The Allen Americans finished the three games series against Brampton with a 2-0 shutout loss yesterday afternoon before a crowd of 2760 at the Powerade Centre. Allen was unable to capitalize on a big first period shot advantage of 14-6. They had some excellent scoring opportunities but could not get the puck in the net. Brampton scored the first goal of the game midway through the second period and that goal proved to be enough. Allen was unable to mount a charge in the third period because of numerous penalties that put Brampton on the power play. The Americans applied pressure with an extra attacker late in the game but could not score.
- Allen remains in second place in the CHL standings with 17 points but has played three more games than first place Rapid City (18 points) and four more games than third place Missouri (16 points).
- The shutout yesterday was the first time the Americans have been shutout since a 4-0 loss to Missouri on March 23rd of last season. It was the only time Allen was shutout in the 2012-2013 season.
- The Lavoie, Lessard, Bootland line was held scoreless for only the second time all year but led the team with 13 shots on goal. Jonathan Lessard had seven shots on goal and leads the team with 54 shots on goal for the year which places him second in the CHL. Nobody else on the team has more than 37 shots on goal.
- Allen has now lost three of their last four games as they return to the Allen Event Center for their next three games against Brampton and Tulsa (twice).
- The game yesterday was Darryl Bootland's 700th of his professional career. How fitting it took place in the Brampton area where he first started playing hockey and with many of his family and friends in attendance.
- There was a new line combination in the game as the coach juggles players in an attempt to get more scoring from other than the top line. Jarret Lukin was playing with Kale Kerbashian and Phil Fox.
- The power play was 0-5 and the power play percentage has fallen to 20.83% which is 3rd in the league. While still a respectable percentage it has been slowly falling for the last couple of weeks.
STEVE MARTINSON POST GAME COMMENTS:
- I didn't think we played very physical today. That is something we have to do to be successful.
- We had the puck a lot early in the game but couldn't score.
- We didn't use the points enough when Brampton collapsed toward the net.
- Brampton played a lot more desperate than we did. We have too much "living in the past" on this team. Our guys earned a ring last year but we need to put that in the past. Last year gets your foot in the door. Now you have to play again, but we haven't figured that out yet. We are way too comfortable and that has to change and it will, one way or another.
OTHER COMMENTS:
- As you see coaches around the CHL making changes to their rosters it is important to realize how important it is to continually improve your team. In the last two weeks there have been over 60 changes to rosters around the CHL. You can be assured Steve Martinson is still talking to players and player agents from the ECHL and in Europe in an attempt to upgrade the roster.
- Former Tulsa defenseman Sean Erickson who was a teammate with Brian McMillin for the Coventry Blaze (EIHL) has returned to the US and signed with the Rapid City Rush. As the European season progresses and players see their team will not make the playoffs you will see more and more of them trying to hook up with contending teams in North America. And don't forget the Americans have two veteran slots available.
- Tommy Daniels had Alex Lavoie's mom, Christine Gegear, on his radio broadcast between periods. Christine shared that skating was a big part of the family as Alex's dad and brother both played hockey and his sister is a figure skater. Alex started skating at 18 months and if I remember what Christine said correctly in his first year of organized hockey he had 140 points in something like 29 games. Yes, he was good from the outset.
- The Americans were staying overnight in Brampton last night and will fly home this afternoon scheduled to arrive at DFW around 5:30 pm. An expensive road trip for the team and contrary to rumors earlier in the year that Brampton supplements travel costs for visiting teams, this is not true.
- With the shutout yesterday Brampton goaltender Grant Rollheiser has lowered his GAA to 1.62 and has a league leading save percentage of 95.6%. By the way, the league leader in GAA is Missouri goaltender, Shane Owen, who has a GAA of 1.32.
DID YOU KNOW: The Americans overall power play percentage is 20.83% but the power play percentage at home is only 13.3%.
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