Game Two Preview, Congrats To MVP Chad Costello, Home Teams 0-7 In Playoffs & More

ECHL MVP Chad Costello & family - daughter Avery is still hanging out with mom in this picutre

CHAD COSTELLO - ECHL MVP

- Wanted to start out today by adding my congratulations to Chad Costello and his family, who are a big part of his success, on his selection as the ECHL MVP for 2015-16. I sometimes get teased by readers that I should name the blog the Chad Costello Blog because Chad is included so often. It is amazing that this young man from the hockey hotbed of Johnston, Iowa (ha-ha) is not only the most prolific scorer in the ECHL the last two seasons, he is arguably the most prolific scorer in the history of the ECHL. There is no doubt about his dominance the last two seasons as Chad had a total of 228 points (65 goals 163 assists). The most points any other player in the league had the last two years was 149.

- It is hard to compare all time stats because scoring was so much different in the 1990's when many ECHL teams would score over 300 goals per season. The top five all time goal scoring seasons in the ECHL range from 377 to 345 and they all took place in the 1990's. Compare that to this season when an outstanding Missouri team led the league in scoring with 240 goals. In the 1990's, 240 goals would have put them at the bottom of the league. The same is true if you look at the all time individual scoring records. The top five in points range from 161 to 139 and all took place in the 1990's. The top five in goals range from 85 to 68 and also took place in the 1990's. The top five in assists range from 93 to 84 and they too are all from the 1990's with the exception of Chad Costello who had 84 assists this year to crack the top five all time.

- One stat that possibly factors in the different style of play over time is how you compare to your competition. In the history of the ECHL the scoring champion has won the scoring title by more than 20 points just five times. Chad Costello owns two of those five. Last season Chad won the scoring title by 45 points which is the largest margin in ECHL history. This season he won the title by 23 points which is the fifth largest margin in history.

 - Allen fans would agree it has been a real pleasure watching Chad the last two seasons in Allen. He is a magician with the puck, he would rather get an assist than score a goal, he never misses a game, he is a leader on and off the ice, he is a true gentleman to everyone he meets and is a great family man. That is what you want in an MVP. Congrats again to Chad, Ashley and family.



GAME PREVIEW

- Must win is a phrase that is used way too often but the game tonight against Idaho is certainly a candidate. Since Steve Martinson arrived in Allen, the Americans have been down 1-0 in playoff series many times so that is familiar territory for this team. However, they have never trailed 2-0 in a series.

- The formula for success tonight is pretty straight forward. As coach Martinson said in his post game press conference after game one, the team was not outplayed or out skated so they need to play smarter and avoid mistakes to be successful. Two specifics to look for tonight are more instances of chipping in the puck when there isn't a play to be made at the blue line and a different approach on the power play.

- Allen out shot Idaho in game one 37-24 but Steelhead goalie Philippe Desrosiers was able to see most of the shots. The old adage of pucks to the net with bodies in front should be more apparent in game two.

- Allen has the best special teams in the playoffs and that needs to show up in game two. Idaho won the special teams battle in game one holding Allen scoreless in four power play attempts. The Steelheads were 1-2 on the power play.

- Getting the first goal and the lead will also be critical tonight. Both Allen and Idaho play great with the lead. During the regular season Allen was 21-3-1-0 when leading after the first period and Idaho was 22-2-2-1. When leading after the second period Allen was 30-2-0-1 while Idaho was 29-1-4-1.

- Riley Gill will get the start in goal tonight and some have wondered about the fact Gill has played in just one game since March 16. Riley is a veteran who has always played his best at the most critical times. He is in great shape and has taken a lot of shots in practice. Look for Riley to have a good night in goal.

- There will be a new officiating crew for the game tonight. Referees will be Nic Leduc (#14) and Tudor Floru (#18). Linesmen will be Mitch Macpherson (#48) and Erik Contino (#92). If you are betting the over/under on number of penalties called in the game based on the 10 penalties in game one, take the over.


OTHER COMMENTS

- In the odd stat category, the ECHL playoffs have produced some interesting results thus far. There have been seven playoff games played and the home team is yet to win a game. That's right, the home teams are 0-7. Here are the results:

 Eastern Conference
#1 Toledo vs #8 Reading - Reading beat Toledo last night 4-3 and lead the series 1-0. Game two is tonight.

#2 South Carolina vs #7 Kalamazoo - This series started in Kalamazoo because South Carolina's arena wasn't available. The series is actually a rather odd 3-4 series. South Carolina won last night 4-1. Game two is tonight.

#3 Manchester vs #6 Adirondack - Adirondack won the first two games in Manchester (3-2 and 4-3 in OT) and now head home with a 2-0 lead. This series is a 2-2-1-1-1.  The two arenas are only 159 miles apart.

#4 Florida vs #5 Wheeling - Wheeling won last night in Florida by a score of 6-3 to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Game two is tonight.

Western Conference
#1 Missouri vs #8 Quad City - This is the only series that has not started. They play tonight and Sunday afternoon in Missouri.

#2 Fort Wayne vs #7 Cincinnati - Game one took place last night in Fort Wayne and Cincinnati won 3-2. Game two is tonight.

#3 Colorado vs #6 Utah - Utah won game one 3-2 on Wednesday and leads the series 1-0. Game two is Sunday afternoon in Colorado.

#4 Allen vs #5 Idaho - Idaho beat Allen 3-1 on Thursday to take a 1-0 lead in the series with game two scheduled tonight.

So there you have it. The home teams are 0-7 and the higher seeded teams are just 1-6 with South Carolina the only higher seeded team to win and they did it on the road. Welcome to AA playoff hockey.


- The San Jose Barracuda (AHL) need just one point in their final two games to secure a playoff spot. They play a home and home series against the Stockton Heat tonight and Sunday afternoon. Stockton is out of playoff contention.



DID YOU KNOW: Chad Costello has played in 237 ECHL regular season games and has averaged 1.55 points per game. That is the highest average points per game for any player in the last 20 years (minimum 100 games).  

Allen Loses Playoff Opener 3-1, Martinson's Comments, Costello Should Win MVP & More

The Allen Americans lost game one of their best of seven series against the Idaho Steelheads last night by a score of 3-1 before an announced crowd of 4241 at the Allen Event Center. You can't say the loss was unexpected as Allen has made a habit of losing the first game of a series at home. Last night was the tenth series to open at home for the Americans since Steve Martinson has coached the team. The team's record in series home openers is now 3-7. If you are looking for a silver lining, during Martinson's tenure, the Americans have never lost a game two after losing game one.

- The game last night seemed to turn on a failed four minute power play by the Americans midway through the first period. Spencer Asuchuk got high sticked and it drew blood so Allen had a four minute power play. They struggled generating shots and to make matters worse Idaho scored right after the power play expired on a play where the puck trickled behind goaltender Jake Hildebrand and in an effort to stop the puck from crossing the goal line, Allen poked it in the net. Idaho took a 2-0 lead early in the second period on a cross ice pass through the slot for a one timer. A crazy bounce  led to Allen's only goal at the end of the second period when a Greger Hanson shot missed the net but bounced off the glass and the net back into the crease where Gary Steffes was at the ready to put it home. The momentum the Americans got from closing the score to 2-1 at the second intermission was short lived as the Steelheads took a 3-1 lead early in the third period on a power play goal. The Americans out shot Idaho 14-9 in the third period and 37-24 for the game but did not do a good job of screening the Steelheads goalie who seemed to see everything.

- The special teams battle was won by Idaho as they held the ECHL's top power play unit scoreless in four power play opportunities including the four minute power play in the first period. The Steelheads were 1-2 on the power play.

- Game two of the series takes place tomorrow (Saturday) with a 7:05 pm puck drop. You would have to say the game is a must win for Allen. If the Americans go down 2-0 they will be in uncharted waters and it could be a short series.



STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS

- The positive side of that game is we didn't get outplayed and out skated. We just have to play smarter.

- We had a lot of chances in front but couldn't get our sticks on the puck. We need our better players to step up and make some plays. They need to lead by example.

- I didn't think we had enough will in front of the net to screen the goalie and win the battle for the rebounds. We had several pucks laying right there and we didn't get them in the net.

- I didn't like our decision making on the power plays. We didn't get enough chances from the point and didn't do what we work on in practice. We have been standing around too much and then taking bad shots from high angles.

- Eric Roy didn't play tonight because of a little set back but hopefully he will be in the line up on Saturday and that will help.

- Hockey is a game of mistakes and we made them on all three of their goals. The first goal was a bad change on our part which led to a five on four. It was a funny bounce and then we shoveled the puck into our own net. On the second goal the forward let his man go from the point. On the power play goal we have a guy slide in front of their player with the puck who just let him slide by and then had plenty of time to shoot. The puck hit our defenseman and went off the pipe into the goal.

- Offensively we turned too many pucks over at the blue line. Too many guys trying to stick handle through players when the play wasn't there. In those cases you need to chip the puck in and force them to make a mistake.We had way too many times when guys tried to carry the puck into the offensive zone when they should have chipped it in.

- Riley Gill will be in goal on Saturday. It is the same as before when you play until you lose and then the other guy gets a chance.




OTHER COMMENTS

- Today is the day the ECHL announces the MVP award and let's hope Chad Costello gets rewarded for his outstanding season. He is certainly deserving. My prediction is after two of the best seasons in ECHL history, Chad will be acknowledged by the league as this year's MVP after being honored by the PHPA (Professional Hockey Players Association) as the MVP last year.


- You may have noticed some number changes on the ice last night. Spencer Asuchak is now wearing his old #26. Dyson Stevenson is wearing #44 which I don't think has been worn by an Allen player since Nathan O'Nabigon wore it in 2009-10. Newcomer Jordan Rowley is wearing #2.



- I think most everyone would agree Jamie Schaafsma was a big part of Allen's success the last three years and has been missed this year. Below is part of a story written by Blake Sebring of the Fort Wayne New Sentinel. One stat not mentioned in the story is one of the more amazing stats at any level of hockey and that is Jamie has made the championship final for the last seven years. Jamie has made the final with four different teams and in five different leagues. Don't bet against Jamie making his eight straight championship finals as he has an excellent chance with Fort Wayne. Here is part of Blake Sebring's story:

One reason Jamie Schaafsma was named the Komets captain is his championship pedigree. He was part of championship teams the last three years with Allen, winning two Central Hockey League and last year's ECHL crowns. He also played for Flint against the Komets in the 2010 International Hockey League's Turner Cup Finals.
So, how often does he wear his championship rings? "Last year, I had both of them with me, but this year I didn't bring those with me," he said. "It's tough to wear them because they are so big and bulky. I wish I had gotten them made a little bigger because then my dad would have worn them. They are cool and nice to display. I always show them to my family when I get them." Schaafsma, who has scored 19 goals in his last 27 games, said the rings are cool but they are not the real focus. "Every year you play for that feeling," he said. "It's not really the ring, but the feeling you get when you win with the guys you worked all season with to raise the cup at the end. That's the best feeling you can ever have. That's why we play the game and play every year."


- Here is another Jamie Schaafsma story you might find interesting: http://www.journalgazette.net/sports/professional/komets/Komets-captain-comes-through-12553521


- At the playoff preview radio show on Wednesday coach Martinson was talking about how everyone needs to be ready to play in the playoffs and make the most of their opportunity. He shared the story about how Kyle Follmer made a key play in game seven of the championship final after not playing at all in the first six games against South Carolina. Kyle made a big hit in the nuetral zone that created a turnover which led to a Chad Costello breakaway goal and put Allen up 3-0. Coach Martinson always remembers those details and gave Follmer a lot of credit for how he played in game seven after being a healthy scratch for most of the playoffs.


- Kyle Follmer now plays for Quad City who takes on top rated Missouri in the playoffs. Here is a story where Kyle is reflecting on his championship season in Allen. I am sure Kyle would be surprised that coach Martinson would be using him as an example of a guy who stepped up when he was called on in game seven of the Kelly Cup final.   http://www.qconline.com/sports/quad_city_mallards/echl-champ-urges-playoff-flock-to-keep-fighting/article_1793a3c4-9959-5002-925e-aac4775df0fe.html

- Mentioned yesterday what a big supporter Rick Gosselin is of the Allen Americans. It is great when a guy like Rick, with national recognition, takes time to write about the Allen Americans. Here is a story he wrote before the game last night. http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-stars/stars/2016/04/13/allen-americans-begin-quest-fourth-straight-title-dallas-stars-echl-farm-team

- Here is a picture of the three championship banners that are finally hanging together in the rafters of the AEC. Thanks to Lauren Lyssy for the photo:

DID YOU KNOW: Thought it would be interesting to look at the results of the first game of each playoff series in the history of the Allen Americans. The series against Idaho is the 18th in team history. Allen's record is 14-3. Here are the series won/lost records based on the results of the first game of the series. It is amazing in the history of the franchise the Americans have a better record in winning a series if they lose the first game (9-1) than if they win the first game (5-2).
5-2 - when winning first game of a series
4-1 - when winning first game at home
1-1 - when winning first game on the road
9-1 - when losing the first game of a series
8-1 - when losing the first game at home
1-0 - when losing the first game on the road

Playoff Game Night In Allen, High Expectations, Radio Shows, Free Tickets & More

The day that Allen fans wait for each year has finally arrived. It is time for playoff hockey as the Americans take on the Idaho Steelheads tonight at the Allen Event Center (AEC). Game time is 7:05 pm.

- To say that Allen fans have been spoiled by success over the years would be an understatement. The Americans have made the playoffs for seven straight years. The team has opened the playoffs at home all seven years. The Americans made it to the CHL championship final in their first year (2010) before losing to Rapid City and they have won their league championship for the last three years (two in the CHL and one in the ECHL).

- Steve Martinson is in his fourth year as the head coach in Allen and has never lost a playoff series. He is 10-0.

- The Americans have home ice advantage in this series with Idaho and that just may come in handy. While going 10-0 in playoff series in the last three years, Allen has gone to a game seven five times. They have won all five times. Coach Martinson has never lost a game seven at home in 20 years of coaching and has lost just one game seven on the road in 20 years. Best not to take his team to a game seven.

- Is winning the first game of a playoff series important? The answer is obviously yes but losing the first game of a series certainly doesn't mean you lose the series. When Allen won the CHL championship in 2013 they lost the first game in all three series that year. To make matters worse all three playoff series started at the AEC. Allen lost to Denver 2-1 in the first game of the opening round but won the series 4-1. In the second round, the Americans lost the first game to Missouri 5-1 but won the series 4-3. In the championship final, the Americans lost the first game to Wichita 4-1 but went on to win the Presidents' Cup in game seven with that dramatic 3-2 overtime goal by Todd Robinson.

- If you didn't get the chance to attend or listen to the radio show yesterday from Dodge City of McKinney here is a recap. Tommy Daniels along with myself and Rick Gosselin from the Dallas Morning News spent an hour talking with coach Steve Martinson about the playoffs and the match up with Idaho. Gosselin was not scheduled to attend but showed up on his own to show support for the Americans. Rick is a nationally known sports writer who is very busy with his job at the Dallas Morning News writing about the Stars, Mavericks, Rangers, and Cowboys and appearing regularly on TV and radio talking sports. It is great he takes time out of his schedule to support the Americans. Rick has written several feature articles about the Americans over the years including one about Steve Martinson back in 2014, "The best coach in the Dallas area is someone you have never heard of" which you can check out here: http://allenamericansblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/final-roster-update-eight-players.html

- Coach Martinson indicated during the radio show that Jake Hildebrand will get the start in game one but Riley Gill will also get a start, Martinson just isn't sure in which game. Martinson hasn't made a final decision on whether he will go with seven defensemen or ten forwards in the game tonight. He did talk about the impact Kyle Neuber has had in games with his abilty to deliver checks and clog the space in front of the net. At an imposing 6' 3" 250 pounds, Nueber is capable of some real devastation with legal hits. Wouldn't be surprised if Neuber is in the lineup. It is however, a tough decision as Martinson would like to play all seven healthy defensemen. Coach Martinson expects to get Nikita Jevpalovs assigned to Allen by San Jose at some point but is not sure when. The Barracuda have two games remaining (Saturday & Sunday) and are fighting to make the playoffs.

- I was also on a radio show in Boise last night to talk about the upcoming series with the Steelheads. John Mulhern is the host of the Bud Light Idaho Steelheads Hockey show on 1350 AM KTIK in Boise. He is also the home game ice level color analyst for the Steelheads. John's show will be on every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday until the season is over. Here is the link to John's radio show: http://www.ktik.com/2014/10/20/steelheads-audio/  It is on from 7:00 - 8:00 pm Allen time and would be a great way to get the other side of this series. If you are on twitter give John a follow (@Mulhern4) as you will get some great info about this series with Idaho.

- The ECHL will go with a two referee system for all playoff games this year. The referees scheduled tonight are Stephen Reneau (#17) and Mike Sheehan (#11). The linesman are Brian Bull (#49) and Alex Black (#63).

- There are just two ECHL games scheduled tonight. In addition to Allen vs Idaho, the #3 seed (Colorado Eagles) kick of their series against the #6 seed (Utah Grizzlies).

- In the only game scheduled last night the #6 seed in the Eastern Conference (Adirondack Thunder) took a 1-0 series lead by defeating the #3 seed (Manchester Monarchs) by a score of 3-2.

- Congrats to Missouri coach Richard Matvichuk as he is the recipient of the 2015-16 John Brophy Award as the ECHL's Coach of the Year. Well deserved for sure.

-  I have some extra tickets for the game tonight courtesy of the Allen Americans. They are in section 119 and they are free. Send me an email (janssenfamily@msn.com) if you are interested.

- Thanks to Jeff Magargle for bring the following Wall Street Journal article to my attention, "The Dawn of the American Hockey Revolution" as it is an interesting read. http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-american-hockey-revolution-1460584181




DID YOU KNOW: Allen has opened the playoffs at home all seven years of their existence. Here are the year by year results.
March 26, 2010 - Lost to Laredo 4-3
March 31, 2011 - Beat Rio Grande Valley 4-1
March 30, 2012 - Beat Texas 5-0
March 28, 2013 - Lost to Denver 2-1
April 2, 2014 - Beat Brampton 7-2
April 14, 2015 - Beat Tulsa 6-2
April 14, 2016 - ???? Idaho ????

Allen vs Idaho Series Preview, Playoff Roster, Time To Fly & Banner To Rafters

The Allen Americans start their 2016 playoff run tomorrow night at home against the Idaho Steelheads. The Americans have made the playoffs every year since their inception (2009-10), have won three straight championships and are the defending Kelly Cup champs. Allen fans have come to expect deep playoff runs from this team and the expectations certainly aren't any different this year.

Heard some good news yesterday from the team that they will be flying to Idaho rather than making the 1600 mile trip by bus. The entire team was pleased to hear they would avoid another 60 hours (round trip) on "Big Red." It will make the short turnaround between games much easier. Congrats to all who pulled this off.


SERIES SCHEDULE

Game 1: Thursday, April 14th Idaho at Allen 7:05 PM CST
Game 2: Saturday, April 16th Idaho at Allen 7:05 PM CST
Game 3: Wednesday, April 20th Allen at Idaho 8:10 PM CST
Game 4: Friday, April 22nd Allen at Idaho 8:10 PM CST
Game 5: Saturday, April 23rd Allen at Idaho 8:10 PM CST if necessary
Game 6: Tuesday April 26th Idaho at Allen 7:05 PM CST if necessary
Game 7: Wednesday April 27th Idaho at Allen 7:05 PM CST if necessary



FINAL REGULAR SEASON RECORDS

                                     ALLEN                              IDAHO

Team Record              41-24-3-4 (89 points)            38-24-7-3 (86 points)
Division Ranking         2nd - Central                        2nd -West
Conference Ranking   4th - Western                       5th - Western
League Ranking         6th                                         9th
Home Record             22-10-2-2                              19-11-3-3
Road Record              19-14-1-2                              19-13-4-0
Last Ten                      5-3-0-2                                  4-3-2-1
Goals For                    222                                        203
Goals Against             204                                        187
Power Play                 21.1% (58/275)                      15.1% (41/271)
Penalty Kill                  86.4% (39/286)                      86.5% (36/266)
Most PIM's                  Stevenson (115)                    Carroll (101)
Leading Scorer           Costello  (24-79-103)             Linsmayer (21-36-57)


-  Here is how Allen and Idaho rank in the ECHL in some statistical categories:

Penalty Minutes Per Game: Allen 5th (16.51) - Idaho 20th (12.74)
Goals Scored Per Game: Allen 13th (3.08) - Idaho 19th (2.82)
Goals Allowed Per Game: Allen 13th (2.83) - Idaho 5th (2.60)
Shots For Per Game: Allen 24th (28.82) - Idaho 22nd (29.35)
Shots Against Per Game: Allen 18th (30.61) - Idaho 9th (29.03)
Power Play Percentage: Allen 1st (21.1%) - Idaho 22nd (15.1%)
Penalty Kill Percentage: Allen 3rd (86.4%) - Idaho 2nd (86.5%)


-  Special teams play is always critical during the playoffs and Allen has the best special teams in the ECHL. One way to look at this is combining power play and penalty kill percentages. The magic number that teams strive to achieve is greater than 105% combined. Typically around 10% of NHL teams can exceed the 105% level and it is considered exceptional. Allen leads the ECHL with a combined percentage of 107.5%. Idaho has a combined percentage of 101.6%.

- The advantage Allen has on special teams is on the power play. Allen is ranked #1 in the league at 21.1%. Idaho is ranked #22 at 15.1% and on the road the Steelheads convert on only 12.8% of their power play chances.

- When it comes to penalty kill both teams are outstanding. Idaho is ranked #2 (86.5%) and Allen is ranked #3 (86.4%). Win the special teams battle and you will most likely win the game.


HEAD TO HEAD

- Allen and Idaho played four times during the regular season with all four games taking place in a 10 day period back in December. Since these teams haven't seen each other since December 19 and have very different lineups, it is hard to draw any conclusions from the four head to head games they have played but here is a brief recap:

December 9 in Allen - Riley Gill led Allen to a 4-0 victory with a 29 save shutout. Tristan King had two goals and Eric Roy had three assists. Allen was 2-5 on the power play while Idaho was 0-5.

December 13 in Allen - The Americans trailed in this game 1-0 and 2-1 but came back to tie the score 2-2 midway through the third period on a Gary Steffes goal. Idaho won in overtime on a Cole Ully goal. Ully was the #1 star of the game and was called up by Texas (AHL) after the game and spent the rest of the season with Texas. If Texas gets eliminate earlyin the playoffs you could see Ully back in Idaho.

December 18 in Idaho - This was the famous "road trip from hell" game that the Americans lost 6-3. After spending the better part of two days to make it to Boise just in time for the game, the Americans came out flying in the first period. They out shot Idaho 15-5 and killed off a five minute major penalty (Justin Courtnall got a game misconduct for boarding) but all the Americans got for their effort was a 1-1 tie after the first period. Allen had leads of 2-1 early in the second period and 3-2 early in the third period but couldn't hold them. The roof fell on Allen in the third period as Idaho scored four unanswered goals including an empty net goal to make the final score 6-3. Allen was 3-4 on the power play and Idaho was 2-4.

December 19 in Idaho - If you look at the box score you would have to say the Americans stole this game as they won 3-2 in a shootout.  They jumped off to a two goal lead in the first period on just four shots with goals by Chad Costello and Chris Crane but gave them both back in the second period. Allen mustered a paltry 12 shots on goal in regulation which is the lowest total all season. While getting only 12 shots in regulation Allen allowed Idaho 32 shots. The Americans took 15 penalties and gave Idaho nine power play opportunities including a couple of extended five on three power plays. Allen had just two power play opportunities and one of them was just 20 seconds long. This was also the game where Allen won the shootout after four shooters on a Gary Steffes goal but neither the officials or teams realized it so the shootout continued until the sixth round when Eric Roy scored.

- The roster Allen has today is very different than the roster when they played Idaho in December. Jake Hildebrand, Joel Rumpel, Thomas Carr, Matt Register, Jordan Rowley, Spencer Asuchak, Kyle Neuber, and Greger Hanson were not with Allen when they played Idaho in December.


- Leading scorers for Allen in the four head to head games were Chad Costello (2 goal 5 assists), Tristan King (3 goals 3 assists) and Eric Roy (1 goal 4 assists). Leading scorers for Idaho were Kyle Jean (0 goals 6 assists and Emil Molin (2 goals 2 assists).


GOALIES

- Another key factor in any playoff series is goalie play. In all of Allen's championship seasons there was a goalie that stepped up and played outstanding. Riley Gill last season, Bryan Pitton in 2014 and Aaron Dell in 2013. Who will that player be this year? Based on who played down the stretch in the regular season the best guess is Jake Hildebrand will get the start on Thursday. But if you remember last year both goalies played early on and then Riley Gill just took over. It is still to be determined who will step up this season.

- Idaho has a plethora of goalies with Philippe Desrosiers and Brandon Komm on the active roster and Maxime Legace and Jack Campbell on the playoff eligible list. If Texas is eliminated in the first round of the playoffs they could send one of the playoff eligible goalies to Idaho.

- If you look at season long goalie stats the advantage goes to Idaho. Allen has a team GAA of 2.75 and save percentage of .909. Idaho has a team GAA of 2.52 and save percentage of .912.

- When it comes to playoff goalie play you can throw the stats out the window. One of these goalies will step up and be a difference maker and it is always fun to watch that happen.


OTHER COMMENTS

-  The ECHL has adopted the two referee system for all playoff games this season so it will be interesting to see what impact that will have, especially on some of the extra curricular activities that happen behind the play.

- The Allen vs Idaho series should be a great series that could very easily go seven games. These are two well coached teams with lots of talent.  Home ice advantage has proven to be very helpful to Allen over the years and it could be an important factor in this series.

- If Allen can stay aggressive offensively without gambling and if the forwards can buy into the concept of it is more important to win the game than score points, the Americans will be in good shape. Coach Martinson always reminds players you don't need to anything extra in the playoffs. Don't try to do too much and be a hero. Just play your best and that is enough.

- I have had a lot of questions about the playoff roster. If you saw the final list you noticed three groups of names. There were nineteen on the active list, three on the reserve list and two on the playoff eligible list. The total is 24 names so one question is how can there be 24 names when the playoff roster is 23. The ECHL rule allows you to have slots for players in the AHL that are qualified to play without naming the players. The Americans have two players (Jevpalovs & Doremus) currently in the AHL that are qualified to play for Allen in the playoffs. Coach Martinson has decided to save one slot on the roster for Jevpalovs or Doremus but doesn’t have to decide which one to add until they become available by San Jose. Once one of them (presumably Jevpalovs) is added the roster is full and complete at that time. To answer another question a player can move back and forth from active to reserve at any time as long as their salary isn't changed. If the salary is changed they must stay on the reserve list for at least one game.

- If you get the chance listen to the radio show with Steve Martinson today from 12:30 - 1:30 pm. I will join Tommy Daniels as we discuss with coach Martinson the upcoming series with Idaho. The show will be live streamed through 107.3 FM.


DID YOU KNOW: I found a surprise when I stopped by the Allen Event Center (AEC) yesterday. The Kelly Cup championship banner has finally found it's place in the rafters. Sorry for the poor quality but here is the proof:

 

Will They Drive Or Will They Fly, Playoff Roster, Former Americans In Playoffs, More Costello Records

- Want to start with a couple of follow ups from yesterday's blog post. It seems there might be a chance ownership will approve the team flying to Idaho rather than taking Big Red. At least the team is trying to make the case to fly. If you consider a long trip like the one to Boise (1600 miles) there are additional expenses from the normal road trip. You must have a second driver, you have to leave earlier so there is additional per diem expense, traveling through the mountains creates more risk of a breakdown with a 20 year old bus and most importantly it is the right thing to do for the team to help them be successful. For the team's sake, hope they can find a way to make flying happen.

- The playoff roster was submitted yesterday afternoon. The official ECHL release of all 16 playoff rosters will be out this afternoon but teams have been given permission to release them so you might see releases from some teams being issued before the official ECHL release.
UPDATE: The playoff roster has been released by the Americans. Reggie Traccitto is the player that did not make the playoff roster.  Here is the press release: http://allenamericans.com/allen-americans-announce-2016-playoff-roster/

- It is always difficult when the playoff roster is released and someone is left off the roster. If new players are signed or a playoff roster spot is reserved for players that are currently in the AHL, it means someone who has been with the team gets left off. Adding up the numbers and making some assumptions the best guess is one player currently with the team will not make the playoff roster.

-  Congrats to the many former Allen Americans who will be in the Kelly Cup playoffs. When #1 seed Missouri takes on #8 seed Quad City there will be five former Americans on the ice. Scott Howes, Trevor Ludwig and Bryce Aneloski play for Missouri, Tanner Eberle and Kyle Follmer for Quad City. Others in the playoffs include Kevin Young whose Reading team in the #8 seed, Jamie Schaafsma in Fort Wayne as the #2 seed, Darryl Bootland in Colorado as the #3 seed and Corbin Baldwin will be in Allen with Idaho.

- The Allen Americans game operation staff did a nice deed on Saturday. They arranged for the Evansville fans that came to Allen to support the IceMen in their last game ever to greet the team as they left the locker room for the last period. Heard there were more than a few tears. The fans were also taken in the back to take pictures with the team after the game.

Evansville fans greet the team as they head to the ice for the last period in team history

- I had the chance to spend a few minutes with Jarret Lukin before the game on Saturday and reminisced about the early days of the Allen Americans. Jarret was the first player signed by the team, the first team captain and really is Mr. Allen American. Jarret has many friends in Allen and went out of his way to say hi to everyone and take pictures. Class act!

Jarret Lukin made time for everyone - photo by Dianne Webster

- Chad Costello has played just two seasons in Allen but is already on the career leader board in several categories. Chad is first all time in assists with 163 (Bruce Graham is second with 138). Chad is second all time in points with 228 (Graham leads with 235). Chad is fifth all time in goals with 65 (Graham leads with 97). Pretty impressive stats in two seasons.

- There will be a complete series preview tomorrow in the match up between Allen and Idaho but head to head they played four times this season, all in a 10 day period in December. They split in Allen with the Americans winning 4-0 on December 9 and Idaho winning 3-2 in overtime on December 13. They also split two games in Idaho with the Steelheads winning 6-2 on December 18 and Allen getting a 3-2 shootout win on December 19.


DID YOU KNOW: Since 1998 (18 years) only two teams have won the regular season championship (Brabham Cup) and gone on to win the playoff championship (Kelly Cup). The Alaska Aces accomplished the feat three times (2014, 2011, 2006) and the Cincinnati Cyclones won both in 2008.

Allen Will Take On Idaho in First Round, Playoff Roster Details, Why Costello Is MVP

Two weeks away from writing the blog was was quite the experience. Just returned from a great vacation to the national parks of Costa Rica. I want to start out this morning by thanking Mary Betz and Ted Hosterman for writing the blog in my absence. They did a terrific job and put in a lot of time doing game previews and recaps plus numerous interviews to give readers background stories about the Allen Americans coaches, staff and some of the newly signed players. Thanks again Ted and Mary!

- With the regular season complete Allen can now focus on the playoffs and their first round opponent, the Idaho Steelheads. There will be an in-depth playoff preview on Wednesday but a couple of interesting notes about playing Idaho. The Steelheads lost the West Division title on the final day of the season on Saturday when Missouri defeated them at home 3-1, while Colorado beat Alaska 5-3 in Anchorage. Both teams ended the season with 86 points but Colorado won the West Division on the first tie breaker (wins, excluding shootout wins).

- The interesting thing about how things played out in the Alaska vs Colorado game is the Aces started a 45 year old goalie who had never played a professional game. Alaska has long been eliminated from the playoffs, so they decided to honor their long time EBUG (emergency back up goalie) by signing him to a standard player contract so he could play. The night was a financial success as the game was a sellout. There was a post game jersey auction of the team's warm-up jerseys and the goalie's jersey went for $2400. For a game that impacted who would win the division title, it makes one wonder if other professional leagues would have allowed this to happen. To be fair, the ECHL approved the contract and the Idaho coach had no comment. Here is the complete story: http://www.adn.com/article/20160407/after-25-years-emergency-back-goalie-barneys-ready-his-aces-close

- With Colorado winning the West Division it means they will take on the sixth seed (Utah Grizzlies) while Allen takes on the fifth seed (Idaho). Every player and coach I talked to preferred to play Colorado. Not because of the match up but because Allen will be taking the bus to their away games and Colorado is 842 miles from Allen while Idaho is 1605 miles away. Most fans were happy to hear the first round opponent would be Idaho because Colorado has been playing the best hockey in the Western Conference going 8-1-1-0 over their last ten games.

- Travel could certainly play a role in this series for the Americans. Game five is scheduled for April 23 in Idaho and game six is scheduled for April 26 in Allen. While Idaho will fly to Allen, the Americans will be taking "Big Red" back to Allen. A trip that will take close to 30 hours on the bus.

- Here is the first round schedule:
Game 1: Thursday, April 14th Idaho at Allen 7:05 PM CST
Game 2: Saturday, April 16th Idaho at Allen 7:05 PM CST
Game 3: Wednesday, April 20th Allen at Idaho 8:10 PM CST
Game 4: Friday, April 22nd Allen at Idaho 8:10 PM CST
Game 5: Saturday, April 23rd Allen at Idaho 8:10 PM CST if necessary
Game 6: Tuesday April 26th Idaho at Allen 7:05 PM CST if necessary
Game 7: Wednesday April 27th Idaho at Allen 7:05 PM CST if necessary



PLAYOFF ROSTER

- Coach Martinson must submit the playoff roster this afternoon (3:00 pm EDT). The playoff roster can be up to 23 players (19 active 4 reserves). There are many decisions that must be made today. Will there be three goalies on the the playoff roster? My guess is the answer is yes. Will Aaron Gens make the playoff roster? This depends on the doctor's report as to when Aaron can start skating and play, but knowing Gens the answer will be yes. Will additional amateurs be signed? Look for one or two new names to be on the playoff roster. Will a slot be saved for players eligible for the playoffs but currently in the AHL like Nikita Jevpalovs? This will depend on a conversation with San Jose. What players, if any, who have been with the team all year will be released or left off the playoff roster? Depending on the answers to the previous questions it might be necessary.

- One thing is for sure is there will be some surprises when the playoff roster is released this afternoon. It will be a busy day at practice for coach Martinson as the team prepares for Idaho and it will be a busy day for general manager Martinson as he makes the decisions on the playoff roster. It is the kind of day Allen fans are thankful they have a guy like Martinson with 20 years of head coaching experience at the helm.


ECHL MVP

- The ECHL will announce the league MVP on Friday and Chad Costello is certainly one of the top candidates for the award. Chad has had another amazing year but I am sure his thoughts are the same as mine. If he wasn't the MVP last season when he had 125 points and won the scoring championship by the widest margin in league history (45 points), had more assists then any other player in the ECHL had total points, was second in goals scored (41), first in power play points, third in plus/minus and played in all 72 games for his team it is hard to see the same voters giving him the MVP this season. While Chad was not the the ECHL MVP as voted by the teams and media he was selected as the MVP by his peers as he won the PHPA (Professional Hockey Players Association) ECHL Most Valuable Player Award.

- Here is why I think Chad should be the MVP this season:
- He once again won the ECHL scoring championship with 103 points (24 goals 79 assists).
- Other than Chad, there has not been a 100 point scorer in the ECHL in seven years.
- Chad had more assists (79) than anyone else in the ECHL had total points except Trent Daavettlia who had 80 points.
- Chad won the scoring title by 23 points which is the fifth largest margin in the history of the ECHL.
- Chad is the only player in the last 20 years who has won the scoring title by at least 20 points.
- Chad was the only player on his team who played in all 72 games. A true ironman who has never missed a game (regular season or playoffs) as an Allen American.
- Chad had at least one assist in the last 19 games of the season. This streak is second all time in the ECHL.
- Chad scored an average of 1.43 points per game which was the highest average in the ECHL.
- The Allen Americans won 38 games in regulation and overtime. Chad was involved in the game winning goal in 19 of the 38 victories.
- Chad served as co-captain of the Allen Americans.

- Chad is finishing his second year in Allen and has 228 points in those two years. The most points any other player in the ECHL had in the last two years was Fort Wayne's Shawn Szydlowski and Colorado's Trent Daavettlia who had 149 points. Chad isn't concerned about individual awards as it is another Kelly Cup that has his focus. Allen fans realize there is no player in the league that contributes as much to his team as Chad Costello.


DID YOU KNOW: The Allen Americans finished the season with 89 points which was tied for the second most points in the Western Conference. However, it is the lowest point total in the history of the franchise. Here are the point totals by season, conference finish and playoff results. The points were adjusted by using average points per game to equate to a 72 game season.

2015-16:   89 points    (finished second in conference) - ?????
2014-15:   106 points  (finished first in conference)     -  won championship
2013-14:   90 points   (finished third in conference)     -  won championship
2012-13:   95 points   (finished first in conference)      -  won championship 
2011-12:   95 points   (finished second in conference)  - lost in first round
2010-11:   106 points (finished first in conference)      -  lost in third round
2009-10:   100 points (finished second in conference) -  lost in championship final

AND FOLKS, THAT'S A WRAP............TO THE 2015-16 REGULAR SEASON


*Please note: While Barry is on vacation, the views below do not reflect those of Barry or the Allen Americans Organization.

"COME AND TAKE IT"  (courtesy of Lauren Lyssy)

Another nail biter at the AEC last night before a packed house as Allen won their final game of this season.  Off to the Kelly Cup race we all go!  We saw Allen fall behind early in the game, 3:24 of the first period, when IceMen's Alex Wideman beat Allen Goalie Jake Hildebrand.  But the Americans said "oh no, not again tonight" as Thomas Carr passed to Greger Hanson who found Spencer Asuchak. Spencer, maintaining his presence in front of the net, scored on the rebound and buried the biscuit (puck, not to be confused with our mascot), in the net past Evansville goalie Christoffer Bengtsberg.  At the 7:54 mark of the first period Allen tied the game.  Only 1 minute 4 seconds later, Allen would go up by 1 when David Makowski netted a goal off a shot from Casey Pierro-Zabotel from the blue line. Zabotel's shot was set up by a precision cross ice pass from Chad Costello.

This game would find no scoring during the second period.

Think Allen won this one in regulation?  Not quite, as the IceMen felt their final game slipping from under their skates, they found the back of net with just 49 seconds left.  Tyson Fawcett tied the score to force overtime.

Five minutes of 3 on 3 sudden death overtime was not sufficient to break this tied game, but a shootout did!  Gary Steffes, with a beautiful move to the stick side would score on the glove side of Bengtsberg in the second round and would be the game winner!

2015-2016 Season End Statistics -

• With last night's crowd of 5436, the Allen finished 12th in the league in attendance with a 4571 average.  This is almost a 12% increase over last year's 4096.
• Eric Roy was second in power play goals by defensemen and third by rookies with 7. He was first in shooting percentage by defensemen at 14.3%.  
• Matt Register's 20 power play points ranked him 3rd in the league for defensemen.
• David Makowski tied for the league lead in goals by defensemen with 17. His 7 winning goals led the league for defensemen.
• Chad Costello led the league in:

               - points (103)

               - assists (79)

               - power play assists (33)

               - power play points (40)

               - consecutive points streak (19)

               - consecutive assists streak (19) ranks second in the ECHL record book with the record                  being 20

The Apple does not fall far from the tree!
(courtesy of Dianne Webster)

With 4 goals in the second period last night against Alaska, Colorado claimed the West Division Championship.  As a result of Colorado's win, Idaho dropped to the fifth seed and will face Allen in the first round of the playoffs.

Allen has faced the Steelheads four times during regular season play with a record of 2-1-1-0. They last met on December 19th.

Final pairings in the Western Conference are:

• #1 MO  vs  #8 QC
• #2 FW  vs  #7 CIN
• #3 CO   vs  #6 UTA
• #4 ALN  vs  #5 IDA

This concludes our stint as guest bloggers.  Barry will return for the next blog. Many thanks for all your support.  

Did you know: In the history of the Kelly Cup Finals, there have only been 3 years the winning team has swept the series (4-0).  1992- Hampton Road Warriors, 1996 - Charlotte Checkers, and 2002- Greenville Grrrowl.