Hackett carries Aeros to 2-1 win over Texas

A mere 20 seconds into Tuesday's game, the Aeros were forced to come up with plan B. With three top AHL defensemen already on the shelf with injuries, NHL veteran Paul Mara decided to take the law into his own hands.

The law won.

Instead of getting payback for Mike Hedden's cheap shot from an earlier game, Mara earned a seven-minute power play for the Stars right out of the gate. Hedden did not engage, and Mara got 17 minutes worth a penalties and watched the rest of the game from the stands.

Hackett makes the stop - Texas Stars Photo

At that moment, it was the Stars' game to lose, and they peppered Matt Hackett with 37 shots while the Aeros managed no more than five in any single period. In fact, three Stars players - Jordie Benn, Justin Dowling and Matt Fraser - teamed up to out-shoot the Aeros 19-17 on their own.

But the Aeros got the last laugh, winning 2-1 in a shootout and saved Mara from being an absolute selfish goat. The old-school guy in me wants to shame Hedden for backing away for what he surely knew what was coming. But the Stars, already without many of their best players, took the seven-minute power play and dominated the game from there.

There were questions before the game as to where Matt Hackett's head would be after watching Darcy Kuemper get the emergency recall to Vancouver to make his NHL debut against the Canucks. His playing time already dwindling, Hackett sees the writing on the wall - Kuemper has moved ahead of him on the depth chart.

For now, it's Hackett's net, and he is going to have to keep playing like he did Tuesday to get another shot at the NHL, either with the Wild or another NHL organization down the road.

Carson McMillan tied the game in the second period with a short-handed goal, and the Aeros, after surviving OT, scored three times (goals by Phillips, Larsson and Fontaine) in the tie-breaker to take the extra two points. In the first four games of their eight-game road trip, the Aeros are 3-1; they have won seven of their last 10 games after the six-game winless slide.

Now the Aeros will take their game to upstate New York and Canada. First, they'll play the red-hot Rochester Americans, who seem to score about eight goals per game. Then it's off to Hamilton where they'll get their first look at the Bulldogs, who are the worst team in the West this year. Recently, though, they've won three of four and four of seven.

After that, they'll play a matinee in Toronto on President's Day before returning South for a home and home against the OKC Barons.

It's hard to argue that Matt Hackett was the No. 1 star of the game. And while we don't know how long Kuemper will be with the Wild, it's save to say that every game for Hackett this week will be bigger than the one before.

Let's hope we see more of the Hackett that saved the Aeros Tuesday night in Cedar Park.

Texas stays on top of this week's poll; Lake Erie rises to the Top 3

The Texas Stars stay on top of the rankings as we enter the virtual second half of the season. Please click on the image below to get a better look at the poll.They got three of a possible four points in their home and home against San Antonio last weekend, so they will stay at the top of the poll entering their game against the Aeros Friday night at Toyota Center.

The biggest mover at the top of the poll is the Lake Erie Monsters, who, with a win tonight, will sit atop the North Division. The Aeros have lost all four of their games against Lake Erie this season and have not held the lead in a single one of them.

They have talented forwards, and it looks like their goaltending issues from early December are a thing of the past. The Monsters could stay in the Top 5 if their parent team, the Colorado Avalanche, stays healthy.

Click on the image to see the Western Conference Power Rankings

They have won 11 of their last 16 games, dating to mid-December, and this weekend, they'll host the red-hot Abbotsford Heat (pun intended) in a battle for first place. This is definitely a case to see offense vs. defense, and the Monsters will play the Heat in four of their next five games. The Heat split a pair of games at Charlotte last weekend and remain at No. 6 in this week's poll.

Grand Rapids fell two spots this week after getting swept at home by the Aeros ... Toronto drops almost by default due to the lack of games, but they will get plenty of time to move back up as they play just three home games between now and mid March. This is a season-defining stretch for the Marlies, who like the Aeros better play well away from home for the next six weeks.

The Milwaukee Admirals are up three spots this week to No. 10. I probably had them too low last week, but they killed the OKC Barons after losing six in a row, the last a 3-2 loss to the Aeros.

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If you would have told me back in October that Texas would be the No. 1 team in the AHL before the All-Star break, I probably would have chuckled a bit. Top 10, not so much of a stretch ... but in the last three weeks or so we have seen the Stars transform from just an average AHL team to arguably the best in the 30-team league. The Stars are the No. 1 team this week; please click on the image to get a better look at the poll. 

Click on the image to see the Western Conference Power Rankings

During their inaugural season, the would grind teams down, and they were so hard to play against. Then Aeros head coach Kevin Constantine, in just the third or fourth game of the season, predicted they'd be "one of the last teams standing." Well, they were, making it all the way to the Calder Cup finals before Hershey took them out in six games.

In the last two weeks, their roster has been decimated by call-ups to Dallas due to the end of the NHL lockout. They have not missed a beat, and their only setback in their last 10 games was a loss at Chicago more than a week ago.

This weekend the Stars will face the San Antonio Rampage in a home and home series. It'll be interesting to see if they can keep up their torrid pace against a far inferior opponent (points wise) ... The Rampage have traded wins and losses since the new year, and I think they'll take at least one from this week's No. 1 team.

But the Stars will get No. 1 goalie Chris Nilstorp soon from Dallas. And when they happens, they'll be poised for another run to the Calder Cup.

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So we are about into a week where several AHL rosters have been raided and decimated due to the NHL training camps and the start of the NHL 48-game shortened season. Last week, I started the power poll for the Western Conference, and unlike last season, I am going to keep them all in the same post so those of you who want to see all the results may do so more easily.

The power poll image is smaller so it will fit in the allotted space. Please click on the image to get a better look at the poll. 

Click on the image to see the Western Conference Power Rankings

This week, the Charlotte Checkers have moved into the No. 1 spot. They have won four straight and have points in seven straight overall since an awful trip to Texas that saw them swept by the Aeros, Stars and Rampage. Toronto is a solid No. 2 thanks to a great home record and the best goal differential in the West. Our biggest movers were the Rochester Americans (up four) and the OKC Barons (down four). The Aeros get an honorable mention for dropping three spots due to their uninspired tailspin last weekend. Now they get to play the next two months on the road, so Aeros fans will really get to see what their team is made of.

Abbotsford stayed the same and kept from dropping further thanks to a couple of wins over the West doormat, the Hamilton Bulldogs. These guys have really had a rough go of it since making it to the conference finals two years ago.

Two teams that I can't really figure out right now are the Lake Erie Monsters and the Rampage. Lake Erie's won/loss total is bolstered by the overtime games and the Rampage keep trading good weekends with bad ones. I want to put them ahead of Peoria, thanks to that beating they put on them two weeks ago ... but I can't. The Rampage are just awful on the road, and just can't seem to turn the corner.

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The calendar has rolled around to 2013, the NHL lockout has ended, and now there are about three months left in the regular season. With that being said, it's time to crank up the old Western Conference power rankings again! Click on the image down there to take a gander at this season's first installment. Currently, I have the Aeros right where they are in the standings - fifth!

Click on the image to see the Western Conference Power Rankings

Last year, I started this to see what kind of feedback I'd get ... and it was marginally successful. Hard core AHL fans got a kick out of it and debating with me as to why I ranked so and so there, etc. Some even asked why I didn't include the entire league, but I just don't think I could do one of these deals without being able to see them play.

I do get to see all of the West teams at least once, and I follow news about all those teams on a daily basis. And with the new rankings, I have updated how I calculate the formula. This year's first list, though, is kind of boring. The conference is so tight from top to bottom, and everyone still has a shot at getting into the Top 8 for the playoffs tournament.

Grand Rapids tops the first Western
Conference poll of the season

On this list, I have Grand Rapids over Toronto for the top spot mostly because of how well the Griffins play both at home and on the road. Toronto can only win at home, but they do lead the conference in goal differential. Needless to say, the top 2 spots were very close.

When all the numbers were crunched (and basically all that means is that I weigh different stats on a scale of 1-100 percent) the next 10 or so teams were, too, very, very close together. I expect there to be more chatter and debate this time around.

I will try to crack these out every week between Monday and Wednesday afternoon in advance of that week's games. I hope you'll give these a nice look every now and then and let me know what you think.

Special teams a killer in 2-1 loss to Texas Friday night

The Aeros kicked off their three-in-three weekend with a 2-1 loss against the Texas Stars on Friday night at Toyota Center.

Chay Genoway had the Aeros only goal in the game, and Matt Hackett made enough stops to give the Aeros a chance to win a big division game. But, in the end, the old cliche about the other team wanting it more played out, and the Stars head back to Cedar Park with two points.

The power play scored a goal, but the Aeros drew two penalties in the third with a chance to draw even. No dice. Texas milked the clock, and the Aeros couldn't draw even with Hackett on (and then off) and then back on the bench.

"We didn't have a lot of energy, and I don't think we competed enough," said Aeros head coach John Torchetti. "We took a bad penalty, and it cost us the game. We have got to do a better job on the penalty kill. We've got to hold ourselves more accountable and we have to play better.

"Some guys are going to have to step up and take some pride in that job."

The Aeros were THIS close to tying the game late in the second period.
Photo by Morris Molina, Houston Aeros

Torchetti didn't name names, but there was clearly a lack of urgency in clearing the zone on the game winning goal. The unit seemed satisfied with the missed shot on the previous play. Texas wanted a goal there, and they got an easy one by Alex Chiasson for the winner. That marker was the eighth power play goal the Aeros have coughed up in the last nine games.

"It's really simple stuff," added Torchetti. "We have got to take pride in that job, and we are not taking pride in that job. It starts with me; I have to be harder on them and take some guys off (the PK)."

The first period was typical Aeros. Get a few good looks in the first three minutes and then get completely outplayed until the end of the period. The Jordie Benn goal found its way through traffic, and Hackett was screened. But the third-year goalie made three really good saves late in the first period to keep it a one-goal game.

Hackett did the same thing Tuesday against OKC, and that was good enough to rally the troops for the second period en route to a 4-2 win over the Barons.

"We have to come out and work harder," added Torchetti. "I thought we came out and had a really good practice yesterday, and then tonight we didn't even have the speed that we had in yesterday's practice. I think we thought we were just going to put our sticks out there and get two points."

"(The Stars) have not been winning the last few games, and they were hungrier for pucks, and they were getting points shots right off the bat. Our defensive zone faceoffs were maybe at 25 percent, and that is why they were getting better puck possession in the first period."

Chay Genoway scored a pretty power play goal to tie the game early in the second period. He hit the post and the crossbar before the puck beat Nilstorp. But, the Aeros did not show much life until late, late, late in the period when they had another power play chance.

The Aeros have to find a way to start better, and they have to find a way to get better on the PK.  Right now there are still a lot of injuries and - even though I hate to make excuses - that has to play into it a little bit. I really do think with everyone back, this Aeros team could be really, really good even without Granlund and Scandella.

Part of starting well, and part of killing penalties is having good chemistry both at practice and during the games. I just don't think the whole team has been healthy enough to really form a good bond. We'll see, and hopefully things will settle down when players start to get healthy and the NHL labor situation resolves itself one way or the other.

I know there are a few of you who blame Torchetti for the lack of energy to start the games. And that may be true, but don't think he isn't aware of this pattern. He shouldered much of the blame for Friday's game. He's moving guys around, trying to find the best fit, but until that happens, there are going to be a few more games like this

"We didn't come out a play a good, sound hockey game," added Torchetti. "And I will take the blame for that one. I have to find a way to get us better prepared for tomorrow."

Game Day - Aeros begin three in three weekend against the Texas Stars

Over the next week, including twice the weekend, the Aeros and Texas Stars are going to see a lot of each other. While there is still a lot of season left, don't underestimate the importance of these games ... especially for the Aeros, who later this month will start a stretch where they will play 18 of 23 games on the road. (If I could figure out how to make that last part blink, I would ... )

For you that means get to the Toyota Center while you can. Your only option for a good stretch of the season will be trying to watch AHL Live, arguably THE biggest #failure in all of sports technology.

The Aeros are 4-1-0-0 against Texas

For the Aeros, that means they better stock up on points while they can. Since that hot start on the road, the Aeros have lost five straight road games (outscored 17-8) and have just one regulation road win since Nov. 13.

To be fair, they have been really good at home since then, so they have been able to keep pace with the league. But if they don't turn things around before the end of the month, they are going to need all of those home games at the end just to make the playoffs.

Back to the Stars ...

They match up well with the Aeros, even though Houston has won four of the five games this seasons (two in OT). In the series, Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker lead all players with seven points each (both have three goals and four assists). Cody Eakin has been good against the Aeros this season and has three goals and an assist in the series.

The Stars are slightly better defensively, allowing just 86 goals to the Aeros 91. But the Aeros have scored 18 more goals than their intrastate rivals, and since Texas has the worst PK in the AHL (78.8 percent), the Aeros should be able to get goals if and when they can get to the power play. (Note - the Aeros have the fifth best PP in the league at 20.6 percent, but those numbers are much better on the road).

The Stars' Cody Eakin is ... good. 

The Aeros have points in four straight since losing badly at Lake Erie before Christmas. Texas, conversely, has struggled recently, going just 1-4-1-0 in their last six, including an 0-for-3 mark against OKC during that stretch. As good as Houston has been against the OKC Oilers, the Stars have struggled against them.

The goaltending favors Texas, as Nilstorp is 12-10 with a 2.24 GAA and a .913 saves percentage. Hackett has more wins, but his numbers look a lot more like half the people you'll see at LA Fitness this month. His saves percentage is OK at .905, but his GAA is 2.60 ... He and the defense need to clamp down and just play better early and with the lead.

I think many people, including myself at times, are just too hard on Hackett. This is not the same team that was here two years ago, folks ... not even close. The 2011 playoff team was LOADED with AHL ringers. This is a very young team with a lot of injuries, and Hackett, despite a pedestrian GAA, has the team in position for home-ice advantage in the first round.

Hackett is doing just fine. The biggest concern the Aeros have to have right now is the atrocious penalty kill numbers. They are just four spots from the AHL's bottom at 79.3 percent ... That has to get better, especially when you consider how many one-goal games this team plays.

The key to a successful weekend for the Aeros is tonight's game against Texas. And to get the win, the Aeros have to play a good first period and put the Stars down early. Texas is 13-3-2-2 when tied or ahead after the first period, and the Aeros are just 7-6-0-2 when down after one. Conversely, when leading after 20 minutes, the Aeros are 7-0-1-0; the Stars are 3-8-1-0 when they are on the other side.

In closing, I think Zucker and Granlund can dominate this season as they have done so far. MiG is heating up too. Remember when I sort of accused him of coasting last week? Well, he's only put up six points in his last four games and he's making good things happen for the Aeros.

My money is on the lockout ending by the middle of this month, and the Aeros better get the most out of Granlund while they can.

Also, here is a link to the Texas perspective from Hundred Degree Hockey...

Game Day; Aeros vs. Texas - 7:05 p.m. at Toyota Center

Tonight the Aeros play Game No. 3 in their 19th campaign, 12th since joining the American Hockey League back in 2001.

The Aeros have had a full week's practice since dropping their first two games of the season, and they'll get their first crack at Texas since losing to that squad back in the preseason. For starters, the Aeros will employ their "A" team against the Stars this time.

Click here for a take on the game from our friends at Hundred Degree Hockey.

I am not sure at which point Torchetti is going to give Darcy Kuemper a start, but my guess is that he goes with Hackett tonight. Just a guess, but I would think Hackett tonight and then again tomorrow if he has a good performance.

We'll see when we get to the rink tonight.

This is the first of 12 games against the Stars, a team that missed the playoffs a year ago and fired its coach after one season. The "experts" don't think Texas will be very good this year, but they've won every competitive game they've played so far, and it looks like they A) have great goaltending and can B) score.

Here are some more notes from the Aeros Press Office:

• The Stars and Aeros have played each other 36 times (12 per year)
• Houston took the 2011-12 season series by going 7-2-2-1 (taking points in ten of 12 meetings)
• The Aeros are 20-12-3-1 all-time against the Stars
• Texas took the season series in 2009-10 by going 8-3-0-1, but the team is 8-11-2-1 over the last two years
• The Aeros' PP is 15th in the AHL, converting two out of 15 chances (13.3%)
• Houston's PK sits 27th out of 30 teams, stopping four of six attempts
• The Aeros rank 29th out of 30 teams in penalty minutes, averaging just ten minutes a game
• Houston is averaging 1.50 goals per game, while allowing 3.00 goals per game
• The team is 26th offensively and 19th defensively

And some more information about tonight's opponent:

Texas returns 18 players from a team that posted a 31-40-3-2 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs. The Stars made some changes over the summer, replacing the coaching staff of Jeff Pyle and Jeff Truitt, in exchange for Willie Desjardins and Doug Lidster. The Stars roster currently carries seven rookies, including a group of five that were able to turn pro and play the final ten games of the 2010-11 season.  In all, there are six stars heading into their fourth season with the team. Forwards Colton Sceviour, Travis Morin, Francis Wathier, Luke Gazdic and Mathieu Tousignant, as well as defenseman Maxime Fortunus, are all back to play the Aeros for the fourth straight year. Fortunus is a former member of the Houston Aeros (2003-05).

There are numerous other skaters returning to play the Stars this season. Defenseman Brenden Dillon and forward Mat Fraser return for their second season with the club. Dillon enjoyed a solid first season pro, setting up 23 goals and totaling 29 points in 76 games played. Fraser finished second in the AHL in goals scored, leading Texas with a team-record 37 goals in 73 games played. Left wing Mike Hedden is back for his second full AHL season after scoring 19 goals in 2011-12.

Dallas has assigned numerous high-end prospects to Texas including Reilly Smith, Jamie Oleksiak, Alex Chiasson, Austin Smith, Jack Campbell and Patrick Nemeth. Smith played the final three games in Dallas last year after playing three years at Miami (OH) University. Olekiak was Dallas’ first pick (#14th overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. At 6-foot-7 and 250-pounds, Oleksiak is the biggest player on the Texas roster. Jack Campbell is another Dallas first-round pick (#11 overall in 2010), who will split time in net with Cristopher Nilstorp. Chiasson and Austin Smith turned pro after completing college seasons last March. Patrick Nemeth comes to North America after playing in Sweden last season. The 20-year old defenseman was drafted by Dallas in the second round (#41 overall) in 2010.

Rise of the Wolves continues

If the Vancouver Canucks can stay mostly healthy down the stretch, the Chicago Wolves are a final four AHL team in my opinion. Since the new year, they have done nothing but win, and right now, I'd take them in a best of 7 against just about any team save for maybe the OKC Barons.

Wolves move into Top 4 after an
impressive week on the ice. 

With Climie and Lack in net, the pressure is off to score four goals a game to get a win. The continuity is there to build chemistry and confidence. (In the dictionary, that is a synonym for "Houston Aeros"). Since most of our readers are Aeros fans, be very glad that the Wolves are in a different division this year. Playing the Wolves just two more times this year may be a blessing in disguise.

Other big winners this week were Abbotsford, Hamiltion and Texas .... All three had great weeekend, and the Bulldogs have won four straight. Toronto won two of three last week to keep a hold on the No. 2 spot. They are probably the best home team in the AHL and will be a very tough first round opponent for someone.

Big losers last week were the Rochester Amerks, Grand Rapids and Rockford. King Loser title for the week goes to the Houston Aeros for playing with just 16 skaters on Friday, 17 on Saturday and losing both games to the Abbotsford Heat. Houston lost all three in the stretch, but did play a very good game against Milwaukee on Valentine's Day. The Aeros probably deserved at least a point in that game, but the posts were very kind to the Milwaukee netminder.

The Aeros exist to help the Minnesota Wild, and they have to field what they think is a competitive team in the NHL. Aeros fans will continue to suffer until the ship is righted in St. Paul. When they get their act together, things should stabilize in Houston. That does not mean they'll get better, but that will likely put an end to playing with too few players in big division games.

Minnesota has been a joke for about two months, and the Aeros are only in the top 8 of this poll because they continue to have the fewest regulation losses in the conference.

Right now the Aeros are a team without confidence, and the guys in the locker room, while not publicly, are questioning their stance with the organization. Jim Mill keeps saying that he is trying to do everything he can to make the Aeros better. But his No. 1 priority right now is helping his GM make the Wild better. Things have to change for the better up there, or those guys are only going to have one more year to show they've made some progress.

Don't expect sweeping changes for the better in advance of the trading deadline. The best moves for the Aeros right now is just hoping the Wild get healthier before too long.

2011-12 Western Conference Power Rankings
Edition 4, February 20, 2012

PR	Team	Record	Streak	Last	+/-	For the record …
1	OKC	33-14-2-3	0-1	1-2-0-0	-	Lost 2 of 3 to MKE and SAT
2	TOR	29-18-4-2	0-1	2-1-0-0	-	16-5-3-1 at home
3	CHI	30-18-1-3	4-0	3-0-0-0	+2	Hottest team in the West
4	CLT	30-19-2-3	0-2	1-1-0-1	-	Jumped TOR in standings
5	SAT	28-22-2-1	1-0	1-1-0-1	+1	Lost two straight to Texas
6	PEO	28-22-2-1	1-0	2-1-0-0	+1	Won four of six to stay hot
7	HOU	25-16-3-9	0-3	0-3-0-0	-4	Expect more disappointment
8	ABB	28-20-3-0	2-0	2-0-0-0	+2	Powered past weak HOU
9	MKE	26-22-2-1	0-1	1-2-0-0	-	Split huge series at OKC
10	LEM	26-23-2-2	1-0	2-1-0-0	+1	Keep moving up with wins
11	RCH	23-21-6-3	0-2	1-2-0-0	-3	Have lost 4 of 6 to fall back
12	HAM	24-23-1-4	4-0	3-0-0-0	+2	4 straight wins, but 5-5 in L 10
13	TEX	23-25-2-2	2-0	2-1-0-0	+2	Huge weekend sweep of SAT
14	GRR	20-21-5-4	0-2	0-1-1-0	-2	Played fewest games in West
15	RFD	21-26-2-4	0-3	0-2-1-0	-2	Lost 3 straight in a bad week

Game Day, Aeros vs. Texas; It's time to step up

Normally I don't get a chance to go to Toyota Center for the morning skate, but something made me detour on the way to work. I watched the skate and then talked to Torch after the 60-minute workout. A few things stick out in advance of tonight's game against the Texas Stars.

First, we addressed last weekend, when the Aeros were bombed 10-2 by OKC and San Antonio. The scores weren't as bad as the games, but in the first game, a bad first goal led to another and before you knew it ... boom.

"We were fine in OKC, came out shooting, up 8-2 in shots; we were detailed, and then we don’t stay on the point with our execution on a forecheck," said Torchetti. "Boom, they get a goal on wrist shot from just inside the blueline, and then they score on the power play. Whatever they are shooting is going in right now, and whatever we’re doing is just letting it in. That is tough."

As for San Antonio?

"I think we played well enough to win in San Antonio, but again," said Torch. "We had three bad breakdowns."

And they aaaallllll ended up in the net.

"What do you mean Matt can't hack it? He is the (f**king)
bomb up in this place ... He will score three goals tonight."

We also talked about Hackett's numbers and his recent propensity for allowing at least one bad goal every game since, well, since he was sent back down from Minnesota. Torchetti defended his sophomore goalie, and said the wins will come again.

"At the beginning of the year, Hack pretty much won us a bunch of games," said Torch. "And I don’t even think he even got No. 1 player for our team. Everyone just said, 'Oh, it’s just Hack, he doesn’t deserve a helmet (the prize the Aeros give to their player of the game) for just being himself.'

"But then, when we’re not winning, it’s, 'Oh, Hack let in a soft one.' It’s a two-way street. We have to button down, too, for him."

Torch, as he does so often, then went on a bit of a tangent ... He went from talking about Hackett being able to win games for the team to challenging the veterans on the team to step up and score a big (and timely) power play goal tonight.

And that set up the next topic rather nicely. Jeff Taffe.

In 14 games since New Year's, he has not scored a goal and he's minus-11. He's down to minus-17 (17!) and if my notes are right, there are only two guys in the entire league worse off. Taffe is not minus-17 player. But it will only get worse if some shots don't start going in for him, and if he continues to let up (defensively) during critical times of the game.

Taffe, who hits more posts than anyone since Steve Kelly, needs to shoot the puck more. And that is exactly what Torchetti said.

"It’s a situation for him that, one, you want to get out of the scoring slump," said Torchetti. "To do that, you have to put the puck on the net more, which we’ve talked about.

"He is a big part of our success, and I am putting some pressure on him; I have to. I know he can do it, though. He will come through. It just seems that everyone is slumping at the same time."

Re-read that last line. Not only is everyone slumping at the same time, there is almost no-one left in the lineup. The depth is gone, and team confidence is at all all-time low ... for this season.

Make no mistake, tonight is a huge game. The Aeros desperately need a win, and they need to do it at home. They've just one win at Toyota Center since Dec. 16. They've won just three of their last 14 games at home (even though they do have points in seven of their 11 losses).

My gut says no tonight and yes to Saturday and Sunday. I just have a feeling the weekend could go really well, but it's nothing more than a hunch.

Hopefully my prediction for tonight will smack off the post and land in the corner for what fans really want - a Houston Aeros victory.

Game Day Update - Aeros vs. Texas

I have to give John Torchetti some credit. The Wild organization is in the middle of its worst-ever rash of injuries, and the new coach never seems bothered about all the talent that is missing from the lineup.

Part of me thinks he's frustrated beyond belief, and he just doesn't want to say anything. But another part of me thinks he really is calm about the whole ordeal because he's got real good goaltending at his disposal.

The Minnesota Hospitals keep dropping like flies, and it looks like the Aeros are going to lose at least one more forward today before their game against the Texas Stars.

This kind of reminds me a little bit of what happened to the Ottawa and Binghamton Senators last year. Early in the season, a lot of guys got hurt and they kept getting hurt. Bingo never really had it's full roster until the playoffs, and we all say what happened when they had everyone together.

That was a scary-good playoff team.

And now, with the Aeros 11 games over .500 and with a ton of overtime/SO loss points, they have some breathing room. If Kuemper keeps playing as well as he has, the Aeros can win games 2-1 (or keep losing in the shootout). So long as the defense and goaltending keep getting better, the Aeros will have a fighter's chance while the work around the recall of Warren Peters, Casey Wellman, Cody Almond and the injured Jarod Palmer, Jed Ortmeyer and Dave McIntyre.

While I don't have much of a feel for the game tonight, I do think Saturday is an automatic loss at OKC. Sunday could go either way with both teams playing a third game in three days. Rochester has several players on recall to the NHL, and they are not very good away from home.

Back to tonight ... the last-place Stars are 2-0 against the Aeros at Toyota Center. But they are without Bachman, their clear-cut No. 1 goalie. Tyler Beskorowany has played the last five games for Texas, and he is 3-2 with all three wins coming against first-place teams (Charlotte and OKC).

For some reason, I think the law of averages play out here, and the Aeros get a win. I think they lose Saturday and pick up a at least a point on Sunday. I have no idea why I am this optimistic with all the regulars out of the lineup, but over the last several weeks, they just keep finding a way to get points.

Why should this weekend be any different?

Aeros Lose to Stars 3-2 in OT

So that was disappointing. Not just the Aeros losing 3-2 to the Stars in OT, but the way the Aeros played the game. It was like, at times, they were skating in mud, playing sluggish and just a bit slow and out of synch.

The only reason the Aeros weren't blown out tonight was the play of Matt Hackett who stopped 32 of 35 shots, including one incredible stop late in the second period that had the crowd on their feet shouting "Hackett, Hackett, Hackett!"

The Aeros tied the game at :50 into the second on a pretty shot by Chad Rau, and Jeff Taffe gave them the lead at :34 into the third period. But that was about it on the offensive zone.

The thing that killed the Aeros the most tonight was the same thing that's been killing them all season. Stupid play. Stupid penalties. Stupidity. Head coach John Torchetti is getting tired of it, and he's searching for solutions to the problem.

"I don’t know how to spell discipline anymore," he said after the game. "You try to explain it so many times with this team. But we don’t want to listen to it. I don’t know anything except we’re averaging six penalties a night still.

"I’ve tried everything. I’m going to have to start sitting guys out for the first penalty they take. Discipline. They’re taking penalties that aren’t even near the net. Taking penalties two hundred feet from the net. You’re not going to win hockey games. You won’t last in the playoffs." (emphasis mine)

Still the Aeros are 9-3-1-3 on the season, so that's a plus. Jon DiSalvatore was able to play, and Casey Wellman made it back from Minnesota to get in the lineup, too.

The Aeros play the Stars again tomorrow night before facing Troy Ward, Luke Strand, Krys Kolanos, and the Abbotsford Heat at the Toyota Center on Sunday at 5:00.

Game Day Update

The Texas Stars will get on the bus bound for Toyota Center here shortly...In the meantime, there is some Aeros news to report. The Wild did assign Casey Wellman back to the Aeros. Not sure if this is a virtual assignment or a real one, but I am guessing it's the latter since they had to do that in order to get Mike Lundin off injured reserve.

Speaking of which, Russo's blog in MSP reported that Lundin has accepted a rehab assignment and will play for the Aeros this weekend. He'll probably play both home games ... no chance he'll do the three in three this weekend. The revolving hospital door up north keeps on spinning though. Just to make Aeros fans nervous, Jared Spurgeon and Dany Heatley did not practice for the Wild today. Both could be injured, just taking a day off or sick. Who knows at this point?

Also, if I were a bettin' man, I'd lay down a few bones that Jon DiSalvatore will be good enough to go tonight against Texas. The Aeros need him right now, especially against a Stars team that allows a ton of goals per game.

Update! Here is a link to a preview of the game from Stars' perspective....

Oh, and one housekeeping note here. We love all your comments, and we don't like to censor. We love compliments and criticism both equally. How can you get better if no one disagrees with you and dialogue dries up? But ... we are not going to publish comments when we are called names. If you call us a name and tell us WHY you are calling us a name. Well, we'd be more than happy to print that. But if you just call us a name, that is not going to fly.

Our readers want entertainment, and insults without explanation are not entertaining.

And The Winner Is...

The Milwaukee Admirals just took down the Texas Stars 3-2 in double overtime. Milwaukee wins the series 4-2, and that means that they'll be the team facing the Aeros. And since Milwaukee finished the season with more points, and since they're the number one seed, they will have the home ice advantage.

The series starts on Friday night in Milwaukee, and because of the travel distance involved, it will feature the 2-3-2 format.

The series schedule is as follows:

Fri, April 29: at Milwaukee, 7:00.
Sun, May 1: at Milwaukee, 5:00.
Tue, May 3: at Houston, 7:05.
Thur, May 5: at Houston, 7:05.
*Fri, May 6: at Houston, 7:35.
*Sun, May 8: at Milwaukee, 5:00.
*Tue, May 10: at Milwaukee, 7:00.

*if needed.

Aeros Lose To Texas

Aeros got beat up on by Texas tonight, losing 3-0. Matt Hackett was bombarded, facing 36 shots while the Aeros were only able to get off 20. Meanwhile, Milwaukee beat Oklahoma City in the shootout, so...

Standings as of now...

1. Milwaukee 38-19-5-8 (89 points)
2. Houston 41-26-1-5 (88 points)
3. Texas 37-24-4-6 (84 points)
4. Oklahoma City 36-26-2-9 (82 points)

Chicago, Milwaukee, and San Antonio were off tonight.

That's a nice set up for this weekend when the Aeros host the Barons for three games.

Random Thoughts from Last Night

Is anybody else like me where at this point in the season, it's all sorta running together?

Never the less, that was one of the most exciting games I've seen in a while and I'd been wondering when this "rivalry" was actually going to start looking like a rivalry. With 3 fights and more boarding than an airport, I'd say we're getting darn close to this one getting as nasty as San Antonio, especially as they get more desperate.

Like I always say, "If you can't beat 'em, beat 'em up."

I know you guys might think I don't like Anton because I'm hard on him, but it's not true. I'm hard on him because I know he's a good goalie. But I'm gonna say something good about him, in spite of that abysmal first goal against: When he lands on his butt and rolls through the splits to get back on his knees/feet... well, that's just fantastic bendy goalie porn and I (and others, trust me) appreciate the show. The kid is cuh-razy flexible.

So, don't say I never said anything nice about Anton.

How sick is that DiSalvatore, O'Sullivan, Wellman line? Good gravy. I kinda would have thought that line would be too much "soft and handsy" without Almond's grit, but honestly, they battled through bodies and protected the puck just fine. Being small, quick, and slippery like Wellman is can work pretty well if you've got solid hockey sense.

And while his OT game winner was a thing of beauty (how's that for a "Honey, I'm home!"), his back handed pass to DiSalvatore on that gorgeous tic-tac-toe goal impressed me even more. Awareness and finesse. Man. Welcome back. Stay healthy!

Since the game was at home Tuesday, I dunno how many of you heard Joe's 2nd intermission interview with Kalus, but I had to leave early and heard it on my way down to Space City to stop some pucks.

Anyway, if you haven't noticed, Kalus has been a healthy scratch a lot this season, so I was glad to hear the interview. Sometimes we only want to talk to guys who have a happy story to tell, but Kalus really doesn't right now. I thought he had matured a lot last season, but maybe wasn't finding his niche on this team, though he said in the interview that Yeo's system suits his game well.

The interview made me sad for the guy, because he clearly just wants to play and said they haven't really told him why he's not playing nor what he can do to get in the lineup (other than wait for guys to get hurt or called up, which is how he got in last night).

One really honest bit that stood out to me was when Joe asked him how this coaching staff is working for him, Kalus said that's hard to answer. On one hand, their style suits him and the team is doing well, but on the other hand they don't play him. I don't wanna put words in his mouth but I felt the gist was, "Well, no, they're not really doing it for me, to be honest."

I would think it's tough to see everybody else buying in and having success while basically looking in from the outside.

Anyway, kudos to Joe for doing an interview that was bound to get a little awkward. He was in the Terry Gross zone there.

I just checked out my magnet schedule while I was making my decaf (ugh--I miss caffeine) this morning and, man, is there ever a LOT of home ice hockey coming up. Wee! Gonna be a fun month if the guys play like we know they can (and now EXPECT them to).