*Please note while Barry's name remains at the bottom of this blog, he is on vacation and the information/views posted in his absence do not reflect Barry's views or the views of the Allen Americans organization.
We, Mary and Ted, look forward to reading Barry's blog every day. It has been invaluable to us as casual fans with only general knowledge of the intricacies of the game, the ECHL, and the teams. Knowing it was not going to be available during the most important part of this season prompted us to offer assistance in keeping it up to date. We will rely heavily on others for assistance in this endeavor. Mary brings a feminine touch to the blog and Ted will handle the research duties. While we cannot promise daily postings, we will make every attempt to keep you updated.
If you have any questions or would like us to elaborate on anything, please feel free to leave a comment below and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Game 3 Preview-
In our opinion once Allen solves the Ontario goal tending obstacle they faced on Sunday against Joe Cannata, scoring goals should come easier as the following stats project:
Chad Costello ranks no. 2 in playoff points(20), and first in assists (15). He also ranks second in points per game at 1.54.
Gregor Hanson leads in playoff goals (9), ranks 3rd in points (19), and is 3rd in points per game at 1.46.
The current playoff road record for Allen is 3 wins 2 losses. Historically since the 09-10 season their overall game 3 road record is 8 wins 4 losses. Under Coach Martinson game 3 road record is 5 wins 2 losses.
As Barry always preaches special teams should be a major factor in the game.
For the current playoffs, Ontario ranks 1st in power play (24%), Allen ranks 3rd (22.2%)
Since Ontario is slightly more proficient on the power play it will be vital that Allen resists taking unnecessary penalties.
The penalty kill rankings paint a different picture with Allen ranking 13th (82.0%) and Ontario ranking 14th (80.9).
With these teams so evenly matched we anticipate a close, physical game.
Did you know: Within the entire current ECHL there is only 1 player from Slovenia (Ontario's Gasper Kopitar who reigns from Jesenice, Slovenia) and 1 player from Germany (our very own Konrad Abelthauser hails from Bad Tolz, Germany).
Gasper Kopitar is the brother of Anže Kopitar of the LA Kings.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info, Kevin. Appreciate your comment.
Delete- Mary (not Barry)
Sometimes Allen struggles to bring the puck in Ontario's zone. They have to resort to dumping it into the corner and battling for it. I watched Tampa vs NY last night and really like how they both attack the defensive wall setup at the blueline. Both teams tend to have one player bring the puck across the blueline then dump it backward for a teammate flying up behind him. From there they can setup the offense on the blueline or bring the puck to the corners with control or take it to the goal. I would like to see Allen do the same, I really dislike when they dump it into the corner instead of controlling it across the blueline.
ReplyDeleteAn attacking team like Allen rarely passes the puck backward, even on a penalty kill. Players like Hanson and Asachuk have excellent puck control skills and can be effective going to the corners. Ontario did an excellent job of controlling this in game 2 - will be interesting to see what adjustments Marty makes for tonites game.
DeleteTed (not Barry)
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