Sat., Feb. 25, 2012

Jon DiSalvatore is one goal away from becoming the Aeros AHL club leader in goals scored. On Saturday, the Houston Aeros (25-17-3-9, 62 pts.) continue an 11-game road trip at Cedar Park at 7 p.m. CST against the Texas Stars (23-27-2-2, 52 pts.) at the Cedar Park 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 (25-17-3-9, 62 pts.) continue an 11-game road trip at Cedar Park on Saturday at 7 p.m. CST against the Texas Stars (23-27-2-2, 52 pts.) at the Cedar Park Center.

 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
---Houston is on the longest road trip in franchise history (11 games, 2-5-0-0).
---Houston’s 62 points are fifth in the Western Conference. The Aeros are 11 points off the West Division lead behind OKC and have Abbotsford (60) and San Antonio (59) in the rearview.
---Jon DiSalvatore needs one goal to become the Aeros AHL club leader in goals.
---The Aeros will log over 12,000 miles on the current road trip. By comparison, Aeros broadcaster Joe O’Donnell could take two round trips from Houston to Reykjavik, Iceland, to visit Bjork; or about 23 round trips from Houston to the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, where he could attempt to eat a 72 oz. steak in an hour.

THIS WEEK’S GAMES
Friday (Feb. 24) --- at TEX (3-2L)
Saturday (Feb. 25) --- at TEX (7 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.

AEROS/STARS HEAD-TO-HEAD
This is the 10th of 12 meetings this season…  HOU is 5-2-2-1 against the Stars (2-1-2-0 at home, 3-1-0-1 on the road)… All-time HOU is 18-12-1-1 (10-5-2-0, 8-7-1-1 road)… HOU PP is 7/36… TEX PP is 9/39.

RECENT AEROS TRANSACTIONS
---Feb. 25: G Matt Hackett reassigned by MIN
---Feb. 25: F Chad Rau reassigned by MIN
---Feb. 24: F Carson McMillan reassigned by MIN
---Feb. 24: F Benn Olson acquired in trade from BPT
---Feb. 22: G Matt Hackett recalled by MIN
---Feb. 22: G Rob Nolan signed PTO
---Feb. 19: F Jeff Taffe reassigned by MIN
---Feb. 19: F Chad Rau recalled by MIN
---Feb: 18: C.J. Stretch signed PTO

AEROS INJURIES
Jeff Penner has missed the last 15 games.

AEROS MILESTONES
---Jon DiSalvatore’s 20th goal will be his 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.
---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.
---Drew Bagnall played in his 300th AHL game at TEX on Jan. 21.
---Matt Hackett’s 34th game was his 79th as an Aero, moving him into the Top-5 in Aeros (AHL) career games played. His 23rd win will push him into second place in Aeros (AHL) career wins. His 983rd save will place him second in Aeros (AHL) career saves.

AEROS PLAYER NOTES
---Jon DiSalvatore has points in six of the last seven games (5-2=7) and 11 of the last 13 games (7-5=12).
---Kris Fredheim scored his first goal of the season on Feb. 24 and first since January 9, 2011 against San Antonio.
---Justin Fontaine has points in four straight games (1-6=7) and points in six of his last eight games (1-9=10). Fontaine has three two-point games in his last four games and four two-point games in his last eight games. Fontaine has eight two-point games this season.
---Chay Genoway has an assist in each of the last three games (0-3=3)... Jon DiSalvatore has four goals in the last three games.
---Kris Foucault has assists in two of the last three games and points in four of the last five games (2-3=5) and six of the last eight games (3-4=7).
---The Aeros have been involved in 68 transactions since Jan. 1 involving 28 different players. Overall the Aeros have been involved in 133 transactions since the start of the season.
---A total of 17 different players have been recalled from Houston to Minnesota this season. The Aeros have seen 44 different players log game minutes this season, and another three players who have dressed but didn’t play.

TEAM NOTABLES
---Houston has earned at least a point in 19 of the 33 games (10-14-3-6) in which they have allowed the first goal. They are 15-3-0-3 when scoring first.
---Houston played seven of 10 games on the road from Jan. 8-Feb. 2 and notched a 3-3-0-1 record away from home in that time.
---Houston has played 28 games that have been decided by one goal (10-6-3-9).
---The Aeros edged Grand Rapids 3-2 on Jan. 11 for their first shootout victory of the season.
---The Aeros drew 27,048 fans in three games over four days from Feb. 2-5, including a Toyota Center best-ever crowd of 13,390 on Saturday, Feb. 4.
--- The attendance of 13,390 on Feb. 5 was the largest crowd for the Aeros since moving to Toyota Center in the 2002-03 season. It was the largest Aeros crowd since 13,342 on Jan. 16, 2004.

AEROS GOALIES
HACKETT – Is 6-8-3 (2.58 GAA/.904 SV%) at home and 10-5-1 (2.29, .928) GAA/.933 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 5/7 in eight minutes of work in a 4-1 L at ABB on Feb. 18.

KUEMPER --- Is 1-1-2 at home (2.47 GAA/.920 SV%) and 5-4-2 on the road (2.51 GAA/ .919 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 30/33 in 3-2L at TEX on Feb. 24.

POWER PLAY
Is 3/16 in the last three games… Went 8/43 in games 41-50 (18.6%)… Went 7/38 (18.4%) in games 31-40…  Went 5/37 (13.5%) in games 21-30… Went 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 2/14 on the PP in the last three games… Stopped 30/39 (76.9 %) in games 41-50… Stopped 28/36 (77.7%) in games 31-40… 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
16 – STAW-bihts
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
44 – FRIHTCH
61 – KOOH-muh
Torchetti --- TOHR-cheh-TEE
Van Ryn --- VAN-RIGHN
LaPlante --- luh-PLAHNT