Aeros v. Milwaukee Admirals - Game 21

The Aeros won 4-2 yesterday in an effort that, if strung together consistently, could have this team succeeding on par with the expectations set by the "on paper" version of this team. The penalty killing was superb, the offense held the Ads in their zone, the guys who are supposed to score scored... it was a solid team effort and it paid off.

What's more, the Aeros were on their last game of a 3-in-3, while a good Milwaukee team was lolling about in downtown Houston Saturday (okay, I don't really know what they did but they didn't travel to San Antonio and play another hockey game, so they were certainly more rested than the Aeros).

My unsung hero of the game is tough guy Matt Kassian. I don't know who counts the shots or what they base it on, but I know he had more than the two listed on the score sheet. And a couple of them were REALLY good chances, one even on a breakaway! The guy is taking shots every chance he gets and looks like a bonafide hockey player.

Let's start with some lowlights:

• The first marker for Milwaukee was a short handed goal on Schaefer, who started the game, but was pulled with 10:47 left in the first after a second power play goal by Milwaukee. In post game interviews, Troy Ward said you should have heard the apologies going around the room in the first intermission. Point being, the team failed Schaefer and they knew it. Though from where I was sitting, Schaefer did not look to be his usual sharp self and was giving up some pretty juicy rebounds. Of course, again, that's a lot of ice time for a goalie, three games in less than 48 hours. Brust probably should have gotten the start, but it does seem he plays better in "save the day" mode than in #1 goalie mode. Anybody else noticed that?
  
• Three fights in the game.
  - Noreau v. Grant, in which Grant looked like the big brother schooling his kid brother. Not good, but that's okay. (Update: Here's the fight video. I didn't see the hit that started it but that was a doozie.)
  - Kassian v. Jessiman, where based on the fight itself, I'd have given the edge to Jessiman, but Kass got him bleeding and he looked pretty dazed and had to leave to the dressing room, while Kass just went to the box. So, if you pick your winner over who looks worse in the end, Kass won by a mile.
  - Madsen v. Ford, which was a draw and was precipitated by a pretty wild sequence of flying bodies. It was, apparently, his first fight ever, so kudos to him for holding his own and sticking up for his teammate.
  
• Scotty got a delay of game penalty late in the third when the score was 3-2 that really could have turned the momentum of the game. The Ads came on STRONG as they knew they got a break there, but fortunately, the Aeros PK prevailed.

Highlights!

• Locker got 2 goals! Both pretty ones, too. The stuff you expected to see out of him when we traded for him. Here's hoping he's got his mojo back. The first was a nice wrister where the goalie was frozen and he just popped it top shelf (where mama hides the cookies!) The second was the Aeros 4th goal where Kolanos headmanned it up to him on the Ads blue line and just streaked in on a breakaway and deked MacIntyre out of his pads. Very nice stuff.
  
  The interesting thing about that second goal was the emotion shown by the guys on the ice afterward. I've never seen Kolanos look happier. It was a nice moment. It looked and felt to me like they'd turned a corner and they knew it. Plus, I'm sure Locker's lack of scoring was a source of discontent for him and to bust out like he did must have been good for the whole team.
• The second goal was from Lammers, and it was good to see him get back on the scoresheet, too. Though I absolutely cannot account for why he got one of the three stars over Locker. They must have decided them before Locker's final goal.
• The third goal by Kolanos was spectacular. He got the puck on a breakaway and just jetted down the center of the ice with two Ads d-men in hot, but futile, pursuit. It was like a Kolanos Komet. No hope for MacIntyre or the two defensemen and everyone in the building knew it.
• I didn't once have to look away when Rosa had the puck. He looked like his old self. Great to see.
  

John Royal has some great stuff in his Houston Press article and his blog about the Madsen fight. Also a great photo from Fred there. And Andrew has some nice quotes from Brusty in the Chron. And photos from Fred. All in all an exciting game for everyone except maybe the Ads. That's the way we like it.