The Aeros defeated the Rockford IceHogs tonight by the score of 4-1 -- yes, 4-1 again -- to win their fifth straight game and move into sole possession (for the moment) of first place in the AHL's West Division.
The Aeros actually trailed in this game as Rockford had the 1-0 lead after the first period. Then Nate Prosser and Jean-Michel Daoust scored in the second period and Patrick O'Sullivan and Carson McMillan scored in the third period. Matt Hackett got the start in goal and stopped 24 of 25 shots as the Aeros record improved to 31-19-1-3 (66 points).
The Aeros are off tomorrow while they travel to Peoria to play the Rivermen on Friday night. They then "host" Peoria on Sunday afternoon in St. Paul. The Rivermen are currently tied for third place with 64 points and a record of 30-18-2-2, so with any luck, the Aeros can put a little distance between them and Peoria this weekend.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:
1. The Aeros are 13-2-0-1 since January 1.
2. The Aeros win, their fifth straight, is their best win streak of the season.
3. The assists on the night came from Justin Falk, Jarod Palmer, Patrick O'Sullivan, Nate Prosser, Chad Rau, and Colton Gillies.
4. Max Noreau was stratched on the basis of his having been a bit banged up in last night's game against Texas.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
From the Mailbag - Question of the week
The Aeros are red hot and have another game tonight in Rockford. A win tonight gives them that elusive fifth straight win. It's been about two years since they had a streak like that. I am sure that is on their minds, so as long as Hannu Toivonen doesn't play out of his mind, the Aeros should be able to come away with the two points.
Also, here is another question that I have been asked a lot lately. Where would the Aeros be without all the shootout/OT wins? This person pointed out that the Aeros seem to play very well in OT and questioned whether they would be in the playoff race without all those extra points.
Glad you asked!
If we go back to the pre shootout format of Wins, Losses, OT Losses and Ties, the standings wouldn't really be all that different. Some teams would flip-flop, but the top seven teams would STILL be separated by just six points. Here's how things would look:
TEAM W-L-OTL-T = Points
PEO 27-18-2-4; 60 points
SAT 26-19-2-5; 59 points
OKC 24-19-2-9; 59 points
MKE 23-13-2-11; 59 points
HOU 23-19-1-10; 57 points
TEX 23-17-3-7; 56 points
CHI, 22-22-2-8; 54 points
RFD 17-21-2-7; 43 points
As you can see, things are just as tight. But the Aeros fall from 11 over .500 to just four. They would have a crap load of ties, so fans have to be thankful for DiSalvatore, Almond, Earl and even Anton, who all perform well above average in the tie-breaker round.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Aeros Defeat Texas Yet Again - UPDATED
The Aeros got the 4-1 win over Texas tonight, in Austin. They scored in each period, with Justin Falk getting the game's first goal. With Milwaukee and San Antonio idle tonight, the Aeros are back in a tie for first with the Admirals and Rampage, each with 64 points.
Before you read some good notes below, be sure to click here to read the game story from the Stars' hometown paper. Lots of good nuggets in here about the Aeros absolutely domination of the Stars this year.
For example, the Stars are now just 1-6-1-1 again Houston. Against the REST of the West, which is by far and away the best division in the AHL, Texas is 21-6-0-1. Crazy.
Some Miscellaneous Notes:
Justin Falk, Patrick O'Sullivan, Cody Almond, and Jed Ortmeyer got the goals for Houston. O'Sullivan and Almond also had assists. Jon DiSalvatore had three assists on the night with Max Noreau, Tyler Cuma, and Colton Gillies also getting assists.
The three stars were 1) Anton Khudobin, 2) Cody Almond, and 3) Colton Sceviour.
The Aeros are 8-1-0-0 versus the Stars this season.
The Aeros play in Rockford tomorrow night, then their next two games are against the Peoria Rivermen, one of the teams the Aeros are in a tight race for a playoff spot with. They play Friday in Peoria, then have the "home" game against Peoria in St. Paul on Sunday afternoon. So maybe there will be some spacing in the standings after this weekend.
The Aeros next actual home game is next Thursday morning at 11:05 a.m. against the Chicago Wolves.
Some Miscellaneous Notes:
Justin Falk, Patrick O'Sullivan, Cody Almond, and Jed Ortmeyer got the goals for Houston. O'Sullivan and Almond also had assists. Jon DiSalvatore had three assists on the night with Max Noreau, Tyler Cuma, and Colton Gillies also getting assists.
The three stars were 1) Anton Khudobin, 2) Cody Almond, and 3) Colton Sceviour.
The Aeros are 8-1-0-0 versus the Stars this season.
The Aeros play in Rockford tomorrow night, then their next two games are against the Peoria Rivermen, one of the teams the Aeros are in a tight race for a playoff spot with. They play Friday in Peoria, then have the "home" game against Peoria in St. Paul on Sunday afternoon. So maybe there will be some spacing in the standings after this weekend.
The Aeros next actual home game is next Thursday morning at 11:05 a.m. against the Chicago Wolves.
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Redemption of Patrick O'Sullivan
Here's my latest on the team in the Houston Press. The focus is on Patrick O'Sullivan and his return to Houston after having tasted some success in the NHL. Give it a read if you get a chance.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
2/4/11 -- Aeros v. Stars -- Snowpocalypse Now Edition
One of the Aerodynamics cheers on the team in the first period.Impressive game from the Aeros tonight. I was kind of worried about tonight's game. Worried because the team was coming off another long break of not playing, but I was worried about nothing as the Aeros dominated the entire game, getting the much easier than it looked 4-1 win over the Texas Stars.
1. First, a hearty well done to all of you who actually turned out for the game. I realize the weather guys did the best possible to scare the crap out of everybody in the Houston metropolitan area over the past week, but the threat of snow was non-existent. Still, the roads were iced over for most of the day, and they weren't entirely safe, so good job.
2. That said, the announced attendance for the game was 6,277. I would say that's an overestimate by about 4,000.
3. Fantastic game by Patrick O'Sullivan tonight. He had two power play goals tonight. The first one, which made the score 1-0 in the second period, came about when Warren Peters went to the boards behind the net and dug out the puck, fed it to Jon DiSalvatore who made a great spin move to find O'Sullivan on the other side of the net, and O'Sullivan's too good a player to miss a wide open net like that.
4. Needless to say, Mike Yeo's a big fan of what O'Sullivan brings to the game, and he told us so after the game. He especially likes how, when O'Sullivan gets a scoring chance, he takes advantage of it.
5. "A guy like that: first off, on the power play, what he adds to you, both of those goals there were moments before he scored the goal where they had pressure on, but he controlled the puck, and he holds off a defender, and he takes the time to make a tape to tape pass," Yeo said. "When you do that, it relieves the pressure. Other players might just get the puck and feel the pressure and slap it to somebody else, and that gives them the opportunity to continue the pressure and the puck goes down the ice. And then obviously, when you’ve got a guy who can shoot the puck like that, you don’t need as many scoring chances to put the puck in the net."
6. We spoke to O'Sullivan after the game. He admitted that he doesn't want to be in Houston, which is what you would hope he would say. But yet he likes Houston, he likes the arena, and he really likes Mike Yeo, telling us that he's learned a lot from Yeo in the short time he's been here.
He also likes playing on the same line with Jon DiSalvatore and Cody Almond, offering up that they have great chemistry and that he's having fun.
"Johnny’s a veteran guy, and he’s been around as long as I have, playing pro," O'Sullivan said. "He’s a smart player. I think we kind of read off each other and compliment each other really well. Cody’s a good young player. He’s big and strong. He compliments us as well. We all three play a little bit of a different style. Usually when you have a good line, you need different attributes in each guy, and I think we have that. It’s been fun."
7. Tonight was another solid night from the starting line of Warren Peters, Colton Gillies, and Jed Ortmeyer. They're not glamorous like the O'Sullivan/DiSalvatore/Almond line. But these are the guys who have been setting the tone every night.
8. Yeo told us that he thought the game started to slip away from the Aeros in the second period. But that Peters, et al came in and reestablished the style of play and tempo that Yeo wanted.
9. "Especially in that second period, when I thought our game was going in the wrong direction, I thought those guys did a great job of going out and resetting the mind and the focus of what we’re trying to do," Yeo said of that line. "I thought that they really did a great job of setting a physical tone out there. When you do that against any team, it wears on you. It certainly can get in their head, and that’s got to be part of our mentality and part of our game plan. We’re a team where if we’re doing things the right way then we should take the game over in the third period, and those guys had a lot to do with that."
1. First, a hearty well done to all of you who actually turned out for the game. I realize the weather guys did the best possible to scare the crap out of everybody in the Houston metropolitan area over the past week, but the threat of snow was non-existent. Still, the roads were iced over for most of the day, and they weren't entirely safe, so good job.
2. That said, the announced attendance for the game was 6,277. I would say that's an overestimate by about 4,000.
3. Fantastic game by Patrick O'Sullivan tonight. He had two power play goals tonight. The first one, which made the score 1-0 in the second period, came about when Warren Peters went to the boards behind the net and dug out the puck, fed it to Jon DiSalvatore who made a great spin move to find O'Sullivan on the other side of the net, and O'Sullivan's too good a player to miss a wide open net like that.
4. Needless to say, Mike Yeo's a big fan of what O'Sullivan brings to the game, and he told us so after the game. He especially likes how, when O'Sullivan gets a scoring chance, he takes advantage of it.
5. "A guy like that: first off, on the power play, what he adds to you, both of those goals there were moments before he scored the goal where they had pressure on, but he controlled the puck, and he holds off a defender, and he takes the time to make a tape to tape pass," Yeo said. "When you do that, it relieves the pressure. Other players might just get the puck and feel the pressure and slap it to somebody else, and that gives them the opportunity to continue the pressure and the puck goes down the ice. And then obviously, when you’ve got a guy who can shoot the puck like that, you don’t need as many scoring chances to put the puck in the net."
6. We spoke to O'Sullivan after the game. He admitted that he doesn't want to be in Houston, which is what you would hope he would say. But yet he likes Houston, he likes the arena, and he really likes Mike Yeo, telling us that he's learned a lot from Yeo in the short time he's been here.
He also likes playing on the same line with Jon DiSalvatore and Cody Almond, offering up that they have great chemistry and that he's having fun.
"Johnny’s a veteran guy, and he’s been around as long as I have, playing pro," O'Sullivan said. "He’s a smart player. I think we kind of read off each other and compliment each other really well. Cody’s a good young player. He’s big and strong. He compliments us as well. We all three play a little bit of a different style. Usually when you have a good line, you need different attributes in each guy, and I think we have that. It’s been fun."
7. Tonight was another solid night from the starting line of Warren Peters, Colton Gillies, and Jed Ortmeyer. They're not glamorous like the O'Sullivan/DiSalvatore/Almond line. But these are the guys who have been setting the tone every night.
8. Yeo told us that he thought the game started to slip away from the Aeros in the second period. But that Peters, et al came in and reestablished the style of play and tempo that Yeo wanted.
9. "Especially in that second period, when I thought our game was going in the wrong direction, I thought those guys did a great job of going out and resetting the mind and the focus of what we’re trying to do," Yeo said of that line. "I thought that they really did a great job of setting a physical tone out there. When you do that against any team, it wears on you. It certainly can get in their head, and that’s got to be part of our mentality and part of our game plan. We’re a team where if we’re doing things the right way then we should take the game over in the third period, and those guys had a lot to do with that."
10. Good game from Anton Khudobin tonight as he stopped 31 of 32 shots. He obviously read Heather's letter from earlier in the week, and he took her advice to heart. Yeo told us that he saw in Khudobin's play in practice this week that Khudobin was really focused, and when you see that from him in you practice, you let him go out and play.
11. The third goal came from Jarod Palmer. That was his first goal since Heather cursed him earlier in the season when she spoke about his leading the team in scoring. And the fourth and final goal was an empty netter from Max Noreau. Noreau had another two point night as he also assisted on O'Sullivan's second power play goal. And while Noreau has been putting up points those points have come by way of assists as this was Noreau's first goal since November 26.
12. The two point game was Noreau's team leading 10th multi-point game of the season.
13. The Aeros own the Stars this season. They're now 7-1-0-0 against Texas this season, including 5-0-0-0 at Toyota Center. The Aeros have also garnered points in nine consecutive home games. and they have a power play goal in five of their last six games.
14. Jon DiSalvator's assist on Patrick O'Sullivan's first goal was DiSalvatore's 400th career point.
15. The Aeros scored three goals in the third period while taking 15 third period shots. Yeo has wanted them controlling the third period all season, and this is probably what he was talking about in terms of dominating.
16. With the win, the Aeros are 29-19-1-3 (62 points) on the season. And despite their fantastic play since Christmas, they're still locked in a tie for first place. Milwaukee has the better record due to fewer games played at 27-13-2-6. Then comes San Antonio at 30-18-2-0 and Peoria at 29-17-2-2. Then the Aeros. Oklahoma City is in fifth, one point back at 27-18-2-5 (61 points). Texas is in sixth at 26-16-3-5 (58 points), and Chicago is in seventh place at 25-22-2-4 (56 points).
That's right, there are only six points separating teams one through seven in the AHL's West Division.
17. As to that chemistry thing O'Sullivan was talking about, well...O'Sullivan and DiSalvatore might have to work without Cody Almond for awhile as he's been recalled to the Wild with Justin Falk for Saturday's game with Phoenix.
Photos Of A Non-Goal
The Aeros dominated the Stars from start to finish. They could have easily blown this game wide open but at several times, especially in the first period, they came up just short, as in this sequence. Jon DiSalvatore attempts to punch the puck in from close range. In the third photo, you can see the puck just at Brent Krahn's skate, just short of the line. And though DiSalvatore starts to celebrate, the puck never crossed the line, and in the final photo, you can see the puck on the far right of the photo, rolling away from the goal.
Friday, February 4, 2011
View from the Press Box - Aeros dominate Stars at Toyota Center
Another long break, another big win for the Aeros. They just keep rolling along at Toyota Center and improved to 5-0 against the Stars in this building.
They are 11-2-0-1 since Dec. 30 and remain in a four-way tie (points-wise) for first place in the toughest division in pro hockey. They took it to the short-handed Stars from the get-go, Friday. With a little more luck, they would have had a 3-0 lead after the first period.
Brent Krahn, playing his first game since November, was shaky early, but the Aeros didn't have enough luck to get the puck across the goal line.
The O'Sullivan/DiSalvatore combo, again, was deadly and the difference in the game. Anton Khudobin was focused from the get-go tonight, and that started with a good game of bouncing-the-tennis-ball-off-the-wall well before the game started.
I called a shutout before the game, but that ended the second Ortmeyer went to the box in the third period. The Aeros are going to give up a power play goal a game, it seems, so that was the only really disappointing thing to me.
Not a whole lot I can say now. With the long break, it took both teams awhile to get things going in terms of team crispness. And when the Stars turned things into a bit of a track meet in the second period, Anton kept the Stars out of the net.
The Aeros won't play at Toyota Center again until Feb. 17. Their next four are on the road, although one of them is in Texas (Tuesday) and another one is a "home" game against Peoria next weekend. I'd like to see them split these four games and come back with at least four points.
The West is just sick, sick good this year and there is a possibility that a team with 90-plus points will miss the playoffs.
Hopefully John will have more later. We had a great post-game with Mike Yeo and Patrick O'Sullivan tonight.
They are 11-2-0-1 since Dec. 30 and remain in a four-way tie (points-wise) for first place in the toughest division in pro hockey. They took it to the short-handed Stars from the get-go, Friday. With a little more luck, they would have had a 3-0 lead after the first period.
Brent Krahn, playing his first game since November, was shaky early, but the Aeros didn't have enough luck to get the puck across the goal line.
The O'Sullivan/DiSalvatore combo, again, was deadly and the difference in the game. Anton Khudobin was focused from the get-go tonight, and that started with a good game of bouncing-the-tennis-ball-off-the-wall well before the game started.
I called a shutout before the game, but that ended the second Ortmeyer went to the box in the third period. The Aeros are going to give up a power play goal a game, it seems, so that was the only really disappointing thing to me.
Not a whole lot I can say now. With the long break, it took both teams awhile to get things going in terms of team crispness. And when the Stars turned things into a bit of a track meet in the second period, Anton kept the Stars out of the net.
The Aeros won't play at Toyota Center again until Feb. 17. Their next four are on the road, although one of them is in Texas (Tuesday) and another one is a "home" game against Peoria next weekend. I'd like to see them split these four games and come back with at least four points.
The West is just sick, sick good this year and there is a possibility that a team with 90-plus points will miss the playoffs.
Hopefully John will have more later. We had a great post-game with Mike Yeo and Patrick O'Sullivan tonight.
Options For Those Who Can't Make Tonight's Game
The Houston Aeros and Texas Stars will be playing tonight at 7:35 at Toyota Center. The road conditions are such, however, that some of you might not be able to make tonight's game. So if that's case, the Aeros have announced the following:
If you cannot make tonight's game, and you have a ticket, you may exchange that unusued ticket on a ticket for a game on either February 27, March 6, March 19, or April 10. The tickets can only be exchanged by contacting the Aeros, starting on Monday at 1:00 p.m., by calling 713-974-7825.
Also, the postgame autograph session that was scheduled for season ticket holders has been postponed until the game on February 27.
One further thing. I'm sure that many of you are unhappy that they're playing tonight because of the road conditions. But I've worked many sporting events in my life -- most in Houston -- and the games have gone in much, much, worse conditions than those today. I have driven to the Astrodome for baseball games when most of the area surrounding the Dome was under water due to flooding from tropical storms. I remember working a Oilers game on a night after snow shut the city down, large portions of the city were without power and water, and lots of the major roadways were not driveable. I have also attended Rockets games during ice storms. So compared to that, conditions are rather mild.
If you cannot make tonight's game, and you have a ticket, you may exchange that unusued ticket on a ticket for a game on either February 27, March 6, March 19, or April 10. The tickets can only be exchanged by contacting the Aeros, starting on Monday at 1:00 p.m., by calling 713-974-7825.
Also, the postgame autograph session that was scheduled for season ticket holders has been postponed until the game on February 27.
One further thing. I'm sure that many of you are unhappy that they're playing tonight because of the road conditions. But I've worked many sporting events in my life -- most in Houston -- and the games have gone in much, much, worse conditions than those today. I have driven to the Astrodome for baseball games when most of the area surrounding the Dome was under water due to flooding from tropical storms. I remember working a Oilers game on a night after snow shut the city down, large portions of the city were without power and water, and lots of the major roadways were not driveable. I have also attended Rockets games during ice storms. So compared to that, conditions are rather mild.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Aeros To Actually Play Tomorrow
Just a note for those of you worried about how Snowpocalypse will affect the Aeros game tomorrow night. The Aeros have just sent out a note that the game between the Stars and Aeros at Toyota Center will be played as scheduled.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Last chance if you want to go to the banquet ...
If you have not already bought your tickets to the 13th annual player appreciation banquet & auction, this is your last chance to do so. No tickets at the door ... You have to call this number today to get them: 713-252-8315.
The banquet is tomorrow night at the Sweetwater Country Club from 6:30 to 9:30. The address is 4400 Palm Royale Blvd. in Sugar Land. The zip is 77479. (The map to the place is embedded in the message below.)
There are tickets available for members and non-members. If you are a member, you already should have your ticket if you are able to go. If you're not a member, tickets are $90 and the proceeds are for a very good cause. The money benefits the Kids Unlimited Foundation, which is as good of a charity as there is out there.
If you know about this fine organization, great. If not ... click here and tell me you don't want to help out.
The booster club puts on a great event every year. I have been several times in the past, and there is a tremendous opportunity for pictures and autographs from the entire team. Everyone gets dressed up (coat and tie are required) and the awards ceremony is one of the evening's highlights.
OK, if you still want tickets, here is your chance. Call this number 713-252-8315.
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