Cody Reichard mans up at the game

and keeps the Rochester Americans in check through quickness, flexibility, glove catches and using his chest to deflect pucks - just to keep them from going into the net, except for 2 in the second period, and,alas, the third in the SO by Biega, which wins the game for Rochester 3-2.
Overall it was kind of nail biter game. And gained the team 1 point!
Reichard showed his mettle by stopping 27 of 29 SoGs. IMO he has real potential. He may need more practise facing 'shoot out foes'. Good JOB!

Even with a foe on top of him in his net, Reichard did make the save

Leggio, who has improved from last season for sure, stopped 38 of the 40 he was peppered with by an 'energizer bunny' team  in the first and second period. 
Rau with McMillan scored first.
Both teams held onto their 2 goals each on OT  but Rochester scored 3 vs the Aeros' 2 goal in SO. Leggio appeared (to me) to give advice to a Cody McCormick.. maybe how he saw Reichard react? But to no avail, McCormick did not score.
Despite the fact that Rochester sits in 1st place in their division with their penalty kill, Aeros' Phillips with Scandella and Granlund (again laying up for good shot) scored on one of their 4 PP.

Again, IMO, the Aeros' passing was good, the penalty kill much more effective, this speedy and rather physical game made tonight worth watching.

And a fight broke out ;-

Yes, I know they lost 2 to the 3 vs  Rochester BUT it was only in the SO the others gained the upper hand. Otherwise the pace of game was fast and furious with a total of 70 - yes - 70 sogs by both teams.
Granlund really seems to have iron lungs, he was out there so much - it seems he never took a break.

McMillan tried, oh how he tried, only to have the perfect pass from Granlund go stratospheric.

 He tried, McMillan did!

Save by Reichard

Here you are ref.. a puck!

Starting with helmet malfunction?

.

Rau and Larsson inplace at the right time, but no goal afterall.

in the 2nd.:More helmet problems?

Playing hard 'puck' and not taking any gaff from the "foe"-this was an Aeros team not much seen in the first months of the season. 

If they keep this up.....Calder Cup may not be just wishful  thinking after all :-)!

Now - if the referee would have done HIS job better.....

Unhappy, even mad Coach! ;-)

well it was obvious that coach Torchetti was NOT happy with Kosharsky in OT-above.

And the fans boooed rather loudly the ;'non-decision by Koharsky, as well.

Aeros check Checkers 4-1

in front of a measly crowd (but it IS a Thursday night) of  4000 - absent STH must have been counted as well, because it just did not look that full to these old eyes :-)!

But even though they won with the empty netter by McMillan and Fontaine by 4 to the sole goal by Checkers' by Terry, Welsh and Raymond in the 2nd period, IMO it was not as exciting a game to watch as others have, and this one could have been. it was a win at home and that makes up for a lot, right, chers reader-hockey-fans?
Right?

First in line is Phillips.. last is Kuemps ;-)!

Kuemper did extra well, stopping all but that one, which did come on a PP for the Checkers.
Yes, the team's passing has rather improved.
Yes, 2 of 4 PP resulted in goals, by Phillips, Kampfer and Petersen, and Fontaine, Connelly and Petersen in the First.
Scandella with Granlund (he does a good job lining up pucks for others to score with) and Kuemper, put Aeros on the board about half into the First!
Yes, there was some grappling, and one real fight, and yet, IMO, it was just an average game.

Muse Nr. 1 during 1.period

Fredheim on guard

Granlund keeps a sharp eye on puck after face off

Save by Kuemps- first of 3

Second of 3

Saved-Third of 3

All looking, open mouthed, at Kuemper's saves from earlier in the game ;-)

Checkers switched goalies after Muse let in 3 in the First.

Madore Nr. 30 stops one of the 16 SOGS

And Rob Madore (also a 'short' goalie at 5'10), was so good in the 2. and 3. periods that Aeros could not score with any of the 16 Shots on goal. BTW the 2 Shots on Goal they managed on Madore in the Third were - shall we say - less than stellar!:-(
But a win and 2 points that's what counts, right!

Was it a wake up call for Hackett-

Crashing into Kuemps

While Kuemper got his last minute call up to the Wild playing in Vancouver?


It sure looked like it.

Hackett after the puck-2013

Hackett (the Nr 1 *) in net versus Texas Stars stopped 36 of 37 shots on goal to allow Aeros a Shoot Out win 2-1. Aeros scored just once in regulation, by McMillan in the  2nd. despite only getting 5/4/5 shots on net during regulation with 2 in OT. SO  scorers were Phillips, Larsson (the Nr. 3 *)(I like that kid!) and Fontaine.

Larsson

Now Houston, with 50 games played, sits in 3rd place after Stars and Checkers with 49 games each!

Kuemps making his NHL debut vs the perennial-or so it seems-winning Canucks (against the Wild) nevertheless acquitted himself honorably with stopping 28 of 30 Shots (a 0.933%).

Alertly watching Kuemper-2013

Luongo, yes, the veteran,stopped 25 of 26 (at .962%)  and so allowed the 2-1 win by Vancouver. Earning his, not exactly inconsiderable, salary of 5. 35 Mill per annum (signed to a 12 year contract at 64 Mill)

Luongo

In other Aeros/Wild Hockey news:

Scandella sent back to Houston,

Kassian on waivers, if not taken, he too will be in Houston at an adjusted NHL salary.
No news re renewal of TC lease!

The Thirteenth strikes again.. Aeros loose in OT to Checkers

Even if it was not a Friday, the 13th seems an unlucky number for the Aeros.

 Alas, no Birthday Present of a win for Chilly who had invited friends to celebrate and entertain the  few 3,000 loyal fans who kept sneaking away to check on the Texans game ;-)!

Friends of Chilly's

To my big surprise the First Period saw heavy action, fast and furious skating and lots of slipping, sliding and pile ups in front and into nets :-D!
And some heavy crashing into boards ... a WILD game!

Foucault tried often

Despite that appearance, the Checkers were off to a slow start with just 8 sogs but 1 goal by Dalpe, Shugg and Beca, while Aeros managed to toss 10 on Muse all of which he stopped.

In the second period penalties multiplied  5 for Checkers who skated aggressively. They revved up their attack on Hackett to 14 but no goal. Aeros had progressively fewer sogs for the rest of the game.

 

Genoway on offense?

Genoway on defense

 

Glove Catch by Muse

.

Genoway takes on Sutter

Fredheim in action-no he did NOT trip Rutherford

Another pile up-save by Muse

Hackett lets puck go after save

One of the PP allowed Foucault, Phillips and Cuma the only goal for Aeros in the 2nd.
In the 3rd a visible slowing occurred; neither team scored. And so we went to OT.

What seemed to me happened at the very end of the period, or even just into the 2nd intermission was a huge fight. Mara and Sutter, which almost escalated - but did not - into confrontation between the two goalies, as well. 5 minutes to each Fighter plus a game misconduct-leaving the bench for Mara - and so HE was out for the rest of the game. I am sure Mills did not intend that when he hired Mara!

Somewhere in there is Muse, Fredheim hugs  Pistilli ;-)!

Mara and Sutter, Muse faces Hackett - lineman arm keeps them apart ?

Rau speeds by fallen Bellemore ;-)

Red Sweaters after Zucker !

Genoway seemed just about everywhere, on defense, on offense, taking on Sutter in a little "Hey you" broken up soonest by officials. McMillan skated like the devil was after him...and twisted and turned rapidly where needed.
Phillips, long locks flying, gave a lot. Larssen tried, as did others. Fredheim had long carry of the puck only to pass it to the wrong stick ;-)!
Cuma had a few good moments but overall was ineffective.

The Goal by Nash in OT-fuzzy pic due to shock ;-)! by photo taker :-)!

Zucker appeared to have become the whipping boy for the opponents, many times he was hemmed in by red sweaters.

Rau Wows

with the only goal against a very potent and seemingly aggressive Grand Rapids Griffins Team.

Rau is Happy

The first period started rather well, neither team scored against Hackett for Aeros and Petr Mrazek (what a nice Czech- name that is) for Griffins.

Second period, it seemed to me that the Aeros were a bit sluggish, and after the Goal by Ferraro  (not to be confused with Andrew Ferraro of Third Intermission), Landon his first name, they seemed more hesitant and discombobulated. And the passing appeared less decisive.

an epic Hackett stop - series of pics Nr.1

Nr. 2

Nr 3. Saved!

Coach must have done 'some' talking, because the guys came out in the third which is when Rau put the puck into the net with the help of McMillan and Genoway, to even the score.

And there it stayed through OT to the conclusion of a Shoot Out which Hackett, this evening alas, did not win.
Phillips, Coyle, Fontaine and Zucker  tied but Mrazek stopped them cold-or the crossbars did, when they didn't just miss the target at all... tired I guess! The guys were just tired!

While Griffins Smith and Pare scored, although Jurco, Nyquist and Tatar did not.

In the midst of a fray a helmet less  Baldwin prominent

The end result was Griffins 2 Aeros 1,  but at least the Aeros did get to take - or should that be stay - home with one point!
As can be seen by the number of SOGS by both teams (32 for Griffins and 31 for Aeros they were quite well matched.
Neither team could take advantage of the power plays (5 for Aeros one of which took place in last minutes of OT, and 3 for Griffins).

How NOT to score :-)!

McMillan just before Rau scores goal

Rau and Hackett Nrs. 3* and 2*
while Smith of Grand Rapids was Nr. 1 *.




Now it seemed to me that the absence of Granlund was noticeable.
He has been, IMO, the cement that knitted together the team's game plan.. being at the right spot at the right time to pass and/or 'steal' the puck, frequently seeing where the mate is to pass the puck to,  and so on.
Having been injured on Friday, he may be out some time. So IF the NHL resumes playing in December as might-just might, be the case, we can surely say 'Good By' to Granlund, and Minnesota can say"Welcome" to him.

20 ways of creative officiating?

No, really I mean that.

Between the officiating of the two Referees (Meyer and Croft) nothing resembled the Van Ryn Motto:"Keep It Simple (usually followed by Stupid-KISS)".

I lost count of the many three on five penalties both teams endured.
And some were called rather innovatingly:

• Delay of game BEFORE puck drop in Third? Duh? 
• Closing Hand on Puck? Double Duh?
• Others were the usual offenders.

At least in the end they were evenly divided 10 and 10, and both teams made two of them count!
Both Cuma of the Aeros and Pistilli (looked like) of the Checkers went down on the ice and needed attention from the teams' athletic trainers. Thankfully both came back to skate some more.
Neither incident was (apparently) severe enough for a penalty on the other team, this time!

Action around Murphy

Now after an unsually hectic fast paced first period in which the Aeros managed 5 Sogs to the Checkers 13,  the score was 1 Aeros - O Checkers..

Eyes-on-the-Puck Endras :-)

Endras simply making save after save - seemingly in most incredible ways...deep butterfly, stretched body, high glove catches, hard blocked shots (you could literally hear the puck striking his pads!)...

Just to recap Aeros Goals:
Taffe, Chenoway, DiSalvatore (1. period).
Foucault, Fontaine, Ortmeyer (2.)
Wellman, Taffe, DiSalvatore, Unassisted goal by McMillan, and finally empty netter by McIntyre, Fredheim all in the 3.

To the far right Ortmeyer and Foucault Goal 2

After Goal 1. PP by Taffe

Samson still looking (for a Delilah, perhaps? lol)

Checkers:
Soryal, Faulk, Staal;
Matsumoto, Samson, Faulk;
and Samson, Terry, Matsumoto all in 2.

Di Salvatore, Foucault chasing after puck



Soryal goal

Sutter (C) consoling Murphy after Houston goal 3

 McMillan=Number 1 Star with unassisted goal.

I truly believe this was one of the worst officiated games I've seen.

And the "Third Period Aeros" DID show up again to win this game against all odds...truly!

Almost unbelievable officiating (all those 3 on 5 calls) plus some less than stellar playing by several Aeros (Cuma, Bagnall (he ought to know better after all the years), Broda, Medved).
Did they, mayhap, mishear Van Ryn's "Keep It Simple"?

Well, whatever the case.
Aeros kept Checkers in check - but only by the skin of their teeth - especially in the second period.

Warming up in the 1. (as we now know they like to do).
Barely making it in the 2. (aided perhaps by ref's calls!)
And roaring back as the by now - almost expected  - AEROS OF THE THIRD!
Win with 5 to 3 vs Checkers.