Bullfight favors Aeros..

let me just say this: it was a game to keep fans on edge of their seats.
Four goals by Houston - all in the second period..
Seemed to me like bang, bang, bang and bang..especially those two in tandem by MacMillan.
Followed in the Third by the 'icing on the cake' goal by Daoust.
I mean really, that Number 5 goal wasn' t needed to make this game a winner!
And the crowd of an almost unprecedented number - over 11000 - just roared.
And honked horns on the way home!
What a game.
One felt as if the 'Good Old Days of Howe' were back in Houston.

Anyway, I kept an eye out for 'soft spot' of olden days ;-),
but also kept watch for the 'invisible man' Penner.
What a surprise, he was very visible..see photos below.
And could he skate!  Man, could he skate!
And seemed to be in the right place more often than not!

And to the fans delight TWO fights broke out!
And more stuff went on.
What with misconducts and several being 'escorted' out from the game towards the end.

And a bitter end for the Rampage!
Even that stunning goal by 'soft spot' Mathieu Beaudoin in the Third,
couldn't make the Rampage feel much better!

Alas, the Aeros Powerplay went a bit...soft!
They had a 3-5 opportunity and they could not score.
But really they didn't need to.
Their goals were more then enough to get a big win!

The Rampage, who started out so superbly in the season, are on a downward slide.
It seeems to me, the decline started with the December games.
They just keep sliding!
And having Climie injured, that hurt.
Though Fallon did yeoman's work stopping 35 of the Aeros' onslaught of 40.
It just wasn't enough!

There was one instant when Hackett just lifted his glove
and, hey presto, the puck sailed right into it..
Well at least, it seemed that way to me..so just shut mouth already!

And now a few pictures by artandhockey,
videos, or at least one, will follow manana! 
It takes so darn long to upload into the blog - gotta have lots time to do it/
Perhaps while listening to Joe O'Donnell reporting from San Antonio!

Almond Kearns Fight

Traffic Jam in front of Hackett



 Beaudoin in the midst of  it



Face Off

DiSalvatore and Weston battling for the puck

 The Fritsch and Penner Duo

May and Palmer have at each other, too!

O'Sullivan - DiSalvatore Goal



MacMillan-Ortmeyer-Falk Goal Nr. 2



Daoust having a trial run ;-)!

O'Sullivan pinned down.

Duh, did you see where that puck went ? ;-)



A save by Hackett



Penner-Frisch line of  Defense

The Shadowing (Penner) of Hackett :-)?

Hackett: "Hey Hollweg  get outta way, you aren't made of glass"!

Collision on front of Fallon

A well placed stick makes a puck fly behind the net

Beaudoin Nr. 26 and  Stone Nr. 28 en guard at Fallon's net!

Nr. One Star MacMillan

That's what counts!

Night of Tears, and Smiles..who'da thunk it!

First Placed Rampage loosing to Sixth placed Stars?

"Rampage leaving ice with hung heads"
but with bags full of toys for  charity :-)

In their defense, Rampage has several of their best players out with injuries or calls up to NHL.

And so the Stars shine brightly!
Bachman (Nr 1 Star) gets a shut out over the Rampage tonight...
he stopped 41 shots - 18, 12 and 11.
For the Stars
1. goal by Gazdic (also a Star :),

2. goal, unassisted, by Wathier, another Star :), (now that one was completely Fallon's fault, he was way out of position in front of his crease and Wathier just rolled it in, oh so elegantly!) 

3. goal an empty netter by Rallo.

Stars looked remarkably like the Stars of Play offs quality!

Fast skating, ice pounding, excellent passing, outstanding defense PLUS outstanding goal tending...

Seems like all I did shoot pics (to be posted after return) of Bachman stopping another of those 41 shots the Rampage peppered and badgered him all night long :-)!

Stars took full advantage of Referee Jeff Smith's penchant to call as few penalties as he can get away with.
He 'overlooked' holdings, trippings, interferences, roughings, and more infractions on both sides.

Possible further fights were speedily and succesfully broken up by the officials, before they could get out of hand to the Fans' everlasting regret.

Plenty of hits against the boards were made which DID pleasure certain rowdy and loud (hit him, hit the gaolie!!) fans ... fans?
And so the play flowed on and on and on.
He did call 2 penalties for fighting Gazdic vs Neilson (Gazdic won this) 
and the rematch in which Neilson got the upper hand quickly.
And one each for hooking on the Stars' Morin and later the Rampage's Goncharov.
And that's all, folks.
The game flowed and ended speedily.
I think this may have been the fastest, 'furiousest' yet smoothest game which had one of the best defense, with truly well aimed passing, I have personally witnessed this season!
Waves of Gold and Black overpowering waves of White and Gray- eddying to and fro.
Since the Rampage did not score, the frustrated fans started throwing bears, and more, on the ice immediately AFTER the empty netter scored by the Stars...:-) and with over a minute yet to go. 
Of course THAT did not help, even as the pulling of Fallon only opened the way for
Rallo, et al to get goal Nr. 3.
BTW we have been told that Climie was up with the Coyotes!
Montoya again injured, so a BUG named Andrew Volkening (born October 6, 1985, in Genoa, Illinois) is an American goaltender currently in his last season at the United States Air Force Academy. He has been the regular goalie for Air Force for his last three (of four) seasons. Volkening has won numerous awards in his college career. He was not drafted by an NHL team.
Awards:
2008 Atlantic Hockey Top Goaltender
2008 Atlantic Hockey Tournament all-star
2009 Atlantic Hockey Top Goaltender
2009  East Regional tournament Top Goaltender
2010 Atlantic Hockey Second All-Star) with Nr. 31 was on the bench.
Which I am sure several of his fellow airmen in attendance were delighted to see!
Could he have stopped a goal or two?  Maybe? Doubtful.
Will the Stars continue tomorrow against Hamilton? 
Which we will see, as well.

Aeros lost to Manitoba, despite the fact that Almond scored 2 goals in First
 and "Bucky", Brandon Buck got Nr. 3 in the Second-making it his 3. Ahl Goal.

Is he coming out of his shell and  repeating successes he had with the EVERBLADES?

Manitoba made 4 goals in the Third and won 5:3

Night of TEARS for Rampage and Aeros Fans!

Night of SMILES for Stargazers!