So there I was, high above the ice writing my recap for the Chronicle. I had this nice story written up about Fontaine and Joe Fallon. And even though I still could have gone that way, I decided to change my tune because the 'Hogs scored two late to make Friday's game a lot closer than it needed to be.
Fallon, to me, was the hero, as he saved the Aeros' bacon twice in the closing seconds after Fontaine missed the empty-netter. And Fontaine, who recorded the first three-point game of his career, was really good, too.
Turnovers led to about seven or eight shots after it looked like the Aeros had the game well in hand in the closing minutes. I guess when you let up mentally, you let up physically. The Aeros should know by now that Texas, Rockford and the Hamilton's of the world are not just going to roll over. This is not the IHL, where bad teams just traded all of their good players to the Chicago Wolves in mid March.
But a win is a win, and the Aeros shot up to a tie for fourth place in the standings. Peoria and Chicago were idle, and San Antonio had a bad third period against the Heat.
Enjoy this one while you can. The Aeros have won five of their last seven home games, and there are still two more on the homestand. Their next two opponents, Abbotsford and OKC, both won tonight, so the Aeros are going to play their two toughest games in the next (fewer than) 48 hours.
So what did you think about tonight? Great first period, so-so second period, and they had to really hold on to keep that game from going to OT.
Good teams find a way ... and the Aeros certainly did that Friday.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Game Day: Aeros vs. Rockford
Tonight, the Aeros have a chance to jump all the way to fifth place in the standings. With the Rockford IceHogs in town, they will play the first of three games in three days all at home. And they get to do it against three different teams. That in itself is quite rare.
I was going to devote a significant portion of this post to Carter Hutton and the magnificent job he's done in Rockford. For the second year in a row, the IceHogs are coming back from the dead ... and Hutton is a big reason as to why that is. He and Brandon Pirri have been remarkable, and you can read all about that right here.
But, Hutton got called up by NHL Chicago today, so the Aeros will face either Alexander Salak or Alec Richards. I am going to bet the house on Salak, who came in for Hutton in Tuesday's loss at OKC and played really well.
Here is a look at Rockford's stats. They've still got their top guys in house, but they've rebuilt the roster fairly extensively since the last time they played the Aeros. Technically, the IceHogs are above .500 on the road, and like a lot of other AHL teams, they have not been very good at home.
Unlike most teams, the IceHogs are not dominant when scoring the first goal. They've done that 28 times and have just 15 wins in those games. By comparison, the Aeros have 25 first goals and have 18 wins and points in 21 of those 25 games. Overall, the Aeros have the better power play and penalty kill, but Rockford has shown an uncanny ability to comeback on the road.
On paper, this is the most winnable game of the three in three for the Aeros. On paper means nothing, and the Aeros, led by team captain Jon DiSalvatore, know this. If the Aeros score first and take a lead into the second period, they should be able to get the two points tonight.
I was going to devote a significant portion of this post to Carter Hutton and the magnificent job he's done in Rockford. For the second year in a row, the IceHogs are coming back from the dead ... and Hutton is a big reason as to why that is. He and Brandon Pirri have been remarkable, and you can read all about that right here.
But, Hutton got called up by NHL Chicago today, so the Aeros will face either Alexander Salak or Alec Richards. I am going to bet the house on Salak, who came in for Hutton in Tuesday's loss at OKC and played really well.
Here is a look at Rockford's stats. They've still got their top guys in house, but they've rebuilt the roster fairly extensively since the last time they played the Aeros. Technically, the IceHogs are above .500 on the road, and like a lot of other AHL teams, they have not been very good at home.
Unlike most teams, the IceHogs are not dominant when scoring the first goal. They've done that 28 times and have just 15 wins in those games. By comparison, the Aeros have 25 first goals and have 18 wins and points in 21 of those 25 games. Overall, the Aeros have the better power play and penalty kill, but Rockford has shown an uncanny ability to comeback on the road.
On paper, this is the most winnable game of the three in three for the Aeros. On paper means nothing, and the Aeros, led by team captain Jon DiSalvatore, know this. If the Aeros score first and take a lead into the second period, they should be able to get the two points tonight.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Rivermen grab Midwest Lead from Wolves
Watch out ... the Peoria Rivermen traded Ben Bishop and are winning games with solid defense. Last night, they jumped all the way to the No. 3 seed with a 3-1 win over the Chicago Wolves. Jake Allen stopped 18 shots in the first period, and Jonathan Cheechoo scored on just one of three shots by Peoria in the opening period.
That friends is crazy.
The Aeros have an absolutely huge weekend coming up, and they are playing at home, where they have won four of six. If they keep playing like they did Tuesday, things are going to work out fine for them.
Anyway, here is a look at the playoff picture for the Top 11. Hope to see you all at Toyota Center this weekend.
That friends is crazy.
The Aeros have an absolutely huge weekend coming up, and they are playing at home, where they have won four of six. If they keep playing like they did Tuesday, things are going to work out fine for them.
Anyway, here is a look at the playoff picture for the Top 11. Hope to see you all at Toyota Center this weekend.
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| Please click on the image for a closer look. |
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
View From The Press Box: Aeros Cool Off Heat
How about that? In the space of a two-and-a-half hours the Aeros went from 10th place in the Western Conference playoff standings to sixth place. And they did so in rather impressive fashion, dominating the Abbotsford Heat and getting the 4-1 win in a game that wasn't near as close as that final score indicates.
The damage came, again, from the Aeros power play unit as the team's first two goals came off the power play. Justin Fontaine netted both of the power play goals with Jeff Taffe getting an assist on each and Kris Fredheim and Chay Genoway getting the other assists.
Jeff Taffe struck for his third point of the game early in the second when he took the pass from Genoway and stuck it past Heat goalie Leland Irving. And the Aeros final goal came off of the stick of Jon DiSalvatore who blasted a slap shot from way up above the left circle past Irving -- the assist going to, you guessed it, Taffe.
The game was marred by multiple fights -- Almond was hit with two fighting majors -- and it got really, really ugly at the start of the third period when Abbotsford's Akim Aliu went after Almond just seconds into the period. A semi-brawl ensued, and by the time the bodies were separated and the penalties were handed out, it was clear the Heat were beaten -- Aliu got 2:00 for instigating, 5:00 for fighting, and a 10:00 game misconduct, Hugh Jessiman got 2:00 for roughing and a 10:00 game misconduct while Almond got five for fighting and Carson McMillan got 2:00 for roughing (how Drew Bagnall escaped without a penalty is still surprising).
The Heat scored seconds later, but it was clear that it was way too little, too late, and that the Aeros were going to pull out this game.
Justin Fontaine looked really good for the Aeros, but the true star of the game was Taffe and the power play.
"A good power play, you have to stay with it," head coach John Torchetti said. "As long as your power play doesn't take momentum away, you've got to stay with it. And if they just stick with what we keep teaching them -- and they're doing a great job of that -- and just take what's given to you -- once you learn to just take what's given to you -- and you're going to shoot, you have to be shooting first...it starts with the shot."
Torchetti spoke glowingly about the play of Genoway, calling him a big plus who's really smart and who will be really dangerous once he learns to shoot the puck.
And speaking of dangerous, Taffe had his second four point night in his last three games, once again getting a goal and three assists. Torchetti credits this with Taffe getting more aggressive and competing for more pucks. He's challenged the vets to do more on the ice, and he says that, at times, challenging the vets and drawing more out of them on the ice hasn't been pretty because he can't always be nice, but that they have responded.
"I have a rapport with my veterans, and I trust them," Torchetti said. "We had a talk at Christmas -- now that we're down to three [veterans]...I'm going to be harder on you because I expect you to play at a level. I expect our team to still win....You're going to be pressured."
And in goal again tonight was Joe Fallon who stopped 26 of the Heat's 27 shots, including making several tough stops early in the game when the Heat seemed to be controlling the action.
"He played big," Torchetti said of Fallon. "He's getting comfortable, he's being confident. He's challenging. He's doing a good job for us."
The Aeros are now 29-20-3-9 on the season with 15 games to play. They're tied, pointswise, with four other teams who all have 70 points, but the Aeros winning percentage has them in a tie for sixth place with San Antonio, and they're only a point behind Chicago and Peoria, who both have 71 points.
If the Aeros keep playing hockey like they did tonight, aggressive, attacking the net, shooting the puck, they could still be dangerous. But this weekend could be the key as they take on a rapidly improving Rockford club on Friday, face Abbotsford again on Saturday, and Oklahoma City on Sunday.
Jon DiSalvatore said on Sunday that this is all in their control. And it is. They just have to keep winning and getting points. If the bleeding can stop in Minnesota and the guys here can actually stay here and stay healthy, then the Aeros might still be able to pull this out.
As for tonight, it was sure was a fun game to watch.
The damage came, again, from the Aeros power play unit as the team's first two goals came off the power play. Justin Fontaine netted both of the power play goals with Jeff Taffe getting an assist on each and Kris Fredheim and Chay Genoway getting the other assists.
Jeff Taffe struck for his third point of the game early in the second when he took the pass from Genoway and stuck it past Heat goalie Leland Irving. And the Aeros final goal came off of the stick of Jon DiSalvatore who blasted a slap shot from way up above the left circle past Irving -- the assist going to, you guessed it, Taffe.
The game was marred by multiple fights -- Almond was hit with two fighting majors -- and it got really, really ugly at the start of the third period when Abbotsford's Akim Aliu went after Almond just seconds into the period. A semi-brawl ensued, and by the time the bodies were separated and the penalties were handed out, it was clear the Heat were beaten -- Aliu got 2:00 for instigating, 5:00 for fighting, and a 10:00 game misconduct, Hugh Jessiman got 2:00 for roughing and a 10:00 game misconduct while Almond got five for fighting and Carson McMillan got 2:00 for roughing (how Drew Bagnall escaped without a penalty is still surprising).
The Heat scored seconds later, but it was clear that it was way too little, too late, and that the Aeros were going to pull out this game.
Justin Fontaine looked really good for the Aeros, but the true star of the game was Taffe and the power play.
"A good power play, you have to stay with it," head coach John Torchetti said. "As long as your power play doesn't take momentum away, you've got to stay with it. And if they just stick with what we keep teaching them -- and they're doing a great job of that -- and just take what's given to you -- once you learn to just take what's given to you -- and you're going to shoot, you have to be shooting first...it starts with the shot."
Torchetti spoke glowingly about the play of Genoway, calling him a big plus who's really smart and who will be really dangerous once he learns to shoot the puck.
And speaking of dangerous, Taffe had his second four point night in his last three games, once again getting a goal and three assists. Torchetti credits this with Taffe getting more aggressive and competing for more pucks. He's challenged the vets to do more on the ice, and he says that, at times, challenging the vets and drawing more out of them on the ice hasn't been pretty because he can't always be nice, but that they have responded.
"I have a rapport with my veterans, and I trust them," Torchetti said. "We had a talk at Christmas -- now that we're down to three [veterans]...I'm going to be harder on you because I expect you to play at a level. I expect our team to still win....You're going to be pressured."
And in goal again tonight was Joe Fallon who stopped 26 of the Heat's 27 shots, including making several tough stops early in the game when the Heat seemed to be controlling the action.
"He played big," Torchetti said of Fallon. "He's getting comfortable, he's being confident. He's challenging. He's doing a good job for us."
The Aeros are now 29-20-3-9 on the season with 15 games to play. They're tied, pointswise, with four other teams who all have 70 points, but the Aeros winning percentage has them in a tie for sixth place with San Antonio, and they're only a point behind Chicago and Peoria, who both have 71 points.
If the Aeros keep playing hockey like they did tonight, aggressive, attacking the net, shooting the puck, they could still be dangerous. But this weekend could be the key as they take on a rapidly improving Rockford club on Friday, face Abbotsford again on Saturday, and Oklahoma City on Sunday.
Jon DiSalvatore said on Sunday that this is all in their control. And it is. They just have to keep winning and getting points. If the bleeding can stop in Minnesota and the guys here can actually stay here and stay healthy, then the Aeros might still be able to pull this out.
As for tonight, it was sure was a fun game to watch.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Patrick O'Shite! Rising Rivermen routing ... everyone.
There was a lot of movement this week because some teams have kept winning and losing, showing that previous slumps or surges were no fluke. The addition of Patrick O'Sullivan has been magical for the Peoria Rivermen, a team that I think could be VERY dangerous during the postseason.
And what happened to the Milwaukee Admirals? Some fans of theirs think it is nothing more than a lack of maturity, and that this is just a temporary slide. Whatever it is, it doesn't look like they are going to recover in time to make the playoffs for the billionth time in a row.
With Carter Hutton, the Rockford IceHogs just don't lose any more, and the Lake Erie Monsters have become a force recently. And we have a new No. 1 this week with Toronto taking over on top as the OKC Barons, a team that recently looked to have no flaws, has been sputtering around for the better part of three weeks.
Here comes Rochester, too. David Leggio took the No. 1 goalie spot away from Drew MacIntyre and hasn't looked back. That team has a light schedule down the road and may benefit from all the true Western teams beating up on each other.
Abbotsford is slumping again, but they own the Aeros this year and will probably score four goals in the first period Tuesday night at Toyota Center. The Aeros to the Heat are like the Grand Rapids Griffins to the Aeros: When you need a win, just circle that game on the schedule.
I really struggled putting Chicago ahead of the Rampage. I think San Antonio might be the better overall team, so these two I will really watch closely the week. I just thought the Wolves had the better week, so I gave them the nod.
John Torchetti told us Sunday that he is not doing ANY scoreboard watching. Even though that is hard to believe, I almost believe it with him. It'll ALL be different tomorrow, so why bother?
Maybe that is why he still has all his hair.
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| Something about this just makes me sad on the inside. The Rivermen won't lose in the first round this year. |
With Carter Hutton, the Rockford IceHogs just don't lose any more, and the Lake Erie Monsters have become a force recently. And we have a new No. 1 this week with Toronto taking over on top as the OKC Barons, a team that recently looked to have no flaws, has been sputtering around for the better part of three weeks.
Here comes Rochester, too. David Leggio took the No. 1 goalie spot away from Drew MacIntyre and hasn't looked back. That team has a light schedule down the road and may benefit from all the true Western teams beating up on each other.
Abbotsford is slumping again, but they own the Aeros this year and will probably score four goals in the first period Tuesday night at Toyota Center. The Aeros to the Heat are like the Grand Rapids Griffins to the Aeros: When you need a win, just circle that game on the schedule.
I really struggled putting Chicago ahead of the Rampage. I think San Antonio might be the better overall team, so these two I will really watch closely the week. I just thought the Wolves had the better week, so I gave them the nod.
John Torchetti told us Sunday that he is not doing ANY scoreboard watching. Even though that is hard to believe, I almost believe it with him. It'll ALL be different tomorrow, so why bother?
Maybe that is why he still has all his hair.
PR
|
Team
|
Record
|
Streak
|
Last
|
+/-
|
For the record …
|
1
|
TOR
|
34-21-4-3
|
2-0
|
2-0-0-0
|
+1
|
Scrivens leading the way
|
2
|
OKC
|
36-17-4-4
|
0-1
|
0-2-0-1
|
-1
|
Still sputtering; 1 win in last 6
|
3
|
PEO
|
34-26-2-1
|
3-0
|
3-0-0-0
|
+5
|
Oh, Sullivan! Hot, hot, hot
|
4
|
CLT
|
32-20-3-5
|
1-0
|
1-1-0-0
|
-1
|
Lead Midwest … barely
|
5
|
CHI
|
33-23-2-3
|
1-0
|
2-1-0-0
|
+1
|
Had division lead for a day
|
6
|
SAT
|
33-24-3-1
|
0-1
|
1-1-1-0
|
-2
|
16 wins since Jan. 10
|
7
|
LEM
|
35-25-2-4
|
2-0
|
2-0-0-1
|
+3
|
Just keep winning. Watch out.
|
8
|
ABB
|
32-24-3-3
|
0-2
|
1-2-0-1
|
-3
|
Destroyed by Peoria last week
|
9
|
RCH
|
30-22-6-3
|
2-0
|
2-0-0-0
|
+2
|
Leggio cannot be stopped.
|
10
|
RFD
|
30-26-2-5
|
4-0
|
2-0-0-0
|
+2
|
Carter Hutton is a beast.
|
11
|
HOU
|
28-20-3-9
|
0-1
|
2-2-0-0
|
-2
|
Lease is up after
|
12
|
MKE
|
30-26-2-2
|
0-3
|
0-3-0-0
|
-5
|
IceHogs road kill last week
|
13
|
GRR
|
26-23-6-4
|
1-0
|
1-2-1-0
|
-
|
Hanging on by a thread
|
14
|
HAM
|
26-27-2-5
|
0-2
|
0-1-1-0
|
-
|
For whom the bell tolls…
|
15
|
TEX
|
27-29-2-2
|
1-0
|
1-2-0-0
|
-
|
Will miss playoffs for first time
|
As most people do, the Aeros control their own destiny
Now in 10th place in the conference, the Aeros are back outside the playoff picture. They've got four more games this weekend - all at home - to get back into the thick of things.
Barring a complete collapse on this homestand, the Aeros are going to take this thing right down to the end. If the Wild can get Matt Hackett down here for a more than just the last four games of the season, I like the team's chances.
If not, and no offense to Joe Fallon, who I thought did really really well last weekend, hockey fans in Houston might have to drive to Dallas for the playoffs.
Maybe Heather can use the space below this sentence to let us know what she thought of her first look at Fallon in the Green, Red and White. To me, his only flub was the Griffin's third goal Sunday. Just got caught out of position and was too slow getting back. He made a sick save on Andersson Saturday night before the Aeros scored the first of three power play goals.
Here is the big picture as it looks right now. Updated Western Conference Rankings coming up a bit later.
Barring a complete collapse on this homestand, the Aeros are going to take this thing right down to the end. If the Wild can get Matt Hackett down here for a more than just the last four games of the season, I like the team's chances.
If not, and no offense to Joe Fallon, who I thought did really really well last weekend, hockey fans in Houston might have to drive to Dallas for the playoffs.
Maybe Heather can use the space below this sentence to let us know what she thought of her first look at Fallon in the Green, Red and White. To me, his only flub was the Griffin's third goal Sunday. Just got caught out of position and was too slow getting back. He made a sick save on Andersson Saturday night before the Aeros scored the first of three power play goals.
Here is the big picture as it looks right now. Updated Western Conference Rankings coming up a bit later.
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| Please click on the picture for a better look at the image. |
Aeros Lose 5-2 To Griffins
Sorry, I figured someone else was handling Sunday's game. My bad.
But really, what is there to say? The Aeros lost 5-2 to the Grand Rapids Griffins one day after they'd dominated them. Head coach John Torchetti was happy with the effort, and liked what he got on his power play.
But I figure this is about what we're going to see the rest of the season. The team will look good one game, then bad the next. Matt Hackett's not coming back anytime soon. Darcy Kuemper won't be back this season. So prepare for the ECHL goalies. That means the defense has to step up, and the offense. And Sunday, neither stepped up too much.
Some of the lines are beginning to get some form and chemistry that come from playing several games together, particularly the DiSalvatore/Taffe/Rau line. Jared Palmer's back and he had a few slick moves on the ice. McMillan, Almond and Fontaine seem to be turning into a decent line.
But who knows how long they'll be around. DiSalvatore said after the game he's never experienced anything like what has happened to the Wild this season. It's almost like the Wild's arena was built on top of a Native American graveyard and there's been some kind of curse placed on the team -- you could also call it the curse of Marian Gaborik who seems to have willed all of his injuries onto the entire Wild roster for now and forever.
The Aeros lost ground this weekend, slipping into 10th place in the conference playoff standings. The good news is they're only two points out of sixth place, and they have two games with the Abbotsford Heat this week, and since the Heat are just up there in front of them, there's a chance the Aeros could gain some ground.
Of course, by the time this week is over, the entire roster could be up in Minnesota.
I'll have a post in the mothership sometime later today. Go give it a read.
UPDATE: Here's the Press story. Like I said, click it and go vent.
But really, what is there to say? The Aeros lost 5-2 to the Grand Rapids Griffins one day after they'd dominated them. Head coach John Torchetti was happy with the effort, and liked what he got on his power play.
But I figure this is about what we're going to see the rest of the season. The team will look good one game, then bad the next. Matt Hackett's not coming back anytime soon. Darcy Kuemper won't be back this season. So prepare for the ECHL goalies. That means the defense has to step up, and the offense. And Sunday, neither stepped up too much.
Some of the lines are beginning to get some form and chemistry that come from playing several games together, particularly the DiSalvatore/Taffe/Rau line. Jared Palmer's back and he had a few slick moves on the ice. McMillan, Almond and Fontaine seem to be turning into a decent line.
But who knows how long they'll be around. DiSalvatore said after the game he's never experienced anything like what has happened to the Wild this season. It's almost like the Wild's arena was built on top of a Native American graveyard and there's been some kind of curse placed on the team -- you could also call it the curse of Marian Gaborik who seems to have willed all of his injuries onto the entire Wild roster for now and forever.
The Aeros lost ground this weekend, slipping into 10th place in the conference playoff standings. The good news is they're only two points out of sixth place, and they have two games with the Abbotsford Heat this week, and since the Heat are just up there in front of them, there's a chance the Aeros could gain some ground.
Of course, by the time this week is over, the entire roster could be up in Minnesota.
I'll have a post in the mothership sometime later today. Go give it a read.
UPDATE: Here's the Press story. Like I said, click it and go vent.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
View from the Press Box - Aeros dominate Griffins
Really the only sad part of the story is that the Aeros incredible run against the Grand Rapids Griffins almost seems too good to be true. Sunday, after tonight's dominant performance, the Aeros have a chance to go 6-0 and sweep the season series from their long-time rivals.
I could not have been more wrong about the Aeros and playing their first home game in more than a month. There was no feeling out or anything of the like. The Aeros dominated the game from the start, scoring three times in the first period and never looked back.
Jon DiSalvatore scored two more goals, Taffe had his first four-point game as an Aero and Joe Fallon kept the offensively potent Griffins off the scoreboard until the game was well in hand.
There was tons of scoring, lots of fights and a blowout win - all of which should make for a very interesting rematch Sunday afternoon.
The power play good great, led by the veterans, and the penalty kill (the third worst in the league) slammed the door when the Griffins did get a chance with the man advantage.
It was great to see the Aeros play live again. It was even a treat to have Torchetti take a crack at my balding dome during the post game scrum. Heck, I might have more hair if he could get his team to play a few more like they did tonight.
Enjoy this one while you can. Despite the win, the Aeros did not make up any ground in the standings. They are still ninth, but they are just two points out of fourth. I know there are many arguments about the three point games, but this is one of the positives - Just 11 points separate the No. 2 seed from the No. 11 seed.
Most teams have a shot at getting in. The next five weeks should be great for Aeros fans and scoreboard watchers.
I could not have been more wrong about the Aeros and playing their first home game in more than a month. There was no feeling out or anything of the like. The Aeros dominated the game from the start, scoring three times in the first period and never looked back.
Jon DiSalvatore scored two more goals, Taffe had his first four-point game as an Aero and Joe Fallon kept the offensively potent Griffins off the scoreboard until the game was well in hand.
There was tons of scoring, lots of fights and a blowout win - all of which should make for a very interesting rematch Sunday afternoon.
The power play good great, led by the veterans, and the penalty kill (the third worst in the league) slammed the door when the Griffins did get a chance with the man advantage.
It was great to see the Aeros play live again. It was even a treat to have Torchetti take a crack at my balding dome during the post game scrum. Heck, I might have more hair if he could get his team to play a few more like they did tonight.
Enjoy this one while you can. Despite the win, the Aeros did not make up any ground in the standings. They are still ninth, but they are just two points out of fourth. I know there are many arguments about the three point games, but this is one of the positives - Just 11 points separate the No. 2 seed from the No. 11 seed.
Most teams have a shot at getting in. The next five weeks should be great for Aeros fans and scoreboard watchers.
Game Day - Aeros vs. Grand Rapids Griffins
Two weeks ago, the Aeros would have been heavily favored against the Grand Rapids Griffins. Four wins in four tries against their long time rivals is a perfect case in point as to which was the better team overall. They even scored 10 goals in two games against them at Van Andel Arena in the second and third games of the 11-game roadie.
But, as we all know, things change a lot in two weeks. And when you're the affiliate of the 2011-12 Minnesota Wild, injuries happen so fast your head spins and you literally do not know who the goalie is. (True story ... that has happened to me a couple of times recently)
Now the Griffins have the better goalie (Ty Conkin has been a monster since getting sent down from Detroit) and are slightly favored tonight because this is the Aeros first home game in more than a month. Typically these games are more difficult to win because it truly is like another road game.
Both teams are desperate for points; the Aeros simply have not played that many games in the last three weeks and the Griffins are still in 12th place and are six points behind the Aeros. They need to sweep just to get back in it.
I think your local T3I pundits have written off the playoffs for the Aeros. Heather said it best the other day; just enjoy the hockey season that remains. Cheer for the guys that are still here and the effort they give to make things interesting. Aeros fans are lucky to get a TON of home games in the last five weeks. Playoffs, though, are not an impossibility, but the wall just keeps getting higher and the circumstances crazier.
If the Aeros sneak into a first round matchup against Toronto or OKC, Torchetti and captain DiSalvatore should garner some consideration for coach and player of the year.
As of right now, the Aeros are back to 9th and are on the outside looking in. They have games in hand and a favorable schedule, but their goaltending situation is perilous. Fallon and Keetley have allowed 10 goals in 123 minutes of hockey, and their combined saves percentage is ... well, I am going to spare you of that information so you can claim ignorant bliss when you show up at the game tonight.
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| Please click on the image for a larger view of the information. |
Friday, March 9, 2012
Empty Net and other Wild Problems
Well, the gong show in Minnesota just got gongier. Despite eeking out a shootout win last night in Phoenix, the Wild's season of "hey, it can't get worse!" just can't seem to find the bottom of the rabbit hole.
Principal among the issues is that Matt Hackett is the only healthy, NHL-contracted goalie in the entire organization. Backstrom is out another 2-3 weeks (at least). Kuemper is out with an upper body injury from the San Antonio game that, Russo is reporting via the Wild, could have him out the rest of the season. He's flying up to Minnesota to get checked out by the Wild's doctors, so that sounds pretty serious.
And then, last night, Harding tweaked something lower body (degree of seriousness is unknown thus far), leaving Hackett at the helm of this wayward ship, which he seems pretty jacked about. I'd be crapping my pants, but that's why he's in the NHL and I'm in Women's League.
Not having seen the Aeros 7-6 SO win and 4-1 loss to Abbotsford this week, I don't want to judge the goaltending of Joe Fallon and Matt Keetley sight unseen, but I think we can all agree that letting in 4 or 6 goals a game isn't exactly paving your own path to the playoffs, regardless of the cause (bad team, bad goalie, whatever... it just can't continue).
And that's just the goalie problems. Clutterbuck appears to be out with a vague "feeling unwell" which of course means he almost certainly has a concussion, though nobody wants to say it. Either that or mono. Either way, he's probably out for a while. Guys are sick left and right. Holy moley.
Personally, I'm skipping right over the Panic button. Panic implies there's something that can be done. I'm pressing the Resignation button instead, where I'll just be grateful for some wins (from either team) and embrace whatever hockey I can get while the gettin' is still good.
Per Russo, Wild GM Chuck Fletcher is looking for a goalie, but that's really just to back Hackett up. Down here, I suspect what we have is what we get until something changes. And maybe Harding isn't as dinged up as it seems, but really, what are the odds?
Anyway, my offer of my goaltending services stand, Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Mill. I'm absolutely awful at it but I'll probably be too nervous to leer at your players in the locker room. My knees are feeling pretty good lately, though, and I'd get a kickass story out of it.
And I could say stuff like, "When I played for the Aeros..."
That's all for now. SEE YOU tomorrow night! I don't even care who is on the ice now. I'll just be damned happy to be back at the rink.
Principal among the issues is that Matt Hackett is the only healthy, NHL-contracted goalie in the entire organization. Backstrom is out another 2-3 weeks (at least). Kuemper is out with an upper body injury from the San Antonio game that, Russo is reporting via the Wild, could have him out the rest of the season. He's flying up to Minnesota to get checked out by the Wild's doctors, so that sounds pretty serious.
And then, last night, Harding tweaked something lower body (degree of seriousness is unknown thus far), leaving Hackett at the helm of this wayward ship, which he seems pretty jacked about. I'd be crapping my pants, but that's why he's in the NHL and I'm in Women's League.
Not having seen the Aeros 7-6 SO win and 4-1 loss to Abbotsford this week, I don't want to judge the goaltending of Joe Fallon and Matt Keetley sight unseen, but I think we can all agree that letting in 4 or 6 goals a game isn't exactly paving your own path to the playoffs, regardless of the cause (bad team, bad goalie, whatever... it just can't continue).
And that's just the goalie problems. Clutterbuck appears to be out with a vague "feeling unwell" which of course means he almost certainly has a concussion, though nobody wants to say it. Either that or mono. Either way, he's probably out for a while. Guys are sick left and right. Holy moley.
Personally, I'm skipping right over the Panic button. Panic implies there's something that can be done. I'm pressing the Resignation button instead, where I'll just be grateful for some wins (from either team) and embrace whatever hockey I can get while the gettin' is still good.
Per Russo, Wild GM Chuck Fletcher is looking for a goalie, but that's really just to back Hackett up. Down here, I suspect what we have is what we get until something changes. And maybe Harding isn't as dinged up as it seems, but really, what are the odds?
Anyway, my offer of my goaltending services stand, Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Mill. I'm absolutely awful at it but I'll probably be too nervous to leer at your players in the locker room. My knees are feeling pretty good lately, though, and I'd get a kickass story out of it.
And I could say stuff like, "When I played for the Aeros..."
That's all for now. SEE YOU tomorrow night! I don't even care who is on the ice now. I'll just be damned happy to be back at the rink.
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