Aeros v. Quad City Flames - Game 26

I'm having trouble figuring out what the lead for this game is.

1. Barry Brust's triumphant 33-save performance after a third embarrassing shootout loss Wednesday night?
2. The Aeros playing a fantastic team game (continuing the absolutely smothering defensive play) against a less than sharp, road weary Flames squad, and winning 4-1 with 19 shots to their 34 shots, and notching a much-needed 4 point win?
   
3. John Scott not only getting the game winning goal but getting it during the Bayou City Wings Minute (which was renamed the John Scott Bayou City Wings Minute the rest of the game)? And continuing his greatly improved play. It's like he grew hockey sense over the summer. Oh! And then he stood up for Kolanos after Vandermeer whacked him in the face by the bench. Scotty was waiting at the door when Vandy's penalty ended. He got an extra 2 for roughing (lucky it wasn't instigating but I think the ref used some discretion there), and it was absolutely the right thing to do. Big time atta boy.
   
4. Rosa doing what I asked him to do (mouse to the house) and getting an assist out of the deal. Thanks Rosy. You get two cookies.
   
5. Max Noreau adding a ninth goal to his impressive, league-leading (among defensemen) stats. Later in the season, when the suck-minus that is the Wild are out of the playoff hunt, I'd love to see him get some call-ups and maybe shake some of those "ZOMG NHLZ!!!" nerves he had in pre-season. (There ya go, Andrew!)
   

I don't know what the answer is but all those things happened, and it was a stellar game by the Aeros. Now, how much of that can be credited to a tired Flames team not putting their best foot forward, I don't know. Some, I'd wager, but this was a game to build confidence around. And they're gonna need it against the Hershey Bears on Saturday, who lost 3-0 to a streaking (win streaking, not nekkied streaking) San Antonio team tonight.

QC did some interesting goalie juggling, too. Keetley started the game, but after the first Aeros goal (Noreau's PP goal at 5:45 in the first), they put Irving in for about 28 seconds, and then put Keetley back in. He subsequently let in Scott's goal in the first and two more from Olvecky and Locke (on a delayed penalty with the extra man) in the second. And then they put Irving back in to start the third. Peters got the lone QC goal, though my boy Chucko had several excellent chances on Brusty.

Of course, one of the interesting stories for this game was the reunion of Krys Kolanos with his team from last season, where he was a major offensive contributor but, I've gathered, wasn't as well received there as he has been in Houston. (Pouliot should preceed him at every team he goes to.) But they did neutralize him pretty well, which I fully expected. He had at least two guys defending him all the time, sometimes three, and he still managed to get an assist. They knew what they were up against with that one.

Scratches for Houston were the injured parties of Hamilton, Lundbohm, and Lammers. Healthy scratches were Falk and Kassian.

Oh and my little bonus for the night is a set of photos from a terrific QC fan from one of last year's games in QC that went into a crazy shootout that the Aeros won. I enjoyed looking through them and seeing the boys in their handsome darks and seeing Reitzy and some of the guys who are gone, so I asked to share them here. And he sent me an extra special one of Cal to post. Thanks, DS!

Awww... I miss him. But since the Wild were playing Phoenix tonight, and Phoenix really kinda hates him from Gretz down to JovaMinusNovski, you had to know he'd be the center of attention. I only saw the third period, apart from a little bit earlier on where Yandle and Bouchard had a very manly slap-flight, but they were all over him and he appeared to be loving every minute of it.

I don't know how every other team in the league just glosses over his antics but Phoenix gets sucked in every time. At least this time it didn't cost them the win. The Wild lost that all by themselves. Frankly, the Aeros looked like the better team tonight and I can't say I've EVER even come close to saying that.

Here's Andrew's Chronicle story. Royal's blog post (with lots of happy from the locker room. Yay! I love having a coach who was a goalie and understands what goalies need.). And then I'm hoping against hope for some good action/fight photos from Mr. Fred.