It came down to the wire, but the Aeros squeaked into the playoffs with the 2-1 win over the Texas Stars tonight. With a little help from Milwaukee, who spanked Charlotte 6-1, and San Antonio, who bested OKC 1-0, the Aeros clinched the 8th spot in the West.
It was literally the last result of the regular season, but we knew midway through the game, as the other two games wrapped up, that the post-season was 100% in the Aeros hands.
Matt Hackett, who was marvelous tonight, told us after the game that they didn't tell the players during the game what was happening around the league. And he preferred it that way. Focus on the job at hand, worry about ourselves, get the 2 points.
He and Coach Torchetti both described it as a character win, when the easy thing would have been to phone it in and go home for the summer.
"Diligence pays off. The kid (goalie Jack Campbell) played a great first period and it was going to take something, and it took (Broda) there. I think (the first goal) settled us down. It's a big win for us," Torchetti said. "What we went through this year, not to make the playoffs, being so close... character. We probably could have fallen down and said, 'Hey, we can make it another time' but that just shows you everything right there."
He was especially complimentary of Hackett, who was rock solid carrying a big load this 3 in 3 weekend.
"I haven't seen goaltending like that since, probably (Roberto) Luongo in my first pro win against Boston. I think he stopped 40 shots. I was like, 'Wow, thanks buddy!'" Torchetti said. "I'm proud of him."
Oak City, the Aeros first round opponent, and Houston know each other well, though as Hackett pointed out, he personally has only played them twice this season, having been up with Minnesota for several games against them. They're a skilled team with excellent goaltending (Yann Danis was voted AHL Goaltender of the Year earlier this week).
"I'm looking forward to it. We're just happy to be here. We're the underdogs," Torchetti told us. And indeed, the mood around the team was a lot of relief.
This team had a lot of promise to start the season, but the black hole in Minnesota really took so much away, in big swaths, in little bits, in ways that the Aeros aren't getting back (namely Ortmeyer and Peters, who were so important to the leadership and compete level of this team, and the Wellman trade, which was a huge offensive dent).
But the team just kept plugging and believing and maybe got some luck in there, too. And here they are. Lots to be proud of in accomplishing that.
So, in 8th place, the Aeros will play OKC in Houston on Thursday and Friday (19th/20th). Then the series will move to OKC Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Hopefully you hadn't already made plans. :) See you Thursday.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Aeros win 5-3 (but it was closer than that)
Even without all the playoff implications hovering over this game, it was a thriller, wasn't it?
Though not exactly thrilling in the way you want.
After a first period where it looked like it was going to be one of those exciting, but low scoring, tightly played affairs, the Aeros flipped the script and punched three holes in poor Jacob Markstrom in the first 3:19 of the second period.
The Aeros did a great job getting pucks on the net and traffic in the crease. Two goals were rebounds just jammed right through Markstrom, the first of which was by Jeff Taffe, who brought his A-game most of the night, earning that goal and an assist.
The second goal was just a nice shot by Broda. Markstrom got the tip of his glove on it but it had the momentum to get past and in the net.
Goal #3 was another pretty shot from Foucault that just appeared to beat Markstrom clean and was in the back of the net before I could even get the tweet from Broda's goal out.
From there, Markstrom is pulled in favor of Dov Grumet-Morris, and things settled down, until Rau got another one of those jam goals a few minutes later, to get 4 goals in a period for the first time this season.
He'd been on the doorstep all night, and actually had a goal earlier in the night that the goal judge couldn't see because a player was in the way (yes, in the net) and the ref was in the wrong place to see it. Torchetti was pretty funny on the subject, but let's just say it's been a long season for him when it comes to officiating.
So the Aeros have a nice 4-0 lead and everyone's feeling groovy, right?
But then San Antonio scores with 30 seconds left in the second.
And John looks at me during intermission and says, "If I hadn't been watching this team all season, I'd be comfortable with this lead."
YEP.
And here they come with two Greg Rallo goals in the third to get within one goal with 4 minutes left. Awesome!
Lucky for the Aeros, with 1:30 left and Grumet-Morris pulled for the extra attacker, San Antonio got slapped with a slashing penalty, effectively neutralizing their extra man and taking the pressure off.
Fontaine picked someone's pocket and got an empty net shot off for the 5-3 win, but boy... a little too exciting for my taste.
Taffe spoke to us after the game and said it's normal to want to sit back and protect a lead like that, but that's when bad things happen. It's a truth in hockey that proves itself out pretty much every time.
But as Torchetti said, "I'll take whatever you give us right now. It's a good gut-check for us."
Tomorrow against the Stars, who have absolutely nothing to lose, will be the gut-check of gut-checks. And with a couple of the games that influence the Aeros' chances starting at 3 tomorrow, we should have a good idea of what the chances are early in the match.
Keep your phones set to @3rdintermission on Twitter for updates throughout the game.
Though not exactly thrilling in the way you want.
After a first period where it looked like it was going to be one of those exciting, but low scoring, tightly played affairs, the Aeros flipped the script and punched three holes in poor Jacob Markstrom in the first 3:19 of the second period.
The Aeros did a great job getting pucks on the net and traffic in the crease. Two goals were rebounds just jammed right through Markstrom, the first of which was by Jeff Taffe, who brought his A-game most of the night, earning that goal and an assist.
The second goal was just a nice shot by Broda. Markstrom got the tip of his glove on it but it had the momentum to get past and in the net.
Goal #3 was another pretty shot from Foucault that just appeared to beat Markstrom clean and was in the back of the net before I could even get the tweet from Broda's goal out.
From there, Markstrom is pulled in favor of Dov Grumet-Morris, and things settled down, until Rau got another one of those jam goals a few minutes later, to get 4 goals in a period for the first time this season.
He'd been on the doorstep all night, and actually had a goal earlier in the night that the goal judge couldn't see because a player was in the way (yes, in the net) and the ref was in the wrong place to see it. Torchetti was pretty funny on the subject, but let's just say it's been a long season for him when it comes to officiating.
So the Aeros have a nice 4-0 lead and everyone's feeling groovy, right?
But then San Antonio scores with 30 seconds left in the second.
And John looks at me during intermission and says, "If I hadn't been watching this team all season, I'd be comfortable with this lead."
YEP.
And here they come with two Greg Rallo goals in the third to get within one goal with 4 minutes left. Awesome!
Lucky for the Aeros, with 1:30 left and Grumet-Morris pulled for the extra attacker, San Antonio got slapped with a slashing penalty, effectively neutralizing their extra man and taking the pressure off.
Fontaine picked someone's pocket and got an empty net shot off for the 5-3 win, but boy... a little too exciting for my taste.
Taffe spoke to us after the game and said it's normal to want to sit back and protect a lead like that, but that's when bad things happen. It's a truth in hockey that proves itself out pretty much every time.
But as Torchetti said, "I'll take whatever you give us right now. It's a good gut-check for us."
Tomorrow against the Stars, who have absolutely nothing to lose, will be the gut-check of gut-checks. And with a couple of the games that influence the Aeros' chances starting at 3 tomorrow, we should have a good idea of what the chances are early in the match.
Keep your phones set to @3rdintermission on Twitter for updates throughout the game.
View from the Pressbox - Aeros save their season (for now)
Oh, what fun tomorrow is going to be ... John had it covered before. Aeros Sunday need to:
A) beat Texas
B) get a Milwaukee win in regulation (or)
C) get a Charlotte win in regulation (or)
D) get a Oklahoma City win in regulation
(for your convenience, B-D are ranked in the order they are most likely to happen. Milwaukee is at home, and OKC is going to be resting people. No chance San Antonio blows their chance at home.)
And that is all possible, basically because of a great second period where the Aeros did just about everything right to get that 4-0 lead.
Now in true Aeros fashion, they allowed a late period goal to let the Rampage think it had a chance to win. And they nearly tied it in the third period before Justin Fontaine iced the game with an empty-netter.
The Aeros are basically two for two at home in must-win games in the last couple of weeks. Hope there is enough left in the tank tomorrow to get another win.
Not too much else to say right now, as Heather is going to give us a few more thoughts and quotes later on tonight. I was impressed with the Palmeiri/Bulmer/Almond line, and I thought Joel Broda had one of his better games in a long time.
Drew Bagnall was great on defense, and for some reason, I kept a closer eye on Cuma than I normally do. I think he is really improving and has played well since (and really, even before) his NHL callup.
Aeros also went 3x4 on the power play, and that will have to be huge tomorrow. Jeff Taffe told us tonight that if they are able to get into the playoffs, power play and penalty kill have to step it up for them to even have a chance.
Well that is all for now. I think it is good that the two games that the Aeros care about start two hours and 90 minutes before the Aeros do. We'll ALL know quite a bit before the puck drops
But think about this, Milwaukee and Charlotte could conspire before the game to ensure there is a tie after three periods. If they do that, they're both in and the Aeros would have to rely on OKC actually giving a damn in San Antonio tomorrow. They've already wrapped up the No. 1 seed, and will be resting their skill
If you see a 2-2 game in the third period in Milwaukee, you're right if you think that was intentional. Now come on, do you really think anyone in the AHL would do such a thing?
A) beat Texas
B) get a Milwaukee win in regulation (or)
C) get a Charlotte win in regulation (or)
D) get a Oklahoma City win in regulation
(for your convenience, B-D are ranked in the order they are most likely to happen. Milwaukee is at home, and OKC is going to be resting people. No chance San Antonio blows their chance at home.)
And that is all possible, basically because of a great second period where the Aeros did just about everything right to get that 4-0 lead.
Now in true Aeros fashion, they allowed a late period goal to let the Rampage think it had a chance to win. And they nearly tied it in the third period before Justin Fontaine iced the game with an empty-netter.
The Aeros are basically two for two at home in must-win games in the last couple of weeks. Hope there is enough left in the tank tomorrow to get another win.
Not too much else to say right now, as Heather is going to give us a few more thoughts and quotes later on tonight. I was impressed with the Palmeiri/Bulmer/Almond line, and I thought Joel Broda had one of his better games in a long time.
Drew Bagnall was great on defense, and for some reason, I kept a closer eye on Cuma than I normally do. I think he is really improving and has played well since (and really, even before) his NHL callup.
Aeros also went 3x4 on the power play, and that will have to be huge tomorrow. Jeff Taffe told us tonight that if they are able to get into the playoffs, power play and penalty kill have to step it up for them to even have a chance.
Well that is all for now. I think it is good that the two games that the Aeros care about start two hours and 90 minutes before the Aeros do. We'll ALL know quite a bit before the puck drops
But think about this, Milwaukee and Charlotte could conspire before the game to ensure there is a tie after three periods. If they do that, they're both in and the Aeros would have to rely on OKC actually giving a damn in San Antonio tomorrow. They've already wrapped up the No. 1 seed, and will be resting their skill
If you see a 2-2 game in the third period in Milwaukee, you're right if you think that was intentional. Now come on, do you really think anyone in the AHL would do such a thing?
I'm Only Happy When It's Complicated (The Playoff Picture)
Hopefully Andrew and/or Heather will come on later with a game story -- the Aeros defeated San Antonio 5-3 -- but I've been tasked with the playoff scenario update post. So to quote the band Garbage, "I'm only happy when it rains, I'm only happy when it's complicated."
And yes, I'm happy because it's damn complicated.
With the win tonight the Aeros record moved to 34-25-5-11 (84 points). And with the win the Aeros are in 10th place in the AHL Western Conference playoff standings. Lake Erie's in ninth, also with 84 points. But Lake Erie's season finished tonight, so they're officially eliminated.
Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Rochester all won their games tonight, which means that Peoria is now also eliminated. Oklahoma City is now officially the number one seed, Toronto is two, and Chicago will be the three seed. Abbotsford has clinched the fourth seed.
So much for the certainty.
With the win, Rochester leaped up to the fifth seed with 86 points. San Antonio, even with the loss, is in sixth with 85 points. Milwaukee's in seventh with 85 points, and Charlotte is eighth with 85 points. Lake Erie is in ninth, ahead of the Aeros due to tiebreakers, and then the Aeros in 10th with 84 points.
So can the Aeros still make the playoffs? Yes. Follow...
Step number one: the Aeros have to defeat the Stars tomorrow.
Step number two, one of the following must happen: Oklahoma City beats San Antonio in regulation, or either Milwaukee or Charlotte wins in regulation (the Admirals and Checkers are playing each other).
That would have the Aeros finishing the season with 86 points. They'd get in to the playoffs because San Antonio would finish with 85 points with a loss, and Milwaukee/Charlotte would finish with 85 points the loss. The Milwaukee/Charlotte game starts at 3:00 tomorrow, and the San Antonio/OKC game starts at 3:30, so the Aeros might have idea of their chances by the time they hit the ice for the game at 5:00. And needless to say, if both games go to OT, the Aeros are out.
But no matter what, no matter what happens, the Aeros need to win. If the Aeros don't win, it doesn't matter what happens in the other games.
And to end it, here's Garbage with "I'm Only Happy When It Rains":
And yes, I'm happy because it's damn complicated.
With the win tonight the Aeros record moved to 34-25-5-11 (84 points). And with the win the Aeros are in 10th place in the AHL Western Conference playoff standings. Lake Erie's in ninth, also with 84 points. But Lake Erie's season finished tonight, so they're officially eliminated.
Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Rochester all won their games tonight, which means that Peoria is now also eliminated. Oklahoma City is now officially the number one seed, Toronto is two, and Chicago will be the three seed. Abbotsford has clinched the fourth seed.
So much for the certainty.
With the win, Rochester leaped up to the fifth seed with 86 points. San Antonio, even with the loss, is in sixth with 85 points. Milwaukee's in seventh with 85 points, and Charlotte is eighth with 85 points. Lake Erie is in ninth, ahead of the Aeros due to tiebreakers, and then the Aeros in 10th with 84 points.
So can the Aeros still make the playoffs? Yes. Follow...
Step number one: the Aeros have to defeat the Stars tomorrow.
Step number two, one of the following must happen: Oklahoma City beats San Antonio in regulation, or either Milwaukee or Charlotte wins in regulation (the Admirals and Checkers are playing each other).
That would have the Aeros finishing the season with 86 points. They'd get in to the playoffs because San Antonio would finish with 85 points with a loss, and Milwaukee/Charlotte would finish with 85 points the loss. The Milwaukee/Charlotte game starts at 3:00 tomorrow, and the San Antonio/OKC game starts at 3:30, so the Aeros might have idea of their chances by the time they hit the ice for the game at 5:00. And needless to say, if both games go to OT, the Aeros are out.
But no matter what, no matter what happens, the Aeros need to win. If the Aeros don't win, it doesn't matter what happens in the other games.
And to end it, here's Garbage with "I'm Only Happy When It Rains":
Monday, April 9, 2012
Power Rankings: Admirals are hot, hot, hot
So yeah, if your nickname is Admirals, you've got to be feeling good right now. The Norfolk Admirals have won 25 straight games to obliterate any and all records, and the Milwaukee Admirals went from 9th to 5th in the Western Conference playoff standings with their shootout win over the Aeros.
Milwaukee is up to 7th in this weeks power rankings, the biggest jump in the polls. They crushed the reeling Charlotte Checkers and then won the first two games of their three-game trek through Texas. They have an absolutely huge game Tuesday against the San Antonio Rampage, who dropped one spot because of how well the Abbotsford Heat have played of late.
If the Rampage win on Tuesday, their magic number goes down to four. If they lose to the Admirals, they are going to have sweep the weekend or get some help from the teams. The Aeros are in the same boat.
Let me just say that this has been an absolutely amazing playoffs race. The Aeros have lost eight of nine overall, but they are still capable of finishing as high as fifth in the standings. Milwaukee on the other hand looked left for dead after some struggles against the Rockford IceHogs.
Now, it looks like they are lock, needed just two wins and a loss by either the Aeros, Rivermen or Lake Erie Monsters this weekend.
 |
| Oh, say can you see the Milwaukee Admirals in the playoffs? |
If the Rampage win on Tuesday, their magic number goes down to four. If they lose to the Admirals, they are going to have sweep the weekend or get some help from the teams. The Aeros are in the same boat.
Let me just say that this has been an absolutely amazing playoffs race. The Aeros have lost eight of nine overall, but they are still capable of finishing as high as fifth in the standings. Milwaukee on the other hand looked left for dead after some struggles against the Rockford IceHogs.
Now, it looks like they are lock, needed just two wins and a loss by either the Aeros, Rivermen or Lake Erie Monsters this weekend.
2011-12 Western
Conference Power Rankings
Edition 10, April 9, 2012
Edition 10, April 9, 2012
|
PR
|
Team
|
Record
|
Streak
|
Last
|
+/-
|
For the record …
|
|
1
|
TOR
|
44-23-4-3
|
6-0
|
3-0-0-0
|
+1
|
Back in the top spot
|
|
2
|
OKC
|
43-21-4-5
|
0-2
|
1-2-0-0
|
-1
|
In danger of losing 1 seed
|
|
3
|
CHI
|
40-26-3-3
|
2-0
|
2-1-0-0
|
-
|
Magic number down to 1
|
|
4
|
ABB
|
40-26-3-5
|
5-0
|
4-0-0-0
|
+1
|
Will be tough out in playoffs
|
|
5
|
SAT
|
37-28-3-2
|
0-1
|
1-1-0-0
|
-1
|
HUGE game vs. MKE Tues.
|
|
6
|
PEO
|
39-31-2-1
|
0-1
|
2-1-0-0
|
-1
|
Lost to AHL sched on Saturday
|
|
7
|
MKE
|
38-28-2-4
|
4-0
|
4-0-0-0
|
+4
|
Points in 9 of 10 overall (7 Ws)
|
|
8
|
HOU
|
33-24-5-11
|
0-1
|
1-1-0-1
|
-
|
Tied AHL mark for SOLs.
|
|
9
|
LEM
|
36-28-3-7
|
3-0
|
2-0-0-0
|
+2
|
These guys just won’t die
|
|
10
|
RCH
|
34-26-9-4
|
2-0
|
2-1-1-0
|
-
|
Need help to make playoffs
|
|
11
|
CLT
|
35-28-3-6
|
0-4
|
0-4-0-0
|
-5
|
Basically gave up Sunday
|
|
12
|
RFD
|
34-31-2-6
|
0-2
|
0-2-0-0
|
-3
|
Nice little run is over.
|
|
13
|
GRR
|
32-29-7-4
|
0-2
|
1-1-1-0
|
+1
|
End of Curt Fraser era?
|
|
14
|
HAM
|
32-34-2-5
|
0-3
|
0-3-0-0
|
-1
|
Price is Right Loser Horn
|
|
15
|
TEX
|
30-38-2-2
|
0-3
|
0-2-0-0
|
-
|
Could really hurt SA and HOU
|
Some More Thoughts On Last Night
My new post at the Press is up, and it expounds more on some thoughts I had after last night's game. In short, I think the loss of Jed Ortmeyer for most of the season and the lack of a reliable scorer like Patrick O'Sullivan have really hurt the team this season. I think the team's tired and the constant round trips from Houston to St. Paul and back to Houston time and time again for several of the players has worn them down.
Plus, it's just unrealistic to expect the goalies to keep pitching shut out after shut out after shut out. I know some people like to bitch and bitch about Matt Hackett, but Hackett and the rest of the goalies have done some fantastic work keeping the Aeros in games this season.
That said, the season's not over. There are still three games left.
P.S.: It was asked and answered in the comments to the post below, but...
Marco Scandella was a late scratch last night. He did skate pregame, but apparently tweaked something in his lower body and is day-to-day. And Matt Hackett did appear to get hurt during the game last night, but he was able to continue playing. I would think he'll be available for this weekend's games.
Plus, it's just unrealistic to expect the goalies to keep pitching shut out after shut out after shut out. I know some people like to bitch and bitch about Matt Hackett, but Hackett and the rest of the goalies have done some fantastic work keeping the Aeros in games this season.
That said, the season's not over. There are still three games left.
P.S.: It was asked and answered in the comments to the post below, but...
Marco Scandella was a late scratch last night. He did skate pregame, but apparently tweaked something in his lower body and is day-to-day. And Matt Hackett did appear to get hurt during the game last night, but he was able to continue playing. I would think he'll be available for this weekend's games.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Aeros Lose 2-1 (SO) to Milwaukee
These posts are tiring to write, so...
The Aeros didn't win for the eighth time in nine games. This time, they lost 2-1 to the Milwaukee Admirals in the shootout -- yes, I know, shocking. The shootout loss, they're 11th of the season, ties an AHL record. And except for Brett Bulmer getting his first goal as an AHLer, there's really not much positive to say.
The AHL website says the Aeros are now in sixth place. Aeros PR is saying the Aeros are in eighth. I'm going with Aeros PR. There are three games left in the season. Will there be a post-season? Who knows? But even if they make it into the Calder Cup playoffs, do you have any confidence they'll get out of the first round?
Last year's team was special. This year's, not so much. I expound on this for tomorrow's post in the Press (stop bitching, I have to give them some decent stuff), but Jed Ortmeyer and Patrick O'Sullivan aren't around for the Aeros this season -- I'm still not understanding why Ortmeyer couldn't come back, but I'm slow -- and the Aeros just really appear to miss their presence out on the ice.
Oh well.
The Aeros didn't win for the eighth time in nine games. This time, they lost 2-1 to the Milwaukee Admirals in the shootout -- yes, I know, shocking. The shootout loss, they're 11th of the season, ties an AHL record. And except for Brett Bulmer getting his first goal as an AHLer, there's really not much positive to say.
The AHL website says the Aeros are now in sixth place. Aeros PR is saying the Aeros are in eighth. I'm going with Aeros PR. There are three games left in the season. Will there be a post-season? Who knows? But even if they make it into the Calder Cup playoffs, do you have any confidence they'll get out of the first round?
Last year's team was special. This year's, not so much. I expound on this for tomorrow's post in the Press (stop bitching, I have to give them some decent stuff), but Jed Ortmeyer and Patrick O'Sullivan aren't around for the Aeros this season -- I'm still not understanding why Ortmeyer couldn't come back, but I'm slow -- and the Aeros just really appear to miss their presence out on the ice.
Oh well.
That didn't suck: Aeros win 4-2 over Peoria
First the bad news: Peoria was at the end of a 3-in-3 tonight, so they were a weary bunch. The Aeros' whopping 46 shots on goal were evidence of that, for sure, but how much of the Aeros success was a tired opponent and how much was the team stepping up?
The good news is that it did seem like the team responded from an embarrassing loss Friday night that really felt like the last straw. Another weak effort tonight would have said, at least to me, that they'd checked out just as much as I have. But nobody's paying good money to watch me write, so...
Lucky for Peoria that Jake Allen was both good and lucky tonight in goal, often getting something in front of shots, not always knowing where the puck was after the fact. His defense did a good job clearing those out, but left him hanging several times, letting the Aeros toy with him on a couple of those goals.
Frustrating for a goalie for sure, but how about poor Hackett, making that HUGE paddle save on what was otherwise an open net, and then still getting scored on. I felt for him there. That blows to make save like that and then an easy goal. Bahhhh.
Also a difficult game for Hack in terms of how few shots he saw. It's made a bit better by the fact that even though he didn't see a ton of shots, there were good periods of activity around the net to keep him warm and in the game and moving with purpose.
Torchetti on the goalies: "(Jake Allen) played incredible tonight. He really kept them in the game. I was sitting there watching and the shots were 28-6, and I was like you have to be kidding me. But we battled; that was a tough game for Hack to play in. I think he is ready to get on a roll for us."
Funny story from Torchetti regarding Chad Rau, who Torch said he did not include in the heavy message to his veteran players Friday night:
Tomorrow, per reporting from Russo, the team will have Nate Prosser back in the fold. They're going to talk to Marco Scandella about coming down and, I presume, let him have some say in that decision. He's turned into a real stud for them this season, so it's a nice little show of respect to do that.
We talked to Drew Bagnall after the game, too, and while he praised what the younger guys have done for the defensive corps, the veteran presence of a guy like Prosser, who's been to war with all these guys already, has a calming effect for the team.
Torch, on the other hand, said he'll believe he's got Prosser back when he sees the whites of his eyes. Spoken like a guy who's had his roster jacked with about 30-too-many times this season.
For those scoreboard watching, which is apparently everybody BUT Torchetti, the Aeros are in 8th place, tied with San Antonio at 81 points. But Milwaukee, Sunday's opponent, would sure like to rise out of 9th to beat the Aeros, as they're only 1 point behind.
More Torchetti: "We need 86 or 87 points, I don't know ... All I am doing is worrying about us. We've got four games and we just need to keep playing good. I am proud of our guys and even though we have not played our best as of late, we've got a group of guys that are hanging in there right now."
Unfortunately, we don't have an update on Sean Lorenz, who left the game fairly early after getting pushed and slamming his face into a goal post. Blood and difficulty skating and a trip straight down the corner tunnel to the doctors' office was the result of his 2nd-ever pro game. Bless his heart.
See you tomorrow, full of ham and scalloped potatoes. Yum.
The good news is that it did seem like the team responded from an embarrassing loss Friday night that really felt like the last straw. Another weak effort tonight would have said, at least to me, that they'd checked out just as much as I have. But nobody's paying good money to watch me write, so...
Lucky for Peoria that Jake Allen was both good and lucky tonight in goal, often getting something in front of shots, not always knowing where the puck was after the fact. His defense did a good job clearing those out, but left him hanging several times, letting the Aeros toy with him on a couple of those goals.
Frustrating for a goalie for sure, but how about poor Hackett, making that HUGE paddle save on what was otherwise an open net, and then still getting scored on. I felt for him there. That blows to make save like that and then an easy goal. Bahhhh.
Also a difficult game for Hack in terms of how few shots he saw. It's made a bit better by the fact that even though he didn't see a ton of shots, there were good periods of activity around the net to keep him warm and in the game and moving with purpose.
Torchetti on the goalies: "(Jake Allen) played incredible tonight. He really kept them in the game. I was sitting there watching and the shots were 28-6, and I was like you have to be kidding me. But we battled; that was a tough game for Hack to play in. I think he is ready to get on a roll for us."
Funny story from Torchetti regarding Chad Rau, who Torch said he did not include in the heavy message to his veteran players Friday night:
These are the situations where you learn about the kids. This morning, we were talking and I asked him how his game was last night (vs. Chicago), and he said, 'You know what, I stunk.' And then I was like, 'Oh, I didn't want you to be that hard on yourself. I just wanted to ask you how you played.' He told me, 'Don't worry, I'll be better tonight.'
And that is the difference between a guy who wants to be a pro ... and that's him, and then I told him that I only saw him like that twice all year. He's been so consistent for me. He's a little man that plays like a big man, and he's definitely ... if you're a fan, you definitely love watching this kid play hockey.
Tomorrow, per reporting from Russo, the team will have Nate Prosser back in the fold. They're going to talk to Marco Scandella about coming down and, I presume, let him have some say in that decision. He's turned into a real stud for them this season, so it's a nice little show of respect to do that.
We talked to Drew Bagnall after the game, too, and while he praised what the younger guys have done for the defensive corps, the veteran presence of a guy like Prosser, who's been to war with all these guys already, has a calming effect for the team.
Torch, on the other hand, said he'll believe he's got Prosser back when he sees the whites of his eyes. Spoken like a guy who's had his roster jacked with about 30-too-many times this season.
For those scoreboard watching, which is apparently everybody BUT Torchetti, the Aeros are in 8th place, tied with San Antonio at 81 points. But Milwaukee, Sunday's opponent, would sure like to rise out of 9th to beat the Aeros, as they're only 1 point behind.
More Torchetti: "We need 86 or 87 points, I don't know ... All I am doing is worrying about us. We've got four games and we just need to keep playing good. I am proud of our guys and even though we have not played our best as of late, we've got a group of guys that are hanging in there right now."
Unfortunately, we don't have an update on Sean Lorenz, who left the game fairly early after getting pushed and slamming his face into a goal post. Blood and difficulty skating and a trip straight down the corner tunnel to the doctors' office was the result of his 2nd-ever pro game. Bless his heart.
See you tomorrow, full of ham and scalloped potatoes. Yum.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Aeros Lose To Wolves, Now 0 For Last 7
Let's keep this short and sweet. The Aeros led the Wolves 2-1 with 5:49 remaining in the game. They ended up losing 4-2. They're now 0-4-2-1 for their last seven games, and they're now in ninth place in the playoff standings after a win by Lake Erie which catapulted the Monsters from 10th place to seventh.
It was the same story for the team. Good start with no follow through. Torchetti told us after the game that it's time the veterans stood up, which is something we've been hearing for awhile now.
There's five games left in the season for the Aeros, so it's never over until it's over, or for you Animal House fans: "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" But with games against Peoria tomorrow and Milwaukee on Sunday, the season could be almost over.
And frankly, at this moment, I just don't have much left to say. If you've got anything to add, please feel free to do so.
It was the same story for the team. Good start with no follow through. Torchetti told us after the game that it's time the veterans stood up, which is something we've been hearing for awhile now.
There's five games left in the season for the Aeros, so it's never over until it's over, or for you Animal House fans: "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" But with games against Peoria tomorrow and Milwaukee on Sunday, the season could be almost over.
And frankly, at this moment, I just don't have much left to say. If you've got anything to add, please feel free to do so.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Playoff picture update - Thursday edition
The Aeros are the only team in the very thick of the Western Conference playoff chase that has to play three games in three nights twice to close out the season. While that may seem bad, if they get on a roll again, that could be a good thing. And five of those six games are at home, where the Aeros have been very good for the last two months or so.
Last night, though, they did not get any help. Rochester earned a point in an OT loss at Abbotsford and San Antonio beat Chicago.
The Rampage finished the season 4-0 against the Wolves, winning all four games by a single goal.
The Aeros are still in 7th and have at least a game in hand on the teams around them, so it's all on them as to whether or not they want to play in the post season.
My take is that they need six points to get there. That will pretty much get them at least the 7 seed, I think. If they can go 4-2, they might sneak up to sixth and a 5-1 or 6-0 run would get them even higher.
Ideally, I think home ice is out the window for the first round, but stranger things have happened. That is their goal, and as long as they are shooting for it ... you just never know.
Their three opponents this weekend are Chicago, Peoria and Milwaukee. They are 2-7 against those teams this year, and I think they have a six game losing streak against them. They have single wins over Chicago, but lost both games at Allstate Arena. They have a SOL point against Peoria, and they split the two games at Carver Arena.
And they have zilch against Milwaukee this season. 0-for-3 against a team that calls the Aeros their slumpbusters. I think that changes this weekend.
It has been a great week of scoreboard watching. Now we'll see how the Aeros do as they play catch up with three games in three days ... all at home. Enjoy.
Last night, though, they did not get any help. Rochester earned a point in an OT loss at Abbotsford and San Antonio beat Chicago.
The Rampage finished the season 4-0 against the Wolves, winning all four games by a single goal.
The Aeros are still in 7th and have at least a game in hand on the teams around them, so it's all on them as to whether or not they want to play in the post season.
My take is that they need six points to get there. That will pretty much get them at least the 7 seed, I think. If they can go 4-2, they might sneak up to sixth and a 5-1 or 6-0 run would get them even higher.
Ideally, I think home ice is out the window for the first round, but stranger things have happened. That is their goal, and as long as they are shooting for it ... you just never know.
Their three opponents this weekend are Chicago, Peoria and Milwaukee. They are 2-7 against those teams this year, and I think they have a six game losing streak against them. They have single wins over Chicago, but lost both games at Allstate Arena. They have a SOL point against Peoria, and they split the two games at Carver Arena.
And they have zilch against Milwaukee this season. 0-for-3 against a team that calls the Aeros their slumpbusters. I think that changes this weekend.
It has been a great week of scoreboard watching. Now we'll see how the Aeros do as they play catch up with three games in three days ... all at home. Enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
