Allen Loses Season Opener 8-2, Game Recap, Coach's Comments, Allen vs KC Preview, New Player Acquired, Best PP Goal Scorers Since 2020-21 and More

 

It was a tough Thursday morning for the Allen Americans as they lost the season opener to Tulsa by a score of 8-2 before a Kids Day crowd of 7208 at the BOK Center. It was the worst opening game defeat on the road in team history, but oddly enough Allen has had two opening day games at home that were worse. The most goals Allen ever allowed in a season opener was at home against Tulsa in 2014-15 when the Americans got beat 9-6. The worst defeat in a season opening game also took place at home in 2020-21 when Wichita shutout the Americans 7-0. Allen's opening day record is very symmetrical. The Americans overall record is 8-8 and includes 4-4 at home and 4-4 on the road.  

 

- It is hard to say the outcome was a surprise since Tulsa had gotten off to the best start in the league. The Oilers are now 3-0-0-0 and have scored 19 goals in three games while allowing just four goals. When you can average 6.3 goals per game and allow 1.3 goals per game you are not going to lose very often.

 

- Despite giving up the first goal of the game the Americans outshot Tulsa 9-8 in the first period. Tulsa took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. The second period was dominated by the Oilers who scored four unanswered goals while out shooting the Allen 17-8. Allen managed to score two goals early in the third period (Kyle Crnkovic & Artyum Kulakov) to cut the score to 5-2 before Tulsa rattled off three straight goals to make the final score 8-2.  Here are the video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-tulsa-oilers-oct-24-2024

 

- I touched base with coach Adams after the game and he was very straightforward in his assessment of the team's performance:  

"Our compete level was not at the level it needs to be."

"We tried to be too cute all over the ice."

"We need to simplify our game and play more straight lines." (north-south)

- It could be out of the frying pan into the fire as Allen returned home to face Kansas City tonight and tomorrow night. The Mavericks were the best regular season team in the league last season and have a team full of NHL/AHL contracted players. While Allen will be playing three games in three days, Kansas City is well rested having not played since last Saturday.

 

- As you might expect with Kansas City entering the two game series against Allen with as record of 2-0 and the Americans being 0-1, the stats heavily favor the Mavericks. The stats can't mean too much this early in the season, but nevertheless, here is a comparison:

• Goals for average: Allen 2.0 - Kansas City 5.0
• Goals against average: Allen 8.0 - Kansas City 3.5
• Shots for average: Allen 23.0 - Kansas City 32.0
• Shots against average: Allen 37.0 - Kansas City 29.5
• PP percentage: Allen 20.0% - Kansas City 37.5%
• PK percentage: Allen 80.0% - Kansas City 90.0% 

- Allen's record against Kansas City last season was 4-10-0-1. At home the Americans were 1-7-0-0. Over the last five seasons Allen's home record against the Mavericks is 12-13-1-0. 

 

- The keys to winning against Kansas City will be first and foremost getting off to a good start. Last season Kansas City had a points percentage of .857 when scoring first (34-4-3-1) and Allen had a record of 11-27-2-0 (.300) when giving up the first goal of a game. The Americans can't give up the first goal against the Mavericks and expect to win. 

- A second key to the game will be to win the special teams battle. Stay out of the penalty box by avoiding stick penalties and holding penalties. Half of Allen's home games will have two referees. The game tonight is one of those games. Referees Rocco Stachowiak (#28) and Ben Betker (#56) will work the game. It might be Betker's first trip to Allen while Stachowiak had several Allen games last season. In a game in Kalamazoo he called just two minor penalties. At the other end of the spectrum, working as part of a two referee game in Idaho, there were 19 penalties for 123 PIMS.  

 

- The final key will be goaltending. Whoever gets the start today, which I assume will be Thornton because he did not replace Wells yesterday after Allen gave up eight goals. In normal circumstances when Tulsa took a 5-0 lead in the second period the backup goalie would go into the game. That is unless the plan was to start Thornton tonight.  He will likely have to steal the game from Kansas City by making some saves that shouldn't be made. It will be a tall task and he will need a lot of help from the defensemen and forwards.  

- I was at pregame skate this morning but it was optional so I am not sure what lineup changes or line changes will be made for the game tonight. If I get the lineup card later this afternoon I will post it on Twitter and Facebook and update the blog. I did hear newly acquired forward, Harrison Blaisdell, is still on his way to Allen and will not play this weekend. I counted 16 players on the ice for an optional pregame skate which is very unusual for a three games in three days week. I was reminded many of the players had never been on the main rink ice so wanted to get a feel of it. The ice crew has been working diligently to get the ice ready for tonight. UPDATE: Here is the lineup tonight. The only changes in the lineup from yesterday is defenseman Hudson Wilson has been released from his PTO with Tucson and is back in Allen and will be in the lineup tonight, replacing Quinn Warmuth and Anson Thornton will get the start in goal:

Forwards

#92 Watts-#16 Crnkovic-#22 Brodzinski

#10 Gavin-#8 Duarte-#14 Guy

#84 Gorman-#26 Asuchak-#86 Hardie

#17 Ginnell-#28 Smedsrud-#11 Van Unen

 

Defensemen

#55 Nielsen-#3 Gagnon

#66 Kulakov-#44 Orzeck

#5 Wilson-#91 Adeniye

 

Goalie

#35 Thornton

#39 Wells (backup)

- If you watched the game in Tulsa the three players wearing an "A" were Gagnon, Nielsen and Watts. Coach Adams told me he would go with three "A" players for a while before handing out the "C" and would rotate the "A" players. Would assume they will stay the same for the game tonight but it is a wait and see.

   

HARRISON BLAISDELL

- The Allen Americans traded for forward Harrison Blaisdell yesterday. The rookie had signed with Fort Wayne in August but never played for the Komets. He was on the 3-day injured reserve before he was activated and traded to Allen for cash considerations. Fort Wayne was assigned a player from its AHL affiliate (Bakersfield) yesterday which likely required the Komets to reduce its roster. Here is a report from the local TV station:

 

- Blaisdell has an interesting background. He is from Saskatchewan but was born in England (Sheffield). His dad (Mike) finished his pro playing career in Great Britain and was a long time head coach in the EIHL (Nottingham & Sheffield). His dad's playing career included 343 NHL games (Detroit, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh, Toronto). His grandfather (Wally) played for Fort Wayne (IHL) for one season in 1954-55.

 

- Harrison Blaisdell was the 5th round (#134 overall) pick of the Winnipeg Jets in the 2019 NHL draft. He is 25 years old, 5"11", 181 pounds, left shot center/forward who completed his collegiate career at the University of New Hampshire last season. He played two seasons at the University of North Dakota from 2019-21 before transferring to New Hampshire for the last three seasons. In his NCAA career he played in 140 games and scored 42 points (16G, 26A). 

 

- When you read scouting reports about Blaisdell from his junior years before he was drafted the one consistent trait in all of the reports is about his fire, emotion, passion and motor. Being the son of a former NHLer and a hockey coach, he is the type of player that gives it his all every time he is on the ice or in the weight room. One quote said, "He can play in all situations, never wastes a shift and can provide a spark." 

 

- Here is a story about Blaisdell's family connection to the Komets. I am sure it is disappointing he never got to play a game in Fort Wayne and never get his 89 year old grandfather to watch him play with the Komets, but DFW is a great place to visit in the winter. 

  

 

 

- Here is the Allen Americans press release on the trade for Harrison Blaisdell: https://allenamericans.com/news/2024/10/americans-acquire-forward-from-fort-wayne

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- As the second week of the ECHL season begins there are 11 undefeated teams remaining led by Reading and Tulsa at 3-0. The number of undefeated teams after the weekend games will be much smaller. The last two years have seen some long win streaks to start the season. In 2022 Worcester set the all-time ECHL record winning nine straight games to start the season, but missed the playoffs. Last season Atlanta won eight games to start the season (#2 all-time). After the 8-0 start Atlanta went 15-45-3-1 the rest of the season to finish in last place in the standings (.347). Kansas City won seven straight to start last season (#5 all time) and went on to one of the best regular seasons in ECHL history, #5 at .792.  

 

-  There are 10 games on the ECHL schedule today. Here is a preview of all 10 games from ECHL Today: https://echl.com/news/2024/10/echl-today-oct-25

 

- It is still very early in the season but there are some interesting numbers and players among the ECHL stats leaders.

• The top three players in points are all with the Tulsa Oilers, six points in two games.
• Former Allen forward Tyler Poulsen (Tulsa) leads the league with four goals.
• Two defensemen, Patrick Kudla (Idaho) and Andrew Lucas (Tulsa) lead the league in assists with five.
• Kansas City's Max Andreev leads the league with 16 PIMS.
• Two goalies, both from Atlanta, (Drew DeRidder and Ethan Haider) lead the league in save percentage at 100%.  
    

- There have already been four penalty shots this season and two of them have been successful. A 50% penalty shot success rate is off the charts. Here is the penalty shot success rate the last three seasons:

 

• 2023-24: 26%  (10/38)
• 2022-23: 24%  (7/29)
• 2021-22: 17%  (8/48) - The first 11 penalty shots this season were unsuccessful

DID YOU KNOW: Here is an interesting take on power play goals from my ECHL Stats post today. It looks at power play goals since 2020-21, but also factors in how many games each player played to score those power play goals. Notice three of the top four on this list scored their power play goals as members of the Allen Americans. 

Just 13 current ECHL players have scored 20 or more power play (PP) goals since 2020-21. Here is the list in PP goals per game order. (PP goals since 2020-21 divided by games played since 2020-21). PP goals and games played is in parenthesis:

 

.27 - Colton Hargrove, FLA (21 PP goals, 77 games)

.23 - Brandon Hawkins, TOL (53 PP goals, 228 games)

.18 - Hank Crone, IDH (20 PP goals, 111 games)

.14 - Spencer Asuchak, ALN (22 PP goals, 163 games)

.14 - AJ White, IDH (37 PP goals, 275 games)

.13 - Justin Vaive, CIN, (31 PP goals, 235 games)

.11 - Cody Sylvester, ATL (25 PP goals, 228 games)

.11 - Justin Taylor, FW (24 PP goals, 226 games)

.11 - Mikael Stinil, WIC (21 PP goals, 186 games)

.11 - Alex Kile, FLA (21 PP goals, 184 games)

.10 - Alex Aleardi, FW (20 PP goals, 206 games)

.09 - Jay Dickman, WIC (25 PP goals, 277 games)

.08 - Anthony Petruzzelli, FW (21 PP goals, 257 games)