The first big(ish) roster change for the Aeros dropped this morning with the news that Cody Almond has signed to play for Servete in Geneva (Swiss League) next season through 2015.
He is a restricted free agent, so the Wild could have re-signed him, but it appears that won't be happening. If the Wild had no intention of re-signing him, I'm surprised they didn't try and trade him. Maybe they did and couldn't find a taker. I don't want to speculate much as I'm sure we'll get more word on the thinking behind it shortly (and I'll update here).
Personally, I'm a little surprised, but not a whole lot. Almond showed a ton of promise during Constantine's last season, but hasn't looked the same since. I don't know if it's a system issue or what.
Seems a lot of guys are opting for Europe over the AHL lately. Money is better, travel is better, fewer games on the schedule, the hockey is less physical. It's kind of a "make hay while the sun shines" and live someplace interesting (Geneva would not suck at all, I feel sure) mentality that's hard to argue with if your path to the NHL seems to be getting muddier instead of clearer as you get older.
Time to get the ol' movement tracker started in the sidebar of the blog. Tis the season, and probably a lot more to come in the next few weeks.
Also, brief update to note that Chad Rau and Chay Genoway were re-signed by the Wild as expected.
Showing posts with label Cody Almond. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cody Almond. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The Wild MASH Unit Strikes Again
It's not bad enough that Justin Fontaine's suspended. Or that the Aeros lost to the Admirals last night. Now comes word that Carson McMillan's been put on the IR. Kris Foucault's on his way back to the Aeros, but Jeff Taffe and Cody Almond are on their way to the Wild.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Cody Almond's Shortie In Photos
The Aeros may have lost 3-2 tonight, but Cody Almond got them a short 2-1 lead at 16:06 of the second period on a sick short-handed goal. And as luck has it -- trust me, it was luck -- I have the photos of the goal.
I've got to go now, they're trying to pull the Toyota Center wi-fi on us, so look for more Bikini Contest photos later, and Heather should be writing a story on the game which will be posted later, as well.
I've got to go now, they're trying to pull the Toyota Center wi-fi on us, so look for more Bikini Contest photos later, and Heather should be writing a story on the game which will be posted later, as well.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Almond Called Up
Just a quick note...
The Wild suffered some more injuries to their forwards in last night's shootout win over Edmonton. So you know what that means...
Cody Almond has been recalled from the Aeros and will be joining the Wild.I've seen nothing about the Aeros making any corresponding roster moves, but seeing as they've been playing virtually every available player on the roster, bringing in a healthy forward is hopefully high on some to-do lists, even if it is to just be a healthy scratch. Oops, my bad, I didn't see the news from yesterday about Harrison Reed being signed.
BTW: The Aeros defeated Lake Erie in Cleveland last night by a 2-1 score with the first goal from, that's right, Cody Almond. Chad Rau got the game-winner early in the third.
The Wild suffered some more injuries to their forwards in last night's shootout win over Edmonton. So you know what that means...
Cody Almond has been recalled from the Aeros and will be joining the Wild.
BTW: The Aeros defeated Lake Erie in Cleveland last night by a 2-1 score with the first goal from, that's right, Cody Almond. Chad Rau got the game-winner early in the third.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Roughhousing At the Toy Box (In Photos)
Here's a few photos from Saturday's Aeros/Rampage game. There were two fights in the first period, won by the Aeros in my opinion, and then Dane Byers decided to pull a sneak attack on Drew Bagnall at the very end. Both Byers and Bagnall got 10 minute unsportsmanlike misconduct penalties though I don't recall seeing Bagnall throw any punches.
Before we get started, here's a photo of Jeff Penner, on the ice, during the game, to show that he really exists. And he had a good game tonight, in my opinion.
Before we get started, here's a photo of Jeff Penner, on the ice, during the game, to show that he really exists. And he had a good game tonight, in my opinion.
Here's the first fight of the game, with Cody Almond ending the the tussle with Bracken Kearns by throwing him to the ice.
Now here's Jarod Palmer, fist cocked, getting ready to unload yet again on Jeff May.
And here's the final altercation, towards the end of the game. Like I said, I didn't spot Bagnall going off on anybody during the melee, but then again, I might have missed it.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Quick Hits: Sully, Torch, Earl, and Anton
Just a few things:
- Patrick "Golden Ticket" O'Sullivan was named AHL Player of the Month for his stellar play in February. Well deserved honor.
- It's quite a blow for Bakersfield but Josh Tordjman's been called up officially as of today. Also, Cody Almond is showing as having been called up yesterday. Not sure if that was some trade deadline maneuvering or if he's actually not going to be available to the Aeros tomorrow. I do know the Wild was looking to send someone to New York as an illness replacement, but I didn't think that was known until today.
- I wrote a little piece on Robbie Earl's stepped-up efforts for theAHL.com today. He was good talking about finding his game again. I've also probably jinxed him just like I jinxed poor Palmer (dude, I seriously owe you, like, a muffin basket or pitcher of beer or something).
- Finally, I reciprocated a little Khudobin appetizer for our P-Bruins friends over at Something's Bruin. Check it out if you want to throw your own thoughts in the comments over there. It's probably a little bit sunshinier than I've felt about him day-to-day this season, but when I look at the big picture, I've got a very warm spot in my heart for Anton along with a lot of belief in him, and I hope he does great things and blows them all away.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Bye-Bye, Cody
Due to an injury with Mikko Koivu, Cody Almond has been called up to the Aeros. And according to Michael Russo, Almond was told to bring his warbrobe because it's going to be a long stay.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
1/28/11 -- Aeros v. Abbotsford -- Aeros Ice the Heat
Cody Almond brings the pain in the first period.
The night was a struggle for the Aeros. They probably should have won this game easily, but instead found themselves having to get into the shootout to pull out the win and get the two points with the 4-3 win.
The Aeros took the early lead, had to hold on through an end of first period that was rather bizarre and disjointed due to a very serious injury to an Abbotsford player. They gave up leads in the second and third periods. They had some excellent play from those guys they've been getting excellent play from, and they had some disappointing and sloppy play from some others.
In the end, all that matters is the Aeros got the win and they're going into the All Star break on a very high note.
1. As of right now, the Aeros are tied, points wise, with the San Antonio Rampage for first place in the AHL West. The Aeros are 28-19-1-3 with 60 points. They're one point ahead of Peoria, two points ahead of Milwaukee, three points ahead of Texas and Oklahoma City and five points up on Chicago.
2. The Aeros do not play again this weekend. So they best they can come out of the weekend with is a tie for first place. However, Peoria plays Grand Rapids tomorrow, so with a win, the Rivermen jump into first place, or can move into a tie for first if they should get into overtime. Milwaukee, meanwhile, plays in Rockford on Saturday, so a win moves the Admirals into a tie with Houston and San Antonio.
3. Another fantastic night from Max Noreau -- two assists to give him 30 points for the season (7-23=30). And he has been ratcheting up the physical play.
4. Robbie Earl didn't score tonight, but he seemed to be around the action often, and he did great work drawing a penalty in overtime and putting the Aeros on the power play.
5. The officiating was awful. Beyond awful, if that's possible. I'm still trying to understand how it was that Tyler Cuma was sent to the box of interference on what was, instead, a fantastic and legal hip check. As it was, the game was rough and chippy from the start, and the guys in the stripes made little effort to get under control.
6. Mike Yeo sensed that Abbotsford might try to go physical and force the Aeros out of their game. And he and the staff warned the team beforehand, and throughout the game, to not let Abbotsford get them out of their game.
I didn't recognize this at the time, but Carson McMillan was pummeled at one point in the first period, and instead of getting into a big fight, backed down. He was following the game plan. And Warren Peters was mugged in the first period, yet it was Peters who wound up with all of the penalty minutes.
"I believe that we were really controlling the play," Yeo said. "That was part of their focus, the stuff after the whistles. We tried to talk about that, not getting involved in that, making sure our play, we were playing between the whistles. I felt that that kind of slowed the game down a little bit. Give them credit, it did take us off our game a little bit. But that’s something we have to make sure – it’s always about whatever the situation calls for. If the situation calls for you to get in there and stick up for your teammate at that time or maybe it calls for a momentum shift and you need to bring some energy and some life, then you do it. But there’s also a time to skate away and get out of that stuff and keep the flow of the game going our way."
7. And I think that's a bit of what Drew Bagnall was doing later in the game -- going in and sticking up for teammates. Bagnall was iffy for the game, but he surely made his presence felt throughout the game.
8. Bizarre end to the first period. With about 3.5 seconds left, the Aeros were off on what appeared to be a breakaway. Then two guys from the Heat collided around mid-ice and collapsed to the ice. The whistle blew to stop play and nothing much happened for about 15 minutes. The teams were eventually sent to the locker rooms while the medical staff handled things during what turned out to be the first part of intermission.
Play resumed after intermission with 3.5 seconds on the ice in which the first period was ended. Then the horn sounded to end the period, and then the second period was started. Bizarre.
"I’ve seen it affect both teams," Yeo said. "It’s tough, but it just depends on your group. It’s just our job as coaches to make sure that we’re saying the right things, to make sure that you don’t lose your focus. Quite often, when a player does get hurt like that, I’ve seen many times where the game changes one way or the other. It’s got to be about the next play, the next shift mentality."
9. You might not have noticed, but Nathan Smith was in uniform for the Aeros tonight. Well, not really, but for two minutes there in the second period, the scoreboard showed that it was "8," Smith's number last season, sitting in the penalty box and not "18," Colton Gillies. That wasn't as bad, however, as the PA guy who had trouble spitting out Abbotsford and Heat on numerous occasions.
10. Strange night for Anton Khudobin. He had a very poor second period in which he gave up two very soft goals. He appeared to get his act together in the third -- that third goal from Matt Keith appeared to be more the result of poor defensive play on part of Justin Falk than anything Khudobin did, and he was very solid in the OT. The one goal that Abbotsford got in the shootout was the result of a spectacular Corey Locke-esque shot than anything that Khudobin did wrong.
11. In some ways it's a shame that the All Star break is coming because the Aeros have been one of the hottest teams in the league. They were 10-2-0-1 in January and they're 12-4-0-1 since Christmas. When you're on a streak like this, you kind of want to keep going, especially when one thinks of where the team was when they headed into the Christmas break.
12. For those of you who are wondering, the Aeros will have an optional skate on Tuesday then return to practice on Wednesday before hosting Texas on Friday night. And despite the team's hot streak, the Aeros can use the break to rest up, mentally and physically.
13. The Aeros are in a tight playoff race with seven teams within five points of each other in the standings. Yeo compares the Aeros current situation to the one the Penguins were in the year they won the Stanley Cup.
"I think that our schedule is going to be better for us," he said. "Where before we were dealing with that stuff, we felt like we were always chasing everybody, at the same time we were physically getting tired. Where I think we have a little more rest now coming out of this break. But the flip side of it is, and it happened to us in Pittsburgh, we had to make a run that year. We were phenomenal after the coaching change. And every game was so important. And we were in full stride when playoffs began. I think that, usually, if you look at teams that do something in the playoffs, they found a way to elevate their game and bring their game up to a new level, and once the playoffs begin, you don’t have to try to find that next gear. "
The Aeros took the early lead, had to hold on through an end of first period that was rather bizarre and disjointed due to a very serious injury to an Abbotsford player. They gave up leads in the second and third periods. They had some excellent play from those guys they've been getting excellent play from, and they had some disappointing and sloppy play from some others.
In the end, all that matters is the Aeros got the win and they're going into the All Star break on a very high note.
1. As of right now, the Aeros are tied, points wise, with the San Antonio Rampage for first place in the AHL West. The Aeros are 28-19-1-3 with 60 points. They're one point ahead of Peoria, two points ahead of Milwaukee, three points ahead of Texas and Oklahoma City and five points up on Chicago.
2. The Aeros do not play again this weekend. So they best they can come out of the weekend with is a tie for first place. However, Peoria plays Grand Rapids tomorrow, so with a win, the Rivermen jump into first place, or can move into a tie for first if they should get into overtime. Milwaukee, meanwhile, plays in Rockford on Saturday, so a win moves the Admirals into a tie with Houston and San Antonio.
3. Another fantastic night from Max Noreau -- two assists to give him 30 points for the season (7-23=30). And he has been ratcheting up the physical play.
4. Robbie Earl didn't score tonight, but he seemed to be around the action often, and he did great work drawing a penalty in overtime and putting the Aeros on the power play.
5. The officiating was awful. Beyond awful, if that's possible. I'm still trying to understand how it was that Tyler Cuma was sent to the box of interference on what was, instead, a fantastic and legal hip check. As it was, the game was rough and chippy from the start, and the guys in the stripes made little effort to get under control.
6. Mike Yeo sensed that Abbotsford might try to go physical and force the Aeros out of their game. And he and the staff warned the team beforehand, and throughout the game, to not let Abbotsford get them out of their game.
I didn't recognize this at the time, but Carson McMillan was pummeled at one point in the first period, and instead of getting into a big fight, backed down. He was following the game plan. And Warren Peters was mugged in the first period, yet it was Peters who wound up with all of the penalty minutes.
"I believe that we were really controlling the play," Yeo said. "That was part of their focus, the stuff after the whistles. We tried to talk about that, not getting involved in that, making sure our play, we were playing between the whistles. I felt that that kind of slowed the game down a little bit. Give them credit, it did take us off our game a little bit. But that’s something we have to make sure – it’s always about whatever the situation calls for. If the situation calls for you to get in there and stick up for your teammate at that time or maybe it calls for a momentum shift and you need to bring some energy and some life, then you do it. But there’s also a time to skate away and get out of that stuff and keep the flow of the game going our way."
7. And I think that's a bit of what Drew Bagnall was doing later in the game -- going in and sticking up for teammates. Bagnall was iffy for the game, but he surely made his presence felt throughout the game.
8. Bizarre end to the first period. With about 3.5 seconds left, the Aeros were off on what appeared to be a breakaway. Then two guys from the Heat collided around mid-ice and collapsed to the ice. The whistle blew to stop play and nothing much happened for about 15 minutes. The teams were eventually sent to the locker rooms while the medical staff handled things during what turned out to be the first part of intermission.
Play resumed after intermission with 3.5 seconds on the ice in which the first period was ended. Then the horn sounded to end the period, and then the second period was started. Bizarre.
"I’ve seen it affect both teams," Yeo said. "It’s tough, but it just depends on your group. It’s just our job as coaches to make sure that we’re saying the right things, to make sure that you don’t lose your focus. Quite often, when a player does get hurt like that, I’ve seen many times where the game changes one way or the other. It’s got to be about the next play, the next shift mentality."
9. You might not have noticed, but Nathan Smith was in uniform for the Aeros tonight. Well, not really, but for two minutes there in the second period, the scoreboard showed that it was "8," Smith's number last season, sitting in the penalty box and not "18," Colton Gillies. That wasn't as bad, however, as the PA guy who had trouble spitting out Abbotsford and Heat on numerous occasions.
10. Strange night for Anton Khudobin. He had a very poor second period in which he gave up two very soft goals. He appeared to get his act together in the third -- that third goal from Matt Keith appeared to be more the result of poor defensive play on part of Justin Falk than anything Khudobin did, and he was very solid in the OT. The one goal that Abbotsford got in the shootout was the result of a spectacular Corey Locke-esque shot than anything that Khudobin did wrong.
11. In some ways it's a shame that the All Star break is coming because the Aeros have been one of the hottest teams in the league. They were 10-2-0-1 in January and they're 12-4-0-1 since Christmas. When you're on a streak like this, you kind of want to keep going, especially when one thinks of where the team was when they headed into the Christmas break.
12. For those of you who are wondering, the Aeros will have an optional skate on Tuesday then return to practice on Wednesday before hosting Texas on Friday night. And despite the team's hot streak, the Aeros can use the break to rest up, mentally and physically.
13. The Aeros are in a tight playoff race with seven teams within five points of each other in the standings. Yeo compares the Aeros current situation to the one the Penguins were in the year they won the Stanley Cup.
"I think that our schedule is going to be better for us," he said. "Where before we were dealing with that stuff, we felt like we were always chasing everybody, at the same time we were physically getting tired. Where I think we have a little more rest now coming out of this break. But the flip side of it is, and it happened to us in Pittsburgh, we had to make a run that year. We were phenomenal after the coaching change. And every game was so important. And we were in full stride when playoffs began. I think that, usually, if you look at teams that do something in the playoffs, they found a way to elevate their game and bring their game up to a new level, and once the playoffs begin, you don’t have to try to find that next gear. "
14. Just a few quick notes. Jon DiSalvatore has a point in eight of his last nine games (4-5=9). Anton Khudobin has won four of his last five starts. Jean-Micheal Daoust's first period goal was his 300th career goal.
15. The Aeros are now 23-7-0-2 when they score the first goal.
16. Chad Rau, who hit the game-winning shot in the shootout, was not entirely happy with his shot, and after the game, he was talking about how he would have liked to take it back and try it again. He thinks he got lucky because he didn't exactly do what he wanted to do and as such, the goalie was able to get his glove on the puck.
17. On a personal note, it was nice to see Abbotsford assistant coach Troy Ward tonight. I dealt with Troy a lot in his three years as Kevin Constantine's assistant here with the Aeros, and he was always easy to deal with.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Some Thoughts From Mike Yeo...
I promised yesterday to provide you with some of the quotes and info we got from Mike Yeo on Saturday night. So...
One of the things we asked him about was the recent play of Cody Almond. I thought Almond showed some promise last year, but the level of his play has really been upped recently. So here's what Yeo had to say.
"We need him to be [everywhere]. He plays every situation for us. He’s a young player who I think has made great strides this year. I think he has a pretty good idea of what his game needs to be.
"For a young player, it’s not easy to bring that every night. Especially the role that he’s going to play. He’s got to play a hard game. He’s got to play physical. He’s got to be an in-your-face guy. While that’s going on, he’s also playing against top lines. So he’s got to make sure he’s playing within the system and playing with details.
"I’m happy with the development that he’s had this year, and I think the things that he’s doing without the puck have contributed to the success that he’s having now on the offensive side."
The past month was a tough one for the Aeros, mentally and physically as they played virtually every other night while traveling about the continent. And while it's true that the team is still towards the bottom of the standings, the fact is that things could still be much, much worse for the team. Still, with all of that, Yeo has mixed feelings.
"Through that tough stretch, I would have liked to finish better than we did. I’m not going to pretend to that I don’t wish we were a little bit better right now. At the same time, I do see some light at the end of that tunnel. I believe that we do get an easier part of our schedule…but at least we have practice time, at least the travel’s not as bad. And I think we are at least in a position now to make the push that we have to make.
[SNIP]
"I’m actually pretty happy with our team. I think our team has improved a lot. We still have areas where we have to improve. We still have to find ways to score more goals. But the guys have bought in real well, and I think for the most part every night we give ourselves a chance to win, which is what really what you want."
And as mentioned, the Aeros are kind of wiped. They've had a lot of injuries. They've had guys up and down from Minnesota. And they've played a lot of hockey. For the first time in a while, they're getting some time off to rest and recuperate between games. Yeo's hoping to get some practice time in, but he wants to treat the thing like it's camp and having them going over the special teams and offense, etc.
"This break is huge….It’s going to be carefully planned this week because, how do you get rest and conditioning in the same week? How do you get practice time and on-ice conditioning but at the same time make sure we’re recovering from our injuries?
[SNIP]
"With the lack of practice time that we’ve had, I think it’s going to be treated almost like a mini-training camp this week. We have to go everything from special teams to every aspect of our system because we’re just not as sharp as we were earlier. We have to make sure that we cover everything."
And as to the guys needing a bit of a mental break along with a physical break...
"We need, mentally, it’s important to make sure your motivation factor is high and you’re hungry to come to the rink."
The Aeros return to action on Friday night for the first of, guess what, a three-in-three. They host Lake Erie on Friday, travel to San Antonio on Saturday, then host the Rampage on Sunday afternoon.
One of the things we asked him about was the recent play of Cody Almond. I thought Almond showed some promise last year, but the level of his play has really been upped recently. So here's what Yeo had to say.
"We need him to be [everywhere]. He plays every situation for us. He’s a young player who I think has made great strides this year. I think he has a pretty good idea of what his game needs to be.
"For a young player, it’s not easy to bring that every night. Especially the role that he’s going to play. He’s got to play a hard game. He’s got to play physical. He’s got to be an in-your-face guy. While that’s going on, he’s also playing against top lines. So he’s got to make sure he’s playing within the system and playing with details.
"I’m happy with the development that he’s had this year, and I think the things that he’s doing without the puck have contributed to the success that he’s having now on the offensive side."
The past month was a tough one for the Aeros, mentally and physically as they played virtually every other night while traveling about the continent. And while it's true that the team is still towards the bottom of the standings, the fact is that things could still be much, much worse for the team. Still, with all of that, Yeo has mixed feelings.
"Through that tough stretch, I would have liked to finish better than we did. I’m not going to pretend to that I don’t wish we were a little bit better right now. At the same time, I do see some light at the end of that tunnel. I believe that we do get an easier part of our schedule…but at least we have practice time, at least the travel’s not as bad. And I think we are at least in a position now to make the push that we have to make.
[SNIP]
"I’m actually pretty happy with our team. I think our team has improved a lot. We still have areas where we have to improve. We still have to find ways to score more goals. But the guys have bought in real well, and I think for the most part every night we give ourselves a chance to win, which is what really what you want."
And as mentioned, the Aeros are kind of wiped. They've had a lot of injuries. They've had guys up and down from Minnesota. And they've played a lot of hockey. For the first time in a while, they're getting some time off to rest and recuperate between games. Yeo's hoping to get some practice time in, but he wants to treat the thing like it's camp and having them going over the special teams and offense, etc.
"This break is huge….It’s going to be carefully planned this week because, how do you get rest and conditioning in the same week? How do you get practice time and on-ice conditioning but at the same time make sure we’re recovering from our injuries?
[SNIP]
"With the lack of practice time that we’ve had, I think it’s going to be treated almost like a mini-training camp this week. We have to go everything from special teams to every aspect of our system because we’re just not as sharp as we were earlier. We have to make sure that we cover everything."
And as to the guys needing a bit of a mental break along with a physical break...
"We need, mentally, it’s important to make sure your motivation factor is high and you’re hungry to come to the rink."
The Aeros return to action on Friday night for the first of, guess what, a three-in-three. They host Lake Erie on Friday, travel to San Antonio on Saturday, then host the Rampage on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Some (Awful) Photos of the Aeros v. Rampage
I'm sure that all of you are aware of this, I know that I am, but Fred Trask is a genius. And so is Chris Jerina. Now I had already recognized this because I've always enjoyed fantastic photography. So I decided to get me one of those fancy cameras with some basic lenses -- thanks for the advice Mr. Fred -- and tonight's game was my virgin outing.
I've got to say this. I don't know how they do it. I spent the first period down on the boards, and I was always trying to find the action. By action, I mean trying to find the puck, the flow of play, and keeping the damn camera in focus.
I think I took about 700 photos. And I think I deleted about 600 of them. Here are five that kind of convey the night. This first photo is just as Cody Almond has scored his short-handed goal to tie the game.
This is shot I got of Mike Yeo just after the Aeros were called for a penalty in the first. He told us after the game that he was very displeased with the team's play in the first two periods. He told us he challenged them during the second intermission to go out and play some good hockey, and he was very, very happy with their response.
There's nothing really special about this photo. It's of Max Noreau, and it's one of the few photos that I got all night that I just really, really like as a photo. I'm still learning all of the camera details and all of the editing tricks. But I think this worked out. I did fix the white balance and sharpness and I tweeked the colors just a bit.
And here we see the team reacting as they tie the game. Yeah, Cody Almond was in the middle of the action on this goal, just as he was in the middle of the action all night. The kid has really been impressing me, lately. He's been impressing Yeo, as well. He's one of those guys the Aeros need to continue performing if they're going to get anything done later in the season.
And in this photo, the guys are celebrating like they just won the Calder Cup. I've seen the team win lots of games over my four years covering the team, but I can't think of a time that I've seen more happy about a win.
While not happy with the team's overall record for the past month, Yeo was pleased that they were able to hang together and not totally fall out of contention. And along with the 4-3 win, the Aeros got an even bigger victory in that nobody was injured during the game. The team now has a week until their next game, and Yeo's trying to figure out the best way to use that week because the team needs some regular practice time on their game and power play, etc., but he's well aware that they're mentally and physically wiped.
I've got to say this. I don't know how they do it. I spent the first period down on the boards, and I was always trying to find the action. By action, I mean trying to find the puck, the flow of play, and keeping the damn camera in focus.
I think I took about 700 photos. And I think I deleted about 600 of them. Here are five that kind of convey the night. This first photo is just as Cody Almond has scored his short-handed goal to tie the game.
Here's the story. I was down at the other end, the end where Almond scored. And the Aeros were whistled for a penalty, so knowing the Rampage were going on the power play, I started hiking down toward the other goal. Which is when the Rampage scored their first goal, when I was under the stands and couldn't see anything.
Then the Aeros were back on the penalty kill. And I was trying to get situated, and Almond takes off. And before I can locate everything and get the focus and distance at a good spot, Almond scores. Yeah, it sucks.
This is shot I got of Mike Yeo just after the Aeros were called for a penalty in the first. He told us after the game that he was very displeased with the team's play in the first two periods. He told us he challenged them during the second intermission to go out and play some good hockey, and he was very, very happy with their response.
There's nothing really special about this photo. It's of Max Noreau, and it's one of the few photos that I got all night that I just really, really like as a photo. I'm still learning all of the camera details and all of the editing tricks. But I think this worked out. I did fix the white balance and sharpness and I tweeked the colors just a bit.
And here we see the team reacting as they tie the game. Yeah, Cody Almond was in the middle of the action on this goal, just as he was in the middle of the action all night. The kid has really been impressing me, lately. He's been impressing Yeo, as well. He's one of those guys the Aeros need to continue performing if they're going to get anything done later in the season.
And in this photo, the guys are celebrating like they just won the Calder Cup. I've seen the team win lots of games over my four years covering the team, but I can't think of a time that I've seen more happy about a win.While not happy with the team's overall record for the past month, Yeo was pleased that they were able to hang together and not totally fall out of contention. And along with the 4-3 win, the Aeros got an even bigger victory in that nobody was injured during the game. The team now has a week until their next game, and Yeo's trying to figure out the best way to use that week because the team needs some regular practice time on their game and power play, etc., but he's well aware that they're mentally and physically wiped.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
12/2/10 -- Aeros v. Rockford -- The My Humps Edition
So was this a strange day of hockey, or what? I know these kiddie games have become a part of every season, but it just seemed strange having to be at the arena that early in the day. I felt out of synch, and the players definitely looked like they were out of it. Still, the Aeros seemed to awake in the third period to tie the game at 2-2 and at 3-3, then they were able to get the win in the shootout as, once again, Anton Khudobin came through when it mattered while the Aeros shooters were able to get a few pucks past the Rockford netminder.
The win moves the Aeros to 12-9-1-2 (27 points) on the season, and puts them in fifth place, one point ahead of the Texas Stars and one point behind Oklahoma City for fourth place. Now for a few thoughts.
1. When did Matt Kassian turn into a good player, skills wise? I've always like Kassian, but he got the assist on the first goal today because he went behind the net for a wraparound like he was one of those skilled and graceful goal scorers we all hear about. I don't think he would have been able to pull off that move several seasons ago, or even last season.
2. And Cody Almond emerged from the dead, assisting on the first two goals and getting the game-tying goal at the 18:41 mark of the third.
3. Mike Yeo said that Almond's been working up to this game: "I think that he’s been getting a fair amount of chances lately and hasn’t been getting rewarded for them. It was definitely nice to see him find the back of the net. I think he’s been doing a lot of nice things, so hopefully that will reinforce a lot of those things that he’s been doing."
4. It seemed that both teams were just sleep-walking through that first period. Yeo sensed that they would have some problems before the game. He said that there was this lack of energy and urgency with the team before the game started.
5. I didn't mind the screaming kids that much -- thanks for the ear plugs, Heather. And I'm thankful that the Toyota Center sound crew kept the Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber to a minimimum.
6. That said, it seemed a bit strange to be playing The Black-Eyed Peas' "My Humps" during the game. I know it was a top 10 song -- which shows how far this country's musical tastes has fallen -- but listening to Fergie going on about her lady parts in an arena packed with elementary school kids just felt wrong.
7. The highlight of the game, besides the Aeros win, was Andrew's rendition of Miley Cyrus' "Party In The USA," which he dubbed "Party In the Ukraine" and which he sung with a Russian/Ukrainian accent. It was supposedly in honor of Anton Khudobin, which means it should have been "Party In The Kazahkstan," but that's only a minor quibble.
8. The press table was packed with NHL scouts today. I wonder if they realized it was the Aeros and the IceHogs playing?
9. I'm going on vacation. So I'll see all of you in a few weeks. Make sure to check the mothership tomorrow for the game story.
10. And to play us out, here's "My Humps," one of the worst songs ever recorded.
The win moves the Aeros to 12-9-1-2 (27 points) on the season, and puts them in fifth place, one point ahead of the Texas Stars and one point behind Oklahoma City for fourth place. Now for a few thoughts.
1. When did Matt Kassian turn into a good player, skills wise? I've always like Kassian, but he got the assist on the first goal today because he went behind the net for a wraparound like he was one of those skilled and graceful goal scorers we all hear about. I don't think he would have been able to pull off that move several seasons ago, or even last season.
2. And Cody Almond emerged from the dead, assisting on the first two goals and getting the game-tying goal at the 18:41 mark of the third.
3. Mike Yeo said that Almond's been working up to this game: "I think that he’s been getting a fair amount of chances lately and hasn’t been getting rewarded for them. It was definitely nice to see him find the back of the net. I think he’s been doing a lot of nice things, so hopefully that will reinforce a lot of those things that he’s been doing."
4. It seemed that both teams were just sleep-walking through that first period. Yeo sensed that they would have some problems before the game. He said that there was this lack of energy and urgency with the team before the game started.
5. I didn't mind the screaming kids that much -- thanks for the ear plugs, Heather. And I'm thankful that the Toyota Center sound crew kept the Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber to a minimimum.
6. That said, it seemed a bit strange to be playing The Black-Eyed Peas' "My Humps" during the game. I know it was a top 10 song -- which shows how far this country's musical tastes has fallen -- but listening to Fergie going on about her lady parts in an arena packed with elementary school kids just felt wrong.
7. The highlight of the game, besides the Aeros win, was Andrew's rendition of Miley Cyrus' "Party In The USA," which he dubbed "Party In the Ukraine" and which he sung with a Russian/Ukrainian accent. It was supposedly in honor of Anton Khudobin, which means it should have been "Party In The Kazahkstan," but that's only a minor quibble.
8. The press table was packed with NHL scouts today. I wonder if they realized it was the Aeros and the IceHogs playing?
9. I'm going on vacation. So I'll see all of you in a few weeks. Make sure to check the mothership tomorrow for the game story.
10. And to play us out, here's "My Humps," one of the worst songs ever recorded.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
4th star: Anton Khudobin
Wow. Did the Aeros come through for me and correct my crummy day yesterday or what? Thanks, boys. I'm feeling inspired again. :)
Andrew summed the game up better than I could (as usual) because I really got fixated on Anton Khudobin last night. His performance had all the elements that a goalie junkie like me loves in a game, and I wanted to give him his props here.
Sometimes goals look bad to the untrained eye when really they aren't that bad, but that first goal was bad. He tried to make the save on a high shot by letting the puck hit him while he was standing up, but he didn't quite get ahold of it. It fell to the ice and by the time he found it, he couldn't get down and over before Toronto took a whack at it and put it in the net. Easy goal.
We all knew it was bad and he CLEARLY knew it by the way he reacted afterward. His body language was full of frustration.
I tweeted after that goal that it would be interesting to see how that goal affects the rest of his game. He used to be known as a goalie for whom a bad goal would open the floodgates. But tonight he showed the mental strength he's gained over the last few years as he's matured.
Something seemed a little different about Anton tonight though. Maybe it was that bad goal and he was playing with more determination? I wish I'd interviewed him after the game but I needed time to think about what I saw.
Anyway, he was playing with lots of emotion for whatever reason. The second goal wasn't even his fault. It was a hard shot that hit a shin pad on an Aero in front of him and deflected just a tad bit more than he could adjust for. He almost had it, but it sneaked under his left pad, I believe. And he visibly reacted to that goal, too, though not as strongly.
Then near the end of the game, he went all Hextall-slash on the back of a Toronto player's knees after a stoppage. I guess the guy ran him a little bit, but man, he whacked him hard. Either the officials didn't see it or they were cool with the goalie defending himself.
He faced 13 shots in the third and 7 in OT, both of which seem low to me. But perhaps the quality of the chances was so high, it just seemed like more shots. I'd give anything for clip of two unreal save on Nazem Kadri (who, if you're unfamiliar, was a Maple Leaf's #1 draft pick and has some unbelievably sick hands).
Anton's strength and flexibility just shone on the first save during OT as he stayed with Kadri all the way across the goal mouth, pretty much in the splits. I'm not sure how he got across, actually, unless his initial push had enough momentum to carry him in the full splits all the way beyond the other post. Kadri tried to lift the puck over Anton's outstretched leg pad, but Anton batted it down with his glove and covered it up as he was sliding across.
The other fantastic save, again on Kadri, who was first up in the shootout, was a similar move, but Anton caught the puck this time and somehow ended up going from full splits to being up on his skates. Like, physically, I can't fathom how he did that.
The guy is just spring-loaded. I've never seen anything like it. Not only was the strength and flexibility there, but reading the play, knowing exactly what Kadri wanted to do, pushing hard enough across to stay with him while tracking that puck into his glove, and then popping up to his skates from a full split? What the....
The more I think about it... I'm fanning myself and blushing again. Needless to say, it made up for that lousy first goal, no question.
Just a huge amount of compete from him last night. A big-hearted victory that he can be very proud of in spite of the stinker. Throw that out. The real test of a goaltender's mettle isn't whether he never lets in the odd bad goal. It's how he bounces back from a bad goal, a bad game, frustration.
And I'd say from last night's performance, he proved his mettle. Clutch Anton is back and the Aeros are lucky for that.
P.S. Just to turn this around a little bit, how good were the Aeros shooters last night, too? Shootouts happen at both ends, and I can't recall seeing a more successful shootout from an Aeros team in a long time. That had to give Anton a lot of confidence as well, to see that his back wasn't up against the wall. Good on Palmer, Sal, and Gillies for making Juicy Rynnas look silly.
---------------------------
BTW, here's a couple of articles on Cody Almond, who made his season debut in a win for the Wild last night. One from the Calgary Sun and the Calgary Herald.
Andrew summed the game up better than I could (as usual) because I really got fixated on Anton Khudobin last night. His performance had all the elements that a goalie junkie like me loves in a game, and I wanted to give him his props here.
Sometimes goals look bad to the untrained eye when really they aren't that bad, but that first goal was bad. He tried to make the save on a high shot by letting the puck hit him while he was standing up, but he didn't quite get ahold of it. It fell to the ice and by the time he found it, he couldn't get down and over before Toronto took a whack at it and put it in the net. Easy goal.
We all knew it was bad and he CLEARLY knew it by the way he reacted afterward. His body language was full of frustration.
I tweeted after that goal that it would be interesting to see how that goal affects the rest of his game. He used to be known as a goalie for whom a bad goal would open the floodgates. But tonight he showed the mental strength he's gained over the last few years as he's matured.
Something seemed a little different about Anton tonight though. Maybe it was that bad goal and he was playing with more determination? I wish I'd interviewed him after the game but I needed time to think about what I saw.
Anyway, he was playing with lots of emotion for whatever reason. The second goal wasn't even his fault. It was a hard shot that hit a shin pad on an Aero in front of him and deflected just a tad bit more than he could adjust for. He almost had it, but it sneaked under his left pad, I believe. And he visibly reacted to that goal, too, though not as strongly.
Then near the end of the game, he went all Hextall-slash on the back of a Toronto player's knees after a stoppage. I guess the guy ran him a little bit, but man, he whacked him hard. Either the officials didn't see it or they were cool with the goalie defending himself.
He faced 13 shots in the third and 7 in OT, both of which seem low to me. But perhaps the quality of the chances was so high, it just seemed like more shots. I'd give anything for clip of two unreal save on Nazem Kadri (who, if you're unfamiliar, was a Maple Leaf's #1 draft pick and has some unbelievably sick hands).
Anton's strength and flexibility just shone on the first save during OT as he stayed with Kadri all the way across the goal mouth, pretty much in the splits. I'm not sure how he got across, actually, unless his initial push had enough momentum to carry him in the full splits all the way beyond the other post. Kadri tried to lift the puck over Anton's outstretched leg pad, but Anton batted it down with his glove and covered it up as he was sliding across.
The other fantastic save, again on Kadri, who was first up in the shootout, was a similar move, but Anton caught the puck this time and somehow ended up going from full splits to being up on his skates. Like, physically, I can't fathom how he did that.
The guy is just spring-loaded. I've never seen anything like it. Not only was the strength and flexibility there, but reading the play, knowing exactly what Kadri wanted to do, pushing hard enough across to stay with him while tracking that puck into his glove, and then popping up to his skates from a full split? What the....
The more I think about it... I'm fanning myself and blushing again. Needless to say, it made up for that lousy first goal, no question.
Just a huge amount of compete from him last night. A big-hearted victory that he can be very proud of in spite of the stinker. Throw that out. The real test of a goaltender's mettle isn't whether he never lets in the odd bad goal. It's how he bounces back from a bad goal, a bad game, frustration.
And I'd say from last night's performance, he proved his mettle. Clutch Anton is back and the Aeros are lucky for that.
P.S. Just to turn this around a little bit, how good were the Aeros shooters last night, too? Shootouts happen at both ends, and I can't recall seeing a more successful shootout from an Aeros team in a long time. That had to give Anton a lot of confidence as well, to see that his back wasn't up against the wall. Good on Palmer, Sal, and Gillies for making Juicy Rynnas look silly.
---------------------------
BTW, here's a couple of articles on Cody Almond, who made his season debut in a win for the Wild last night. One from the Calgary Sun and the Calgary Herald.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Meet Your 2010-11 Aeros: Cody Almond
 |
| Photo courtesy of Chris "Hoss" Jerina |
Cody Almond
Born: July 24, 1989 (age 21)
Calgary, AB
6 ft 1 in
199 lb
Forward (Center)
Shoots Left
Almond came into his first pro season, after being drafted in the 5th round by the Wild in 2007, with four increasingly successful years with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets under his belt. I liked his game from the start, but I found myself wondering: What is this guy's role? Is he a checker, a scorer, an agitator? What he's developing into is a hard-nosed power forward with a strong defensive mind-set and, just in general, a fun guy to watch play hockey.
With his excellent attention to his own end of the ice and fearless physical play (in spite of a couple of injuries that threatened to set him back), and his offensive upside and sharp hockey sense, Almond impressed coach Kevin Constantine and the bosses with the Wild enough to earn 7 games in the show last season.
He won’t likely make the Wild out of camp as the Wild have a glut of centers and he needs more time to develop, so for now, he’ll be in Houston.
Last season he racked up 18 points in 48 games, most of those in the second half of the season when he started to settle in to the pro game and was able to take advantage of the offensive talents that led him to nearly a point per game season his last year in Kelowna.
Almond isn’t a fighter, but never hesitated to come to a teammate's (or his own) defense and plays a pretty gritty game for a guy with decent hands like he has. He should be a real asset to the Aeros this season and should continue to make his case to be in Minnesota full time in 2011-12.
Friday, February 12, 2010
State of the Union, Aeros Style
Big big BIG week of games coming up for the Aeros. A very beatable Grand Rapids Friday and Saturday, and a tougher Chicago on Sunday, and then a mid-western swing of the Aeros closest competitors.
The Aeros have lost Cody Almond to the Wild, but the en fuego 20-year-old will get his first NHL start against Atlanta tonight. Pretty exciting for the kid!
In return, the Aeros get Robbie Earl back, who played well for MN but had cleared waivers and his time was running out to come down before having to clear again. Further, coach Todd Richards said his play had "slipped" lately, so that seems to be why Almond is getting a cuppa joe in his stead.
It also appears that they're keeping Khudobin up and letting Josh Harding's bum hip rest up, which means the Aeros will be relying on Dubielewicz and Brust through this 3-in-3 weekend home stand.
Also, Brandon Buck was sent down... got a hat trick for Florida... and has been recalled again. Maybe Bucky should get a sniff of a scoring line if the scoring lines aren't getting it done? Kid's got some goods!
Presumably, unless something odd happens, I would expect the dominoes to fall the other way come Sunday night when the Olympic break starts for the NHL.
Almond and Khudobin will head back to Houston and... well... *sigh* Brusty goes back to the muggy, bug-infested swamp. I mean... to Florida... which I'm sure is lovely. Even though he's the winningest goalie on the roster.
But yeah, send that one down.
*big sigh*
Let's just enjoy the weekend, shall we? Yes.
----------------------
Here some media to get your blood pumping for this weekend's games.
First up is John's article for the Press, all about the rotten egg Brusty's season has been thanks to injuries and a crowded roster.
Then, here's the video from last night's segment on ABC 13 on Mr. Crawford's wild ride last week as the Aeros emergency back-up goalie.
Finally, here's an article from AHL prez David Andrews that touches on the franchise shuffling that's going on in the AHL.
So far, Edmonton is resurrecting their franchise in OKC and the Albany River Rats (Carolina's AHL team) is moving to Charlotte (which has a trickle down effect in the ECHL, too, as they'll replace the popular Checkers franchise there).
There's a lot more coming down the pipe and it's intensely interesting (at least to me) to watch it all shake out. Anaheim still needs an affiliate -- Springfield needs an NHL team. Texas still needs a franchise -- Iowa HAS a franchise. Seems like some natural fits here, but I'm probably missing something as to why it's not that easy.
It makes my head hurt to try and puzzle it all out, so I'll wait patiently on the edge of my seat while people who know more do the figuring...
-------------------
I think that's it. Goalies tonight and tomorrow are McCollum and Larsson. Just so you can practice telling them they suck before you go. ;)
The Aeros have lost Cody Almond to the Wild, but the en fuego 20-year-old will get his first NHL start against Atlanta tonight. Pretty exciting for the kid!
In return, the Aeros get Robbie Earl back, who played well for MN but had cleared waivers and his time was running out to come down before having to clear again. Further, coach Todd Richards said his play had "slipped" lately, so that seems to be why Almond is getting a cuppa joe in his stead.
It also appears that they're keeping Khudobin up and letting Josh Harding's bum hip rest up, which means the Aeros will be relying on Dubielewicz and Brust through this 3-in-3 weekend home stand.
Also, Brandon Buck was sent down... got a hat trick for Florida... and has been recalled again. Maybe Bucky should get a sniff of a scoring line if the scoring lines aren't getting it done? Kid's got some goods!
Presumably, unless something odd happens, I would expect the dominoes to fall the other way come Sunday night when the Olympic break starts for the NHL.
Almond and Khudobin will head back to Houston and... well... *sigh* Brusty goes back to the muggy, bug-infested swamp. I mean... to Florida... which I'm sure is lovely. Even though he's the winningest goalie on the roster.
But yeah, send that one down.
*big sigh*
Let's just enjoy the weekend, shall we? Yes.
----------------------
Here some media to get your blood pumping for this weekend's games.
First up is John's article for the Press, all about the rotten egg Brusty's season has been thanks to injuries and a crowded roster.
Then, here's the video from last night's segment on ABC 13 on Mr. Crawford's wild ride last week as the Aeros emergency back-up goalie.
Finally, here's an article from AHL prez David Andrews that touches on the franchise shuffling that's going on in the AHL.
So far, Edmonton is resurrecting their franchise in OKC and the Albany River Rats (Carolina's AHL team) is moving to Charlotte (which has a trickle down effect in the ECHL, too, as they'll replace the popular Checkers franchise there).
There's a lot more coming down the pipe and it's intensely interesting (at least to me) to watch it all shake out. Anaheim still needs an affiliate -- Springfield needs an NHL team. Texas still needs a franchise -- Iowa HAS a franchise. Seems like some natural fits here, but I'm probably missing something as to why it's not that easy.
It makes my head hurt to try and puzzle it all out, so I'll wait patiently on the edge of my seat while people who know more do the figuring...
-------------------
I think that's it. Goalies tonight and tomorrow are McCollum and Larsson. Just so you can practice telling them they suck before you go. ;)
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Um. What, now? (Aeros 5, Peoria 4 SO)
I'll just drop this and let it soak in for a bit:
The Aeros were down 4-0 with 13 minutes left in the game against Peoria tonight.
And they still won.
I know. I know. It's a lot to take in, but sometimes you gotta hit this stuff like ripping off a band-aid.
Trust me, it's even more shocking when you've sat through the first completely futile 47 minutes of play. When you've watched ONE Peoria player, Derek Armstrong, who had all of 8 goals on the season, rack up FOUR goals in one game. A natural hat trick +1. (He also got the lone goal in the shootout. So make that 5 on the night.)
Armstrong might as well change his sweater to 30 because he's got Anton's number.
Anyway, so, here we are 7 minutes into the third and I've said during the second intermission to Chris Jerina, who was shooting the game, that he might as well shoot Anton's end because "it's not like the Aeros are going to score." After all, Khudobin appeared to be coming apart at the seams, earning 4 minutes of PIM (2 for roughing and 2 for delay of game--he played the puck outside the trapezoid) during the second period.
I guess I forgot about Anton's remarkable aptitude for regrouping and letting go of a bad game or a bad period.
But I'm pretty sure the comeback, starting with a power play goal from DiSalvatore 7 minutes into the period, wasn't something I forgot. It's something this team just hasn't done.
It still didn't feel like an uprising, though, until Rau potted his goal 3 minutes later and then DiSalvatore threw a propane tank on the fire by putting the score within 1 less than 1 minute later.
At this point, you figure Ben Bishop is officially strug-gl-ing and feeling some quicksand under his skates. Clearly Peroria had made the classic mistake of thinking they'd sealed this thing up.
And then BOOM, Noreau ties it up from the low slot, just beating a dropping Bishop.
From there, it was just tight play, back and forth, which kept up through regulation and the overtime period, until the teams were forced into a shootout.
As a testament to Khudobin's bounce-back-ability, he was terrific in the shootout. He let the first one in (Armstrong's), but stoned the next four shooters (none easy attempts) to get his first win since he shut Hamilton out on November 25th, 2009. When you have to add the YEAR, you know it's been a long time. That's two months of no wins, my friends. The Aeros surely have one SERIOUSLY relieved goalie on their hands tonight.
That is one helluva monkey to shed. And it was fun to watch the boys swarm him after the winning save. This was a big deal for him and they all knew it.
So, the Aeros win it 5-4, take home two points from an otherwise-brutal swing through the midwest. But they did it the absolute hardest way possible. Surprised? Yeah, me neither.
Update: Nice job by the Rivermen crew to get a highlights video up so quickly.
----------------------
I can't wrap this up without mentioning the fight between Cody Almond and Danny Richmond in the first period. It was, in my opinion, the fight of the year. Both guys were toe-to-toe (unlike Yonkman who wanted to fight with his back to Kassian in Milwaukee Friday night), and just throwing bombs.
Almond won decisively, but took a few good licks himself and just kep throwing. Both guys were just studs, but Cody showed that he's not one to be trifled with. It was the best fight I've seen in a long time. And Richmond is no cream puff, BTW. He's got 128 minutes of PIM so far this season.
I'm already high on Cody but I just got higher. That hockey sense, that offensive ability (more is coming, I promise), AND that toughness? He's a special player. Look out for this one.
-------------------
More photos tomorrow from Killer Jerina. Enjoy this win, folks. It was as unlikely, miraculous, and NEEDED a win as I can remember that wasn't a Game 7.
The Aeros were down 4-0 with 13 minutes left in the game against Peoria tonight.
And they still won.
I know. I know. It's a lot to take in, but sometimes you gotta hit this stuff like ripping off a band-aid.
Trust me, it's even more shocking when you've sat through the first completely futile 47 minutes of play. When you've watched ONE Peoria player, Derek Armstrong, who had all of 8 goals on the season, rack up FOUR goals in one game. A natural hat trick +1. (He also got the lone goal in the shootout. So make that 5 on the night.)
Armstrong might as well change his sweater to 30 because he's got Anton's number.
Anyway, so, here we are 7 minutes into the third and I've said during the second intermission to Chris Jerina, who was shooting the game, that he might as well shoot Anton's end because "it's not like the Aeros are going to score." After all, Khudobin appeared to be coming apart at the seams, earning 4 minutes of PIM (2 for roughing and 2 for delay of game--he played the puck outside the trapezoid) during the second period.
I guess I forgot about Anton's remarkable aptitude for regrouping and letting go of a bad game or a bad period.
But I'm pretty sure the comeback, starting with a power play goal from DiSalvatore 7 minutes into the period, wasn't something I forgot. It's something this team just hasn't done.
It still didn't feel like an uprising, though, until Rau potted his goal 3 minutes later and then DiSalvatore threw a propane tank on the fire by putting the score within 1 less than 1 minute later.
At this point, you figure Ben Bishop is officially strug-gl-ing and feeling some quicksand under his skates. Clearly Peroria had made the classic mistake of thinking they'd sealed this thing up.
And then BOOM, Noreau ties it up from the low slot, just beating a dropping Bishop.
From there, it was just tight play, back and forth, which kept up through regulation and the overtime period, until the teams were forced into a shootout.
As a testament to Khudobin's bounce-back-ability, he was terrific in the shootout. He let the first one in (Armstrong's), but stoned the next four shooters (none easy attempts) to get his first win since he shut Hamilton out on November 25th, 2009. When you have to add the YEAR, you know it's been a long time. That's two months of no wins, my friends. The Aeros surely have one SERIOUSLY relieved goalie on their hands tonight.
That is one helluva monkey to shed. And it was fun to watch the boys swarm him after the winning save. This was a big deal for him and they all knew it.
So, the Aeros win it 5-4, take home two points from an otherwise-brutal swing through the midwest. But they did it the absolute hardest way possible. Surprised? Yeah, me neither.
Update: Nice job by the Rivermen crew to get a highlights video up so quickly.
----------------------
I can't wrap this up without mentioning the fight between Cody Almond and Danny Richmond in the first period. It was, in my opinion, the fight of the year. Both guys were toe-to-toe (unlike Yonkman who wanted to fight with his back to Kassian in Milwaukee Friday night), and just throwing bombs.
Almond won decisively, but took a few good licks himself and just kep throwing. Both guys were just studs, but Cody showed that he's not one to be trifled with. It was the best fight I've seen in a long time. And Richmond is no cream puff, BTW. He's got 128 minutes of PIM so far this season.
I'm already high on Cody but I just got higher. That hockey sense, that offensive ability (more is coming, I promise), AND that toughness? He's a special player. Look out for this one.
-------------------
More photos tomorrow from Killer Jerina. Enjoy this win, folks. It was as unlikely, miraculous, and NEEDED a win as I can remember that wasn't a Game 7.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Cody Almond article
I mentioned a Cody Almond piece coming out today, so I'll direct you to it.
I'm gonna be an a-hole and make you click twice, first to Wild Nation where I cover the Wild prospects and then to the PHN article. I added some notes at WN that are more of a bloggerly nature, plus some of Jerina's great photos, neither of which could go in the PHN piece. But it's all good stuff, so go check it out.
Here's the link to Wild Nation.
I'm gonna be an a-hole and make you click twice, first to Wild Nation where I cover the Wild prospects and then to the PHN article. I added some notes at WN that are more of a bloggerly nature, plus some of Jerina's great photos, neither of which could go in the PHN piece. But it's all good stuff, so go check it out.
Here's the link to Wild Nation.
Not stick figures, but still awesome
Much like the Aeros 3 in 3, Chris Jerina knocked it out of the park for us on the final night of shooting the Aeros' road trip.
Or maybe I should say knocked it out of the park for me, because there are a million Brusty pics and I could wallpaper a room with them pretty easily at this point. Um, not that I'd do anything so insane. *ahem*
Anyway.
So I have a story on Cody Almond coming out at PHN today. The kid rocked it so hard last night, I had to email my editor and literally tell him to stop the presses so I could send him edits. So, you're welcome, Cody. Nothing like having a story going to press or just published to change a guy's luck.
You write about how well a goalie playing? They start to sieve it up. You write about how bad a team is (see Andrew's pre-game post yesterday)? They demolish their next opponent. It is an immutable law of hockey writing and in this case, I'm delighted to make edits to my Almond story. He's worked his tail off and earned that goal and those two points many times over.
Now if we can just get Kassian to bend the twine in something other than warmups. It's coming, big guy!
Here is Almond getting that goal:
And let's just say this is Noreau pounding home the one that Smith tipped in. Noreau's another guy for whom I had to change his stats. He went from 9th in scoring among the league's defensemen to 3rd in a matter of 2 games. That's crazy.
Mueller SMASH!
Click to make big and you can see the puck right under Brusty's butt.
Sorry, Huge Specimen! No soup for you.
Ahhh, what fun. Here's the full set of photos. There are some epic Brusty photos in there, which I'm again running off with to my blog because I can.
Or maybe I should say knocked it out of the park for me, because there are a million Brusty pics and I could wallpaper a room with them pretty easily at this point. Um, not that I'd do anything so insane. *ahem*
Anyway.
So I have a story on Cody Almond coming out at PHN today. The kid rocked it so hard last night, I had to email my editor and literally tell him to stop the presses so I could send him edits. So, you're welcome, Cody. Nothing like having a story going to press or just published to change a guy's luck.
You write about how well a goalie playing? They start to sieve it up. You write about how bad a team is (see Andrew's pre-game post yesterday)? They demolish their next opponent. It is an immutable law of hockey writing and in this case, I'm delighted to make edits to my Almond story. He's worked his tail off and earned that goal and those two points many times over.
Now if we can just get Kassian to bend the twine in something other than warmups. It's coming, big guy!
Here is Almond getting that goal:
And let's just say this is Noreau pounding home the one that Smith tipped in. Noreau's another guy for whom I had to change his stats. He went from 9th in scoring among the league's defensemen to 3rd in a matter of 2 games. That's crazy.
Mueller SMASH!
Click to make big and you can see the puck right under Brusty's butt.
Sorry, Huge Specimen! No soup for you.
Ahhh, what fun. Here's the full set of photos. There are some epic Brusty photos in there, which I'm again running off with to my blog because I can.
Friday, December 18, 2009
12/18: Aeros 2, Texas 5
You could see this one coming a mile away. The Texas Stars are just damn good. They've slumped a little in goal with Brent Krahn's injury, but Climie is still an excellent goalie and his backup, Dallas prospect Bachman is also proving to be quite good.
The win against them on Tuesday in their barn was... maybe not a fluke... but that certainly wasn't the Texas Stars you get on most nights. And they knew it and you can bet they were looking to redeem themselves like a book of S&H Green Stamps. (How much did I just age myself?)
On top of that, the Aeros are playing 4 games in 6 nights and they looked a little tired. I thought the Stars had the edge on speed and sharpness all night, even though the Aeros seemed to be giving it all the gas they had.
One of the guys will probably give you the full quote, but after the game, Constantine said the goals against were Team Goals Against. Indeed they were. Breakdowns started upfront and rolled back to the net. Man, that second goal on Dubie by Peters was just sick. Sure Gunderson got beat badly on it, but it was a sweet goal finding the hole over Dubie's shoulder.
I continue to be impressed by Cody Almond. He just has terrific vision and hockey sense and does the "little things" coaches always talk about that make a big difference.
Brandon Rogers is another guy who really seems to have that ability to dig deep and find energy when others seem to be lagging a bit. He was terrific tonight. And really, you can't say enough about a guy who goes from being a cornerstone of a team's defense to being the STARTING CENTER. This isn't just like John Scott filling in on the wing. That's still a tough transition, but centers have more responsibility, a LOT more skating, and then to be the starting center? Wow.
We always have a laugh about it and shake our heads when he's announced as such each night because of what it says about the team as a whole, but it says nothing but really great things about Brandon.
This isn't going to be popular, but I'm going old school with the stick figure today. Well, technically there's no stick figure at all, but this is the kind of thing where a string of photos from Fred would probably give us some proof one way or the other as to that no-goal call.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter, but we all felt like based on replays that it was not a goal. It looked like it hit the back of the post and out, but I really don't believe if you could look down from above, that the puck was ALL the way over the line.
This drawing conclusively proves that T3I needs Fred taking pictures for us, because that is just craptastic and proves absolutely nothing.
Speaking of Fred, be sure and tell him HAPPY BIRTHDAY because he turns 29 today (Saturday)! Happy Birthday Freddycakes!
The win against them on Tuesday in their barn was... maybe not a fluke... but that certainly wasn't the Texas Stars you get on most nights. And they knew it and you can bet they were looking to redeem themselves like a book of S&H Green Stamps. (How much did I just age myself?)
On top of that, the Aeros are playing 4 games in 6 nights and they looked a little tired. I thought the Stars had the edge on speed and sharpness all night, even though the Aeros seemed to be giving it all the gas they had.
One of the guys will probably give you the full quote, but after the game, Constantine said the goals against were Team Goals Against. Indeed they were. Breakdowns started upfront and rolled back to the net. Man, that second goal on Dubie by Peters was just sick. Sure Gunderson got beat badly on it, but it was a sweet goal finding the hole over Dubie's shoulder.
I continue to be impressed by Cody Almond. He just has terrific vision and hockey sense and does the "little things" coaches always talk about that make a big difference.
Brandon Rogers is another guy who really seems to have that ability to dig deep and find energy when others seem to be lagging a bit. He was terrific tonight. And really, you can't say enough about a guy who goes from being a cornerstone of a team's defense to being the STARTING CENTER. This isn't just like John Scott filling in on the wing. That's still a tough transition, but centers have more responsibility, a LOT more skating, and then to be the starting center? Wow.
We always have a laugh about it and shake our heads when he's announced as such each night because of what it says about the team as a whole, but it says nothing but really great things about Brandon.
This isn't going to be popular, but I'm going old school with the stick figure today. Well, technically there's no stick figure at all, but this is the kind of thing where a string of photos from Fred would probably give us some proof one way or the other as to that no-goal call.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter, but we all felt like based on replays that it was not a goal. It looked like it hit the back of the post and out, but I really don't believe if you could look down from above, that the puck was ALL the way over the line.
This drawing conclusively proves that T3I needs Fred taking pictures for us, because that is just craptastic and proves absolutely nothing.Speaking of Fred, be sure and tell him HAPPY BIRTHDAY because he turns 29 today (Saturday)! Happy Birthday Freddycakes!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
12/11 -- Aeros v. Peoria -- The Can't Buy Me Love Edition
The last time the Houston Aeros played a home game on Teddy Bear night, they scored five goals on five shots within a matter of minutes in the second period. But that was last season when they had some offensive talent. This year, not so much.
The 5110 people who attended the game, luckily, got to throw their stuffed animals out on the ice toward the end of the second period. But that was about all that they got to as the Aeros lost 2-1 in an effort that had me longing for the futility of the Houston Texans.
Peoria’s Tyson Strachan scored at 4:45 of the first period on a play initially set up by Mitch Love down in the Peoria end of the ice. The Aeros scored on a five-on-three power play at 17:30 of the second when Andy Hilbert converted the rebound of a Max Noreau shot for a goal. The scoring action ended at 4:30 of the third when Peoria’s Brett Sonne took advantage of an Aeros screen to bounce the puck past Anton Khudobin to make the score 2-1.
There’s not much else left to say. The defense was good. The guy’s hustled. I think the forwards even took a couple of shots. But they lost, at home, once again. And yet, the Aeros are frustrated. Khudobin’s frustrated that he has to play perfect hockey, and that the offense isn’t doing what the coaches are telling them to do, especially on the power play. Kevin Constantine’s frustrated by the team in the general.
The team’s record dropped to 12-12-2-1 (27 points) which is good enough for fifth place. They’re four points behind Peoria and Rockford -- who they play on Sunday. They’re two points, but many percentage points, behind Milwaukee. And they’ve dropped a total of 15 points behind Texas, and the Stars are quickly pulling away from the rest of the division.
The Aeros will give it another shot on Sunday as they take on the Rockford IceHogs at 4:05.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES:
As Andrew mentioned below, we talked to Khudobin after the game, and he’s getting frustrated by having to play perfect hockey for the team to win.
“It’s kind of…it’s hard when we score just one goal,” he said afterwards. “On the power play we have to shoot more. Shoot, shoot, and shoot all the time. Because for a goalie it’s really hard, we have to…actually the coach is saying we have to have a guy in front of the goal, but [the other goalie] doesn’t have [that]. Never. Lots of screens, that’s what we need.”
I don’t know about the screens part. There always appear to be a lot of Aeros swarming the goalie and blocking his vision, it’s just that nobody ever wants to take a shot that will take advantage of anything. The team does need to shoot more, especially on the power play were they pass and pass and pass and pass and pass and pass and pass and pass and pass and…the power play’s over.
****************
The coaches have been trying to figure out what to do about the team’s inability to win games at home. Constantine said he and the assistants have been analyzing everything they can think of, but nothing seems to be working.
“We’re working hard to try to do what we can to win games at home,” Constantine said. And in a way, based on what Constantine, that could be part of the problem. He said that the team plays simpler games on the road, and that at home, they’re trying to do too much. Perhaps Constantine needs to do something to convince the Aeros they’re actually playing a road game.
****************
Cody Almond returned from the injury list, playing his first game since forever. He and Andy Hilbert -- who played in his only 11th game of the season -- showed what appeared to be some much needed life on the offensive end. But the rest of the squad didn’t appear to be able to do much of anything. Almond, Hilbert, and Khudobin were easily the team’s bright spots tonight.
I know that I was frustrated by the game. This was the first game I’ve seen in nearly three weeks. Since that time, I’ve covered several Houston Cougar football games, as well as some Houston Cougar basketball games. Normally, there’s more exciting than hockey, but after watching the Cougars run up and down football fields and basketball courts, this game was, decidedly, boring. Luckily, or not, I won’t be around for Sunday’s game as I’ll be out of town.
****************
I hate the “Kiss Cam.” I especially hate the “Kiss Cam” when they do that stupid thing and put the camera on two players from the other team. I think it’s juvenile. That said, good on Mitch Love for playing along with this stupid thing tonight. He didn’t kiss a teammate, but he kissed his glove, then patted a teammate’s helmet.
I know all of you are pining away for Corey Locke and Krys Kolanos -- I’m not, again, going to go into the legit reasons that they’re not back -- but damn, I miss Mitch Love. He was just always doing stuff like that.
****************
That Mitch Love response brings us to our Beatles video of the night, “Can’t Buy Me Love.” I play that because, well, Love is gone. I also chose this song because, no matter what Khudobin asks, there just seems to be no way the Aeros can buy enough goals to win a game.
So, here are The Beatles with “Can’t Buy Me Love.”
The 5110 people who attended the game, luckily, got to throw their stuffed animals out on the ice toward the end of the second period. But that was about all that they got to as the Aeros lost 2-1 in an effort that had me longing for the futility of the Houston Texans.
Peoria’s Tyson Strachan scored at 4:45 of the first period on a play initially set up by Mitch Love down in the Peoria end of the ice. The Aeros scored on a five-on-three power play at 17:30 of the second when Andy Hilbert converted the rebound of a Max Noreau shot for a goal. The scoring action ended at 4:30 of the third when Peoria’s Brett Sonne took advantage of an Aeros screen to bounce the puck past Anton Khudobin to make the score 2-1.
There’s not much else left to say. The defense was good. The guy’s hustled. I think the forwards even took a couple of shots. But they lost, at home, once again. And yet, the Aeros are frustrated. Khudobin’s frustrated that he has to play perfect hockey, and that the offense isn’t doing what the coaches are telling them to do, especially on the power play. Kevin Constantine’s frustrated by the team in the general.
The team’s record dropped to 12-12-2-1 (27 points) which is good enough for fifth place. They’re four points behind Peoria and Rockford -- who they play on Sunday. They’re two points, but many percentage points, behind Milwaukee. And they’ve dropped a total of 15 points behind Texas, and the Stars are quickly pulling away from the rest of the division.
The Aeros will give it another shot on Sunday as they take on the Rockford IceHogs at 4:05.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES:
As Andrew mentioned below, we talked to Khudobin after the game, and he’s getting frustrated by having to play perfect hockey for the team to win.
“It’s kind of…it’s hard when we score just one goal,” he said afterwards. “On the power play we have to shoot more. Shoot, shoot, and shoot all the time. Because for a goalie it’s really hard, we have to…actually the coach is saying we have to have a guy in front of the goal, but [the other goalie] doesn’t have [that]. Never. Lots of screens, that’s what we need.”
I don’t know about the screens part. There always appear to be a lot of Aeros swarming the goalie and blocking his vision, it’s just that nobody ever wants to take a shot that will take advantage of anything. The team does need to shoot more, especially on the power play were they pass and pass and pass and pass and pass and pass and pass and pass and pass and…the power play’s over.
****************
The coaches have been trying to figure out what to do about the team’s inability to win games at home. Constantine said he and the assistants have been analyzing everything they can think of, but nothing seems to be working.
“We’re working hard to try to do what we can to win games at home,” Constantine said. And in a way, based on what Constantine, that could be part of the problem. He said that the team plays simpler games on the road, and that at home, they’re trying to do too much. Perhaps Constantine needs to do something to convince the Aeros they’re actually playing a road game.
****************
Cody Almond returned from the injury list, playing his first game since forever. He and Andy Hilbert -- who played in his only 11th game of the season -- showed what appeared to be some much needed life on the offensive end. But the rest of the squad didn’t appear to be able to do much of anything. Almond, Hilbert, and Khudobin were easily the team’s bright spots tonight.
I know that I was frustrated by the game. This was the first game I’ve seen in nearly three weeks. Since that time, I’ve covered several Houston Cougar football games, as well as some Houston Cougar basketball games. Normally, there’s more exciting than hockey, but after watching the Cougars run up and down football fields and basketball courts, this game was, decidedly, boring. Luckily, or not, I won’t be around for Sunday’s game as I’ll be out of town.
****************
I hate the “Kiss Cam.” I especially hate the “Kiss Cam” when they do that stupid thing and put the camera on two players from the other team. I think it’s juvenile. That said, good on Mitch Love for playing along with this stupid thing tonight. He didn’t kiss a teammate, but he kissed his glove, then patted a teammate’s helmet.
I know all of you are pining away for Corey Locke and Krys Kolanos -- I’m not, again, going to go into the legit reasons that they’re not back -- but damn, I miss Mitch Love. He was just always doing stuff like that.
****************
That Mitch Love response brings us to our Beatles video of the night, “Can’t Buy Me Love.” I play that because, well, Love is gone. I also chose this song because, no matter what Khudobin asks, there just seems to be no way the Aeros can buy enough goals to win a game.
So, here are The Beatles with “Can’t Buy Me Love.”
Friday, December 11, 2009
12/11: Aeros 1, Rivermen 2
How long do you have to beat a dead horse until you get glue? Because the Aeros horse is getting a little sticky.
Bottom line, and we've said it, you've said it, a bunch of times by now: This team is hopeless at getting the puck in the net. And it hurts to say because they work their butts off and you want to give them credit for it.
But eventually you see so many missed opportunities that you start to sit back in your seat, even when the effort is there and the shots on goal are there, because you know... you just KNOW... nothing's going in the net.
And you're proven right again and again. And suddenly, the most exciting game in the world is about as much fun as watching the Zambonis resurface the ice.
I don't even feel, 27 games into the 80 game season, that I'm going out on a limb by saying that if Jim Mill doesn't fortify this team with someone who can spark them, they will not make the playoffs.
If I may make a suggestion: Teams are in fact hurting for goalies around the league. We do have 3 healthy, proven AHL goalies in the system (and a potential 4th playing very well for the Texas Brahmas in the CHL if there's an injury).
Howzabout unloading one of those goalies in exchange for someone who can find the inside of the net with some regularity?
I know, it's crazy talk, but so is trying to satisfy and build a fan base playing this kind of hockey. Pick your poison.
-------
All that said, it was great to see Cody Almond back on the ice, and he didn't miss a beat from where he left off. I think he's going to be a really valuable guy for both this team and the Wild at some point. His return was the highlight of the evening for me.
Well, that and watching Ben Bishop stretching in his crease before each period. Sweet mother of mercy. Reminds me of this Dolly Parton song (which I'll just link to since John's the DJ).
Bottom line, and we've said it, you've said it, a bunch of times by now: This team is hopeless at getting the puck in the net. And it hurts to say because they work their butts off and you want to give them credit for it.
But eventually you see so many missed opportunities that you start to sit back in your seat, even when the effort is there and the shots on goal are there, because you know... you just KNOW... nothing's going in the net.
And you're proven right again and again. And suddenly, the most exciting game in the world is about as much fun as watching the Zambonis resurface the ice.
I don't even feel, 27 games into the 80 game season, that I'm going out on a limb by saying that if Jim Mill doesn't fortify this team with someone who can spark them, they will not make the playoffs.
If I may make a suggestion: Teams are in fact hurting for goalies around the league. We do have 3 healthy, proven AHL goalies in the system (and a potential 4th playing very well for the Texas Brahmas in the CHL if there's an injury).
Howzabout unloading one of those goalies in exchange for someone who can find the inside of the net with some regularity?
I know, it's crazy talk, but so is trying to satisfy and build a fan base playing this kind of hockey. Pick your poison.
-------
All that said, it was great to see Cody Almond back on the ice, and he didn't miss a beat from where he left off. I think he's going to be a really valuable guy for both this team and the Wild at some point. His return was the highlight of the evening for me.
Well, that and watching Ben Bishop stretching in his crease before each period. Sweet mother of mercy. Reminds me of this Dolly Parton song (which I'll just link to since John's the DJ).
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