Another Heartbreaking Loss, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Post Game Comments, Today's Preview, Division Standings and More

 

The Allen Americans found yet another way to lose a game with a with a 4-3 shootout loss to Worcester last night. It was Allen's sixth straight loss and 12th loss in the last 15 games. The three wins were a sweep of  Rapid City.

 

- I do not remember the last time the Americans hit every key to a game except the final score. Check this list out which shows the odds Worcester overcame to win the game.

• Allen scored the first goal of the game. Across the ECHL the team that scores first wins over 70% of the time.
• Allen led 2-0 after the first period. Worcester's record when trailing after the first period was 6-12-0-1 (.342).
• Allen led after the second period 3-1. Worcester's record when trailing after the second period was 5-18-1-0 (.229).
• Allen gives up an average of 39 shots a game, but allowed the Railers only 32 (regular time).
• Allen averages 29 shots per game, but took 31 (regular time).
• Allen won the special teams battle scoring one power play goal to none for Worcester.
• Allen stayed out of the penalty box, four infractions (8 minutes), compared to Worcester with nine infractions (18 minutes).
• Allen had six power play opportunities, Worcester just one. 

 

- If your team met all of the keys above it would mean victory almost 100% of the time, but it was not the case last night. Worcester tied the game 3-3 after pulling the goalie and puck luck was not on Allen's side. A shot from the outside hit an Allen player's butt, dropped down in the blue paint for an easy tap in by Worcester to send the game to overtime. 

 

- Neither team could score in overtime, though both had good chance saved by the goalies. In the shootout, the first five skater didn't score, but the sixth won the game for the Railers. It was a gut punch loss for sure, especially the they way Allen lost that game. FYI, Allen has been in two shootouts this season, lost them both and the Americans are still looking for their first shootout goal (0-6).

 

- The line of  Nault-Gorman-Blaisdell led the team again last night in energy and scoring. Kamerin Nault had two goals after Liam Gorman had two on Friday night. During this six game losing streak Allen forwards have totaled 12 goals and seven of them (60%) have been scored by this line. They used to be referred to as the fourth line. They have been Allen's #1 line during this losing streak. They are now called the "Gold Line" because they wear gold practice jerseys, but they have certainly been golden lately.

 

- Goal scorers for Allen were Kamerin Nault (2,3) and Brayden Guy (11). Here are the video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/worcester-railers-vs-allen-americans-feb-15-2025

 

- Here are game recaps from both teams:

Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/02/game-recap-americans-fall-in-a-shootout-4-3 

Worcester Railers: https://railershc.com/news/2025/02/railers-stun-americans-with-4-3-comeback-win 

 

COACH'S COMMENTS

- Coach Ferguson brought Kamerin Nault to the standing room only post game season ticket holder meeting. Here is what they had to say: 

"Obviously the effort was great tonight from the guys. I felt like we continued the momentum we built last night and the two early goals were great.".....Ferguson

"I wish our power play (1-6) could have gotten another one as that would have put the game away.".....Ferguson

"We let them claw back on a couple of  unfortunate pinball goals in the third period that ended up in the back of our net. The 6-on-5 goal goes right off our guy's butt and lays right there for them to finish. That is usually how those 6-on-5 goals happen.".....Ferguson

"With the goalie stick delay I thought I would make the longest game in the world go even longer. There is a quirky rule that requires the goalie to have white tape on the knob of his stick. They had just scored so I thought it was an opportunity to stop their momentum. I  pointed that out the rule to the referee. Then he pulled out his rule book and said our goalies tape on the knob wasn't thick enough. That whole delay is on me, sorry you will miss the 10 o'clock news tonight. I didn't see that backfiring on me like it did. I could feel they were coming on strong so was just trying to kill a little bit of their momentum. I saw Darryl Sutter use that rule in the playoffs one time and it has always stuck with me. Our equipment guy, Matt, has a job during warmups, and that is to look at the other guys knobs.".....Ferguson 

"Me just getting to Allen and trying to get accustomed to everything and trying to get my legs back under me has been my focus. Our line talks about keeping the game simple. I know it has been trying season. We have to find a way to dig our way out of this and keep the game fun. It is a privilege to play this game and in our room we have done a lot of good things since I have been here and it is a tight knit group. It seems like anything that can go wrong has gone wrong for us. But everything is fixable and you just need to get the first one and get cranking and those bounces will start going our way.".....Nault

"Blades and Gorms are two young guys. I have played for seven years and I have always believed in playing the game as hard as you can, playing it honest and in the right way. It is nice to have these young legs on my line. They buzz around out there pretty good. It give me a couple of shifts where I can be the third guy high, so that is always nice.".....Nault

       

TODAY'S PREVIEW

-  If the Americans play this afternoon like they did last night they will win the game. It will be a tall task to duplicate the game from last night but a good start will be an imperative. And if Allen has six power plays today, they need more than one goal. 

 

- Here is the game preview issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/02/game-day-preview-final-game-this-afternoon-against-worcester     

 

- Here is the lineup for the final game against Worcester (2:10 pm start). Some fresh legs in the lineup (Westcott, Van Unen) and changes to the top two lines:

Forwards

#16 Crnkovic-#26 Asuchak-#8 Duarte

#92 Watts-#89 Polino-#91 Matikka

#25 Westcott -#17 Jacobs-#14 Guy

#11 Nault-#84 Gorman-#24 Blaisdell

 

Defensemen

#5 Wilson-#82 Fraser

#66 Kulakov- #2 Warmuth

#21 Van Unen- #23 Brassard

 

Goalies

#39 Wells

#33 Richardson (Backup)

 

 

- It is back to one referee for the game today. Sam Heidemann (#22) worked the game by himself on Friday, worked with another referee last night and will be back by himself this afternoon. There were four penalties on Friday and 13 last night. Heidemann could have his hands full this afternoon. 

 

If you watched the game last night you saw the referee overrule a too many men on the ice call made by one of the linesmen. Seems like the linesman saw six Worcester players on the ice and blew his whistle, forgetting the Railers had pulled the goalie and could have six skaters on the ice. The sad thing about the incorrect whistle is Mark Duarte had the puck inside the red line in the middle of the ice with an open shot into the empty net just as the whistle sounds. What would have been a sure empty net goal didn't happen.  Then Worcester scored the extra attacker goal shortly after the center ice puck drop after the overruled call. Bad luck again! Luckily that linesman will not be working the game today. 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- It was another one-sided police vs fire game that preceded the Allen Americans game. I heard folks talking about the lopsided 9-0 shutout. They probably forget last year the police won 11-0. Over the years one or two dominate players make a big difference in the game. Players that played junior hockey in the past can skate right by most of the players on these teams. A few years ago the fire department had several of these junior players and dominated, but they eventually moved back north where they were from. Now the police department has several of these former junior players and is dominating. 

 

- It was quite the sight walking past all of the players from both teams that weren't playing sitting on the second level all in a row on the stools at the end of the rink. They were paying no attention to the game on the ice. They were all watching the USA vs Canada game on iPhones, sometimes three guys to one iPhone. I found out later how the game started and that was what was holding their attention.

- In the "Best of the Rest" race Utah and Rapid City both won last night and put Allen even further behind. Utah beat Idaho 6-5 in overtime and Rapid City had to come from behind to beat Maine 6-4. It was Rapid City's sixth straight win and seventh straight game with a point (6-0-1-0). That is the longest streak in the ECHL right now withe the exception of Kansas City (9-0-1-0). Here are the Mountain Division standings by point percentage with each team's ECHL point percentage rank in parenthesis:

• .713 - Kansas City (3rd)
• .633 - Tahoe (8th)
• .612 - Wichita (11th)
• .612 - Tulsa (11th)
• .583 - Idaho (14th)
• .458 - Rapid City (22nd)
• .417 - Utah (26th)
• .365 - Allen (29th)

 

- While Allen has lost Utah and Rapid City in the under .400 club, they have added Maine (.394) and Adirondack (380). All three of these teams made the playoffs last season. 

 

- Both of the Eastern Conference division champions last season, Adirondack (North) and Greenville (South) are in last place this season. Going from first to worst is never a pleasant experience for teams or fans.  

DID YOU KNOW: I was looking at the results of the games last night and they were quite striking. Turned them into the ECHL Stats post today:

It was an amazing, exciting and competitive night around the ECHL last night. 14 games seen by 73,479 fans. Let me count the ways:

 

- Wichita beat Tahoe 9-7. The 16 total goals is the highest of the season. Previous high was 14.

 

- Kansas City beat Tulsa 1-0 in a shootout. When no goals are scored in regulation time both goalies are credited with a shutout.

 

- 50% of the 14 games went extra time. 3 were decided in overtime and 4 went to a shootout.

 

- Of the 14 games, 10 were decided by 1 goal, 3 were decided by 2 goals and 1 was decided by 3 goals. Can’t get much closer games than that.