the long haul.

The other is Rob Nolan, who has been in the cage for ECHL Chicago Express this season. It sounds like Backstrom is on the mend, though, so I anticipate Hackett being ready to go by Thursday or Friday, and I doubt we'll see Nolan play.

Anyway, we'll see how Andrew's prediction goes tonight against the sub .500 Rampage, and then it's the always-zany kids day game on Thursday. As Brusty told me once, something crazy ALWAYS happens in those games. It's a can't-miss game for me. Hope some of you folks can sneak out of work to catch it, too.

Aeros win 4-3 over Amerks

The boys in the bomber sweaters pulled another one out tonight against the Rochester Amerks with a 4-3 win in regulation.

Down early 2-0, they climbed back in the game with goals from Broda and Foucault within the first 3 minutes of the second period.

But the Amerks took the lead again just seconds after Foucault's power play goal, and would keep it for nearly 10 minutes. But eventually Fontaine tied it up as the Aeros took over the shot count lead and found their game.

Broda scored his second of the night and the game winner on a shorthanded chance (making that the 5th shorty allowed by the Amerks already this season) around 5 minutes into the third. Took some doing to hold it out at the end, but Kuemper was up to the task in his first AHL game since April 2010, making 23 saves in the effort.

This is the Aeros' 7th straight road win, 8th straight game to earn points, and puts them back at the top of the conference again. And they're doing this while massively depleted: No Wellman, Almond, McIntyre, or Ortmeyer, who was injured in Lake Erie. And McMillan is still out, too, though he is traveling with the team.

The team called up forward Joey Martin from ECHL Toledo yesterday as well, so he was able to practice with the team this morning.

Now it's a few hours over to Toronto (depending on the border crossing, I suppose) for a 3 pm (ET) game tomorrow vs. the Marlies, which is a little strange, but hopefully the guys from around there will get to catch up with family and friends after the game and will head home Sunday.

Almond Called Up

Just a quick note...

The Wild suffered some more injuries to their forwards in last night's shootout win over Edmonton. So you know what that means...

Cody Almond has been recalled from the Aeros and will be joining the Wild. I've seen nothing about the Aeros making any corresponding roster moves, but seeing as they've been playing virtually every available player on the roster, bringing in a healthy forward is hopefully high on some to-do lists, even if it is to just be a healthy scratch. Oops, my bad, I didn't see the news from yesterday about Harrison Reed being signed.

BTW: The Aeros defeated Lake Erie in Cleveland last night by a 2-1 score with the first goal from, that's right, Cody Almond. Chad Rau got the game-winner early in the third.