10/29/10: Rampage 5, Aeros 2

Sometimes when I can't process the horrors around me, like when I visit my in-laws, I imagine I'm leaving my body and observing the scene from outside myself. Detached, unemotional, unaffected.

I figure this coping mechanism is cheaper than therapy, and I mention this because, until the Aeros find some way to start winning games, you (and I) may find this useful.

The 5-2 loss to San Antonio started with so much promise. Just seconds into the game, Cody Almond got his first goal of the season, beautifully set up by Jon DiSalvatore as though the hockey gods had chiseled the skate marks into the ice themselves.

San Antonio tied it up halfway through the period on the power play, but hey, NBD. The Aeros were sticking it to the Rampage to the tune of double the shots on goal (18-9 in the first!)

And that feeling was so right, as the Aeros pulled ahead less than 2 minutes later on a PP goal by Max Noreau (phew! finally!).

But alas, SA ties it up with another power play goal just before the end of the period.

Despite the shot count looking very uneven, the Aeros mostly only dominated the first half of the period, and  only because San Antonio was turning the puck over left and right. The Aeros' 18 shots were more a testament to their ability to capitalize on the other team's failure, which is a useful habit to have... until the other team wakes up and quits failing.

Seven minutes into the second, Tikhonov set the Aeros on their heels for good with a short-handed, unassisted breakaway and as Joe said, that was the back breaker. And from there, San Antonio racked up a couple more goals just to put 'er away, though shots were even at 15 and 10 apiece in the final two frames.

One of the goals was squarely on Hackett, who mishandled the puck and basically put it on the stick of the Rampage while playing it behind the net. Rookie mistake and that one would keep me awake tonight if I were him, but hopefully he sees it as an opportunity to learn.

I was a little surprised Yeo didn't give the kid a break and sit him for the third period, but I guess he wanted him to battle through it. And maybe I'm still conditioned to Constantine's super quick hook. Coaches have their own philosophies on such things.

There was a fight of some sort near the end with a whopping 42 minutes of PIM handed out between the teams, Almond collecting 17 of those. I missed it since I cleverly "forgot" to watch the third period, and the archive isn't up yet. From the score sheet, it looks like it started with Almond slashing someone, and he and Bagnall paired off with May and (Captain) Picard.

I have my own hockey tomorrow night so I'll just pre-write the post-gamer.

Aeros lose 3-1, Krahn is fantastic, Khudobin is good but with no goal support, might as well sit on top of the net all night. They start slow but have a good second period, and just get bested in the third. Kassian almost scores (he had a breakaway tonight... no joke!) again. Bagnall punches someone. Robbie Earl with the goal. Drive home safely. See you Sunday.

BONUS
Did you know: The Aeros lead the league in average penalty minutes per game? I wonder how much of that is "toughness" PIM and how much is "I'm slow so I'm gonna hook/hold that guy" PIM. Maybe I'll sort through the numbers tomorrow and figure that out.

Aeros call up Brock McBride

With Wellman and Gillies now on recall to Minnesota, the Aeros went fishing in the ECHL and found talented forward Brock McBride.

He has 22 AHL games under his belt, but he had a decent year with Alaska last season. Here is the link to his career stats.

And here is the ECHL Release for your reading pleasure:

The Elmira Jackals announced Thursday that they have loaned center Brock McBride to the AHL's Houston Aeros. McBride is tied for the ECHL lead with a five-game scoring streak to start the 2010-2011 season. The Cornwall, Ontario native has posted a goal and seven assists for eight points to tie for both the team lead and the fifth spot in the ECHL in scoring. McBride's assists total puts him into a dead heat for the league lead in that category.

Casey Wellman recalled to Wild

Forward Casey Wellman was recalled to the Wild today.

Walking hospital Chuck Kobasew is questionable for tonght's game vs. Washington.

Here is the release from the Wild:

MINNESOTA WILD RECALLS WELLMAN FROM HOUSTON AEROS

Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has recalled forward Casey Wellman from the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Wellman, 23 (10/18/87), has posted three points (2-1=3) in six games for Houston this season. The 6-foot, 186-pound native of Brentwood, Calif., began the season with Minnesota, playing in one game, Oct. 8 against Carolina. Last season, Wellman signed as a free agent with the Wild on March 16, and totaled four points (1-3=4) in 12 games with Minnesota. Wellman, an undrafted free agent out of the University of Massachusetts, wears No. 17 with the Wild.

Aeros release Brandon Rogers

I'd be lying if I said I saw this one coming, but it does make sense.

He is just too far down the proverbial totem pole at this point.

He will catch on ... somewhere ...

And here is the release from the Aeros:

AEROS RELEASE ROGERS FROM PTO

HOUSTON --- The American Hockey League’s (AHL) Houston Aeros, affiliate of the Minnesota Wild, today announced that defenseman Brandon Rogers has been released from his Professional Tryout Contract (PTO).

Rogers played in one game for the Aeros this season, collecting an assist vs. Oklahoma City on October 17. He also registered two penalty minutes (PIM).

Rogers played in 198 regular season games and 25 playoff contests with the Aeros beginning in 2007-08. His best season in Houston came during the 2008-09 season when he played in 74 games and posted 32 points (3-29-32) with 80 PIM. He also appeared in 20 games during the 2009 Calder Cup Playoffs totaling three points, all on assists with 12 PIM.

In The Houston Press, and Random Thoughts

My latest Aeros bit in the Press is now posted -- remember, it's through the Press that I get my pass press, so let them know you're appreciative.

Now a few random thoughts.

1. If you read my stuff in the mothership, especially during baseball season, or just listen to me talk, you know that I have a love/hate relationship with the Astros, one that has veered more to hate the past decade or so -- I'm a former employee, so my feelings of Drayton McLane are anything but happy, and his failure to hire anybody competent to handle any job since he forced out Gerry Hunsicker continuously make me angry. I'm really not fond of Ed Wade, who I can't believe is still allowed to work in baseball.

What's this got to do with anything hockey, well, reading the comments from some of you guys makes me feel downright giddy when it comes to the prospects of the Astros, and me feeling giddy towards the Astros just doesn't happen.

I know that's lot of you aren't happy with where you see the team heading. I'm not either, but, it's only seven games into the season. Don't press the panic button yet. Give Mike Yeo a chance to implement his system and his plans. I think the regime in St. Paul will give him a bit more leeway than they gave Kevin Constantine last system, primarily because Yeo's their guy, so maybe that will help a bit.

2. That said, the Aeros are a FARM CLUB of the Minnesota Wild, and the team exists to serve the needs of the Wild. So if they want the Aeros producing defenseman and goalies, then so be it.

This team is never returning to the Chuck Watson days -- I don't get your nostalgia for that guy because he's the guy who kept Les Alexander from bringing the NHL to Houston, yet I read about nothing but the greatness of Chuck Watson. In many ways, I consider Watson to be on par with Bob McNair as being one of those guys treated like a saint who has done nothing to actually earn the sainthood status. And things are a bit different, primarily being that, for most of Watson's ownership, the Aeros were in the IHL, and the IHL was a bit different from the AHL in that the IHL teams didn't have lots of NHL affiliations and they could do what they wanted.

But unless the team has independent ownership, like Chicago who basically does whatever it wants, then the team is going to have to deal first and foremost with satisfying the needs of the parent club.

3. Get over Krys Kolanos already. That's a myth that's not returning, no matter how much you bitch. It wasn't the Wild's fault he didn't come back, last year's staff didn't want him back, despite his performance for them. There's a reason he's generally with a different team every year -- and doesn't even have a contract at the moment. The entire Wild office, however, did want Corey Locke back, but he got a tremendous offer to sign with the Rangers.

4. Finally, just give the team a chance, for a bit. It's not showing record-wise, but I can see a better team on the ice than what there was last year. Just like, with the Astros, I can actually see a better team on the field now that they've cut ties with a bunch of guys and have made a try at start over with a new system.

Try Harder. Execute Better.

I think John and Andrew said enough on Sunday's game. I'm not gonna say it feels like last year out there. I do think there's more chemistry. But I feel like the result is going to be the same if they don't find a way to take the tools they have demonstrated and put them all together into a cohesive game.

I definitely feel like it's too early to panic and yet after watching all this "almost" last season, it's hard to avoid the sinking feelings of "Oh no, we suck again!" Yeo stern warnings of putting last year behind us and not looking back just aren't sticking to my emotional wall.

And speaking of almost, I thought this post from Daryl Reaugh on his very amusing (to me anyway) blog rang true for this team. But maybe I'm a bitter old goalie, too. :)

10/24/10 -- Aeros vs. Lake Erie -- I Think I'm On A Losing Streak Edition

In case you were elsewhere today, you might have missed the big news. The Aeros actually held a lead going into the third period. That's no lie, the Aeros skated out for the third period with a 2-1 lead. They promptly lost that lead :47 into the period, and they eventually lost the game 3-2. But with the Aeros, you take the small victories where you can find them, and for this game, it should be noted, the Aeros actually had a lead after two periods.

Now the hail of bullets.

1. The Aeros second goal was a thing of beauty. Jarod Palmer rushed the net with the puck. He drew a defenseman with him, and as he went past the goal, Lake Erie goalie John Grahame followed. Palmer passed back up the ice, and across the net, where he hit perfectly hit Casey Wellman with the puck, and Wellman buried the puck before Grahame could even think of getting back into position. And for once, the Aeros got the puck in the net.

2. I should know this. Those of us on press row should know this. But none of us do, so...is Max Noreau hurt? He's not shooting the puck as often as he did last year, especially on the power play, and when he does, the shot seems to lack the zip it's had in seasons past.

3. If Noreau's not hurt, then why the hell isn't he shooting it more on the power play?

4. I thought Marco Scandella had another good game. He bailed out Khudobin in the second period when Khudobin made a block and the puck bounced around the crease, seemingly forever. As a Lake Erie player came rushing for the puck, Scandella appeared from out of nowhere and swatted the puck away, preventing the goal.

5. Yeah, I'm liking what I see from Scandella.

6. It would have been nice to see Warren Peters swat the puck out of harm's way in the third period on the goal that tied the game. Peters thought he should have got to the puck, but didn't, saying: "Looking back on what happened – I was on the ice for one of them – we ended up going back into our zone, the puck went over my head, I guess close enough for me to grab it with my hand and try to take a swipe at it. The guy’s waiting on the other side, he bangs it into the empty net."

7. Where in the hell were the Ice Girls? Damn it, don't toss them out for just one game to start the season then get rid of them. You don't expect me to have to watch this team, do you?

8. I was the only one of us three there for the entire game. Heather went to something called an opera and didn't show up until the second period. Andrew's son was playing a little league baseball game, and he didn't arrive until the third -- note, the Aeros were winning when Andrew arrived, then promptly gave up the lead. Make of that what you will.

9. I thought the team looked awful in the first period. Whether it was just sluggishness from playing the third game in three days, or whether it was just bad play, I don't know. I thought the team looked better in the second. Heather thought I was nuts for saying this, but after all, she didn't see them in the first period. I thought their third period was the worst of the three.

10. There was no excuse for the way the team started that third period.

11. Mike Yeo agrees about that third period: "That’s a very disappointing way to lose a hockey game. Right there. For three games in three nights I thought, for two periods we’d done a lot of good things. But to come out – there were three mental lapses on the first goal, and there were two on the second. You’ve got to know – to be a winner you’ve got to know what the situation calls for. And we didn’t there in the third period."

12. For the commenter to an earlier post saying the Aeros should sign Krys Kolanos. Know this: Kolanos is unsigned at this point. There's a reason he's unsigned. So get over the mythology of Kolanos already.

13. The defenseman, for the most part, and in my opinion, have been very good. Especially Scandella and Drew Bagnall. And I think I understand why Brandon Rogers is being scratched every night. But it's obvious to all that the power play's not working, and in the past, before the current folks took over in St. Paul, Rogers was a good power play quarterback -- he was especially good at it getting it to Noreau in just the right spot for one of Noreau's shots. So maybe they should sit one of the ineffective forwards -- I think they can find a few to choose from -- and find away to get Rogers some ice time. If even for just the power play.

14. You know that Troy Ward's up in Abbotsford, looking at the power play stats, and laughing at all those who thought he and Kevin Constantine were at fault for the power play woes. Constantine's in Switzerland, and if I were in Switzerland, or anywhere in Europe, I wouldn't be wasting my time checking out AHL stats.

15. I did the math during the first intermission. It was 158:30 between goals for the Aeros. Yeah, that's bad.

16. When asked after the game if he saw anything good in the Aeros, Yeo responded that he liked seeing the team have a lead, and score some goals as opposed to losing with no goals. But that was said with an air of resignation.

17. Jarod Palmer: no more fights please. That was a pretty weak one in the first period. Leave the fighting to Bagnall or Matt Kassian. That's what they're there for.

18. The Aeros lost to the Lake Erie Monsters. How bad do you have to be lose to the Monsters, especially when this is the last game of a seven-game road trip.

19. After seven games: the Aeros are 2-4-1 (five points) and in last place in the West Division.

20. The Aeros have their third three-in-three in three consecutive weekends this week. They play in San Antonio on Friday, Austin on Saturday, and here for Sunday. Sunday is Halloween. If the Aeros play anything next Sunday like they did today, then that's going to be one scary Halloween.

21. On the plus side, next Sunday is Halloween which means the Dynamics will be in costume.

22. That's it for this edition. And I think the Rolling Stones and "Satisfaction" might be in order because this team is on a five game losing streak and nobody who is watching them is getting any satisfaction.

Aeros limp out of lost weekend

My oh my, what a lost weekend of hockey for the home team.

Three games in three nights, three losses, and three games they deserved to lose.

Mike Yeo, after the game Sunday, said it's not just one thing. It's something different every night, but the glaring problem seems to be turnovers. I will be honest; I have not noticed them to the point where I should. I think I am too busy trying to rationalize why they can't score and why they have gone nowhere but downhill in every game since Game 1.

But that was Mike Yeo's comment ... cut down on the turnovers is a great place to start.

We also talked to Warren Peters tonight, and he is one of the veterans, along with Jon DiSalvatore and Max Noreau who seem to be just getting by through every game. Those guys are supposed to be reasons why the Aeros should be a tough team to beat. Instead, at least after the first three weeks, they are a big reason why they are in last place.

Is it completely fair to sing them out? Maybe not, but I think they know the team needs to turn things around, and it all starts with them.

Peters had some good comments following the team's 3-2 loss to Lake Cleveland ... or whatever they are called. Here they are:

"They made some adjustments, came out in the third period and executed. Their hard work, especially in our zone, resulted in goals.

There is only one way out. You can’t feel sorry for yourself, you can’t hope, you can’t ask for better fortune; you have to earn it. There is only one way out, and that is through hard work. We displayed that for the most part tonight. That may not be the case throughout the whole weekend, but right now it does not feel too good and you can’t put your head down. You have to forge along, especially when you still have 70-plus games to go."

There are 73 games to go, to be exact. And there is only one way to go from here.

Time for another Sunday matinée

I wonder what the Aeros are REALLY thinking today as they get ready to not get shut out for a third straight game. As far as I know that has happened only one other time in franchise history ... and that team was good enough defensively to get into the playoffs.

That was a 1996-97 Aeros team that had some guy named Freddie Chabot. Yeah, he was pretty good.

The good news is the Aeros penalty kill is pretty good and they goaltending should be good enough to keep them in most games. But as others lamented publicly, there are just too many guys back from a team last year that just do have a natural scoring touch.

I see effort, I see more organization in the offensive zone and even less of four guys all bunched up around the puck. But like head coach Mike Yeo alluded to on Friday, there are still too many passes and not enough butts in front of the opposing goalie.

Today, the schedule favors the Monsters, who did not play last night and are not playing a third game in three days. If anything favors the Aeros today, it is the law of averages and the fact that this is the last game for the Monsters on a long road trip.

Those kind of games usually bode well for the desperate home team. (But, Lake Erie has lost five in a row ... maybe the law of averages is actually on their side today.)

Predictions are meaningless, but trends aren't. The Aeros have a slight edge today, and I say they squeak out of Toyota Center with their first home win of the season.

As for the big picture, I have said this numerous times ... good teams don't lose five in a row, especially early in the year when everyone is fresh and healthy. Playoff-bound teams usually avoid multiple losses in a row and they find a way to put together a couple of five-game winning streaks.

It's not panic time, but these guys better find a way to put the biscuit in the basket ... and fast.

10/22/10 -- Aeros v. Rivermen -- The Hail of Bullets Edition

I'm trying a different approach to these things, at this point. I just can't see writing up full-scale game stories -- I've been working a lot, and I want to get that sleep thing. So I'm going to feed you guys a hail of bullets reflecting some thoughts on this game that the Aeros lost 1-0 in overtime.

1. This was a hell of a game. It was one of the more entertaining games that I've seen the Aeros play in a long, long time. So I really, really, really don't understand why they were being booed off of the ice. I just don't get it.

2. Marco Scandella, wow. He's a young kid. He's not perfect, yet. But he just continues to amaze me every game. He's making hits. He's throwing his body around and blocking pucks. He's someone I find myself looking at constantly when he' s out on the ice -- and when I'm not looking at the Dynamics.

3. Mike Yeo on Scandella: "One of the biggest things, it’s obvious by the amount of ice time that we’re giving him. He’s a young guy, and young guys generally have a lot more to learn, but he plays a pretty mature game for a young guy. I think part of that is he has a very good understanding of what kind of player he is, and he’s going to be in the NHL, and he’s committed to being a solid defensive player, and he knows he has to go make a good first pass and try to contribute offensively when it’s there. But he also understands the foundation of his game, and that’s being strong one-on-one and being solid defensively."

4. I also like seeing Drew Bagnall on the ice. He's just not going to take crap off of anybody.

5. Anton Khudobin seems different to me this year. He seems to have matured and kicked his game up another level. I saw him challenging players. He didn't lose his poise like he might have at times in the past. And he played a hell of a game against one of the top teams in the AHL.

6. I saw a semblance, tonight, of what Mike Yeo wants this team to be. It wasn't there the entire game, but it was there. I hadn't seen it in the first two home games. There's still hesitation. There's still too much passing, trying to be too perfect. But I could actually see what Yeo wants to accomplish.

"I think that we have to, at this point in the season especially, we have to remember what it is we’re trying to do here," Yeo told us. "And I think that that game looked a lot more like our game is supposed to look. There was a lot of times where I felt like we were really taking it to them. We were getting good shifts in the offensive zone. Our forecheck was really effective, and the way were attacking pucks and creating turnovers was a lot better. Shooting pucks and going to the net."

7. I'm disappointed in the power play. Which seems to be the standard Houston Aeros observer response over the years. Yeo's disappointed, and he thought they were trying to be too perfect. One thing I noticed is that Max Noreau seems to be backing off a bit. I thought there were multiple times tonight when he had an opportunity from the blue line and didn't take it. We saw last year what a weapon the Noreau slap shot can be.

8. That said, I don't know what, if anything, the Aeros have planned for Brandon Rogers. And maybe it's just something with my memory, but I could swear that I remember that several seasons ago he and Noreau made a great power play duo.

9. I agree with Heather's assessment on Ben Bishop. The guy has really improved, and he stopped everything the Aeros through his way. I don't even think that the myth that fans have turned Krys Kolanos into could have gotten the puck past Bishop.

10. Where were the Ice Girls?

11. I hope you didn't pay any attention to the PA guy on the way out of the arena tonight, because despite what they said, the Aeros next two games aren't on the road. They play in San Antonio tomorrow, but then they host Lake Erie on Sunday.

12. Nothing against Jarod Palmer, but damn it, when I see the #19 on the ice, the first thing that pops into my mind is Danny Irmen. So can someone please get Palmer another a number.

13. I think The White Stripes are currently one of the most-overrated bands in rock music. They've done some good stuff, but most of what I hear just reinforces my belief that Jack White has bought into his own hype and mythology. Most of their "genius," to me, sounds rushed, and unfinished. But when they get a song right, they get the song right, such as in "Seven Nation Army."

Now to get to my point, I find the Aeros to be rough, unfinished. But I can see what they're aiming at. And I see "Seven Nation Army" as fitting the theme that Yeo wants for the team. An onrushing onslaught of attackers firing time after time on the net. So...