The old adage, "it is not how you start but how you finish" could not have been more evident than in the Americans 4-3 victory over Brampton last night before 3999 fans at the Allen Event Center (AEC). The welcome back Scott Howes enthusiasm was short lived as Scott got an assist on his first shift back at the AEC as Brampton scored 14 seconds into the game. The game ended with a six on three extra attacker Brampton power play after the referee, who had not called a holding or tripping penalty all game and had seemed to set the standard of let the guys play, decided to call Allen for a trip and a hold in the last couple of minutes of the game. A valiant effort by the penalty kill unit and goalie Bryan Pitton at the end of the game saved the day. In between the beginning and the end was some fine play by the Americans including goals by Bootland, Lavoie, and Kerbashian (2).
MARTINSON POST GAME COMMENTS:
- Even though the score was close there were a lot more positives than negatives in the game tonight. We had a lot of good chances against a goalie who is second in the league with a .935 save percentage.
- It was frustrating getting scored on the first shift of the game. We have a turn over and then get beat one on one to give them a 1-0 leads 14 seconds into the game. We really out played them the rest of the period and got the equalizer on the Bootland goal.
- I didn't like everything in the game tonight. We still have a problem with having players too concerned with scoring after we get ahead by two goals rather than preventing the other team from scoring.
- There were some calls tonight by the referee that I didn't understand and I will hopefully have a chance tomorrow to talk to Jim Wiley (CHL Director of Hockey Operations who was at the game) about my concerns. It is always easier to have that conversation when you win the game.
- Kale Kerbashian played well tonight. We had a conversation this morning about how important it is for him to move his feet. He is so strong when he moves his feet he is hard to play against.
- When asked by a fan why Scott Howes wasn't playing in Allen, Martinson had this to say. I really like Scott Howes on and off the ice and would love to have him play with us but as I have said to him he is a fools bet when signing him. He is one of the highest paid players in the league and he should be as he is the best player in the CHL. But when you sign him one of two things happens. He gets hurt, which has happened three or four times in the last year, and can't play or he stays healthy and with his talent he is called up to the AHL never to return for the playoffs as the AHL season goes on for a month after the CHL playoffs start. So it just doesn't make sense. I wish Scott well against every team in the league except us.
- Coach was also asked about the status of Brian McMillin and explained McMillin had not been officially signed but would expect that to happen after the Christmas break. Brian will most likely join the team in St. Charles on December 27. When he actually gets in the line up will depend on several factors including how the team is playing, the health of the team and what kind of shape Brian is in given the fact that he has not played in a game in over three weeks.
- I will most likely give Mark Guggenberger the start tomorrow (Saturday). I will look at the tape of the game before making a final decision but that is the way I am leaning at this point.
- I am not sure when Jarret Lukin might be back in the line up. Lukin doesn't have any structural damage that is keeping him out but is dealing with some muscle (soft tissue) issues. He told me this morning he is feeling better.
- The six on three power play at the end of the game was scary to watch. I kept thinking all of our hard work in this game and in comes down to this at the end. To make matters worse the two guys that kill five on three penalties for us were not available with Lukin not playing and Asuchak in the penalty box. The guys got the job done.
OTHER COMMENTS:
- Kale Kerbashian was named the #1 star of the game as he scored two goals but his contribution was much more than the goals. He set up teammates for opportunities several times, was finishing his checks, killing penalties and probably made the save of the game stopping one of the shots on the six on three penalty kill.
- Brampton had the games first two shots on goal and the last four shots during the power play at the end of the game. But in the other 57 minutes the Americans out shot Brampton by an impressive 37-14. The first period shots on goal were 15-6 in favor of Allen.
- Special teams, as is so often the case, was the difference last night as Allen got two power play goals off the best penalty kill unit in the league. The penalty kill unit for the Americans continued its great play as they allowed no goals on Brampton's five opportunities highlighted by the outstanding six on three kill at the end of the game. With the special teams success last night Allen is now close to catching the Beast as the top rated penalty kill unit in the league. Brampton is #1 at 86.52% while Allen is #2 at 86.23%.
- The Americans gained no ground in the standings as the three teams ahead of them (Rapid City, Missouri, & Tulsa) all won last night. Rapid City won their game in Denver, in a shoot out and tied the CHL record for most consecutive road wins at 10. You don't want to get in a shoot out with the Rush as they have won all three they have been in this year and have dominated them all. They have only had to take 10 shots to win the three shoot outs. They have scored on seven of the ten shots.
- The largest crowd anywhere in the CHL this season (7846) showed up last night to watch the Tulsa Oiler beat Quad City 5-2 in Tulsa. Rookie Adam Pleskach had a true hat trick and now has 19 goals on the year.
- The rookie of the year race in the CHL is starting to look like a competition between Pleskach who has 30 points (19 goals 11 assists) and Alex Lavoie who has 35 points (14 goal 21 assists).
- On the other end of the attendance spectrum from the 7846 fans in Tulsa is the Denver Cutthroats who played at home, on a weekend, against the best team in the league and could only draw a crowd of 1351.
- I mentioned yesterday how important a sweep this weekend is to this team. If they lose tonight they are continuing in that month long funk of win one game, lose one game. If they win tonight it will be the third quality win in a row, a feat the Americans have not accomplished since October. As Ben Crenshaw said at the 1999 Ryder Cup, "I have a good feeling about this." Another effort by the Americans like Friday night will be a big statement to the the Beast, the league, and more importantly to themselves.
DID YOU KNOW: There are seven former players from the the Fort Worth Brahmas on the rosters of Allen and Brampton. Allen has John Snowden, Phil Fox, Ross Rouleau, and Mark Guggenberger while Brampton has Calin Wild, Kristofer Westblom and Erik Spady. All except Guggenberger played for the Brahmas last year.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Friday, December 20, 2013
Must Win Weekend, Howes To Play, IR, Thanks To Players
Stopped by practice yesterday and it is much the same refrain as has been heard all month. With only having games on the weekend for the past three weeks, by the time Thursday rolls around everyone has had enough practice and is ready for a game. As fans we tend to make individual games or series of games more important then they really are so I will continue that approach and say these two games with Brampton are much more important than they may seem by looking at the schedule or the standings. By any empirical measure this team has underperformed compared to the quality of talent that has been assembled. They started out great in October and did not have a loss in the first eight games going 7-0-1. Since early November however the record is 6-8-1. To make matters worse the home record this year is only 4-4-2. If results don't improve, at some point the coaching staff will make a decision major roster moves need to be made to turn this around and compete for a championship. It is for this reason a sweep of Brampton is very important. Allen has the talent to get it done, all they have to do is use that talent to its fullest on the ice. As I saw on social media today, all the coaches ask is the players bring their head, their legs and their heart to the ice.
- Americans lines from practice were: Lessard-Lavoie-Bootland, Hanson-Asuchak-Fox, and Snowden-Kerbashian-Schaafsma.
- As usual with a 20 man roster two players will be on IR for the game. A decision on this does not have to be made until this afternoon. Jarret Lukin will definitely be on IR. The pregame roster on the CHL web site shows Garrett Klotz as the second IR player but this could change before game time.
- Scott Howes is in town with the Beast, practiced yesterday and plans to play tonight. He hasn't played in a game for a long time so there may be some rust on him. Just as a reminder one year ago on this weekend the Americans played on Friday & Saturday, both games went to overtime and they both ended with a score of 3-2. Allen lost to Missouri on Friday (in Missouri) and won against Wichita at home on Saturday. Here is how dominant Scott was in those two games:
Friday (3-2 OT loss) - Scott scored both Allen goals. He got the first goal of the game on the power play and tied the score on an extra attacker goal with just over a minute left in regulation.
Saturday (3-2 OT win) - Scott scored two of the three goals for the Americans including the tying goal in the third period and the game winning goal in overtime.
Rust or no rust this guy is scary and always performs well at the AEC. He will be wearing #27, not the familiar #13 he normally wears. It should be fun to watch him.
- Look for bigger crowds at the AEC this weekend inspite of it being a big weekend for Allen High School football. Advanced sales have been good so hopefully both nights should be in the 4000-5000 range.
- If you remember training camp the Americans had two rookie goalies, Eric Levine and Phil Cook in camp. They both ended up on the Peoria Rivermen (SPHL) roster for a period of time. Phil Cook just signed a contract with the Cardiff Devils (Great Britain) of the EIHL. Eric Levine is the starting goalie for the Rivermen.
- One of the many benefits of minor pro hockey is the access to the players and coaches. I have said many times how cooperative everyone associated with the Allen Americans has been to me in writing my blog. Their involvement in the community has been so apparent during the holidays. Whether it is visiting schools, delivering teddy bears, corporate sponsor appearances, radio shows, fan club activities, or just taking the time to chat with fans after a game these guys have been great. Hats off, stick tap, thanks to all of the players and staff for all of their community and fan activities.
DID YOU KNOW: I highlighted this in a couple of different ways already this week but it deserves another mention with Scott Howes playing tonight. I hope he gets a great reception because when he was called up to the AHL last year the Allen fans never had a chance to say goodbye and thank you. Did you know Scott Howes goal scoring pace (.95 per game) in Allen was higher than any other player in professional hockey including the NHL. By the way, second on the list was Colton Yellow Horn who scored .75 goals per game when he played for the Ontario Reign of the ECHL.
- Americans lines from practice were: Lessard-Lavoie-Bootland, Hanson-Asuchak-Fox, and Snowden-Kerbashian-Schaafsma.
- As usual with a 20 man roster two players will be on IR for the game. A decision on this does not have to be made until this afternoon. Jarret Lukin will definitely be on IR. The pregame roster on the CHL web site shows Garrett Klotz as the second IR player but this could change before game time.
- Scott Howes is in town with the Beast, practiced yesterday and plans to play tonight. He hasn't played in a game for a long time so there may be some rust on him. Just as a reminder one year ago on this weekend the Americans played on Friday & Saturday, both games went to overtime and they both ended with a score of 3-2. Allen lost to Missouri on Friday (in Missouri) and won against Wichita at home on Saturday. Here is how dominant Scott was in those two games:
Friday (3-2 OT loss) - Scott scored both Allen goals. He got the first goal of the game on the power play and tied the score on an extra attacker goal with just over a minute left in regulation.
Saturday (3-2 OT win) - Scott scored two of the three goals for the Americans including the tying goal in the third period and the game winning goal in overtime.
Rust or no rust this guy is scary and always performs well at the AEC. He will be wearing #27, not the familiar #13 he normally wears. It should be fun to watch him.
- Look for bigger crowds at the AEC this weekend inspite of it being a big weekend for Allen High School football. Advanced sales have been good so hopefully both nights should be in the 4000-5000 range.
- If you remember training camp the Americans had two rookie goalies, Eric Levine and Phil Cook in camp. They both ended up on the Peoria Rivermen (SPHL) roster for a period of time. Phil Cook just signed a contract with the Cardiff Devils (Great Britain) of the EIHL. Eric Levine is the starting goalie for the Rivermen.
- One of the many benefits of minor pro hockey is the access to the players and coaches. I have said many times how cooperative everyone associated with the Allen Americans has been to me in writing my blog. Their involvement in the community has been so apparent during the holidays. Whether it is visiting schools, delivering teddy bears, corporate sponsor appearances, radio shows, fan club activities, or just taking the time to chat with fans after a game these guys have been great. Hats off, stick tap, thanks to all of the players and staff for all of their community and fan activities.
DID YOU KNOW: I highlighted this in a couple of different ways already this week but it deserves another mention with Scott Howes playing tonight. I hope he gets a great reception because when he was called up to the AHL last year the Allen fans never had a chance to say goodbye and thank you. Did you know Scott Howes goal scoring pace (.95 per game) in Allen was higher than any other player in professional hockey including the NHL. By the way, second on the list was Colton Yellow Horn who scored .75 goals per game when he played for the Ontario Reign of the ECHL.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Allen vs Brampton Preview, Clarke Update, Youngest Players, Chill Win
- As the Americans get ready to play the Brampton Beast on Friday & Saturday how nice would it be to get the first home weekend sweep of the season. It won't be easy as these are two evenly matched teams. They are within one point in the standings as Allen has 28 points and Brampton has 27 points. Here are some other comparisons:
- Brampton and Allen have played four times this year with the Beast winning two of three played in Brampton and Allen winning the only game played in Allen.
- The leading goal scorers for Allen against Brampton in the four games they have played are Jonathan Lessard (4), Spencer Asuchak (3), & Phil Fox (2).
- In the four games against Brampton Jonathan Lessard has 26 shots, twice as many as any other player.
- The Americans have struggled all year in scoring even strength goals as evidenced by the overall team plus/minus for the season being a -8. Not the case against the Beast as the Americans are a +18 in the four games with Brampton. Tyler Ludwig leads the team with a +6 against Brampton.
- Look for Bryan Pitton to get the start in goal Friday coming off his great shutout performance in Missouri last Saturday. Pitton has been in goal for three of the four games against Brampton and is 2-1 with a GAA of 2.00. Keep an eye on the match up with Bryan's brother Jason (#17) who is a forward for Brampton. Jason did get a goal off Bryan in one of the games in Brampton.
- Talk about hot goalies, Brampton goalie Grant Rollheiser was just named Goalie of the Week in the CHL. How is this for a weeks work. In three games played Grant stopped 95 of 99 shots for a GAA of 1.45 and save percentage of .960.
- Physical play is a given when these two teams get together and it is almost assured the gloves will drop. In the four games Brampton and Allen have played this year there have been 208 minutes in penalties.
OTHER COMMENTS:
- St. Charles beat Quad City last night at home 3-2 for their third win in four games. With the win St. Charles climbed out of the basement in the CHL standings, a spot now occupied by the Arizona Sundogs. Unfortunately, the recent win streak has not translated into increased attendance for the Chill as the official figure for the game last night was 1022.
- Speaking of Arizona I had a chance to get an update from Garrett Clarke on his injury (broken jaw & concussion). He got some good news after seeing a specialist in that he does not need to get his jaw wired as his bite and teeth were not out of place so his jaw will heal naturally. The bad news is he will be out of action for a few more weeks. When he does return he will have to get a protective piece put on his helmet so he does not re injure the jaw.
- Saw this quote attributed to Detroit Red Wing star, Henrik Zetterberg, which may very well apply to the Allen Americans, "It is nice to play in a city that cares and gets mad at you if you lose. As a professional athlete I think you need pressure to win."
- Probably the best match up in the CHL this weekend will be Rapid City versus Denver for two games in Denver. Rapid City is still undefeated on the road (9-0) and Denver is tied for the league lead in home wins (9). Would expect Denver will end the Rush undefeated road record by winning one of these games.
DID YOU KNOW: The Allen Americans four youngest players are Alex Lavoie & Dallas Ehrhardt who were Born in 1992 and Jonathan Lessard & Spencer Asuchak who were born in 1991. The four youngest players in the NHL (Aleksander Barkov, Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin, Nikita Zadorov) were all born in 1995.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allen Americans Brampton Beast
RESULT OF LAST GAME WIN 3-0 vs MIZ WIN 4-2 vs TUL
GAMES PLAYED 23 25
RECORD 13-8-2 13-11-1
POINTS 28 27
HOME RECORD 4-4-2 6-3-0
AWAY RECORD 9-4-0 7-8-1
SHO RECORD 3-2 1-0
LAST 10 GAMES 4-5-1 6-4-0
LAST 5 GAMES 2-2-1 3-2-0
OCTOBER 5-0-1 2-3-1
NOVEMBER 7-6-0 8-5-0
DECEMBER 1-2-1 3-3-0
SCORING FIRST 7-2-1 9-4-0
LEADING AFTER 1ST 6-2-0 4-0-0
LEADING AFTER 2ND 9-0-1 7-2-0
TIED AFTER 1ST 3-2-1 7-6-1
TIED AFTER 2ND 4-0-1 4-0-1
TRAILING AFTER 1ST 4-4-1 2-5-0
TRAILING AFTER 2ND 0-8-0 2-9-0
WHEN OUTSHOOTING OPPONENT 5-5-1 2-3-0
1 - GOAL GAMES 6-2-2 8-2-1
GOALS FOR PER GAME 3.48 2.84
GOALS AGAINST PER GAME 3.13 3.28
SHOTS FOR PER GAME 33.35 28.28
SHOTS AGAINST PER GAME 32.35 33.88
POWER PLAY RECORD 25 - 130 19.2% 22 - 132 16.7%
PENALTY KILLING RECORD 19 - 133 85.7% 17 - 137 87.6%
SH GOALS FOR 6 5
SH GOALS AGAINST 3 3
PIM AVERAGE 23.78 22.88
SCORING BY PERIODS 1ST 2ND 3RD OT TOTAL
Allen 19 32 26 3 80
Opponents 20 25 25 2 72
Brampton 15 26 28 2 71
Opponents 20 32 29 1 82
- Brampton and Allen have played four times this year with the Beast winning two of three played in Brampton and Allen winning the only game played in Allen.
- The leading goal scorers for Allen against Brampton in the four games they have played are Jonathan Lessard (4), Spencer Asuchak (3), & Phil Fox (2).
- In the four games against Brampton Jonathan Lessard has 26 shots, twice as many as any other player.
- The Americans have struggled all year in scoring even strength goals as evidenced by the overall team plus/minus for the season being a -8. Not the case against the Beast as the Americans are a +18 in the four games with Brampton. Tyler Ludwig leads the team with a +6 against Brampton.
- Look for Bryan Pitton to get the start in goal Friday coming off his great shutout performance in Missouri last Saturday. Pitton has been in goal for three of the four games against Brampton and is 2-1 with a GAA of 2.00. Keep an eye on the match up with Bryan's brother Jason (#17) who is a forward for Brampton. Jason did get a goal off Bryan in one of the games in Brampton.
- Talk about hot goalies, Brampton goalie Grant Rollheiser was just named Goalie of the Week in the CHL. How is this for a weeks work. In three games played Grant stopped 95 of 99 shots for a GAA of 1.45 and save percentage of .960.
- Physical play is a given when these two teams get together and it is almost assured the gloves will drop. In the four games Brampton and Allen have played this year there have been 208 minutes in penalties.
OTHER COMMENTS:
- St. Charles beat Quad City last night at home 3-2 for their third win in four games. With the win St. Charles climbed out of the basement in the CHL standings, a spot now occupied by the Arizona Sundogs. Unfortunately, the recent win streak has not translated into increased attendance for the Chill as the official figure for the game last night was 1022.
- Speaking of Arizona I had a chance to get an update from Garrett Clarke on his injury (broken jaw & concussion). He got some good news after seeing a specialist in that he does not need to get his jaw wired as his bite and teeth were not out of place so his jaw will heal naturally. The bad news is he will be out of action for a few more weeks. When he does return he will have to get a protective piece put on his helmet so he does not re injure the jaw.
- Saw this quote attributed to Detroit Red Wing star, Henrik Zetterberg, which may very well apply to the Allen Americans, "It is nice to play in a city that cares and gets mad at you if you lose. As a professional athlete I think you need pressure to win."
- Probably the best match up in the CHL this weekend will be Rapid City versus Denver for two games in Denver. Rapid City is still undefeated on the road (9-0) and Denver is tied for the league lead in home wins (9). Would expect Denver will end the Rush undefeated road record by winning one of these games.
DID YOU KNOW: The Allen Americans four youngest players are Alex Lavoie & Dallas Ehrhardt who were Born in 1992 and Jonathan Lessard & Spencer Asuchak who were born in 1991. The four youngest players in the NHL (Aleksander Barkov, Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin, Nikita Zadorov) were all born in 1995.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Practice Notes, More on McMillin & Howes, Hockey-N-Heels For Dudes?
Had a chance to stop by practice yesterday and the team continues to
work hard at many phases of the game. Power play, shootout, cycling,
getting the puck out of the defensive zone, and driving the net were
just a few of the drills the team was working on in a two part practice.
I've said this before but when you see the Zamboni come out to
resurface the ice and that is only the half way point of practice you
know it is a long practice. Jarret Lukin and Darryl Bootland did not
participate.
- Brian McMillin will not play this weekend. Look for him to meet up with the team sometime on the road trip after Christmas. If I was guessing it would be in St. Charles on December 27th. The McMillin case reminds me of something I have wanted to share on the blog ever since the season started and it has to do with player signings and when they get announced. Why does information show up in the blog before it is announced by the Allen Americans? The answer is actually very simple as the Americans cannot announce a player signing (or any other action) until it is official. Often times it takes time to get all of the signatures on a contract and send it to CHL headquarters. This blog on the other hand can use information from coaches, players, agents, social media, fans, players friends and family and know what has been agreed to even though it is not official. In McMillin's case, coach Martinson said at the press conference with season ticket holders on Friday, "Brian McMillin will be signed by Wednesday" but what he meant was he would come to terms with Brian by Wednesday. A contract must be drawn up, signed by both McMillin and the Americans and sent to CHL headquarters. Tommy Daniels cannot put out a press release until all of these actions are completed. Sometimes players change their minds or the team changes its mind so until all signatures are secured it is not official. So the next time you wonder why there is information about a player signing on the blog before the official announcement comes from the Americans remember I am reporting what is going to happen while the Americans must report what has happened. I can make a mistake but Tommy Daniels can't when it comes to player signings. In the McMillin case it was easy to report as the information came directly from the coach in a public forum. They aren't always that easy.
- Everyone is asking whether Scott Howes will play this weekend when Allen takes on Brampton. The answer is you will have to wait and see. I have heard different answers on this from sources I trust. One says he will play and one says he will not play. If the Beast arrive tomorrow and practice at the AEC we will know the answer. Here is the release put out by the Brampton Beast which only reminds you of how great Scott was last year with the Americans:
- Did you notice the Americans just opened up the Hockey-N-Heels session on Saturday to guys? This is a great deal as for $10 (if you have a ticket for the game) you get to spend time with the coaches, upgrade to a suite for the game, wine tasting and snacks in the suite. Act fast as this will fill up quickly. Here are the details from the Americans. Go to the Americans web site (allenamericans.com) to register.
DID YOU KNOW: There have been 335 different NHL players wear #27 including Darryl Bootland. If you look at all of the numbers worn by the Allen Americans, the number worn by the most NHL players is Garrett Klotz's #21 which has been worn by 455 different NHL players. On the other end of the spectrum is Jonathan Lessard's #91 which has only been worn by 18 different NHL players.
- Brian McMillin will not play this weekend. Look for him to meet up with the team sometime on the road trip after Christmas. If I was guessing it would be in St. Charles on December 27th. The McMillin case reminds me of something I have wanted to share on the blog ever since the season started and it has to do with player signings and when they get announced. Why does information show up in the blog before it is announced by the Allen Americans? The answer is actually very simple as the Americans cannot announce a player signing (or any other action) until it is official. Often times it takes time to get all of the signatures on a contract and send it to CHL headquarters. This blog on the other hand can use information from coaches, players, agents, social media, fans, players friends and family and know what has been agreed to even though it is not official. In McMillin's case, coach Martinson said at the press conference with season ticket holders on Friday, "Brian McMillin will be signed by Wednesday" but what he meant was he would come to terms with Brian by Wednesday. A contract must be drawn up, signed by both McMillin and the Americans and sent to CHL headquarters. Tommy Daniels cannot put out a press release until all of these actions are completed. Sometimes players change their minds or the team changes its mind so until all signatures are secured it is not official. So the next time you wonder why there is information about a player signing on the blog before the official announcement comes from the Americans remember I am reporting what is going to happen while the Americans must report what has happened. I can make a mistake but Tommy Daniels can't when it comes to player signings. In the McMillin case it was easy to report as the information came directly from the coach in a public forum. They aren't always that easy.
- Everyone is asking whether Scott Howes will play this weekend when Allen takes on Brampton. The answer is you will have to wait and see. I have heard different answers on this from sources I trust. One says he will play and one says he will not play. If the Beast arrive tomorrow and practice at the AEC we will know the answer. Here is the release put out by the Brampton Beast which only reminds you of how great Scott was last year with the Americans:
Brampton
Beast are proud to announce the signing prolific scorer Scott Howes,
pro hockey’s 2012-13 leader in goals per game. The former ECHL playoff
MVP joins the Beast after a short stay with Olimpija Ljubljana of the
Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (Austria).
The
26 year old native of Toronto, ON played his junior hockey in the QMJHL
where he accumulated 118 points in 113 regular season games and added
26 points in 19 post season matches. Invited to training camp by the
Vancouver Canucks, Howes began his pro career with the Manitoba Moose
(AHL) in 2008-09 and has put up strong numbers in both the ECHL and AHL.
In 2012-13 Howes joined the Allen Americans and lit up the Central
Hockey League by tallying 1.59 points per game, scoring 20 goals in 20
game and finishing at a 0.95 goals per game rate, the highest goals per
game of any player in the four professional hockey leagues in North
America in the 2012-13’s regular season.
|
TOP 5 GOALS PER GAME (2012-13)
|
TOP 5 POINTS PER GAME (2012-13)
|
||
|
SCOTT HOWES (CHL)
|
0.95
|
Chad Costello (ECHL)
|
1.61
|
|
Colton Yellow Horn (ECHL)
|
0.75
|
SCOTT HOWES (CHL)
|
1.59
|
|
Jordan Eberle (NHL)
|
0.73
|
Sidney Crosby (NHL)
|
1.56
|
|
A.J. Gale (CHL)
|
0.72
|
Jack Combs (ECHL)
|
1.55
|
|
Austin Smith (ECHL)
|
0.71
|
Jordan Eberle (NHL)
|
1.50
|
|
*minimum 20 games
| |||
- Did you notice the Americans just opened up the Hockey-N-Heels session on Saturday to guys? This is a great deal as for $10 (if you have a ticket for the game) you get to spend time with the coaches, upgrade to a suite for the game, wine tasting and snacks in the suite. Act fast as this will fill up quickly. Here are the details from the Americans. Go to the Americans web site (allenamericans.com) to register.
Allen Americans Hockey-N-Heels
Saturday, December 21st
Allen Americans vs. Brampton Beast
Event Starts at 5:30 pm ~ Puck Drops at 7:05 pm
Cost: $30 per person ($10 if you already have a ticket to the game)
Sponsored by Cavit Wines
This
Saturday will be the 2nd session in a series of 4 Hockey-N-Heels
socials with your Allen Americans. We will have an on-ice demonstration
with Americans coaches Steve Martinson & Richard Matvichuk, as well
as the normal Q&A group discussion. While there, enjoy complimentary
wine tasting provided by Cavit Wines as well as light snacks. All
ticketed and non-ticketed guests will receive a luxury suite ticket to
enjoy the game in style.
This
promises to be a truly unique event and is not just limited to our
female fans, we will welcome any one who wishes to attend and learn more
about the great game of hockey.
To
register fill out the form below. If you have any questions regarding
the event please contact Erk Adams at erikadams@allenamericans.com or
972-912-1059.
DID YOU KNOW: There have been 335 different NHL players wear #27 including Darryl Bootland. If you look at all of the numbers worn by the Allen Americans, the number worn by the most NHL players is Garrett Klotz's #21 which has been worn by 455 different NHL players. On the other end of the spectrum is Jonathan Lessard's #91 which has only been worn by 18 different NHL players.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Cats & Dogs, McMillin On His Way, Howes Signs, Pitton Honored & More
Not much new today so am going to cover a lot of "cats and dogs" from all over the place speaking of which have you ever noticed hockey players are really big dog lovers. Sounds like a good idea for a story (The Dogs of the Allen Americans). The only player I know with a cat is Darryl Bootland (at least he had one last year). When I interviewed him last year he was slightly embarrassed to admit he had a cat and said the boys back home would give him a lot of s*** if they knew he had a cat. For the record the cat's official name (named by Booter's son Trace) is Aunt Hot Donna Lord Tubbington Bootland but you can call her Hot Donna. If truth be known, I would bet the real cat lover in the house would be Booter's wife, Sarah.
- True to his word Coach Martinson has come to terms with Brian McMillin to return to the Americans. Brian and his wife Wendy are winging their way home from Coventry, England today. It is a 24 hour trip from door to door. The door in the US happens to be Roseau, Minnesota which is having a heat wave this week as the temperatures have been above zero several times and the nighttime lows will only be -18. Last week it was -30 and I am not talking wind chill. A report date has not been determined so not sure when we will see McMillin in Texas.
- You may have noticed Scott Howes signed with Brampton yesterday. A great signing for the Beast and one that will surely help them if Scott can stay healthy. Since he got called up to the AHL from the Americans in January (2013) he has only played in 16 games. Howes started this year in Europe where he only played in four games this season in the Austrian League playing for a team from Slovenia. One of his teammates was Judd Blackwater. Colton Yellow Horn plays for another team in that league. Scott is from Toronto so he will be able to play close to home for the first time in his professional career.
- Missouri defenseman Henrik Odegaard has been granted a leave of absence by the league to allow him to attend the final training camp for the Norwegian Olympic Team in preparation for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Odegaard has made it to the final tryout stage and will know in the coming days if he has made the Olympic roster.
- In addition to Odegaard the Mavericks lost another player yesterday as back up goalie, Joe Howe, signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL). The move caught Mavericks coach Scott Hillman and his squad by surprise. “Kind of blindsided by it,” Hillman said Monday morning as Christmas tunes played in the background of the Mavericks’ locker room. “I had no idea. It’s a move we don’t support, because we feel this is a lateral move. We’re all for guys making big steps in their career, but not when it comes at the expense of your teammates at this time of the season.”
- The Rapid City Rush (18-3-0) tied the CHL record with 10 straight wins to start the season and they have not slowed down since. The club went 7-3-0 in their second 10 games tying them with the Colorado Eagles for the most wins (17) through the first 20 games of the season (since the CHL/WPHL merger in 2001-02 season). No team over the past dozen seasons has won 18 of their first 21 games and only the Rocky Mountain Rage (2007-08) earned as many points in their first 21 games going 17-2-2 (36 points). The Rush are on the cusp of another CHL record having won nine consecutive road games. The CHL record for consecutive road wins is 10 set four times, most recently in 2001-02 when Odessa accomplished this feat. Rapid City can tie and potentially break the record this weekend when they play in Denver on Friday and Saturday taking on the Cutthroats (12-8-4).
- In a true testament to the hockey saying you miss 100% of the shots you don't take Denver forward Garett Bembridge leads the league in goals and shots by a wide margin. He has 21 goals which is five more than anyone else in the league. If you look at shots taken the top four in the league are at 138, 117, 100, 94. Bembridge is the 138. Jonathan Lessard leads the Americans in shots with 76.
- Congrats to Bryan Pitton who was named the 3rd star in the Oakley 3 Stars of the Week competition. Bryan played his first game in two weeks on Saturday in Missouri and his 40 save shutout effort against the Mavericks was one of the best goaltending performances of the season. Pitton made 17 second period stops and for the game faced five power plays. Hope he gets one of the starts this weekend so the Allen fans can see him play against his brother, Beast forward Jason Pitton.
- To say the Allen home record thus far of 4-4-2 is a disappointment would be an understatement as you hear fans say how the Americans stink at home. This may be the weekend to break out and get two wins. Reminds me of a John Madden saying, "Winning is the Best Deodorant."
- Don't forget tonight and tomorrow night players will be appearing at La Belle Boutique in downtown Plano from 6:00 - 7:00 pm.
- The last I heard the Americans were planning on a "Hockey and Heels" session for Saturday night. For ladies only (no you don't have to wear heels) and what a deal. For $10 (if you have a ticket for the game already) you get upgraded to a suite, a wine tasting, and some practical hockey discussion with Americans staff. It starts at 5:30 pm. Contact Erik Adams (erikadams@allenamericans.com) to reserve your spot. You won't be disappointed!
DID YOU KNOW: The Americans have played 23 games thus far and have 28 points. Last year after 23 games the Americans had 35 points.
- True to his word Coach Martinson has come to terms with Brian McMillin to return to the Americans. Brian and his wife Wendy are winging their way home from Coventry, England today. It is a 24 hour trip from door to door. The door in the US happens to be Roseau, Minnesota which is having a heat wave this week as the temperatures have been above zero several times and the nighttime lows will only be -18. Last week it was -30 and I am not talking wind chill. A report date has not been determined so not sure when we will see McMillin in Texas.
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| From Coventry England to Allen, Texas. Welcome back Brian!! |
- You may have noticed Scott Howes signed with Brampton yesterday. A great signing for the Beast and one that will surely help them if Scott can stay healthy. Since he got called up to the AHL from the Americans in January (2013) he has only played in 16 games. Howes started this year in Europe where he only played in four games this season in the Austrian League playing for a team from Slovenia. One of his teammates was Judd Blackwater. Colton Yellow Horn plays for another team in that league. Scott is from Toronto so he will be able to play close to home for the first time in his professional career.
- Missouri defenseman Henrik Odegaard has been granted a leave of absence by the league to allow him to attend the final training camp for the Norwegian Olympic Team in preparation for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Odegaard has made it to the final tryout stage and will know in the coming days if he has made the Olympic roster.
- In addition to Odegaard the Mavericks lost another player yesterday as back up goalie, Joe Howe, signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL). The move caught Mavericks coach Scott Hillman and his squad by surprise. “Kind of blindsided by it,” Hillman said Monday morning as Christmas tunes played in the background of the Mavericks’ locker room. “I had no idea. It’s a move we don’t support, because we feel this is a lateral move. We’re all for guys making big steps in their career, but not when it comes at the expense of your teammates at this time of the season.”
- The Rapid City Rush (18-3-0) tied the CHL record with 10 straight wins to start the season and they have not slowed down since. The club went 7-3-0 in their second 10 games tying them with the Colorado Eagles for the most wins (17) through the first 20 games of the season (since the CHL/WPHL merger in 2001-02 season). No team over the past dozen seasons has won 18 of their first 21 games and only the Rocky Mountain Rage (2007-08) earned as many points in their first 21 games going 17-2-2 (36 points). The Rush are on the cusp of another CHL record having won nine consecutive road games. The CHL record for consecutive road wins is 10 set four times, most recently in 2001-02 when Odessa accomplished this feat. Rapid City can tie and potentially break the record this weekend when they play in Denver on Friday and Saturday taking on the Cutthroats (12-8-4).
- In a true testament to the hockey saying you miss 100% of the shots you don't take Denver forward Garett Bembridge leads the league in goals and shots by a wide margin. He has 21 goals which is five more than anyone else in the league. If you look at shots taken the top four in the league are at 138, 117, 100, 94. Bembridge is the 138. Jonathan Lessard leads the Americans in shots with 76.
- Congrats to Bryan Pitton who was named the 3rd star in the Oakley 3 Stars of the Week competition. Bryan played his first game in two weeks on Saturday in Missouri and his 40 save shutout effort against the Mavericks was one of the best goaltending performances of the season. Pitton made 17 second period stops and for the game faced five power plays. Hope he gets one of the starts this weekend so the Allen fans can see him play against his brother, Beast forward Jason Pitton.
- To say the Allen home record thus far of 4-4-2 is a disappointment would be an understatement as you hear fans say how the Americans stink at home. This may be the weekend to break out and get two wins. Reminds me of a John Madden saying, "Winning is the Best Deodorant."
- Don't forget tonight and tomorrow night players will be appearing at La Belle Boutique in downtown Plano from 6:00 - 7:00 pm.
- The last I heard the Americans were planning on a "Hockey and Heels" session for Saturday night. For ladies only (no you don't have to wear heels) and what a deal. For $10 (if you have a ticket for the game already) you get upgraded to a suite, a wine tasting, and some practical hockey discussion with Americans staff. It starts at 5:30 pm. Contact Erik Adams (erikadams@allenamericans.com) to reserve your spot. You won't be disappointed!
DID YOU KNOW: The Americans have played 23 games thus far and have 28 points. Last year after 23 games the Americans had 35 points.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Update: McMillin, Pitton Bros., Tamblyn, Howes, Tetrault, Brahmas
- The Americans are in a familiar pattern where they only have games on the weekend and then have all week to practice. A few days to heal the battered bodies, work on system issues that are in need of shoring up, and improve the power play. Will also see what if any roster changes take place this week based on Coach Martinson saying Brian McMillin will be signed this week. These things often take more time than you might think and McMillin won't be flying back from England until tomorrow (Tuesday) and will head home to Minnesota.
- Allen will take on an improved Brampton team on Friday & Saturday at the AEC. Brampton won two of three games this past week playing Tulsa at home. Brampton got four goals in each of the three games and the have the second ranked goalie (Grant Rollheiser) in the league. A split this weekend isn't good enough as the Americans need to sweep this series.
- Wonder if the Pitton brothers will face each other this weekend? Both have been playing well with Bryan getting the 40 shot shutout in Missouri on Saturday and Jason scoring goals on Friday & Sunday against Tulsa.
- As I was working this morning on my input to the CHL power rankings that I do each week a couple of things struck me. This past week every team in the league won at least one game and lost at least one game so maybe there is more parity than the standings might suggest. The top four teams in my ranking won six games this past week while the bottom four teams won five games.
- A reminder that this event, which was postponed because of the bad weather last week is rescheduled for this week.
Be sure to visit La Belle Boutique (owned by Tabayia Tetrault) and all the other great shops and restaurants of downtown Plano Tuesday or Wednesday (Dec. 17 & 18). In addition to the fantastic merchandise and gift offerings, merchants will be selling annual collectable holiday ornaments commemorating Historic Downtown Plano. Allen Americans players will make an appearance for autographs and photo’s at La Belle Boutique on Tuesday and Wednesday evening from 6pm-7pm. All participating merchants will be donating 10% of their sales on these dates to benefit The Assistance Center of Collin County.
- Allen will take on an improved Brampton team on Friday & Saturday at the AEC. Brampton won two of three games this past week playing Tulsa at home. Brampton got four goals in each of the three games and the have the second ranked goalie (Grant Rollheiser) in the league. A split this weekend isn't good enough as the Americans need to sweep this series.
- Wonder if the Pitton brothers will face each other this weekend? Both have been playing well with Bryan getting the 40 shot shutout in Missouri on Saturday and Jason scoring goals on Friday & Sunday against Tulsa.
- As I was working this morning on my input to the CHL power rankings that I do each week a couple of things struck me. This past week every team in the league won at least one game and lost at least one game so maybe there is more parity than the standings might suggest. The top four teams in my ranking won six games this past week while the bottom four teams won five games.
- A reminder that this event, which was postponed because of the bad weather last week is rescheduled for this week.
Be sure to visit La Belle Boutique (owned by Tabayia Tetrault) and all the other great shops and restaurants of downtown Plano Tuesday or Wednesday (Dec. 17 & 18). In addition to the fantastic merchandise and gift offerings, merchants will be selling annual collectable holiday ornaments commemorating Historic Downtown Plano. Allen Americans players will make an appearance for autographs and photo’s at La Belle Boutique on Tuesday and Wednesday evening from 6pm-7pm. All participating merchants will be donating 10% of their sales on these dates to benefit The Assistance Center of Collin County.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Martinson Post Game Comments, Brian Burke, Stats & More
- Had a chance to ask coach Martinson his thoughts about the game last night and he mostly talked about how the Americans played "Allen" hockey in the 3-0 win. He encouraged me to look up Brian Burke's comments about the style of play to be successful because Burke describes Allen Americans style of hockey. The brand of hockey Allen needs to play to be successful. Here are just a few of Burke's gems:
"We're not big enough. We're not hostile enough for me," Burke said. "I don't like playing flag football. I like teams that bang."
"We want black-and-blue hockey here," he said. "That's what we do."
“We require, as a team, proper levels of pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence.”
“There’s room for the small player in our game, but you better surround them with some beef.”
And a final Burke quote that I also think applies to Martinson, "I am not a patient man, I was born impatient, I'm going to die impatient."
Other Martinson comments after the game:
- Bryan Pitton was really good in goal stopping 40 Missouri shots for our first shutout of the season.
- The penalty kill was very strong tonight playing without Jarret Lukin. Missouri had five power play opportunities and did not score.
- Ross Rouleau had a couple of clean, hard hits on guys tonight.
- I liked the way Darryl Bootland called out Dave Pszenyczny.
OTHER COMMENTS:
- The three stars of the game were the three Allen goal scorers (#1 Lessard, #2 Lavoie & #3 Hanson). They were all deserving but how can Bryan Pitton with a 40 save shutout not crack the three star list. COME ON, MAN!
- It was good to see the Lavoie, Lessard & Bootland line back together last night as they accounted for two of the three goals. This line seems to play very well together. They have scored 36 goals this season while the rest of the team combined has 40 goals.
- While the penalty kill was strong last night the power play continues to struggle going 0-5. In the last four games the power play is 2-19 or 10.5%. The Americans still rank #3 in the league at 19.23% but the power play percentage has been slowly declining during the recent slump.
- With the win last night Allen moved into a tie for 4th in the standings. With 28 points they trail second place Missouri by three points and first place Rapid City by eight points.
- Allen has the most road wins in the league (tied with Rapid City with nine) and the biggest differential between home and road records. Home record is 4-4-2 and road record is 9-4-0. As one fan suggested maybe the team should ride around on the bus for a few hours before being dropped off at the Allen Event Center each game day.
- You know it was a tough night for the Mavericks fans when the highlight of the evening was the "Teddy Bear Toss" and that had to take place during a 70 second timeout late in the game because Missouri had not scored. Should be a rule of no shutouts on "Teddy Bear Toss" night.
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| Teddy Bear toss was the highlight of the night for Mavericks fans |
- Greger Hanson has quietly gone about his business even though he is not 100% healthy. He was held out of practice during most of the week. His goal last night was his fifth in the ten games he has played since signing and it was the game winner. Hanson's ten points in ten games (5 goals 5 assists) puts him in the "point a game club" along with Darryl Bootland who has 22 points in 22 games (12 goals 10 assists) and Alex Lavoie who has 34 points in 23 games (13 goals 21 assists).
- Lavoie with a goal and assist last night continues to lead the team in almost every offensive category including plus/minus. With the two points last night it was the eleventh time this season Alex has had multi-point games.
- In the odd stat category the four CHL teams that lost Friday night (Rapid City, Allen, Wichita & Arizona) all won their rematches on Saturday night.
DID YOU KNOW: Bryan Pitton has slowly and quietly climbed into 4th place in CHL goalie GAA rankings. Pitton has played in 12 games and has a record of 8-3-1 with a GAA of 2.56 and a save percentage of .920.
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| Bryan Pitton with 40 saves records Allen's first shutout of the year. |
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