Sun., Jan. 22, 2012

The Houston Aeros (21-9-3-8, 53 pts.) close a 3-in-3 weekend with a 5:05 p.m. home game against the San Antonio Rampage (21-18-2-0, 44 pts.) Sunday at Toyota Center.

AEROS BROADCASTS
Radio: 1070 KNTH-AM
Listen online: www.aeros.com
Watch online: www.ahllive.com
Listen via Smartphone: Download the TuneIn Radio app; search Houston, then KNTH.

LIVE SCORING AND STATS
The AHL provides live scoring and stats via the GameCenter tab at www.theahl.com.

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OVERVIEW
The Houston Aeros (21-9-3-8, 53 pts.) close a 3-in-3 weekend with a 5:05 p.m. home game against the San Antonio Rampage (21-18-2-0, 44 pts.) Sunday at Toyota Center.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
---The Aeros are coming off a 4-3 SOL at TEX last night.
---Houston is winless (0-1-1-1) in three straight and winless in three at home (0-2-1-0).
---The Rampage beat Peoria 5-1 at home last night and has won four in a row.
---The Aeros and Abbotsford Heat both sit six points out of first place behind OKC in the AHL’s West Division race.

WATCH FOR THIS
The Aeros have gone to extra time in both of this weekend’s games and in three of their last five games. That's the second-most in the AHL (along with Grand Rapids and Rochester) behind Connecticut's 14 extra-session contests. Six consecutive games have been decided by one goal (3-1-1-1).

THIS WEEK’S GAMES
Friday (Jan. 20) --- vs. San Antonio (3-2 OTL)
Saturday (Jan. 21) --- at Texas (4-3 SOL)
Sunday (Jan. 22) --- vs. San Antonio (5:05 p.m. CST)

AEROS BROADCASTS
Radio: 1070 KNTH-AM
Listen online: www.aeros.com
Watch online: www.ahllive.com
Listen on Smartphone including BlackBerry: Download the TuneIn Radio App; search Houston, then KNTH.

LIVE SCORING AND STATS
The AHL provides live scoring and stats via the GameCenter tab at www.theahl.com.

GOING TO AEROS HOME GAMES
On-street, garage and surface parking surround Toyota Center… The Box Office and Will Call windows are located on La Branch Street… Due to recent road construction surrounding Toyota Center, the Aeros encourage all guests to allow extra time for parking or visiting the box office.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
On Jan. 22, the first 2500 fans will get a photo of team mascot Chilly as the Aeros celebrate Chillypalooza.

AEROS/RAMPAGE HEAD-TO-HEAD
This is the ninth meeting this season… Houston is 6-0-1-1 vs. the Rampage this season (3-0-1-1 at home, 3-0-0-0 on the road)…  HOU PP is 11/33 (33.3%)… SA PP is 4/31 (12.9%)… The Aeros are 67-28-8-5 all-time vs. the Rampage (39-11-3-1 at home, 28-17-5-4 on the road).

RECENT AEROS TRANSACTIONS
---Jan. 21: Chris Clackson signed PTO (from Gwinnett ECHL)
---Jan. 20: C.J. Stretch signed PTO (from Ontario (ECHL)
---Jan. 20: Matt Kassian, Jed Ortmeyer, Nate Prosser and Chad Rau were recalled by MIN
---Jan. 20: David McIntyre and Casey Wellman reassigned by MIN
---Jan. 19: F Joey Martin signed PTO (from Toledo ECHL)

AEROS INJURIES
Cody Almond has missed the last four games… Jeff Penner has missed the last two games.

AEROS MILESTONES
---Several Aeros are on the milestone watch. Listed below is where they currently sit…
---Drew Bagnall (300 AHL GP).
---Jon DiSalvatore (200 Aeros games/190 AHL goals/61 Aeros goals).
---Jeff Taffe (500 AHL games/402 AHL points)
---Matt Kassian (491 Aeros PIM). He already ranks second in Aeros AHL history behind Erik Reitz.
---Jon DiSalvatore’s 18th goal will be 69th as an Aero, placing him first in franchise history (AHL only, 4th AHL/IHL). His 41st game on Jan. 21 at TEX was his 200th as an Aero, placing him 10th all-time in Aeros/AHL history.

AEROS PLAYER NOTES
---Mike Radja scored his first two goals as an Aero on Jan. 21 at TEX.
---Chris Clackson earned an assist on Radja's second goal in his first game as an Aero.
---Kyle Medvec registered his first points of the season with a pair of assists on Jan. 20.
---C.J. Stretch notched an assist in his first Aeros and AHL game on Jan. 20.
---Justin Fontaine has three goals in the last four games.
---Jeff Taffe notched his 400th AHL point with an assist on Jon DiSalvatore's goal on Jan. 8 at SA.
---Taffe had two assists while skating in his 500th AHL game on Jan. 21 at TEX.
---The Aeros have made 23 transactions since Jan. 1 involving 17 different players. The team made 33 transactions from Dec. 1-Dec. 31 involving 17 separate players.

TEAM NOTABLES
---Houston has earned at least a point in 18 of the 23 games (9-6-3-6) in which they have allowed the first goal. They are 12-3-0-2 when scoring first.
---The Aeros played nine of 11 games at home from Dec. 8-Jan. 6 and posted a record of 3-4-0-2 in those contests.
---Houston plays seven of 10 games on the road from Jan. 8-Feb. 2. So far, they have notched a 3-1-0-1 record.
---Houston has played 21 games that have been decided by one goal (8-2-3-8).
---The Aeros edged Grand Rapids 3-2on Jan. 11 for their first shootout victory of the season.
---The Aeros broke the 100,000 mark in attendance this season with the 4,608 who attended the game on Dec. 18.

AEROS GOALIES
HACKETT – Is 4-7-2 (2.40 GAA/.919 SV%) at home and 9-0-1 (1.99 GAA/.939 SV%) on the road… Won six-straight road starts from Oct. 28-Dec. 30… Made his NHL debut on Dec. 6 and made 34 saves in a 2-1 win at SJ after entering the game early in the first period to relieve an injured Josh Harding… Last Game: Stopped 30 of 33 in a 3-2 OTL vs. SA on Jan. 20.

KUEMPER --- Is 1-1-2 at home (2.01 GAA/.934 SV%) and 4-2-2 on the road (2.19 GAA/ .931 SV%)… Led the ECHL in both GAA (1.74) and save percentage (.941) at the time of his recall on Nov. 29 and posted a 7-1-0 record with the Ontario Reign… Recorded his first pro shutout with 1-0 win on Dec. 9 vs. SAN (33 saves)… Last Game: Stopped 45/48 in a 4-3 SOL at TEX on Jan. 21.

POWER PLAY
Is 1/10 in the last three games… Went 7/38 (18.4%) in games 31-40…  Went 5/37 (13.5%) in games 21-30 after going 20/106 (18/9%) in games 1-20… Set a season-high going 3/5 in a 4-2 win at SAN on Oct. 28.

PENALTY KILL
Opponents are 4/9 on the PP in the last three games… Stopped 28/36 (77.7%)… Stopped 20/27 (74.0%) in games 21-30… Stopped 80/97 (82.4%) in games 1-20.

AEROS PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
4 – BAGH-nawl
7 – FRED-haym
8 – MED-vekh
10 – RAHD-juh
14 – deh-SAL-vuh-tohr
20 – ROWH (like now)
22 – TAYF
26 – MACK-in-tyre
27 – mick-MILL-uhn
35 – KEM-per
39 – GEHN-oh-way
41 - ORT-migh-er
42 – KASS-ee-uhn
61 – KOOH-muh