From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

Wolves 4, Aeros 2
Official Box Score

HOUSTON, Texas – Mark Popovic and Jordan LaVallee scored 1:16 apart late in the second period and Michael Garnett made 21 saves, as the Chicago Wolves defeated the Houston Aeros 4-2 at Toyota Center. Jared Ross and Derek MacKenzie added an insurance marker apiece in the third period for the Wolves, who improved to a perfect 5-0-0-0 on the road.

Wyatt Smith and Danny Irmen each scored a goal and Josh Harding made 34 saves for Houston (3-6-0-1), which had won three straight but saw two critical third period power plays cut short due to penalties. The Aeros, who were shorthanded five times in the third period alone, outshot Chicago 10-5 in the first, but the Wolves dominated after that to the tune of a 33-13 shot count.

The Aeros close their four-game homestand Friday when former Aeros All-Star Erik Westrum leads the Toronto Marlies into town for a 7:35 p.m. game. The first 3,000 fans receive a Happy Feet movie poster and activity book. Buy Tickets

Former Aero Cory Larose had Chicago’s best chance of the opening 20 minutes, less than three minutes in. Stationed in the mid slot, Larose tipped a point shot towards the far post, but Harding got a pad out to make the stop.

Smith got the Aeros on the board early with his third goal of the season 7:47 into the first period. Roman Voloshenko (two assists) corralled a loose puck along the boards behind the net and sent a centering pass to the front of the crease, intended for Matt Foy. The puck deflected right to Smith, whose point blank shot found the netting.

Bryan Lundbohm nearly made it 2-0 with 5:15 left in the first, when he broke in shorthanded with Danny Irmen. But Garnett made a pad save on Lundbohm’s backhander to keep the deficit at one goal.

Houston has led after one period in three straight games, after failing to do so in each of the first seven games of the season.

While the Aeros forced their style upon the Wolves in the first period, it was Chicago controlling the tempo of the second, outshooting Houston 21-4 and scoring twice to take the lead.

Harding was brilliant on a Chicago power play early in the second. He robbed Brett Sterling’s tip attempt, then gloved away a rebound. Seconds later, Stephen Baby cut into the low slot from the right point and took a pass from the left corner, but Harding ranged back to his left to make the save.

The Wolves scored twice in a span of 1:16 to give Houston its first deficit at home in two games.

Popovic notched his first goal of the season with 6:32 left, after the Aeros failed on a power play. Jason Krog carried the puck into the zone on the left side, used a man cutting to the net as a decoy and flipped the puck to Popovic cutting in from the right point. Popovic snapped a quick shot high over Harding.

LaVallee’s second tally of 2006-07 put Chicago on top, at 14:44. Six seconds after a faceoff, he took a loose puck behind the net and stuffed it inside the left post.

After back-to-back penalties to Foy and Josh Olson, the Wolves played the last 69 seconds of the second period 5-on-3. Harding made an amazing save with two ticks remaining, as Sharrow broke into the right circle and rifled a shot.

The Aeros appeared to have a golden chance to get back in the game 5:08 into the third, when Chicago’s Braydon Coburn was called for his third minor of the game. But two seconds after the ensuing faceoff, Smith took a high sticking penalty, and then picked up an unsportsmanlike minor for arguing the call.

The penalty hurt, as Ross tallied his first goal, with the 4-on-4 time about to end. He took a pass from Sterling in the left circle and pushed it under Harding with 12:53 remaining.

Chicago’s Kevin Doell gave Houston a power play with a high sticking call with 10:27 gone in the third, but Foy was called 24 seconds later for elbowing. Just seconds after Foy was released from the penalty box, Curtis Murphy picked up a high-sticking minor.

The Aeros got a power play with 2:37 left and pulled Harding, but MacKenzie scored into an empty net nine seconds later. Irmen accounted for the final margin by scoring on the power play with 2:00 remaining.

Houston finished 1-for-10 on the power play, while Chicago went 0-for-12. The Aeros have killed off 24 straight shorthanded opportunities – all at Toyota Center.

Notes:

Not dressing for the Aeros were Steve Shields, Dieter Kochan, Alex Leavitt, Chris Ovington, Benoit Pouliot and Joey Tetarenko.

Former Aero Kyle Wanvig was a healthy scratch for Chicago. He has played in just two of the Wolves’ 10 games, due to an excess of veterans.

Foy played in his 200th pro game.

Krog has points in each of Chicago’s first 10 games. Teammate Darren Haydar had a nine-game point streak snapped.

Chicago has led in the third period in nine of its 10 games.

Harding fell to 4-7-0 in his career against Chicago. He is 48-23-4 versus the rest of the AHL.

Aeros defenseman Erik Reitz assisted on Irmen’s goal for his first point of the season.