Allen vs Tulsa Game Preview, Meet New Allen Goalie Peter Di Salvo, Makowski Suspended, Roster Changes

The most familiar foe on the schedule for the Allen Americans is the Tulsa Oilers. These teams play 15 times (six home, nine away) this season. Game number eight of this 15 game series is tonight in Tulsa. The Americans play their next four games against the Oilers. Tonight in Tulsa, Friday in Allen, Saturday back in Tulsa and Sunday in Allen. The team will leave at 1:00 pm for the 230 mile bus trip to Tulsa and return right after the game.


Even though these teams play 15 times this season, they have played just once in the last two months. It will be a good test for both teams to see how they have progressed since last playing each other. With Missouri destined to win the Central Division and Wichita destined for last place, the only real battle left is to see who will finish second in the division. Allen currently has an 11 point lead over Tulsa but the Oilers have played five fewer games than the Americans. With eight points up for grabs this week Allen could have anywhere from a 19 point lead to a three point lead after the game on Sunday.

There are some interesting statistics if you look at the seven head to head games Allen and Tulsa have played this season. Tulsa has won four of the seven games. The visiting team has won the last four games. The last two times Tulsa has played in Allen, they defeated the Americans 3-1 (12/21) and 6-1 (11/21). The last two times Allen has played in Tulsa they have won 4-3 (11/22) and 3-2 (11/13).

- Here is a comparison between Allen and Tulsa:

                                     ALLEN                                TULSA

Team Record               24-14-2-1(51 points)             18-14-2-2 (40 points)
Division Ranking         2nd - Central                         3rd - Central
Conference Ranking   4th - Western                        9th - Western
League Ranking         10th                                      18th
Last Game                  5-4 W (Wichita)                    6-3 W (Missouri)
Goals For                   123                                      100
Goals Against             117                                       90
Power Play                 22.2% (35/158)                     12.9% (17/132)
Penalty Kill                 85.3% (24/163)                      83.2% (25/149)
Leading Scorer           Costello  (16-42-58)               Desalvo (10-20-30)
Most PIM's                 Stevenson - 74                       Clark - 113


-  Here is how Allen and Tulsa rank in the ECHL in some statistical categories:

Penalty Minutes Per Game: Allen 2nd (17.66) - Tulsa 4th (17.00)
Goals Scored Per Game: Allen 7th (3.00) - Tulsa 16th (2.78)
Goals Allowed Per Game: Allen 14th (2.85) - Tulsa 6th (2.50)
Shots For Per Game: Allen 25th (27.76 - Tulsa 26th (27.50)
Shots Against Per Game: Allen 15th (30.12) - Tulsa 5th (27.50)
Power Play Percentage: Allen 2nd (22.2%) - Tulsa 26th (12.9%)
Penalty Kill Percentage: Allen 9th (85.3%) - Tulsa 17th (83.2%)

-  A couple of keys to victory for Allen are getting shots on goal and winning the special teams battle. The Americans are ranked #25th in the league in shots on goal at 27.76 per game but against Tulsa it has been even worse. Only once has Allen had 30 shots on goal against the Oilers and the last four times these teams have played, Allen's shot totals were 20, 24, 20 &17.  Allen is going to have to do better if they expect to win tonight. With Casey Pierro-Zabotel and Greger Hanson back in the lineup Allen should be able to increase the shots on goal.

- Tulsa's overall power play percentage is one of the worst in the ECHL ranked #26 at 12.9%. However, if you look at home and away power plays it is a very different story. On the road, Tulsa is dead last at 8.4% but at home they are ranked #8 at 20.4%. Allen still has the advantage with the best road power play in the league (24.4%) but they will be missing a key component of the power play tonight. Point man David Makowski has been suspended for one game and will miss the game. Makowski was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct on Sunday for a slash to the jaw of a Wichita's Paxton Leroux.

- The Allen roster will have a different look tonight. In addition to Makowski's suspension, Reid Halabi and Tristan King will not play. Jacob Poe and Casey Thrush, who did not play on Sunday, will be back in the line up. 

- Officials scheduled for the game are referee Chris Pontes (#2) and linesmen Mitch Macpherson (#48) and Eric Contino (#92).

- Allen has a new back up goalie as they have brought in Peter Di Salvo. The official transaction shows a trade from Colorado. The Eagles released Di Salvo on December 26 only to re-sign him this week and deal him to Allen. The immigration process for a player that is traded is much easier than when an ECHL team signs a player that has been released, so that is why he was re-signed and then traded. The Americans did the same thing when Garrett Clarke went to Rapid City and when they acquired Reid Halabi from Fort Wayne. Basically a professional courtesy to save time and money.

Peter Di Salvo

- Di Salvo is a third year pro who has spent most of his career in the SPHL. He is signed with the Mississippi River Kings and in 14 games this year he has a GAA of 2.12 and a save percentage of .932. He has had two previous call ups to the ECHL this season with Colorado and Fort Wayne.

Allen back up goalie Peter Di Salvo gets acquainted with goalie coach Thomas Speer - photo by Dianne Webster

Here is a Mississippi River Kings video from a little over a year ago that provides some background on Peter:

Below are Peter's statistics courtesy of hockeydb:

Peter Di Salvo

Goalie -- shoots R
Born Nov 14 1990 -- Oakville, ONT
[25 yrs. ago]
Height 6.00 -- Weight 196

RS Goalie Stats										PO Scoring
Season	Team	Lge	GP	A	PIM	Min	GA	EN	SO	GAA	W	L	T	Svs	Pct	GP	A	PIM
2006-07	Sarnia Sting	OHL	6	0	0	190	16	1	0	5.05	0	3	0	87	0.845	-	-	-
2007-08	Sarnia Sting	OHL	7	0	0	379	16	2	0	2.53	3	3	0	136	0.895	-	-	-
2007-08	Barrie Colts	OHL	13	0	0	720	37	2	0	3.08	4	7	0	362	0.907	-	-	-
2008-09	Barrie Colts	OHL	34	1	2	1948	92	3	3	2.83	15	13	4	1038	0.919	4	0	0
2009-10	Barrie Colts	OHL	50	3	6	2784	127	1	2	2.74	38	6	1	1366	0.915	7	0	2
2010-11	Barrie Colts	OHL	20	1	0	1137	93	2	0	4.91	2	17	1	674	0.879	-	-	-
2010-11	Oshawa Generals	OHL	36	2	4	2122	110	2	1	3.11	22	8	5	1123	0.911	10	0	0
2011-12	Acadia University	AUS	9	0	0	476	23	0	0	2.90	5	2	0	182	0.888
2012-13	Acadia University	AUS	23	0	4
2013-14	Pensacola Ice Flyers	SPHL	17	0	15	991	39	0	0	2.36	11	5	1	510	0.929	-	-	-
2014-15	Mississippi RiverKings	SPHL	30	0	0	1680	66	0	2	2.36	19	8	0	774	0.921	5	0	2
2015-16	Mississippi RiverKings	SPHL	14	0	2	848	30	0	1	2.12	9	3	2	411	0.932
2015-16	Colorado Eagles	ECHL	2	0	0	118	6	1	0	3.06	1	1	0	49	0.891

 DID YOU KNOW: On December 16th in Colorado, Peter Di Salvo was the starting goalie for the Colorado Eagles when they played the Allen Americans. Di Salvo stopped 27 of 28 shots to lead Colorado to a 3-1 win over the Americans. For his effort Peter was selected the #1 star of the game.