Is it time to celebrate the life of ... the Houston Aeros (1994-2013)?

We've come to expect a lot of things as Aeros fans over the years.

• When the team wins its division, it's wins the league (1999, 2003)
• There will be injuries. Massive amounts of injuries
• The ice is bad most of the year
• Gordie Howe will make an appearance or two
• Once every five years or so, kazoos will make an appearance during the National Anthem
• When Mike Russo tweets or blogs about something, it's true

So when word leaked out this morning/last night that the Aeros were moving to Des Moines (via Mike Russo), it is now officially time to say your good-byes to the Aeros as the primary affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.

The red guy is the Aeros fan. There are just a few of us
in Houston, but we'll miss our team. 

The Aeros', as we know them today, 19-year run in Houston is very likely over. There are still many questions that will get answered as we move into the summer. Will the name stay? What will happen to the team records, etc? But for now, for the first time in nearly two decades, die-hard hockey fans will have to go elsewhere to get their fix.

Aeros GM Jim Mill told The Houston Press last week that the Wild and Toyota Center were still talking, but Russo reports today that building and Wild could not agree on terms of a new lease.

And here is a story on the Chronicle from today about the latest installment of rumor and innuendo.

The Des Moines Register now has a story about today's info as well. Are the two buildings now being played against each other? Absolutely, is my opinion.

If true, it's a business decision that both organizations feel will be better for their respective bottom lines. It's hard not to be OK with that because we all, on a personal level, deal with money issues every day.

You ALWAYS want what is best for you and your family, and more money is always better than less money. No one can argue that.

This does not mean that Houston won't have hockey ever again, but, if these reports do pan out, it does mean that the Wild are moving the Aeros to Iowa beginning next season. I hold out hope that a new team will come along in the next few years. This is too good a market to be without puck.

But right now, there is no place to play. It's been reported over and over than the Toyota Center is the only place in the Metro area that is financially viable for hockey. And that is true ... the places that are big enough need multi-million dollar investments to get them hockey ready.

I covered more than 500 games for the Houston Chronicle and watched another 300 or so as a fan. The Aeros have been a big part of my life since I was a senior in high school and they have been like therapy for me. It's been so great being a part of their run, and I will miss them considerably.

When the Wild bought the team a few years ago, I figured this day would eventually come. But I always thought there'd be another affiliation ready to go in Houston. And who knows? That could still be the case.

That, like I always say, is a story for a different day. Right now, it is time to celebrate 19 years of great fun, good people and very good hockey. There are still six regular season game on the slate, and the Aeros are right in the middle of a playoff race.

And don't forget about the front office people, who no doubt are having a meeting this morning to talk about all the rumors. I have been there as part of a merger with United and Continental a few years ago. Speculation sucks, and being in the dark is much worse when your livelihood is at stake.

Most of those people work insane hours, and many more do it for less than what they should be paid. Think of them and say a prayer that they'll have something lined up sooner rather than later.

I still think the Aeros have a shot of making some noise this postseason, and in a way, I am glad the cat is out of the bag so people can get a few more chances to say their good-byes. Let's hope this team goes a few rounds and makes some noise in the 2013 Calder Cub Playoffs.

Aeros Bite Bulldogs, Take 2-0 Win

The Aeros won their third straight game, taking a 2-0 victory from the Hamilton Bulldogs in a game that, despite the low score, the Aeros seemed to control throughout.

Dan DaSilva scored the only goal the Aeros needed tonight at 8:41 of the first period when, despite falling to the ice, he was still able to get his stick on the puck and deflect it into the net. The Bulldogs appeared to tie it up eight minutes later when the puck slid behind Jeff Deslauriers, making his first start as a Aero, and skated along the blue line. It was originally ruled a goal, but after a lengthy replay review, the goal was waived off, and the Aeros were never again threatened. Nick Petersen scored the second, and final, goal at 12:50 of the third period.

Houston Aeros Photo - Morris Molina

Hamilton tried to muscle their way through the Aeros, and lots of players went to the boards or to the ice. But the Aeros, for the most part, didn't bite, and the Bulldog bullying tactics didn't get to the Aeros.

The biggest fear coming into the game was that the Aeros would see the Bulldogs, sitting in last place in the conference and out of the playoff hunt, and take the day off, would then fall into a trap of a team that had defeated the Texas Stars on Saturday night.

"Those are the games that we have to understand the checking mentality," head coach John Torchetti said. "We have to be able to play a 5-1 game, or a 2-0 game. That’s the mentality. It’s a hard game."

Deslauriers didn't have much action in the first two periods, facing a total of only 10 shots. But he got hit with 12 shots in the third, and didn't allow any into the net, impressive for a goalie with not much action this season, and one adjusting to the temperature inside the building.

"That experience, it carries you a long way," Torchetti said of Deslauriers. "What I really like about our team is we’re a team that’s become very accountable to each other. Deslauriers is one of the top players of the game. He gets the award for best player, and he says you know 'what a great job the D did, you did a great job boxing out. You let me see shots. I’ll do a better job on my rebounds.' That’s when I know we got the right people with character in our room. And that’s what it’s all about night in and night out. That’s speaks volumes. It’s his first game and he’s talking like that to his teammates. He’s letting them know he’s accountable, too. That’s really big."

We asked Zack Phillips after the game what happened with the team between last Tuesday's lost and Thursday's win, and he was bluntly honest, saying that the team thought it would be easy coming back to play on home ice, and that they needed a little wake-up call. It appears that the team has indeed gotten that wake-up call, and let's just hope they don't fall asleep again.

The Aeros return to action on Wednesday night when they play the first of their three remaining regular season home games. The playoffs are looking more and more like a certainty, though the team has yet to clinch a playoff spot. They're in fifth in the conference standings with 82 points, tied with Rochester though I believe, should the two teams tie in points at the end of the season that Rochester would get the higher seeding due to more wins.

The AHL won't update it's playoff primer until tomorrow morning. Before today's game, the Aeros magic number to clinch a playoff spot was 12. My math shows that that number is now 9 points, but I'm not the playoff scenario calculator that is my colleague Andrew Ferraro, so I could be off by a point or two.

Aeros Dominate Wolves, Take 5-2 Win

The good guys went out and demolished the Chicago Wolves 5-2 tonight bringing up the following the question: where in the hell have these guys been the past week or so?

It was actually a close game after the first period, with the score tied 1-1. But the Aeros broke it wide open in the second, scoring four goals and chasing Chicago starter Matt Climie midway into the second period after the fourth goal. Two of the four second period goals came from Jason Zucker, including a breakaway at the 19:34 point of the period.

Zucker beats Cannata to close out the 2nd - Morris Molina

The prettiest goal of the game was the one that saw Matt Climie pulled. Dan DaSilva faked out Climie, pulling him out of the net and leaving it wide open. DaSilva then completed probably the slowest wraparound in the recorded history of hockey, but so badly had he faked out Climie that DaSilva was still able to stick the puck in the net before anybody could get to him.

You can watch that goal below ... I chose the angle where you could actually see Climie fall asleep, wake up, say in his mind "I got this," and then allow the goal, only to shrug it off. Beaut.

"We’re battling," head coach John Torchetti said after the game when asked about the difference in the team the past two nights. "We’re getting some big goals. Some of our guys are getting comfortable out there. And our D’s doing a good job getting the puck out and defending."

Not all of the news was good for the Aeros as the Toyota Center goalie curse stuck again as Cody Reichard left midway through the third period with a "lower leg" injury. He was stretching his leg during stoppages throughout most of the third period before coming out of the game, and he's probably day-to-day. New acquisition Jeff Deslauriers came out and stopped the Wolves as they tried to get back into the game, but Torchetti told us after the game that he feared Deslauriers was going to be knocked out when he was nearly hit in the head by an errant shot while on the bench.

As for Zucker, who has stormed back to life the past two games, Torchetti says it's merely the fact that Zucker is once again settling into the team and returning to the work ethic that he'd displayed so early in the season.

"Back to his work effort," Torchetti said. "You saw it last night in that overtime game. He battled for that lose puck, then he battles again."



Zucker's taking his time with the Aeros in good stride, acknowledging that he's still got a lot of learn to about hockey, and he can think of no better place to learn.

"It’s huge," Zucker says of his time in Houston. "I’ve really cherished all of the time I’ve had down here under Coach Torchetti and all of the other guys. Like I said at the beginning of the year, there’s a lot of guys in that room I can learn from. And being down here definitely is not hurting me at all. It’s really helping me out."

PLAYOFF NOTES

The Aeros moved up to fifth place in the Western Conference playoff standings with 80 points. They're three points behind Charlotte for the fourth spot. The Barons and Americans are in sixth and seventh place, both with 78 points, then Chicago, Milwaukee, and Rockford are grouped together with 75 points with Abbotsford and Lake Erie in 11th and 12th with 72 points.

The wins the past two nights have aided the Aeros in their quest for a playoff spot, and with four more games left on this homestand, the Aeros are in a good position to solidify a playoff spot. With the win and a few other scores that went in their favor, the Aeros magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to 12. It goes down by two every time the Aeros win a game. It goes down by two more each time the 9th place team loses in regulation.

Last night was good, as it went from 16 to 12. The Aeros are idle today, so fans are cheering for both Charlotte and Peoria to win their games against 9th place Milwaukee and Rockford.

UPDATE - In a side note that does not matter, Dave McIntyre's goal got waived off due to being offside. He was BARELY onside, as this picture shows the puck is across the line and the right skate is still on the blueline. Tough for the linesman as I had to watch this 50 times in slow mo to finally see it.

Thoughts On Relocation, Playoffs, And Trades

First things first, I've got a story up at the mothership dealing with the Aeros and relocation. Things are still up in the air -- negotiations are ongoing, but there's nothing solid -- and I throw in a few of the scenarios that have been making their way down to us. Sorry there's nothing definitive, but hopefully you'll give it a read, and hopefully you'll let the commenter there know that hockey's not a niche sport.

I also spoke with GM Jim Mill for a bit yesterday regarding relocation (see the story), the playoffs, the recent trades, and the team in general. 

Regarding the trade of Matt Hackett and Johan Larsson to Buffalo and Darcy Kuemper being called up to the Wild as the backup, Mill says it's all about winning hockey games.

" Unfortunately you have to make moves to get better," he said. "You have assets. You develop assets to win hockey games, and there’s lots of ways to win."

One of the Wild's ways of winning is improving the team, and they used what they had to get better by trading assets that other teams required: "At the end of the day, deals are done because certain players are wanted," Mill said.

The new goalie in town is Jeff Deslauriers who has spent a lot of time in the AHL (probably best remembered around here for his time with Oklahoma City). Mill called him a quality/professional goaltender. That said, the Aeros should probably try to score as many goals as possible because it's doubtful that any goalie will be able to constantly shut down teams the way Hackett and Kuemper were able to shut down teams.

As for making the playoffs, Mill said it's easy. The team just has to continue winning hockey games. 

"That’s why you play 76 games," he said. "They’ve been a top team through 76 games."

 

So let's see how things shake out tonight when the Aeros host the Wolves. As of now, the Aeros are in sixth place with 78 points. But they're just six points ahead of Abbotsford who are sitting in 11th place. 

Aeros Come From The Dead to Defeat San Antonio 3-2 (OT)

Sometimes all that it takes is a shot to a face. Or a shot off of the face. Or more specifically, San Antonio's Scott Timmins trying to clear the puck from the goal, knocking it off of Chad Rau's face, and the puck bouncing into the net to get the Aeros going.

It took awhile, but at :42 seconds into the third period, the Aeros were finally on the board thanks to Mr. Timmins and the Aeros, which had been dead once for the entire game, once again, were back in the action and looking alive for the first time in a week. Then Jason Zucker took things into his own hands, scoring late in the third period, and then hitting the game winner in OT to snap the Aeros out of their funk and put them back in the win column for the first time in five games.

John Torchetti was a very relieved man after the game, and talked about the character of the team. He also noted, once again, that the team was shorthanded and that some guys were having to work extra shifts.

Photo by Morris Molina - Houston Aeros

The effort was there in the third period for the Aeros tonight. An effort, and some urgency. Neither of which has been seen in awhile. But it needs to be noted that the Aeros outshot the Rampage 43-17, and still had to go into overtime to get the win.

The scratches were John Curry, Drew Bagnall, Kris Freidheim, Kris Foucault, Jarod Palmer, and Ryley Grantham.

The team returns to play tomorrow night against Chicago. So until then.

Crucial weekend starts tonight vs. San Antonio

Oh what a fun time this is to be a hockey fan. I wish there was less to worry about and more to look forward to, but that is a different story for a different day ...

Tonight, the Aeros continue their homestand with the first of three games this weekend. The San Antonio Rampage visit for the first of their last three visits to Toyota Center. Lately, the Rampage have gotten the better of play against the Aeros, but both rosters have changed so much since the last time these two teams met, it's hard to say what to expect.

Both teams are coming off simultaneous ass-kickings from Tuesday night. So both better be ready to counter the other one's response.

The Aeros have slipped from fifth to seventh during their four game winless streak and for the first time since January, they're in danger of being on the wrong side of the playoff picture.

With two big injuries in Minnesota to Matt Cullen and Dany Heatley, the Aeros lost Mikael Granlund to recall, and Johan Larsson and Matt Hackett were traded to Buffalo. That means that Darcy Kuemper was recalled, too leaving newly-acquired Jeff Deslauriers and Cody Reichard to man the pipes.

I hate to say it, but I don't like the Aeros chances tonight. They have to find a way to win two of the next three against the Rampage, Chicago and Hamilton. Two of those teams are not going to the playoffs and have to be treated as must-wins.

After the 3-2 loss to Grand Rapids last Friday, Aeros head coach John Torchetti did quite a bit of screaming. He said he did none of that after Tuesday's beatdown, but admitted he thought the team played poorly because maybe some of them were jealous that Larsson got called up.

That statement troubles me to no end, and I have to say ... I hope the great veterans the Aeros have left can lead the Aeros out of this mess.

We shall see.

Blast from the past (literally)

An Aeros fan reminded me on Facebook this morning that new Aeros goalie Jeff Deslauriers beat the crap out of Jon DiSalvatore during a Barons/Aeros game once. And then I remembered I drew this re-enactment:

Stop using my initials!

Good times, you guys. Good times.

Welcome to the team, JD!

Hackett and Larsson traded, Kuemper recalled.

It is official now, Hackett and Johan Larsson to Buffalo for Jason Pominville.
Kuemper is on a plane to San Jose, so the Aeros are down to Reichard and an injured John Curry. and newly acquired Jeff Deslauriers. I just got a text saying the Wild got him for future considerations.

Aeros GM Jim Mill had to find another backup goalie, and he did just that is so appears.

This changes things for the Aeros dramatically. And not for the better.

Keep an eye out for more trades as the day progresses.

Aeros Don't Bother To Show Up, Lose 5-1 To Grand Rapids

The Houston Aeros tonight didn't look like a team in a tight playoff fight. The team didn't look like it had any type of fight in it. The guys on the ice looked more like they wanted to get the hell out of Toyota Center and make it home before the storms hit, but that would imply that the team played with some kind of urgency. And that would be a lie.

Grand Rapids got the 5-1 win tonight, and they didn't even sweat doing so. They essentially did what they wanted to do, when they wanted to, and nobody on the Aeros had the ability to stop them. 

Darcy Kuemper was pulled midway through the second period after giving up three goals within four minutes. But the goals weren't all on Kuemper, with the second and third goals coming off of turnovers in the Aeros zone and poor defensive play after the turnover.

The Aeros played the game flat. And it's becoming a common occurrence. When a team's in a playoff fight, the team shouldn't be playing flat.

"We were flat," head coach John Torchetti said. "It was our fourth straight game flat. We’ve got to find a way to get out of this. We’ve got to work. We don’t have one nick, cut, or anything in four games. We’re not even working. Our identity is pretty much nothing right now. We’ve got to work."

But more troubling than the flat play was what we heard after the game regarding the attitude in the locker room. And that attitude is one a team really shouldn't have this time of year. But it appears that this afternoon's call-up of Johan Larsson had a bad reaction on the team that spilled out onto the ice.

"We had someone called up, and it seemed like everyone was jealous that someone got called up today," Torchetti said. "That’s what I thought."

Torchetti promised to work the team hard at practice tomorrow, but it really seems this shouldn't be an issue. Not with time on the season running out. Not with a shot for the playoffs on the line. 

The Aeros are nearly midway through a 10-game homestand, and they're 0-2-1-1 in that stretch. There are six games left on the homestand, then they finish up the regular season on the road. And one would think a team that had been firing on all cylinders heading into the homestand would use this stand to solidify the playoffs. But it appears the Aeros have gone into sulk mode. And if this is the team's last stand ever at Toyota Center, it's a pretty pathetic way to end it.

Aeros host Griffins in a rematch tonight at Toyota Center

I don't know about you, but I am very interested to see how the Aeros respond to last Friday's game.
That was just an awful, awful result. The team did not deserve a point, but they were very close to getting one until the Griffins scored late for the regulation win.

Aeros head coach John Torchetti said he was not pleased with the team's overall game of late. The last two losses, although both by a single goal each, were ugly.

The Aeros are still in the driver's seat as far as the playoffs are concerned, but they better get back on track soon. I don't like those last three games, all being played on the road on successive days. As a fan, I don't want those games to matter much. The Aeros need to have the 5, 6 or 7 seed wrapped up the weekend before.

There are still seven games left on this homestand, and the Aeros' magic number is down to 20. Right now, it looks like its a five-team battle for the last four spots. If the Aeros win tonight, and the Chicago Wolves lose in San Antonio ... their number goes down four to 16.

So tonight, Aeros fans are Rampage fans, too.