Aeros Do The Patriotic Things And Lose To The Americans

The Aeros saw an awful lot of this tonight, Matt Hackett, back turned to the bench, with the Americans celebrating a goal.

The good news tonight:  the Aeros didn't lose another game in the shutout.  

The bad news:  the Aeros lost 6-3 to the Rochester Americans, the team with the worst road record in the AHL.  And if not for a burst of scoring in the first five minutes of the third period, the score would have been much, much worse.

There's not much positive to say about this game.  Matt Hackett surrendered five goals on just 18 shots, including two first period goals while facing just six shots.  The problem wasn't entirely Hackett's as his defense was, for most of his two periods in the game, non-existent.  

More than anything, this game seemed to indicate, though not stated by John Torchetti afterwards, that the rash of injuries in Minnesota, which in turn is taking Aero after Aero away from Houston, is really just messing with the team.  Jed Ortmeyer and Chad Rau are the latest guys to catch a flight up to the big club -- this time, I believe, they had to fly to Vancouver to meet up with Mike Yeo and the guys.  Cody Almond came back down, and Aaron Lee was brought in from Rio Grande Valley to fill out the roster.

But just because there are guys injured in Minnesota doesn't mean that the Aeros should just be expecting to get free minutes on the ice because nobody else on the team is available -- every healthy player suited up and played for the Aeros tonight.  Torchetti made it clear that he's not happy with some of the things he saw on ice, and he was clear that there will be some roster changes forthcoming.

"You're getting free ice," Torchetti said.  "And some guys need to get some nights off.  That's going to be the bottom line after this next game.  It doesn't matter how many guys are called up.  We'll call up some guys from the other leagues that want to play hockey every night.  Some of these guys are getting free ice."

The Aeros did score first, taking the early 1-0 lead, but less than a minute later, the Americans tied it up.  Then Rochester scored just before the end of the first period to make it 2-1.  They scored 46 seconds into the second period, then made it 4-1 eight minutes later.  And by the time the Aeros skated out for the third period, with Darcy Kuemper taking over goalie duties with the Aeros down 5-1, it really just didn't matter.

Sure the Aeros showed some life in the third and made it look halfway respectable, but in the end, respectable doesn't cut it.  

The Aeros return to action on Wednesday night when they host the Texas Stars at 7:05.  And for the interested, Wednesday night is also the Miss Aeros Bikini Contest, so come out for that if not for the hockey.

SOME MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

That was the Aeros first regulation loss since losing in Toronto on December 3rd.  And it was their first regulation loss at Toyota Center since losing to Abbotsford 5-3 on November 10.  The loss also breaks a six game streak of earning a point.

With the loss the Aeros dropped into second place with a record of 16-5-2-7 (41 points).  The Barons grabbed a point in their shootout loss to Charlotte, so they're now 20-7-0-2 (42 points).

Facing A Face-Off

So kids, have you ever wondered what's it like to be part of a face-off? Well, since the Aeros are losing 3-1 midway through the second to the Rochester Americans, and since there doesn't really appear to be much worth talking about in the game, here's a few photos from the first period of Carson McMillan taking a face-off.

Stop Me If You've Heard This One

The Aeros made it to the shootout tonight. Again. They lost in the shootout. Again. Final score 3-2 with the Barons getting the two points. The Aeros are tied for first (points wise) with the Barons, both having 41 points, though the Barons get first place because of a better winning percentage.

Aeros are 0-7 in the shootout this season. The record for consecutive shootout losses, courtesy of the AHL, is 0-8 by the 2008-09 Iowa Chops who finished the season 1-10 in the shootout for the season.

The Aeros return to Toyota Center to take on the Rochester Americans at 5:05.

Post Win Glow and Quotes

Ahhh.... everything is better in life when your team plays well and gets a decisive victory over a rival like the Stars. Your problems are a little smaller, your hair looks a little better, you feel a little smarter. It's been a tough week at Casa Conduct, so I appreciated this game tonight more than I expected to.

Mainly because I really thought the Aeros were in trouble this weekend. Luckily, they benefited from a week of practice time together and a little bit of rest and healing up and they were more cohesive than I can remember them being in a while. It helped that the Stars played into their hands and let the Aeros dictate the pace (except for those 12 minutes in the second that Andrew mentioned where the Aeros DIDN'T dictate the pace).

And how nice to see Ortmeyer back. Can we sign him to a "until you retire" deal? I think Torchetti would agree; as Andrew mentioned, he said a lot of really nice things about Orts and DiSalvatore after the game that I'll share a little later.

And Hackett... boy was he a confident one tonight. Entertaining to watch him be so loose. Reminds me of the couple of games after Khudobin was traded. Just had this extra kick in his game that's both sexy and terrifying. Shades of Brusty. That's pure compliment.

Didn't love Medvec's misplaced, post-whistle chippiness as he played forward, but thankfully the ref was calling almost nothing tonight (bless you!), so it didn't come back to bite him. Careful...

How freaking sick was that Rau goal?! Nasty nasty nasty. He deked 3 defenders and the goalie practically to Pasadena on that thing. It was a master class in absolutely taking over a moment in a game and just shoving it right up their noses.

And then Kassian with a laser right over Besko's blocker side. Nice shot, and no reaction from Besko to stick an elbow up or something. Guess he though Kass couldn't aim. Wrong-orowany, big guy.

Finally, yay for all the teddy bear tossing fans. Damn, that's so much fun. I pleaded with the ice crew to just leave the bears and let them pile up for a bit so we could enjoy the spectacle but I didn't win that argument. I guess the game has to go on. Fiiiine.

Before I forget, Wednesday's game is the Bikini/Miss Aeros/Whatever game, so if you're into that sort of thing, come see the tall blonde one win, like the tall blonde one always does. My favorite part is the always insightful interview portion of the evening.

"What do you like best about Houston Aeros hockey?"

"ALL THESE AWESOME FANS!!!! WOOO!!!!"

Oy.

Anyway, here are those quotes I promised from the always wonderful Coach Torchetti.

On Matt Kassian's goal streak:

"He's got to understand that he's got to be able to play. I mean, tough guys have to play in the NHL; they just can't play 3 minutes or 2 minutes. They have to be effective on the walls, they have to forecheck, they have to chip pucks deep, and that's what we're trying to get him to understand now. It's time for him to really be a 2-way player and be a tough guy, too... He's playing a lot of minutes, and he deserves it because he's working his butt off."


On Jed Ortmeyer:

"He's everything that a Houston Aero is. Character, he's a leader, he's physical. He does every little job possible and never says a word. Low maintenance, high character and just a great player to teach. And that's what he brings every night and that's what all these young guys should learn to be like, just like him."


On Jon DiSalvatore and his lack of scoring, but still playing as well as ever (after trying to figure out who "Jon" was that Andrew was asking about. "I don't know him as Jon, I know him as Sal"):


"Sal is what Orts is but he's got a C on his shirt. He's not worried about points. He knows that we need him to be a real strong defensive player, and he plays the system to a T, and that's all you can ask of your captain.


I know I probably take away points because I want him to play more defensively and, he doesn't have to worry about points. We know what he does on and off the ice. He's unbelievable in the locker room, and he keeps that locker room real straight.

And he keeps everybody understanding that, you know what, it's a privilege to play here. You don't just show up and win a hockey game. You have to play hard every night. We're trying to build our team towards the playoffs. So we want to play that type of hockey every night. That's the commitment that we get and you can tell it's because of our leaders."


That's it folks. The boys are leaving bright and early for OKC tomorrow, then back to Houston for Sunday afternoon's game vs. Rochester. Haven't seen those guys much, so it will be fun to get a gander at the Amerks.

View from the Press Box - Aeros 4, Texas 1

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later, but the Aeros finally beat the Texas Stars at home. Save for a bad 12 minute stretch in the second period, the Aeros controlled the game and probably could have scored two or three more goals. What stood out to me tonight was Jed Ortmeyer in his first game after missing six. He played well and helped set up Genoway's Teddy Bear goal. I thought Jeff Taffe recovered from a pedestrian first period. I really hope he turns things up a notch in the next few weeks. Broda's one-timer goal to make it 3-0 was a beaut, and you have to give credit to Justin Fontaine for threading the needle with that pass. The Texas defense has to knock that out of the way, but I am not going to lie ... I am glad they didn't. Hackett was one bad bounce from getting a shutout in his first game back. That goal by Fraser, I thought he had all the way. Just wasn't meant to be ... he seemed a little overly confident, but I guess he very well should be after his showing in the NHL last week. Glad to see him playing well (again) ... Things that won't show up on the scoresheet are all the shots Jon DiSalvatore and Ortmeyer blocked tonight. Jon was as solid defensively as I can remember, and he has really played above and beyond where he was last season. Sure, the points aren't there right now, but right now, Torchetti is asking him to play more defense, and he is doing that. Torchetti has some real nice quotes about he and Ortmeyer, and I hope Heather shares those with you on here later. In closing, I have to say the Aeros are real interesting this year. With all that is going on, it is so hard to beleive that for the next day or so, they will be the top team in the AHL. And if they can somehow figure out how to beat OKC tomorrow, they could stay that way for a bit. Oh, and to whoever hit me with the teddy bear tonight after Genoway's goal ... thank you. I am going to keep it tonight, and take it home to my two-year old. She will give it to someone who really needs it this holiday season. I tried to take one of hers and bring it to the game, but Ellie would not let me. She could not decide which of her "friends" to part with. It sure was fun having that conversation before I left.

Goalie of the Week

As you know, Darcy Kuemper was named the AHL Goalie of the Week for last week, after going 2-0-0-2. So here he is tonight, with Aeros president David Burke, being presented with his award. Congrats, Darcy.

Teddy Bears On Ice

We're in the middle of the game, Aeros up 3-1 with 8:11 left in the second. But I thought you might want to see some teddy bears on the ice, courtesy of Chay Genoway's power play goal in the first period.

Game Day Update - Aeros vs. Texas

I have to give John Torchetti some credit. The Wild organization is in the middle of its worst-ever rash of injuries, and the new coach never seems bothered about all the talent that is missing from the lineup.

Part of me thinks he's frustrated beyond belief, and he just doesn't want to say anything. But another part of me thinks he really is calm about the whole ordeal because he's got real good goaltending at his disposal.

The Minnesota Hospitals keep dropping like flies, and it looks like the Aeros are going to lose at least one more forward today before their game against the Texas Stars.

This kind of reminds me a little bit of what happened to the Ottawa and Binghamton Senators last year. Early in the season, a lot of guys got hurt and they kept getting hurt. Bingo never really had it's full roster until the playoffs, and we all say what happened when they had everyone together.

That was a scary-good playoff team.

And now, with the Aeros 11 games over .500 and with a ton of overtime/SO loss points, they have some breathing room. If Kuemper keeps playing as well as he has, the Aeros can win games 2-1 (or keep losing in the shootout). So long as the defense and goaltending keep getting better, the Aeros will have a fighter's chance while the work around the recall of Warren Peters, Casey Wellman, Cody Almond and the injured Jarod Palmer, Jed Ortmeyer and Dave McIntyre.

While I don't have much of a feel for the game tonight, I do think Saturday is an automatic loss at OKC. Sunday could go either way with both teams playing a third game in three days. Rochester has several players on recall to the NHL, and they are not very good away from home.

Back to tonight ... the last-place Stars are 2-0 against the Aeros at Toyota Center. But they are without Bachman, their clear-cut No. 1 goalie. Tyler Beskorowany has played the last five games for Texas, and he is 3-2 with all three wins coming against first-place teams (Charlotte and OKC).

For some reason, I think the law of averages play out here, and the Aeros get a win. I think they lose Saturday and pick up a at least a point on Sunday. I have no idea why I am this optimistic with all the regulars out of the lineup, but over the last several weeks, they just keep finding a way to get points.

Why should this weekend be any different?

Aeros lose another shootout, 3-2 to Peoria

Sorry for the late post gamer. Got caught up eating dinner and watching DVR'd episodes of Dan LeBatard is Highly Questionable (LOVE that show) and nursing a headache. You understand, right?

But frankly, the urgency wasn't there because we've seen this game before right? Like 6 or 7 times now? I guess the difference is that the Aeros actually put some pucks in the net on the shoot out, but I think Kuemper's gonna need a few shootouts to get better at them.

The Hensick goal, Walking Sunshine bit first and the game in shootouts for the goalie is to let the shooter make the first move. WAAAAY easier said than done but it was one of the extremely rare moments where he looked like a rookie. I remember when Hackett used to show a little more wetness behind the ears in shootouts, too. It's just something that gets better with experience at this level.

And other than that, he was the only reason this game wasn't 3-1 or 4-1 or, I dunno, EIGHTEEN-1.

Look, I appreciate that with a very thin roster, offensively, you have to just play a safe game. And I think that's why we're finding them stuck in the defensive zone for what can often feel like one long power play. So, for now, getting points is good enough in my book.

Though Joe tweeted after the game that Warren Peters made the interesting comment that, as long as the team is earning points, it's difficult to learn any lessons from the losses. That's a wise observation and something that's sort of flickered through my mind when we talk to Torchetti after these kinds of games.

But, speaking of Torchetti, it sounds like he anticipates some players coming back healthy and for him, the real issue is that guys aren't having to battle for ice time. The team is literally playing every healthy body on the roster and, if we assume that Palmer's absence tonight was an injury (honestly we forgot to ask afterward and Rich "didn't know"), if Taffe hadn't come back, they would have to call someone from ??? or play a man short. Oy.

At some point, you have to admit that there's some pretty significant adversity here, but it's hockey and nobody likes to admit to adversity. So, I guess getting the loser point is good enough for now.

But back to Torchetti, here's where he had to say about his irritation with some of the guys:

"Kuemps played a great game for us tonight (but) our whole line up didn't play tonight. We only had about, maybe... we just didn't have everyone going on all gears and we thought it was going to be an easy night. I think we're a little complacent... and that's going to change this week," Torchetti said. "Some guys are going to have to sit in the stands... which will be good."

Some good things happened though: Always great when Matt Kassian scores a goal. He honestly had 3 great chances around the net tonight where I thought he might double it up, but only that one off the terrific pass from Mike McKenzie went in.

Should be noted, BTW, that McKenzie was the other player on the Peter's 2 on 1 that forced Bishop to cheat a little and open up that 5-hole. So, McKenzie's just getting in there more and more as he gets comfortable with this team. Looking forward to more. I know they really liked him in Florida.

Of course, it was also nice to get two whole goals in the shootout. Twice though, Bishop teased shooters with a gaping 5-hole, only for the shooters to hit leg pad when they shot. Ah well. Maybe they were as distracted as I was by this:

Oh, Ben Bishop... do you even know what this does to a girl? (Photo by Chris Jerina)

The boys have 4 days to heal up, rest up, practice some POWER PLAY STUFF FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, and then back at it with games Friday, Sunday, and Wednesday. Meanwhile, if you want to see the Aeros play, just watch the Wild!

Photos from the 1-0 Win over San Antonio

There was only one goal scored in tonight's 1-0 Aeros win. And that goal was the seventh of the season for Justin Fontaine. (Quick note: the Aeros last won 1-0 on February 13, 2010, a 1-0 overtime win over Grand Rapids).

I thought you would like some photos. I had the camera on Jon DiSalvatore, so what you get is him moving in for a rebound should there be one, his reaction to the goal, then two photos of Fontaine skating for the bench to be congratulated by those guys there.