Martinson Post Game Comments, McMillin's Return, & Bus Pics

I am sure everyone came away from Allen's 5-2 loss last night against the Missouri Mavericks feeling disappointed. Talked to fans, coaches and players and to start out an important two game weekend against a good team like the Mavericks by being outshot 14-4 in the first period is very disheartening. While the team played better each period they could never dig out of the hole created in the first period. Official attendance was 4164 which puts the season average at 3956 which is about 250 per game behind last year's average. I'm sure the Mavericks enjoyed the convoy to Missouri last night better than the Americans as both teams headed out right after the game and will play again tonight in Independence. We can only hope for a different result.

Always a long bus trip after a loss the team was not expected to arrive in Missouri until 8:00 am this morning. As requested by super fan Doug, here are a couple of interior bus pictures.

The lone sitting area on the bus

Bus bunk set up.

MARTINSON POST GAME COMMENTS:

- The most disappointing thing for me was after losing two games last weekend where we gave up too many odd man rushes and a week of practice we come out and get four shots on goal the first period. It was a big disappointment to me as we are not generating enough offense, we turned pucks over and we had forwards not supporting the puck on the wall. Just some system related stuff that makes you wonder what are we thinking.

- I am not happy with how we played from an X's & O's standpoint tonight. We had our best offensive period in the third period, we are all over them, get 18 shots on goal and then give them brain dead scoring chances.

- When things aren't working on the power play you need to get the puck to the point and shoot it and get guys to the front of the net. Too many times we have the puck at the point but guys are standing still on the wall waiting for the puck to come back. We worked on this all week in practice but we don't do it in the game.

- It looks more and more to me like the answer is a better line up. I don't know how much longer we can go on like this.

- On the power play the corner guys job is to not be in the corner when the puck gets to the point. He has to get to the front of the net. We have some guys that just don't do that and I will take responsibility for making sure we have guys in there who will go to the net.

- Brian McMillin is going to be signed by Wednesday and I think that will help us. He is coming back from Europe on Tuesday. He knows how to play the game that we want, he is good at both ends of the ice and he is the kind of guy that people want to play with. Obviously he had a great playoff last year and we know exactly what Brian can do. He will help us because he is a glue guy that doesn't cheat for offense. (Keep in mind no contract has been signed so the coach was only stating his intent as anything could happen).

- There is a little too much from the front end and back end of scoring is more important than winning and not understanding the difference. Obviously you have to score goals to win but you need to do all the little things that add up to a big thing rather than being the hero. Right now we have the guys capable of winning every night but we are not doing it. If you don't start winning with the line up you have, there are decisions that need to be made.

- We need some veteran players to step up and make some plays. You can't expect a young guy like first year player Alex Lavoie to be the guy every game.

- When you have lost two games in a row at home and then get outshot 14-4 in the first period it is not the goalies fault. That is on the team.

- I have looked at possible trades but when you are in a small league like the CHL it is hard to acquire players that will help your team. Combine this with the lack of a reciprocal agreement and it is easy for players to jump to the ECHL if they don't want to report. I am convinced we have to make a change. This home record we have (4-4-2) is painful.

- Dallas Ehrhardt will be in the lineup for the game tomorrow (Saturday) for sure.

- My job is to win. It is not to make everyone that lives here happy. If it requires getting rid of a player that was here last year or getting rid of a high cost defenseman to free up money to improve our up front lineup I will do whatever it takes to win.


OTHER COMMENTS:

- With the loss last night the Americans have slipped to 5th place in the standings and are only one point from 7th place.

- Being on the road tonight may prove to me a positive as the Americans road record (8-4-0) is much better than their home record (4-4-2).

- Allen and Missouri are evenly matched on special teams and that proved to be the case in the game last night as the Mavericks scored once on six power play opportunities while Allen scored once on seven power play opportunities.

- The high scoring Tulsa Oilers were shutout by Brampton last night 4-0. It was the first time Tulsa has been shutout all year as they are averaging about 3.75 goals per game.

- Rapid City was shutout at home by Quad City 2-0. This was a case of outstanding goalie play as Quad City goalie, Ty Rimmer, stopped 48 shots including 16 in the first period when the shots on goal were 16-4 in favor  of the Rush.  For the game Rapid City outshot Quad City 48-25.

- After the results last night there are only six points separating second place Missouri (31 points) and seventh place Quad City (25 points) in the CHL standings.

DID YOU KNOW: The Allen Americans bus is a 1998 Prevost (part of the Volvo Group) and has over 900,000 miles traveled. It has 23 bunks and one couch.

Da Bus