Getting Ready For Another "Three in Three," Coach Has His Yell Back, Team Stat Leaders

After winning three games at home last week culminating with a 6-0 victory over Brampton on Saturday the Allen Americans have had a fairly relaxing week including two days off (Sunday & Monday). It is always interesting to see the players demeanor on the ice when the team is playing well versus when they are in a slump and it is obvious watching practice this team is in a good place right now. This weekend will be another important test for the Americans as they will play three games in three days. It will the their third "three in three" of the season which they have to do seven times during the season. As three in three games go this weekend isn't too bad with home games on Friday (Wichita) and Saturday (Tulsa) and then a day trip to Tulsa on Sunday.

The coaching staff has been trying different drills to get the work in but still make it fun for the players at practice. On Tuesday they played three on three hockey using the width of the ice inside the blue line which the guys seemed to enjoy. Coach Martinson mentioned at his press conference last Saturday he was going to give the guys Sunday and Monday off partially because with so many days between games (five days) he gets tired of yelling at the guys and they get tired of him as well if they practice four days in a row. Seems like the days off were good for Martinson as it was apparent yesterday at practice his "yell" had returned in full force. Probably his way of getting everyone focused on what will be another big weekend with six points at stake against two of the better teams in the Central Division.


INDVIDUAL STATISTICS:

With Allen being the highest scoring team in the league and second in goals allowed they dominate many ECHL statistical categories. Will try to illustrate this below by listing the top three players on the team with their stat and then where they rank in the league in that stat:

Points - Combs 39 (#1), Costello 32 (#2), Hanson 25 (#12)
Goals - Combs 17 (#1), Steffes 16 (#2), Costello & Hanson 12 (#10)
Assists - Combs 22 (#1), Costello 20 (#2), Gens, Hanson, Young 13 (#38)
Power Play Goals - Steffes 5 (#2), Combs 4 (#8), Schultz 3 (#27)
Shorthanded Goals - Hanson 3 (#1), Asuchak, Baker, Combs 1 (#9)
Game Winning Goals - Combs 5 (#1), Hanson 4 (#3), Steffes 2 (#18)
Penalty Minutes - Lyon 125 (#1), Gens 56 (#21), Schultz 36 (#79)
Plus/Minus - Hanson +20 (#2), Steffes, Young +19 (#3), Costello +18 (#6)
Shots On Goal - Combs 89 (#4), Hanson 87 (#5), Steffes 76 (#18)
Points By Defenseman - Young 15 (#13), Gens , Tyler Ludwig 14 (#15), Baker 13 (#20)
GAA - Gill 2.21 (#4)
Save Percentage - Gill .925 (#4)


TEAM STATISTICS:

If you somehow combined all team statistics Allen would come out on top but in the most important statistic which is win percentage they trail Florida (.841) and Fort Wayne (.804). The Americans are at .786 which is the best in the Western Conference. Here is how the Americans rank in the 28 team ECHL in some of the statistical categories. The first number is Allen's number and the second number is how they rank in the ECHL.

Win Percentage - .786 (#3)
Points - 33 (#5)  *Allen has games in hand with all teams above them
Average Goals For - 4.52 (#1)
Average Goals Against - 2.52 (#2)
Average Shot For - 34.24 (#1)
Average Shots Against - 28.81 (#9)
Power Play Percentage - 19.4% (#9)
Penalty Kill Percentage - 88.9% (#1)
Average Penalty Minutes - 21.86 (#4)
Win % When Scoring First - .885 (#4)
Season Winning Streak - 8 games (#1)
Home Winning Steak - 7 games (#1)



OTHER COMMENTS:

- You could call it "first goal night" for former Allen Americans players around the ECHL last night. Alex Lavoie had the first goal as his Florida Everbaldes won 5-4, Devin Di Diomete scored the first goal for Idaho in their 6-1 victory and Charles Lachance had the first and only goal for Tulsa as they lost to Wichita 2-1.

-  Keep an eye on the Quad City Mallards who beat the Brampton Beast last night in Quad City and are in third place in the Central Division standings six points behind Allen. Four of the Mallards next five games are at home against the last place Beast. Many feel Quad City is the best team Allen has faced this year. With a favorable schedule over the next week look for the Mallards to make a move up the standings.

- As good as Allen has been playing recently they have not been able to gain any ground on the best team in the league right now which is the Florida Everbaldes. Allen has won five of their last seven games but Florida has won six of their last seven games. Alex Lavoie, who plays for Florida, was a healthy scratch for a couple of games at the end of November but has been playing great hockey since returning to the lineup. In the last six games Alex has ten points (2 goals 8 assists) and is a +9. With 18 points (6 goals, 12 assists) on the season in nineteen games Alex is now the second leading scorer on the Everblades team.

- The Oklahoma City Barons (AHL) announced today that they will cease operations after the completion of the current season. Oklahoma City will certainly be a target for an ECHL franchise and what a nice fit in the Central Division.

DID YOU KNOW: How is this for a quick start. Last night the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Allentown. PA) scored three goals in 21 seconds in a game against the Birmingham Senators. Petr Straka scored on the games first shot just 15 seconds into the game. Jason Akeson doubled the lead just 12 seconds later and Andrew Gordon notched the record setting third goal just nine seconds later. Three goals in 21 seconds which is an AHL record. The score after 36 seconds from the start of the game was 3-0. Birmingham goalie Andrew Hammond was pulled after 36 seconds with a line score of three shots, three goals and no saves which computes to a GAA of 300.00 and save percentage of .000. Now that is a tough night for a goalie.

 

Allen Americans Intern Program - New Recruiting Tool and Way To Help Players After Playing Days End

Chad Costello, Kevin Young, Ian Schultz, & Jamie Schaafsma, are the first members of the Allen Americans Intern Program

One of the reasons Steve Martinson has won eight championships during his professional coaching career is his ability to recruit players. What is his secret to recruiting? Have as many tools in your recruiting tool kit as possible. With the salary cap, competing based on salary is not the key to success as a player can always find a team willing to pay $50 or $100 more per week. The key to getting the best players is having other reasons to have them want to play for your team. Here are some of the many tools Steve Martinson uses when making a pitch to players.

-  Allen has never missed the playoffs and has been to the finals three times in five years and won back to back championships. You can count on several additional weeks of pay as Allen makes a deep playoff run.

- You will play an upbeat, aggressive offensive system in Allen that is also dedicated to defensive hockey. Points won't keep you in the American Hockey League (AHL) but points will get you noticed. You have to be able to play without the puck and you have to understand the game and that is what we will help you with in Allen. With our system you will have plenty of opportunity to get points. We won't handcuff you in the third period with a lead. We will take less risk but we will keep our foot on the gas. If you want to play in a system where you can score a lot of points come to Allen.

- You will play for a great organization and you will play in a great facility in the five year old Allen Event Center which is surrounded by shopping and restaurants.  

- You will play for a team that has a history of moving players to the AHL. Our goal is to see you progress in your hockey career.

- Playing in the Dallas Metroplex you have access to whatever interests you may have including the Stars, Cowboys, Mavericks and Rangers. Playing where you have a major international airport makes it easier for you and your friends and family to travel in and out of DFW.

- You will live on a golf course and can play golf year around. Average high temperature during the hockey season is 79 in October, 66 in November, 57 in December, 55 in January, 61 in February, 69 in March, 77 in April and 84 in May. It is a great place to live whether your are single or have a family.

- There is a great fan base that supports the team and the players.



Always looking for additional tools for his tool kit, last spring Steve Martinson started looking at providing internships for players who had some idea of what they wanted to do when their playing careers were over. Because so many players have an interest in becoming a fireman the first step was to meet with the Allen Fire Chief to see if he would be willing to work with the Americans to set up a program. A program was put together and the internship program was born. A new recruiting tool that few if any other teams have in place, Steve Martinson can offer players help in getting prepared for whatever career they want to pursue after they quit playing. The first group to avail themselves of the intern program are Jamie Schaafsma, Kevin Young, Chad Costello and Ian Schultz who are spending time during the season with the Allen Fire Department. The intern program can be expanded to include almost any area of interest a player may have. Police, Mortgage Banking, Financial Advisor, Medical Sales are just a few of the possibilities for the future.

So how does the program work? I had the chance to talk to three of the guys (Schaafsma, Schultz & Young) to find out a little about how the program works and what they have been doing. It is a volunteer program, there is no compensation, and all of the hours are on the players own time.

- There are two parts of the program, the first being more structured when all four of the guys will spend a few hours learning about a specific area. They have had a session on what an EMT does where they learned how to start IV's, check blood pressure, clear airways, intubate, etc. It is all hands on training as the fire department has a "smart dummy" that can be programmed for all kinds of situations and simulates real life circumstances. So instead of just learning about IV's the guys had to put a needle in the vein of the"smart dummy." This week the guys learned how to use the "jaws of life" and other extraction tools and again it is was all hands on as they cut apart an old Buick. In total the guys will have six or seven of these training sessions which will cover the entire spectrum of firefighting.

- The second part of the intern program is spending time with firefighters and experiencing the actual job. There are five fire stations in Allen and the players schedule their own time for this activity. The players do this individually, not as a group and will spend 24-30 hours doing ride alongs. Experiencing the classroom and hands on training is one thing but being able to see the actual job being performed will give the guys a better idea if it is something they want to pursue.


- For Jamie Schaafsma the internship allows him to brush up on and expand skills he learned last year through a PHPA (Professional Hockey Players Association) program which offered a discounted price to players to get a firefighter certificate. Players from the AHL, ECHL and CHL all participated. During the season last year Jamie was required to complete a 32 chapter online course and at the end of June he went to Toronto for four weeks of full time firefighting training. The group learned all firefighter skills including ropes, ladders, hoses and live fires. At the end of the four weeks the Ontario Fire Marshall came in and Jamie had to pass six different training drills. There was also a written exam at the end of the course. Jamie now has the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) certificates 1 & 2 which qualifies him to apply for a firefighter job anywhere in North America. There is no doubt this is what Jamie wants to do when his playing days are over. One of the big benefits of the program here in Allen for Jamie is the ride along part as he has not experienced first hand going out on emergencies.

- All of the guys could not say enough about what a great experience the internship has been and the professionalism of the Allen Fire Department. Words like amazing and awesome kept coming up. It has been very hands on training with a lot of support by the firemen. There are a lot of similarities between hockey and being a fireman as they both spend a lot of time practicing their skills over and over and the camaraderie at the fire station is similar to the hockey locker room. With the physical demands and team work required to be a fireman it seems to be a natural fit for hockey players.

L to R -  Ian Schultz, KevinYoung, Chad Costello & Jamie Schaafsma

So Steve Martinson has one more successful tool in his recruiting tool kit. As Jamie Schaafsma said, "A program like this is definitely a good recruiting tool, especially for guys like me who started right in professional hockey and didn't get to go to college. Guys that went to college and got a degree have more options for careers. For guys that went the junior hockey route and then started playing pro you get to that point where you have to start thinking about life after hockey and this program is certainly beneficial.

When Steve Martinson is recruiting next summer you can be assured one of the questions he will ask is what do you want to do when your playing days are over and let me tell you how I can help you achieve that goal.



DID YOU KNOW: Always try to have some interesting fact or statistic here but came across this yesterday and had to laugh:

The 2015 ECHL All-Star Game - The Who, What, Why, Where and When

The 2015 ECHL All-Star game takes place January 21

I recently received an All-Star ballot as a member of the media for what is officially called the "2015 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic Presented By Visit Orlando" and realized how little is known about the event especially for those fans of the seven former CHL teams that just moved to the ECHL this season. Here is some information put together that answers some of the questions about the upcoming ECHL All-Star game. A special thanks to ECHL Director of Communications, Joe Babik, who promptly answered numerous questions posed to him over the last week about the All-Star game.

THE GAME

- The format for the 2015 All-Star game will be the host team (Orlando Solar Bears)  taking on the All-Stars selected from the other ECHL teams. For many years the All-Star game was one conference against the other conference but in 2011 the format was changed to host team versus the All-Stars. Teams have to bid to host the All-Star game and it takes a lot of time and money so there are not a lot of teams willing to take the risk. There was no All-Star game in 2014 and 2012. The last All-Star game (2013) was hosted by the Colorado Eagles. Here are some details:

Q: How are the All-Stars selected?
A: The starting line up is determined in voting by coaches, team captains, broadcasters, media relations directors and media members. Coaches also submit a separate line up (goalie, two defensemen, three forwards) who they feel are the top prospects at their respective positions and this voting by the coaches is used to determine the balance of the roster. The All-Star game is intended to showcase the younger prospects in the ECHL.  So other than the starting line up don't look for established stars on the team. At the last All-Star game (2013) only two of the leagues top ten scorers made the All-Star team.

Q: Who coaches the All-Star team?
A: The coaches are selected based on the best record as of a predetermined date. The coach with the highest winning percentage in the league serves as the "head coach" while the coach with the best record in the other conference serves as the "assistant coach." If the All-Star coaches were selected today Florida Everblades coach, Greg Poss would be the head coach and Allen Americans head coach, Steve Martinson would be the assistant coach.

Q: How many players are on the All-Star team?
A: There are 21 players selected to the team. Three goalies, six defensemen and twelve forwards.

ECHL All-Star Jersey

Q: What is the style of play at the All-Star game?
A: Like the NHL game the ECHL All-Star game has always been a high scoring affair with little emphasis on defense or physical play. The winning team has never scored fewer than six goals and the average number of goals scored by both team is over 13. In the last two All-Star games the host teams have lost to the All-Stars. In 2013 Colorado lost to the All-Stars 7-3 and in 2011 Bakersfield lost 9-3.

Q: Is there a skills competition as part of the All-Star game?
A: There will be a truncated skills competition during pregame and the first intermission. It will be similar to the NHL skills competition but not all events will be held. The league is still working out the details on the skills competition.

Q: Will the game be televised?
A: The game will be televised and once plans are finalized the ECHL will send out a press release with the details. In the past the ECHL All-Star game has been televised by the NHL Network as well as multiple regional networks and broadcast on satellite radio.

Q: Do the players get paid to play in the All-Star game?
A: Yes, according to the ECHL collective bargaining agreement each player that participates receives a flat fee of $300 from the host team in addition to transportation, accommodations and meals.


Q: When will the team and coaches be announced.
A: The All-Star balloting is complete and the results are being compiled. The exact date for the announcement will be kept a surprise but should be after the first of the year. Likewise the day used to select the coaches for the All-Star game is not known in order to make that announcement more exciting. 


THE EVENT

It is called the All-Star Classic because it is a week long event that begins with a youth hockey tournament with more than 50 teams from all over the US and Canada competing January 16-19. On Tuesday (January 20) there will be the ECHL All-Star Fan Fest with player appearances, interactive games, prizes, giveaways, auctions, and a special Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit. On All-Star Wednesday, January 21st, the day's events include an open practice, the ECHL Hall of Fame Luncheon, and the All-Star game in the evening. There is a web site (echlallstarclassic.com) where you can get all of the details, order tickets, get room reservations, etc.

Here is what ECHL Commissioner Brian McKenna had to say about the All-Star Classic, "We all know the city of Orlando is a great destination, couple that with a world class arena and the strong following the Solar Bears have developed and we have the perfect location for the 2015 All-Star Classic."

The game will be played at the Amway Center which is located in downtown Orlando. It was opened in 2010 and had a construction cost of 480 million dollars. It has a capacity for hockey of 17,353. In addition to being the home of the Solar Bears it is the home of the NBA Orlando Magic.

Because the emphasis of the ECHL All-Star game is showcasing younger players there are numerous officials from the NHL and AHL in attendance.



DID YOU KNOW:  The 2010 ECHL All-Star game was one for the record books. The game was played in Ontario, California between All-Stars from the two conferences. The two teams combined for 19 goals to set a record for most goals in an ECHL All-Star game and the game went into overtime. The American Conference ended up winning the game 10-9 in a shootout.

Allen Dominates Brampton 6-0, Martinson's Post Game Comments, Asuchak #1 Star in Providence

Gary Steffes scores the first of his two highlight reel goals last night - photo by scenebykimberly.com

If you would look at any statistical comparison between the Allen Americans and Brampton Beast you would conclude the Americans are a much better team and should win any game between the two teams quite handily. That is exactly what happened last night as Allen played their most complete game of the season in shutting out the Beast 6-0 before a crowd of 4437 at the Allen Event Center. Not a bad crowd given the Allen Eagles were playing (and won) in the semi finals of the state high school football tournament.

There were star performances all over the place beginning with a shutout by Aaron Dell in is first start since returning from Worcester (AHL). It was Dell's second shutout in a week as he had one in Worcester last weekend. Here is Tommy Daniels interview with Aaron Dell after his shutout performance.

Goals scorers were Gary Steffes with two, both Ludwigs, Schaafsma and Hanson. Pretty impressive when you win a game 6-0 and the top line doesn't have a goal.

Gary Steffes had two highlight reel goals on great individual efforts and could have easily had four goals on the night. The picture above of his first goal was a beauty where he came down the left wing, made a hard cut to the front of the net, and with a fancy toe drag out waited the Brampton goalie to tuck the puck into the net. Steffes now has sixteen goals on the season which is second in the ECHL as he only trails his teammate, Jack Combs, who has seventeen goals.  Gary has never scored more than 22 goals as a professional. If he would keep up his current pace all season he would score over 50 goals.

In every phase of the game the Americans excelled. They out shot Brampton 44-18, scored six goals while allowing none, had a power play goal, killed all three of Bampton's power play advantages including an extended five on three, was the more physical team and played great defense. As Steve Martinson said to start his post game press conference, "That was a stress free game."

STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS

- A great game by Aaron Dell. I think he is glad he was gone for a while as now the team is playing much better. He made a great play on the shorthanded two on one rush. Other than that two on one rush I thought we did a good job in keeping the scoring chances down.

- Steffes had a real nice night with a couple of great plays on his two goals. Jamie Schaafsma had another goal, which was great for him and he had another chance on a breakaway.

- Jessey Astles had a good night with a fight and a lot of good hits. That is what I brought him in to do and the way he played tonight is how he needs to play to be successful.

- The guys will now have a couple of days off. I understand they have their rookie party tomorrow. I am not a big fan of that stuff but I guess they have to have a little fun. I was going to tell them we would practice on Monday because we have four days off next week for the Christmas break. At this time of year if you have to practice four days in a row it is painful for me as I get tired of yelling at them and it is painful for them as well. It will be a good break and they deserve it as they have been playing hard and competing hard and working hard.

- I thought our defense did a real good job controlling the puck and making offense out of using their partner.

- I got a good report from the coaching staff in Oklahoma City (AHL) about Greger Hanson's play in the one game for the Barons. He did a nice job and finished all of his checks. As it turned out I did not get the call that OKC wanted him until after he had practiced here for an hour so he drove to OKC after practice and played last night (Friday).

- Call ups are like the stock market as they might hurt you in the short run but help in the long run. The players have a better attitude when there are call ups and it helps in recruiting. I am still reaching out to some players so I am prepared if we lose guys to the AHL.

- One of the things we have with this team is a good group of guys and they don't need a lot of direction right now. It is more of keeping the rudder going straight and letting the team "run with it" so I am not trying over coach at all. All I said tonight was let's shoot the puck more on the power play from up top when they are collapsing and that is how we got the power play goal. They listened to me once tonight.



OTHER COMMENTS

- With Tulsa losing to Quad City last night Allen increased their lead in the Central Division standings to four points. The Americans win percentage has now climbed to .786 which is tops in the Western Conference and third in the ECHL.

- Jack Combs and Chad Costello were both held without a goal for the first time since a loss to Wichita back on Novemebr 29. Combs had two assists and Costello one to increase their scoring lead over the rest of the pack. Combs now has 39 points and Costello 32 points to remain #1 and #2 in the ECHL scoring race. The next closest players have 27 points.

- The big four (Combs, Costello, Steffes. Hanson) continue their December hot streaks. Here is a recap of how they have done in the six games played in December.
Combs - 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists), +8
Costello - 13 points (6, goals, 7 assists), +8
Steffes - 8 points (7 goals, 1 assist), +12
Hanson - 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists), +10

- Allen has played Brampton three time thus far and has defeated the Beast all three times. All of the games have been in Allen with the Americans outscoring Brampton 19-3 in the three games. They next meet in Brampton for back to back games on February 5 & 6. It is the Americans only trip to Brampton this year.

- Allen has won seven games in a row at home which is the longest home winning steak in the ECHL this year. They have not lost at home in over a month, a 3-2 loss to Tulsa on November 9th. During this seven game win streak the Americans have outscored their opponents 38-9.

- Asuchak Update: Spencer played his fourth game for the Providence Bruins last night and for the fourth time his team won the game. It was a 3-2 win over Portland last night. Spencer not only scored a goal it was the game winning goal and he was selected as the #1 star of the game. In four game he has four points (2 goal, 2 assists) and has been one of the three stars of the game twice. Providence plays at home again this afternoon (3:05 EST) against Manchester.

Spencer Asuchak excelling in Providence, gets the game winning goal & was #1 Star last night

DID YOU KNOW: In the yes we are dominating category Allen has six of the top nine players in the ECHL in plus/minus.

#1 - Greger Hanson (+20)
#3 - Gary Steffes (+19)
#3 - Kevin Young (+19)
#6 - Chad Costello (+18)
#8 - Trevor Ludwig (+17)
#8 - Jack Combs (+17)

Allen vs Brampton Game Preview, Hanson to OKC, Asuchak Update

Greger Hanson played in his first AHL game last night - photo by scenebykimberly.com

 The Allen Americans take on the Brampton Beast tonight (Saturday) at the Allen Event Center (AEC) and for the second time in a week the scheduling guru is smiling upon the Americans as they got to rest yesterday while the Beast had to play last night (lost to Tulsa 4-1) and then travel to Allen.

With the loss in Tulsa combined with Rapid City winning in Missouri (5-2) the Beast fell back to last place in the Central Division with a record of 7-10-1-0 compared to Allen's record of 15-4-0-1. Despite being in last place Brampton has been playing better hockey recently as they are 5-5 in their last ten games. They have been hurt by having their top scorer early in the season, Tyler Donati, out with an injury since November 16.

For the Americans to be successful tonight they need to keep playing aggressive offensively but not take risks. As coach Martinson always says don't try to manufacture plays that are not there. When Allen plays team defense they are a difficult team to beat.

Allen has the edge is most statistical categories so if they play smart and stay out of the penalty box they should come away with a victory.

ALLEN VS BRAMPTON STATISTICAL COMPARISON:

- Allen is #1 in the ECHL in goals scored averaging 4.45 per game. Brampton is dead last at #28 averaging just 2.39 goals per game.

- Allen is #3 in goals allowed at 2.65 while Brampton is #27 in goals allowed at 3.78.

- The goals scored and goals allowed translates into a huge disparity in goal differential. Allen has scored 89 goals and allowed 53 goals for a league leading +36 in goal differential. Brampton has scored 43 goals and allowed 68 for a goal differential of -25 which is the worst in the ECHL.

- Special teams are always a key to victory and with Allen being one of the most penalized teams in the league with an average of 22.15 minutes per game compared to just 13.94 minutes per game for Brampton it could make this game interesting. Despite their poor record Brampton has one of the best penalty kill units in the league. Allen is ranked #1 at 88.6% but Brampton is not far behind at #4 at 86.9%. And if you just look at road and home penalty kill percentages Brampton has the better record. At home Allen's penalty kill percentage is 84.8% but on the road Brampton has killed 93.3%. Advantage Brampton.

- On the power play Allen is successful 17.9% of the time at home while Brampton is at 13% on the road. Advantage Allen. Bottom line is whoever wins the special teams battle will most likely win the game.

- Allen has four players (Combs, Costello, Hanson, Steffes) in the top 25 in scoring in the ECHL including Combs at #1 and Costello at #2. Brampton's top scorer (Chad Painchaud) is 75th in the league in scoring.

- You see the same thing if you look at scoring by defensemen as Allen has four (Young, Baker, Tyler Ludwig, Gens) in the top twenty in scoring by defensemen in the ECHL. Brampton's top scoring defenseman is Matthew Maione who is 60th in the league.

- Aaron Dell will start in goal for Allen after returning from Worcester (AHL) on Wednesday where he had a GAA of 1.72 and save percentage of .917 in five games for the Sharks. Riley Gill has been put on the reserve list so the back up goalie will be Raphael Girard.



OTHER COMMENTS

- Greger Hanson will not play tonight as he has been loaned to the Oklahoma City Barons (AHL). Greger played in his first AHL game last night as Oklahoma City lost to Grand Rapids by a score of 5-2. Wearing #34, Greger's box score was all zeros except  for a two minute penalty. On a night when most of his teammates were in the minus category on plus/minus having a zero in that category as Hanson did was a positive.  The two teams play again tonight in Oklahoma City so Greger should have another chance to get his first AHL goal. According to social media the Barons had  several guys out sick which required them to bring in players for this weekend so most likely Greger's stay in Oklahoma will be a short one but you never know. It is a great opportunity for him to show what he can do, which may lead to additional AHL opportunities in the future. Greger was in training camp with Oklahoma City this year.

- Spencer Asuchak has now played three games for the Providence Bruins (AHL) and they have won all three games. Spencer has one goal, two assists, is a +5, has eight shots on goal and nine penalty minutes (one fight) in the three games he has played. The Bruins play at home tonight (Portland) and tomorrow afternoon (Manchester).

- Allen was the only Central Division team not in action last night. In addition to Tulsa beating Brampton, Daniel Tetrault score the first goal of the game on a power play in the Rapid City win over Missouri and Quad City beat Wichita 3-1. With Tulsa and Quad City winning the Central Division standings have tightened up. Allen still leads with 31 points with Tulsa in second with 29 points and Quad City in third with 23 points. However, Allen has four games in hand over Tulsa and two over Quad City.


DID YOU KNOW: The Allen Americans are on pace to score the most points in team history.  In the 2010-2011 season the Americans led the CHL with 97 points in 66 games or 1.47 points per game. This year Allen leads their conference with 31 points in 20 games or 1.55 points per game. At that pace they will have 102 points in 66 games and by the end of the ECHL season (72 games) would have 112 points.

The Allen Americans Family Suffers Another Loss & Update On Ice Angel Tessa David

One of the great pleasures in writing this blog and being a season ticket holder is being part of the Allen Americans family. And a big family it is, as over time you get to know those that sit in your section, those that frequent the season ticket holder lounge, and those you see in the concourse. I have gotten to know many of the drummers, the fan club, the avid fans, the ushers, and others that work for the event center. The players, coaches, Ice Angels and all of the other on ice and front office staff are always generous with their time and many have become friends. As with any family there are many highs and lows but the last couple of weeks have been particularly devastating.

It has already been difficult for the Allen Americans family from a health stand point with the passing of  bus driver Scotty Alexander and and the stroke suffered by former Ice Angel, Tessa David. Things went from bad to worse yesterday. The day started out great with a few hours of bass fishing with some of the Allen Americans family in some ranch ponds out in the country forty miles north of McKinney. There were five of us and everyone took advantage of a day off  to catch a few bass and enjoy the time away from the city and the rink. When I arrived home I got the news that another member of the Allen Americans family had lost his battle with cancer. Long time season ticket holder and huge Allen Americans supporter, Jack Poynter, has passed away. To know Jack was to love him as he was full of energy, enthusiastic, and always positive. Jack, who played hockey as a youngster, and his wife Anne are from Canada, lured to North Texas to be close to grandchildren. Jack always describes his two young grandsons as hockey fanatics who absolutely love the Allen Americans. You could always find Jack and his family sitting in Section 112 so the grandsons could be close to where the players entered and exited the ice. They have been junior starters and you might remember them as they were the mini Blues Brothers several times last year dancing in the audience.  Jack and Anne live at Heritage Ranch as I do and Jack was one of the founding members of the Allen Americans fan club for Heritage Ranch residents that now numbers over 200. I will never forget bringing the Presidents' Cup to Jack's house last May after the Americans won their second championship. He was not feeling well and very weak after undergoing a bone marrow transplant and other cancer treatments. He was sitting in his recliner in his PJ's and when I handed him the trophy he wrapped his arms around it, gave it a hug and a big smile came across his face. He said to Anne, "I know I don't look very good but you have to take a picture of this." Jack's Allen Americans family brought him joy that day for sure. Rest in peace Jack Poytner. You will be missed but not forgotten!


TESSA DAVID UPDATE:

With all of the bad news concerning the health issues of the Allen Americans family, I wanted to end this with some positive news about former Ice Angel, Tessa. Many have been following her story but just in case here is some background information which Brooklyn Rivera (former Ice Angel and front office employee) was kind enough to provide to me. We all want Tessa to know her Allen Americans family has her in their thoughts and prayers.

Natessa (Tessa) David is a former Ice Angel and Dallas Cowboys Training Camp Candidate. Tessa cheered the Americans on to their first CHL Championship in 2013. Before becoming an Ice Angel, Tessa cheered for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.

On December 1st, Tessa suffered a moderate-to-severe stroke in her sleep. She has been in the ICU under the care of a phenomenal team of physicians and therapists. Though the odds were against her,  in just a week, Tessa has improved tremendously. Yesterday was a great day for Tessa as she was moved out of ICU and into her own room where she can receive flowers and cards from everyone. Tessa has such a bright spirit and her smile is contagious. Although she still does not have movement of her right extremities, she is able to sit, stand and walk with assistance. Due to the type of stroke, Tessa was also left unable to speak. While surround by former Ice Angel, Brooklyn and current Angels Amy and Brieana plus a few other friends, Tuesday night Tessa blurted out her first few words. The team caring for Tessa have faith that she will continue to recover.

She is the epitome of the word strength and we all admire her courage. We have cried together many times through this period of darkness but we have already began to laugh again. We know that she will come through this stronger than ever! She is a true superstar! Her gofundme donations will help cover the long road of in-patient and out-patient therapy she will need. http://www.gofundme.com/i7azc0

Tessa David

 

Allen Wins, Combs Goes Off For Four Goals, Martinson Post Game Comments, Combs Interview

If you look at the box score from the game last night it shows a 5-2 win for the Allen Americans over the Quad City Mallards in a game where Allen out shot Quad City 40-27 and you might draw the conclusion it was an easy night for the Americans. Nothing could be further from the truth as Quad City scored the first goal of the game on a power play goal by Kevin Baker and Mallard goalie, Evan Mosher, repeatedly stopped quality shots from Allen. Quad City took a 1-0 lead into the first period break. Jack Combs scored Allen's first goal midway through the second period and the game became the Combs show from that point on as he scored four goals on a night where he took eleven shots. The headlines were all about Jack Combs in the Quad City Times, "Allen's Combs goes off against the Mallards" where writer Bobby Metcalf started out his game recap like this, "The Quad City Mallards had a chance to make a statement against the top team in the division Wednesday night. Instead, Jack Combs mad a statement of his own." Mallard's coach Terry Ruskowski had this to say about Combs performance, "We tried to put our best defensive corps against him but apparently that wasn't good enough, when it is your night it is your night."

Lost among all of the Combs goals was a great goal scored by Justin Baker when he intercepted a clearing pass and walked in and beat the goalie with a top shelf back hand unassisted. The rookie leads all Allen defensemen in goals scored with five.

STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS:

- It is a good thing Combs showed up tonight. In the first period we had the three penalties right in a row and we were doing a great job on the penalty kill as Quad City could hardly get the puck in our zone and then we tried to make a play shorthanded by shooting the puck up the middle with the forwards leaving our zone. The pass was intercepted and boom it is in our net. That was a little frustrating.

- I felt pretty confident once we got the lead going into the third period as we have been good in the third period lately.

- We will take tomorrow off and then get ready for Brampton on Saturday.

- That line with Schultz, Costello and Combs are fun to watch as they make some great plays that are entertaining for sure. They are like race horses in that you just have to let them run and not hold them back too much.

- I told Costello he should ice his shoulders as he had the second most hits in the game.

- When I was negotiating with Costello in the summer he told me Combs did not like playing in Russia and would come wherever Costello signed. You hear that and you get excited but you are not sure until you get the call that Combs is coming back to North America. Needless to say, it has worked out very well for us.

- Aaron Dell is back and will play Saturday night. Riley Gill has been sick so we will put him on reserve and give him a little rest. Going forward both goalies will play. If all goes as planned Gill will be back in goal on the 19th against Wichita.

- We are taking too many penalties and tonight it cost us as both Quad City goals came on the power play.

- I think we have a team that can compete with all of the teams in the ECHL but we will have to wait until next month to get our chance against some teams outside of our division. Most of the players on our team have been successful in the ECHL. We are not as strong offensively as we were when Asuchak and Smith were here. Keep in mind Schaafsma only has two goals and he will break out soon. McMillin only has two goals and he will score more but he is doing a great job defensively.


OTHER COMMENTS:

- Allen gave up two power play goals last night to break a streak of five games and 31 opportunities without allowing a power play goal. Allen still leads the ECHL in penalty kill percentage at 88.6%.

- Riley Gill had another outstanding game in goal for Allen allowing just two goals both on power plays with one of the power plays being a five on three. Riley leads the ECHL in wins with eleven.

- With their five goals Allen broke a streak of ten games where Quad City did not allow more than three goals. Allen reamins #2 in the ECHL averaging 4.45 goals per game. They are now #3 in goals allowed at 2.65 goals per game.

-  With his four goals last night Jack Combs now has 37 points (17 goals, 20 assists) and extended his league lead in points to six over his linemate Chad Costello who is in second place in the ECHL with 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists). There are several players tied for third place with 27 points.

- The signing of Chad Costello and Jack Combs seems like a no-brainer  now but last summer it was not as obvious. Keep in mind Chad had spent much of the 2013-2014 season on injured reserve (he only played 14 games) which raised some concerns going into this season. It is always difficult paying top end guys a lot of money if there is risk of recurring injuries because if they get reinjured the team is still obligated to pay them. If you recall, Costello came to training camp on a tryout contract before signing a standard players contract.

- The genius of Steve Martinson is his ability to recruit top end talent and also identify players who may not fit in elsewhere that he knows will work in his system. As important as the Costello/Combs signing was, Martinson would probably acknowledge his two best moves of the year were two trades at the beginning of the season. On October 17th everyone was excited about a trade Martinson made with the Wheeling Nailers for two defensemen. The names were Dylan King and Justin Baker. All of the excitement was about King (who retired) who had played in Allen in the past. Baker turned out to be the real gem in the trade. Martinson saw the potential in Baker who was expendable only because Wheeling has a double AHL affiliation and there were contracted guys that were kept ahead of Baker. With the ECHL all star game historically being a showcase for younger players, don't be surprised if Baker isn't chosen as a reserve for the Western Conference all star team if he keeps up his great play.

The second trade Martinson pulled off was acquiring Greger Hanson from Cincinnati for Geoff Irwin on October 22nd. Cincinnati either didn't know what they had or didn't use Greger Hanson the right way but it was a great trade for Allen that is obvious now as Hanson has been one of the top players in the league. He has twenty three points (11 goals 12 assists) in 21 games, is tied for the league lead in plus/minus at +17, leads the ECHL in shorthanded goals with three, and is second in the league (Jack Combs is first) in game winning goals with four. Geoff Irwin has five points (2 goals 3 assists)  for Cincinnati and is a -8.

- Allen had nine minor penalties in the game against Quad City which gives them 144 minor penalties on the year. The average for the ECHL is 108. This is one area that will have to be improved going forward.

- The attendance last night was just 2958 which is disappointing even for a midweek game. The season average has now fallen below 4000 for the first time to 3914. The ECHL average attendance is 4151. Allen ranks #17 of the 28 teams in average attendance.

- Had the chance to talk briefly to Aaron Dell after the game and he is coming back to Allen with a great attitude. His experience in Worcester was a good one including his 1-0 shutout win last weekend. He got great feedback from the coaches and knows he will be headed back to Worcester whenever there are any injuries.

- Tommy Daniels caught up with Jack Combs right after his four goals night to get his thoughts. Here is Tommy's interview:

DID YOU KNOW: Every year since 2009-2010 Jack Combs has played games in the ECHL or CHL and also the AHL. It is just a matter of when, not if he gets a call from an AHL team. With 37 points in 20 games (1.85 points per game) the time is now. C'MON MAN!