As the Allen Americans head to the airport today for their flight to Boise where they will be spending the Thanksgiving holiday they can be thankful they are not getting on "Big Red" for a bus trip through the mountains in November. I am sure sometime this week the new Allen players will hear all about the "Trips From Hell" from last season heading west through the mountains. Two trips in November that featured numerous bus breakdowns plus snow, ice and blizzard conditions. This trip to Boise will be much more relaxing as the Americans prepare to play Idaho on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
- Yesterday I talked about the difference in winning percentage this season (.594) compared to last season (.400). Here are some other comparisons between last season and this season after 16 games played.
2016-17 2017-18
Team Record 7-9-0-0 (14 points) 8-5-2-1 (19 points)
Division Ranking 5th - Mountain 4th - Mountain
Conference Ranking 11th - Western 5th - Western
League Ranking 19th 9th
Goals For 52 54
Goals Against 56 48
Power Play 7.9% (5/63) 18.2% (14/77)
Penalty Kill 81.9% (13/72) 86.5% (10/74)
Leading Scorer Costello (5-17-22) Pierro-Zabotel (4-14-18)
Most PIM's Mathers - 73 Arseneau - 32
- Here is Allen's ECHL ranking last season versus this season in some key statistical categories:
2016-17 2017-18
Penalty Minutes Per Game: 3rd (18.31) 6th (20.06)
Goals Scored Per Game: 17th (3.25) 11th (3.38)
Goals Allowed Per Game: 21st (3.50) 9th (3.00)
Shots For Per Game: 5th (34.13) 9th (34.25)
Shots Against Per Game: 21st (34.63) 22nd (35.69)
Power Play Percentage: 24th (7.9%) 10th (18.2%)
Penalty Kill Percentage 20th (81.9%) 7th (86.5%)
- Based on all of the stats above it is easy to see the team is doing better than last season in almost every category. They have scored more goals and allowed fewer goals than last season. The power play is much better and the penalty kill is also better than last season. The real question is how much will this team improve going forward. Last season once December came around the Americans rarely lost. Allen's record the rest of the way was 42-8-4-2.
- It is hard to believe Allen has already played 25% of their home games as nine of 36 home games are already in the books. The Americans record for those nine home games is 4-2-2-1. Allen has played seven road games with a record of 4-3-0-0.
- I saw this stat posted on Twitter by @hockeyfights and found it interesting. It is the 2017-18 Gordie Howe hat trick counter by league through November 18. Allen is a big contributor to the eight ECHL Gordie Howe hat tricks. Spencer Asuchak against Tulsa, Vincent Arseneau against Tulsa and Jonathan Lessard against Orlando have all accomplished the feat this season.
NHL - 3
AHL - 4
ECHL - 8
SPHL - 1
OHL - 3
QMJHL - 5
WHL - 7
USHL - 0
NAHL - 1
- The Tulsa Oilers are in the midst of playing 14 straight games on the road. Their last home game was November 4 and they won't play again at home until December 15. It is a tough stretch that has been made worse by the medical emergency of their coach Rob Murray. Coach Murray is out of the hospital and is at home recuperating until he is ready to return to the bench. The team plays three games in Rapid City this week and then will head to Idaho for three games next week. Last I heard they are taking Big Red (the bus) on the entire road trip which is scary, especially through the mountains this time of year. So far the Tulsa record on the 14 straight road games is 0-3-1-1. Their game against Quad City, when coach Murray had the medical emergency, was suspended and will be finished at a later date. Have to admit I am pulling for the Oilers who are dealing with more than a fair share of adversity. Tulsa is already five points out of a playoff spot and their season could be over by the time they play at home again.
- Here is how the Mountain Division has fared against the other divisions.
North Division: 4-2-0-0
South Division: 4-2-1-0
Central Division: 7-7-2-2
It should be noted that Wichita and Tulsa have played 13 of the 19 games against the Central Division. Wichita's record is 5-0-1-0 and Tulsa's record is 1-5-0-1.
DID YOU KNOW: Shorthanded goals are one of the biggest momentum changers is hockey. It is something Allen will have to be aware of in the three games they play against Idaho this week. Allen has scored three shorthanded goals this season but allowed four. Idaho has scored four shorthanded goals this season but have not allowed a single shorthanded goal.
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Monday, November 20, 2017
Allen Loses to Wichita 6-4, Splits Weekend Series, Game Recap, Martinson's Comments, Power Play Improvement, Injuries & Everything in Perspective
It is not the formula for success to give up the first goal of the game, allow five second period goals and allow the most goals of the season (6) but such was the case for Allen yesterday. The Americans lost to the Wichita Thunder 6-4 before a small crowd of 2575 at Intrust Bank Arena. It wasn't all bad for Allen as they came back from a 2-0 deficit early in the second period (before Wichita scored three unanswered goals) and the power play was excellent going 3-5. Despite the loss it was a successful weekend for the Americans, splitting two games on the road against the second best team in the league by winning percentage (.821).
- The Americans headed home right after the game and were scheduled to arrive late last night. It will be a quick stop in Allen as the team will fly to Boise tomorrow (Tuesday) where they will play three games against the Idaho Steelheads on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
- The goal scorers for Allen were David Makowski (3), Colby McAuley (1), Peter MacArthur (4) and Joel Chouinard (3). You can check out seven minutes of video highlights including all 10 goals, some great saves by both goalies and the only fight of the weekend at ECHL Rewind: https://www.echl.com/
- Here is a game recap from Matt Harding who covers the Wichita Thunder for Team Sin Bin. Matt's story includes quotes from Wichita coach Malcolm Cameron: http://thesinbin.net/thunder-offense-explodes-in-second-period-gains-split-with-allen/
STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS
- Some very weak defensive breakdowns in the second period made the difference in the game.
- The disallowed shorthanded goal which would have tied the score 3-3 was pivotal in the game. It is hard to understand how all three officials couldn't see the puck went off Aubin's skate with absolutely no kicking motion whatsoever.
- We had a few players that had as bad a night as the officials.
OTHER COMMENTS
- How is this for an odd stat. The Allen power play has gone 7-18 (38.9%) over the last four games but it has been feast or famine. The Americans won two of the last four games and went 0-2 and 0-3 on the power play in the two wins. In the two losses Allen was 4-8 and 3-5 on the power play. Go figure! You sure don't lose many games when you get three or four power play goals.
- Allen has been playing better hockey lately as they have captured nine of 12 points over the last six games for a winning percentage of .750. As a frame of reference last season Allen had the second best winning percentage in the ECHL at .722. Continuous improvement is the key and last night's game excluded, there has been improvement recently.
- Injuries are a way of life as a professional hockey player and the Americans have had their share thus far. Dalton Thrower and Zach Pochiro are out with hand injuries, Alex Schoenborn didn't make the trip to Wichita, Vincent Arseneau sat out the game last night, Riley Gill hasn't played since October 21 when he was taken off the ice on a stretcher and there are several other players playing with injuries that could use some rest. I heard another player might have gotten injured last night but no confirmation from the team at this point. It is striking how quickly the roster can go from too many players to not enough players. The three games against Idaho this week are all the Americans play in the next 11 days so there will be time for some much needed rest.
- As a team the Americans had a plus/minus total of -20 in the game last night. Four defensemen (Thrower, Gunn, Roy, Liberati) and Zach Hall were the only players not to be minus. The team total for the season is +9. Last season Allen finished +334 as a team and Joel Chouinard led the ECHL with +47.
- Joel Chouinard had two power play points last night with a goal and an assist. That gives Joel nine power play points on the season which is good for third place in the ECHL and just one point from the league lead.
- The Americans were 3-5 on the power play last night and 4-8 in a game last weekend. With that success the Allen power play is now ranked #10 in the league at 18.2%. The penalty kill is ranked #7 at 86.5%.
- Thought today would be a good day for some hockey humor. This one is a few years old but hopefully at least one of these 29 steps to being a hockey player will give you a chuckle.
DID YOU KNOW: I know some Allen fans are concerned about how the team is performing but sometimes it is worth putting things in perspective. Allen is #10 in the 27 team league in points (19) and if they had won last night would have been #3. If you go by winning percentage (.594) the Americans are ranked #12.
Exactly one year ago today this was what I wrote in DID YOU KNOW: There are now only two teams in the entire ECHL that have a lower winning percentage than Allen (.400). They are Norfolk and Elmira.
- The Americans headed home right after the game and were scheduled to arrive late last night. It will be a quick stop in Allen as the team will fly to Boise tomorrow (Tuesday) where they will play three games against the Idaho Steelheads on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
- The goal scorers for Allen were David Makowski (3), Colby McAuley (1), Peter MacArthur (4) and Joel Chouinard (3). You can check out seven minutes of video highlights including all 10 goals, some great saves by both goalies and the only fight of the weekend at ECHL Rewind: https://www.echl.com/
- Here is a game recap from Matt Harding who covers the Wichita Thunder for Team Sin Bin. Matt's story includes quotes from Wichita coach Malcolm Cameron: http://thesinbin.net/thunder-offense-explodes-in-second-period-gains-split-with-allen/
STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS
- Some very weak defensive breakdowns in the second period made the difference in the game.
- The disallowed shorthanded goal which would have tied the score 3-3 was pivotal in the game. It is hard to understand how all three officials couldn't see the puck went off Aubin's skate with absolutely no kicking motion whatsoever.
- We had a few players that had as bad a night as the officials.
OTHER COMMENTS
- How is this for an odd stat. The Allen power play has gone 7-18 (38.9%) over the last four games but it has been feast or famine. The Americans won two of the last four games and went 0-2 and 0-3 on the power play in the two wins. In the two losses Allen was 4-8 and 3-5 on the power play. Go figure! You sure don't lose many games when you get three or four power play goals.
- Allen has been playing better hockey lately as they have captured nine of 12 points over the last six games for a winning percentage of .750. As a frame of reference last season Allen had the second best winning percentage in the ECHL at .722. Continuous improvement is the key and last night's game excluded, there has been improvement recently.
- Injuries are a way of life as a professional hockey player and the Americans have had their share thus far. Dalton Thrower and Zach Pochiro are out with hand injuries, Alex Schoenborn didn't make the trip to Wichita, Vincent Arseneau sat out the game last night, Riley Gill hasn't played since October 21 when he was taken off the ice on a stretcher and there are several other players playing with injuries that could use some rest. I heard another player might have gotten injured last night but no confirmation from the team at this point. It is striking how quickly the roster can go from too many players to not enough players. The three games against Idaho this week are all the Americans play in the next 11 days so there will be time for some much needed rest.
- As a team the Americans had a plus/minus total of -20 in the game last night. Four defensemen (Thrower, Gunn, Roy, Liberati) and Zach Hall were the only players not to be minus. The team total for the season is +9. Last season Allen finished +334 as a team and Joel Chouinard led the ECHL with +47.
- Joel Chouinard had two power play points last night with a goal and an assist. That gives Joel nine power play points on the season which is good for third place in the ECHL and just one point from the league lead.
- The Americans were 3-5 on the power play last night and 4-8 in a game last weekend. With that success the Allen power play is now ranked #10 in the league at 18.2%. The penalty kill is ranked #7 at 86.5%.
- Thought today would be a good day for some hockey humor. This one is a few years old but hopefully at least one of these 29 steps to being a hockey player will give you a chuckle.
DID YOU KNOW: I know some Allen fans are concerned about how the team is performing but sometimes it is worth putting things in perspective. Allen is #10 in the 27 team league in points (19) and if they had won last night would have been #3. If you go by winning percentage (.594) the Americans are ranked #12.
Exactly one year ago today this was what I wrote in DID YOU KNOW: There are now only two teams in the entire ECHL that have a lower winning percentage than Allen (.400). They are Norfolk and Elmira.
Sunday, November 19, 2017
Allen Beats Wichita 3-2, Game Recap, Rematch Preview, Martinson's Post Game Comments, Archambault Injured & Penalty Minutes Don't Predict Success
The mastery of the Allen Americans over the Wichita Thunder on the road continued last night as the Americans defeated the Thunder 3-2 before a crowd of 6417 at Intrust Bank Arena. The Thunder has lost only two games in regulation all season and both have come at home at the hands of the Americans. Since joining the ECHL in 2014 Allen's record in Wichita is now 19-2-1-2.
- In the game last night Allen got off to a great start on a goal by Vincent Arseneau at the 2:40 mark of the first period. The Americans took a 2-0 lead six minutes later when Miles Liberati scored on a one timer from the point off a faceoff win by Zach Hall.
- Dyson Stevenson scored on a Wichita power play (16:20) to make the score 2-1 and that is how the first period ended. At that point Allen fans were confident the game would go the Americans way. The reason being is Allen's record when scoring first now stands at 6-0 and their record when taking a first period lead is 5-0.
- Mathieu Aubin scored early in the second period (1:06) to give Allen a two goal lead and then Wichita scored their second power play goal at the 13:16 mark to cut the score to 3-2. That was the end of the scoring as there were no goals scored in the final 27 minutes of the game. Good defense and some spectacular saves by Allen goalie Stephon Williams carried the day.
- The goal scorers for Allen were Vincent Arseneau (5) who has a goal in four straight games, Miles Liberati (2) who has a goal in the last two games and is just one goal away from matching his goal total for all of last season and Mathieu Aubin (3) who has scored three goals in the last three games. Since returning from the 21 day injured reserve Aubin has played in five games and has four points (3 goals 1 assist). You can check out all of the goals plus a save of the year candidate by Stephon Willams at ECHL Rewind. Here is the link: https://www.echl.com/
- Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/americans-nip-thunder-first-two-game-weekend-set/
- Here is a game recap courtesy of Matt Harding who covers the Wichita Thunder for Team Sin Bin. Matt's story includes a description of each goal, quotes from Wichita coach Malcolm Cameron and all of the video highlights: http://thesinbin.net/tail-of-two-thunder-teams-leads-to-allen-win/
STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS
- We had a great start with the two early goals in the first period but I thought we kind of stopped skating at times after the 2-0 start.
- We didn't do a good job of killing a couple of bad penalties and it led to both Wichita goals. I thought one was a bad call and one was a bad penalty to take.
- We can play a lot better and will have to do that tomorrow. We need to make sure we keep moving and keep skating.
- It was big to get the early goals to start the first and second period. On Aubin's goal early in the second period we caught them on a bad line change.
REMATCH PREVIEW
- As great as the win was last night if the Americans don't back it up with another win today they will not have gained any ground on Wichita. The other teams ahead of Allen in the standings (Colorado & Idaho) also won last night so the Americans find themselves in fourth place in the Mountain Division standings. Only two points separate first place Wichita (21 points) and fourth place Allen (19 points) with Colorado and Idaho in between with 20 points. Colorado and Idaho are idle today so if Allen wins in regulation they vault from fourth place to tied for first place in the division.
- If Allen is to win this afternoon (4:05 pm) they will need to have another good start just as they did last night and they will have to improve their special teams play. The Americans power play on the road is 2-24 and is ranked #25 at 8.3%. Wichita's power play at home is at 20.7% after they went 2-4 last night. There is a similar disparity between the penalty kill units. Overall Allen is ranked #5 (87.3%) on the penalty kill but if you look at road games the penalty kill is ranked #25 at 77.3%. Wichita's home penalty kill is 83.9%. Allen gave up two power play goals last night and didn't score any. It is unlikely they can win this afternoon if they repeat that performance.
- Allen and Wichita have now played three times this season with the Americans winning twice. There will be another nine games between these teams this season. After three games the head to head stats have Allen outscoring Wichita 9-8 and out shooting them 107-95. Wichita has the advanatge on the power play going 3-11 (27.3%) compared to Allen at 1-8 (12.5%). Allen leads in penalty minutes 48-30.
- Fans got to see two of the best goalies in the league last night in Shane Starrett and Stephon Williams and their stats couldn't be closer. They have the exact same save percentage at .932 which is third best in the league. Williams gave up two goals last night and lowered his GAA to 2.26. Starrett's GAA inched up to 2.23 after he allowed three goals. It will be interesting to see if either team makes a switch to their backup goalies who have also played great when given the opportunity. Jeremy Brodeur (Allen) has a .921 save percentage in the four games he has started and Joel Rumpel has a .930 in the five games he has played. The way Stephon Williams has been playing my guess is coach Martinson stays with the hot goalie.
- Officials scheduled for the game are the same as those who worked the game last night. Referee Sean MacFarlane (#4) and linesmen Addison Brush (#80 ) and Michael Houle (#49).
OTHER COMMENTS
- Allen has a five game point scoring streak going (4-0-0-1) which is the longest current steak in the division.
- The San Jose Barracuda won last night beating Ontario 2-1. Olivier Archambault was injured during the game, left the ice holding his wrist and did not return. Hope it is nothing serious.
- It is still a ways away but the home game on Saturday, December 2 against Rapid City will be a great game to bring the family. It is not only the night for the Teddy Bear Toss it is also Nickelodeon Night and the players will be wearing Spongebob specialty jerseys.
- Rick Duncan from northDsports.com conducted this interview with Joel Choiunard before the team left for Wichita. Rick is a sponsor with the Americans and his website covers north Dallas sports news from high school to the pros, from basketball to football to hockey to rodeo. In other words he covers all sports from A to Z. Rick has been doing this for years and his website is very comprehensive. He and his team have been doing a lot of stories about the Allen Americans. Make sure to check out northDsports.com if you haven't already done so.
DID YOU KNOW: Wichita leads the Mountain Division standings and has the fewest penalty minutes (183) in the division. The teams in second, third and fourth place all have over 300 penalty minutes, Colorado (337), Idaho (303) and Allen (306). Whenever I look at standings and penalty minutes I always conclude there are different ways to build a winning team. Here are the facts.
The team with the fewest penalty minutes in the North Division is Reading (101) and they are in fourth place. The team with the fewest penalty minutes in the South Division is South Carolina (140) and they are in third place. The team with the fewest penalty minutes in the Central Division is Quad City (130) and they are in fifth place.
The team with the most penalty minutes in the Mountain Division is Colorado (337) and they are in second place. The team with the most penalty minutes in the North Division is Worcester (269) and they are in last place. The team with the most penalty minutes in the South Division is Greenville (292) and they are in second place. The team with the most penalty minutes in the Central Division is Indy (287) and they are in last place.
Here are the penalty minutes for the four division leaders:
257 - Florida (South Division)
245 - Wheeling (North Division)
230 - Toledo (Central Division)
183 - Wichita (Mountain Division)
Here are the penalty minutes for the four last place teams:
287 - Indy (Central Division)
269 - Worcester (North Division)
252 - Rapid City (Mountain Division)
218 - Jacksonville (South Division)
- In the game last night Allen got off to a great start on a goal by Vincent Arseneau at the 2:40 mark of the first period. The Americans took a 2-0 lead six minutes later when Miles Liberati scored on a one timer from the point off a faceoff win by Zach Hall.
- Dyson Stevenson scored on a Wichita power play (16:20) to make the score 2-1 and that is how the first period ended. At that point Allen fans were confident the game would go the Americans way. The reason being is Allen's record when scoring first now stands at 6-0 and their record when taking a first period lead is 5-0.
- Mathieu Aubin scored early in the second period (1:06) to give Allen a two goal lead and then Wichita scored their second power play goal at the 13:16 mark to cut the score to 3-2. That was the end of the scoring as there were no goals scored in the final 27 minutes of the game. Good defense and some spectacular saves by Allen goalie Stephon Williams carried the day.
- The goal scorers for Allen were Vincent Arseneau (5) who has a goal in four straight games, Miles Liberati (2) who has a goal in the last two games and is just one goal away from matching his goal total for all of last season and Mathieu Aubin (3) who has scored three goals in the last three games. Since returning from the 21 day injured reserve Aubin has played in five games and has four points (3 goals 1 assist). You can check out all of the goals plus a save of the year candidate by Stephon Willams at ECHL Rewind. Here is the link: https://www.echl.com/
- Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/americans-nip-thunder-first-two-game-weekend-set/
- Here is a game recap courtesy of Matt Harding who covers the Wichita Thunder for Team Sin Bin. Matt's story includes a description of each goal, quotes from Wichita coach Malcolm Cameron and all of the video highlights: http://thesinbin.net/tail-of-two-thunder-teams-leads-to-allen-win/
STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS
- We had a great start with the two early goals in the first period but I thought we kind of stopped skating at times after the 2-0 start.
- We didn't do a good job of killing a couple of bad penalties and it led to both Wichita goals. I thought one was a bad call and one was a bad penalty to take.
- We can play a lot better and will have to do that tomorrow. We need to make sure we keep moving and keep skating.
- It was big to get the early goals to start the first and second period. On Aubin's goal early in the second period we caught them on a bad line change.
REMATCH PREVIEW
- As great as the win was last night if the Americans don't back it up with another win today they will not have gained any ground on Wichita. The other teams ahead of Allen in the standings (Colorado & Idaho) also won last night so the Americans find themselves in fourth place in the Mountain Division standings. Only two points separate first place Wichita (21 points) and fourth place Allen (19 points) with Colorado and Idaho in between with 20 points. Colorado and Idaho are idle today so if Allen wins in regulation they vault from fourth place to tied for first place in the division.
- If Allen is to win this afternoon (4:05 pm) they will need to have another good start just as they did last night and they will have to improve their special teams play. The Americans power play on the road is 2-24 and is ranked #25 at 8.3%. Wichita's power play at home is at 20.7% after they went 2-4 last night. There is a similar disparity between the penalty kill units. Overall Allen is ranked #5 (87.3%) on the penalty kill but if you look at road games the penalty kill is ranked #25 at 77.3%. Wichita's home penalty kill is 83.9%. Allen gave up two power play goals last night and didn't score any. It is unlikely they can win this afternoon if they repeat that performance.
- Allen and Wichita have now played three times this season with the Americans winning twice. There will be another nine games between these teams this season. After three games the head to head stats have Allen outscoring Wichita 9-8 and out shooting them 107-95. Wichita has the advanatge on the power play going 3-11 (27.3%) compared to Allen at 1-8 (12.5%). Allen leads in penalty minutes 48-30.
- Fans got to see two of the best goalies in the league last night in Shane Starrett and Stephon Williams and their stats couldn't be closer. They have the exact same save percentage at .932 which is third best in the league. Williams gave up two goals last night and lowered his GAA to 2.26. Starrett's GAA inched up to 2.23 after he allowed three goals. It will be interesting to see if either team makes a switch to their backup goalies who have also played great when given the opportunity. Jeremy Brodeur (Allen) has a .921 save percentage in the four games he has started and Joel Rumpel has a .930 in the five games he has played. The way Stephon Williams has been playing my guess is coach Martinson stays with the hot goalie.
- Officials scheduled for the game are the same as those who worked the game last night. Referee Sean MacFarlane (#4) and linesmen Addison Brush (#80 ) and Michael Houle (#49).
OTHER COMMENTS
- Allen has a five game point scoring streak going (4-0-0-1) which is the longest current steak in the division.
- The San Jose Barracuda won last night beating Ontario 2-1. Olivier Archambault was injured during the game, left the ice holding his wrist and did not return. Hope it is nothing serious.
- It is still a ways away but the home game on Saturday, December 2 against Rapid City will be a great game to bring the family. It is not only the night for the Teddy Bear Toss it is also Nickelodeon Night and the players will be wearing Spongebob specialty jerseys.
- Rick Duncan from northDsports.com conducted this interview with Joel Choiunard before the team left for Wichita. Rick is a sponsor with the Americans and his website covers north Dallas sports news from high school to the pros, from basketball to football to hockey to rodeo. In other words he covers all sports from A to Z. Rick has been doing this for years and his website is very comprehensive. He and his team have been doing a lot of stories about the Allen Americans. Make sure to check out northDsports.com if you haven't already done so.
DID YOU KNOW: Wichita leads the Mountain Division standings and has the fewest penalty minutes (183) in the division. The teams in second, third and fourth place all have over 300 penalty minutes, Colorado (337), Idaho (303) and Allen (306). Whenever I look at standings and penalty minutes I always conclude there are different ways to build a winning team. Here are the facts.
The team with the fewest penalty minutes in the North Division is Reading (101) and they are in fourth place. The team with the fewest penalty minutes in the South Division is South Carolina (140) and they are in third place. The team with the fewest penalty minutes in the Central Division is Quad City (130) and they are in fifth place.
The team with the most penalty minutes in the Mountain Division is Colorado (337) and they are in second place. The team with the most penalty minutes in the North Division is Worcester (269) and they are in last place. The team with the most penalty minutes in the South Division is Greenville (292) and they are in second place. The team with the most penalty minutes in the Central Division is Indy (287) and they are in last place.
Here are the penalty minutes for the four division leaders:
257 - Florida (South Division)
245 - Wheeling (North Division)
230 - Toledo (Central Division)
183 - Wichita (Mountain Division)
Here are the penalty minutes for the four last place teams:
287 - Indy (Central Division)
269 - Worcester (North Division)
252 - Rapid City (Mountain Division)
218 - Jacksonville (South Division)
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Allen vs Wichita Game Preview, Tulsa Coach Rob Murray Hospitalized, Division Standings & More
The Allen Americans are in Wichita to take on the league leading (winning percentage) Thunder tonight (7:05 pm CST) in a critical division matchup. Wichita is the most improved team in the ECHL this season. They finished last season ranked #26 in the league with a .340 winning percentage compared to this season with the #1 ranking of .875.
- The game tonight will be the third of 12 times these teams will meet this season. They have split the first two meetings with Allen winning 5-3 in Wichita and Wichita winning 3-1 in Allen.
- The Americans and Thunder will meet again tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon and this two game set will go along way in showing whether Allen is indeed back on track after a five game losing streak at the end of October. Since that time the Americans are 4-1-0-1 but the games have been close and low scoring. The two games this weekend against Wichita will be a good measuring stick for Allen. Best case scenario for the Americans is they win both games in regulation and are tied with the Thunder for first place in the division with 21 points. Worst case scenario is they lose both games in regulation, fall eight points behind Wichita and are all alone in sixth place in the division with 17 points.
Here is a match up between Allen and Wichita:
ALLEN WICHITA
Team Record 7-4-2-1 (17 points) 10-1-1-0 (21 points)
Division Ranking 4th - Mountain 1st - Central
Conference Ranking 5th - Western 2nd - Western
League Ranking 11th 3rd
Last Game 4-3 Win (Tulsa) 2-1 Win (Kansas City)
Goals For 47 45
Goals Against 40 27
Power Play 15.7% 11/70) 23.3% (10/43)
Penalty Kill 89.6% (7/67) 89.4% (5/47)
Most PIM Arseneau (32) Stevenson (40)
Leading Scorers: Pierro-Zabotel (4-12-16) Platzer (5-9-14)
Pochiro (7-3-11) MacMillan (7-6-13)
- Here is how Allen and Wichita rank in the ECHL in some statistical categories:
Penalty Minutes Per Game: Allen 4th (21.14) - Wichita 20th (14.75)
Goals Scored Per Game: Allen 12th (3.36) - Wichita 4th (3.75)
Goals Allowed Per Game: Allen 7th (2.86) - Wichita 1st (2.25)
Shots For Per Game: Allen 7th (34.71) - Wichita 19th (30.42)
Shots Against Per Game: Allen 22nd (36.14) - Wichita 18th (33.50)
Power Play Percentage: Allen 18th (15.7%) - Wichita 3rd (23.3%)
Penalty Kill Percentage: Allen 3rd (89.6%) - Wichita 4th (89.4%)
- Both teams have been getting great goaltending. They rank #1 and #2 in team save percentage in the ECHL. Wichita leads at .933 and Allen is close behind at .923. Based on the recent past you would expect the game to be low scoring. Wichita leads the ECHL in goals allowed per game with a 2.25 average. Allen is ranked #7 at 2.86.
- If you look at the stats above a few things stand out. Wichita is historically toward the top of the charts in penalty minutes but this season is ranked #20 averaging under 15 penalty minutes per game. Don't let the numbers fool you as the Thunder are still plenty tough. They have had 13 fights in 12 games compared to Allen with 16 fights in 14 games.
- The battle of the special teams will be interesting to watch. Wichita has the #3 ranked power play at 23.3% but at home have converted at a much lower rate (16.0%). Allen has the #3 ranked penalty kill at 89.6% but on the road is 83.3%. As is typically the case special teams will be a key to victory.
- The stats show how important it is to score the first goal and have a good first period if you want to win. Allen is 5-0 when scoring first and Wichita is 7-1 when scoring first. The one loss the Thunder had when scoring first was against Allen. The combined record of these teams with a first period lead is 10-0.
- The Thunder have outscored their opponents 18-7 in the first period, 19-9 in the second period and have actually been outscored 6-10 in the third period. Allen has had much more balanced scoring. The Americans have outscored their opponents 16-15 in the first period, 15-10 in the second period and 14-12 in the third period. If Allen is going to beat Wichita it is imperative they win the first period. If Allen falls behind in the first period it may be a long night.
- Both teams will be missing key players tonight. Wichita's top scorer (Kyle Platzer) and third leading scorer (Zach O'Brien) are currently with the Thunder's AHL affiliate (Bakersfield). Allen's second leading scorer, Zach Pochiro, is on the injured reserve.
- Officials scheduled for the game are referee Sean MacFarlane (#4) and linesmen Tony Pizzutelli (#97 ) and Russ Coll (#40).
OTHER COMMENTS
- If you are on social media I am sure you know by now that Tulsa coach, Rob Murray, collapsed on the bench during the second period of the Oilers game in Quad City last night and was taken to the hospital. The game was suspended and will be completed at a later date. Here is the most complete information I could find. It is a story written by Bobby Metcalf of the Quad-City Times: http://qctimes.com/sports/hockey/professional/minor/tulsa-head-coach-rob-murray-taken-to-hospital-with-medical/article_0c23ac0c-fcd9-595d-ad3b-76cf98e116ca.html
The most current info I have seen is from Tulsa's broadcaster and Vice President of Communications John Peterson, who accompanied Murray in the ambulance to the hospital. About 2:00 am John put out this message, "Coach Murray is in good spirits (he's a fighter after all). We are staying over night in Quad Cities for precautionary reasons. Plan is to be released in the morning." Earlier in the evening John had said, "Coach Murray is doing well. The doctors have told me he is suffering from dehydration and exhaustion. They said there is no concern right now."
It was really heartening so see all of the messages from around the ECHL, fans and teams showing concern for Murray and sending along their thoughts and prayers. It really is one big family in AA hockey.
- Greger Hanson was sent back to Utah by the San Diego Gulls (AHL) yesterday and it didn't take him long to make his presence felt. Utah lost last night to Colorado 3-2 in overtime. Greger had both Utah goals in a losing cause and was named the #1 star of the game.
- With Allen not playing last night along with Colorado and Idaho winning, the Americans dropped to fourth place in the Mountain Division standings. Here are the current Mountain Division standings with games played in parentheses:
21 points - Wichita (12 games)
18 points - Colorado (14 games)
18 points - Idaho (14 games)
17 points - Allen (14 games)
15 points - Utah (15 games)
14 points - Tulsa (13 games)
10 points - Rapid City (13 games)
DID YOU KNOW: Winning the regular season championship is not a good predictor of playoff success. Once the playoffs start any team is capable of winning. Allen won four straight championships but only once (2012-13) did they have the best regular season record. If you look at the last ten seasons in the ECHL the regular season champion won the Kelly Cup just three times.
- The game tonight will be the third of 12 times these teams will meet this season. They have split the first two meetings with Allen winning 5-3 in Wichita and Wichita winning 3-1 in Allen.
- The Americans and Thunder will meet again tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon and this two game set will go along way in showing whether Allen is indeed back on track after a five game losing streak at the end of October. Since that time the Americans are 4-1-0-1 but the games have been close and low scoring. The two games this weekend against Wichita will be a good measuring stick for Allen. Best case scenario for the Americans is they win both games in regulation and are tied with the Thunder for first place in the division with 21 points. Worst case scenario is they lose both games in regulation, fall eight points behind Wichita and are all alone in sixth place in the division with 17 points.
Here is a match up between Allen and Wichita:
ALLEN WICHITA
Team Record 7-4-2-1 (17 points) 10-1-1-0 (21 points)
Division Ranking 4th - Mountain 1st - Central
Conference Ranking 5th - Western 2nd - Western
League Ranking 11th 3rd
Last Game 4-3 Win (Tulsa) 2-1 Win (Kansas City)
Goals For 47 45
Goals Against 40 27
Power Play 15.7% 11/70) 23.3% (10/43)
Penalty Kill 89.6% (7/67) 89.4% (5/47)
Most PIM Arseneau (32) Stevenson (40)
Leading Scorers: Pierro-Zabotel (4-12-16) Platzer (5-9-14)
Pochiro (7-3-11) MacMillan (7-6-13)
- Here is how Allen and Wichita rank in the ECHL in some statistical categories:
Penalty Minutes Per Game: Allen 4th (21.14) - Wichita 20th (14.75)
Goals Scored Per Game: Allen 12th (3.36) - Wichita 4th (3.75)
Goals Allowed Per Game: Allen 7th (2.86) - Wichita 1st (2.25)
Shots For Per Game: Allen 7th (34.71) - Wichita 19th (30.42)
Shots Against Per Game: Allen 22nd (36.14) - Wichita 18th (33.50)
Power Play Percentage: Allen 18th (15.7%) - Wichita 3rd (23.3%)
Penalty Kill Percentage: Allen 3rd (89.6%) - Wichita 4th (89.4%)
- Both teams have been getting great goaltending. They rank #1 and #2 in team save percentage in the ECHL. Wichita leads at .933 and Allen is close behind at .923. Based on the recent past you would expect the game to be low scoring. Wichita leads the ECHL in goals allowed per game with a 2.25 average. Allen is ranked #7 at 2.86.
- If you look at the stats above a few things stand out. Wichita is historically toward the top of the charts in penalty minutes but this season is ranked #20 averaging under 15 penalty minutes per game. Don't let the numbers fool you as the Thunder are still plenty tough. They have had 13 fights in 12 games compared to Allen with 16 fights in 14 games.
- The battle of the special teams will be interesting to watch. Wichita has the #3 ranked power play at 23.3% but at home have converted at a much lower rate (16.0%). Allen has the #3 ranked penalty kill at 89.6% but on the road is 83.3%. As is typically the case special teams will be a key to victory.
- The stats show how important it is to score the first goal and have a good first period if you want to win. Allen is 5-0 when scoring first and Wichita is 7-1 when scoring first. The one loss the Thunder had when scoring first was against Allen. The combined record of these teams with a first period lead is 10-0.
- The Thunder have outscored their opponents 18-7 in the first period, 19-9 in the second period and have actually been outscored 6-10 in the third period. Allen has had much more balanced scoring. The Americans have outscored their opponents 16-15 in the first period, 15-10 in the second period and 14-12 in the third period. If Allen is going to beat Wichita it is imperative they win the first period. If Allen falls behind in the first period it may be a long night.
- Both teams will be missing key players tonight. Wichita's top scorer (Kyle Platzer) and third leading scorer (Zach O'Brien) are currently with the Thunder's AHL affiliate (Bakersfield). Allen's second leading scorer, Zach Pochiro, is on the injured reserve.
- Officials scheduled for the game are referee Sean MacFarlane (#4) and linesmen Tony Pizzutelli (#97 ) and Russ Coll (#40).
OTHER COMMENTS
- If you are on social media I am sure you know by now that Tulsa coach, Rob Murray, collapsed on the bench during the second period of the Oilers game in Quad City last night and was taken to the hospital. The game was suspended and will be completed at a later date. Here is the most complete information I could find. It is a story written by Bobby Metcalf of the Quad-City Times: http://qctimes.com/sports/hockey/professional/minor/tulsa-head-coach-rob-murray-taken-to-hospital-with-medical/article_0c23ac0c-fcd9-595d-ad3b-76cf98e116ca.html
The most current info I have seen is from Tulsa's broadcaster and Vice President of Communications John Peterson, who accompanied Murray in the ambulance to the hospital. About 2:00 am John put out this message, "Coach Murray is in good spirits (he's a fighter after all). We are staying over night in Quad Cities for precautionary reasons. Plan is to be released in the morning." Earlier in the evening John had said, "Coach Murray is doing well. The doctors have told me he is suffering from dehydration and exhaustion. They said there is no concern right now."
It was really heartening so see all of the messages from around the ECHL, fans and teams showing concern for Murray and sending along their thoughts and prayers. It really is one big family in AA hockey.
- Greger Hanson was sent back to Utah by the San Diego Gulls (AHL) yesterday and it didn't take him long to make his presence felt. Utah lost last night to Colorado 3-2 in overtime. Greger had both Utah goals in a losing cause and was named the #1 star of the game.
- With Allen not playing last night along with Colorado and Idaho winning, the Americans dropped to fourth place in the Mountain Division standings. Here are the current Mountain Division standings with games played in parentheses:
21 points - Wichita (12 games)
18 points - Colorado (14 games)
18 points - Idaho (14 games)
17 points - Allen (14 games)
15 points - Utah (15 games)
14 points - Tulsa (13 games)
10 points - Rapid City (13 games)
DID YOU KNOW: Winning the regular season championship is not a good predictor of playoff success. Once the playoffs start any team is capable of winning. Allen won four straight championships but only once (2012-13) did they have the best regular season record. If you look at the last ten seasons in the ECHL the regular season champion won the Kelly Cup just three times.
Friday, November 17, 2017
Allen Heads for Wichita, Newly Acquired Michael Webster Headed to College, Meet Team Store Manager Michelle Martinson & More
It is get away day for the Allen Americans as they will jump on the bus around noon for the six hour trip to Wichita where they will play the Thunder on Saturday and Sunday. These teams have split the two games they have played thus far with each team winning on the road.
- One player that will not be on the bus when the team leaves the Allen Event Center today is newly acquired defenseman Michael Webster who was suspended by the Americans yesterday. Webster was acquired in the trade that sent Tanner Eberle to Jacksonville. I had a lot of questions last night about Webster and had a chance to discuss the situation with coach Martinson so here are the facts.
Micheal Webster has decided to forego professional hockey at this time and attend college. You have heard coach Martinson say on many occasions he would never try and talk a player out of going to college.
By enrolling in college at this time Webster will be able to play this season without having to sit out a year.
The trade is not voided in this situation so Tanner Eberle will not be returning to Allen and Jacksonville does not have to send another player to Allen. The only time a trade is voided is if one of the players involved in a trade fails a physical.
I have talked to coach Martinson about trades many times over the years and know that experienced coaches like Martinson and Jacksonville coach Jason Christie don't deliberately trade players that don't intend to report. In other words I would assume Christie was not aware Webster would make a decision to attend college rather than report to Allen.
While there is no formal or required agreement when a player fails to report to their new team, most frequently, especially with experienced coaches they have an informal agreement to return a favor sometime in the future.
Coach Martinson has said many times one of the risks you take with young players that have college scholarship money available from their junior career is they head to college this time of year.
- I will have a complete game preview tomorrow but one thing Allen and Wichita have in common is they are both getting great goaltending. Wichita rookie Shane Starrett has been outstanding in goal for the Thunder with a record of 6-0-1-0. He is #2 in the ECHL in GAA (2.11) and #1 in save percentage (.935). Starrett signed an entry level contract with the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) in April, leaving the Air Force Academy after two seasons to turn pro. Here is a story written by David Ramsey of the Colorado Springs Gazette after Shane left Air Force where Ramsey questions if Starrett made a mistake in turning pro after his sophomore year. http://gazette.com/david-ramsey-air-force-hockey-star-shane-starrett-makes-mistake-in-signing-pro-contract/article/1600770
Allen's Stephon Williams has been great in goal while carrying the load for the Americans. Stephon gave up 11 goals in his first three starts but in his last five starts has allowed only eight goals. Overall Williams is ranked #3 in the league in GAA (2.30) and #3 in save percentage (.932).
Goaltending is a group effort and to have a good team both goalies need to play well. That is the case for Allen and Wichita. They rank #1 and #2 in team save percentage in the ECHL. Wichita leads at .933 and Allen is close behind at .923.
All four goalies rank in the top ten in the league in save percentage:
.935 - Shane Starrett (Wichita)
.932 - Stephon Williams (Allen)
.930 - Joel Rumpel (Wichita)
.921 - Jeremy Brodeur (Allen)
MICHELLE MARTINSON
If you have stopped by the Allen Team Store this season to buy some Americans merchandise you have undoubtedly met the new Team Store manager, Michelle Martinson. Michelle is not only a hockey mom to teenagers Logan and Lily and a hockey wife (married to Steve Martinson) but she leads a hockey life. By his own admission coach Martinson has told me many times it is Michelle that keeps everything organized in the family with three often conflicting hockey schedules (both Logan and Lily play on elite level traveling hockey teams). I have seen the multi-colored graphs, calendars and schedules Michelle creates for coach Martinson of all his and the families activities.
Michelle comes from a hockey background as her grandfather (Frank Mathers) is a legend in AHL hockey history who had a long career (35 years) as a player, coach, general manager and president of the Hershey Bears. On the ice Mathers was one the AHL's all time best defenseman being voted to the All-Star game for five straight years in the 1950's. He won three Calder Cups as a player/coach for Hershey and then three more after he retired and became an executive for the team (general manager & president). He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and also the AHL Hall of Fame. If you are interested in reading more about Frank Mathers here is a more complete bio: http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=b199203&page=bio
Steve and Michelle met when Steve was playing in Hershey in 1985-87 and Michelle's grandfather was the team president. If you recall, Martinson had 432 penalty minutes in 1985-86 and set the AHL record for most major penalties in a season, a record that stands to this day. The first time I interviewed Steve back in 2013 I asked him how Frank Mathers allowed a hockey player who was the team enforcer to date his granddaughter. Martinson responded that Mathers really like him and supported him dating Michelle.
It is natural for Michelle to take over the Americans team store as it combines several of her interests as she has a background in sales, fashion and of course, hockey. If you haven't already done so, stop by the team store and introduce your self to Michelle and check out the new merchandise. She would also like to hear from you on what additional merchandise you would like to see in the store.
Michelle will be having online auctions on BidPal where fans can purchase older team jerseys from the archives, autographed pucks and other collectables. The next auction will open on Tuesday (November 21) and close on Sunday (November 26). There will be new auction items each week from now until Christmas. No credit card is needed to view the items and if you register you can get text notifications when new auctions open. Here is the link to the BidPal site if you are not already registered. You may have to wait until the merchandise is on the site to register: https://one.bidpal.net/goamericans
- Here is another story from The Players Tribune. This one was written by Mark Recchi, assistant coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He takes you on his journey from growing up in Kamloops, B.C. to his induction into the Hall of Fame. An excellent read: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/mark-recchi-hockey-hall-of-fame/
DID YOU KNOW: Excelling in the post season is key to a successful hockey career. Here are the Allen Americans career leaders for points scored in the playoffs by a defenseman.
37 points - Tyler Ludwig
29 points - David Makowski
25 points - Eric Roy
- One player that will not be on the bus when the team leaves the Allen Event Center today is newly acquired defenseman Michael Webster who was suspended by the Americans yesterday. Webster was acquired in the trade that sent Tanner Eberle to Jacksonville. I had a lot of questions last night about Webster and had a chance to discuss the situation with coach Martinson so here are the facts.
Micheal Webster has decided to forego professional hockey at this time and attend college. You have heard coach Martinson say on many occasions he would never try and talk a player out of going to college.
By enrolling in college at this time Webster will be able to play this season without having to sit out a year.
The trade is not voided in this situation so Tanner Eberle will not be returning to Allen and Jacksonville does not have to send another player to Allen. The only time a trade is voided is if one of the players involved in a trade fails a physical.
I have talked to coach Martinson about trades many times over the years and know that experienced coaches like Martinson and Jacksonville coach Jason Christie don't deliberately trade players that don't intend to report. In other words I would assume Christie was not aware Webster would make a decision to attend college rather than report to Allen.
While there is no formal or required agreement when a player fails to report to their new team, most frequently, especially with experienced coaches they have an informal agreement to return a favor sometime in the future.
Coach Martinson has said many times one of the risks you take with young players that have college scholarship money available from their junior career is they head to college this time of year.
- I will have a complete game preview tomorrow but one thing Allen and Wichita have in common is they are both getting great goaltending. Wichita rookie Shane Starrett has been outstanding in goal for the Thunder with a record of 6-0-1-0. He is #2 in the ECHL in GAA (2.11) and #1 in save percentage (.935). Starrett signed an entry level contract with the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) in April, leaving the Air Force Academy after two seasons to turn pro. Here is a story written by David Ramsey of the Colorado Springs Gazette after Shane left Air Force where Ramsey questions if Starrett made a mistake in turning pro after his sophomore year. http://gazette.com/david-ramsey-air-force-hockey-star-shane-starrett-makes-mistake-in-signing-pro-contract/article/1600770
Allen's Stephon Williams has been great in goal while carrying the load for the Americans. Stephon gave up 11 goals in his first three starts but in his last five starts has allowed only eight goals. Overall Williams is ranked #3 in the league in GAA (2.30) and #3 in save percentage (.932).
Goaltending is a group effort and to have a good team both goalies need to play well. That is the case for Allen and Wichita. They rank #1 and #2 in team save percentage in the ECHL. Wichita leads at .933 and Allen is close behind at .923.
All four goalies rank in the top ten in the league in save percentage:
.935 - Shane Starrett (Wichita)
.932 - Stephon Williams (Allen)
.930 - Joel Rumpel (Wichita)
.921 - Jeremy Brodeur (Allen)
MICHELLE MARTINSON
If you have stopped by the Allen Team Store this season to buy some Americans merchandise you have undoubtedly met the new Team Store manager, Michelle Martinson. Michelle is not only a hockey mom to teenagers Logan and Lily and a hockey wife (married to Steve Martinson) but she leads a hockey life. By his own admission coach Martinson has told me many times it is Michelle that keeps everything organized in the family with three often conflicting hockey schedules (both Logan and Lily play on elite level traveling hockey teams). I have seen the multi-colored graphs, calendars and schedules Michelle creates for coach Martinson of all his and the families activities.
Michelle comes from a hockey background as her grandfather (Frank Mathers) is a legend in AHL hockey history who had a long career (35 years) as a player, coach, general manager and president of the Hershey Bears. On the ice Mathers was one the AHL's all time best defenseman being voted to the All-Star game for five straight years in the 1950's. He won three Calder Cups as a player/coach for Hershey and then three more after he retired and became an executive for the team (general manager & president). He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and also the AHL Hall of Fame. If you are interested in reading more about Frank Mathers here is a more complete bio: http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=b199203&page=bio
Steve and Michelle met when Steve was playing in Hershey in 1985-87 and Michelle's grandfather was the team president. If you recall, Martinson had 432 penalty minutes in 1985-86 and set the AHL record for most major penalties in a season, a record that stands to this day. The first time I interviewed Steve back in 2013 I asked him how Frank Mathers allowed a hockey player who was the team enforcer to date his granddaughter. Martinson responded that Mathers really like him and supported him dating Michelle.
It is natural for Michelle to take over the Americans team store as it combines several of her interests as she has a background in sales, fashion and of course, hockey. If you haven't already done so, stop by the team store and introduce your self to Michelle and check out the new merchandise. She would also like to hear from you on what additional merchandise you would like to see in the store.
Michelle will be having online auctions on BidPal where fans can purchase older team jerseys from the archives, autographed pucks and other collectables. The next auction will open on Tuesday (November 21) and close on Sunday (November 26). There will be new auction items each week from now until Christmas. No credit card is needed to view the items and if you register you can get text notifications when new auctions open. Here is the link to the BidPal site if you are not already registered. You may have to wait until the merchandise is on the site to register: https://one.bidpal.net/goamericans
 |
| The Martinson family celebrating the Kelly Cup championship in 2016 |
- Here is another story from The Players Tribune. This one was written by Mark Recchi, assistant coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He takes you on his journey from growing up in Kamloops, B.C. to his induction into the Hall of Fame. An excellent read: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/mark-recchi-hockey-hall-of-fame/
DID YOU KNOW: Excelling in the post season is key to a successful hockey career. Here are the Allen Americans career leaders for points scored in the playoffs by a defenseman.
37 points - Tyler Ludwig
29 points - David Makowski
25 points - Eric Roy
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Practice Update, A Chat With Zach Pochiro, A Look at Slashing Penalties, Game Winning Goals
I had a chance to stop by practice yesterday and talk to coach Martinson about the upcoming weekend games with Wichita. Practice was the typical early in the week practice with a lot of drills that emphasized skating, going full speed the length of the ice. Today the team will work on the defensive breakdowns in their own zone that came up last weekend and also spend time working on the power play. As for the games with Wichita coach Martinson shared they are important for a couple of reasons. Wichita is playing good hockey so it is always good to measure yourself against the best teams. Second, when you play teams in your own division that are ahead of you in the standings it is important to close that gap and not let them get further ahead.
- The power play percentage is now up to 15.7% (ranked #17) thanks to a great night last Saturday. The box score originally showed Allen going 3-8 in the game but that was later changed and all four Allen goals in the 5-4 shootout loss to Idaho came on the power play. The Americans were 0-3 on the power play Sunday afternoon but coach Martinson said he would not spend time analyzing those because the team was so tired after playing three games in three days. So many key players logged a lot of ice time because of all the special teams play both power play and penalty kill.
- I spent some time talking to Zach Pochiro during practice yesterday. Zach is out of the line up on injured reserve with a broken finger. We covered a lot of topics from growing up in Las Vegas to playing Under 16 hockey in California to playing junior hockey in Canada in the Western Hockey League. Zach was drafted in the fourth round of the 2013 NHL draft by the St. Louis Blues and he talked about that story. It is a dream of all young hockey players to get drafted by the NHL but in Zach's case it was a real dream come true as his was drafted by his favorite team. While he was raised in Las Vegas, Zach was born in St. Louis and the Blues were always his favorite team. Zach shared with me what it was like to go to development camp with the Blues where there was a lot of off ice training which included a lot of work in the weight room. When Zach was drafted he was 6'2" and 150 pounds soaking wet. The weight room was not his friend. Later he attended the Traverse City rookie camp and received excellent feedback as he surprised some folks with what the "tall skinny rail" could do on the ice.
Zach also shared how much he enjoys playing in Allen for coach Martinson with the style of play and expectations of winning. I asked Zach about his injury and he said it happened in a scrum in front of the net when he was slashed but he didn't think it was intentional. I also asked him if he thought the emphasis the ECHL is placing on slashing calls this season has had an effect on the game. He said without a doubt it has had a big impact on how games are played.
- After my conversation with Zach Pochiro at practice it piqued my interest in looking at the possible effects of more slashing calls this season. I started by looking at the data on the ECHL website. I first looked at penalty minutes and found that on average each team is taking close to two more penalty minutes per game over last season. Two minutes doesn't sound like a lot but over a season that represents close to 4000 additional penalty minutes league-wide. I then decided to look at the number of minor penalties rather than overall penalty minutes. Turns out the ECHL average is .84 minor penalty more per game than last season. Again, it sounds like a small number but over the course of the season it would mean over 1600 more minor penalties.
- I decided to compare goals and shots year over year. Last season there were two ECHL teams that averaged over four goals per game and so far this season there are three. Last season there were seven teams that averaged less than three goals per game and this season there are five. Last season two teams averaged more than 35 shots per game while this season (thus far) there are five teams averaging more than 35 shots per game including two teams averaging over 40. Last season there were four teams that averaged less than 30 shots per game while thus far this season there are nine.
- After looking at all the data above I knew what I really needed was the number of slashing penalties called this season versus last season to see the impact of the emphasis on the slashing rule. Unfortunately that info doesn't exist on the ECHL website. Then last night I remembered an old friend from back in the CHL days who always kept penalties by type and referee. He would take the info from each game and compile it throughout the season. His name is Joe Alsman, better known as MavsFanJoe and his team was the Missouri Mavericks (now Kansas City). Joe is now the stat guru for Team Sin Bin. I contacted Joe last night and sure enough he still keeps the data and within a couple of hours sent me all of the information. The answer is yes indeed the emphasis on the slashing rule has had a big impact on the number of slashing calls. Thanks to Joe Alsman for providing this information.
- Last season (2016-17) through November 14th there were 158 games played and the referees called 194 slashing penalties. That is an average 1.23 slashing penalties per game. This season (2017-18) through November 14 there were 160 games played and the referees have called 497 slashing penalties for an average of 2.61 slashing penalties per game. That equates to a year over year increase of 112.2% per game.
- The Wichita Thunder lost their second game of the season last night losing at home to the Kansas City Mavericks 2-1 in overtime. The Mavericks got the game winner 19 seconds into the overtime period. The Thunder record is now 10-1-1-0. They are tied for first place in the ECHL in points (21) and lead the league in winning percentage (.875). Wichita's road record is a perfect 5-0 and their home record is 5-1-1-0. Here is a game recap courtesy of Matt Harding from Team Sin Bin: http://thesinbin.net/thunder-offense-stymied-in-goaltending-dual/
- The Americans will leave around noon on Friday to make the trip to Wichita where they play the Thunder on Saturday (7:05 pm CST) and Sunday (4:05 pm CST). I know a lot of Allen fans are making the trip. It makes for a good road trip with the early game start on Sunday.
DID YOU KNOW: Who has scored the most game winning goals for the Allen Americans over the last two seasons, 2015-17? Here are the top five.
9 - Chad Costello
9 - David Makowski
8 - Eric Roy
7 - Greger Hanson
5 - Gary Steffes
- The power play percentage is now up to 15.7% (ranked #17) thanks to a great night last Saturday. The box score originally showed Allen going 3-8 in the game but that was later changed and all four Allen goals in the 5-4 shootout loss to Idaho came on the power play. The Americans were 0-3 on the power play Sunday afternoon but coach Martinson said he would not spend time analyzing those because the team was so tired after playing three games in three days. So many key players logged a lot of ice time because of all the special teams play both power play and penalty kill.
- I spent some time talking to Zach Pochiro during practice yesterday. Zach is out of the line up on injured reserve with a broken finger. We covered a lot of topics from growing up in Las Vegas to playing Under 16 hockey in California to playing junior hockey in Canada in the Western Hockey League. Zach was drafted in the fourth round of the 2013 NHL draft by the St. Louis Blues and he talked about that story. It is a dream of all young hockey players to get drafted by the NHL but in Zach's case it was a real dream come true as his was drafted by his favorite team. While he was raised in Las Vegas, Zach was born in St. Louis and the Blues were always his favorite team. Zach shared with me what it was like to go to development camp with the Blues where there was a lot of off ice training which included a lot of work in the weight room. When Zach was drafted he was 6'2" and 150 pounds soaking wet. The weight room was not his friend. Later he attended the Traverse City rookie camp and received excellent feedback as he surprised some folks with what the "tall skinny rail" could do on the ice.
Zach also shared how much he enjoys playing in Allen for coach Martinson with the style of play and expectations of winning. I asked Zach about his injury and he said it happened in a scrum in front of the net when he was slashed but he didn't think it was intentional. I also asked him if he thought the emphasis the ECHL is placing on slashing calls this season has had an effect on the game. He said without a doubt it has had a big impact on how games are played.
- After my conversation with Zach Pochiro at practice it piqued my interest in looking at the possible effects of more slashing calls this season. I started by looking at the data on the ECHL website. I first looked at penalty minutes and found that on average each team is taking close to two more penalty minutes per game over last season. Two minutes doesn't sound like a lot but over a season that represents close to 4000 additional penalty minutes league-wide. I then decided to look at the number of minor penalties rather than overall penalty minutes. Turns out the ECHL average is .84 minor penalty more per game than last season. Again, it sounds like a small number but over the course of the season it would mean over 1600 more minor penalties.
- I decided to compare goals and shots year over year. Last season there were two ECHL teams that averaged over four goals per game and so far this season there are three. Last season there were seven teams that averaged less than three goals per game and this season there are five. Last season two teams averaged more than 35 shots per game while this season (thus far) there are five teams averaging more than 35 shots per game including two teams averaging over 40. Last season there were four teams that averaged less than 30 shots per game while thus far this season there are nine.
- After looking at all the data above I knew what I really needed was the number of slashing penalties called this season versus last season to see the impact of the emphasis on the slashing rule. Unfortunately that info doesn't exist on the ECHL website. Then last night I remembered an old friend from back in the CHL days who always kept penalties by type and referee. He would take the info from each game and compile it throughout the season. His name is Joe Alsman, better known as MavsFanJoe and his team was the Missouri Mavericks (now Kansas City). Joe is now the stat guru for Team Sin Bin. I contacted Joe last night and sure enough he still keeps the data and within a couple of hours sent me all of the information. The answer is yes indeed the emphasis on the slashing rule has had a big impact on the number of slashing calls. Thanks to Joe Alsman for providing this information.
- Last season (2016-17) through November 14th there were 158 games played and the referees called 194 slashing penalties. That is an average 1.23 slashing penalties per game. This season (2017-18) through November 14 there were 160 games played and the referees have called 497 slashing penalties for an average of 2.61 slashing penalties per game. That equates to a year over year increase of 112.2% per game.
- The Wichita Thunder lost their second game of the season last night losing at home to the Kansas City Mavericks 2-1 in overtime. The Mavericks got the game winner 19 seconds into the overtime period. The Thunder record is now 10-1-1-0. They are tied for first place in the ECHL in points (21) and lead the league in winning percentage (.875). Wichita's road record is a perfect 5-0 and their home record is 5-1-1-0. Here is a game recap courtesy of Matt Harding from Team Sin Bin: http://thesinbin.net/thunder-offense-stymied-in-goaltending-dual/
- The Americans will leave around noon on Friday to make the trip to Wichita where they play the Thunder on Saturday (7:05 pm CST) and Sunday (4:05 pm CST). I know a lot of Allen fans are making the trip. It makes for a good road trip with the early game start on Sunday.
DID YOU KNOW: Who has scored the most game winning goals for the Allen Americans over the last two seasons, 2015-17? Here are the top five.
9 - Chad Costello
9 - David Makowski
8 - Eric Roy
7 - Greger Hanson
5 - Gary Steffes
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
The Allen vs Wichita Rivalry, Tanner Eberle Thanks Allen Fans, Hockey-N-Heels, The Ironmen
As the Allen Americans continue to prepare to visit Wichita this weekend it is hard not to overstate the importance of these two games against the Thunder. It is easy to think two games early in the season don't make that much of a difference but an argument can be made that is not the case this weekend.
- To start with Wichita has a three point lead over Allen in the Mountain Division standings but they also have three games in hand so the lead could potentially be nine points which is a big lead this early in the season. Wichita plays Kansas City at home tonight so they could be five points up on Allen going into the weekend. Allen needs to sweep or get a split this weekend to avoid falling further behind Wichita.
- The rivalry between these teams runs deep with Allen always coming out on top. This has been the case ever since the Americans beat the Thunder to win their first championship in 2013. The results prior to this season have been very one-sided. It may look like a misprint but the Americans record against Wichita since joining the ECHL is 33-4-4-3. When playing in Wichita the record is 17-2-1-2. The record last season was 11-2-1-0.
- Even this season as Wichita has gotten off to the best start in franchise history (10-1) their only loss of the season came at home at the hands of the Americans.
- Issues surrounding ownership when both teams were owned by the same group only intensified the rivalry and earlier this month the Wichita coach was fined for inappropriate remarks he made about Allen and coach Martinson was fined for confronting the Wichita coach after a game. If controversy sells tickets there should be a big crowd at the games in Wichita this weekend.
- Adding to the intrigue is Dyson Stevenson now plays for Wichita and is the captain of the team and Vincent Arseneau, who was in Wichita last season is an alternate captain in Allen.
- Bottom line is with all of the history and with all of the chirping that has gone on between players, coaches and even one of the owners both teams are out to prove something. For Wichita it's to show things have changed and Allen should get used to losing to the Thunder after years of dominance by the Americans. Allen is out to prove they are still the better team and the best is yet to come.
- The Allen vs Wichita series will be fun to watch all season. They play each other 12 times (six home 6 away) and they have split the two games they have played thus far. Allen won 5-3 in Wichita on November 3rd and the Thunder beat the Americans 3-1 in Allen on November 4th. There will be a complete Allen vs Wichita game preview later in the week.
- With all of the turnover that takes place on ECHL teams each year you often hear it said fans need to cheer for the name on the front of the jersey not the name on the back. It is a catchy phrase and with players being on one year contracts that allows them to be traded, waived or released anytime it is wise advice. The reality however is fans do get attached to players. Players are so accessible it is easy to get to know them on a personal level and the players go out of their way to connect with everyone, especially the young fans. Tanner Eberle is a good example. I received the following message from a mom who has two young children whose favorite player is Tanner and were heartbroken when they found out he was traded. The mom said, "Tanner Eberle's trade was SO sad for our little Eberle fans. I loved watching his hustle and admired the type of man he was on and off the ice. We will miss him for sure."
On a personal note I share a love of fishing with Tanner and we spent more than a few hours talking about everything except hockey while pond fishing. It is a great get away for many of the players after practice or on a day off.
- I had a chance to touch base with Tanner and asked him if there was anything I could pass along to his many fans in Allen since most of them did not have a chance to say good-bye. Here is what he said, "I would like to say thank you to the fan club/boosters for the countless amount of household items they provide to the players. They make it easy to feel at home in Allen right from day one. I also want to thank all of the Allen fans for the endless amount of passion they show the team everyday, win or lose. The fans always believe we can win it all every season which makes Allen such an easy place to play."
- I publicize a lot of events sponsored by the Allen Americans in the blog but there is one coming up on November 28th that is a must if you are an Allen Americans fan. It is Hockey-N-Heels and it takes place at Landon Winery in McKinney. The Americans have had events like this in the past but maybe because Hockey-N-Heels is being planned by a woman for the first time it is shaping up to be a special event. Sales and Service Account Executive, Amber Barros, is planning the event and what a line up she has put together. Coach Steve Martinson is the guest speaker and he is always worth the price of admission. You will get a lot of good information, some stories and plenty of laughs. Also in attendance will be Michelle Martinson, Angie Gill, Levi Pierro-Zabotel, Courtney Chouinard and Kellie Gens to answer your question from a wives perspective. Several players will also attend.
For $35 you get the program including Q&A, light snacks, two glasses of wine, a ticket for the Allen Americans game on Ladies Night (December 1) and a special gift. There will also be a raffle and silent auction. A great value!
Here is a link to sign up: http://allenamericans.com/hockeynheels/
If you have any questions about Hockey-N-Heels contact Amber Barros at 972-912-1011.
- One team to keep an eye on is the Wheeling Nailers who are off to a good start (8-2-2-0) and have the ECHL's leading scorer in Cody Wydo (19 points) and the top two rookie scorers in the league. Reid Gardiner leads all rookies in points (18) and goals (10). Cam Brown is second in points (16) and first in assists (14). The risk when you have the top rookies is losing them to AHL call ups.
DID YOU KNOW: Allen is only 14 games into the season and there are just seven players that have played in every game and are candidates to be an Ironman by playing in all 72 games. It is a feat that is really difficult to accomplish. The seven players are Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Joel Chouinard, Jonathan Lessard, Eric Roy, Spencer Asuchak, Mike Gunn and Josh Thrower. Here are the past Ironmen who played in every regular season game.
2016-17 - Chad Costello, Joel Chouinard
2015-16 - Chad Costello
2014-15 - Chad Costello, Aaron Gens, Jamie Schaafsma
2013-14 - Spencer Asuchak, Daniel Tetrault, Mike Berube
2012-13 - Jamie Schaafsma, Jason Deitsch
2011-12 - Jason Deitsch
2010-11 - Colton Yellow Horn, David Strathman
2009-10 - Bruce Graham, Christian Gaudet
- To start with Wichita has a three point lead over Allen in the Mountain Division standings but they also have three games in hand so the lead could potentially be nine points which is a big lead this early in the season. Wichita plays Kansas City at home tonight so they could be five points up on Allen going into the weekend. Allen needs to sweep or get a split this weekend to avoid falling further behind Wichita.
- The rivalry between these teams runs deep with Allen always coming out on top. This has been the case ever since the Americans beat the Thunder to win their first championship in 2013. The results prior to this season have been very one-sided. It may look like a misprint but the Americans record against Wichita since joining the ECHL is 33-4-4-3. When playing in Wichita the record is 17-2-1-2. The record last season was 11-2-1-0.
- Even this season as Wichita has gotten off to the best start in franchise history (10-1) their only loss of the season came at home at the hands of the Americans.
- Issues surrounding ownership when both teams were owned by the same group only intensified the rivalry and earlier this month the Wichita coach was fined for inappropriate remarks he made about Allen and coach Martinson was fined for confronting the Wichita coach after a game. If controversy sells tickets there should be a big crowd at the games in Wichita this weekend.
- Adding to the intrigue is Dyson Stevenson now plays for Wichita and is the captain of the team and Vincent Arseneau, who was in Wichita last season is an alternate captain in Allen.
- Bottom line is with all of the history and with all of the chirping that has gone on between players, coaches and even one of the owners both teams are out to prove something. For Wichita it's to show things have changed and Allen should get used to losing to the Thunder after years of dominance by the Americans. Allen is out to prove they are still the better team and the best is yet to come.
- The Allen vs Wichita series will be fun to watch all season. They play each other 12 times (six home 6 away) and they have split the two games they have played thus far. Allen won 5-3 in Wichita on November 3rd and the Thunder beat the Americans 3-1 in Allen on November 4th. There will be a complete Allen vs Wichita game preview later in the week.
- With all of the turnover that takes place on ECHL teams each year you often hear it said fans need to cheer for the name on the front of the jersey not the name on the back. It is a catchy phrase and with players being on one year contracts that allows them to be traded, waived or released anytime it is wise advice. The reality however is fans do get attached to players. Players are so accessible it is easy to get to know them on a personal level and the players go out of their way to connect with everyone, especially the young fans. Tanner Eberle is a good example. I received the following message from a mom who has two young children whose favorite player is Tanner and were heartbroken when they found out he was traded. The mom said, "Tanner Eberle's trade was SO sad for our little Eberle fans. I loved watching his hustle and admired the type of man he was on and off the ice. We will miss him for sure."
On a personal note I share a love of fishing with Tanner and we spent more than a few hours talking about everything except hockey while pond fishing. It is a great get away for many of the players after practice or on a day off.
 |
| The boys pond fishing for crappies last season |
- I had a chance to touch base with Tanner and asked him if there was anything I could pass along to his many fans in Allen since most of them did not have a chance to say good-bye. Here is what he said, "I would like to say thank you to the fan club/boosters for the countless amount of household items they provide to the players. They make it easy to feel at home in Allen right from day one. I also want to thank all of the Allen fans for the endless amount of passion they show the team everyday, win or lose. The fans always believe we can win it all every season which makes Allen such an easy place to play."
- I publicize a lot of events sponsored by the Allen Americans in the blog but there is one coming up on November 28th that is a must if you are an Allen Americans fan. It is Hockey-N-Heels and it takes place at Landon Winery in McKinney. The Americans have had events like this in the past but maybe because Hockey-N-Heels is being planned by a woman for the first time it is shaping up to be a special event. Sales and Service Account Executive, Amber Barros, is planning the event and what a line up she has put together. Coach Steve Martinson is the guest speaker and he is always worth the price of admission. You will get a lot of good information, some stories and plenty of laughs. Also in attendance will be Michelle Martinson, Angie Gill, Levi Pierro-Zabotel, Courtney Chouinard and Kellie Gens to answer your question from a wives perspective. Several players will also attend.
For $35 you get the program including Q&A, light snacks, two glasses of wine, a ticket for the Allen Americans game on Ladies Night (December 1) and a special gift. There will also be a raffle and silent auction. A great value!
Here is a link to sign up: http://allenamericans.com/hockeynheels/
If you have any questions about Hockey-N-Heels contact Amber Barros at 972-912-1011.
- One team to keep an eye on is the Wheeling Nailers who are off to a good start (8-2-2-0) and have the ECHL's leading scorer in Cody Wydo (19 points) and the top two rookie scorers in the league. Reid Gardiner leads all rookies in points (18) and goals (10). Cam Brown is second in points (16) and first in assists (14). The risk when you have the top rookies is losing them to AHL call ups.
DID YOU KNOW: Allen is only 14 games into the season and there are just seven players that have played in every game and are candidates to be an Ironman by playing in all 72 games. It is a feat that is really difficult to accomplish. The seven players are Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Joel Chouinard, Jonathan Lessard, Eric Roy, Spencer Asuchak, Mike Gunn and Josh Thrower. Here are the past Ironmen who played in every regular season game.
2016-17 - Chad Costello, Joel Chouinard
2015-16 - Chad Costello
2014-15 - Chad Costello, Aaron Gens, Jamie Schaafsma
2013-14 - Spencer Asuchak, Daniel Tetrault, Mike Berube
2012-13 - Jamie Schaafsma, Jason Deitsch
2011-12 - Jason Deitsch
2010-11 - Colton Yellow Horn, David Strathman
2009-10 - Bruce Graham, Christian Gaudet
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