The Rampage entered and left Friday’s game with the worst record in the AHL, but you couldn’t tell from the effort in the first 40 minutes. The only goals allowed by the silver and black were of the powerplay variety, the first just 25 seconds into the second on a 5-on-3 advantage for the Aeros. Scott Timmins answered in the third to tie the game, but the Aeros scored a late goal to bring San Antonio’s losing streak to six games.
Rampage Heroes:
- The first 40: Holding the advantage in shots at 22-15, and holding Houston to five in the second. Five shots! Normally San Antonio would lose confidence after allowing a goal, but this time they didn’t lose focus and attacked Houston goaltender Matt Hackett all second period.
- Penalty kill: While both goals were allowed by the kill, the Aeros has six powerplay opportunities. It’s a shame that the AHL doesn’t record ice time, because Greg Rallo and Scott Timmins have done a solid job of killing penalties, deserve a deeper look from management.
- The third line: It’s never a good sign when the third line (or fourth, as they normally are) is the best line for a team. The line of Eric Selleck (pictured above)-Scott Timmins-Greg Rallo was the best line for San Antonio, with Selleck and Timmins standing out the most, both leading the team with four shots on goal (defensemen Micheal Caruso, also on the line, had four shots as well).
- Jacob Markstrom: Poor Markstrom. He has his third quality start (a save percentage over .912 or a save percentage between .885 and .912 while allowing less than three goals), saves 92.0% of his shots, and he loses his fourth straight game.
Rampage Zeroes:
- The third period: After being the better team for two periods, Houston took control and kept the hometown team from shooting for almost 13 minutes. While the game was tied on the second shot of the period, a broading penalty from Colby Robak costed them the game, as Houston scored in less than two minutes left.
- Drew Shore: No shots-on-goal in this game.
The homestand continues tonight against the Abbotsford Heat, at 8:00 pm EST