Calling my shot ... barring collapse, Aeros in the postseason

I now feel comfortable in using my self-proclaimed "tried and true" formula to predict which West teams are going to the playoffs this year. Most teams have an average of 21-23 games left this year, and my formula basically takes into a account a team's overall points percentage, their remaining home games and how they have played in their last 20 overall.

Last month, I said the Aeros were on the outside looking it. But they have won 11 of 16, and now I am predicting they are destined for a first round rematch with the Rockford Ice Hogs. How they play them in the last four games of the season series will determine who gets home ice. Without further hesitation, here is my prediction when the dust settles at the end of the regular season.

1) Milwaukee - 106 points
2) Houston - 90 points (fewer losses than Rockford)
3) Rockford - 88 points (more wins than Houston)
4) Chicago - 86 points
=====================================================
5) Iowa - 83 points (fewer losses than Peoria)
6) Peoria - 83 points (more wins than Iowa)
7) Quad City - 82 points
8) San Antonio 74 points

Houston Aeros Booster Club Flapjack Fundraiser is tomorrow!

The Aeros play tonight, and if they get a win over the Chops they are in second place.

To celebrate that victory, or to help forget about the opportunity lost, Aeros fans can go to the Houston Aeros Booster Club Flapjack Fundraiser Sunday morning.

I don’t know about you, but a stack of beautiful, glistening (with butter, of course) pancakes sounds really good right now. And I know I will be attending to see the some of the Aeros, have a great breakfast and help a great cause.

That right, with every ticket to the fundraiser you buy, you will be helping a fantastic charity called Kids Unlimited. Portions of the proceeds will also be donated to a Lyme disease association of Nolan Schaefer’s Choice. Nolan has done a lot for the Aeros the last couple of years, and Kids Unlimited is a non-profit organization formed to benefit children stricken with cancer. If you don’t know why Lyme disease is so important to Nolan, read this.

Here are the details that you need to get to the flapjack fundraiser:

Where?

• Applebee’s in the Fountains; 12740 Southwest Freeway in Stafford

When?

• Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009 from 8 to 10 a.m.

Cost?

• For booster club members, the price is $5.
• Non-members are $7, and I think you can get those at the game tonight.
• If you can’t get to the game tonight and want to buy those at the door, tickets are $10.

Rob Daum takes over in Springfield

My take?
He should have gotten this job in the first place.

Here is the news nugget.

More on Quad City moving to Abbotsford

This story got a little life a few months ago.
Now it has more, and this story contains one of the dumbest quotes I have ever read.

Here is a link to the Calgary article about the potential move of the Flames to Abbotsford, BC.

The quote comes from Ken King, prez of the Flames and when asked what the options were for the Flames' AAA team, the article said:

King pointed out that the franchise has three options — staying put in Quad City; moving to a centre other than Abbotsford; moving to Abbotsford.

Not dumb because it doesn't makes sense, but dumb because, as my younger sister would say, DUH!

Aeros come back again

The Aeros just keep on doing it.
Five times this year, they have been left for the dead only to win a hockey game.
Eight times they have gotten points when taking a deficit into the third period.

This team is very inconsistent, but they don't quit. Often. I mean, it would be silly for me to say and believe that after Thursday's game, but I don't really think they even quit then. They were just never ready to play.

The Aeros finished a six game home stand with a 4-2 record and will play their next six on the road. They have 22 wins on the season and will need, I think 19 more with a few overtime points to get to the playoffs. They have 15 home games left and really, they need to win 10 or 11 of those. They have 16 road games left and they need to win at least eight of those.

Based on how they have played this year, if they win 10 more home games and 8 or nine road games and still don't make the playoffs, then you can say they gave it their all and just came up short.

Let's see what happens.

Aeros vs. Quad City - 1/29/09

Barry Brust was bad in the second period giving up to big rebounds that ended up behind him.
Game over. It's 3-0 with 4:00 left in the middle frame and the home team has mailed it in.
It was good to see Barry sticking around long enough to make his night respectable. But he was awful in the first eight minutes of the period and the Aeros stunk it up from there.

More, maybe (time permitting) after the game)

====================================

Quad City 1, Aeros 0 (END 1)

Wow, the Aeros were absolutely awful in the first period.
Two scoring chances (Mark Beaudoin and Robbie Earl), one legit (Earl) and only six shots. QC wasn't much better, but Chris Chucko ripped a laser by Brust to score the game's first goal.

Brust wasn't out of position, and it did not matter. It was a great shot. Quad City is just 10-8-2-1 when they score the first goal, and the Aeros are 8-15-0-4 when they allow it. Tonight, I predicted before the game that I thought that first one would really matter, but unofficially I have changed my mind. Now I think the team that scores second will win.

When the second period resumes, the Aeros will have to kill off a 5-on-3 thanks to a really dumb penalty by Paul Albers. Well, it's only dumb if he did it. Slashing while on the PK is ill-advised, and Barry Brust can thank two of the three posts behind him for this hockey game still being 1-0.

More to come.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Pre-Game Notes

============================

Noticed for the first time tonight that the team is putting game notes on the big screen before the game. Interesting isn't it? There are six people in the crowd of 12 tonight that appreciated that. But there is still not enough dimes out there to pay for what people really want to look at up there. Replays.

============================

Also, A Clear Lake High School Men's choir earned big kudos for singing the national anthem in about 30 seconds. Sweet mercy, now that is what people like.

============================

Scratches tonight = Kolanos, Kassian and Falk. For Quad City, Kevin Lalande is making his first start in goal. He is a decent ECHL goalie and has been playing for the Las Vegas Wranglers. Scratches for QC include Brad Brown, JD Watt ... and, well, that's it.

============================

Mitch Love was in the starting lineup tonight and had his jersey tucked in. I hope that was an accident. Maybe a new superstition?

Erik Reitz traded to NY Rangers

From TwinCities.com:

Pioneer Press

Updated: 01/29/2009 12:18:06 PM CST

The Minnesota Wild have acquired forward Dan Fritsche (FRIHT-chee) from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Erik Reitz, Wild general manager Doug Risebrough announced today.

"Dan is a versatile player who can play center or wing, a determined player who makes the game harder on the opposition, and a winning player — he's won a Memorial Cup and a World Junior Championship for Team USA," Risebrough said in a statement from the team.

Fritsche, 23, has four points (1-3—4) in 16 games with the Rangers this season. The 6-foot-1, 204-pound native of Parma, Ohio, has played in 222 career NHL games over five seasons with Columbus and New York, totaling 67 points (30-37—67) and 93 penalty minutes. Fritsche was the Blue Jackets' second-round pick (No. 46 overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He won the Memorial Cup with London of the Ontario Hockey League in 2005, and was a member of the Team USA World Junior team that took the gold medal in 2004.

Reitz, 26, had two points and 41 penalty minutes in 31 games with the Wild this season.

Foster getting closer ...

You have to give a guy credit for wanting to delay a rehab assignment so he will be ready to keep up with his AAA brethren. That is what Wild defenseman Kurtis Foster told the Pioneer Press in St. Paul this week.

According to the paper, Jacques Lemaire was pleased with how Foster responded to some on-ice drills, but Foster, who played briefly for the Aeros a few years ago, isn't quite ready to start his 14-day rehab stint with the Aeros.

The Aeros will start a six-game road trip Saturday in Chicago and will practice in the Twin Cities in between games at Chicago on Feb. 8 and Iowa on Feb. 13.

I would imagine Foster will practice with the team then and could make his Aeros season debut when they play at Wells Fargo Arena. Since Foster has to be recalled after 14 days, that would give him five games (2 road, 3 home) in an Aeros uniform.

More from the Foster story on Twin Cities.com:

"He's getting better. I was surprised," Lemaire told the Pioneer Press. "I made him do stops and starts on a short distance, and I was looking at his legs while he was doing that, and there was not a lot of difference in the two legs.

"You see a little limp in the one, just a little — very little. So I'm surprised the way he's progressing."

Foster, who broke his left leg in three places in a loss at San Jose last March, will travel with the team this weekend but said he's not quite ready for a rehab assignment in Houston.

"I think it's going to be between me and the coaches to decide when I'm capable, and almost good enough hockey-wise to go down and play," Foster said. "I don't want to go down and feel a step behind. I want to feel good and strong."

A response to the sunshine club

For every nay-sayer, like myself, when talking about the Aeros chances of making the playoffs this year, there are a few that think the sun rises only for city's AAA hockey franchise. I call those folks the sunshine club.

I love these people. Nothing is ever wrong, and things will only get better. To summarize using the least common denominator from all of their collective arguments ... they say "all of our games are against the West. We own the West! The West, the West, the West."

So I asked Aeros PR guru Scott Henninger to do some research for me. What about the West?
First I asked Scott what the team's record was against the West.
The answer? 12-3-1-2.

Then I asked him to find out how many games the Aeros had left against the West. Surely the team could not play all 35 games the rest of the way against the. True, but as it turns out an amazing 33 of the team's 35 remaining games are against the West. And 34 of them are against Iowa in Des Moines. Just kidding.

I know the Aeros do well when they score first, so I asked Scott to find out how many times the team has scored first in games against the West. Turns out, the Aeros have scored first in exactly half of those games and are 7-0-1-1. (For the mathematically challenged, that means they are 5-3-0-1 in games against the West when they do not score first.)

Then I asked Scott to tell me how many games of their remaining 35 they would score first and win. He could not find those stats for me. Come on, dude, there HAS to be a book somewhere.

Could there really be something to this West domination thing? Well, if you break down the numbers using averages and winning/points percentages, the Aeros should be able to get 49 or 50 points out of their last 33 division games. The other two games are against a North foe and and East foe (Lake Erie and Binghamton), so those are automatic losses right there. 50 more points gives the team an amazing 98 for the year. Those numbers could give them the West title in 2008-09.

Then, after reading this, and getting my tongue out of my cheek, I realized that the Aeros have won just two of their last six division games. My heart sank.

So much for averages.

Can the Aeros make the playoffs?

The Aeros have 20 wins after 45 games. And it took them 15 games to win get their most recent five wins. Based on trends from the last three seasons, the team will need to win 22 of it's last 35 games to make the playoffs.

Do you think that will happen? I know it could happen. But do you think they will based on what you have seen on the ice through 45 games?

88 is the fewest number of points in the last three years a team from the West needed to qualify. And right now, there are several teams in the West that don't look quite capable of getting there.

The lock: Milwaukee. They are in the playoffs. Lane Lambert has done a great job with a mediocre roster. And team officials did a great job in creating a schedule that keeps that cheap-o organization from having to endure a rough travel schedule. (Don’t look at me like that! Cheap-o is a complement here. In today’s economy? Sheesh …) They also do not have to play the tough competition from the East. If ever there was a year to want to play fewer teams against what is usually a tough West division, this was it.

The lost: San Antonio. That 2-20 start killed them. They are one of the best teams since Dec. 1, much better than the Aeros, but they just might run out of time. Plus they have not even started their month-long jaunt away from home.

That leaves six other teams to fight for three spots: Houston, Rockford, Chicago, Iowa, Peoria and Quad City. In my opinion, Quad City is not good enough this year to get it done, but they will make it interesting because NHL injuries and callups are going to hurt one or two of these teams.

If I had to pick those three teams right now, I'd go with Rockford, Chicago and Iowa.
But the Aeros have a chance, because there is no guarantee that the Wolves will solve their goaltending and defense issues. Rockford has been wildly inconsistent and the Chops have been hurt because of injuries in Anaheim.

To get to 42 wins, the Aeros need 22 wins in their last 35 games, at least, and will have to start playing better at home. Their travel schedule gets a lot better from here on out, and despite the high number of three in threes, the Aeros opponents in those games will be dealing with fatigue as well. But ...

The bottom line: The Aeros will not be in the post season this year.

Through 45 games their winning percentage is .533. To get to the playoffs, the Aeros need to win nearly 63 percent of their remaining games. I just don't see Minnesota giving the Aeros the kind of help they need to make that kind of drastic turnaround. Twenty games were enough to see where the Aeros problems are. Twenty games later, the team is actually weaker due to callups and injuries. I can't think of one time since 2003 that the Wild has made a trade for the Aeros that made the team unquestionably better. That trend likely will not be reversed this year.

Aeros will win 37-38 games and at least end the year above .500.

Great Houston Press Article on Mitch Love

Read this.
I command you.
Read!

Mitch Love Feature on Houston Press Blog

Read now!

Stars suffer "buzzkill" in Motown

Detroit may not be the place people are flocking to to look for work these days, but it does have a pretty good hockey team.

Thursday night, the suddenly hot Dallas Stars walked into Joe Louis Arena and left with the same feeling most of their peers do after 60 minutes of hockey.

"WTF?"

Here is a quick part of Mike Heika's (Dallas Morning News) recap of what happened Thursday:

"DETROIT – Steve Ott proclaimed that a big game against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday at Joe Louis Arena would be a great measuring stick for the suddenly hot Dallas Stars.

After a 6-1 thrashing by the Wings, that stick will have to be awfully short.

"I guess they knocked us down to reality in a hurry and showed us what it's like to be a top team in this league," Ott said."

I don't think, right now, the Wings are the favorite to win the Cup this year because their goaltending is below average. But I think the team knows that and I think the team will address that issue in the coming weeks.

Because of that goaltending, any team in the NHL can beat the Red Wings, but lately no one can. The Red Wings are undefeated in 2009 and have not suffered back-to-back regulation losses since, well, not this year.

Brusty Robbed by AHL

OK, OK, so he wasn't robbed by the AHL.
He still has all his money, his car and he is one of the most "stand-up even-when-he-gets-beat-up-in-the-game-he-still-talks-to-the-media" players I have ever worked with.

But because of the AHL's decision to elect Mike Brodeur as player of the week, I feel the need to stand up for the Aeros' No. 33, Barry Brust.

If you were at Toyota Center last week, you know how good he was.

Here are the numbers for Brodeur, the AHL's player of the week:
Record: 3-2-0 (please note he lost two games in regulation)
Saves/shots (pct.): 130/137 (.949)
Goals against average: 1.39 (please note this number is higher than "one")

Here are the numbers for Brust, who was not chosen as player of the week:
Record: 2-0-1 (Brust beat and allowed just one goal to the AHL's best team (Hershey)).
Saves/shots (pct.): 90/93 (.968)
Goals against average: 0.98 (please note this number is lower than one)

There are two reasons why I think the AHL went with Brodeur, instead of choosing the goalie that actually had a better week in goal for his team.

One ... Rochester (although they beat the Aeros TWICE! this season) is the worst team in the league, and that any goalie that could win three games in one week in front of that collection of sub-standard athletes, must have been really REALLY good.

Secondly ... I think Brust's shootout woes have become legendary. When the media relations folks up there start to get the notion that they themselves could beat Brust on a penalty shot, there is no way he gets the honor.

In short, and based on this analysis, I kind of have to agree with the AHL on this one.
I do think, though, that had Brust won the game against the Amerks in regulation, he is easily the goalie and player of the week.

All you need to know right here: 0-1.

Wow ... sometimes you still have to play hard when the schedule sucks.
From the LOOKS of things, that did not happen Tuesday afternoon against the Griffins.

Bad news? One more road game on this trip?
Good news? Aeros will play 12 straight games in Texas starting Sunday against the Sound Tigers.

Aeros ever-closer to below average

Aeros lose 2-1 at Syracuse Sunday.
They are no longer an enigma on the road. They are a bad hockey team on the road.

After Saturday's lousy effort where they got less than 20 shots at the net, they were a bit more aggressive against the Crunch. Leading 2-1, the Aeros disappointing acquisitions in Jesse Schultz and Corey Locke could not help them force a tie.

Here is the recap from the Syracuse paper. Good stuff by Lindsay Kramer, one of my favorite AHL beat writers.

I was wondering why Steve Kelly didn't play, turns out he will be out 4-6 weeks after breaking his ribs against Manitoba the night before.

All right, that is all for now.
I expect the Aeros to somehow force a shootout against Grand Rapids tomorrow before wrapping up the trip with a win at Cleveland. How is that for high expectations.

Really, I don't think this team is all that bad. I would just like to see more consistency on the road. Well, take that back ...I guess I have seen a lot of consistency on the road from them in that they keep finding new and interesting ways to lose.

Your thoughts?

Aeros lose in Pathetic showing

After losing to perhaps the worst team (here is the Rochester recap) to grace the AHL landscape in several years, there is nothing anyone can say to prove to me that the beloved Aeros are anything more than just a highly-offensively-talented mediocre hockey team. How's that for overuse of a hyphen?

They are an average hockey team. They'll be fun to watch, but they'll be a .500 team or so until they can figure out how to play consistent ice hockey.

Here is the Houston Chronicle "roadcap" of the game.

Switching gears

Coach Malcom Cameron, who led the Texas Wildcatters to the playoffs a couple of times before the team bolted for Ontario, Calif. is now running (again) the most talented team at the AA level in Estero, Florida.

That's right. The Florida Everblades have rocketed to the top of the standings and executed well for a 4-0 win over Gwinnett Saturday night.

Before Saturday, Cameron had been rotating his netminders, former and future Aero Anton Khudobin and Dave Leggio. Check out this quote from the News-Press about Cameron's decision to start Anton back-to-back against Gwinnett:

--- It was the second consecutive game Khudobin started. Cameron had been switching goalies David Leggio and Khudobin for every game. Why did he stick with Khudobin on Saturday?

"(Anton) looked all fired-up (in the pregame skate)," Cameron said. "I know when he looks like that that he's going to be on." ---

Nothing too crazy there, but I thought it was a good quote nonetheless.

Aeros lose, Kolanos recalled, Scott "reassigned"

The Aeros looked OK in their loss to a very talented Wilkes-Barre/Scranton team Sunday.
Marco Rosa had an off night, but Jeff Smith, the referee, was worse.

OK, that was a shot. I should not complain about the officials because I could never do their job in a million years. But I just thought he missed a few. Several of my colleagues agree with me.

10 games into the season, two players have notched hat tricks against the Aeros and the team is 6-4. And I hate to say it, but the Aeros have had a VERY tough schedule so far. Manitoba is great. WBS is real good. Chicago should be able to win the West ... again. San Antonio is way better than their record indicates, but several players over there have already commented in their paper that some players are not "bringing it" for a full 60 minutes.

I think the Aeros are good enough to win 45 or 50 games this year, but that will be hard to do as long the Wild players keep dropping like flies. I mean really. It's a credit to the franchise that they still have a great record, despite the injuries, so we'll see how all that pans out.

Kolanos, who has seven goals in seven games with the Aeros is back in Minnesota. He will fill in for the not-surprisingly injured Owen Nolan. And John Scott, who has been with the Aeros -- check that, in Houston, for the last week or 10 days, was officially activated and should start playing soon. I don't know about you, but I am really looking forward to seeing where his game is at this year. He looked decent in NHL camp. Now he needs to apply that at this level.

That is all for now. One thing that stood out from the post game last night was that Kevin said last night's loss was not going to sit well with him for the next week or so. That being, obviously, the next time they play (Friday at Hamilton) ...

He actually put some of the blame on himself and questioned whether or not his system --- just 10 games in --- was right for this team. He might, he said, resort to using certain personnel is certain situations. (i.e. - a checking line or a checking defenseman keyed on a certain player).

He really looked puzzled as to how three guys, well two really, could completely dismantle his team like they did Sunday against the Penguins.

Oh well, I am looking forward to seeing how the Aeros play this weekend against more North rivals. Hamilton is a very good team at 8-2-1. Rochester is awful and there is no excuse for losing to that team. Syracuse is really good too, and with that being their third and three, I would chalk that one up to an easy loss there.

Grand Rapids and Lake Erie are just above average, although GRR can score with the best of them. The allowed five first period goals against Milwaukee last week and nearly tied the game in the third.

My official prediction for the road trip is 2-2-0-1. I just can't see them getting three wins on the road, especially with Kolanos gone now and Hamilton still out with that same old injury.

Aeros 4, Bruins 2 - FINAL

Wow. 

That is all I can say about the Aeros' third period Friday night. 

They snapped that 2-2 tie and went on to win 4-2 to improve to a perfect 5-0 at Toyota Center this year. Danny Irmen scored the game-winning goal and Bryan Lundbohm added an empty-netter. 

Nolan Schaefer stopped both shots he saw from his brother tonight, and Matt Lashoff, who scored the Bruins first goal of the game, finished minus-three on the night. Deitsche, Noreau and Kolanos all finished plus-2 for the Aeros, who played in front of a light crowd of 3,941 Friday night. 

The Aeros were out-shot 27-24 in the game, but they dominated in the second and really played well to grind out a win in the third period. The Aeros are off until Sunday when they host the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins at 4:05. 

==============================================================

Aeros 2, P-Bruins 2 - END 2

Another good period for both teams, energy-wise, and the game is still tied. 

Kolanos banked one in off a defender in the second minute of the period and the Aeros really dominated the period from there. 

They just could not get a much-needed 3-1 lead, and just when they let their guard down for 30 second, PVD made them pay when Boychuk fed Levi Nelson for a nice goal with 4:23 left in the period. 

The Aeros have 26 second left on their second power play when the period starts, but the Bruins look really, really good on the penalty kill. Not much cooking for the Aeros in that regard. 

Oh, and Joe O'Donnell just reminded me that I owe him lunch! I opened my big mouth and said there was no way the Aeros were going to score Tuesday night against Iowa. Then, when he told me to put my money where my mouth was (and even gave me two goals) I bit and eventually lost, of course. 

Oh, well, I guess this is a bet I don't mind losing. Third period about to get underway ... I like the Bruins tonight ... 4-2 final. 

==================================================

Aeros 1, P-Bruins 1 - END 1

Both teams with lots of shots, but, overall, the play is sloppy. The Aeros are giving up too many odd-mans, but they are creating turnovers and putting pressure on Kevin Regan. Tuuka Rask did not get the call tonight. 

Also, one other note. Former Aero Ryan Stokes is a scratch for the P-Bruins tonight. 

For the Aeros, d-man Maxim Noreau is getting a look at forward as the Aeros dressed seven d-men for the game tonight. 

Lashoff scored on laser at 5:41 and Deitsch tied things up for the Aeros 1:16 later with a rebound goal. 

Oh, and I am out of water and am very thirsty. 

==================================================

Pre-game - 

Tonight the Aeros will host the Providence Bruins in a 7:35 p.m. game between the two interconference rivals.

The Aeros are coming off a 3-1 win over Iowa Tuesday, a match that was dominated by goalie Nolan Schaefer. The Bruins were dismantled in Chicago Wednesday night by a 6-0 score. 

The P-Bruins lineup features former Aero Jeremy Reich, who is a team-low-tying minus-four. 

It always features the greatest name in the AHL in Wacey Rabbit. God, I hope he scores so I can type that for the news story. 

My guess is Tuukka Rask and Schaefer will get the call between the pipes. We'll see. 

Oh and Nolan's brother Peter is on the Bruins ... He wears sweater No. 11 and will score a goal tonight. Just a hunch. 

More to come after the first period. 

Emmerson loaned to AHL Rochester

Well now I know why Riley Emmerson was called up to the Aeros yesterday. 

It was a formality so the Aeros/Wild could loan him to AHL Rochester. Emmerson started the season in the ECHL with the Florida Everblades, but his services are apparently needed in the AHL. The Americans are another affiliate of the 'Blades, but Emmerson belongs to the Wild, thus the formality of the recall and loan. 

Kind of weird that neither the Wild or the Aeros made this public.

Then again, no it's not. 

Trouble in Winter-peg?

Check out the latest on the Aeros' next opponent, the Manitoba Moose. 

I think Houston hockey fans hope Rick Rypien stays sick, keep Jason Krog up with the big club for about five more days. 

Don't get me wrong ... this is a very good team on paper. If you are on the fence as to whether or not you want to buy the two games on www.ahllive.com, I would shell out the money. These two teams could see each other again in May. 

Andrew

How old is Mike Keane?

I think most men know that it is generally NEVER polite to ask a woman her age. 

Especially one you don't know well or one that is of a higher authority. You know, like a teacher, boss, wife .... er, you get it. 

Well, apparently, Mike Keane doesn't want you to know how old he is either. As of 3:15 CT on Tuesday, Oct. 21, the Moose roster has one glaring omission for the ageless wonder. Check it out, and see for yourself. I don't think this is an accidental oversight. 

But I could be wrong. We'll see if and when that is corrected. 

For those wondering here are Keane's vitals according to hockeydb.com:

Position - Right Wing
Born -  May 29 1967  in Winnipeg, MAN 
Height 5.11 -- Weight 185 -- Shoots R

Early Travel Day, Kolanos Reassigned

Aeros coach Kevin Constantine said the team will travel to Winnipeg Wednesday, a day earlier than usual, to prepare for the two-game series against the Manitoba Moose and then a third game against the Toronto Marlies to wrap up a four-game road trip.

"That way, it feels less like a crammed schedule," he said. 

The Aeros will play twice at the MTS Centre before flying direct to Toronto Sunday morning for a matinee against Toronto. And according to Aeros.com, the team will have the services of Krys Kolanos who has been returned to the team after sitting out last weekend's Wild win at Tampa. 

This will easily be one of the worst schedules of the year for the team, so it will interesting to see how it goes. Manitoba is loaded, and could make last weekend's free for all look like a soccer match. The Aeros have won five in a row in Winnipeg, which is simply amazing. I asked the Moose last year how many other teams in the league had a current five-game winning streak against the Moose at MTS Centre, but my e-mail was ignored. 

The game in Toronto is more curious to me simply because the team has never won there. Just for shites and giggles, let's go over the Aeros schedule when they have played at Toronto since they started the series in 2005-06.

2005-06, good Aeros team. Lost 4-2 at Ricoh. Were playing their fourth game in six days, including three in three, all on the road.

2006-07, horrible Aeros team. Lost 4-3 at Ricoh. First game after having five nights off in the middle of a stretch where they played nine of 10 away from Toyota Center. 

2007-08, good Aeros team. Lost 1-0 at Ricoh. Played their fourth game in five days in four different cities. 

Because America like predictions and making fun of people who screw them up, here is my take on the weekend. Now this is SOLELY based on the law of averages, but I think the Aeros will split at Winnipeg and beat Toronto in a squeaker. 

What do you think?

Corey Locke is slighted

Corey Locke and his seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) should have been named the AHL's player of the week. He recorded an assist in the Monday win over Milwaukee, had four points in the third period against San Antonio Saturday and then followed that up with two more big ones in the rematch at AT&T Center.

Instead, the AHL folks gave the nod to Johnny Boychuk who also had seven points. Locke had three goals and four assists in three Aeros wins, while Boychuk had ONE goal and six assists in two wins and an OT loss.

I respect EVERY aspect of what the media folks do in Springfield, where the AHL is based, but this is one is quite puzzling. Their job is very difficult because they have to deal with 29 teams and not one.

The bottom line? When this week's numbers by Locke and Boychuk are compared exclusively, I think Locke should get the nod because he scored two more goals, and his game-winner against S.A. capped the craziest game in the HISTORY of the team. Maybe Boychuk got the nod because one of Locke's goals was into an empty net ... but I digress.

We can agree to disagree if you don't agree ... ha!

Aeros 4, Rampage 3 0 - Kalus Leaves Team

Another exciting and unbelievable game between these two teams with the Aeros coming out ahead. The Aeros won 4-3 on a late goal by Ryan Hamilton. The 4-0 Aeros have a long way to go before they are the defensively sound squad from last year. But it sure does help when you average more than four goals per game when you are struggling on the penalty kill.

From what I understand, Petr Kalus (healthy scratch this weekend against San Antonio) has left the team to play in Europe. I guess if this guy was lighting up the world and I thought the guy had a prayer of cracking an NHL roster, it would be more of a story. But to me, this is about a guy that did not live up to potential and was not working hard enough to get back to the NHL. Then again, if he was working *that* hard, then the talent isn't there to warrant a promotion.

Either way, Petr, best of luck to you. Tell Roman Voloshenko "hi" for me if your paths cross.

==================================================
What's the one thing you can't do on the road when you're leading by a goal late in the second period? OK, so there are two things you can't do and the Aeros did both of them. Game is tied 3-3 after 40 minutes.


To win on the road, generally, you can't take a penalty in the last two minutes and you can't give up a goal in the last 30 seconds. OK, so maybe I am making this up as I go, but those two things sound like things you shouldn't do.


Paul Albers went to the box with the Aeros leading 3-2. With 1.2 seconds left in the period, he came out because Kolarik tied it up. Momentum shift ... big time. The Aeros have the fire power to win this one, sure, but I don't know that they are sound enough defensively to get it done.


I will try to post a little more right when the game is over.


===================================================================



At the end of one, SA leads 2-1.
Brust has looked shaky, but the defense has been substandard as well.
The goal by Jesse Shultz for the Aeros to make it 2-1 was as pretty as they come.
Montoya was the Rampage savior in the first 8 minutes as the Aeros came out firing, out-shooting SA 7-1.


More after period 2.


====================================================================


Greetings from high above the ice at AT&T Center!
A 737-300 got me over here today, and I will be heading straight over to the airport after this one. I won't have a chance to blog much after the game, but I will update as much as I can throughout.


The Aeros are in the Alamo City today for the rematch of last night's awe-inspir ... oh, wait. That game made the hockey gods blush with embarrassment. I was talking to Ryan Hamilton after the game last night and he said he jokingly asked "KC" (Kevin Constantine) if he had ever coached an 8-6 game. Because Hamilton did not provide an answer to his question and just laughed, I am guessing that, in fact, had not happened to often.

Anyway ... moving on ... It will be interesting to see how the Aeros respond to Saturday's result. I know a lot of first-time hockey fans will be confused the next time they come to a game. 14 goals is nuts. Pure nuts. The Aeros were delighted to get the two points last night, but San Antonio has to be angry. So in the spirit of changing things, I think it will be MORE interesting to see how the Rampage respond to last night's game.


The pressure is off the Aeros, and the Rampage have to be more than ready to defend their "pride" today at home. In my opinion, the Aeros played a much, much better offensive game as the Rampage scored more of their goals in a lucky fashion. We'll see what happens.


Now some notes:


Barry Brust will get the start for the second straight game, so let's see if he gets out of the first period.


The Aeros are 45-17-6-3 all time against San Antonio, including 17-11-4-3 inside the AT&T Center. One other thing to watch for is Jesse Schultz. He needs just one point to notch 200 for his AHL career.

Game Night - Aeros 8, Rampage 6

OK, so my prediction(s) tonight were crap.
Nothing like being totally wrong ...

If you tell me that you have seen that before at an Aeros game, you're full of crap.
There were tons of firsts.
Most goals ever in a game. Ties most goals FOR the Aeros in one game.
First four-point period for an Aero (Locke had 2 G, 2A in the third). Matt Foy was the last player to have three in a period a couple of years ago for the Aeros.

I am dead tired, but will comment more tomorrow before the second end of the home and home series.

====================================================================

End of 2: Aeros 4, Rampage 5

If you liked Aeros hockey last season, this game is going to make you sick.
Aeros are all over the place ... and the Rampage are 3-for-5 on the power play. That just about wraps it up right there. Aeros are going to have to figure something out in the last 20 minutes if they want to keep their early season success intact.

One player I can't figure out so far is Corey Locke. I can't tell if he is one step ahead or one step behind the rest of the team. Jesse Schultz, who was brought in to score more goals, has been quiet too, but at least he has been hitting people. Locke is all over the ice and has been real close several times to no avail.

I like San Antonio's grit in this one, and I see them closing out out a "W" tonight with an empty-netter late in the final stanza.

====================================================================End of 1: Aeros 3, Rampage 3

Wild, wild first period. Six goals overall and the game is tied, 3-3. The Aeros are the better team tonight, though. They are out-shooting the Rampage 16-7, and all of the San Antonio goals are the products of misfortune.

Marco Rosa scored his first on a beautiful wraparound. New-guy Jason Deitsch scored his first on a breakaway and Peter Olvecky notched a power play, 5-on-3 goal.

One thing to note ... Constantine pulled starting goalie Barry Brust after Olvecky gave the Aeros a 3-2 lead. We'll see what that was about, but I gather he just wanted to have his No. 1 guy in there in a wild game like this.

Will update more after the second.

====================================================================
Here are a few thoughts as we await faceoff in the next 20 minutes or so.
First of all, tonight is first loss night. I predict a 5-3 Rampage win based on nothing more than a hunch. The Wild recalling two players so quickly is viewed as nothing more than bad karma overall for the organization and I think the Aeros and Wild will both feel the effects tonight.
As we speak, the Wild are scoreless after one in Tampa Bay.

The Aeros have recalled Jason Deitsch who is wearing No. 11 tonight, and was with the team during training camp. He will play for the Fort Worth Brahmas of the CHL when he is not filling the gaps in Houston when the Minnesota Gimps do their thing. Deitsch played his NCAA hockey for St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. Last year for the Kelly Cup-winning Cincinnati (his home town) Cyclones, Deitsch scored 13 goals and added 22 assists.

This is a good extra body to have, and I am sure his connection with Luke Strand will come in handy more than just this once this year.

Aeros down Admirals 3-0

The Aeros shut down the Admirals in Game No. 2 Monday night and are 2-0 for the first time since 2002-03. We all know what happened that year. I was surprised to learn that the team's 2-0 start was just the second time that has happened in 15 years.

Even the team in 1998-99 got off to an 0-1 start after dropping Game No. 1 in Long Beach. I remember watching that game ... on TV!

Thanks again to Fred Trask for supplying the photos here. In today's picture, several fans look excited that Ryan Hamilton gave the Aeros a 1-0 lead. Others continued to stuff their faces with hot dogs, pizza and sushi. The details are great, Mr. Fred.

Back to Monday.

Several things stick out in my mind. First is puck possession. This team can move the puck and actually know what it is going to do with it. Drew MacIntrye played very well for Milwaukee and is the only reason the game was not 5- or 6-0.

Secondly, what a big penalty kill when Cal Clutterbuck did not have a stick in the final minute of the kill. The team was unable to clear the zone, so basically it was exposed with three true PK-ers and what turned out to be a very resourceful No. 8. That was the turning point in the game for me.

I talked to Constantine after the game and asked him if using four forwards on the power play is something we would see a lot of. He said that Madsen is a great passer and wanted to see how he worked out with three other forwards. I thought the results were fantastic, and again, had MacIntyre not brought his best stuff, it would have been a blowout.

Well, that is all for now. The team is off until next weekend in what I am sure will be a split of a two-game set with San Antonio. I would like to see the Aeros definitely win, though, Saturday night.

Kolanos wins it for Aeros

Here is the link to the opening night story in the Chronicle.

Couple that with an amazing photo by Fred Trask, and you've not a nice blog entry here.

Enjoy both!

Season opener re-wind

In case you missed the season-opener preview I did in Saturday's Chronicle, here is the link to that article. Lots of good stuff in there about Jesse Schultz.

Aeros win 2-1 in overtime

Aeros win 2-1 in OT on rebound goal by Krys Kolanos. 

Clayton Stoner and Morton Madsen create the play to get Ondrej Pavelec out of position and then Kolanos pops in the game-winner. 

Schaefer and Pavelec were really, really good tonight, and for a second it did not look like the first game of the season. Well played game, save for the second period when Chicago had the Aeros on their heels a little bit. 

Will try to blog more later when I can digest some the quotes and get them on the blog. 

====================================================================

This one is pretty easy to blog to this point. 

Goaltending, Goaltending, Goaltending. 

Ondrej Pavelec and Nolan Schaefer have been outstanding for their teams tonight and it will be a shame that one of them has to lose. 

Neither had a prayer on the goal they allowed as Dane Crowley got a fluky goal in the first for the Aeros and Colin Stuart ripped a one-timer by Schaefer on the power play in the second. 

The Aeros, though, were badly outplayed in the second. They were out-chanced, outshot and simply overworked. 

More to come after the game tonight. 

Season 15 Starts tonight

The Aeros 15th anniversary season starts tonight, one night after many other teams got their season underway last night. 

Jason Shaver's Chicago Wolves are in town to defend their second Calder Cup. 

Some of the story lines we will look at tonight include the debut of three new Houston Aeros who are supposed to help improve the team's offense, and most notably, the power play. Krys Kolanos, Cory Locke and Jesse Schultz should all be in the lineup tonight, with Schultz playing his first game against the team he played for - and won a championship with a year ago. 

The Aeros have dropped back to back season and home openers, last winning their 05-06 debut over San Antonio. That horrible team in 06-07 started with a meek loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins and the Aeros were just simply dominated by a great Chicago Wolves team last year. 

From the game notes, the Aeros are 5-6-3 in 14 season openers and 5-7-2 in home openers.

Every coach I've worked with has always, always preferred to open the season on the road for obvious reasons. Nerves, and things of that nature DO play a factor with these players and sometimes they just try to be too cute. 

Call me nostalgic, whatever, but I think the Aeros, who have never won a season opener against Chicago, will do just that tonight. I do call for a much more defensive game that usual, but I will give a 3-1 nod to the hosts. 

I got a chance to talk to Bryan Lundbohm, Schultz, Brandon Rogers and Clayton Stoner at media day last Wednesday, and I did notice an unusual sense of focus. I was really impressed with the overall message I got from each player. They all seem to know their responsibility on the club and will use that to better the team both on and off the ice. 

Well that is all for now. I will post during the game tonight ... it won't be a live blog, per se, but I will update after each period. 

Welcome to game day!

Joel Ward is on Nashville's Opening Day Roster

Here is the latest from The Tennessean.

I know injuries played into it somewhat, but he beat out Pihlstrom.
That is saying something.
Ward, again, worked his ass off and made an NHL roster.

I love stories like this and to be honest, I am glad the Aeros won't have to see him next Monday.
Now, I would have loved to talked to Joel in person, but that will have to wait.

Andrew

Aeros cut 19 Tuesday

The Aeros cut 19 players today, with no surprises, in what was the team's last official day of training camp. The official roster will likely be released tomorrow and the team will practice at Toyota Center for the first time this season. 

The notables not on the "cut" list include John Lammers, Dane Crowley and Mitch Love.

I thought all three looked good in the preseason games, so I was not surprised to see them make it for now. 

In other news related to former Aeros, Patrick O'Sullivan scored a three-year contract with the L.A. Kings. The Kings are up and coming right now. Although it might be a little far-fetched to put them in the playoffs this season, who knows? There is always one surprise every year. 

Man that kid could freaking light up the AHL. Kirby Law, Patrick O'Sullivan and Erik Westrum. What fun that was to watch on a nightly basis. 

Oh well, I digress. Talk amongst yourselves. 

Media Day is Wednesday

Tomorrow will be my first real chance to talk to some of the guys as the Aeros are hosting media day. Basically it's a chance for the TV stations to get some video of the boys and talk to some of the top forwards and defenseman etc. I did not see any of the TV stations at the preseason game, but that certainly does not mean they weren't there. There might have been a camera guy or two getting video on ice level.

Media day is also a chance for the team's beat writers (and from what I hear I will now have MORE company in the press box this year) to get their first dirty look of the season from a player when you ask them about playing in Houston instead of making the big team in Minny.

Switching gears ...

I have gotten several e-mails about how I think this year's team will do and I always say the same thing. Ask me after Game 20.

The first 12 games last year were brutal and I honestly thought at one point (and so did Constantine) what the hell is this team doing? After that, things got going. It is hard to judge an AHL team after 12 games ... so I say, give it 20. Sure, I know that is 1/4 the season, but realistically, that is what it takes to figure out all the variables.

If they Aeros are at least a .500 team, I expect them to get better under Kevin and make the playoffs. If they are five over, then I will expect more. If they are 10 over, then the team might convince me that they were built to get to the West Division finals for the first time ever (under current playoff format).

Look, there is no question this team has the talent to be the best in the West, but they will be asked to play a way they have been been asked to play before. Kevin's system works, but only if the guys buy in to it and work hard every shift, every night. I could never mention the players name, because he told me in confidence last year, but I asked him if a team would win a championship under Kevin's system and he said "without a doubt" ... That player said last year's team could have won it all had they two more legitimate scorers.s

That being said, I asked him if he LIKED playing Kevin's sytem. He said "I do, but I know a lot of guys that hate it."

Does it work ... yes.
Is it fun ... no.

Sorry I was all over the place today, but we'll get some real topics to discuess later this week including the home and seaosn opener against Jason Shaver's Chicago Wolves.

Andrew

In-Game Updates - Aeros at San Antonio (10/4)

The Aeros just didn't create much Saturday night and lost 4-1. 

Each goalie was okay, but San Antonio peppered them with 34 shots. Schaefer Stopped 21 of 23 and Khudobin stopped just 9 of the 11 shots he saw in the third period. 

The Kassian - Lessard fight was by far the best of the FOUR that took place in a span of 18 seconds in the last five minutes. I have been watching hockey for the better part of 15 years now and I have never seen that happen. 

Most of the bouts didn't amount to much, but I suspect the games on the 18th and 19th will be fun to watch. 

That is all from San Antonio tonight. Estimated crowd here of 1,100 and they filled just one side of the rink. It was a nice crowd for a free preseason game. 

Now the real fun begins and the Aeros should get Clutterbuck, Kolanos and Irmen back from Minny in the very near future. Those guys will make the Aeros a fun team to watch this year, as will the rest of these guys when they get going. 

Have a great night everyone. 

====================================================================

Both teams have scored in the second period, and the Rampage traded goalies in the middle of the second with Tordjman giving way to Joel Gistedt. Tordjman was sharp in the game, allowing just one goal to Petr Kalus who scored to tie the game just 3:10 into the second. Soares and Madsen had the helpers, but San Antonio took a 2-1 lead just 2:12 later when Schell scored his first (they changed the first period goal to Kolarik) of the night at 5:12. Kolarik and former Aero Jeff Hoggan assisted on the play. 

The Aeros had one power play, with the Hamilton, Locke, Schultz line getting some work, but they are still working on the chemistry. They were shaky at best ... 

====================================================================

At the end of the first period, the Aeros trail San Antonio on a Brad Schell goal at 16:17 of the first period. Legit goal, great shot over the left shoulder of Aeros goalie Nolan Schaefer. 

Aeros have only generated seven shots in the first period, with maybe two of them challenging Josh Tordjman. 

San Antonio is 0-for-2 on the PP ... the Aeros have yet to get one. 

Referee tonight (again) is Jeff Smith ... linesmen are Hudy and Wilkinson. 

View from the Press Box:

Aeros don't have a lot of energy, or they do and San Antonio just has a whole lot more. 

SA has 13 shots and look better than the Silver Stars, who lost both home games to Detroit and now trail the Detroit Shock 2-0 in the WNBA finals. 

And that is the last WNBA reference you will ever see on this blog.

Harding will be fine ... scott staying longer

According to the daily Wild blog at the StarTrib, Harding has a scratched Cornea and that blog entry features a great shot of the incident by their AP photographer. That will keep Brust up in Minny through the preaseason and maybe into the first weekend of the season. Wild dman Zidlicky is also out for the next two games, meaning that Mozjis and Scott will definitely stay with the big club for now.

John Scott played well the other night against Buffalo. He is having a good camp with them from what I hear and will be a bubble guy this year. He could be in the NHL by Christmas.

I'm not saying ... I am just saying.

I sat with him at the Booster Club banquet last year and got to speak to him on a more personal level. And although I talk to those guys all the time, it was good to see the way he interacted with fans, especially kids that night. He got a few looks from the tots in the crowd (including my three year old) when he stood up.

He is a another guy that you just silently root for one minute and then you scream at him for doing X, Y, or Z on the ice the next night. He is getting better. He is progressing. And he is still in Minnesota on Oct. 3. What does that tell you?

Andrew

Not a matter of if ...

Former Aero Josh Harding suffered what the team is calling an eye abrasion in the team's win over Buffalo last night. For a full account of what happened, read here.

Normally I don't care for guys who throw their masks 0ff and scream for help, but hey, we're talking about an eye here. Serious stuff ... and let's just hope Harding doesn't have any complications from this latest injury.

As for how this affects the Aeros, it remains to be seen. Barry Brust is still in camp with the big club and will serve as a great backup while Harding recovers.

And now it's time for one of sport's greatest mysteries:
How is it that Jacksonville, Florida has an NFL team?
I know they love their team, but still I wonder.

Kalus and Hamilton sent to Houston

Petr Kalus and Ryan Hamilton have been cut by the Wild and sent to Houston's training camp.
Read here Russo's StarTrib blog of last nights exhibition game against Chicago.

Also a lot of nice stuff in their paper today about Stephane Veilleux, who is now a good NHLer.
There were a lot of people who doubted he'd ever stick. But no one ever questioned his intensity. Now am I saying he didn't mail it in a few times here in the AHL? No. Who doesn't?

But I am saying Steph's goal was always to get to the Wild and stay there. The lasting memory I will always have of him is the look on his face when the Aeros took the two goal lead against Hamilton. He knew, the team knew they had just won the cup.

Anywho, today the Aeros practiced for the first time and I hope to get my first look at the team Friday morning. Preseason AHL hockey is just about here ... and that is good enough to take my mind of Ike for a few days, so I will take it.

It's not an affiliation, but ....

... looks like (some of) the Mississippi Sea Wolves are going to join the Aeros for camp this week.

I got a chance to talk to Steffon Walby last year when the Sea Wolves played Texas in the ECHL playoffs. Good guy, good talker and he loves his job.

Also, I will try to comment more on the Wild cuts from earlier today. There were no surprises, although it does now look like Colton Gillies, Cal Clutterbuck, Danny Irmen, Kalus and Mojzis are competing for one, maybe two spots (barring injury) with the Wild.

Until then ...

Reitz rebounds from poor effort

Former Aeros defenseman Erik Reitz was real bad in Wild pre-seaon game last weekend against Chicago. Here is a good recap of what we wrong and Lemaire's reaction from The Star Tribune's Michael Russo.

From what I understand, and have been told, Erik had a decent "next" game against Buffalo, but it is still not clear if he will definitely be the team's seventh defenseman coming out of training camp.

For those of you wondering, he signed a one-way deal with Minny, so you likely won't see him donning No. 5 at Toyota Center this year. Guess it could happen, but it would be financially and emotionally taxing for all involved.

Erik is the only player that has been an Aero every year since I started covering the team in 2002. Sure, there are still familiar faces all around, but it's just different now that no one is left from that season, the last championship team.

I wish Erik nothing but the best of luck with the Wild. In the meantime, it does appear anywhere from 10-14 players will be assigned to the Aeros today. And there will certainly be more to come.

Andrew

Maxim Noreau

Here is a great feature on Max Noreau written by former Aeros PR guru Ryan Stanzel.
Enjoy!

Andrew

Ryan Jones scores for Nashville

Good to see the bulk of the preseason games are underway.
Ryan Jones, who finished the year with the Aeros last season, scored one of the two goals for the Preds in a 4-2 loss to Atlanta.

Jones was traded for a defenseman who will likely end up injured for most of the season.
Naw, I am just kidding. That was just my first negative comment of the day and I needed to use it somewhere.

So how excited are you guys, as Aeros and hockey fans, about the fact that hockey starts in a week? One week from tonight in Sugar Land ... How many of you are going to drive over to San Antonio for the second game?

Preseason games are meaningless ... well they are for most people.
They are good for people who like to write, announce, sing and deejay.

Talk to you soon,

Andrew

Bye Bye B2?

Well, for those of you who did not care for the B2 Networks, it looks like a replacement has been found to host the streaming live video for the 2008-09 season.

Check out this page on the NeuLion Web site.
Go down to the bottom and click on the AHL video.

I have not seen a release by the AHL or the Aeros, but I would expect to see something soon one way or the other in the coming days.

My first impression?
I like it.

Danny Irmen Feature

The article is spot on.
Irmen won't ever post flashy numbers at the NHL/AHL level, but he is gritty and his durability speaks for itself.

I'm guessing just from how things have fallen into place in years past that guys will start skating in Sugar Land either on the 29th or 30th.

The first five regular season games are basically preseason games anyway.

Andrew

Joe O'Donnell is the new voice of the Aeros

Aeros fans who listen to the games on the radio and Internet are in for a treat.
Former Idaho Steelheads announcer Joe O'Donnell is the new voice of the Aeros. He replaces Jason Shaver and is set to become the team's fourth play-by-play voice in 15 years.

Adam Gordon was the first, replaced by Ken Double and then Shaver.

Idaho has already taken his bio off their page ... either that, or it was never there.

Andrew

Wild Prospects Update

Several good points in this article about guys that need to step up and have a good rookie tournament. Schedule is also included for those of you who are not married, or at least engaged to www.wild.com. 

This is a worth a read and definitely something to get your hockey blood pumping. 

A conversation with Joel Ward

I got the chance to chat with former Aero forward Joel Ward today and he is in good spirits as he prepares for his first season in the Nashville Predators organization.

He said he has heard good things about Milwaukee, should that be where he ends up as part of his two-way contract. Joel is ready for camp and had nothing but good things to say about the Wild organization he has been a part of for the last three years.

Any hard feelings I asked him?

"No, not at all...it's part of the game," Ward said. "They've (Minnesota/Houston) treated me great the last 3 yrs there..they gave me an opportunity to play pro-hockey and I can't say anything bad about that one bit."

Ward said he got a good deal and indicated that the Predators were just "a little more interested" in his services. With the Aeros revamping with Locke, Schultz and Kolonos, Ward's PP time and first line time would surely be reduced. Ward will get a good look with the Predators and will likely end up with the Admirals in time for their opening night game in San Antonio. They play at Houston on Monday, Oct. 13.

I did ask him who he was looking forward to hitting the most when the Admirals make their first visit in Aeros' home game No. 2. This is hilarious ... and I know he means well.

"Ahh...let me see...maybe a Danny Irmen only because he is a rat," Ward quipped. "Brandon Rogers too, only because he used me for my hockey package on TV last year. The only time I ever saw him was when he wanted to watch hockey."

And with that ... we are done. Thanks again Wardo for your time and best of luck with the Predators / Admirals this season.

Stokes signs with Boston

Former Aero Ryan Stokes signed a deal with the Bruins organization today.
Good for him, although don't look for the P-Bruins to be quite as good as they were last year.

I still can't believe the Aeros took them down at home last year.
My predictions are awful, I know, but I had that one inked in as a for-sure loss.

AHL (and NHL) have a new referee

Before the Aeros announce its preseason and training camp schedules ... and before they announce their new broadcaster and team President, here is some light-hearted referee-related news to muse through.

News to muse ... is that copyrighted? I like it!

AJ Baines signs with Anaheim/Iowa

Former Norfolk Admiral, Omaha Knights and Hamilton Bulldog AJ Baines will join the Anaheim Ducks organization this year.

Baines said he wanted to stay in Hamilton, but chose Iowa because of a lack of communication on Montreal's part.

Here's the story ... great pickup for Iowa.

Garrity and wife Gina to start company called Quan Sports Marketing

No matter what your opinion is of Garrity, there is no question the team is better off (as far as things he controlled) now than when he took over. His replacement will have, pardon the cliche, huge shoes to fill.

Here is the link to my full story on chron.com.

Tom Garrity is leaving the Aeros

I got a tip on this site last night and followed up.
Tom Garrity is leaving the team to start his own business with his wife, Gina.

More news to follow later.

This marks the second time in a week the team has lost a key member of its front office.

Former Aero Reirden named as Baby Pens Asst.

Todd Reirden played for the Aeros a few years back, and has been named an assistant coach in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS).
With WBS coming to town this year, will be fun to chat and catch up.

Andrew

No affiliation in 08-09

For those of you who like conjecture ... and I know some of you do ... here is some news for you.
The Aeros will not be teaming up with the Mississippi Sea Wolves this year and will likely not team up with anyone, officially, this year.

More will be posted if I can get some more information.
My guess is that guys will just be scattered all over the ECHL and CHL this year.

Two members of the Aeros family featured here

Gage Mueller (Zamboni Driver) and Fred Trask (super fan, and great hockey photographer) are featured in this article ... check it out!

Good to see some good Aeros news today!

Andrew

And out of left field!

Wow ... didn't see this coming.
From a Chicago Wolves Press release!


The Chicago Wolves have named JASON SHAVER the team’s play-by-play announcer. The 35-year-old announcer will join Color Analyst BILL GARDNER in the booth to broadcast every regular-season Wolves game - including all 40 home contests - as well as every playoff game, live on Comcast Digital Channel 100.

OK, last non-hockey post for awhile

Richard Justice is probably the most well-known columnist for the local newspaper here in Houston. And while I don't always agree with his points of view, I do enjoy how he writes. He also knows how to push buttons, and I like the way he riles up the local readership.

Today, in his blog on chron.com, he basically said Ed Wade (Astros GM) was crazy for telling Tejada he would not be traded.

For once, I completely agree with Mr. Justice. I could not help but laugh out loud when I read the last piece of his blog. Here it is:

"There are days when Ed Wade just doesn't seem real bright. For instance, today. He told Miguel Tejada he wouldn't be traded. Why would he say something like that? Do you think Tejada liked the idea of playing for the Red Sox? Of course, he did. He'd be nut not to want to go from one of baseball's worst teams to one of its best.

Does that mean if the Rangers offer Josh Hamilton for Tejada, Wade would have to turn it down. You say that's impossible? You never know. The Padres didn't think they'd find anyone to take Randy Wolf's $3.5 million off their hands. Tejada is hitting .230 the last two months.

If someone wants to take the remaining $19 million on his contract, someone should drive the guy to the airport."

Adios Cucaracha!

One of the few things that I have been blessed with is the ability to be easily amused. So naturally, there are times when I will be driving down the freeway as coffee comes spewing out of my face and onto the steering column.

This morning, on the way to my office at Continental HQ, was one of those times.

Luckily, too, I have a fairly decent camera phone and was able to get this shot while in hot pursuit of a yellow Toyota truck that looked like an appropriately-sized Southeast Texas insect.

But what really got me, what really made the coffee fly today, was the lettering on the tailgate. Adios Cucaracha (for those of you who don't live in Houston, this translates to Good bye cockroach).

I have never patronized "Truly Nolen" before, but that might be changing soon.

A friend of mine recently told me that she uses plastic Solo cups to trap insects on her floor. She waits for them to suffocate before, and I quote, "disposing of them properly" ... For her today, my new advice is: "Why waste a Dixie Solo when you can go Truly Nolen!"

Cornacchia Sentenced

Former Utah Grizzlies and San Antonio Rampage player David Cornacchia finally got the answer he wasn't looking for.

Just Google his name for a wealth of further information on the subject.

Sometimes, this stuff is just too good to make up.

Holmqvist Moves Along

After playing for the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars, former Aeros goalie has signed a two-year deal to play in Europe.

According to the general manager for his new team, Holmqvist is now part of "Europe's best goaltending tandem ... " In case you are wondering Ari Ahonen is the other.

Best of luck Honker and thanks for an unbelievable two months in 2003. You were so good, I almost named one of my Beta fish after you.

Ha ...

Andrew

Sea Wolves/Aeros marriage in the works

According to the Virgina Pilot, the August Lynx will be the new ECHL affiliate of the Norfolk Admirals. That, as far as I know, leaves the Mississippi Sea Wolves without an AHL affiliate. With Texas' departure from the ECHL, I think Biloxi (where the Sea Wolves play) is the closest ECHL team to the Aeros and such a marriage might be in the works already.

I will see what I can find out.

More on Brandon Rogers' contract extension

Here is a great local article on Brandon Rogers and his recently-signed three-year deal to play for the Minnesota Wild.

Brandon will get a look with the Wild, but he will be one of the keys to the Aeros blueline this year. He and Noreau will get a lot of PP/PK time, I think, and they will need to just keep doing what they did last year now that the team is potentially, and significantly, upgraded at the forward position.

Also, while I was on vacation, former Aeros captain Sylvain Cloutier replaced (former Aero) Ken McRae as the head coach for the Corpus Christi Ice Rays. Cloutier, who was hired because of the vast number of contacts he has made along the way, should be able to compete in the CHL this year. The new ownership group there is making a lot of changes and most of them seem to be centered around improving the team.

On a side note, McRae recently signed a deal to coach the Peterborough Petes of the OHL ...

Best of luck, Ken!

Hoggan Signs with PHX

Former Aero Jeff Hoggan, whose AHL career has blossomed since leaving the team a few years ago, looks to get a fair amount of time with the Rampage next year.

Check this out.

Andrew

Steve Kelly Lands in Syracuse

Former Aeros forward Steve Kelly has signed a one year, two-way contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

This guy just never panned out as far as numbers were concerned.
He was a good, stand up guy and answered every question honestly ... Not overly candid to the point of insulting his teammates and always took the blame when it was necessary.

Good luck, sir!

Lundy is Back!

Bryan Lundbohm, affectionately known as "whitey" and for scoring timely and empty net goals, will return to the Aeros this year.

Read this AP story for more information.

Love the guy and love this signing!

Andrew

Wardo bolts for Nashville / Milwaukee

Free agent Joel Ward signs with the Nashville Predators ...
Better get used to those buses dude, and kiss those frequent flyer miles goodbye!

Another great guy that will be missed.

http://predators.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=368361

Everyone is entitled to their opinion...

And this guy certainly uses one on the new Chops name in Iowa ...

To quote:

"It's sparking discussion, for sure. It's sparked a number of words in me - stupid, idiotic, moronic, atrocious, ridiculous. And those are just the G-rated words. I'm telling you right now that I'll like this name and logo when pigs fly. No offence, Iowa citizens, but the owners of this franchise belong on a funny farm."

Constantine's Way or the ....

Great article here ...

The Aeros in 2005-2007 ... fat and lazy?
Naaaahhhhh ....

:)

Matt Foy signs with Blues/Rivermen

Dave Eminian has the scoop here.

Former Aero Matt Foy, who was never shy about expressing his disdain for playing in the AHL, signed an NHL/AHL deal with the St. Louis Blues recently.

Eminian says that Foy projects to be with the Rivermen, and that the gifted goal scorer will be play on the top lines if and when he is in the AHL.
Matt's first year in the AHL was 2003-04 and I will never forget the look on his face when I asked him what it was like to play in a big market (Houston) ... It was after a morning skate right after the season started and at first he just stared into space. After the pause he looked at me and said. "Well, I wish more people came to the games here ... then maybe we can call it a big market."



I love the guy ... and even after five or so years with the Wild, I still don't know what he dad does for a living? Is he a cop or a fireman? Matt told me both (along with another monthly publication in Houston) on several occasions.



The guy will be missed, but it's not like we won't get to see him this year.



Andrew

You know? I was thinking the same thing ...

Good luck John Anderson.

This is worth a read of the whole thing, but check out No. 30 first.
Ouch ...

Andrew

I feel worthless, but hey, the Aeros should be fun to watch!

It's really easy to evaluate yourself as a freelance hockey writer when you find out about three huge deals that *potentially* affect the team you cover via team press release.

But, by today's instant sporting news standards, this may not sound like the huge slap in the face it once was.

But in the matter of a single week, the Wild acquired Jesse Shultz, Krys Kolonos and Corey Locke, and it is quite possible that each of those clutch goal scorers could end up in Houston for a good stretch of the 2008-09 season.

With nary a heads up from any one of my six sources (seriously, just six! LOL!), I found out about these deals via Houston Aeros press releases. At the same time each of you did.

What does this mean?

I am not doing my job very well. And that's a picture of me at the top of this blog. Dude, I am one sad tomato right now.

Phone calls, e-mails and text messages be damned, I now feel so far out of the loop, I might as well buy season tickets and sit in the stands and make fun of the public address announcer. (No offense, Steve, but I want to fit in ... ((Does that mean I need to tuck in my Carl Valimont jersey?))

But this also means, I have gotten too comfortable with the way things were ... and have not adjusted well to a quicker and more "modern" era of instant media. It now means I will have to talk to more people OUTSIDE of the organization to get news and more importantly points of views from the outside.

Do I expect to "get the scoop" every time? No, that is next to impossible with how pro teams work these days. There are NHL beat writers that feel the same way I do right now, but they have 8 or 9 more hours a day to take care of their beats. (I know excuses are like @$$holes ...)

All I am saying is I need to pay attention more. I need to make more phone calls, I need to send more text messages and I need to make it clear to the people I work with that I take this job seriously as I do between October and the perennial first round playoff exit. (oops, cheap shot!)

Sorry guys for making this a worthless blog this week.

I sure hope Kolonos, Locke and Shultz are as clutch in Houston as they have been for other teams at the AHL level. I know as the team's beat writer, I sure as hell haven't for the fans that truly love this team.

Good night ... and keep your fingers crossed that the Wild/Aeros ink that Top 2 defenseman that played in the West division last season ... If not, all it means, as far as I know, is that the team didn't exactly sell Houston like it should.

; )

Dave Barr joins Avs coaching Staff

Another former Aero in the NHL ...

I never got to work with Dave Barr as he coached the team a few years before I took over the Chronicle beat. But I did get to cover him as GM when I wrote for Space City Sports.

He may not have been the smartest hockey guys at the time, but he knew the sport and he was still learning at that point. He was one of the greatest IHL players I have ever seen live when he single handed destroyed the Aeros one year while playing with the Orland Solar Bears.

He was, however, one of the most passionate (wear-it-all-on-your sleeve) coaches/GMs I have ever been around and man did he care.

Good luck Dave Barr!

Andrew

Update from Prospects Camp

I know there was a lot of bad language thrown around last year about Benoit Pouliot and whether or not he deserved to be in the NHL last year.

There are some folks that think him being in the NHL will only make him a better, more "well-rounded" player. And then there are some that think he is nothing less than the single worst draft decision in the history of the Wild.

I disagree on the latter, but I am not convinced that he will spend the entire year in the NHL.

Here is an article that I found about how the prospects camp is going and how maybe Justin Hodgeman will make an impact at the AHL level this year. He could be one of those late bloomers. Who knows?

Read. Enjoy.

Andrew

The Aeros get a scorer

The Wild have re-signed Barry Brust and added Jesse Shultz for depth.
He was a sniper for the Wolves last season.

Good potential scorer for the Aeros.

Rangers sign Voros

Loved this kid from the get-go ...
He just fell out of favor with the Wild and needed a fresh start.

Great guy to work with.

Andrew

You don't say ...

The Aeros name is flattering to someone else, and this team is indeed based on the 1970s installment of our home town hockey team.

Counting this team, I now know of the Akron Aeros (baseball) and the Houston Aeros (AHL) teams.

Anyone know of any other Aeros out there?

Oh and good-bye Ryan Jones. We hardly knew ye ... Hope the Milwaukee Admirals can turn him into a top-notch NHL forward.

Andrew

Rolston Traded for a draft pick

Wow ... lol.
I guess since that minor league baseball team in Texas already did the whole "traded for some bats" routine ... the Wild figured that would get old.

Then again, as bad as the Lightning have been, maybe the Wild can get another Peter Olvecky or Danny Irmen for Rolston down the line.

Daum now a scout for the Oilers

Apparently, Rob Daum has been given a scouting job with the Oilers after being replaced by Kelly Buchberger.

Edmonton Sun article here explains that Daum did nothing to deserve what pretty much equals a demotion. Buchberger was going to have this job from the get-go, Daumer knew about it and did a good job as a one-year fill in.

Good luck Rob, hope to see you on press row next year ...
Although it does not appear there will be much to see in Houston next season.

Two things are certain with the Aeros: They will generally win if they get a third goal and you might as well leave the building if the team gives up the first goal or is the first to yield a third.

Don't expect any goal scorers to be added to the team this year.
Defense, defense and more defense.

More on Tyler Myers

Before I post the link to a great story about the Houston kid from the Calgary paper, well one of the Calgary papers, I thought I would pose this question.

Do you think it is OK for kids to be in the official Cup photos? You know the ones with the cup in the middle and the guys all around. I saw tons of kids in the Wolves and Red Wings photos and it just rubbed me the wrong way. I don't know, what do you think?

And this is just a great story ... One team actually asked the kid if there was a magic candy that ensured hockey success would he eat it? The drawback? Eat the candy and you've got a 50-50 chance of dying in 10 years.

Love it ...

McLellan on Thrasher's Radar

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ...

McLellan is a top candidate along with the Wolves' John Anderson and several others.

My gut tells me that Anderson is the top candidate here and they are just waiting for the Wolves to win the Calder Cup to make it official.

Again, that is just what I think. And while I think Todd will get his shot in the NHL (as a head coach) before too long, I don't think ATL is the right fit for him. But then again, if he succeeds there and gets the talented Thrashers out of the first round, he is going to look like a genius.

I wish him the very best of luck no matter where he goes ...

Aeroscribe

Who says Houston doesn't breed top NHL draft picks?

This is a great read.
Pull for the kid to go anywhere but Toronto.
That toilet flush you hear is coming from "the centre of hockey" ... Oh, and I am pretty sure there is only one minor league hockey team in Houston ... The Star missed that fact pretty cleanly. Probably just a typo.

Andrew

Rob Daum in the news again

According to this blogger, Daum is in the running for the potential vacancy in Springfield.
I would absolutely love to see this happen. Especially if the schedule makers allow the Falcons to venture out West again.

Either way, this is worth a read.

Andrew

Homeless Bats

Well, their great run in Central Texas is over.
While I am glad the AHL is coming to Austin, this news was inevitable based on the economics (see release).

However, the could sell out every game if they wore burnt orange and white and figured out how to play on the campus at UT.


Best of luck to all affected staff. And best of luck to coach (and former Aeros winger) Brent Hughes who somehow got that collection of players to the postseason. That feat, in and of itself, was simply incredible.

The Ice Bats will be missed!

McLellan should be considered for Avs job

Great read from the Denver Post, who is stalking assistant coaches to see who will be the next bench boss blamed for bad trainers ... oops, I mean bad luck.

Quenneville should not be blamed for their playoff mess. What a joke, and I certainly hope that McLellan gets a another job before taking the reigns of that piss-poor franchise that rented Stanley Cups a few times in recent memory. Oh wait, I think my Red Wings did that in 2002, eh?

Best of luck to anyone that gets that gig. And best of luck to McLellan whose team should be able to raise the Cup some time in June. The Wings are by far the best of the four teams remaining ... but you never know what can happen in the playoffs.

Oh the Horror ... Forced to sit in the bathroom at 37,000 feet

Now imagine this.
How much of this can actually be true?

Can you imagine?

This has nothting to do with hockey, but sometimes I read some pretty amazing media reports and I just laugh, and laugh and laugh.

Now this is just my opinion, if the man was forced to sit in the bathroom, then he is not much of a man at all. If someone told me that I was going to have to sit in a bathroom, then I would refuse and force the alternative.

Likely, that would involve pissing off the crew just enough to land in Toledo or somewhere between JFK and California (yes, that is the route they take) and plead my case to the local authorities.

But that is just me.

Strand not going to Green Bay

According to the Wisconsin Radio Network, "The Green Bay Gamblers of Junior hockey's United States Hockey League, will reportedly name Jon Cooper as the teams next head coach and general manager at a news conference today ... Cooper was one of three finalists and won out over Houston Aeros assistant Luke Strand and University of Wisconsin assistant Kevin Patrick. Patrick eventually withdrew his name from consideration last week. Both he and Strand were both former Gamblers assistants."

Strand and Troy Ward are perfect as assistants for the defense-first and detail oriented Kevin Constantine. If Kevin returns next year as head coach of the Aeros - and right now all signs point to just that - look for both to be back with Constantine for at least one more year of nail-biting action. (Always wanted to write that ... nail-biting action.)

Strand is a good coach and not getting this job is likely a blessing in disguise. I don't know a whole lot about their program in the USHL, but it sounds like quite the revival project. Plus, add the fact that Brett Favre does not quarterback the power play, it makes it that less of an interest in Wisconsin.

Aeroscribe

Weinhandl leads Swedes over Danes

Goal, three assists lead the way in win over Denmark


Former Aero Mattias Weinhandl scored a goal and added three assists in Sweden's 8-1 win over Denmark in the world hockey championships ... Good game for the former Aero who had a great season for the team after the Wild assigned him in December 2006.



I thought the guy came here with a good attitude and scored one of the prettiest goals of the year just after Christmas against the Chicago Wolves. The Aeros played a ton of stinkers last year, but Weinhandl actually made some of the games fun to watch with his speed and obvious dominance over most of his peers.

He was great in the locker room too, as far as dealing with the media.

When he played well, he was good for a quote. When he was bad, or when the team was really bad, he said as much and didn't mince his words.


Too bad about the timing, though, and too bad he had to be a part of that lousy team in 06-07. I only wish I could repeat some of the things that were said about the team's goaltending situation last year. But I have to play nice. All I can say is that as much as fans hated the situation, there were team officials that didn't care for what was going on either.


(And now that I am on a tangent ... ) I know there had to be some reason that I was never told about as to why the team had to go to Tony Quesada as much as they did. I loved the kid, but he was clearly overmatched in the AHL. Dieter never stayed healthy. Minnesota needed Harding in St. Paul because of Manny Fernandez' antics and injuries and Miro was .....well .... Miro.


You would have thought the team could have found someone in the ECHL, CHL or even the UHL/IHL that was on a hot streak or something. Would it have ultimately mattered? Probably not ... but damn ... try something, right?


Oh well, I am done with that for now. Thanks for listening, and please email me or post your comments about what you thought of last season. This would be a great place to collect them all for eternity.


In closing, I will leave you with one of my favorite Rob Daum stories that I can actually print.

The date is Feb. 18, 2007 and the Aeros just got drubbed 8-0 by the Chicago Wolves who were mad at the Aeros for beating them the night before. After the game, I talked to Rob and asked him if things could get much worse...


Andrew: So Rob, that was a stinker, eh?
Rob Daum: Andrew, that is accurate. You won't accidentally misquote me there.
Andrew: Lots of bad games this year, but you have to think it can't get much worse.
Rob Daum: (Laughs) Well, Andrew. It might, but if it does, I don't want to find out how.
Andrew: ((Thinking to himself) Well ... crap with Quesada in goal, anything can happen.))
Andrew: (Actual comment) Rob, you know you should never say famous last words.
Rob Daum: Who's famous?
Andrew: Good point.


Now the really good part. After that game, the Aeros only managed to win two more home games. Two.
Did it get worse for the Aeros and Rob? See March 24, 2007. A 10-2 loss to Omaha ...


Daum: "This is probably as low as we've been," Daum said. "I mean, how much lower can you get than a 10-2 game? If there is something worse than this, then I am not looking forward to it."


And with that, we are done.

Andrew

More from the Des Moines Paper

Here is the latest on the Aeros not going to Des Moines ...
I actually thought this is stir up a bit more chatter than it has, but oh well.

Go team.
LOL.

Andrew

See, I am not the only one that complains about injuries.
How funny is hockey. I just love it. I love it more than any other sports because of all the drama.

It, to me, is by far the hardest sport to predict .... which makes it more interesting.
I will never say that I think the Avs are kind of getting an "only from above" balancing act because of their lucky win over the Wild in Round 1. Injuries are, after all, the only reason the Wild are out of the playoffs right now.

Now, if the Avs win four straight, then I will gladly eat by words. I have done it before and done it again.

Injuries are part of the game, but doesn't it suck when they come in the playoffs and you had a chance in the series otherwise? Just ask the Aeros. Just ask the Wild and now the Avs.

My latest prediction to play for the Cup was Pittsburgh vs. San Jose.
I don't think that is going to happen now. Dallas is Cinderella, and they are going to the ball.

Dallas over Detroit in Six.
Pittsburgh over Philly in five.

Pittsburgh over Dallas in seven.

Aeros not going anywhere ...

From my story at Chron.com:

Aeros general manager and Minnesota Wild assistant GM Tom Lynn confirmed Tuesday that the Minnesota Wild were contacted about moving their AHL affiliation from Houston to Des Moines, Iowa, but that the team will not be moving its top prospects out of Houston.

"There was contact," Lynn said in an e-mail Tuesday. "That is all I can say."

===================================================================

This is good news for Aeros fans ... what are your thoughts?

Who will end up in Des Moines next year?
The Anaheim Ducks? I know they were looking to put their peeps in Peoria before those folks stepped up and kept the Blues prospects down there.

Let me know what you think of tonight's news.

Andrew


Tamara is happy the Aeros are staying.
Are you?

Erik Reitz will make NHL playoffs debut tonight

I know it is absolutely absurd for me to insinuate the following, but I will anyway because I live in a country where everyone needs to blame someone for something. And I want to be like everyone else? Hey, so I didn't learn the right way from mom.

But ... the Minnesota Wild needs to absolutely fire, can, torch - whatever word you want to use - their training staff. Poor job. Too many injuries. Someone needs to go.

If the Wild makes it past Game 6 I will be stunned. If they win Game 7, I will delete this post.

There is some reason why this team cannot stay healthy.
Every team gets injured. The Wild get crazy-injured. They get hurt at the wrong times and they get hurt in ways that takes them longer to come back.

Oh, and by the way, Erik Reitz will play for the Wild tonight.
Good luck, my friend. I mean this from the bottom of my heart.
I hope I never see you in Houston again. You deserve this chance. Now go make the most of it before YOU get hurt while putting your socks on or wrapping tape around them.

Fact of the Day

Will the streak continue?
Ice hogs center Gavin Morgan is 0-for-3 in playoff series against Houston.
Twice with the Utah Grizzlies and once while playing for Peoria.

I am not a big fan of streaks like these, because streaks are streaks for a reason.
They end.

On a good note to end with, the Aeros had their highest PP % vs. Rockford that any other team.

Cheers!

Colton Gillies

While Gillies will be too young to play with the Aeros next season, he is have a good first stint of professional hockey. Here is a link to a story about him from his hometown paper.

I have been busy trying to prove my theory that the Aeros are purposefully trying to clinch the crossover spot - No. 5 in the West - I did come across this great article about Gillies.

Any of you geography people need to pull the kid aside and show him a map of the lower 48.
LOL ...

Best of luck to the young kid and I really hope he sticks with the Wild next season.

Andrew

Anton Khudobin honored

Aeros goalie Anton Khudobin, who will likely be sent back to Texas soon to compete in the postseason, was named to the 2007-08 All-ECHL first team.

John McNabb earned a spot on the second team ...

Congrats to Anton, who has been a very good and formidable second backup to an injury-prone team that really needed it's third string goalie this year.
Everyone who can remember last year, knows what can happen if the organization leaves you unprepared and undermanned when injuries and call-ups occur.


2007-08 First Team All-ECHL

F - David Desharnais, Cincinnati Cyclones (66 gp, 28g, 74a, 102 pts, +35)
F - Josh Soares, Alaska Aces (59 gp, 36g, 45a, 81 pts, -1)
F - Jeff Campbell, Gwinnett Gladiators (63 gp, 25g, 65a, 90 pts, +18)
D - Peter Metcalf, Alaska Aces (60 gp, 7g, 53a, 60 pts, +17)
D - Darrell Hay, Idaho Steelheads (64 gp, 9g, 36a, 45 pts, +12)
G - Anton Khudobin, Texas Wildcatters (27 gp, 20-1-4, 1.98 GAA, .934 Save Pct.)

I like the kid already ...

For those of you who have B2 and watch the Aeros road games on what is clearly a remarkable service compared to what hockey fans used to have, check out No. 10 tonight for the Aeros.

Hobey Baker finalist Ryan Jones has joined the team and will make his pro debut tonight for the Aeros.

This article kind of sums it up, so I will let it do the talking.
I hope to have a scouting report on the kid from a colleague of mine that watched his college team play all year.

The last Chatham, Ontario Hobey Baker player to suit of for the Aeros?
Brian Wiseman.

We all know how that turned out.

March 29 is not particularly lucky ... but ...

Meaningless stat of the day:
The Aeros are 3-2-1 all time on March 29.

But (and here's the really good part) ... the Aeros have not lost on March 29 since 1997!

Bad Barry .... BAD! And thanks for the win!

Well, he said he was tired.
He looked tired.
He's played more games that he probably thought he'd ever see this season.

And now he can't play.
Can't say that I blame him for the cross-check that he got last night in Chicago, but the rules are the rules.

Barry has been suspended by the league leaving Khudobin in charge of the net for today's game vs. Milwaukee.

Here is the text from the league's press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2008

AHL ANNOUNCES SUSPENSIONS

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. . The American Hockey League today
announced that
Providence Bruins forward Steve MacIntyre has been
suspended for one (1)
game as a result of his actions during an AHL game vs.
Portland on Mar. 29.

MacIntyre received an automatic one-game suspension under
AHL Rule 23.3 for
accumulating his third game misconduct in the general
category this season.

MacIntyre will miss Providence's game today (Mar. 30) vs.
Worcester.

The AHL also announced that Houston Aeros goaltender Barry
Brust has been
suspended pending league review of his match penalty
received during an AHL
game at Chicago on Mar. 29.

Colton Gilles will report to Aeros

Here it is.

From one of the greatest hockey blog's out there ...


Colton Gilles has signed a three-year deal with the Wild and will report to the Aeros.



I don't know a lot about the kid, but I can't wait to talk to him. Will probably have to wait until the team gets back from their eternity of a trip through the Midwest.

Andrew

Nolan Schaefer Update

As it turns out, Aeros goalie Nolan Schaefer may play again this season after all.
It was been confirmed that he will make the trip when the Aeros start an eight-game road trip in Chicago Saturday night.

If you don't see the Aeros tomorrow night, you will have to wait until April 12 when the team hosts the Milwaukee Admirals for the first of two straight games that could decide if the Aeros will be in the playoffs this year.

If I was a betting man, I'd put them in today as the four or five seed, the latter pushing them over to the North as the No. 4 seed.

The Houston Wildcatters

Chris Dabe covers the Wildcatters for the Beaumont Enterprise.
This is a great piece about how that team has and is dealing with a number of players lost to the AHL this season.

Think about where the Aeros would be right now if these guys hadn't stepped up when needed this year? Most notably Marco Rosa.

This is part of why is really sucks to be a fan of minor league sports.
But it is also the reason why there are teams in Houston and (at least for the rest of this season) in Beaumont in the first place.

Playoffs ...

Someone asked me by email how I was so sure the Aeros were going to make the playoffs based on a few comments in the paper and then in my last post.

Well, I figure it this way. If the Aeros go just 5-6 the rest of the year, playing WELL below their recent pace, then Peoria will have to win seven of their last 10 games.

I am not saying that's not possible because the Aeros have a very tough stretch to finish off the regular season. But it's not likely. For the Aeros not to make the playoffs, a lot of weird and very disappointing things would have to happen between now and April 13.

My gut tells me they end up with the No. 4 seed and will have to play the Wolves in the first round. The Aeros have not moved past that one since 2003, by the way.

Projected finish:
Wolves, IceHogs, Rampage, Aeros, Admirals

How I would love to see it finish?
Wolves, Aeros, Rampage, Admirals, IceHogs ... but that is very unlikely

Aeros knock down Rivermen in a shootout

The Aeros got away with one last night, but that doesn't mean they didn't deserve to win.
On a night where Ian Croft wasn't calling anything unless it was painfully obvious - and yes he missed a few too -- the Aeros converted when they had too. Hamilton's goal was a beaut and Ward is just getting better and better as his role expands from checking forward to whatever adjective sports people in Pittsburgh are using for Sidney Crosby.

OK, ok, so I overstate!

Former Aero and PEO head coach Dave Baseggio was mad because the power plays were one to the Aeros five. Can't say that I blame him there, but it is what it is. It's not like Peoria's penalty kill stinks ... hell that team plays better on the road than they do at home!

One thing else I wanted to mention. Nolan Schaefer might be done for the year. I am not sure he is going to get the kind of playing time and practice he needs to be in shape for the playoffs ... if they make the playoffs. One bad week in this division and you can go from third to seventh, real quick.

I talked to him after the game last night and he is not happy, but he politely would not expand on that. I know he tried to practice about 10 days ago, but the Aeros shut him down. Right now Brust is holding down the fort, but I won't lie and say I am not disappointed. For Schaefer's sake, though, because he is a really talented netminder, I sure hope he does not come back too soon.

Groin's a real hard from a goalie to recover from. You have to trust your body when you get back and that means that some of the recovery is psychological.

With the way the Aeros play, Brust should be able to get them to the postseason. Schaefer, meanwhile, sits and waits.

Blog: "Benoit Pouliot has finally made it!"

Read for yourself. And maybe I added the exclamation point myself.
There is no reason to believe Aeros fans will ever see him in Houston again.
OK, so I am being a bit, what? Facetious?

Who knows ... I have to agree with this blogger, though. He has looked really good in the last two games. One more in fact that a oft-slumping Josh Harding.

See ya at the rink tonight.

POULIOT THROWS AEROS UNDER BUS

Two things:

First, absolutely HUGE win for the Aeros in San Antonio Sunday.
They were outshot, but I won't say they were outplayed. Knowing how tired they where, and how desperate San Antonio would be, they played smarter and won.

Secondly, read this article from the Edmonton Sun. Poo scored his first two NHL goals in a loss to the Calgary Flames over the weekend. Lemaire has been on the record as excusing Pouliot's poor production in the AHL on him not playing with great players and this article touches on that some more. I am not saying, however, that I disagree. But this is only half the story.

Read on ...

I have zero beef with Benny, but I think it is inexcusable that no one has said on the record that Poo is lazy and indifferent on defense for about half the game. He has OPENLY admitted to me on several occasions that his biggest problem is inconsistency and that he needs to work harder to make it to the NHL. He got called up this time because he HAD to be, not because he deserved it. Think about it ... they called Steve Kelly up before him. And that guy had been a NON-factor offensively since Christmas.

Pouliot, who got better in the AHL when he was switched to center full time, belongs in the NHL ... and I hope he stays there.

I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I JUST SAW

OK, so I stole those lines from a famous TV announcer calling the 1988 World Series.
It is from a game where the unfathomable happened, and I will readily admit that I still cry when I see that highlight.

For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, I am talking about Kirk Gibson's game-winning homer in Game 1 that year against Oakland's Dennis Eckersley.

For me to compare the Aeros' 5-4 win to that is just insane, but it is close to being as unlikely.
Especially after the team gave up three goals in the first period. And scored NONE.

A lucky play got them the first goal.
Joel Ward got the next two, and Petr Kalus needs kudos for a great pass on the second goal.

It was all Ward on goal number three, and Kevin Constantine after the game said Ward had some magic in his stick Friday. I concur, doctor!

The turning point of the whole game for me was Rosa's goal after Olvecky had one waived off. Constantine said after the game, that referee Dean Morton told him that he had told the Aeros not to drift into the crease and force incidental contact. That is exactly what Olvecky did. To you and I it was not egregious by any means. But Morty was looking for it, and Kevin was quite appreciative that the team was not given a goaltender interference call there. Why?

Because Marco Freaking Rosa tied the game when a pretty goal on an even pretty pass from (who else?) Joel Ward.

Awe's shot for the game-winner clearly hit Irmen before going in, so I have no idea why that was not announced during the game. I left with about three minutes left in regulation to head downstairs. Did anyone hear them change the goal over the PA? I found out about it, AFTER I filed my story and checked out the stats on AHL.com.

No matter what happens Sunday, the Aeros need some credit for turning things around after that DREADFUL performance in the two Quad City games.

We'll see. Maybe they pull that one out too, but the two games next week against Peoria -- the team DIRECTLY behind them in the standings - are huge. I said there was no way they'd win either of them. I will take my crow now with a side of peas.

Andrew

Injuries and the West Division

Here is a snapshot of the latest NHL injuries.
Minnesota only has three, which puts them ahead (meaning fewer) of most other teams in the NHL. In fact of all the teams in the West Division, only Milwaukee is more affected (four injuries) by injuries at the NHL level.

I think where the Aeros are impacted most, however, is their significant lack of depth. When two or three guys go down in Minny, the Aeros lose three of their best players, etc.

Here is a snapshot of the West Division standings and how many injuries at the NHL are potentially affecting their team:

Chicago (Atlanta Thrashers) - 2
Rockford (Chicago Blackhawks) - 2
San Antonio (Phoenix Coyotes) - 2
Milwaukee (Nashville Predators) - 4
Houston (Minnesota Wild) - 3
Peoria (St. Louis Blues) - 1
Quad City (Calgary Flames) - 2
Iowa (Dallas Stars) - 3

This proves that my rant the other day is generally if not significantly unfounded.
Looks like everyone in this division is playing with a similar hand in this department.
One nugget in my favor however ... Minnesota is the only team in the division with two "out for the season" injuries. That being said, however, I will put any and all excuses referring to the injury-prone Wild to bed.

Ladies and Gentlemen ... your new superhero.

Here is a recently updated picture of Anton Khudobin.

When the Aeros score one goal against the Chicago Wolves, that usually means they lose by three, four or eight goals.

Not Thursday. The Aeros had a different kind of power working in their favor Thursday.

And that power led them to a 1-0 shutout over the best offensive talent in the AHL.

Check out the article in today's Daily Planet ... er I mean Houston Chronicle.

Bad News! Get your bad new here!

The Aeros lost TWO huge games to the team behind them in the standings and now get a trio of games in four nights against Chicago and San Antonio.

I'd give 'em a shot if they were healthy and Minnesota wasn't one of the more accident and injury-prone teams in the NHL. I know for sure there are more teams with more injuries. Take Edmonton for example ... but still. It is simply more magnified here because of the Wild's lack of depth. Scouts always talk about that when asked what they think about Houston (meaning the Aeros). Remember the comments that were made around the trade deadline? It was something along the lines of "there is not much there ..."

That is roughly what I get when I ask the gentlemen that sit next to me in the press box at Toyota Center. Now don't think for a second they make fun of or under mind the job that Kevin Constantine has done with the hand he has been dealt.

Now on to the latest batch of below average news from snow-land ... Kurtis Foster is out for the year with the broken leg, so the Aeros will be announcing soon, I think, that Clayton Stoner will be called up to take his place. In the last two weeks, the Aeros will have lost Steve Kelly, Benoit Pouliot and Stoner (the other option is Shawn Belle, perhaps) due to injuries with the big club. Hey, that is a big part of being an affiliated team.

As for the Aeros? Noreau and Reitz both have high ankle sprains (and in Noreau's case a broken leg too), so it is unsure when either one of them will be back on the ice. Those guys mean a lot to the team and I don't care what anyone says, the team is not the same without them.

Milan Gajic will wear No. 39 when he eventually gets into the lineup. Constantine said he wants to make sure the guy is well rested and more familiar with the team's systems before he gets on the ice. Have to respect that, for sure even if the team is crying for someone to step it up.

Now I would like to switch gears a bit to praise Marco Rosa. He was very disappointed when he did not make the team out of camp and he has done a little bit of everything and is one of the team's better players this year. He is getting on the scoresheet more and more all the time, and he leads the team with a plus-15 plus/minus rating. He had some real good looks last night and if the ice was anything other than lousy, I think he might have had two goals Wednesday.

Wolves head coach John Anderson was in the building last night and left sometime after the second period. He is salivating I am sure after seeing what his league-leading team will get to deal with the next two nights.

Constantine told me that one thing that hockey has taught him over the years is to expect the unexpected. He said there is no reason to automatically write the Aeros off in the next three games. That man knows more about hockey that I will ever learn in six lifetimes, but I just don't see it.

The Wolves are mad after losing to the left-for-deal Lake Erie Monsters Tuesday and they will slam the Aeros pretty good tonight and probably Friday too.

Gajic Returns; Fiala,Gilles on the way too?

Update: This is from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Looks like more bodies could be on the way for the Aeros as the junior careers of Wild prospects Colton Gillies and Ondrej Fiala came to an end recently.

Milan Gajic will likely not be in uniform Wednesday night when the Aeros finish up a two-game set with the Quad City Flames. He is with the team, but only "in-residence" in case another player is taken off the clear day roster due to, for example, injury.

Regardless of the rules and their technical nature, because of the expense of bringing him down, I am assuming there is a good chance he will play before long.

He's had a nice touch of offense in the AHL this year, so here to hoping he can get his visa issue worked out (and signs a contract) so he can stay a bit longer.


The Aeros need help. You can talk all you want about a gritty, hard-working and disciplined team getting by all you want. With one or two goal-scorers they'd be easily a No. 2 seed in this division. With the exception of Chicago and Iowa, they have proven they can beat any team in the league.



Payer hasn't scored since when? Petr Kalus? Um, nope. Pouliot's (more than likely) gone for good and Kelly joined the rest of the softies in Minnesota for his turn on the medical (band) wagon.



OK, end of rant. I have enjoyed covering this team more than most in my six seasons on the job. They own up when they screw up. They praise each other when it is warranted and they have responded to Constanine in a way that many of us thought was not possible. I get it. It is what it is. But they need someone to step up and start finishing some plays.



And that needs to start tomorrow night against Quad City.

Pay up, buddy!

Gosh I wish I had seen this before the two games against the IceHogs.
Shame on me for not doing enough homework.

Apparently, the 'Hogs are going to have to pay for some penalties.

Ataway, Mr. Haviland. Nothing like uniting the team for the home stretch.

I stand corrected

In my previous post about the Benoit Pouliot / Byers (fight), I was critical of the AHL's timing in suspending the Wolf Pack winger.

As we all now know, Byers was suspended for his actions and I have been told by the league that timing was the main reason for the delay in getting an announcement.

First of all, he was obviously not suspended immediately because the penalties he was given in the game did not warrant automatic suspension.

According to the AHL, Procedure was followed properly: The Aeros informed our hockey operations department on Saturday that they would be requesting supplementary discipline and sent in the official game DVD.

The DVD did not get to the league until Wednesday because of a problem in shipping with Fed Ex, I was told by the Aeros. They did mail it first thing Monday.

So there you go. Since then the Aeros lost Pouliot to the NHL (because of Steve Kelley's injury during the Wild's game against New Jersey).

Benoit has gotten a lot of attention from this incident and now it is up to him to either make the most of it or come down to Texas a very unhappy player. The Wild, especially their head coach, have commented publicly they thing Benoit will be an OK player when he is surrounded by superior talent.

They didn't stop short of saying the Aeros don't have any talent and that Benoit's stats down here are suffering because the team is devoid of offensive talent. Gosh, I hope Petr Kalus and Serge Payer don't log on to read the Minny papers.

The Aeros are officially suffering by the way. The call ups and injuries crept up on them at the wrong time. With a bunch of home games and a chance to distance themselves from the bottom of the division, the Aeros are going to struggle mightily in the next 10-14 days.

Even Constantine's defensive system will have a hard time winning games with the players he will have to count on now.

More on Poo

Russo in the Twin Cities did a great feature on Pouliot ...

The reason he turtled Friday?
His teeth were knocked out from the first punch.

Andrew

Update:
Now the rest of the blogger world is weighing in on this fiasco.
Does anyone out there think that there is justification in Byers NOT getting suspended?
The fact that it has taken this long means one of two things. The AHL powers that be really are completely incapable of being timely. Or they are figuring out how long Byers will be out.

He picked the guy up and threw his face into the ice.
Threw his face into the ice.
Read that again. Threw his FACE into the ICE.

Five games minimum.

Andrew

Pouliot: The Episode

I am still digesting the whole week and weekend, which for Aeros fans might have been one of the strangest, most interesting in a very long time.

I have lots of stats, quotes and other analysis to share, but it will take some time to compile it all and I have to work Rockets tonight, Rice Baseball Tuesday, Aeros Thursday and Saturday and Rice Baseball Thursday and Sunday.

In the interim, please enjoy this from the wonderful world of You Tube. When Eric Nystrom and the Quad City Flames play here next week, I had better see some really creative signs at Toyota Center.

No excuses!

Andrew

Cavosie back in the AHL

Marc Cavosie is getting another shot in the AHL.

Personality wise, Cavosie was a blast to cover with the Aeros a few years back.

He had all the ability in the world, but he significantly lacked one of the tools that you desperately need to stay in the AHL ... the ability to score.

Does that sound like a slam? Yes. But I cannot tell you how many chances that guy had to put pucks in the net and he just didn't for whatever reason.

He was a top 100 pick for the Wild in 2000 and this year he has spent the year in the ECHL, most recently with the Reading Royals.

Good luck in Albany, Mr. Cavosie!

One Minute Penalties in OT

I stumbled across this today and thought I would share.

Read this article ...

What do YOU think of one minute penalties in OT?

Andrew

The Road has been kind ...

Four straight wins on the road and it looks like the Aeros have found a nice little formula to win games. Even though they have been able to get two points in each of their first three road games on the trip, it's hard to get comfortable at any time during the third period. Is it me, or is there always just this feeling you have that the Aeros are going to find a way to lose?

The secret to their success is simple: Score first. They have been methodical about winning the games in which they score first. I know there are some psychological advantages to that, but wow. It must be the system to. I have asked several of the guys what it is about that first goal, and they say it changes everything from the mindset to the system to the ebb and flow of the game.

The game in Toronto will be interesting. When the Aeros' opponents are playing back to back games and the Aeros have a day off or a travel day, they tend to do well. They are 2-0 in those situations this week already.

No predictions out of me this time as I have proved lousy time and time again in that department. BUT ... Toronto has always had the Aeros number and they have never won at Ricoh. I don't expect that to happen Sunday, but I am not going to predict a loss.

Andrew

Nice to get the extra point

I think the Aeros have played two excellent road games to start their six game trip.

Even if they hadn't won the shootout last night, I think I would still be saying that.

When this team scores first they win (see cheesy picture example to the left). Simple as that ... They got it done that way the last two nights, and here is the Chronicle recap from the Quad City game last night. Notable here? Aeros are 4-0 with Schaefer in the net for shoouts.

Here is the QC recap. They played the Aeros three straight times and lost ground to the Aeros who "out-pointed" the Flames 5-3 in the three games.

Their middle two games of the excursion take them back to Rockford and then to Toronto.

Would be real nice if the boys can split these two (especially get one in Toronto. Schaefer had a real bad game the last time these two teams met up and would probably like a chance at redemption.

Rockford has Manitoba tonight, so maybe the Aeros catch them at another good time with tired legs, etc. We'll see.

Who saw Scott's goal last night? If Zack FitzGerald can play in the NHL like the Manitoba forward is currently doing for Vancouver, Scott can. Maybe some time on the pine did him some good.

What do you think of Scott's chances of getting to the NHL?

Andrew

IceHogs Failed to "Show up"

In front of the smallest crowd to ever witness a hockey game in Rockford, the Aeros won 3-1 against a team their coach said "did not show up ... "
Read here for all the gory details on their side.
Funny how their reporter failed to mention that Rockford team lost to half a goalie.
My guess, being a hockey reporter myself, is that Barry Brust (pictured giving up a goal last season to the Dallas Stars) is just the greatest actor since Keanu Reeves and just pulled the wool over EVERYONE's eyes.

Here is the Chronicle Recap for the Aeros angle on the story.
Kevin Constantine said his team just played a real good road game and that he admired Barry for toughing it out. Knowing the goaltending situation, I am too.

Oh and I was 0-for-2 on predictions last night.
Since my already shoddy reputation is taking more and more of a hit all the time, I will stop doing that. LOL.

The freaking Detroit Red Wings have 41 wins and are 25 points ahead of the second place Nashville Predators. Only two other teams IN NHL HISTORY have 60 wins seasons. Both being Detriot; one from the 70's and one team from their more recent round of domination. I am pretty sure a Montreal team has the highest-ever winning percentage though.

They beat the Minnesota Wild last night. Scored the tying goal with less than two minutes to go and then won in OT at Xcel. Unbelievable.

Harding is Sick, Schaefer Recalled, Brust in net?

Nolan Schaefer was recalled to NHL Minnesota and will back up Nicklas Backstrom against Detroit. Minnesota will win this game, as they are due against the Red Wings who have lost one time since 1977.

Josh Harding is sick and Matt Foy will get in the lineup to take Parrish's place who is out with a concussion.

Now how does this affect the Aeros? Well, that means they'll either have to fly Khudobin into Rockford or sign an emergency backup. Doesn't look like Schaefer will be gone that long, so look for Brust to get his third straight start tonight.

This is a big game changer, but it does not affect my previous prediction of a 4-1 loss to the juggernaut IceHogs.

Update - Jeff Sanger will backup Brust tonight. Guy is a journeyman from Madison, Wis. Good to have a couple of Wisconsin boys as assistant coaches.

$2 Beer ... What's not to love?

Well Wednesday night's game at Quad City will be quite the doozy.

After the Aeros lose in Rockford tonight (4-1) they'll travel to Quad City to take on the Flames who have not played since losing 3-1 at Toyota Center on Saturday. For them, this will be their third straight game against the Aeros.

My guess is we'll see a ton of PIMs.

We'll also see a lot of action in the stands too (just picture of keg instead of the nice picture of the iWireless Center above.) Hoping to boost attendance, QC fans can see Wednesday's game for $5 (upper deck) and while at the game, they can buy $2 beer! Holy cow.

If the score gets out of hand, you might want to keep an eye on the benches to see if any of the guys head up the aisle. Just a thought.

Aeroscribe

My head just exploded ...

... and not in the positve, life-affirming kind of way.

God bless hockey fans.

This guy came up with an idea on how to end games that are tied at the end of regulation.

The shootout, he claims, is no way for the game to end.

I agree and have no problem with ties. Never did.

But this solution is just downright crazy. I understand his idea, but there are too many what-ifs.

Luckily for the reader, he went through ALL OF THEM.

Enjoy your delivery from a sleepless night.

What does a 72-game schedule mean to you?

The Quad City paper had an interesting article today about the prospects of the AHL going to a 72-game schedule.

Benefits?
No more four games in five nights and fewer three in threes.
No more Monday or Tuesday games.
Face it. 72 games is less taxing on both phenoms and primadonnas. Am I right or am I right?

Tell me what you think?
You you miss those five games at Toyota Center?
Would you miss it more if the Aeros continue to miss the playoffs?

As a freelance reporter, this works out to significantly less cash for me covering hockey. But I don't do it for them money, eh?

Let me know what you think of a possible 72 game schedule.

San Antonio just got tougher and better ...

Mike Zigomanis cleared waivers and was assigned to the San Antonio Rampage.
If this guy gives a crap, he could dominate the AHL (again).

Also, with Darren McCarty joining the Griffins, the Rampage and Grand Rapids worked out a trade with San Antonio. Tyler Redenbach goes to Grand Rapids and Adam Keefe heads to the Rampage to provide a little toughness there. OK, so with Pete Vandermeer wearing the Silver and Black, they just got MORE toughness.

My take?
The Rampage just got better.

Andrew

Maxim Noreau - theahl.com - On the Beat

My story on Maxim Noreau been posted on theahl.com.

This kid is a real up-and-comer. He is fun to be around and a real good quote too.

Enjoy!

Andrew

Missed it by ......... that much!

Well thanks to the generosity of Mr. Fred Trask, we all get a better look of the penalty shot that Steve Kelly missed Friday night. That score WOULD have tied the game at 2-2, but we all know how it turned out. Watching in real time, and on the replay for that matter, it just looked like Kelly flubbed the play. As it turns out, it was a great call to try to flip that puck five-hole. Looks like the goal was beat for sure ... five-hole is exposed enough and he is actually looking to his left anticipating the fake.

Kelly's shot just catches the stick and floats to the side and out of harms way.

Great work, Mr. Fred!

Houston Press' Take on the Weekend

For those of you who don't know, John Royal has been blogging the Aeros for the Houston Press this season. Like myself, he covers each home game and here is a link to his recap for last weekend's games against the Rampage.

I can't believe I forgot to mention the dual National Anthems. How crazy was that? I realize they did those in double-time, but do the kids NOT realize what kind of creatures of habit they are dealing with.

Unofficially, that was the second time in team history a double rendition of the SAME anthem was featured. Obviously, there are two when the Aeros host a team from Canada. The other time you might ask? Way back in the IHL days, the anthem was started, the guy forgot the words and retreated to the tunnel. He came back and sort of finished. This was a road game, and for some reason I want to say it happened at the Freeman coliseum in San Antonio, circa 1996 or 1997.

Andrew

DARREN MCCARTY TO GRAND RAPIDS?

This doesn't look like an if, but more like when.

Before his troubles got the best of him, McCarty was one of the best for the role he played with his team. The Aeros play the Griffins on April 4 in Michigan.

Read this story on McCarty's plans for the immediate future and his time in Flint (IHL) with the Generals.

Andrew

Aeros 2, Rampage 3 - 1/26

Well, I blew this prediction. I called for a 3-1 win after last night's 3-1 loss.
The Aeros played their best game in two weeks and peppered San Antonio with 20 shots in the third period, but were only able to get one in the net.

Sure, I know a lot of the shots weren't exactly all that challenging, but they did domination more than half of Saturday's game and deserved a better fate.

Aeros coach Kevin Constantine thinks the team will play a whole lot better when there are fewer nights off. He doesn't really say why other than hinting the play at certain times of the game will be less sloppy.

Personally, I think he is right and it is because the team acts more robotic when it is challenged and tired. Think of how the team plays when it has the lead. It has been a awhile. I think they led twice in the Toronto game last weekend, but that is it.

When they have the lead, they bear down and stick to the system. They are not a offensively talented team, but they can win at this level if they score first and play like robots. NO, just kidding there. Sort of.

Well I am fried tonight, so I am going to sign off.
The Rampage are 12 games over .500 for the first time in franchise history, but the Aeros still lead the season series by one point. The Aeros have won five of the nine games, but the Rampage have a shootout loss point from the teams' first meeting of the season.

So it all comes down to March 23 at AT&T Center. The team absolutely has no prayer of winning that game. It will be their fourth game in five nights and fifth in seven. For the second straight season, after winning each of the first four in dominating fashion, the Aeros will lose the season series to their intrastate rivals.

Good night.

Aeros 1, Rampage 3 - 1/25

I thought the start to this game was much better than the last two games. But once John Scott went to the box a second time, the Rampage capitalized and boom, back-to-back goals and you're done.

I thought Steve Kelly made a poor choice on his penalty shot and he agreed in the post game interviews. He knew he let the team down, but in no way should this loss rest on his shoulders.

Nolan Schaefer needs some rest. But he won't get it Saturday. No way he'll play in the team's biggest game of the season to this point.

I think the Aeros win Saturday, 3-1.
And I think - although I like him a great deal - John Scott needs to sit this one out.

=======================================================================
20 minutes from now, we'll find out if the Aeros plan on showing up for their game against San Antonio. Win and they're back within three points of their intrastate rivals. Lose and it's a must win game tomorrow.

I am calling for a split this weekend. Rampage win tonight, 5-2.
More later

AND YOU THOUGHT LAST YEAR WAS BAD ...

Tris Wykes is definitely one of the best AHL beat reporters.

He sent me this link yesterday to a story that will definitely made you glad you have the mediocre, yet hard-working Aeros this year.

The Norfolk Admirals are much, much worse than the team the Aeros "fielded" last year.

And if you recall, the Aeros were a smidge below .500 (and actually still in the playoff race) until the Manny Fernandez soap opera big (so what else is new) and the Wild needed Josh Harding for the rest of the year.

Here is the lede to that story:

By Tris Wykes

NORFOLK, Va._Someone, please do something. Conduct an exorcism of bad spirits. Put Tabasco Sauce in the water bottles. Go looking for a line brawl.Something, anything to stop the awful and ongoing display of hockey at Scope this winter.

IS REST GOOD?

What a silly question.
Is rest good? Of course it is good. Who doesn't feel better after a nice long nap on a cold winter's day. OK, so that was pretty corny, but you know what I mean.

R&R, etc. It's a good thing. Especially when you play a demanding sport like hockey.

Last week, the Aeros had six days to rest and prepare for the Toronto Marlies.
They played a good first period, got the lead, lost it, got REALLY sloppy with the puck and eventually lost in OT.

If you're an Aeros fan, last weekend had to be pretty disappointing.
Your team has to play the same way every night and they have to bring more intensity just to have a shot at winning. They found out with back-to-back home losses why they cannot let up, even against mediocre competition like Carey Price and the Hamilton Bulldogs.

I know, I know, he won the Calder Cup, blah, blah, blah.
There is a reason why he is back in the AHL.

The Aeros this weekend get to play the San Antonio Rampage, a team that has started its annual excursion away from home with a win against Peoria and an overtime loss at Milwaukee.
The Aeros will catch them playing three in four and four in five.

The Aeros, if they want to rebound from last weekend, better be ready. San Antonio could blow them out of the water Friday. That is what I expect at least. I think the boys in the bomber gear will split this weekend. Not great, but it will give them the season series over the Rampage as the Aeros have already won 5 in the 10-game series.

Prediction:

Friday - Aeros 2, Rampage 5
Saturday, Aeros 3, Rampage 1

THRASHERS

OK, so thanks to Mr. Fred sending me the link, I read the article and there is nothing new to report other than my headline needs to change on the previous blog.

It should probably read "Atlanta paper suggests Thrashers look into Constantine"

That would be more accurate.

Look, if someone is offered the Atlanta job, they would be dumb not to take it.
This is not like Major League Baseball and the NBA where half the teams are eliminated from postseason consideration on opening night. The NHL now is a place where, if you are smart, you can win. And the Thrashers have some of the best young talent in the league.

My opinion is that ATL will go another route, and not hire a former NHL coach (i.e - Quinn, Lewis, Constantine). I think they go young, or at least go with someone that has never coached in the NHL before. But we shall see.

Thrashers Looking at Constantine?

Never believe anything you read online until to do enough research.
At least that is the lesson I have learned in the past.

Check out this article that says the Atlanta Thrashers are looking at Aeros coach Kevin Constantine as a possible replacement to Bob Hartley in the A*T*L.

Interesting read from thefourthperiod.com:

I will try to dig up something from the Atlanta paper.

Aeroscribe

OPENING WEEKEND

Even before the first puck dropped last year, I knew things were going to be bad.

I don't care who you are, but if you know hockey and follow the AAA level, you can generally tell which teams are going to compete for a playoff spot.

Last year's Aeros did just didn't have enough talent. And then the coach lost control of the players - whether it was his fault or not - and things went to hell. I liked Rob Daum and I still like Rob Daum, but he lost the team and the guys just had too much fun and lost focus.

That is not going to happen this year, and if it does, it won't be because of the head coach. I am still getting to know Kevin Constantine, but I like the way he runs things at this point. This coaching staff is VERY detail oriented and Aeros forward Serge Payer said Wednesday, that the guys are already buying into the system. If you like the new coach and a few of the new players, then that should be music to your ears.

But one thing still bothers me about the roster? Who is going to score the goals? Here's to hoping that is Benoit Pouliot, Steve Kelly and Payer. Those guys will have to get the puck in the net. I am confident that Nolan Schaefer and Barry Brust will be just fine in goal. If Minnesota stays healthy and those guys stay healthy, defense won't be the primary concern of the 2007-08 Houston Aeros.

Belle is Ready

I talked to Shawn Belle Wednesday and he is one of those bubble guys, along with Erik Reitz, that are probably good enough to play in the NHL, but they just don't have room for him in St. Paul. Sure he will make mistakes up there - and they'll be more costly in the NHL - but Belle could be the Aeros' most improved player as the season plays itself out. I asked him if he a) was disappointed about the demotion and b) if he kind of knew it was coming and he said yes to both.

But in the back of his mind, I think he thought he worked hard enough to sneak in there. He will have to prove himself in Houston this year. Sure that is cliche, but Belle can fly and he must use his ability to create some offense, while manning his defensive responsibilities without getting burned.

More News From Around the AHL

• Phoenix's Michalek is out 4-6 weeks, Bell called up from San Antonio (not Roche)


• Wildcatters update - Rosa named captain in Beaumont


• Not a good way to start the season


• Ever wanted to follow a logo tournament?


• Peoria is LOADED.


• Golden Gopher Hirsh signs two-way deal with Aeros, will start the year in Beaumont

That is all for today.
Will try to post after tomorrow's season opener.

Aeroscribe

ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS

If you are anything like me and like a good story behind a good athlete, then you will enjoy having Steve Kelly on the team this year. Here is a great read from Lindsay Kramer's AHL beat on NHL.com.

FYI, Kramer covers the Aeros each time the Aeros visit Syracuse.

--Aeroscribe

Dunn Invited to Aeros camp

According to breaking news out of West Texas, the Aeros have invited Alex Dunn to camp.
Dunn played for Odessa of the CHL last year.

At 5-11, 180 lbs. he will scare the crap out of everyone.

AHL's TOP 10 LOGOS?

Huh?

That's the first thing that came to mind when I read Faceoff-factors' list of the top-10 AHL hockey logos.

Now don't get me wrong, I respect the guy for taking a crack at hit, but it's the criteria that I don't agree with. I guess anyone could set a series of criteria and make a top 10 list and they would always be right. The Marlies logo here, in his opinion, is the best in the AHL.

Here is the criteria, according to Faceoff-Factor, for the Top 10 Logos in the AHL.

1. Does it associate well with the NHL affiliate?

2. Is it hockey related?

3. Can people recognize it from far away?

What do those three things have to do with what makes a logo visually appealing?

Maybe you agree with it. I don't think it makes sense, but that is just my opinion. I give them credit for putting the list together, but I just don't agree.

What I AM looking forward to, however, is the 10 WORST AHL logos. That should be available tomorrow from the same site.

Aersocribe

Here is the list of Faceoff-factor's top 10:

Top 10 AHL Logos

10. San Antonio Rampage (Phoenix Coyotes)

9. Norfolk Admirals (Tampa Bay Lightning)

8. Lake Erie Monsters (Colorado Avalanche)

7. Hamilton Bulldogs (Montreal Canadiens)

6. Lowell Devils (New Jersey Devils)

5. Iowa Stars (Dallas Stars)

4. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)
3. Quad City Flames (Calgary Flames)

2. Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)

1. Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)

MONKEY TIME!

How do you like the title of this entry?

There is no reason for it, but I have always wanted to use that title and now is my chance.

Random thoughts as I am preparing to cover my sixth season of Aeros hockey:

I kind of like the idea of starting the Sunday games at 4:00, but I am wondering how many will be delayed because of travel issues. Chicago O'Hare in the winter is not a fun place to be ... I still don't know why Aeros games start at 7:35 on the weekends. If I were running the show (I know, a man can dream, right?) I would start EVERY non-Sunday game at 7:07. That is puck drop. I think the Iowa Stars are doing that this year. Why do I care so much? The earlier the game, the more time I have before deadline. And the more time I have to get good quality interviews post game. These are selfish reasons, for sure. If YOU were running the show, what time would you have the games start? Do you like the current start times?

Let me officially post my congrats to Rick Bronwell. What a great guy that was to have around in the locker room. Never a dull moment and there was never any question that the job he was doing was anything but superb. I wish you the best, Rick, and the only unwell that I hope bestows you is a first or second-round playoff loss to the Red Wings. Now if the two teams don't meet at all, great; I hope you win. By ALL means.

Alex Leavitt is back and is up to no good. No, he is not back with the Aeros. He will be back with the Rampage and wrote this nice recap of his summer vacation. He even included a nice picture of his lovely girlfriend. And this is a guy that used to complain about getting women in Houston. Somehow, Mr. Leavitt, I doubt that. Best of luck to you in San Antonio.

Speaking of Leavitt, here is today's unknown answer trivia question. What month this season will Leavitt first be called up to the NHL?

a) November

b) December

c) January

d) very late

e) never

I'm not telling you my answer now. Tune in next time!

All the best for now,

*Aeroscribe*

DEUCE 86'd; Aeros Wacky Schedule

Well, what can I say? I am going to miss Ken Double. He did a lot for the Aeros since he took over for Adam Gordon as only the second ever play-by-play voice of the IHL and AHL Aeros. I thought his call of the game was top notch night in and night out and I will never forget how much he prepared to do each game.

I am not going to comment too much on how Ken was fired and what went into the decision that was made. It was handled poorly in my opinion, but until I hear both sides of the story, that is all I am going to say for now.

Moving on, I think we will find out who will replace Double in the very near future and knowing the Aeros, they will find the right guy for the job. I thought Gordon and Deuce both were very good and in the top percentage amongst their peers. There are a lot of people that I am sure have contacted the Aeros about the gig. Whoever gets it will be just fine.

As for the schedule, I think it stinks. Because of the December heavy road schedule (they only have three home games the whole month) they will be playing big time catch up when calendar year 2008 rolls around. There are several things I like about it, like the early home opening date and the 900 homes games in January, but overall it is terrible.

If the Aeros are good, then the schedule will not matter. Bad schedules only hurt bad teams. And teams that complain about bad schedules usually have another weakness they are compensating for.

In the end, we shall see.

--Aeroscribe--

AEROS OPEN UP AGAINST CHICAGO ON OCTOBER 6, 2007

The Aeros will open up the 2007-08 season at home against the Chicago Wolves.
The two teams have never met in a season opener and will play at Toyota Center on Saturday, October 6, 2007.

The Wolves have had a busy summer and should remain one of the top four teams in the division. The Aeros, however, still need a lot of work and are hoping that Kevin Constantine can get the most out of a returning core group of guys that played uninspired hockey for much of last season.

After I get a chance to review the schedule, there will be more comment to follow.

--Aeroscribe--

OLSON MOVES ON

Not that he was ever going to be part of the Aeros plans in 07-08, Josh Olson has officially signed overseas and will play AS Renon in Italy. The former Aeros and San Antonio Rampage player (not to mention Portland Winter Hawk, where he scored 62 goals and added 86 assists in 171 games), Olson scored a few big goals for the Aeros in the last two years and always seem to make things interesting.

His on-ice play might leave much to be desired, but I liked the guy and I wish him nothing but the best.

REMEMBER WHEN

I know the Aeros will likely never retire the number of Mike Freer, but it's OK to wish right?

I think that needs to happen at some point, but I don't know that the resources - or interest - is there to do such a thing for someone that did so much for the Aeros when they were members of the IHL.

In my opinion, two numbers need to be retired: 22 (Freer) and 30 (Chabot).

I think their stats speak for themselves and their respective places in the team record book will never be touched. Not unless the Aeros end up with a John Slaney type.

No, Erik Reitz is not that guy.

But that is not the point of this post. Mike Yeo is a guy that did a lot for the Aeros too and was a big part of the 1999 Turner Cup team. He got a little publicity on the OHL website and I thought I would share this story with you.

It's nice to see a former player doing so well.

Feel free to share any of your favorite Mike Yeo memories.

-- Aeroscribe --

NOW THIS IS OFFSEASON NEWS

You cannot get too deep into the off season without someone getting arrested.

This time it was the Staal brothers (Eric and Jordan) who had too much fun at Eric's bachelor party at a "Minnesota Resort".

This is a great read from the Associated Press. Kind of dry, but that give you more of a chance to use your imagination.

In all (according to the story) 14 arrests were made for the following reasons: screaming, yelling and playing loud music. Um, where are those cops when that happens every freaking night at the house across the street from me.

--Aeroscribe--