From: Ryan StanzelDirector of Communications Saturday, October 29, 2005 713.361.7930 (Direct Line)
AEROS RECALL D PETERS FROM ECHL PENSACOLA
HOUSTON, Texas – The American Hockey League’s Houston Aeros have recalled defenseman Colin Peters from Pensacola of the ECHL, the teams announced Saturday. Peters has no points and two penalty minutes in three games for the Ice Pilots.
Peters, 23 (12/4/81), played in seven AHL games last season with Chicago, Portland and Manchester. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound native of Eden Prairie, Minn., totaled six points (1-5=6) and 68 penalty minutes in 72 games for UHL Quad Cities in 2004-05.
Peters is expected to join the Aeros today in time for their game in Grand Rapids.
Houston Aeros (6-3-1-0) at
Grand Rapids Griffins (6-2-0-0), 6 p.m.
Printable Game Notes
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Aeros.com will also have updates throughout the game.
Aeros Game Day
Five things you need to know
The Aeros are winless in three straight games (0-2-1-0) for the first time since an 0-2-1-0 run from 3/18-3/20/05. Houston needs to win tonight to avoid its first four-game winless streak since an 0-2-2-0 span from 3/28-4/9/04. The Aeros’ 6-1 loss in Milwaukee last night, its largest defeat since losing 8-1 in Manitoba 3/19, snapped a four-game road winning streak. Milwaukee went 2-for-9 against Houston on the power play last night. The Aeros are in the middle of the road on the penalty kill at 83.2 percent, good for 14th out of 27 AHL teams. But, Houston has yielded a whopping 16 PPG in 10 games, just one off the league high. The Aeros have been shorthanded 95 times - 11 more than the next team, Chicago, and 16 more than San Antonio, which has been on the penalty kill the third most times in the AHL. Perhaps it’s no surprise that the Aeros’ winless streak has coincided with a lack of prowess on the power play. Houston ranks seventh in the league on the power play at 19.5 percent, but the Aeros are just 1-for-25 (4.0 percent) in three games since scoring a season-high four PPG vs. Grand Rapids 10/21. The Aeros have been outscored 4-1 on the power play since that game, and they’ve allowed a shorthanded goal in three straight contests. Houston was outshot 37-27 last night in Milwaukee. Getting outshot is something that is becoming an all-too-friendly occurrence for the Aeros. Houston has been held to 27 or fewer shots in each of its last four games and in six of 10 to begin the season. Meanwhile, every opponent has topped 30 shots, including nine straight at 32 or more since Opening Night. Last night, the Aeros kicked off a grueling stretch of 10 games in 17 nights. Fortunately for Houston, six of those games are in the friendly confines of Toyota Center immediately following this three-game road trip that finishes Sunday in Peoria. The Iowa Stars make their first ever trip to Houston on Thursday, followed by home games versus Manitoba next Friday and Sunday.
Aeros at Griffins (Aeros are 26-23-7-2 all-time, Aeros are 11-15-2-0 at Grand Rapids) Tonight is the 59th all-time meeting between the teams – 29th in Grand Rapids. Houston went 4-2-0-2 against Grand Rapids in 2004-05, including a 2-0-0-2 home mark and a 2-2-0-0 road record. Six of the eight meetings in 2004-05 were decided by one goal, including one OT game and two shootout contests. The other two games were each two-goal contests. Counting Houston’s 3-2 win at Van Andel Arena 10/15, seven of the last 10 meetings in the last two seasons have been decided by one goal. Houston is 20-22-7-2 against Grand Rapids since starting off with a 6-1-0 mark. Since joining the AHL, Houston is 18-16-6-2 against Grand Rapids, including a 9-5-4-2 home mark and an 8-11-2-0 road record. Houston is 1-0-6 all-time in overtime against Grand Rapids and 4-3 in a shootout. The Aeros are 5-8-0 in their last 13 trips to Grand Rapids, with three one-goal victories. The teams don’t play again until the final meeting of the season, 1/6 in Houston. Houston’s 7-3 home win over Grand Rapids last Friday marked the Aeros’ largest ever margin of victory against the Griffins.
Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros are off to a 6-3-1-0 start, but they are 0-2-1-0 in their last three after a five-game winning streak...C Erik Westrum has 15 points (4-11=15) to tie for fourth in the AHL lead in scoring...RW Kirby Law is tied for ninth in the league with 12 points (6-6=12)…D Kurtis Foster has 10 points (3-7=10), while counterpart D Curtis Murphy has nine (0-9=9)...G Josh Harding is 5-3-0 with a 3.16 gaa but left Tuesday’s game versus Chicago due to injury...G Miroslav Kopriva won his North American debut 10/20, making 29 saves plus four-of-six in the shootout in a 4-3 win at Omaha...But Kopriva allowed five goals in 31 shots last night in a 6-1 loss at Milwaukee...G Seamus Kotyk was recalled from ECHL Augusta Wednesday to replace Harding...He stopped five shots in relief last night.
Scouting the Griffins
Grand Rapids, AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, whipped Iowa 6-2 at home last night for its sixth win in eight games to open up the season...The Griffins, long-time divisional opponent of the Aeros, now lead the North Division with 12 points...Both of Grand Rapids’ losses this season have come versus the Aeros...C Jiri Hudler is second in the AHL in scoring with 18 points (12-6=18), and he leads the league’s goal race with 12...D Bryan Helmer leads the Grand Rapids defensemen corps with five points (1-4=5)...G Drew MacIntyre is 3-1-0 with a 2.27 gaa and a .921 save pct. while G Joey MacDonald has been rehabbing off-season surgery...MacDonald hopes to play in early November...G Jimmy Howard was just reassigned from Detroit and the rookie stopped 39 shots last night in a memorable debut last night versus the Stars.
2005-06 meetings (Third of 4 meetings, Aeros are 2-0-0-0 overall, Aeros are 1-0-0-0 at Grand Rapids)
October 15 Houston 3 at Grand Rapids 2
October 21 Grand Rapids 3 at Houston 7
Tonight Houston at Grand Rapids
January 6 Grand Rapids at Houston
Quick Hits The Aeros have scored only one goal in each of their last three games. The Griffins have played just a single one-goal game, a 3-2 loss to Houston 10/15. Houston led in each of its first eight games, but hasn’t seen the lead in either of its last two contests. Aeros netminder Miroslav Kopriva is a perfect 22-of-22 in the first period. But in the second, opponents have scored eight times on only 32 shots for a .750 save percentage. Milwaukee tallied three goals in the second period last night. The Aeros haven’t allowed 11 goals in consecutive games in nearly two full seasons. They lost 8-2 to Milwaukee and 6-1 to Utah on 11/6 and 11/7/03.
Aeros looking for some finish
Houston has allowed 15 goals in the third, the most in the AHL. But the Aeros have scored 11 in the final period. One of the reasons Houston has had trouble defensively in the third period is the shot total. The Aeros have been outshot 138-87 in the third period.
Power play update Houston ranks seventh in the league on the power play at 19.5 percent, but the Aeros are just 1-for-25 (4.0 percent) since scoring a season-high four PPG vs. Grand Rapids 10/21. The Aeros had at least one PPG in each of their five road games, but that streak was snapped last night. The Griffins are 19th in the league on the penalty kill at 81.7 percent.
Penalty kill update Houston ranks 14th in the league on the penalty kill at 83.2 percent, and it has yielded at least one man advantage goal in each of its 10 games this season. Houston has gone shorthanded 95 times in nine games. The Aeros have an AHL-high 104 minor penalties. Grand Rapids ranks fourth in the league on the power play at 22.6 percent. But, the Griffins are just 2-for-22 versus Houston, including a 1-for-13 performance in the other game at Van Andel Arena, a 3-2 Houston win 10/15.
Last Game (Friday)
Kris Beech and Timofei Shishkanov each scored twice and Pekke Rinna made 26 saves, as the Milwaukee Admirals rolled to a 6-1 victory over the Houston Aeros at Bradley Center. Rick Berry – in his Milwaukee debut – and former Aero Chris Bala also scored and Kevin Klein added three assists for Milwaukee (1-3-0-1), which won its first game after having scored only seven goals in its first four games. Miroslav Kopriva, filling in for the injured Josh Harding, turned away 25 shots in 42 minutes for the Aeros (6-3-1-0), who are winless in their last three (0-2-1-0) overall and had a four-game road winning streak snapped. Petr Taticek helped the Aeros avoid the shutout with a goal with 3:03 remaining.
Aeros/Griffins connections Aeros defenseman Anders Myrvold spent the 2003-04 season in Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids’ Darryl Bootland and Eric Himelfarb and Houston’s Joel Ward both hail from Toronto. Houston’s Ryan Stokes played 13 games for OHL Barrie in 2002-03. The Colts’ leading scorer that season was Grand Rapids’ Eric Himelfarb. Grand Rapids’ Kyle Quincey played two seasons at OHL Mississauga with Houston’s Patrick O’Sullivan, and one with Ryan Stokes.
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