Playoffs? Playoffs?

In which I share a few thoughts on the Aeros waiting until the last possible moment to make the playoffs. So please, go give it a read.

And one further note I thought I would share here (have to save something for you guys): the Aeros are the only one of last season's AHL final four teams to make the playoffs this season. Binghamton and Hamilton were eliminated pretty early on, and the Aeros win kicked Charlotte out.

So they've got that going for them.

I'll be back with my playoff series prediction later this week.

Oh, one more thing: if you're wondering why the Aeros are opening at home, the answer is that's what the Barons wanted. In the five game format where several hundred miles of travel is involved, i.e., the higher seed in round one gets the option of starting with two home games then going on the road for three, or it can open on the road for two and play at home for the final three. The Barons chose to open on the road and close things out on home ice.

Some More Thoughts On Last Night

My new post at the Press is up, and it expounds more on some thoughts I had after last night's game. In short, I think the loss of Jed Ortmeyer for most of the season and the lack of a reliable scorer like Patrick O'Sullivan have really hurt the team this season. I think the team's tired and the constant round trips from Houston to St. Paul and back to Houston time and time again for several of the players has worn them down.

Plus, it's just unrealistic to expect the goalies to keep pitching shut out after shut out after shut out. I know some people like to bitch and bitch about Matt Hackett, but Hackett and the rest of the goalies have done some fantastic work keeping the Aeros in games this season.

That said, the season's not over. There are still three games left.

P.S.: It was asked and answered in the comments to the post below, but...

Marco Scandella was a late scratch last night. He did skate pregame, but apparently tweaked something in his lower body and is day-to-day. And Matt Hackett did appear to get hurt during the game last night, but he was able to continue playing. I would think he'll be available for this weekend's games.

Last Night's Loss (In Some Photos)

First, here's my story in the Press on the playoffs slip slidin' away. Go click and leave a few comments if you want.

Now, what's that they say, a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, here's about six or seven thousands words for you to look at from last night. These first three photos are from Lake Erie's first goal. It's hard to blame Hackett here. He follows the puck, as, it appears, do the Aeros, ignoring the Lake Erie shooters at the net. It's not until the third photo that we actually see Tyler Cuma anywhere near the puck, and by then, it's way too late.

I chose this photo below to illustrate one of the things Hackett had to deal with the entire night -- being screened, this time by his own team, and not being able to see a damn thing happening with the puck.

As for these final three photos, you can once again see him being screened by a Lake Erie player -- I call it putting the ass to his face. Heather suggested he should've used a few poke checks and shoves, I told her he did and that this was the best separation he could get it. The amazing thing, to me, is that he still blocks the shot though it had to be have been nearly impossible for him to see anything that was happening.

The Aeros have a lot of problems heading into these last seven games, but I think we can all safely agree that the goal tending isn't one of those problems. Whether it's been Joe Fallon, Scott Greenham, or Matt Hackett, the goalies have more than done their jobs. The defense, offense, and special teams, however, seem to have disappeared.

Searching for Clues and Consistency

I wasn't expecting this to go live until tomorrow, but...

The latest in the mothership is a little look back at the season so for, one in which they currently seem to be searching for clues and consistency.  And as I note at the end of the post, after being negative and dogging the team, it seems strange to note that they still have one of the best records in the league.

So go give it a read.

Taking A Look Back

The Houston Press loves it in when I do lists.  So for today's post, I take a look back at the year in Aeros hockey in list form.  Hopefully you'll enjoy it, and hopefully, it'll bring back some good memories.  (And yes, I use a photo from the bikini contest to open the post, but that's because I know that, with most readers at the press, a woman in a bikini is going to grab their attention, and I want readers).

So give it a read, let me know over there if I forgot anything, and let's see everybody tonight at Toyota Center.

Jon DiSalvatore: The Heart of the Aeros

The Aeros media gurus asked us at T3I to assist them this year with providing material to the AHL.com "On The Beat" feature. And I was tasked with the first story. So...here's the link to the just posted story on Jon DiSalvatore, the captain of the Aeros. I hope you'll go over and give it a read.

And just a note, I got a lot of material from DiSalvatore that I didn't use in the story (and they didn't use my favorite photo) including his thoughts on the new scheduling, so I'll try to throw those up on your favorite website on Thursday as kind of a Thanksgiving stuffer.

Matt Kassian, Twitter Super Star

I've got a piece in the mothership today on Matt Kassian in which we discuss his funny and fantastic twitter feed. So go read it.

But I spoke with him last Sunday about a some other things, primarily his return to Houston after starting the season with the Wild, and I thought I would use this post to share those thoughts.

"The message [from Mike Yeo] is to keep working," Kassian said. "It’s kind of a difficult situation for me. It’s obviously disappointing, and you want to be there, but at the same time, I’m coming down here with a group of guys who have already done a fantastic job this season. And the coaching staff has done a fantastic job this season. You know you’re going down. You can look at it two ways. You can either be frustrated and angry and disappointed, or you can try to make the best of it. I’m back down here now, and it’s not where I want to be. But it’s not like I was out in the first two days of training camp. It’s another step forward for me. I was there for a reason, and I stayed around for a reason. It wasn’t like they didn’t like me and weren’t happy with what I was doing. So it’s just about working hard and getting back here. I’m excited to be here. It’s been my home for a few years, and I have a lot of friends and some family down here."

So there you go. Read the post in the Press if you get the chance. And if you're not already, give Kassian a follow on Twitter. It's well worth the time.

HI HOCKEY!!!

I went to bed last night with that feeling in my chest that I got as a little kid on Christmas Eve. That "slightly too excited to sleep, but also know if I go to sleep, tomorrow will happen sooner" feeling.

Luckily I'm old and fall asleep easier than I did when I was 7 years old. But I did wake up at 6:30 this morning and wished I hadn't so I wouldn't have to wait for all the fun parts of the day. Why couldn't they play at 11 this morning?

Anyway, I went and checked out practice yesterday morning. It was fun watching guys take pictures with fans as they exited the ice, and the guys seemed to enjoy it, too.

Also, Mike Hoffman is enormous. (And crush-worthy, ladies.) Also, hide your pizza from him. Dude is a Hoover.



Per the team, there are 26 players on the opening night roster. With 14 forwards and 9 defensemen, I'd expect to see two or three of those guys move to the ECHL soon. The ice seemed pretty crowded at practice yesterday.

Also, the team is carrying 3 goalies still. Hackett had his own net while Endras and Kuemper shared a net, so the team has a tough decision to make.

Endras has fairly high level pro experience in the German league and in international competition, so he's a good safety net in case something happens to one of the Minnesota goalies (as it often seems to do).

But Keumper is everything you want in a young goalie and I think he's shown he can hold his own in this league. While he'd learn a lot in a lower league, frankly, I'd just straight up be a sad panda if I didn't get to see him play this season. Y'all know me. Big heart for my goalies. It's hard to be objective.

Maybe I can find out more about what's going on there today.
----------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, the Wild played their first game last night and won handily in a 4-2 decision over the Columbus BJs. Funny thing is that they looked just like our Aeros did last year, but with NHLers executing on Yeo's strategy. Works out pretty well, apparently. Congrats to Mike and the whole team for kicking off the season the right way.

I know it's a dream come true for Yeo, but also for a bunch of former Aeros like Marco Scandella, who scored a nice goal, and Brett Bulmer, who made his NHL debut at a mere 19 years of age.

----------------------------------------------------

Finally, I've taken a new gig this season contributing to the new Backhand Shelf blog on theScore.ca. My friend, Justin Bourne, is editing the site and doing most of the writing, so you know it's good. He's very knowledgeable and very funny and told me, "Just do your thing. Write about goalies, hot boys, whatever you want. Oh, and here's some money for it."

LemmethinkaboutitYES.

So, my regular feature, Tea with Ms. Conduct, runs every other Sunday with a few other things thrown in irregularly. (If you don't get the tea reference, you need to rent the cheesy hockey classic Youngblood ASAP.)

If you're a hockey fan in general, I think you'll enjoy the blog. Lots of writing from Justin and from several other writers with a variety of backgrounds and interests. Tons of humor and great knowledge.

Anyway, here's my first piece, hot off the press: http://blogs.thescore.com/nhl/2011/10/09/tea-with-ms-conduct-the-bunny-conundrum/

-----------------------------------

And with that... see you tonight! Welcome back to Houston, hockey! (Or is it Welcome back to hockey, Houston!?)

Hockey? In Reliant Stadium? In September?

So Andrew posted the story on the "preseason" game to be played at Reliant Stadium. And while I like the idea of a preseason game in Houston, the idea of playing it at that lifeless hanger known as Reliant Stadium, in September, just strikes me as a monumentally bad idea.

I've got some thoughts on this, and I posted them over at the mothership today. Let's just say that I'm troubled at the lack of involvement from the Aeros, the venue, the lack of an agreement with Reliant, and the lack of involvement on the part of the Toyota Center and Les Alexander.

In the comments I was shocked to discover that Phoenix does actually have a fan, and that somebody thought it was my job to write positive PR for hockey so that the sport will grow. I think if you ask my editor at the Press he would probably say that I write too many positive things about hockey when he would much prefer to see me bitching about the Texans, Astros, or Rockets.

But just in case you, dear readers, don't know it: I like hockey. I want hockey to grow in Houston. I want the NHL here on a full-time basis because it bugs me that Dallas has a team and we don't. I just wish that this Coyotes/Stars game at Reliant Stadium made more sense to me because, right now, it just has "failure" written all over it which, in turn, will shine this gigantic negative light on the city of Houston.

But what do I know, right?

Rest, Relaxation, and Inspiration: The Aeros Prep For Game Three

While Heather was prepping for her journey to Binghamton on Monday, I headed up to SLICE to get in a few last interviews with some players before they got on the bus to the airport. What I saw was a team in good spirits and that was confident of their ability to handle the Senators.

I've got a piece over at the mothership today on the road the Aeros traveled get to this match up against the Sens, and the importance of Jed Ortmeyer in how that all happened along with some player appreciation for the crowds at Toyota Center throughout the season, especially last weekend.

But as always, there's not enough space to go with all of the material that I got. So...

I asked Jon DiSalvatore about how the team had evolved from the one that was in seventh place and dropping in late-December to the one we have today. In the Press, I quote him talking about a meeting the team had where they talked about writing their story for the season, and how they wanted that story to go. But because of space, I didn't put in the rest of the quote, where he talks about the roles that Jed Ortmeyer, Patrick O'Sullivan, and Matt Hackett played in getting the Aeros to where they are right now.

"Along with that [meeting] came some key pieces to our puzzle, too," he said. "And over the next week we added Jed Ortmeyer who has proven to be one of the most valuable guys to our team as far as what he brings in leadership ability, and just the type of player he is. The type of player that he is, guys can just look at and know he brings it every night. And of course Patrick O’Sullivan. And I think once he came, he added so much to our offense, where our offense jumped up a whole point, I believe. Our power play started to get better. And those are all key things. And you take that along with younger guys maturing, and taking on responsibility, and giving our goaltender the opportunity by a trade to take on the number one position."

I then asked Ortmeyer his thoughts about the credit the guys have been giving him for the Aeros turnaround. And it's credit that he didn't really think he deserved.

"I don’t know if I deserve that," he said. "The talent was here. Just having a little bit more accountability and bringing in a little more depth with Sully and myself, that helped push guys a little bit further. Being around the young guys, it’s fun for us, when they ask us questions about guys we played with and stories from some of the guys that are in the hall of fame now. I think it’s exciting, and I think that’s what pro hockey is. We’re able to pass down things that we’ve experienced that hopefully they’ll be able to pass down some stuff when they get to our age."

The guys were in good spirits on Monday, and one of the reasons for that dealt with them finally being able to get some days off. It wasn't so much the time off they needed because of physical issues, but needing the time off for a mental break after playing two tough seven game series with almost no time off between series.

"Going back-to-back seven game series, and kind of jumping from one series to the next, and the mental ground that takes place in going through some of those games, and then getting yourself ready for the biggest series of them all, it was important for us to get some rest," DiSalvatore said. "I think more so – I think guys physically feel that they just needed the rest, but mentally I think it’s going to turn out to be more beneficial than anything else. Just to kind of take a break and get away from it for a couple of days. Guys are always constantly thinking about it, but just to kind get of way from it, get rid of the feeling, the sting of the loss. And just get away from the rink and just kind of decompress a little bit is going to prove to really benefit us as we go refocus for the next couple of days."

Both DiSalvatore and Ortmeyer said pretty much the same thing when asked about Binghamton. A good team with speed and offense weapons and good goalies. But both were equally adamant about one thing. The team has to concentrate on its game. On making sure they do all of the little things, on focusing on their individual shifts and focusing only on those things they can control. And I'll go with this quote from Ortmeyer which I used in the Press story, because it really gets to the heart of the matter.

"We need to take a lesson from the Hamilton series," he said. "We got away from our game that we had success from, and it almost came back to bite us. They took us right down to the end. Game one [against Binghamton] we played the way we wanted to play, and we were able to get the win, and in game two, we started off not playing our style of game. We were fortunate that Hack made some big saves and kept us in the game."

I'll leave it to Heather for now. I'm sure she'll get something up here nice and quick after the game tonight, and as much as she hates transcribing interviews, I'm sure she'll make the effort to get some for the post. I, meanwhile, have an early flight to Philly tomorrow with a three hour-plus drive to Binghamton to look forward to, but I'll be there for games four and five where hopefully there will be a lot of good news.

P.S.: Before I go, I've got a message from DiSalvatore and Ortmeyer for the fans who have been coming out to Toyota Center, especially this past weekend.

"It was incredible," DiSalvatore said. "As much as we want to go and win the series in Binghamton – that’s the ultimate goal – we would love to do it in front of our crowd as well. They have been fantastic. The way they turned out all season, I really feel we were one of the top attendance teams in the league."

Then Ortmeyer followed up: "It’s great. It’s a great arena. The acoustics are great. It’s loud. It’s an NHL-style arena when you get that many fans in there. It’s exciting. It definitely gives you a little extra boost of energy. I think the fans have started – they’re coming out at the end of the season. It’s an exciting time of year. Who wouldn’t want to be around for a playoff run, especially in the finals? We’re happy that the fans have come out to support us, and we’re looking for more support down the road."

Some Final Hamilton Thoughts and Story Links

Look in the background at Mike Yeo's smile.

Here's some links to some news stories from last night's game. Here's my Press story. Here is Heather's story from Pro Hockey News. And here is the write-up in the Chron from Andrew.

Chronicle columnist Jerome Solomon was also at last night's game, and he wrote a very good column on the game that really captures the essence of this team. So go read his, after you read mine.

Here's the story from the Hamilton side, especially their view of the DiSalvatore goal.

I don't know what more to say about that goal, though I think Andrew's working on something about Hamilton was robbed on it. I had a bad angle. I put up my one good photo of the sequence. And it looked to me as if Terry Koharski was actually in a good position to see everything that was happening. However, there have been countless times during this playoff run where it's looked like Hackett or MacIntyre or Jeremy Smith had control of the puck and play should be stopped but instead the officials let the whack-a-goalie approach go on and on and on and on, so why should it have suddenly changed for this game?

It's a shame that this all comes down to the officiating, but in a way, I think we all suspected that the guys in the zebra stripes would have too much of a say in how it all ended, and I hope that the AHL will use these playoffs to reevaluate how they assess officials because countless goals calls were missed, and penalties were missed while phantom calls were made.

As I said last night, I won't be around for games one and two of the Finals because of previously booked vacation plans. But I've been informed that our Milwaukee Bureau Chief, Chris Jerina will be around, so it looks like there'll be photos of those games after all. But I've booked my flights, hotel, etc., and contacted Binghamton media relations, and I will be there for games four and five.

Notes, Quotes & Observations from Game Two, Houston v. Hamilton

Do photos of the guys celebrating after a win ever get old?

QUICK: Before reading further, click on the link and check out my game story in the Press. There's some quotes from Colton Gillies on his game-winner, Mike Yeo on the team's play this weekend, and I include a nice quote from Matt Kassian on Derek Boogaard. And remember, I was there in the locker room long before the guys with the TV cameras started hanging around.

Here's the thing, Heather picked the Aeros in six. Andrew and myself picked them to win in seven. I don't remember seeing Heather's winning sequence, but mine had the Aeros winning games one, four, six, and seven while Andrew's, I believe, had the Aeros winning games two, four, six, and seven. So seeing them come out and win these first two games is just not what I was expecting. This wasn't because of the Aeros, it was because of Drew MacIntyre in goal for Hamilton and the fact that the Bulldogs are a very good team. So I just figured they find a way to get a split. But the Aeros, despite not playing their best hockey, figured out a way to get it done. And that's how it's done in the playoffs, right? You find a way to get it done.

1. Now I'm not expecting that the Bulldogs are going to roll over. The Aeros are on their way to Hamilton as this is posted, and I can guarantee that there's not one person associated with this Aeros team that thinks this series is over.

"I think the feeling, and you can ask any of the players, is we haven’t won anything yet," Gillies said yesterday. "Still a lot more games to be played and we’re just going to stick to the game plan that got us here."

2. Speaking of Gillies, who out there isn't enjoying his game in the playoffs? I asked Mike Yeo about Gillies yesterday, and about how it seems he's elevated his game. And as Yeo was quick to point out, this is how Gillies has been playing all season, the only difference is that he's now finding the net.

"He’s elevated his game, obviously, by putting the puck in the net," Yeo said. "But really, what he’s doing is going out and doing what he’s done for us all year long. He brings momentum for us when he’s out on the ice.

"I think the most important part is that line’s going out there against top lines. And they’re shutting them down. Quite often when you do that, then the other lines are going to get frustrated and you’re going to generate some opportunities off of the rush, or in the offensive zone because they’re a little bit more focused on the offense, especially when they’ve had to try to battle through all game. And they’re not getting much.

"Now he’s in a position where he’s doing all the things he’s supposed to do as Colton Gillies, but he’s capitalizing on his chances and he’s elevated his game."

3. But what does Gillies have to say about this? He's just doing what needs to be done. But he's not the hero. The entire team is responsible for where the Aeros are at at this moment.

"For me with playoffs, I’ve been going to the net a lot harder," he said. "I’ve been going to the net and trying to make sure my presence around the net is known. You can ask anyone of the players in the dressing room, including myself. It’s not about the goals, we’re here to win the game. If you score, good job, you get to be the hero for the night. But there’s a lot of guys in that room that do little things that don’t get noticed that deserve to wear the cape."

4. Now we talked to Matt Kassian after the game. I had him brought out because I wanted to ask him about Derek Boogaard. But then Andrew decided to ask some non-Boogaard questions, and the way he answered these questions goes to just what a classy, team-oriented guy Kassian is.

He wants to be playing. And it hurt to know that he was the guy who was going to have sit once the Milwaukee series started. But there were more important things than his feelings because he couldn't let his feelings impact the team.

"It’s not an easy thing," he said. "I don’t think people understand how difficult it can be on you mentally and emotionally, as well. When you’re here the whole season, you want to play and you want to be a part of it, but at the same time, you’re here to be a good teammate. You can’t bring any kind of that negative emotions that you feel about it into the dressing room. You really just have to have a good attitude and work through it.

"That’s difficult. It’s tough. You want to play, you want to be part of it. I’m the type of player who, if you play me four minutes I’m going to want to play five. If you play me five I’m going to want to play six. You play me 19 I’m going to want to play 20.

[SNIP]

"You never like to see an injury, especially to a young guy. It’s never good. And he’ll [Bulmer] be back, and it’s not too serious….At the same time, it’s an opportunity for myself to get back in there and be consistent and try to do what I in the first series. Just be consistent in the room and be consistent on the bench and the ice, too. Just play hard and make their [defense] hear footsteps and chip pucks out and that kind of thing."

5. Then comes Matt Hackett's play these first two games. Hackett said after game seven in Milwaukee that one of the problems he'd had was that he wasn't seeing enough shots, but that he thought he had adjusted to that problem. Well that hasn't been a problem in this series so far. We were talking to Kassian when Hackett came out and talked to the TV guys, so I don't know what he said. But if he keeps playing like he's been playing, the Aeros aren't going to have to worry about his play.

6. Jon DiSalvatore said an interesting thing about Hackett after the game, and how he'd been challenged after game six in Milwaukee to elevate his game, and how he's begun to understand the importance of goalie play in the playoffs. It's not clear from DiSalvatore's statements if this challenge came from Hackett's teammates, or if Hackett challenged himself. But this follows on what guys like Jed Ortmeyer said on Friday night about Hackett elevating his game after that sixth game in Milwaukee.

Here's what DiSalvatore said: "I think after game six in Milwaukee – in that Milwaukee series, a lot of guys were challenged, and that game six, Matt Hackett was challenged. And the kid has responded tremendously for us. He has really – I think he won us the first game of this series. And just the way that he’s kind of matured and accepted the true responsibility of how significant goaltending is in playoffs has been tremendous. We’re very proud of him, and we hope that he continues to strive to be better. He’s been excellent so far since that game six. Absolutely."

7. And since I've been following around the team a lot the past month or so -- I'm really sorry I can't make it to Hamilton -- I've seen a lot of Colton Gillies dealing with Hackett. After game four in Peoria, I was asking Hackett about some tough stops, and Gillies popped out from nowhere and went on about how Hackett saw everything.

And when asked about Hackett yesterday, Gillies was just as effusive in his statements: "Hackett, he’s a great goalie. That’s pretty much it. He’s definitely had a good series for us. He’s had a good season. With Milwaukee, he didn’t see a lot of shots for long periods of time, which could have been hard on him. But he’s playing well right now, and he’ll keep up. I know he will."

8. The defense had another good game. And after being really down on Justin Falk during the Milwaukee series, I think, like with Hackett, we're seeing a guy who has elevated his game. And the defense as a whole, has been good -- man, you've got to wonder just how good this team would have been with Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella around all year, and man, are we going to miss them next year.

"[Falk] in particular, but I thought the entire group was again very good," Yeo said. "[Hamilton] is a team, if your defense is not sharp, then they’re going to make them look bad. They’re committed to getting every puck in behind your defense and making them turn and go back. And they put them under heavy pressure.

"The way that we executed, not only were we able to relieve that pressure, we were able to get to our game a little bit more effectively. We were able to generate some speed off the rush and off the attack because of the way those guys went back and executed."

9. The officiating, as it's been throughout the playoffs, was atrocious. I'm still trying to figure out how Max Noreau was the one who got the four minute minor for roughing in the third period. Whether it's a blind Terry Koharski waiving off pucks that are goals, or Jean Hebert and Francis Charron yesterday who just seemed to have their heads stuck up their asses, there's just no way to explain it. I also don't know why the linesmen thought they were required to hold onto the puck for 20 minutes in the face off circle before dropping the puck to start action.

I'm working on a separate post/rant about the officiating, but the AHL should just really be ashamed by how bad things have been. And not just how bad they calls have been or not been against the Aeros. The officials have been equal opportunity offenders -- see Koharski blowing a goal call against Milwaukee in game seven -- and it's just a pity to see great series being dragged down by their awfulness.

10. And I just want to add that the crowds at Toyota Center have been fantastic and only getting better since the playoffs began. The crowds in Milwaukee were almost non-existent in Milwaukee last week -- there were just under 3000 for game six and, I think, about 3500 for game seven. But the Aeros have been getting some big crowds, and those crowds have been loud. And I'm not the only one who thinks so.

"The crowd’s been awesome, especially the last couple of games," Yeo said. "I think it’s been building as this playoff run has gone along. It seems like with the intensity that increases in the games, it’s increasing the atmosphere and the playoff vibe that we’re feeling right now.

"Right from the start of the game you can tell that the crowds are jacked up, they’re excited, and they’re feeling it. And because of that, it brings a little bit more life, and little bit more emotion to our guys."

So job well done. Now it's white-knuckle time as the guys head off for three games at Hamilton.

Note and Observations For Game Seven Prep

Okay, before you do anything else, go read my story on last night's game that is currently in the Press. There's a few quotes I didn't get in last night, and I think the quotes from O'Sullivan and Ortmeyer best represent the mood of the team.

Now the important stuff, game seven.

The Aeros will skate at about 1:30 at Bradley Center today. And part of that skate will involve putting their mind in the right place. They've got to shake off Sunday's game, they've got shake off the disappointment of blowing the lead with 5:00 left. That game is over.

"Game sevens are exciting," Jon DiSalvatore said last night. "Obviously it would be great to close it out right now, but playoffs are an exciting time, and game sevens are an exciting time. We’ve got to shrug it off. Obviously it’s a tough loss to take, but we’ve got to get our heads right, wrapped around what we can do better. And just get excited for a game seven. It’s a good time."

Then he continued with how he wants the youngsters thinking.

"We can’t waste any time feeling sorry for ourselves right now. Let’s enjoy it. Let’s be upbeat and positive. Embrace the day, get better tomorrow, and get ready."

Jed Ortmeyer wants the guys thinking this: the pressure is on Milwaukee, not Houston. Milwaukee's the number one seed. Milwaukee's the home team.

"We came up a little bit short, but we’ve tried to take our game to them the last three games or so," he said. "The hits and the grinding and the shots on their goalie are going to take its toll. Like I said, the pressure’s on them."

And then this from Patrick O'Sullivan: "It’s tough, leading with five or six minutes left. It’s not a fun feeling right now, but take tonight to clear our minds, get back to practice tomorrow and refocus, and like I said, it’s a game seven, and those are fun to play."

Frankly, I think Mike Yeo saved yesterday's game. Sure, the Aeros lost, but they were losing their cool and making stupid play after stupid play, stupid penalty after stupid penalty, and he called a timeout and said something that got them back on track. There were some guys sitting next to me who I think might have been scouts -- they were sitting in spots reserved for the Aeros, but they weren't Aeros guys -- and they were talking about how impressed they were with Yeo and how he got a team quickly spiraling out-of-control back under control.

What are the keys for Game Seven?

Well, Matt Hackett has to play an entire game. Not all of the goals that happened yesterday were his fault. There were the continued defensive breakdowns and pucks deflecting off of players -- like the OT winner. But he's got to play an entire game like he did for the last 15 minutes of the second period and the first half of the third period yesterday. He doesn't need to be Jeremy Smith out there, but he's got to be more consistent.

More importantly, the guys have to play their roles. Ortmeyer and DiSalvatore noted that the problem at the start was that everybody wanted to play the hero and they got out of their roles and they started playing really stupid hockey.

On the plus side, Patrick O'Sullivan finally figured out how to get past Jeremy Smith last night. He and DiSalvatore have been taking their shots all series, good shots, but they broke through last night. And that pass O'Sullivan made to DiSalvatore for the second goal was just a thing of beauty.

And in that fashion, the Aeros can't worry about Smith.

"He’s standing on his head," O'Sullivan said last night. "100 saves in two games in Houston. That’s why they were in those games in our rink for sure. We dominated those games, and he kept them in it. We’ve got to continue to try and get traffic. He’s a good goalie. Goalies get hot in playoffs, and teams do well because of that. And I certainly think that’s the case with them. But we’re not concerned with what they’re doing or guys on that team as much as what we have to do. And what we can control is how hard we play, and we’re going to have a better start next game and we’re going to be okay."

I'll close with this statement from Mike Yeo:

"Playoffs aren’t any fun unless you get a chance to play a game seven. It’s difficult, there’s no question, to sit and say we had a chance to wrap it up. We’ve won a lot of hockey games this year, and we feel a lot of confidence in that room. We have a chance to go out here and play a great game and put all our chips in and give ourselves a chance to win a game seven. I think, if you look at the first series and how things went, and we don’t want to look past Milwaukee here, but if you do want to accomplish moving on and having success further, past this series, then you have to play against these hard games and against these hard teams. Milwaukee’s been a great opponent so far, and I expect [Tuesday] to be the same."

Houston Press story... go read it!

Hey gang, check out John's story over at the Press if you want to be cool and awesome. You know you do.

Press Link and Goal/No-Goal Photos

First things first...Here's the link to the story in the mothership. Give it a read and show them you actually give a damn about hockey and hockey coverage in Houston. Send it to your friends. Send it to their friends. And so on, and so on, and so on...

As I said last night, I was down in the other corner for the goal/no-goal/goal scenario. Here's what I got. You can't see the shot. But you see the player reactions. And if you look in the last several photos, the goal judge appears to be reacting to the ref waiving it off. I don't know if he ever set off the lights. Some people said he did. Some say he didn't. I don't have a photo of it going off, but something sure set off the Toyota Center folks, and I doubt it was just the player reaction.

Aeros 4-1 Over Peoria (WIth Some Photos)

The Aeros tonight played one of the best games I've seen the team play this season in their 4-1 game one win over Peoria. They dominated puck possession for most of the game. They were hitting. Attacking. This is the type of game that Mike Yeo wants his team playing on a consistent basis.

Before we go further, here is Heather's game story.

Heather has the quotes in her story -- I'll have some in my story in the Press tomorrow. And Andrew really hit the good points in his post below.

Yeo, Hackett, and Ortmeyer were all in agreement that the team was a bit nervous to start the game, but that once Peoria scored that goal everything just fell into place.

Once again, we witnessed a fantastic performance on the part of Robbie Earl who just continues to raise his level of play. And what a great game from the Gillies/Peters/Ortmeyer line. And Ortmeyer's second period goal was just one of those things where I turned to Heather and Andrew to ask if I just saw what I thought I saw, only they were turning to me to ask that same question.

Here are some photos from the game. First off we have a shot of Jed Ortmeyer, which I really like, and which happened by pure accident.


Here's a photo of Matt Hackett taking a brief moment to relax late in the third period.


This is the end of the game.


Here's Robbie Earl getting a moment of recognition as the second star.


And for the second game in a row, here's Warren Peters as the number one star.

Throwing a few more articles at you...

Just a little cross promotion here if you guys don't mind:

I wrote my playoff preview for my own mothership, Pro Hockey News, so if you're interested, it's right here. Now, don't go flying off the handle when you see my prediction.

I'm generally of the opinion that predictions are pointless, particularly in a series like this where both teams are very strong in a lot of the same ways. In all honesty, I think it could go either way quite easily, so I picked Peoria to hopefully get some reverse mojo going.

But Peoria's game does honestly scare me a bit. I think the Aeros are going to have to be very patient in wearing them down and very tough and determined to win all those puck battles.

I think a lot also rides on goaltending. Ben Bishop is out with an injury and nobody's saying when he's going to be back. If he misses all or most of round 1, then I think that makes the series favor Houston. Jake Allen's a good goalie, but I don't think he's that much better than Hackett, and their backup isn't as good as Tordjman.

And in that 3 in 3 stretch next week, I'm not sure you want to play the same goalie all 3 days. That's a real grind, mentally and physically.

So yeah, I said Peoria in 6, but I'm never right about anything, so don't sweat it.

Here's a link to the Peoria side of the series preview. 

Also, here's my story at InGoal Magazine (which, if you're into goalies, is just chock full of goalie goodness every single day) on the media day skate with the Aeros coaches and a few players. That was a lot of fun and I appreciate the chance to get whiplash watching pucks fly past me into the net. :)

Aeros Making The Final Playoff Push

I've got a new story up over at the Press [link fixed] which sort of recaps the weekend's games. But along with that, it discusses the importance of the weekend. That importance being that the Aeros were finally able to get some much-needed cushion between themselves and teams three through seven in the division playoff race.

So go give it a read if you get a chance.

Say Hello To The Twins

Say hello to Kristen and Kirsten, or is it Kirsten and Kristen. These young ladies, along with being twins, are members of the Aerodynamics. I did a quick interview with them before last Sunday's 6-3 win over Manitoba, and if you click over to the mothership, you can see the story.

Just a couple of quick notes. The Dynamics actually have two sets of twins, I prefer the term twin twins, but I didn't get the chance to talk to them. Also, this isn't in the story, but if you're wondering how they do the dance routines on the ice, well, it's a bit of a cheat. They're not wearing ordinary sneakers, but are instead wearing special sneakers that have a special grip on the soles.

Sure it's a trifle, but hey, I thought it would be nice to break up the tension of the playoff race. See you all tomorrow night.

Jed Ortmeyer: The Houston Aeros' Medical Miracle Man

My latest story in the mothership is up, and it's a little bit on Jed Ortmeyer. I have to admit, I didn't know until recently all of the medical stuff that he has to deal with so that he can keep playing hockey, but knowing it just makes watching him play all of the more enjoyable.

Now not included in my post is this little tidbit which I found to be fascinating, but didn't have room for. When he played for the New York Rangers, he was on two reality shows: Cash Cab and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The Cash Cab was for charity, and the Extreme Makeover dealt with trying to help out a New York fireman.

So, yeah, he's just one of those good guys. Give it a read.

UPDATE: Oh, I almost forgot, Heather also has a writeup on Ortmeyer at the Pro Hockey News site. So read it, too. Just read mine first. And leave comments.