FEB. 9, 2011: AEROS AT ROCKFORD ICEHOGS (6:35 p.m. CST)
OVERVIEW
The Houston Aeros (30-19-1-3) continue a run of four straight games away from Toyota Center with a West Division matchup against the Rockford IceHogs (20-21-2-4). The Aeros have won four straight games and are coming off a 4-1 win over Texas on Tuesday night. Rockford last played on Saturday and edged the Abbotsford Heat by a 3-2 count. Rockford has won four times in its last 10 outings and occupies the No. 8 spot in the West Division. The Aeros enter tonight’s game tied for the No. 1 spot with Milwaukee and San Antonio in both the West Division and Western Conference; all three teams have 64 points. The No. 1 to No. 7 positions in the West Division are separated by only six points, while the top 10 teams in the Western Conference are separated by just nine points.
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AEROS UPCOMING GAMES
Feb. 11 at Peoria, 7:05 p.m. CST
Feb 13 vs. Peoria (at Minnesota), 1 p.m. CST
Feb. 17 vs. Chicago, 11:05 a.m.
BROADCAST INFO
Follow the Aeros on News Talk 1070 KNTH and online at AEROS.COM with Joe O’Donnell providing the play-by-play call. Watch every game at www.ahllive.com.
AEROS AT A GLANCE
STANDING………………………….....T1/West Div.
RECORD…………………………..30-19-1-2, 64 pts.
HOME……………………………………….15-6-1-1
ROAD………………………………………15-13-0-2
STREAK……………………………………...WON 4
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
· The Aeros are going for their fifth consecutive win tonight. If they succeed, it will be a season-high.
· The Aeros have won five of their last six on the road and three-straight. A win tonight marks a season-high streak.
· All 30 of Houston’s wins have come when the team allows three or fewer goals.
· 25 of Houston’s wins have come when they score the first goal.
· Since Dec. 26, the Aeros are 8-0-0-1 at home. That’s the second-longest home point streak in the AHL this season. Portland had the longest (10 games, Oct. 9-Nov. 20).
· The Aeros won 10 games in the month of January, one win shy of a team record for victories in one month (10 games played or more).
AEROS SPECIAL TEAMS
PP: 17.0% (18th)…………………..PK: 84.6% (9th)
PPG: 40………………………………………SHG: 4
NHL AFFILIATES
Houston Aeros……………………….Minnesota Wild
Rockford IceHogs………………Chicago Blackhawks
AEROS LEADERS
Points..................................................DiSalvatore (34)
Goals………………………………………...Earl (16)
Assists……………………………………Noreau (25)
PPG…………………………………Almond/Earl (6)
PP-Pts…………………………………….Noreau (18)
SHG…………………………………….McMillan (2)
SH-Pts……………………………..........McMillan (3)
PIM.....………………………….............Kassian (107)
VS. ROCKFORD ICEHOGS
ALL-TIME AEROS RECORD: 10-10-2-2 (7-5-5-1-1 at home, 5-5-2-0 at RFD).
SEASON RECORD: 2-2-0-0 (1-1-0-0 at home, 1-1-0-0 at RFD)
NOTES: Rockford entered the week in the bottom spot of the West Division... G Matt Hackett has seen action in three of the four games vs. RFD and is 1-2-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .929 SV%...The teams meet again Feb. 19 at RFD… The teams played back-to-back contests on Dec. 2-3 at Toyota Center and split the pair…
AEROS TIDBITS
· Houston tied a season-long three-game road winning streak on Jan. 22 at LE; the streak was snapped on Jan. 23 at TOR. They have won five of their last six on the road.
· The Aeros won their 30th game of the 2010-11 season on Feb. 8 in their 53rd game. Last season, it took the club 71 games to win 30 overall (March 26).
· Robbie Earl has scored 10 of his 16 goals on the road… Cody Almond has notched 16 (8-8-16) of his 24 points on the road…
· Max Noreau leads the Aeros with 10 multi-point games.
· Houston’s 53 games played is among the most in the AHL behind only Lake Erie (55) and Chicago (54). Abbotsford and OKC have also played 53 games.
· Tonight is Houston’s 30th road game; only Toronto has played more (31).
JANUARY JUGGERNAUT --- The Aeros had an impressive month of January by recording a 10-2-0-1 record and moving into position to challenge for the top spot in the Western Conference. Here’s a rundown of nuggets from January…
· Jan. 2011 was the sixth time in franchise history the team has recorded 10 or more wins in a month.
· The last time was Jan.2003 (11-2-3-0).
· The franchise has recorded 10 wins or more in a month in four other seasons (1997-98, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03).
· In the 1997-98 and 00-01 seasons the team lost in the 1st round of playoffs.
· In the 1998-99 and 2002-03 seasons the team went on to win championships.
· The Aeros have never finished season lower than 2nd in their division when recording 10 or more wins in one month
· Houston’s .808 win % in Jan. 2011 is tied for the 4th highest in franchise history for best winning % in a month (when playing 10 or more games).
HOMEBOYS --- Houston has points in nine consecutive home games dating back to Dec. 26…They have also won 12 of 16 at home dating back to a Nov. 21 victory over Texas. Six of those wins have been decided by one goal; four have been decided by two goals.
STREAKS --- Anton Khudobin has won four in a row… Jon DiSalvatore ran his scoring streak to four games with a season-high three points, all assists, on Feb. 8. He has points (4-9-13) in nine of his last 10 games and has racked up eight multi-point games this season… Patrick O’Sullivan has four points (3-1-4) in his last three games…. Maxim Noreau has points in three-straight games (1-4-5)…
AEROS GOALIES --- Anton Khudobin is 17-9-1 with a 2.46 GAA and .913 SV%. Khudobin has won six of his last seven starts and four in a row... With the Jan. 28 SO win over ABB, Khudobin is now 5-1 in shootouts. He has won four straight shootout decisions and six-straight extra time decisions. In addition Khudobin is 4-0 at home in the extra-extra and 7-2 overall in extra time games including overtime decisions… Matt Hackett is 11-11-2 with a 2.47 GAA and .913 SV%. He is 3-1-1 in his last five decisions.
TURNSTILE TIDBITS --- Through 23 home games, the Aeros are sixth in the AHL with an average attendance of 6,137… The 10,552 on hand for the Jan. 1 game was the largest crowd for an Aeros contest since Dec. 3, 2009, when 11,291 watched the Aeros and Rampage at Toyota Center.
RECENT ROSTER MOVES --- F Cody Almond and D Justin Falk were reassigned by MIN on Feb. 6……F Cody Almond and D Justin Falk were recalled by MIN on Feb. 5…F Cody Almond was reassigned by MIN on Jan. 26… G Josh Tordjman was loaned to BAK on Jan. 20… G Anton Khudobin was reassigned by MIN on Jan. 20.
LAST GAME QUICK RECAP --- Patrick O’Sullivan and Cody Almond each registered a goal and an assist while Jon DiSalvatore chipped in with three helpers as the Houston Aeros won their fourth-straight game in a 4-1 victory over the Texas Stars on Tuesday night at the Cedar Park Center. The win pulled the Aeros into a first place tie in the American Hockey League’s West Division. Houston has won 10 of its last 12 games and five of its last six away from Toyota Center. Justin Falk and Jed Ortmeyer also scored for Houston while Anton Khudobin made 32 saves in goal.
