It is game two of the three game series against Utah tonight as the Americans try to find a way to snap their eight game losing streak. Allen has won just one game since February 2. The Americans accomplished the win by playing great defense in a 4-1 victory in Tahoe. In the loss to Utah on Wednesday the Americans scored five goals, just the fourth time all season they have scored that many goals, but Allen gave up six goals in defeat.
- The challenge tonight for Allen will be twofold. Keep the offense going and improve the defense. Prior to Wednesday, Allen had scored an average of 1.60 goals per game over the last 20 games. How did the Americans all of a sudden breakout with five goals? Allen did it on the power play. After going 0-39 in its previous 11 games the Americans were 4-7 (57.1%) on Wednesday. The four power play goals is tied for the most in a game in the ECHL this season. Yes it was accomplished against the worst penalty kill team in the league (70.1%), but Allen is not going to score four power play goals tonight. Where Allen must improve is on even strength hockey. Allen won the power play game 4-2, but Utah won the even strength game 4-1.
- If you accept it is unlikely Allen will be unable to match its five goals scored on Wednesday, the key tonight is defense. In its last eight games Allen has allowed 9,4,3,3,7,1,5,6 goals. That is an average of 4.75 goals per game, but includes three games the Americans held their opponent to three or fewer goals. Allen limited Jacksonville and Utah to three goals and Idaho to one goal. The key tonight is whether Allen can limit Utah to three or fewer goals while scoring three or more themselves.
- To be successful tonight Allen has to get off to a better start which won't be hard given Utah scored on the first two shots of the game on Wednesday. Allen trailed 2-0 before fans were settled in their seats. A good start means the Americans score the first goal of the game. Something they haven't done in the last eight games. By no means does scoring first mean victory for the Americans given they have by far the worst record in the league at 8-9-5-1 (.479) when scoring first, but that is a whole lot better than when Allen gives up the first goal, 6-30-3-0 (.200).
- I will have the lineup later today, but would assume Brayden Watts will be back in the lineup and Miko Matikka will see if he can go after the morning skate. When there is illness around a locker room you just never know what the lineup could look like. Goalie Anson Thornton is out with an injury, so Allen will go with an EBUG tonight and tomorrow night. The team did not practice yesterday after a tough game on Wednesday and back-to-back games coming up. They had a team stretch yesterday, played some soccer and got treatments with the trainer.
- Allen's top four leading scorers against Utah this season may all be missing in the game tonight. Brayden Watts (9 points in six games) is likely to be in the lineup after missing the game on Wednesday. Kyle Crnkovic (8 points in 5 games) and Easton Brodzinski (six points in five games) have been traded. Spencer Asuchak (5 points in 5 games) is injured.
- The referee tonight, #9 Hunter Mottinger, is the same referee that worked the game on Wednesday. He called a total of 16 penalties in the three Allen games he worked earlier in the season. He called 19 penalties on Wednesday including an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty with less than eight minutes left in the game, which led to the game winning goal. From my experience referees usually let those type of penalties go late in the game with the score tied. Hopefully, the game tonight will be closer to the five or six penalties than the 19 penalties and it will be more of letting the players decide the game. It also means players will have to avoid all of the stick penalties that plagued the game on Wednesday.
OTHER COMMENTS
- Rapid City kept its long shot playoff hopes alive with a big 3-2 win in Tulsa last night. Rapid City was outshot 57-31 in the game. It was in losing cause, but the 57 shots by Tulsa was an ECHL high this season. The Oilers also had a season high of 29 shots in the second period.
The teams play again on Saturday and Sunday. Rapid City has eight games remaining. After the two games this weekend against Tulsa, the Rush travel to Kansas City for three games next week. Rapid City trails fifth place Idaho by six points and fourth place Tulsa by nine points.
- Here are the top and bottom ECHL teams in penalty minutes:
Most penalty minutes (900 or more PIMS)
- 1231 - South Carolina
- 1078 - Iowa
- 1000 - Florida
- 993 - Adirondack
- 971 - Worcester
- 938 - Norfolk
- 924 - Jacksonville
Fewest penalty minutes (660 or fewer PIMS)
- 555 - Tahoe
- 613 - Kalamazoo
- 622 - Atlanta
- 641 - Reading
- 642 - Wichita
- 650 - Rapid City
- 660 - Utah
Notice there are no Mountain Divisions teams on the most penalty minutes list and all but one team is from the Eastern Conference. However, four of the teams on the fewest penalty minutes list are from the Mountain Division. Oh how times have changed!
- There are 12 games on the ECHL schedule tonight with two teams (Kansas City and Fort Wayne) having a chance to qualify for the playoffs if everything falls their way. Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews and playoff details:https://echl.com/news/2025/03/echl-today-march-28
Chad Costello yet again proves a lot of people wrong.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable results since he assumed HC/GM duties.
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DeleteWhy do we have to pay for the weekday school games? Should be an opt-out if you want. One if maybe ok. But two games? Glad the schools go but most of us work and why we have to pay for games we can’t get to seed like a scam. Keep the school day games but let people opt in or opt out for those.
DeletePlayoffs?
ReplyDelete