Some Monday Morning Miscellaney

Just a few items for this morning...

Marco Scandella and Kris Foucault have been recalled by the Minnesota Wild and should be joining the team today, per Michael Russo...

My Houston Press story today is on Chris Clackson who is more than just a hockey player, he's the developer of an iPhone app, Grocery Time.  The Press tech guru will be reviewing the app later today -- I'll try to throw up a link for that when it publishes...(here's the review from the Press tech guru.)

With 26 games to go in the season, and with eight games left on this road trip, the Aeros sit firmly in second place of the AHL's West Division with a record of 25-13-3-9 (62 points). They're seven points behind the first place Barons and six points up on the rapidly climbing San Antonio Rampage.  At this point, the Aeros would be the fourth seed in the playoffs and host the first round series...

Have a nice Monday.

Quick Roster Notes

Per Wild beat writer Michael Russo, the Wild have placed Matt Kassian on waivers with the intent of returning him to the Aeros. Also per Russo, Marco Scandella and Justin Falk were told they could move out of the team hotel and find some more permanent housing in the Twin Cities area, so it looks doubtful that we'll be seeing them with the Aeros this season.

And Today In Wild Injury News...

Marco Scandella broke a finger in the Wild game this afternoon. And some other Wild D are suffering from lingering injuries. So Michael Russo is reporting that the Wild are calling up a defenseman from the Aeros this afternoon. Which is kind of surprising in that I don't think the Aeros have that many extra defensemen lying around.

But that's the news. No word on who the call-up will be. But I'm pretty sure that the Aeros are going to desperately miss anyone called up. And some advice, if you're a player called up to the Wild, make sure that all of your insurance policies are updated.

Roster Updates - Update, Scandella back with Wild

As Andrew points out above, huuuuuge game tonight against the pesky Milwaukee Admirals, who are a mere 1 point ahead of Houston in first place.

Presumably Dekanich will start in goal and he's just been a boss this season. It's going to take a valiant offensive effort by the Aeros to sink his ship.

Good thing is that the Wild reassigned defenseman Marco Scandella to Houston now that Clayton Stoner is healthy (knock on wood). That should significantly strengthen the blue line.

Not so fast - It appears that Marco Scandella will play for another injured Wild player, per a recent Russo tweet. He practice for and play with the Wild when they lose to San Jose.

And they have signed Scott Campbell, a center just finishing up his college career at UMass-Lowell, to an amateur tryout contract. Apparently he was out most of this season with an injury, but presumably he's good to go.

Here's a press release on the signing.

Just A Brief Apology

Humor can be hard to detect on paper/computer sometimes, especially mine, which can be a very dry humor at times. So I just wanted to clarify that the part in this post about Marco Scandella being called up just for the purpose of sitting in the press box was meant to be in the same humorous tone as the parts that followed.

And let this serve as a reminder, as much as those of us in Houston are devoted to the Aeros and their attempt to reach the playoffs, the Wild are striving to do so the same thing, and just like the Aeros, they've been decimated to injuries to some key players who normally don't get hurt, like Cal Clutterbuck. So while we might all like to think there is some conspiracy by the Wild to harm the playoff chances of the Aeros, that is not the case, and for the most part, I think we can agree that Wild management has done a pretty good job of stocking the team with talent this year with guys like Warren Peters and Jed Ortmeyer and Patrick O'Sullivan and Drew Bagnall, guys who, without their being here at all this season, would mean the Aeros were nowhere near being playoff contenders.

So that's my say, and I'll get back to the bitching and moaning and poor attempts at humor after tonight's win over the Moose.

Goodbye Marco

Since Cam Barker is injured, again -- yeah, I know, a shock, huh -- and since Clayton Stoner MIGHT NOT be able to skate tomorrow night because of a back problem -- Stoner with a back problem, a shocker, I know -- Marco Scandella has been called up to the Wild where he will likely do nothing more than sit in the press box.

It's the job of the minor league club to provide healthy players to the big boy club, but damn it, Jamie Fritsch having to get major minutes is just not fair to a club trying to secure a playoff spot. So I've got a suggestion for Mike Yeo. When your phone rings, and you see that the phone number belongs to the Wild, don't answer. Don't open any emails from the Wild. Don't read any text messages. Don't open any letters. Don't accept any telegrams. Shoot down any carrier pigeons. After all, if the team can't contact you, they can't take any more of your players, right?

And damn it, Wild, maybe you guys should look into getting some new trainers. Or maybe you should consider signing some players who don't get injured in a stiff breeze.

Dear Aeros Fans: Why So Serious?

First off, my latest story in the mothership is posted. It's on the return of Casey Wellman and Marco Scandella to the team. Key returns, I believe, of two very skilled players who will help the Aeros immensely in that fight for a playoff spot.

I wrote this story, and filed it, before the Anton Khudobin trade, which is why I only address it at the bottom, in the miscellaneous notes column. But I want to use the post, and the Khudobin trade to address another matter: why is everybody so damn down on this team?

Yes, I've written some negative things in the past, especially after some of the losses, but frankly, I tend to be pleased with the team. The Aeros, after a bad start to the season, an awful start to the season, have regrouped to become one of the best teams in the league. Playing in what is probably the toughest division in the league, they're in second place, just a point out of first place, and they just won two out of three games in another tough three-in-three weekend that had them playing two other teams also fighting for a playoff spot.

Is it going to be easy? No. But should it be? Probably not. I think everybody was blinded by the play in January when the team could do wrong. It appears that I need to point out that, in this month just past, the Aeros went 7-4-0-1. Sure, it's not the 10-2-0-1 of January, but the rest of the teams in the league would kill for that record. And instead, we're over here discussing in comments that not only will the team not make the playoffs, but that they might drop all of the way down to seventh place.

I'm not trying to be all Mr. Sunshine here. I'm going to miss Khudobin. He was a great guy to talk to because he's still figuring out how to use his filter. But for all of you lamenting how the team is screwed because he's gone, remember this: it wasn't that long ago that Heather was writing him a "Dear Anton" letter because of his subpar play. And for all of you saying that Matt Hackett's not equipped to lead this team deep in the playoffs, I ask this: how many of you thought that Khudobin was equipped to take the Aeros deep into the playoffs two seasons ago?

The Aeros in the playoffs are not a sure thing. Not playing in this division. And I'm not trying to say otherwise. But stop looking at the trees and look at the forest. These Aeros, these Aeros we love to gripe and bitch about, have one of the best records in the league, and they have this record despite playing one of the toughest, stupidest, screwed up schedules in the league. The team has a top line of Casey Wellman/Jon DiSalvatore/Patrick O'Sullivan. And the number two line is now probably Cody Almond/Robbie Earl/Chad Rau.

The team added a good defenseman yesterday, which is probably a good thing seeing as how Drew Bagnall and Tyler Cuma are injured and that the Wild go through injuries like Carlos Lee goes through the post-game buffet in the Astros clubhouse.

So that's it for now. You may now proceed to blasting away at me. And also, if you don't mind, give the Houston Press article a read. I had to wait a really long time after Sunday's game to get quotes from Scandella, and I don't want that time wasted.

Scandella reassigned, photos from last night

So, as you might have cleverly guessed from the subject, Marco Scandella has been cleared by the docs to return to game action. He was hit in the ear/side of head with a puck a while back in Minny, and it rung his bell a bit.

Now that Zidlicky is healthy and Spurgeon has, for all intents and purposes, cemented a spot up there, Scandella's the odd man out. But with Cuma out, the timing is fantastic and I'm sure the team is grateful to get a guy with his talent back on the blue line. Um, sorry #4.

Pictures from last night's 5-3 win over Rockford, courtesy of Chris "Baby Got Back" Jerina.

The face of hockey right there, folks. The dentist who fixes this when his playing days are over will be able to buy a new boat on the AHL's dime.

Peters screening the goalie but Toivonen's got his eye on it.

Never realized how annoying Peters is to goalies. It's a dangerous proposition from the back and the front, if you notice where that puck is headed....

Bang. Hackett gets his stick on it. Cool shot.

Kinda love this little cat and mouse game goalies and skaters play around the net.

Rau's reaction to his goal. Neat shot with the ref signaling in there.

Check out the rest of the photos, particularly on page 4, where you can see a series showing Ortmeyer battling for that empty net goal. Cool stuff. Thanks again, Chris!

10/31/10 -- Aeros v. Stars -- The Monster Mash Edition

The Aeros got the 4-2 win over the Texas Stars tonight, improving their record to 4-5-1-0 in the process. There was some good defensive play. Anton Khudobin gave up two goals, but seeing as how he faced nearly 40 shots, that's a pretty good average. So on with the hail of bullets.

1. Did someone at Toyota Center forget to pay the A/C bill? It was ridiculous how hot the arena was. It was uncomfortable in the stands, so I would hate to think of how miserable it was for the players.

2. Was that a nice pass by Warren Peters to Carson McMillan for that third goal, or what? McMillan gave all of the credit for the goal to Peters. But think about it, how many times have we seen an Aero whiff on a supposedly easy, can't miss shot like that? But McMillan buried the shot, so he deserves some credit as well.

3. Andrew called the Nate Prosser goal in the third period, the one that made it 4-2. He made a comment about Matt "Gretzky" Kassian with the assist before Prosser even had the puck off of the pass. I just wish he would give me the damn lottery numbers.

4. Kris Fredheim's goal in the first period was a rocket of a shot -- one of those Max Noreau-type things. It was also Fredheim's first professional goal.

5. Marco Scandella -- I don't really know what all to say. He made numerous good plays on the defensive end, and he even got an assist. I don't remember who we gave the stars to -- but I argued that Scandella deserved one for his defensive play.

6. Guess what, the Aeros are on a winning streak. Sure, it's only a two-game streak, but a streak has to start somewhere, right?

7. Mike Yeo said the team had a good weekend -- there will be quotes in the mothership tomorrow. The team might have lost to San Antonio on Friday night, but he liked the team's play in the first period that night, and he was encouraged by how the team worked through the heat, the third game in three days, and letting Texas tie the score to come on strong and win the game.

8. He was happy to get the home win, especially because he thought you, the fans, deserved the win for sticking with the team.

9. The team's not out of the woods. He's going to spend this week working on focus while continuing to work on their understanding of the offense.

10. I don't know about you, but maybe the Aeros should just start declining power play chances. I don't even think the Aeros were this bad on the power play last season, and they were bad last season. My solution is to just stick four guys down by the net and let Noreau fire away from the blue line. But that's probably why I'm not a coach.

11. Here's a stat that won't surprise you. The Aeros are 4-1-0-0 when they score the first goal. Of course, their primary problem this season has been just scoring a goal at any point.

12. The Dynamics "Where's Waldo" Halloween costumes just didn't work for me, though I kind of liked the glasses thing.

13. I want to apologize for the delay in getting this posted -- I'm working a temp job at the moment (hoping that it goes permanent) and I had to do some work for it when I got home, along with writing a story for the mothership.

14. That said, I won't be around for Friday's game with Toronto. I'll be covering the Houston Cougars/UCF Knights game at Roberstson Stadium for the mothership -- college football gets bigger readership numbers.

15. Things go better with a win, don't they?

16. Do something about the air conditioning. Please.

17. In honor of Halloween, here's a Craig Ferguson clip from Friday night -- I think he's one of the funniest guys on television.

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

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

Now the hail of bullets.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. Where were the Ice Girls?

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

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

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

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

Meet your 2010-11 Aeros: Marco Scandella

Marco Scandella
Defense

Born: 2/23/1990 (20)
Montreal, Quebec
6'2" - 190

Shoots: Left

Scandella is the Wild's 2nd round pick from 2008 and we've seen him here a bit after his junior seasons have finished the last two seasons. Expectations are high for Marco and he seems to have fulfilled them thus far in the eyes of the Wild. I've heard nothing but good things about him coming from prospect camps and tournaments.

I've been somewhat skeptical, because he seemed lost at times during his stints with the Aeros, but maybe that's just me being a jerk. No matter how good you are, it's a jump to the pros, and especially at defense where mistakes show up on the scoreboard almost as glaringly as for goalies. So now he'll get his chance to jump into a fresh batch of players, and not a team that's been gelling (or, like last year, NOT gelling) all season.

Couple of things on Marco:

• He got a little break last season to the tune of 15 games for just about taking some poor kid's head off in an open ice hit. No big deal.
• He played on the Canadian team in the World Juniors Championship in January that took home the silver. 
• He's a shutdown defenseman, but can put up a few points.
• He won both the fastest skater and hardest shot (95 mph) at the Aeros skill competition.

I'm eager to see him play now that he's all ours and not just visiting at the end of the season. I think he's been in enough pressure situations and had enough tastes of the pro game to come in with a knowledge of where he needs to be and what he needs to do to succeed. He's progressed his game every year and is pretty sturdy, so I think he can be a great asset as long as Minnesota lets us keep him. 

Also, I promise not to call him the Italian Stallion all season. Maybe.

Interview with Tom Lynn; Brusty bobblehead

See, this is what I get for actually going to the games and not listening to the broadcast. Anybody who listened to the game on Thursday knew Scandella was signed and arrived last week. A tip woulda been nice... Bueller? Beuller?

Anyway...

Regardless of your feelings toward him, I always get a lot out of interviews with Lynn. He really doesn't pull many punches from what I can tell, particularly when it comes to player evaluation. In this interview, he talks tough love with regard to Pouliot, and a bit on some of the younger prospects like Falk. If you're into that stuff it's worth a listen.

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

Please, won't someone buy this for me?

Ahh, the wonders of Google Alerts.

Here's a tip, bobblehead maker: Just leave the mask off the goalie bobbles. Bless his heart--that's awkward.

Oh yeah, and check out that player stick. You don't need locker room access to know goalies have bigger sticks.

Anyway, yeah, I totally need that. Imagine, he has a bad game, you can thump him on the head and he'll just nod and wiggle at you. You can't stay mad at that!

You could even wad up little bits of paper and make a game of trying to flick it through that gaping 5-hole, or right in that pie plate of a catcher. Hours of fun.

UPDATE: And just to keep from appearing to be fixated on Barry by making two posts in a row about him, I'll just tack on the What's Bugging Barry? segment that Joe posted today.

Kolanos comes home; Scandella, Testwuide joining the Aeros

Ahhh, folks, I was having an awful day. And then Russo saves it like Lundqvist in the shootout with the following:

The only other real bit of news from today is that Krys Kolanos was sent back to AHL Houston.

UPDATE: Wild just announced it has signed its second round pick (55th overall) from the 2008 draft, 6-foot-3, 206-pound defenseman Marco Scandella, to an entry level contract beginning with the 2009-10 season. He will head to the Aeros on an amateur tryout for the remainder of this season. Scandella, 19, recorded 37 points and 67 penalty minutes in 58 games in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season.

What's that I hear? Oh yeah, that's the K-Train rolling into town, baby! Choochoo!

And y'all know I get excited about new kids joining the team. Kinda fun to get to kick the tires on these guys before training camp when everyone else gets to see them. So, welcome Marco. What are the odds we'd have two Canadian Italian dudes named Marco? Is that some kind of record for an AHL team? Li'l Marco will be wearing #18.

UPDATE: Here's an interview with him by my hero Kevin Falness up in Minnesota.

And according to the Aeros, there's more fresh meat on the way in the form of defenseman JP Testwuide (test-weed), former captain of the University of Denver squad. Looks like he's a scrappy, high PIM guy, so that's always good for some fun, right? And none of those silly cages to get in the way in the pros, baby. (Thanks to the Denver Post for the photo)

Now, I don't want to be Debbie Downer, but it appears our new boy, Testy, has a partially torn ligament in his knee. Not sure how much help that will be, but I guess we'll see. Like my Daddy says, "Shoot 'em up and send 'em out." But he is, apparently, the complete package. *clearing throat* JP will be wearing lucky #13 and, presumably, a knee brace.

Anyway, good stuff. I'm a little excited again. Just a little. Shhhh.