Monsters..

As we listened to the voice of the Aeros last evening the news of the shocking injuries to two of the most talented youngsters left us speechless. 

Here the report and two videos-courtesy OKC Barons and Russo's rants of the two events: 

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/blogs/57299562.html

The Brodin hit caused the offending player to be thrown out of the game. 

And rightly so. 

Aeros lost by 1. After two periods of no goals, the third gave them 2 in rapid successions, but also the two injuries. 

The two teams will face off again tonight in OKC, 

with a Sunday afternoon game vs Grand Rapids (artandhockey will be there) in Houston to follow, after a 'wild' bus ride back.

And here video showing Granlunds' prowess as scorer:

On the Opera front: thanks to Monsterstorm Sandy we missed a stunning ( per reports  )  DER FREISCHUTZ by Carl Maria von Weber produced by Opera Atelier in Toronto. As usual the company went all out with lavish costumes and choreography plus sensational ( as reported) singing by flamboyant young singers and dancers.

Of course, I exaggerate a bit here :-), because we did cancel our trip due to the NHL lock out and also so few AHL hockey games scheduled during the originally planned trip. 

BUT had we gone, we would have been on the way back from Toronto via Buffalo and the Lake Erie area which was lashed by rains and high winds. And probably cancelled flight out of Cleveland on Tuesday/Wednesday. 

 In this instance WE ARE rather grateful for the NHL lock out .... just kidding.  

Thus fate meant it not to be.

Aeros Off to a New Season

with hopefully better results than the loss 3-1 to the Charlotte Checkers tonight in front of a respectable crowd of say 8,000 plus.. and a loudly supportive one it was, too!

Given that the Checkers are almost the same, I believe there are only 4 new guys on their roster, they played exceedingly well, aggressively, and seemingly with no-holds-barred, as the 11 penalties showed quiet well.
Although the Aeros checked in with 8 themselves. One of which
Only the visitor team managed a power play goal their first in the Third, during the Palmieri penalty.

As a matter of fact, two periods passed entertainingly enough without a single goal.
All three goals for the Visitors came in the 3. as did the sole goal (by pure luck) by new boy Brodin with Scandella and MacMillan. Which earned Brodin his first 2. Star. Hackett managed 3. Star and goalie Peters of the Visitors was named the Nr. Star.

Granlund (Nr. 64) seemed almost everywhere, but did not get a goal.
And Larsson (Nr 22) too seemed omnipresent and got bumped into rather heavily-he skated off a bit lopsidedly, but was soon back in the fray.

A sign of what maybe coming down with this new, young and talented new Aeros Team.
Hackett did well, facing 38 SOGs. Peters (Nr.1 Star) only faced 28 but often there was huge crowds around his net!

All in all I felt it was a good game. And interspersed were video clips from the Anniversary DVD-40 Years Hockey in Houston... and to commemorate the boys-on-ice wore retro Blue and White Jerseys...VERY nice!

Mr Hockey way back when he became an Aeros

Flags of pride

Wallace (31) gets the 1. Goal during a  PP on Hackett

If Palmieri had been a puck... it would've been goal Nr. 2 .. sadly he was Palmieri!

The logo beneath its fresh icy sheath

Blue and White Retro Jerseys

A lonely glove rests

Nothing like a melee to end the night-AFTER the buzzer!

Knights of Hockey, Brain with Brawn, Wild News

Saving isn't all they do, these masked knights of hockey ;-) 

 they fight too:

and  even dance ;-)!

Just a little post to lighten us up today.

And some other stuff I read recently:
It sure looks like in Hockey one can have both! Brains and Brawns!
The hockey clubs of Yale, Harvard and Cornell achievement in mens' hockey all prove that !
IMO, the need for fast and felixible reasoning plus superb physical condition makes a great hockey player!
Of course I am somewhat biased.

And here are the current crop of college candidates for NHL drafts:

Round	Pick	NHL team	Player	Position	College team
	1	14	Dallas	Jamie Oleksiak	D	Northeastern
.	1	15	N.Y. Rangers	J.T. Miller	C	North Dakota (2011)
.	1	20	Phoenix	Connor Murphy	D	Miami (2011)
.	1	22	Toronto	Tyler Biggs	RW	Miami (2011)

Compared to all draft choices the number IS small.

And here is some WILD news:
The San Jose Sharks traded a package headlined by forward Devin Setoguchi to the Minnesota Wild for Brent Burns. The Sharks paid a steep price to acquire the 26-year-old Burns.
The 24-year-old Setoguchi, a 30-goal scorer who hasn't even reached his prime yet.

Coyle

And the Sharks added last year's first-round pick Charlie Coyle, a Boston Collegian, born March 2, 1992 and the 28th overall pick in this year's draft.

And more:

Jonas Brodin born July 12, 1993 in Sweden (17yrs old) reportedly has no truly impressive offensive stats, but amazes with his hockey sense, composure, skating, and mobility. And then there will be Zack PhillipsBorn October 28, 1992 who has 95 points (38G and 57 A) in his last season.

This all does seem to point that the WILD are aiming for a younger team to be molded to Yeos' specifications and to build a formidable team down the line in a year or two? Of course we won't see Setoguchi in Houston, I don't think.
Brodin at 17 is too young for next season playing as Aeros or wild.
Phillips at 19 will/may be an Aeros!
And Coyle, hmmm, he would be a very attractive addition to the Aeros, wouldn't he, ladies?