Allen vs Utah Preview, Today's Lineup, Coach's Keys, ECHL Road Records, Goals For and Against Stats, Playoff Picture and More

 

After more than a week off, Allen is back in action this afternoon (2:10) against the Utah Grizzlies with a chance to get a win, something that has eluded the Americans in 22 of the last 26 games. It will be a battle between the two worst teams in the league. One on a three game losing streak (Allen) and one on a five game losing streak.

 

- The good news is Allen's record against Utah this season is 3-1-1-0. The bad news is all five games were played in the first two weeks of November. 

 

- What is certain is one of these teams will earn two points today and the other could earn one point considering the last two games they played went to overtime. If Allen has any hope of avoiding last place in the ECHL the game today is a must win. It has been six weeks since Allen has won a home game and the team is flirting with the record book when it comes to fewest home wins in a season. With six home wins and seven home games remaining, Allen needs to reach 10 wins the avoid the record book. The all time record of five home wins is safe, but if Allen goes 2-5 in the last seven home games that will tie for second on the all time list with eight home wins.

 

- Here is how Allen and Utah rank in some key stats this season:

• Goals scored average: Allen #28 (2.40) - Utah #15 (3.12)
• Goals allowed average: Allen #29 (4.14) - Utah #28 (4.12)
• Shots for average: Allen #18 (29.28) - Utah #11 (31.58)
• Shots against average:  Allen #29 (36.14) Utah #26 (34.60)
• Power play percentage: Allen #24 (16.7%) - Utah #13 (19.7%)
• Penalty kill percentage: Allen #18 (80.0%) - Utah #29 (70.9%)

 

- A couple of things to note from the stats above. Allen and Utah are the two worst teams in the league allowing over four goals per game. No other team allows more than 3.55 goals per game and half of the ECHL allows fewer than 3.00 goals per game. Allen has improved recently allowing three or fewer goals in seven of its last ten games. However, in the three games the Americans allowed more than three goals they gave up nine, six and four goals. 

- Allen's power play is 0-25 over the last 19 periods going back seven games. The Americans will be going up against the worst penalty kill unit in the league this afternoon at 70.9%. If Allen can break its long power play drought against Utah and win the special teams battle a win could be the result.

 

-  The first goal of the game is always important, even though Allen and Utah combined have scored first in only 39% of their games. Utah is much better when it does score first. Here are the records when scoring first along with the overall ECHL record:

• Allen: 8-9-5-2 (.479)
• Utah: 12-6-2-2 (.636)
• ECHL: 596-163-82-25 (.750)

 

-  Coach Ferguson's keys to the game:

• We can't trade chances with them. They have a skilled set of forwards who are smaller and shifty that like to attack off the rush. We need to defend and let our chances come organically and not try to force anything and make plays that aren't there.
• Win battle of the blue paint. We need to clear them out of ours and take it to theirs. We can expose their defense down low.
• We need to play a complete 60 minutes of hockey. Enough of 40 minutes of hockey. We haven't played in a week so everyone is fresh. They need to play their minutes to the best of their abilities. Only the goalie has to play all 60 minutes.

 

- It will be a different lineup for the Americans this afternoon with three recently acquired players, #14 Tyler Burnie, #16 Michael Gildon and #44 Brad Morrison seeing their first action and Mark Duarte not playing. Duarte did practice this week, but has not been cleared to play. Here is the lineup:

 

Forwards

#92 Watts - #17 Jacobs - #91 Matikka

#24 Bllaisdell - #84 Gorman - #11 Nault

#25 Westcott - #86 Kane - #44 Morrison

#21 Van Unen - #14 Burnie - #16 Gildon

Defense

#5 Wilson - #2 Warmuth

#57 LeDonne - #82 Fraser

#66 Kulakov - #23 Brassard

 

Goalie

#35 Thornton

#33 Richardson (backup)

 

 

- It will be a two referee game today with #28 Rocco Stachowiak and #5 Jarrett Burton working the game. Stachowiak has worked five games this season in Allen, but always with another partner. In those five games the number of penalties were 8, 15, 17, 6, and 10. You could expect some power play opportunities for both teams today.

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS  

- Here is the game preview for today's game from the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/03/game-day-pucks-n-paws-sunday

 

 

 - Adding three more players today to Allen's total for the season will make it 49 players used thus far. A long way from the top teams of Bloomington (58 players used) and Reading (53 players used), but it puts Allen in the top five. FYI, Utah has used 48 players this season.

- I have seen a lot of comments in the blog about how many season ticket holders renewed by the deadline. I went directly to the team to get the answer and 83% of season ticket holders renewed. That is the same percentage that renewed last season. 

 

 

- After Rapid City had its 11 game winning streak snapped and lost three straight games most everyone, including myself, said the Rush playoff hopes were over. Rapid City has now won four straight and are back in the playoff hunt. The Rush are now four points behind fifth place Idaho and 10 points behind fourth place Wichita. To make it even more interesting Rapid City plays Wichita at home three times next weekend. If they sweep that series they will be within four points of a playoff spot with nine games to play. Chad Costello has been the best late season coach in the league the last three seasons. Twice in Allen his team came from way behind (last place) to make the playoffs. Could he do the same this season in Rapid City. It is still a long shot, but a sweep next weekend against Wichita will make it very exciting going down the stretch.

 

 

- Don't forget about Idaho who has been falling back in the playoff race and is now six points behind fourth place Wichita for the final playoff spot. The Steelheads entertain Allen at home for three games this week and are looking to get back in the playoff race with a sweep of the Americans.

 

 

- There are only eight games on the Sunday ECHL schedule. Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2025/03/echl-today-march-16  

- Here is the ECHL Stats post from yesterday which covers goals for and goals against. In general, with some exceptions, the Mountain Division has become a score first, defend second type of division. Maybe it is this style of play that has prevented the division from winning a Kelly Cup since 2017 when Colorado, Allen (2) and Alaska won four straight Kelly Cups:

 

Goals For (GF) and Goals Against (GA) stats say a lot:

- A rarity: South Carolina is #1 in GF (228) and #1 in GA (140).

 

- Indy is #29 in GF (135).

 

- Utah is #29 in GA (247).

 

- Good Offense/Bad Defense:

Mountain Division has 4 of the top 7 in GF:

Tahoe is #2 (216)

Wichita is #3 (215)

Kansas City is #6 (205)

Idaho is #7 (201)

 

Mountain Division has the bottom 3 teams in GA:

Utah is #29 (247)

Allen is #28 (240)

Rapid City is #27 (213)

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today covers teams that play better on the road than at home. Allen makes the list and the Mountain Division is well represented:

So much for home ice advantage. Eight ECHL teams have better road records than home records. The eight teams include top teams and bottom teams, high attendance teams and low attendance teams, so go figure. The biggest discrepancy between road and home record belongs to Indy. The Fuel have six more road wins than home wins. The road record is listed first:

 

North:

Norfolk: 18-9-3-0 vs 16-13-1-0

Adirondack: 11-16-2-1 vs 10-19-1-0

 

South: None

 

Central:

Fort Wayne: 19-7-2-0 vs 16-2-3-0

Indy: 15-3-0-2 vs 9-13-4-2

 

Mountain:

Kansas City: 21-8-2-0 vs 17-8-2-1

Tulsa: 19-9-2-1 vs 15-9-3-2

Idaho: 16-9-4-0 vs 13-12-4-1

Allen: 8-16-4-1 vs 6-18-4-1