Allen vs Idaho Series Preview, Keys to the Series, Allen Signs Goalie, Old Home Week, Merilainen Flashback and More

 

As the Allen Americans embark on the longest stretch of road games this season, 12 of the next 17 games, the challenges mount. The Americans start the grind tonight with the first of a three-game series in Idaho. The Steelheads have given Allen fits over the years. Here is what the Americans will try and over overcome in Boise tonight, Friday, and Saturday:

• 0-6-0-0 - Allen's record against Idaho last season
• 9-22-2-0 - Allen's record vs Idaho last five years 
• 2-15-2-2 - Allen's record in Idaho the last five years

 

- It is not just the regular season that has been tough going; in Allen's last two playoff appearances (2023 & 2024), they were eliminated by Idaho 4-1. The Americans were outscored 28-16 in 2023 and 22-14 in 2024.

 

- To make matters worse, the lone player assigned to Allen by Belleville (Danny Katic) was recalled yesterday. Danny has been Allen's leading scorer over the last four games with seven points (3G, 4A). Allen is now in the position of having no players assigned from Belleville and one ECHL contracted player (Mark Duarte) loaned to the Senators. This morning, I took the number of assigned players on each ECHL roster and then subtracted any ECHL contracted players on loan to the AHL. Here is the result. As you see, the Americans are the only team in the negative.

10: CIN, RC

9: ADK

8: FLA, FW, SAV, SC, TAH, TR

7: IA, REA, TUL, UTA, WHL, WIC

6: WOR

5: IDH, IND, KC, MNE, NOR

4: BLM, KAL, OR

3: JAX, GSO, GVL, TOL

2: ATL

-1: ALN (0 players assigned, 1 player loaned

 

 

 

- If you are looking for a silver lining in the series against Idaho, there is some good news:

 

• Coach Martinson made a trade with Florida to acquire goalie David Tendeck for future considerations. It is uncertain when Jackson Parsons will be returned to Allen, though it is looking more and more like it won't be this week. With three games in four days, Martinson did not want to continue playing with an EBUG. Tendeck has seen limited playing time as the third goalie in Florida the last two seasons. He made two starts for the Everblades this season and had a record of 1-1 with a GAA of 1.00 and a .965 save percentage.   

•  Idaho has struggled at home thus far this season, with a 2-4-0-0 record, having lost three of its last four home games. 
    
   

 - A good start will be critical in this series, and both teams have a similar pattern. Allen has been outscored 12-7 in the first period, and Idaho has been outscored 23-10. The third period has been the best for both teams. Allen has outscored its opponents 14-8 in the third period, and Idaho has outscored its opponents 19-11. Here is a stats comparison between Allen and Idaho:

• Goals scored average: Allen (2.8) - Idaho (3.3)
• Goals allowed average: Allen (3.3) - Idaho (3.7)
• Shots for average: Allen (31.4) - Idaho (34.2)
• Shots against average: Allen (36.1) - Idaho (30.6)
• Power play percentage: Allen (11.6%) - Idaho (12.1%)
• Penalty kill percentage: Allen (90.9%) - Idaho (78.3%)

- What stands out in the stats above?

• Idaho is ranked #28 in goals allowed, which may help Allen's struggling offense, which has lost Mark Duarte and Danny Katic in the last week.
• Allen is ranked #29 in shots allowed, while Idaho is ranked #3 in average shots per game. The Americans cannot afford to allow 40+ shots in this series if they expect to win. 
• Allen's penalty kill is ranked #3 in the league and has given up just one goal in the last six games, going 1-25. Idaho's penalty kill is ranked #21. Both teams have struggled on the power play, ranked #26 and #27. The team that wins the special teams battle will likely win this series, and the advantage goes to Allen.

 

 

-  Here is the Allen roster for this road trip. Because of limited salary cap money, caused by not having a new CBA, the Americans will continue to play one man short:

 

Goalies

• #33 - Marco Costantini  
• #32 - David Tendeck 

Defensemen

• #86 - Andre Anania
• #22 - Anthony Costantini
• #21 - Jackson Decker 
• #28 - Troy Murray
• #23 - Sam Sedley
• #6 - Braidan Simmons-Fischer 
• #44 - Kevin Spinozzi 
• #2 - Quinn Warmuth 

Forwards

• #26 - Spencer Asuchak 
• #18 - Harrison Blaisdell 
• #11 - Thomas Caron
• #67 - Hank Crone
• #91 - Michael Gildon
• #7 - Colton Hargrove
• #19 - Chase Maxwell 
• #92 - Colby McAuley 
• #77 - Brad Morrison 
• #29 - Brayden Watts

 

- Tonight's lineup:

 

Forwards

67 Crone - 91 Gildon - 11 Caron

29 Watts - 26 Asuchak - 77 Morrison

92 McAuley - 7 Hargrove - 18 Blaisdell

19 Maxwell

 

Defense

86 Anania - 23 Sedley 

44 Spinozzi - 2 Warmuth

21 Decker - 6 Simmons-Fischer

22 Costantini

 

Goalies

33 Costantini

32 Tendeck (Backup) 

 

 

 

- Keys to the game are many:

• A good start - Allen has scored first in just three of 10 games.
• Limit neutral zone turnovers - they lead to quick shots and goals against.
• Good goaltending - both goalies will play in Idaho.
• More goal scoring - Five players have three or more goals. Two of them (Duarte and Katic) are now in Belleville. Players with a history of scoring goals need to step up.
• Win the special teams battle
• Play physical 

 

- The game tonight will be a two-referee game. Tyler Hascall (#8) was the lone referee last Saturday against Tulsa and called 16 penalties for 44 minutes in a game that got very chippy. The other referee tonight will be Eliot Grauer (#59). Grauer played briefly for the Wheeling Nailers (2018-19). Grauer made his ECHL officiating debut when he was one of two referees in Indy's 3-0 win over Rapid City last Friday.

 

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

 

- Jackson Parsons started in goal today for Belleville as the Senators beat Toronto 4-0 in a morning game. It was Parsons' third start since being recalled. In his three starts, he has three wins, a GAA of 0.67, and a .978 save percentage. He has been selected as the #1 star of the game in all three of his starts. He is making it difficult for the Senators to return him to Allen. The plan all along is to have Parsons in Allen to get more playing time, which he would likely not get in Belleville. Once all of the goalies in Belleville are healthy, the expectation is Parsons will rejoin the Americans. 

 

 

 

- It will be old home week for several Allen players, who have played for the Idaho Steelheads:

• Thomas Caron played 31 games for Idaho in 2024-25, 26 points (8G, 18A)
• Hank Crone played 48 games for Idaho in 2024-25, 54 points (15G, 39A)
• Colby McAuley played a total of 51 games for Idaho in 2019-20 & 2021-22, 35 points (17G, 18A)
• Matt Register will be behind the bench in this series. Matt played three seasons in Idaho from  2022-2025. He played in 211 games, totaling 173 points (25G, 148A) and was a +97.

 

 

- It is a light Wednesday night schedule around the ECHL with only five games being played. Allen at Idaho is the only Mountain Division game. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2025/11/echl-today-nov-19     

 

 

 

- Here is the game day preview issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/11/game-day-preview-americans-open-two-week-road-trip-in-idaho

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: One of the best goalie performances in the history of the Allen Americans took place in Idaho on opening night (October 20) in 2023-24. Leevi Merilainen, who is now playing in the NHL, was assigned to Allen to begin the season. Leevi faced 45 shots and made 43 saves as Allen won the game despite being outshot 45-19. Merilainen had so many spectacular saves in the game, including helping the Americans kill eight power plays. 

 

Leevi was recalled to Belleville after that game and next made a start for the Americans on December 1. It was another Allen win despite being outshot 51-30. Merilainen saved 49 shots that night in a win over Utah.