6-7 Rules in School Game Win, 6-7 History, Game Recaps, Video Highlights, Importance of Early Leads and More

 

The Allen Americans beat the Utah Grizzlies 3-2 yesterday morning in the second of three School Day games this season. Just like the first School Day game, the crowd of over 6000, mostly school kids, kept the energy high the entire game and were in for a real treat.

 

- At the first School day game, a 6-4 win over Wichita on November 5, the roaring started during player introductions and hit a crescendo when Hank Crone was introduced. My first thought was, Why do all these kids know about Hank Crone? Then I was reminded that it was his number, 67, they were cheering for. If you are not familiar with the 6-7 phenomenon and what it means, here is a brief history:

• The trend traces back to December 2024 and the song Doot Doot (6-7) by an artist named Skrilla, a rapper from Philadelphia. The song features the repetition of the lyric six-seven, which became the hook that people clipped and reused on social media.

• Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram accelerated the spread. The meme is heavily associated with children and young teens, especially elementary and middle school students, who help spread the random 6-7 through schools, playgrounds, and hallways. Some schools have banned the chant because it is disruptive. It has now gone well beyond this age group. 

• Some argue that the meaninglessness of 6-7 is the whole point; it's less about what it means and more about belonging to the moment, a shared inside joke. 

 

- You can only imagine what happened in the game yesterday when the kids heard player introductions, and Hank Crone 6-7 was in the starting lineup. The noise was off the charts. It only got louder when Hank scored a natural hat trick (3 straight goals). Each time PA Announcer, Lee Hastings, announced a Crone goal in a drawn-out 6-7, it got louder and louder. By the time Hank scored his third goal to give Allen a 3-1 lead, the 6-7 brought a level of noise as loud as I have ever heard in the arena, including the championship years. 

 

- No doubt the win was a great win, but once again, the Americans didn't play their best game. Allen surrendered 47 shots, including being outshot in the third period 20-7. It is the second-most shots allowed in the third period in the ECHL this season. David Tendeck made some spectacular saves as Utah had a 6-on-4 power play and then an extra attacker for the final 3:35 of the game. Utah finally scored a goal with 37 seconds remaining in the game to make the final score 3-2. Tendeck stopped 45 of 47 shots for a .957 save percentage. 

 

- Other stats from the game that will be areas for improvement this weekend:

• Allen won despite giving up the first goal. The Americans have allowed the first goal in 11 of 17 games. 
• Allen was 0-3 on the power play. The power play is now ranked #24 at 14.8%.
• Giving up 47 shots has dropped Allen to last place (#30 ) in the ECHL in average shots allowed at 37.53. FYI, Kansas City leads the Mountain Division in shots allowed at 25.11.
• I don't have the specific puck possession time, but offensive zone puck possession time needs to improve. 

 

- There were some good stats from the game as well:

• Allen scored three goals, which has been the magic number all season. Allen's record when scoring three or more goals is now 7-0-1-0.
• The Americans were 0-4 on the penalty kill, including two minutes of 6-on-4. The Allen penalty kill is now ranked #2 in the ECHL at 89.2%.
• Allen won despite being outshot. The Americans have a winning record when being outshot by the opponent (5-4-2-1). 
• Hank Crone scored his fourth hat trick as an Allen American. He had three hat-tricks in 2022-23 when he led the league with 49 goals. His fourth hat-trick ties him with Chad Costello for the all-time record.

 

- Here are the game recaps and video highlights:

• Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/12/game-recap-crone-natural-hat-trick-leads-americans-over-utah-3-2  
• Utah Grizzlies: https://utahgrizzlies.com/news/2025/12/ricketts-shea-each-score-goals-in-utahs-3-2-loss-at-allen 
• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/utah-grizzlies-vs-allen-americans-dec-3-2025 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

 - I heard from Coach Martinson that a player from Belleville could be assigned soon, but as always, it is dependent on the injury situation. Belleville played last night and lost 4-3 at home to Toronto. They play Laval at home on Friday and Saturday. 

 

- Crone's three goals make nine points (5G, 4A) in his last seven games. He is now tied for the team lead in goals (6) with Watts and Gildon, and is #2 in points (13), one point behind the team leader, Watts.

 

- Allen's win gets them back to .500, and in the crazy Mountain Division, that is good enough for the final playoff spot by points percentage. I know Coach Martinson takes no solace in getting back to .500 and is looking for the Americans to string some wins together. 

 

- Allen's record by month:

• 2-2-1-0: October (.500)
• 4-5-2-0: November  (.455)

 

- Allen has one more School Day game on April 2 against Greensboro. They are fun to attend with all of the energy the kids bring, and seeing a new team will be a bonus. I thought it was a nice touch for team President, Jonny Mydra, to give any Patriots Club (season ticket holder) members who wanted to attend the game but didn't want to sit in the lower bowl with the sea of kids, suite tickets upstairs, and there were a lot of Patriots Club members who took advantage of the offer. 

 

- This will be my last blog post as I leave for a week of pheasant hunting in the morning. I won't return until after the three games in Rapid City next week. I will post some info on Facebook and X/Twitter, but no blogs while I'm hunting. Late-season pheasant hunting in the snow and cold has been a tradition with my best friend Dave since we were in high school in the 1960's. As we approach our 80's, we spend more time in the truck than in the sloughs, but it will be a lot of fun, the landscapes will be beautiful, and the wildlife will be abundant. In addition to pheasants, we will see ducks, geese, partridge, grouse, deer, moose, antelope, plus plenty of small mammals. We only hunt the pheasants. The temps from Friday night to Monday morning will range from a low of -6 to a high of 11. Wish us luck.

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about the importance of playing with the lead. Allen's record with a first-period lead is 2-1-1-0. When trailing after the first period, the record is 1-6-1-0:

How important is playing with the lead, even early in games? Here is the ECHL leaguewide record when leading and trailing after the first period. It makes a huge difference:

 

Leading After 1st Period

142-18-16-9

.835 

 

Trailing After the 1st period

43-128-13-1

.270

 

 

- 15 of the 30 ECHL teams have not lost a game in regulation time when leading after the first period.

- Wheeling is 9-0-0-0 when leading after the 1st period.

- Norfolk is 0-6-0-0 when trailing after the 1st period.

      

Allen vs Utah Preview, Today's Lineup, Keys to the Game, Mix of Players for ECHL Top Teams and More

 

The second half of the six-game home-and-home series with Utah starts this morning (10:30 am CST). Allen was 2-1-0-0 in the three games in Utah, and the loss came on a Grizzlies goal with 88 seconds remaining in the game. The Americans played great in game one, playing a physical game, outshooting Utah 30-24 and coming away with a 4-2 win. Allen also won game two, but the physical play was diminished, and the Americans were outshot 34-15. Allen was outplayed in the third game, outshot 45-22, and managed to score only two goals in a 3-2 loss.

 

- Here are the cumulative stats in the first three games of the series:

• Allen scored more goals, 9-8.
• Utah took more shots, 103-67
• Allen took more penalties, 12-10.
• Utah had more power plays, 11-8.
• Allen had the better power play, 25% (2-8) vs 9.1% (1-11).
• Allen scored first in two of the three games.  

 

- If you look at the stats above, Allen had good starts, won the special teams battle, and allowed an average of 2.67 goals per game. If the Americans score three or more goals, they will have an excellent chance to win the game this morning and the series. Three goals have been the magic number all season. Remember, Allen's record when it scores three or more goals is 6-0-1-0. When the Americans score less than three goals, their record is 0-7-2-0.

 

- Here are the keys to the game from the series preview last week in Utah. They all still apply:

• Speed through the neutral zone.
• Win the special teams battle.
• Keep the physicality at a high level.
• Pucks and bodies to the net.
• Balanced scoring. 

 

- I asked Coach Martinson about his three keys to the game, and he was very concise:

• Physicality
• Forecheck
• Offensive zone pressure  

 

- ROSTER 

• Marco Costantini is out, listed as day-to-day with a minor injury. 
• David Tendeck will get the start in goal. He has played in five games this season (2 in Florida, 3 in Allen). His cumulative stats are 2.34 GAA, and a .939 save percentage.
•  Landry Laird has been signed as the EBUG, behind Tendeck.

 

- Here is the lineup for this morning's game: 

Forwards

11 Caron - 91 Gildon - 67 Crone 

26 Asuchak - 18 Blaisdell - 19 Maxwell

29 Watts- 7 Hargrove - 9 Katic

28 Murray - 92 McAuley - 77 Morrison 

 

Defense

21 Decker - 2 Warmuth 

86 Anania - 23 Sedley 

22 Costantini - 6 Simmons-Fischer

 

32 Tendeck

1 Laird (EBUG)

 

 

- Look for veteran leadership to come to the fore in this series. Allen's experienced players, those the team is counting on being a big part of the offense, all had goals in Utah (Asuchak, Crone, Hargrove, McAuley, Watts). Adding more veteran scoring to what Gildon and Blaisdell have been doing, and it could be a breakout series for the Americans.

 

- The player to watch for Utah is #23 Reed Lebster, He scored the winning goal for Utah on Saturday with 88 seconds remaining in the game. He leads the Grizzlies with nine goals and has scored the game-winning goal in three of Utah's last four wins.    

 

- Here is the game day preview issued by the Allen Americans  with lots of stats and information: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/12/game-day-morning-americans-host-utah-at-1030-am

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- There are seven games on the ECHL schedule today, with two morning start School Day games. In addition to Utah at Allen, Bloomington visits Toledo in a morning game. Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2025/12/echl-today-dec-3

 

- Danny Katic's 1.33 points per game average is #3 in the ECHL. Of the players who have been in the league all season (15+ games), the leader is Sloan Stanick of Tahoe. Sloan leads the league in points (26) and goals (13). His points per game average after 20 games played is 1.30.

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about the mix of players on the roster of the best teams by points percentage. Allen's points percentage is .469, and here its numbers:

• 1 - AHL contracted player
• 6 -Rookies
• 5 - Veterans

 

Three ECHL teams stand above the rest with points percentages of .750 or more. The three teams have different mixes of NHL/AHL contracted players, rookies, and veterans on their roster. Which is best built for the playoffs?

 

.806 - Wheeling

12 - NHL/AHL contracted (0 NHL, 12 AHL)

15 - Rookies

0 - Veterans

 

.750 - Atlanta

4 - NHL/AHL (1 NHL, 3 AHL)

10 - Rookies

1 - Veteran

 

.750 - Fort Wayne

8 - NHL/AHL contracted (5 NHL, 3 AHL)

5 - Rookies

4 - Veterans

Have All the ECHL Playoffs Teams Already Been Decided? - The Thanksgiving Hypothesis

 

Two things always happen this week each year. First I am heading to North Dakota on Friday for a week of pheasant hunting. Wish me luck in the cold, snow and wind. The first morning will be -9 with a high of 1, but after that the temperatures will moderate (20's and 30s), but it is always windy. Second, it is time for my annual blog about playoff teams being decided by Thanksgiving.  

- This is always a fun blog to write each season and track how accurate it is come playoff time. I have had some success with this hypothesis, but also some spectacular fails. None more memorable than three years ago when I wrote this about the Americans, "Allen is in last place in the division with a .393 point percentage and is the only team out of contention for a playoff spot." That commentary had me eating crow chili in April as Allen finished second in the Mountain Division and advanced to the second round of the Kelly Cup playoffs.

 

- Here we go with my "Thanksgiving Playoff Hypothesis" blog, which predicts the 16 ECHL playoff teams based on the standings as of today. No need to worry anymore, the fate of your favorite team is already decided. A little overstated but not by much. I have talked about this in the past after reading numerous articles about the history in the NHL, where data proves that somewhere between 75% - 80% of playoff teams are already decided by now. Here is one of the more informative stories about this subject from the Hockey News  many years ago: http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/out-of-the-playoffs-december-1-done-like-thanksgiving-dinner

  

- It is strange to think that with just over 20% of the ECHL season complete, you can predict who will be in the playoffs with close to 80% accuracy. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so here are the playoff teams strictly by the numbers, plus where I think the "Thanksgiving Playoff Hypothesis" might be wrong. The numbers in parentheses are the current point percentages. I use point percentage to determine the top four teams rather than points because of the difference in games played, which varies from 16 to 20. Here are your 2025-26 Kelly Cup playoff teams.



NORTH DIVISION

• 1. Wheeling (..806)
• 2. Maine (.676) 
• 3. Trois Riviéres (.647)
• 4. Reading (.556)

The top three teams in the North Division are pretty much a lock. Wheeling is #1, Maine is #5, and Trois-Rivières is #8 in the ECHL in points percentage. Adirondack (.531) and Worcester (.500) are close behind Reading for the final playoff spot. Worcester lost eight of its first nine games, but has won eight of the last nine. Reading is just the opposite: the Royals won five straight to start the season, but since then have lost eight of 12 games. My prediction is Worcester gets the final playoff spot. Adirondack and Greensboro are long shots, and Norfolk (.353) is the only team already out of the playoff picture.

 

SOUTH DIVISION

• 1. Atlanta (.750)
• 2. Florida (.684)
• 3. South Carolina (.611)
• 4. Jacksonville (.529)
• 4. Greenville (529)

The South Division has six of seven teams with a points percentage of .500 or more and in playoff territory. The top two teams seem locked in for the playoffs. Atlanta is ranked #3 in the league, and Florida is ranked #4. While none of the teams below the playoff cut line are out of the picture, except Orlando (.250), the final playoff spot will likely be Jacksonville or Greenville. They are two evenly matched teams with a history of making the playoffs and with strong affiliations. They have split the two games played against each other. They play six more times this season, and the head-to-head results may decide which team makes the playoffs and which team goes home. Savannah is the other .500 team, but the Ghost Pirates have never made the playoffs since joining the ECHL in 2022-23 and will likely have the same fate this season.  

CENTRAL DIVISION

• 1. Fort Wayne (.750)
• 2. Bloomington (.625) 
• 3. Toledo (.618) 
• 4. Cincinnati (.583)

 

The only other team above .500 is Indy (.528), followed by Iowa (.421) and Kalamazoo (.375). Of all of the divisions, the Central is the most likely to have the current top four teams stay that way all season. The gap between Cincinnati and Indy has grown recently. Indy has lost five of its last seven games, while Cincinnati has won six of its last nine games. Kalamazoo is already nine points behind the final playoff spot and out of contention, even though they have two games in hand over fourth-place Cincinnati.   

MOUNTAIN DIVISION

• 1. Tahoe (.675)
• 2. Kansas City (.647)
• 3. Idaho (.600)
• 4. Utah (.500)

 

The Mountain Division is easily the most difficult to predict and most likely to have teams not in the top four make the playoffs. Notice the #1 team (Tahoe) has the lowest point percentage of any division's #1 team, and the #4 team also has the lowest point percentage of any #4 team in the other divisions. While Tahoe and Kansas City seem to be the class of the division, anything could happen. The four teams not currently in a playoff spot are Wichita (.472), Allen (.469), Rapid City (.444), and Tulsa (.438). If affiliate help determines the outcome, here are the NHL/AHL contracted players assigned to each team as of last week's report: Rapid City (10), Wichita (7), Tulsa (6), and Allen (0). I know these numbers have changed since a week ago, but this gives you a relative comparison. The bottom line is that none of the Mountain Division teams are out of the playoff hunt, and I would expect one or two teams currently outside of a playoff spot to make it in. 

*********************************************************************************** 

- History says if you are more than five points out of the fourth playoff spot at this point, the chance of making it into the playoffs is slim to none. That is bad news for Norfolk, Orlando, and Kalamazoo.


- Historically, teams more than five points ahead of the final playoff spot in the division at this point can start selling playoff tickets, as they rarely miss the playoffs. Teams in this category include Wheeling, Florida, Atlanta, Fort Wayne, and Tahoe.


- The bottom line is that most playoff teams are already decided, but as important as it is to make the playoffs, it is a myth that once you make the ECHL playoffs, any team can win the Kelly Cup. In the last 20 years, the Kelly Cup champion has finished outside of the top five during the regular season just four times, and only once, Florida in 2023, has a team finished lower than #8. Here is where the Kelly Cup champion has finished in the regular season since 2005:

• 2025 - Trois Riviéres (5th)  
• 2024 - Florida (8th)
• 2023 - Florida (11th)
• 2022 - Florida (3rd)
• 2021 - Fort Wayne (5th)
• 2020 - No Playoffs
• 2019 - Newfoundland (3rd)
• 2018 - Colorado (4th)
• 2017 - Colorado (3rd)
• 2016 - Allen (5th)
• 2015 - Allen (2nd)
• 2014 - Alaska - (1st)
• 2013 - Reading (2nd)
• 2012 - Florida (7th)
• 2011 - Alaska (1st)
• 2010 - Cincinnati (5th)
• 2009 - South Carolina (4th)
• 2008 - Cincinnati (1st)
• 2007 - Idaho (6th)
• 2006 - Alaska (1st)
• 2005 - Trenton (5th)
   

     

- Keep in mind this is all done in fun, and I will definitely revisit it at the end of the season to see how many of the 16 teams currently in playoff positions will, in fact, make the playoffs. If your favorite team is out of the playoffs, remember, even with 80% accuracy, three teams currently on the outside of the playoffs looking in will make the playoffs.




DID YOU KNOW: The list of ECHL teams that have won multiple championships is not very long when you consider the league has been around since 1988, and there have been something like 60 different teams, depending on how you count. Here are the nine teams that have won multiple ECHL championships, with the winning coaches in parentheses: 

• Florida Everblades - 2012, 2022, 2023, 2024  (Greg Poss, Brad Ralph, Brad Ralph, Brad Ralph)
• Alaska Aces - 2006, 2011, 2014  (Davis Payne, Rob Murray, Rob Murray)
  
• South Carolina Stingrays - 1997, 2001, 2009  (Rick Vaive, Rick Adduono, Jared Bednar)
  
• Hampton Roads Admirals - 1991, 1992, 1998  (John Brophy)
  
• Colorado Eagles - 2017, 2018  (Aaron Schneekloth)
  
• Allen Americans - 2015, 2016  (Steve Martinson)
  
• Cincinnati Cyclones - 2008, 2010  (Chuck Weber)
  
• Idaho Steelheads - 2004, 2007  (John Oliver, Derek Laxdal)
  
• Toledo Storm - 1993, 1994  (Chris McSorley)
  

 

Allen Loses 3-2, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Duarte Update, Katic Stats, Plus Goal Differential Teams and More

 

A .933 save percentage by Allen goalie David Tendeck was not good enough last night as the Utah Grizzlies doubled up Allen in shots (45-22), scored a late third period goal, and beat the Americans 3-2. 

 

- Allen earned four of six points in the series, which is great, but to let the sweep get away last night was disappointing, especially when you consider these stats:

• Allen scored the first goal of the game at the 10:34 mark of the first period when Spencer Asuchak scored from the goal mouth. Assists went to Decker and Simmons-Fischer.
• Allen took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Before last night, the Americans were 2-0-1-0 when leading after the first period, and Utah was 0-4-1-0 when trailing after the first period.
• Allen won the special teams battle. The Americans were 1-2 on the power play and 0-3 on the penalty kill. Danny Katic's power play goal late in the second period (18:02) tied the score after Utah took a 2-1 lead.

 

-  What didn't go well for Allen:

• Allen was outshot in all three periods. In the third period, with the score tied 2-2, the Americans allowed 19 shots while generating only seven.
• After taking a 1-0 lead, the Americans surrendered two second-period goals in 88 seconds to the Grizzlies. 
• The game-winning goal was scored with 88 seconds remaining in the game. It was one of those shot to the net with traffic in front type of goals. Unfortunately, the player parked in front of the goalie was Utah's leading scorer, who jammed the puck into the net. The Utah player was definitely in the crease when he scored the goal, and the replay showed his skate may have interfered with Tendeck, but after the referee reviewed it, he ruled it a good goal. Allen had a couple of chances at the end of the game with an extra attacker, including off a faceoff with .9 seconds remaining, but could not get the puck in the net.
• It was the ninth time in 16 games (56%) that Allen has scored two or fewer goals. The Americans' record in those nine games is 0-7-2-0. When the Americans have scored three or more goals, their record is 6-0-1-0. Consistent goal scoring remains an issue. On the just-completed six-game road trip, Allen scored 1, 2, 2, 4, 4, 2 goals and returned home with a record of 2-4-0-0.

 

- The Americans will get more of Utah next week as the Grizzlies visit Allen for games on Wednesday (10:30 am), Friday, and Saturday. Another great opportunity for Allen to sweep a series.

 

- Here are the game recaps from both teams and the video highlights:

• Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/11/game-recap-americans-fall-in-series-finale-3-2 
• Utah Grizzlies: https://utahgrizzlies.com/news/2025/11/grizzlies-win-3-2-thriller-on-reed-lebsters-game-winner 
• Video Highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-utah-grizzlies-nov-29-2025 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Belleville lost 6-3 to Providence at home last night. The Senators are in fourth place in the seven-team North Division with a record of 10-9-2-0 (.524). Mark Duarte hasn't missed a game since being loaned on November 11. In nine games, Mark has three points (2G, 1A). His plus/minus is +4, which leads the team.

 I asked Mark about his time in Belleville, and specifically the penalty kill. This is what he had to say, "I have gotten a good amount of time on the penalty kill. It's been a great opportunity, and I have enjoyed it a lot." 

Hard to believe Belleville hasn't signed Duarte to an AHL deal. Belleville plays Providence again this afternoon (3:00 pm EST). 

 

- Danny Katic has played in only nine games with the Americans, but has had quite the impact. Here is how he ranks statistically despite the few games played:

• #1 - points per game (1.33)
• #1 - plus/minus (+3) 
• #1(tied) - power play goals (2)
• #1(tied) - game-winning goals (1)
• #4 - goals (4)
• #5(tied) - points (8) 
• #6 (tied) - assists (4)
• #21 - games played (9) 

 

- How much can the standings change in the tight Mountain Division in one night? Here is how many positions each team moved in the standings after last night's results. The current place in the standings is in parentheses (by points percentage)

• +3 Wichita (5th)
• +2 Utah (4th)
• +1 Tahoe (1st)
• 0 Idaho (3rd)
• -1 Rapid City (8th)
• -1 Kansas City (2nd)
• -2 Allen (6th)
• -3 Tulsa (7th) 

 

-  There are eight games on the ECHL schedule today, all with early starts. Tulsa at Tahoe is the only Mountain Division game. Here are the previews: https://echl.com/news/2025/11/echl-today-nov-30 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about goal differential. Allen's goal differential after the loss last night is -8:

Goal differential is a good proxy for the strength of a team. 12 of 30 ECHL teams have a positive goal differential (goals for minus goals against). South Division has 4, North 4, Central 2, and Mountain 2. A very high probability that the 2026 Kelly Cup champion comes from this list. 

 

+23 *Wheeling*

+20 *Florida*

+20 *Fort Wayne*

+17 Maine

+16 Atlanta

+14 *Tahoe*

+13 Toledo

+10 Kansas City

+9 Trois Rivières

+6 Savannah

+4 Greenville

+4 Reading 

 

*Division leaders by points*

 

 

FYI, here is the worst goal differential in each division:

-21 South (Orlando)

-18 North (Norfolk)

-13 Central (Kalamazoo)

-11 Mountain (Tulsa)

Four Goals on Six Shots Leads to Victory, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, WOW Stats and More

 

The Allen Americans beat the Utah Grizzlies 4-2 last night, making it back to .500 (6-6-3-0), and moved into fourth place (tied) in the division by points percentage. Allen won by an identical score (4-2) to the win in game one on Wednesday, but the game last night was very different. 

 

- Offensive explosion would be the apt description of the game last night. Allen's shooting percentage was below 8% coming into the series with Utah. In game one on Wednesday, it was 13% and last night it was 27%. The Americans scored on their 2nd shot, 3rd shot, 4th shot, and 6th shot of the game, even though the sixth shot didn't come until there were less than five minutes remaining in the second period. 

 

- Allen chased former Americans goalie Dylan Wells from the game midway through the first period after scoring on three consecutive shots and taking a 3-0 lead. The game was essentially over at that point, at least by the stats. Allen's record this season when scoring 3 or more goals is 6-0-1-0. 

 

- Utah scored late in the first period and early in the second period to cut the score to 3-2, but that is as close as they got. Allen scored at the 15:05 mark to get their two-goal lead back and took a 4-2 lead into the second intermission. At that point, the odds were heavily in Allen's favor since the Americans hadn't lost when leading after the second period and Utah hadn't won when trailing after the second period.

 

- There was no scoring in the third period. Utah pulled the goalie with three minutes remaining and outshot Allen 7-0, but David Tendeck, who replaced Marco Costantini at the start of the third period, stood strong.

- Goal scorers for Allen were Harrison Blaisdell (4 & 5), Colton Hargrove (2), and Colby McAuley (2). Simmons-Fischer had two assists, and Hank Crone had an assist to extend his point streak to five games (2G, 4A). Here are the video highlights with all the goals, some great saves by both goalies, a fight, and the post-game scrum that could carry over tonight. https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-utah-grizzlies-nov-28-2025

 

- Utah had a big advantage in shots (34-15), but Allen's physical play seemed to take its toll in the third period. The Americans controlled the play despite Utah's 13-9 edge in shots. 10 of Utah's shots came with a man advantage. After the game, there was some pushing and shoving, which was started by Utah. At least they got the only penalty for roughing at the 20:00 mark.

 

- Here are the game recaps issued by both teams:

Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/11/game-recap-two-in-a-row-in-utah 

Utah Grizzlies: https://utahgrizzlies.com/news/2025/11/connor-kelley-scores-first-pro-goal-in-utahs-4-2-friday-loss 

 

COACH'S COMMENTS

"It was good to see our scoring continue with another four-goal game. We have been getting scoring up and down the lineup."

"The 5-on-3 power play goal was textbook, and when you get the puck on Hargrove's stick in that position, he can bury it."

"When I get the shots from our Insat software, the shots will be closer than what was reported in the boxscore. Two things will help us get more shots in game three. First, we can improve our puck possession in the offensive zone. We only had a few shifts where we hemmed them in. Second, we need to get more pucks to the net on our power plays. We don't shoot the puck enough on the power play, because we try to make the perfect play."

"Adding Katic to the lineup tonight will be a boost. He leads the team in points per game (1.40). David Tendeck will get the start in goal. Marco Costantini will be the backup."

"I really liked our physical play and would expect the same in game three. With six straight games against Utah, this is like a playoff series. All these hits will add up, and there will be more of the same over the next four games (12 periods)."   

 

TONIGHT'S PREVIEW

- It is unreasonable to expect a repeat of the start from last night, but a good start will be important if Allen is going to sweep this series. Playing with the lead is a big key. Here are some others:

• Speed through the neutral zone.
• Win the special teams battle.
• Keep the physicality at a high level.
• Pucks and bodies to the net.
• Balanced scoring. 

 

- Allen has proven so far this season that the first team to three goals wins. When the Americans have scored three or more goals, their record is 6-0-1-0. When they score fewer than three goals, the record is 0-6-2-0.

 

-  The referee tonight will be Chazz Knoche (#33). He was the referee for the first two games and called six penalties in the first game and 11 in the second. The way the game ended last night makes me think there will be more than 11 penalties tonight.

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The Mountain Division is so close that a team can jump a couple of positions in the standings in one night. Here is the latest by points percentage, which is a better stat than points because games played vary from 14 (Tulsa) to 19 (Idaho). I have included the games tonight, showing the home teams:

• .688 - Kansas City
• .639 - Tahoe, at home against Tulsa
• .579 - Idaho
• .500 - Allen
• .500 - Tulsa
• .471 - Utah, at home against Allen
• .471 - Rapid City, at home against Idaho
• .441 - Wichita, at home against Kansas City

 

- Here is the ECHL Today with the previews of 13 games on the schedule tonight: https://echl.com/news/2025/11/echl-today-nov-29 

 

- Defensemen Andre Anania and Sam Sedley lead the team in assists with eight each. Of the Allen players who have played more than 10 games, they rank #3 and #4 in points per game:

• .87 - Brayden Watts
• .67 - Hank Crone
• .60 - Andre Anania
• .53 - Sam Sedley
• .53 - Michael Gildon

 

- Kansas City is off to another great start on the road. The Mavericks are the only remaining team undefeated on the road (6-0-0-0). This has been a pattern for Kansas City, which set the all-time ECHL best road record in 2023-24. The Mavericks are #1 in road points percentage for the third straight season:

• 1.000 - 2025-26 (6-0-0-0)
• .750 - 2024-25 (26-8-2-0)
• .847 - 2023-24 (29-4-2-1)

When you add the three seasons together, the Mavericks' road record is a hard-to-believe 61-12-4-1 with a points percentage of .814. FYI, the Mavericks' home record is not as good as their road record. It is 5-5-0-0 this season and 53-23-4-4 (.683) over the last three seasons. So much for home ice advantage.

 

 DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about some stats that make you say Wow! I would give the Allen Americans' WOW stat to Harrison Blaisdell. After his two-goal, #1 Star performance last night, he now has five goals, tied for #3 on the team, one goal behind Brayden Watts and Michael Gildon. Last season, Blaisdell scored four goals in 50 games for the Americans. 

 Some ECHL WOW stats early in the 2025-26 season:

- Toledo has scored 8 shorthanded goals in 15 games (53%).

- Cincinnati has #1 PP (28.3%), #30 PK (69.0%).

- Wheeling is 10-0-0-0 when scoring 1st.

- Kansas City is the only undefeated road team (6-0-0-0).

- Atlanta’s point percentage at record pace .143 (2-12-0-0).

- 54% of penalty shots have been successful (7 of 13), which hasn’t been higher than 28% in the last five seasons.

    

Allen vs Utah Preview, Hargrove Returns, Parsons' Update, Mountain Division Parity, Overseas Success, Best Team in Each Pro League and More

 The luster of snapping Allen's six-game losing streak hasn't worn off yet, but what have you done lately is already setting in as the Americans get ready for game two of the three-game series against Utah tonight (8:10 PM CST). The momentum built from the 4-2 win on Wednesday must carry over tonight.

 

-  You can cite all of the statistics, and I will, but as Coach Martinson said yesterday, the key to the game tonight will be hard work, structure, supporting the puck, and using speed through the neutral zone. With that said, here are some stats-driven keys to the game:

• Allen allowed Utah only 24 shots on Wednesday, almost 13 shots fewer than the Americans' seasonal average. They outshot the Grizzlies in every period. If Allen can come close to repeat performance tonight, it will be a good sign.
• Allen has scored first in only four of 14 games. When you consider the team that scores first wins 75% of the time, the odds are that the team that scores first tonight will win the game. Allen defied the odds in Wednesday's win; they don't want to do that again tonight. 
• There weren't a lot of penalties on Wednesday, and the same referee will handle the game tonight. Both teams were 0-3 on the power play in game one. Allen has scored only two power-play goals in the last seven games. Scoring a power-play goal tonight and winning the special-teams battle will be another key to victory. 
• Balanced scoring was key on Wednesday with all three lines scoring a goal. The more Allen spreads the goal-scoring around, the more likely it is to lead to victory. It will be huge if the reunited line of McAuley - Hargrove - Crone lights the lamp.
• This stat is a little over-simplified, but not by much. If Allen scores three or more goals, they will win; two or fewer goals, they will lose. Allen's record when scoring three or more goals is 5-0-1-0. When the Americans score two or fewer goals, their record is 0-6-2-0. 

 

- If you want more stats and information, check out the game day preview issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/11/game-day-preview-americans-looking-for-a-series-win 

- The biggest change to the lineup tonight is the addition of Colton Hargrove, who sat out the last two games under suspension. He will be reunited with a line that has been very successful in the past. I would expect that the newly acquired defenseman, Trevor LaDonne, will also be in the lineup. Marco Costantini should get the start in goal. He has had the hot hand with save percentages in his last three games of .917, .929, and .943. 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- One way to look at how close the Mountain Division is, in addition to the fact that the point percentage difference from the top team (.667 Kansas City) to the bottom team (.438 Rapid City) is by far the smallest in the ECHL, is to look at points earned in the last 10 games. Here is that list:

• 14 points - Idaho
• 13 points - Tahoe
• 12 points - Kansas City
• 12 points Tulsa
• 11 points - Utah
• 10 points - Allen
• 8 points - Wichita 
• 8 points - Rapid City 

When you consider 10 games ago takes most teams back to the end of October, the division has remained close, with all eight teams still in contention for the playoffs and first place. 

 

- After a near-perfect start to his career in Belleville, goalie Jackson Parsons has had a couple of tough outings. He won his first three starts for the Senators, stopping 89 of 91 shots for a .978 save percentage. It has been tough going in his last two starts. Jackson lost 7-2 on Saturday and 5-1 on Wednesday. In the two losses, he faced 72 shots and saved 60 for an .833 save percentage. Such is the development of a rookie goalie who just turned 21 last Sunday.

 

- Two former Allen players are tearing it up in Germany. 

• Defenseman Alex Breton, who was the ECHL Defenseman of the Year when he played for Allen in 2019-20, plays in the top league in Germany (DEL). Alex has 29 points (10G, 19A) in 27 games playing for ERC Ingolstadt, the first-place team in the league.
• Center Corey Mackin was Allen's leading goal scorer in 2020-21 (30G, 32A). Corey plays in the second-best league in Germany (DEL2). He leads his team in scoring with 27 points (7G, 20A) in 19 games. His team, Eispiraten Crimmitschau, is in 8th place in the 14-team league. 

 

- It is another busy Friday night schedule in the ECHL with 28 of 30 teams in action. All eight Mountain Division teams are playing, and all within the division. The marquee game of the night is an interdivisional matchup between the North and Central Divisions. The #1 team in the league, Wheeling (12-3-0-0), is visiting Toledo (9-3-1-1).  Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2025/11/echl-today-nov-28 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Some high-flying pro teams were the subject of the ECHL Stats post today:

As of Thanksgiving, the best record (by points percentage) for each professional league in North America:

 

.906 - AHL (Grand Rapids Griffins)

.848 - NHL (Colorado Avalanche)

.844 - FPHL (Binghamton Black Bears)

.800 - ECHL (Wheeling Nailers)

.792 - SPHL (Evansville Thunderbolts)

 

Big Win for Allen, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, PIMS Then and Now, NHL Contracted Players in the ECHL and More

 

The Allen Americans snapped their six-game losing streak with a 4-2 win in Utah last night. It is just one game, but the team earned the win playing the way Coach Martinson has been talking about every time he is interviewed and every time he goes over video with the team. More than all of the stats, playing the right way and working hard is what enabled the win last night. Two post-game quotes captured this sentiment.

Steve Martinson: "We skated hard tonight and got rewarded for it. It was a fun game to watch."

Michael Gildon: "It was a complete team victory. We came together as a group and dug deep for the big win. Throughout the game, we played hard. We need to continue the hard work the rest of the weekend."

 

- Here are a few of the fruits of the hard work put in by the team last night. 

• Allen outshot Utah in all three periods.
• Allen allowed Utah only 24 shots, the lowest total of the season.
• Allen gave up the first goal of the game, but came back and tied the score 1-1 by the end of the first period.
• Allen was a perfect 0-3 on penalty kill that included 1:45 of  5-on-3 time.
• Allen was the first team to reach three goals, which has been key to wins. Allen's record when scoring three or more goals is 5-0-1-0. When the Americans score two or fewer goals, their record is 0-6-2-0.
• Marco Costantini was great in goal again with a .917 save percentage. Marco has played in three of the four games on this road trip, saving 94 of 101 shots for a save percentage average of .931. 

 

- All wasn't perfect, and there is room for improvement on the weekend, but if the team plays like they did last night, you have to like their chances. Here are some of those areas for improvement:

• Allen gave up the first goal for the 10th time in 14 games.
• Allen was 0-3 on the power play and has fallen to #24 in power play percentage (13.2%).
• Allen gave up a shorthanded goal, the second of the season. It was an unfortunate circumstance that led to the goal. Allen shot the puck into the skates of a Utah player, which started the play going the other way. It was passed to Utah's leading scorer, who had just come on the ice. At first glance, it looks like Hank Crone got beaten, but he was just the closest guy and was at the end of his shift. 

 

- Goals scorers for Allen were Crone (3), Gildon (6), Watts (6), and McAuley (1). Crone has been heating up on this road trip; he has a point in all four games and has a total of five points (2G, 3A). Gildon and Watts have been carrying the offensive load all season. They are tied for the team lead in goals (6), and their total of 12 is almost a third (32.4%) of Allen's team goals (37). Watts also had a goal disallowed for the net being off its moorings. It looked like a deliberate move on the goalie's part. I know Coach Martinson felt like the goal should have counted.

 

- Here are the game recaps from both teams and the video highlights:

• Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/11/americans-end-losing-skid
• Utah Grizzlies: https://utahgrizzlies.com/news/2025/11/grizzlies-fall-4-2-on-thanksgiving-eve-at-maverik-center 
• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-utah-grizzlies-nov-26-2025

 

- Allen's two young defensemen, Andre Anania and Sam Sedley, continue to outperform. Between them, they have 71% (15 of 21) of the assists by all the defensemen. Last night Sedley had two assists, and Anania was a +4. He now leads the team in plus/minus.

 

COACH'S COMMENTS

"We showed more speed tonight by getting in the right position to support the puck and skating coming into the offensive zone."

"I don't necessarily think the league is faster since I left in 2021-22, but it plays faster. What I mean by that is, since the league expanded to 18 skaters and teams have four lines, the fourth line players are guys who played on the third and fourth lines in college. They learned to play the right way, or they didn't play with the roster sizes in college." 

"Tonight, all three lines scored a goal. Getting scoring out of all three lines is very important, and I know we will get better from here. I plan on putting the McAuley, Hargrove, and Crone line back together on Friday, and I think the way they have played recently, they are ready to take off."

"There were three really nice goals. Great passing on the first, skill on the second, and net traffic on the third.   

"As bad as we needed a win last night, it is so much better that we got the win playing the right way. Winning reinforces playing the right way. I feel we can go on a roll once we stop beating ourselves because we have the talent." 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The team has the day off today and will have a team dinner tonight at Cracker Barrel. It should be extra enjoyable after the win last night.  

 

- The gap in games played seems extra wide right now. Here are the most and fewest games played in each division:

• North - 13 (Adirondack) to 16 (Greensboro)
• South - 12 (Savannah) to 17 (Florida)
• Central - 14 (three teams) to 17 (Iowa)
• Mountain - 13 (Tulsa) to 18 (Idaho)  

 

- If you look at the average penalty minutes per game ranking, the Mountain Division has the top and bottom teams in the ECHL. Here are the rankings with average penalty minutes. To show how things have changed, in parentheses is each team's average penalty minutes per game when the CHL  joined the ECHL in 2014-15: 

• #1 - Tulsa, 16.62                 (18.75)
• #3 - Allen, 15.29                 (22.83)
• #6 - Idaho, 14.44                 (16.25)
• #16 - Tahoe, 11.82
• #19 - Utah, 10.38                (16.25)
• #20 - Kansas City, 10.33     (19.81)
• #24 - Rapid City, 9.25         (17.07)         
• #30 - Wichita, 7.94              (20.94)

The minutes per game numbers may look small, but the total minutes tell the story. At the present pace the average penalty minutes per team this season will be 866 minutes. In 2014-15, the average per team was 1357 minutes. 

Tulsa leads the league and, at the current pace, will end the season with 1196 penalty minutes. In 2014-15, Allen led the league with 1644 penalty minutes.  

 

DID YOU KNOW: 74 NHL contracted players have played in the ECHL at some point this season. Here is how many have played for each team.

 

7: FW, ORL

6: TUL, WOR

5: ADK, IDH

3: GSO, IA, SAV, TAH, TOL

2: ATL, BLM, FLA, MNE, REA, SC, WHL, WIC

1: ALN, CIN, JAX, KAL, NOR, RC, TR, UTA

0: GVL, IND, KC

 

Keep in mind that the majority of NHL/AHL contracted players assigned to the ECHL are under AHL contracts.