The return of Hackett

Per Russo's Rants Matt Hackett was re-assigned to Houston.
Now that WILL call for a BIG YEAH from his enchanted fans;
And an  'oh, boy-will he have an attitude again being demoted? Or what?' from others not so enchanted.
And, sadly, that may crimp Fallon's style, won't it?
Because, as we all know MH is the preferred goalie on direction from up North.
And Kuemper may be back as well.

  Just one more shot of OOOH, FALLON...in his glory below.

So where does that leave Fallon?

Hung out to dry, after his spectacular 5 in 6 wins recently?

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One thing is pretty sure, it's going to be:

Good Bye Mike Keetley. 

Here he is above during warm up.. as a bonus you see Broda, who scored the SO game winner...

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Also Nick Palmieri is back up North-don't think I will miss him much! 

Will you?

OOOOH, Fallon , you did it again..

That IS the 5th (out of 6) game you have won!
And the fans (yours truly included) are newly enthusiastically hopeful that the team WILL make it to the Play Offs .
As long as the powers that are in the North stop carrying off Aeros players.
But my guess, for what it's worth, the Wild are no longer on the end of a periscope for a Cup run?

What a close game.
McIntyre (the 'Scots' have it again tonight) got an easy goal in the first. Followed by zero the rest of time including OT. Although they shot 'only' 23 at Yann Danis who stopped all but one plus 4 in the SO.
Green of OKC got the evener in the 2. and OKC, too, had zero the rest.  Despite sending a barrage of 37 shots at Fallon.
And then we arrived once again at a shoot out.

OOOOH Fallon

Di Salvatore

Scrimmage behind Yannj Danis

Fredheim: Let me give you a hand up, Anti:-)

OUR Montgomery as a blur in front of OKC benchers

Now I did stop that one, so why haven't posted it yet up there?

 Rau, Yeo (no relation) and Palmieri (newly come down from Yeo's realm (that's the Wild one)

Phillippe Cornet - ready or not!

But with OOOOH, Fallon (more luck of the Irish?) in the net, the Aeros chances of winning at SO have increased dramatically. But I hear rumors that Yeo (the one up North-not the one pictured above- LOL) will re-assign Hackett to Houston... oh, boy, SO's are no longer a sure thing, methinks, chers readers.

and that's no bull...

Now the power play seemed a bit like olden times tonight. They did play "pass the Puck, pretty please"! And so no goal for the Aeros despite 5 oppos.
OKC managed ONE of  3!!!

But a win is a win!!
So smile and enjoy ... as did these fans...........................

And the icing on the cake is that with  this game won the Aeros shot back up into SECOND place (76 points) behind the OKC Barons (with a whopping 87 points) and leading Abbotsford Heat (73 points).
Followed by The Rampage (70 points) and the Texas Stars (methinks, the loss of Gulutzin has been deadly - only 58 points).
Although both Rampage and Stars have 2 games in hand over Aeros.
While  OKC OKC and Heat are one up to the Aeros' 64, at 65 each.

Sleep came lightly..

and just after 3 hours it is gone.

For good?
So it seems.
Because here I am scribbling away of thoughts swirling,
images buzzing, shapes changing, specters forming and vanishing.

What I did see the last few at home Aeros games has me asking:
Where did these players come from?
What happened to the ones, we loved to complain about?
Was this an invasion of the body snatchers?
Could the guys have been invaded by phantoms from hockey hell (or heaven)?
From hell, because wouldn't it be loverly if all games were played, and won, thus?
And then, alas, aren't.

There are always those that criticize and kibbitz.
So what that this one or that one did not do this or that perfectly.
So what that this move or that one was incomplete.
So what that the line was lacking in this or that.

In the final analysis a game is won. Or lost.
And that's all there is.

And it should be enjoyed!
Just saying.

T'was the Night of O' Fallon and McIntyre

Yes, indeed, the Irish and Scots had it, methinks.
After an unbelievably exciting 3 Periods with Zero - yes - 0 - goals,
zero goals also in OT- the game went to a SO which had the crowd of over 6000 on their feet screaming and ringing cowbells, and making any kind of noise conceivable.
Was it St. Patrick who kept his hand over Fallon (sorry I could not resist calling him O'Fallon) and over McIntyre as well, who scored the winner?

Maybe it was all that green:
hats, caps, jerseys, Tee shirts, Beard, HAIR, yes, indeed, hair...that did it.
Well, whatever it was, it sure seemed the luck of the Irish came through for the Aeros tonight and we all just love a winner, don't we.

So where do I start?
Best to just say WOW...
What energy flowing back and forth on the ice, from green to red and red to green. Battling every which way. Ref calling only 4 penalties per team, none turning into a PP goal. penalty kills were even between the two teams, with kudos going to Aeros for holding fast in a 3 on 5 situation early on.
And Fallon was incredibly hot! or ought that to be GREEN? LOL.

Even Kolanos got a bit smashed by aggressive Aeros and he did let the official know it, or so it seems here............
Fallon stopped 32 plus 6.. a shut out Shoot Out!
Danny Taylor wasn't shabby either and was nominated Number 3 Star.
Nr. 2 McIntyre of the winning goal, and
FALLON was Number One Star as he should be, no doubt!

Awesome Fallon Save

Another

Mcmillan up close and  - personal?

Waiting for the SO?

OMG,  the Puck's coming thisa way ;-)!

During Shoot out-all out save

 With a little help by Medved Aliu is stopped

 Almond en garde

Collision Time

 Taylor gets that one, falling flat on his.. tummy:-)!

all photos artandhockey.

Aeros tie up Hogs...

Fallon and the Aeros defense managed to keep the win going. despite the furious onsaughts onslaughts of the Icehogs in their flaming
red jerseys.

A little fight never hurts- an Astros fan likes what he sees :-)

I really could not believe what I saw in the first period... who were those guys out there on the ice?

a really determined Fontaine ready for anything

SCORE!

I did it .. twice!

rushing, passing, energetic, battling, skating and scoring Aeros!
Was it a reincarnation of Aeros of the past?
What was it? A team whose coherence in play has been absent for so long.
Now that the end is near, the Aeros are giving it their all.
One has to wonder if they can keep it up for the next two games.
Time will tell.

NR. 39 seemingly everywhere IMO

The fight's over lets play hockey guys..

Salak and the missed puck.

Taffe scores...

St. Cuma and the Goalie :-)!

Face Off Tension

And the HOGS battled without let up and did indeed score 2 goals within minutes of the end of regulation,
both goals by Flick, who just flicked it in.

Sad Salak after a goal by Taffe

What more can a fan ask? 3 goals in the first, one ion the second and keeping Flick from flicking in another one. Aeros 4-Hogs 3!

Fallon did rather well.. blocking a shot, plus catching the rebound seemingly out of thin air, not just once.

GO AEROS.

Following the puck ...

Hot No More

What else could one call the result of tonight's game?  Aeros 4 Heat 1!!!

He's earned it

Puck stopped, what more could one ask?

The Captain leads by example-playing with body and soul

Aeros 4 Heat - a short handed goal which kept Fallon from a shut out, which IMO he should've had. He did very well, did Fallon! He stopped by mitt, blocker, stick and body!

Almond, the defender- this time

LeTourneau-Leblond a-flying?

Foucault at attention!

JP Testwuide as sandwich filler? He didn't like that?.

And the defense was present as was the offense!
Anyway, Aeros stormed out, two goals PP goals at that right of the bat (ahem stick), and two more in the second. Letourneau-Leblond was also rather present :-), and finally retrieved Heat's honor by scoring a shorthanded goal in the the 3. I did notice the announcer having a bit trouble wrapping his tongue aroudn that name LOL!

A fast fist can subdue the most rambunctious!

The Heat turned it up by starting several fights.
And Bancks really let fly at the referee barely kept leashed by serious Bagnall.

But all was in vain, a energized, fluid, endowed with good passing,  Aeros were simply NOT overcome by the Heat.. Lol!
A good game. Makes one widner why they could not play like that before? Will it make much difference? Maybe. But ....