From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Tuesday, November 2, 2004
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

For a printable PDF version of the Aeros Weekly Report, please click here.

Coming attractions:

WED, at WOR, 6:05 p.m.
The Aeros’ season-long six-game road swing continues in Worcester, where they have been blitzed by a combined 9-4 margin in the last two games. Houston is 3-2-1 all-time versus the IceCats, but went 0-1-1 last season, skating to a scoreless tie at Toyota Center and falling 5-2 in Worcester on St. Patrick’s Day. This will mark Jeff Hoggan’s first game against the Aeros. Hoggan, a member of Houston’s 2003 Calder Cup winning team, signed with the St. Louis Blues as a free agent over the summer. It’s also a reunion of sorts for Aeros netminder Mike Smith, who spent much of the past two seasons in Utah backing up Jason Bacashihua, who now tends the nets for the IceCats. The game will also feature three of the last five Hobey Baker winners - Houston's Junior Lessard (2004) and Worcester's Mike Mottau (200) and Peter Sejna (2003) all were named college hockey’s top player.

FRI, at GR, 6:30 p.m.
Houston makes its first trip of the season to Grand Rapids to open up a back-to-back weekend series. The Aeros went 5-5-0 against Grand Rapids in 2003-04 and were the only AHL team with five wins against the Griffins. The Aeros are 2-6-0 in their last eight trips to Grand Rapids, but did win two straight there November 19 and December 12, 2003.

SAT, at GR, 6:30 p.m.
Houston's 8-13-2 mark in Grand Rapids is its worst in any AHL city.

SUN, vs. SYR, 5:05 p.m.
Family Day
Syracuse makes its second ever trip to Syracuse on Family Day. Get four tickets, four pucks, $20 in Toyota Bucks and free parking, all for just $59! Order online at www.aeros.com/themenights. Username is Family, password is Aeros. You can also order through the Aeros office at 713.974.PUCK.  The Aeros and Crunch split the first two meetings in franchise history in 2003-04.

Aeros streaking on the road
HOU 3, EDM 2; HOU 5, EDM 4 (SO); HAR 1, HOU 0 (SO)

The Aeros have gotten their season-long six-game road trip underway in fine fashion, picking up five of a possible six points along the way.

Friday: Kyle Wanvig scored his second power-play game-winning goal in as many games and 20-year-old Josh Harding made 24 saves to become the youngest Aeros goalie to notch a victory, as Houston rallied for a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Road Runners at Rexall Place. Dan Cavanaugh and Patrick Traverse also scored for Houston.
Toby Peterson scored a power play goal, Doug Lynch also scored and rookie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers made 17 saves for the Road Runners.

Saturday: Pierre-Marc Bouchard’s deciding shootout goal lifted the Aeros to a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Road Runners at Rexall Place. Mark Cullen tallied a goal and an assist in a three-goal first period, and Christoph Brandner, Ray Giroux and Cavanaugh also scored for the Aeros, who recovered from losing a three-goal lead to win their third straight.
Mike Smith made 29 saves, plus all four in the shootout, for the Aeros.

Monday: Jason LaBarbera made 35 saves for his third straight shutout of Houston and Chad Wiseman scored in the shootout to ruin Josh Harding’s perfect 27-save day, as the Hartford Wolf Pack beat the Aeros 1-0 in a goaltenders’ duel at Hartford Civic Center.
Harding was still credited with his first career shutout for Houston.
It was a spirited duel between Harding, a 20-year-old rookie, and LaBarbera, last season’s American Hockey League Most Valuable Player with a 34-9-9 record. LaBarbera earned his third straight shutout against the Aeros, and he has not allowed a goal to Houston in the last 211 minutes, 55 seconds. As a team, Hartford has allowed just seven goals in seven games this season. Harding, meanwhile, lowered his goals against average to 2.15.

It’s all about support - With his 2.15 gaa, Houston rookie goalie Josh Harding seemingly deserves better than his 1-3-1 record. The Aeros are averaging 1.80 goals per game when Harding gets the start. The 20-year-old has allowed two goals or less in four of his five starts. Mike Smith, meanwhile, has a 3.28 gaa, but his record is 3-1-0 largely because Houston scores 3.50 goals per game when he starts. The Aeros entered this week 13th in goals per game (2.88) and 21st in goals against (3.25).

Not him, again - Hartford doesn’t come to Houston until March 4, but there’s a good chance that Wolf Pack netminder Jason LaBarbera would like to push that date up four months. LaBarbera was perfect on 35 shots Monday, marking his third straight shutout against the Aeros. He has had little room for error in the last two, as his team scored just one goal in each. LaBarbera is 5-1-0 with a 1.77 gaa versus Houston. His three shutouts are tied with Marc Lamothe for the most ever versus the Aeros. Lamothe has played against Houston 15 times - LaBarbera just seven.

No way to treat a rookie - Neither of the last two Aeros rookie goalies to record their first career shutouts shutouts – Josh Harding and Kyle Kettles – has gotten a victory in the game. Kettles fought Worcester’s Reinhard Divis to a scoreless tie January 9, 2004, and Harding lost 1-0 in a shootout to reigning AHL MVP Jason LaBarbera Monday.

Road suddenly not so bad - The Aeros have a point in four straight road games (2-0-1-1), something they did once last season (2-0-2-0 from December 20-January 2). Houston is set to play game four of a stretch where the Aeros play 13 of 15 games on the road.

Milestone alert - Aeros defenseman Ray Giroux enters this week with 199 points (62-137=199) in 327 career AHL games. Giroux’s totals, including NHL and European games, are 238 points (69-169=238) in 420 contests. Giroux and rookie Brent Burns are the lone Aeros defensemen with more than one goal in the first nine games of the season.

Aeros getting it done in close games - The Aeros already have as many one-goal victories on the road (two) as they had during the entire 2003-04 regular season. Houston is 2-1-1-1 on the road this season in one-goal situations. Last season, the Aeros were 2-4-0-2.

Special Teams Update - The Aeros are 6-for-27 (22.2 percent) on the power play over their four-game points streak. Houston is 4-1-1-1 when scoring a PPG and 0-2-0-1 when not.

Boogaard in the box - Houston’s Derek Boogaard has a penalty in each of his first eight games, tying for the AHL lead in penalty streak. Boogaard has 36 penalty minutes, second on the team behind John Erskine (39).

Team leaders - Pierre-Marc Bouchard (1-6=7) lead the Aeros with in assists and points. Kyle Wanvig has a team-best three goals, including a pair of game-winners...Wanvig and defenseman Ray Giroux each have two power play goals to pace the Aeros.

Down on the farm - The CHL Austin Ice Bats are 2-2-0. F Dallas Anderson has 59 PIM’s in four games. The ECHL’s Pensacola Ice Pilots opened up 2004-05 with two straight wins. LW Jordan Krestanovich has a team-best five points (1-4=5), while RW Jason Beckett has two helpers and is a team-best plus-three. LW Bill Kinkel has a goal and 15 penalty minutes. ECHL Louisiana is 1-1-0, D Maxime Fortunus has two assists, while G Kyle Kettles is 0-1-0 with a 3.07 gaa. The IceGators and Ice Pilots meet in a home-and-home this weekend. UHL Quad City is 3-3-0. C Mike Kompon has four points (1-3=4), tied for fourth on the Mallards. G Robert Gherson is 0-1-0 with a 2.66 gaa in two games.

Player of the week C Dan Cavanaugh -
Cavanaugh had a goal in back-to-back games last week, the fourth time in his four-year career he’s accomplished the feat...The last time was November 22-23, 2003...After starting off season minus-six in five games, Cavanaugh was plus-one in both games last week...Is one of seven Aeros with at least two goals...Serves as Houston’s alternate captain.

Cavanaugh this week...
10/29 at EDM 1-0=1, +1
10/30 at EDM 1-0=1, +1

Totals: 2gp, 2-0=2, +2

Aeros’ Practice schedule:
Tuesday - in Hartford
Wednesday - at Worcester, 6:05 p.m.
Thursday - Travel Day
Friday - at Grand Rapids, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday - at Grand Rapids, 6:30 p.m.
Sunday - vs. Syracuse, 5:05 p.m.


---HOUSTON AEROS, BE A FAN---