Will the real Aeros please skate up...

What we saw tonight, when Aeros banked the 'Heat of Abbotsford' 4-1, looked like the REAL Aeros. Which have been not exactly present at the home ice over part of the season.
Was it the energy of the Sunshine Kid in goal?
Was it the addition of so many newcomers?
Or the absence of some 'old' familiar faces?
Kassian gone, Genoway gone, Zucker, Coyle and Brodin gone Wild?
Matt Hackett being a "Knight of the soulful countenance"on the bench at the Wild?

Connelly Nr. 1 *

Aeros Goal Connelly, Mara and Rau

Well, whatever it was it sure made for an power packed (Aeros got 2 PP!! both by newly returned to the line Brian Connelly), aggressive and 'wild' game.

With just 14 seconds to go Heat's Testwuide (not the former Aeros) and Lamb got the sole goal for Abbotsford and robbed Kuemper of a shut out.

Ruegsegger Nr. 26

Get outta my sight, Nr. 26!

Kuemper had a very light 1.period (Heat managed only 5 sogs, then the pace heated up with a barrage of 16 in the 2. and finally 14..Kuemper stopped 23 of 24!

And what stops he made, despite some pesky Heat guy (Nr. 26) who kept himself real close to Kuemps. He also sat once for goaltender interference, although Kuemper did 'embrace' Ruegs with his stick, but got away with it... refs did not 'see' that and so no call on Kuemps for hooking:-).  Because that's what it was - looked to me (alas no photo taken of that move;-)!.
With 12 assorted penalties called, the game was certainly hectic.

Aliu on his way off  the ice

What a safe by Kuemps!!

Aliu.. twice unsportsmanlike conduct, also received a game misconduct and was not seen on the ice after that. Krys Kolanos sat for him.

And another one

Seemed to me the Aeros penalty kill talents went a notch higher,
using 5 power play to score 2 goals also showed improvement.



All in all a very exciting game...and the 5 fights or roughhousing had fans screaming and jumping! Yea.. old fashioned hockey for a change.

The short striptease on the heat bench by Nr. 2 did not distract Aeros at all ;-)

 And a healthy Cuma did what he is supposed to, defend!

Cuma on station

Kolanos - Nr. 8 (it seemed to me) skated so smoothly it looked much slower.
He was not much on the ice during the first, but much more in the 3.
Did the coach save him for last ditch efforts?
maybe it worked, afterall Testwuide did get a goal in the last seconds;-)

Barry Brust keeping an eye on the rebound?

 BB and defense !

Regretfully (for BB's ardent fans) Brust did not shine tonight, he let in 4 of just 24 sogs the Aeros threw at him,  even though his defenders were there and trying hard.

Nr. 2 * Kuemps..

Mara Nr. 3 * with 2 assists

It was not unexpected

Abbortsford Heat burn Aeros.

Abbortsford 5 vs Aeros 3. Even a last ditch effort could not save Aeros tonight.
Another loss to a better team.
And guess what?
Former crowd pleaser Krys Kolanos almost did it again.
But had to contend himself with only 2 goals, 1 assist and two penalties, LOL.

Kolanos on the Warpath

At first I was pleasantly surprised to see an aggressive Aeros team skate out shooting 11 to the Heat's 4 one of which was an unassisted Goal Nr. 1 By KK.

Heat defense present and accounted for

Alas THAT energy level subside mightily in the second period in which 7 SoG for the Aeros got them one goal by McIntyre, Fontaine, Cuma.
Kolanos got his 2nd Goal and Nemisz number 3 of 14 SoG for .

Hackett was a busy guy that time

Third Period saw a newly energized team with 2 goals  one by Foucault, Fontaine, Genoway
and with seconds to spare another by Wellman, Taffe and Genoway. (14 Sogs)
Great reaction by fans.. on feet but alas..Rheault got an empty netter (2.goal for him)
The Heat managed only 4 SoGs in the Third.
Both teams had 2 PP goals each.

Battling for the Puck

Irving stops yet another one

Three Sticks - One Puck... 1 goal

All snapshots above by artandhockey
It was not a good night..
the Heat was too strong and aggressive, great forechecking, great blocking,
keeping it in the Aeros zone much too often.
Although some individual Aeros Players did good work:
Genoway, Foucault, Fontaine, Wellman, Rau had some marvellous steals.
Seems Peters was sorely missed at face offs, which more often than not went the Heat Way.
Good Night under a full moon: