Allen vs Utah Series Preview, Spinozzi Leaves for Europe, Are Vets a Dying Breed and More

 

Undoubtedly, the most important series in this young season starts tonight in Utah. The Allen Americans will play the Grizzlies tonight, Friday, and Saturday. Allen is in the midst of a six-game losing streak, and the fall has been fast and dramatic and could get much worse.

• On November 5th, after a school day game 6-4 win over Wichita, the Americans were in first place in the Mountain Division standings (by point percentage) at .643.
• By November 22, after losing 5-2 to Idaho for the sixth straight loss, Allen had fallen to seventh place in the standings with a point percentage of .423. 
• Over the next four days, Allen's point percentage could be as high as .532 if the Americans sweep Utah or as low as .344 if they get swept. A playoff spot or last place, that is the importance of this series. The odds are that the result will be somewhere in between, but Allen has to win this series to get back on track.

 

- Here are some comparison stats between Allen and Utah:

• Allen is 3-4-3-0 over the last 10 games, Utah is 5-4-1-0.
• Allen is 1-3-2-0 on the road, Utah is 1-3-1-0 at home.
• Allen's goal differential is -11 (33-44), Utah's is 0 (45-45).
• Allen's team plus/minus is -63, Utah's is -13.
• Allen's team save percentage is .910, Utah's is .906.

 

- Here is the more traditional statistical comparison between the two teams.

• Goals scored average: Allen (2.5) - Utah (3.0)
• Goals allowed average: Allen (3.4) - Utah (3.0)
• Shots for average: Allen (31.2) - Utah (30.0)
• Shots against average: Allen (37.5) - Utah (32.1)
• Power play percentage: Allen (14.0%) - Utah (20.3%)
• Penalty kill percentage: Allen (88.1%) - Utah (79.6%)

 

- Good starts will be a key in this series, and Utah has the advantage. Allen has scored the first goal in only 31% of its games (4 of 13). The good news is Allen is 2-0-2-0 (.750) in those games. Utah has scored first in 53% of its games (8 of 15), posting a 5-2-1-0 (.688) record when scoring first. 

Even more telling is goal scoring in the first period. The first period has been Allen's worst. The Americans have been outscored 14-7 in the first period. Utah has outscored its opponents 16-13 in the first period. 

 

- If you look at the special teams ranking, Allen is #9 on the penalty kill and #17 on the power play. Utah is just the opposite, ranked #10 on the power play and #20 on the penalty kill. Maybe more telling is how Allen's special team performed in Idaho. Allen scored a power-play goal in two of the three games and was 2-7 (28.6%) in the series. However, the Allen penalty kill gave up three goals in the series, going 3-15 (80.0%). Allen is on the penalty kill more than any team in the league (percentage-wise). Staying out of the penalty box will be key in this series.

 

- The roster will be depleted tonight. Colton Hargrove will be serving the second of his two-game suspension. In addition, defenseman Kevin Spinozzi has left the team for Europe. A replacement has been signed, but will not report in time for the game tonight. As a result, the Americans will play two short tonight. It might also be time for Matt Register to get ready to go from behind the bench to the ice. With five veterans on the roster, it would take some kind of a rotation to make it work. And don't forget, Register is tied for sixth on the team in goals with two, and has only played in four games. 

 

- Allen's scorers in the three games in Idaho were:

• 4 points, Crone (1G, 3A)
• 3 points, Gildon (2G 1A) 
• 2 points, Sedley (0G, 2A) 
• 1 point, Morrison (1G, 0A) 
• 1 point, Spinozzi (1G, 0A) 
• 1 point, Anania. (0G, 1A) 
• 1 point, Warmuth (0G, 1A) 

 

- Utah has six players with four or more goals and four players with 11 or more points. here are the Utah players to watch in this series:

• #59 Tyler Gratton: 13 points (4G, 9A)
• #26 Danny Dzhaniyev: 12 points (5G, 7A)
• #23 Reed Lebster: 11 points (7G, 4A)
• #28 Jack Ricketts: 11 points (6G, 5A) 

Dzhaniyev and Ricketts are rookies

 

 

- Here is the game/series preview issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/11/game-day-preview-thanksgiving-week-in-salt-lake-city 

 

- After four straight games with the same referee (three paired with another referee), Allen will see a different one tonight. It will be a one-referee game tonight, and the referee scheduled is Chazz Knoche (#33). He has been officiating since he was 12 and has worked the Fraser Cup Finals (NA3HL), Robertson Cup Finals (NAHL), and the Clark Cup Conference Finals (USHL) in the past. This is his fourth season in the ECHL.

 

OTHER COMMENTS 

- Here is the ECHL Today with the previews on the 10 games on the schedule tonight: https://echl.com/news/2025/11/echl-today-nov-26

 

- Some familiar names on the ECHL leader lists:

• Cole Fraser leads the ECHL in penalty minutes (58).
• Marco Costantini is #2 in saves (333) and #4 in minutes (602).
• Jeremy Brodeur is the only goalie in the league with two shootout wins.
• Harrison Blaisdell is tied for #1 in empty net goals (2).

 

- As usual, the ECHL all-star break (January 20-22) is after the all-star game (January 19) hosted by Allen. That means there are four regular-season games on the same day, in conflict with the All-Star Game. In past seasons, some players selected for the All-Star Game opted out because they didn’t want to miss their team’s regular-season game. Here are the eight teams that play the same day as the All-Star Game. Does this make sense?

 

Jacksonville at Orlando

Greensboro at Reading

Greenville at Atlanta

Kalamazoo at Cincinnati

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Are veterans (260+ pro games) a dying breed in the ECHL? 20 of 30 teams have two or fewer vets. Four are allowed on the active roster: 

 

5: *FLA, ALN

4: *FW, TUL, *IDH

3: ADK, *TAH, *TOL, TR, WIC

2: CIN, GSO, JAX, *MNE, ORL, WOR, GVL

1: *ATL, BLM, IND, KAL, *KC, NOR, RC, *REA, *SC

0: IA, *SAV, UTA, *WHL

 

Does the number of veterans correlate with team success? Not so much thus far in the regular season. Teams with point percentages above .600 are marked with an asterisk.

 

Maybe veterans make a bigger difference in the playoffs. Florida has won three of the last four Kelly Cups and lost in the Conference Finals last season. Florida always carries the maximum number of veterans.

 

 

 

 

Losing Streak Reaches Six, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Are Changes Coming, Overtime Stats and More

 

The Idaho mastery of the Allen Americans in Boise was front and center again last night as the Steelheads won 5-2 to sweep the three-game series and hand Allen its sixth straight loss. As a reminder, here is Allen's record in Boise since 2021-22. You add it all together, and the record is 3-21-4-0 with a point percentage of .179:

• 0-2-1-0: 2025-26
• 0-3-0-0: 2024-25
• 0-1-1-0: 2024 playoffs 
• 1-6-1-0: 2023-24
• 1-3-0-0: 2023 playoffs 
• 0-5-0-0: 2022-23
• 1-1-1-0: 2021-22 

- Here are some of the stats that led to the loss last night:

• Allen was outshot 17-1 in the first period, the fewest shots in a period (tied) in the ECHL this season.
• Allen allowed 20 shots in the second period. 
• Allen took 11 minor penalties, the most (tied) in a game in the ECHL this season.
• Allen had 82 penalty minutes, the second most (tied) in the ECHL this season. 
• Allen was outshot 49-21
• Allen allowed the first goal for the 9th time in 13 games. 
• Allen scored only two goals for the 8th time in 13 games (lost all of them).

 

- There were a few positives in the game:

• Allen was outshot 17-1 in the first period, but only allowed one goal and went into the first intermission with a 1-0 deficit.
• The shots were 20-1 when Allen scored at the 2:33 mark of the second period on its second shot of the game to tie the score 1-1. Brad Morrison was the goal scorer, assisted by Hank Crone. The Americans were still in the game until midway through the second period.
• After Idaho scored three unanswered goals, Allen scored a power play goal with 16 seconds remaining in the second period. Kevin Spinozzi scored his first goal of the season, assisted by Sam Sedley and Hank Crone.
• Allen's penalty kill was 1-9.

 

- Despite the one-sided game, it wasn't decided until Idaho scored three unanswered goals in the middle of the second period to make the score 4-1. The Steelheads took a 4-2 lead into the second intermission and scored the only goal in the third period to make the final score 5-2.

 

- Here are the game recaps from both teams. If you want a goal-by-goal summary of the game, along with the video highlights: 

•  Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/11/americans-drop-series-finale-in-idaho
• Idaho Steelheads: https://idahosteelheads.com/news/2025/11/steelheads-sweep-americans-with-5-2-triumph 
• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-idaho-steelheads-nov-22-2025 

 

- I talk to Coach Martinson every day, and he steadfastly believes this team will start scoring and can play the Allen Americans' style of offense despite Ottawa providing no help. As you know, right now, Allen has no assigned players, and one of their players (Duarte) is on loan to Belleville. Despite the obstacles, if this play continues, Martinson will have to make some changes. When the Americans return from the current road trip, the season will be 22% completed (16 of 72 games). If the losing continues, Martinson will have no choice but to make changes, and the changes, in my opinion, won't come from the bottom part of the lineup.

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Allen's six-game losing streak is the second-longest in the ECHL this season, as is their five-game road losing streak. Orlando, which has lost 10 straight, seven straight on the road, is #1. 

 

- I have said this before, Allen is lucky to be in the Mountain Division, which is either the weakest division in the league or the division with the most parity, depending on your perspective. Here is the point percentage difference between the top and bottom teams in each division. 

• .667 - South Division (.750 Atlanta to .083 Orlando)
• .461 - Central Division (.769 Fort Wayne to .308 Kalamazoo)
• .393 - North Division (.786 Wheeling to .393 Worcester)
• .267 - Mountain Division (.667 Kansas City to .400 Rapid City)

 

- With the Mountain Division so tight, if Allen sweeps Utah next week, the Americans will likely be in a playoff position with a .532 point percentage. If they get swept in Utah, the Americans could find themselves in last place with a .344 point percentage. Next week will be a lot more important than just an early-season three-game road series. Here are the updated Mountain Division standings with games played in parentheses:

• .667 - Kansas City (15)
• .618 - Tahoe (17)
• .618 - Idaho (17)
• .538 - Tulsa (13)
• .533 - Utah (15)
• .433 - Wichita (15)
• .423 - Allen (13)
• .400 - Rapid City (15)  

- I did a survey this week on my ECHL stats Twitter/X page asking which division was the strongest. Completely non-scientific and probably biased to the followers of my ECHL Stats page. Here are the results of the fan vote for the best ECHL division:

• 36% - South Division
• 26% - Central Division
• 21% - Mountain Division
• 17% - North Division

If you go by which division has the best record when playing the other three divisions, here is the rank by point percentage:

• .667 - South Division
• .615 - Central Division
• .500 - Mountain Division
• .458 - North Division

In the odd stat of the day, the fan vote and actual records match 100%.    

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: In 2015-16, the ECHL introduced 3-on-3 overtime (5 minutes) and reduced the number of shootout shooters from 5 to 3 to match the NHL/AHL rule that was adopted that season.

 

 In 2019-20, the ECHL increased its overtime to 7 minutes while the NHL/AHL remain at 5 minutes. The ECHL goal was to have more games decided in overtime.

 

 Here are the 2025-26 ECHL results thus far:

39 games have gone to overtime

67% (26) were decided in overtime

33% (13) were decided in a shootout

 

FYI, per ChatCPT, in 2024-25, the NHL stats show 77.8% of extra time games were decided in overtime.

Allen Loses in OT, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Tonight's Preview, Martinson's Comments, Parsons Return Delayed, ECHL Attendance and More

The Allen Americans deserved a better fate than the 3-2 overtime loss to Idaho last night. Allen scored the first goal of the game on Michael Gildon's fifth goal of the season at the 8:26 mark of the second period. Then the Americans gave up a late second-period goal and an early third-period goal to fall behind 2-1. Hank Crone tied the score 2-2 at the 12:28 mark of the third period, and all of the momentum was with the Americans. 

 

- Everything changed when Colton Hargrove was given a five-minute major for boarding with 2:43 remaining in regulation. I have to admit, I have never understood all the intricacies of the boarding rules, but to me, it looked like Hargrove hit the player on the side, and it was a two-minute minor at best. Hargove was also given a game misconduct, but that is automatic by rule, with every major penalty for boarding. There are no specified fines or suspensions that go along with a game misconduct for boarding, but the play will be reviewed by the league, and supplementary discipline can be applied by the Commissioner at his discretion. Coach Martinson thought Hargrove got victimized on that call, partly because he is so big and strong. Any 180-pound forward is going to go flying when Hargrove hits them. Hargrove was the most physical player on the ice last night.  UPDATE: Hargrove has been suspended for two games.

 

- After the major penalty, Allen never had another shot in the game. Idaho had five shots in the last 2:43 of regulation, another five shots in overtime. Allen's penalty killers and goalie Marco Costantini did a great job of killing the five-minute major, especially the 4-on-3 in overtime. There were just 17 seconds left in the penalty when Idaho scored the game-winner.  

 

- Allen has scored three goals in the two games against Idaho. Michael Gildon scored two of the goals and assisted on the other. Gildon is now tied for the team lead in goals (5) with Brayden Watts. Andre Anania assisted on Gildon's goal last night and leads the team with eight assists. He is ranked #6 in assists among all ECHL defensemen. 

 

- How did Allen fare on the keys to the game?

Score the first goal of the game - Accomplished 

Score a minimum of three goals - Missed (Allen has scored two or fewer goals in 7 of 12 games and lost all of them.

Take 35+ shots - Missed, but 31 shots with 15 minutes of penalty kill time is good.

Convert on 10% or more of the shots - Missed, shooting percentage was 6.5%, lower than the season average of 7.9%.

Minimize shots against and achieve a .919 save percentage - Shots were skewed because of the five-minute major penalty (10 shots), but Marco's save percentage was .929.

Win the special teams battle - Missed, Allen was 0-2 on the power play and 2-5 on the penalty kill. Allen had given up a total of three power play goals in the last 10 games before last night. 

 

- Here is the game recap from both teams and the video highlights:

• Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/11/game-recap-idaho-3-americans-2-in-ot 
• Idaho Steelheads: https://idahosteelheads.com/news/2025/11/pearsons-ot-heroics-lift-steelheads-to-3-2-win-over-americans 
• Video Highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-idaho-steelheads-nov-21-2025

 

TONIGHT'S PREVIEW

- All of the keys from last night would definitely lead to victory tonight:

Score the first goal of the game.

Score a minimum of three goals.

Take 35+ shots.

Convert on 10% or more of the shots.

Minimize shots against and achieve a .919 save percentage.

Win the special teams battle

  

- I would add a first-period lead to the list above. Here is how the Americans have fared based on the score after the first period:

• 1-0-1-0: leading after the 1st period
• 2-0-0-1: score tied after the first period
• 1-5-1-0: trailing after the first period

 

- I asked Coach Martinson for a key to the game, and he was quick to respond in the typical Marty fashion, "We need to get traffic to the front of the net on every opportunity we have, not half of them, not three-quarters of them, but every opportunity. You can quote me on this, I told the guys, if you can't get to the f***ing front of the net in this league, you are just soft. I mean it, if you can't get to the front of the net in this league, you just don't have enough jam to play the game the way we want to play."   

 

- David Tendeck is scheduled to get the start in goal tonight. He last played in a game on November 12 for the Florida Everblades. It was a road game in Greenville, and Tendeck had a 31-save shutout against the Swamp Rabbits. He was selected as the #1 Star of the game. 

 

- Braidan Simmons-Fischer missed the game last night, but will return to the lineup tonight. Martinson will have to assess any other injuries from last night and factor in Hargrove's two-game suspension in determining the lineup for tonight. 

 

- After two games of this three-game series, here are the cumulative stats. The takeaway from these stats is that the games have been close, and it won't take much for Allen to secure a win tonight.

• Goals - Idaho leads 6-3
• Shots - Idaho leads 78-71
• Power Play - Idaho leads 2-6 vs Allen 1-5
• Penalties - Allen leads 8 for 27 minutes vs Idaho 6 for 12 minutes 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

-  Marco Constantini will get the night off tonight after playing in 10 straight games for the Americans. He can use some rest, as Allen will be playing another three games in four days next week in Utah. Marco is one of five ECHL goalies who have played in 10 games and one of three goalies who have played over 600 minutes. He has played 602 minutes, made 333 saves on 362 shots for a .920 save percentage.

 

- The Belleville goalie who was out with an injury (Mads Sogaard) started for the Senators last night. Jackson Parsons was the backup. The reason Martinson did not sign another goalie right away was that Parsons was expected back in Allen as soon as Sogaard returned, and it was always day-to-day. Now another goalie has a minor injury and is day-to-day, so don't look for Parsons to return for the Utah series. 

 

- Even though Allen lost last night in overtime, the Americans managed to gain some ground as four Mountain Division teams lost in regulation. That happened because two teams played outside the division and both lost. Savannah shellacked the Knight Monsters 8-1 in Tahoe, and Toledo beat Wichita 4-1 at home. The Mountain Division has one team with a point percentage above .600. All of the other divisions have three or four. Here are the Mountain Division standings, with league ranking in point percentage in  parentheses: 

• .643 - Kansas City (#8)
• .594 - Tahoe (#12)
• .594 - Idaho (#12)
• .583 - Tulsa (#14)
• .500 - Utah (#20)
• .458 - Allen (#23)
• .429 - Rapid City (#24)
• .393 - Wichita (#27)  

 

- The Mountain Division has a losing record when playing teams in the other three divisions. After last night, the record is 7-9-4-0, with a point percentage of .450. Allen has yet to play a team outside the Mountain Division, and that won't happen until February 4, when Norfolk visits Allen.  

 

-  Tonight will be another busy night around the ECHL with 12 games on the schedule. If you have FloHockey, the feature game has to be Wheeling vs Reading. These North Division rivals are tied for the most points in the ECHL (20). Reading won 4-1 in Wheeling last night. Tonight they play in Reading. Here is the ECHL Today with previews on all 12 games: https://echl.com/news/2025/11/echl-today-nov-22

 

-  If you listened to the broadcast last night, you heard Tommy Daniels mention several times an Early Black Friday sale taking place through the Americans Team Store. Youth and Adult Military Night and Wizard Night Jerseys are 30% off bringing the cost down to $80.50 for the youth jerseys and $109.20 for the adult jerseys. The sale started on Friday and goes through tomorrow (Sunday). Here is the link if you are interested: https://shop.allenamericans.com/collections/early-black-friday-sale-military-wizard-jerseys-30-off

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about attendance. Allen's average attendance after seven home games is 5015, up from 4573 last season. 

ECHL attendance: the good, the bad, and the ugly:

 

- Jacksonville is averaging 11,346 per game. That is higher than all 32 AHL teams.

 

- Fort Wayne played its first home game last night after starting the season with 11 straight road games, and drew 9098.

 

- Orlando is the worst team in the ECHL with a 1-10-0-0 (.091) record. Despite the record, Orlando is averaging 8191 per game.

 

- Wheeling, the #1 team in ECHL with a .769 point percentage, drew 1825 last night and is averaging just 2715.

 

- Iowa is averaging 1312 over its first eight home games. That is 795 fewer than the next lowest team (Trois Rivières - 2107).

  

Allen vs Idaho Preview, Team Stats Tell the Story, Martinson's Keys to the Game, Who's Hot and Who's Not and More

 

It is game day for the Allen Americans as they play Idaho tonight in the second of a three-game series. Allen is in the midst of a four-game losing streak and has five more road games in front of them. In the last two weeks, the Americans have seen their point percentage drop from .643 to .455.

 

- What does Allen have to do to stop the bleeding? This morning, I will review some team statistics that may help answer that question. Let's start by looking at what is working and what isn't.

• Goals scored - Allen is ranked #23 in the league in goals scored (2.64). If you exclude the two games in which they scored six goals, in Allen's other nine games, they have averaged just 1.55 goals per game. 
• Shooting percentage - Shots haven't been the problem, as the Americans are ranked #8 in shots per game (32.18). They have outshot the opponent in their last four losses. What has been a problem is converting shots into goals. There are only five teams in the ECHL with a shooting percentage below 8% and Allen is one of them. Allen's team shooting percentage is 7.9% and five top forwards are below the team average. 
• Scoring first - Allen's record when scoring first, 2-0-1-0 (.833), is excellent, but Allen has scored first in only three of 11 games (27%). The league average is 50% and the top team (Tahoe) is at 80%. 
• Goals allowed -  I wrote this about goals allowed at the end of October. While the offense has struggled, the defense has allowed only 12 goals in four games, resulting in a 3.00 goals per game average, ranking #12 in the league. Three of the 12 goals allowed were empty-net goals. Not including them, Allen's goals allowed average is 2.25 goals per game. If you look at Allen's last five games, they have allowed 19 goals, an average of 3.8 goals per game.
• Allen's record when scoring three or more goals is 4-0-1-0 (.900). When they score less than three goals, the Americans' record is 0-5-1-0 (.083).
• Special teams - Allen has one of the best penalty kills in the league, ranked #3 at 91.1%. Allen's power play is ranked #25 at 13.0% despite scoring its only goal on the power play in the 3-1 loss to Idaho on Wednesday.
• Goaltending - Allen's goaltending has been a strength, despite Marco Costantini having to carry the load by himself recently. He has played every minute in goal in the last nine games, since Jackson Parsons was recalled to Belleville. Marco's save percentage is .919, Parsons' save percentage in the two games before he was recalled was .931.

 

  - If you look at the stats above, it is clear what will lead to victory tonight. Some of these are easier said than done, but if the team works hard and minimizes mistakes, they can be accomplished:

• Score the first goal of the game.
• Score a minimum of three goals.
• Take 35+ shots.
• Convert on 10% or more of the shots.
• Minimize shots against and achieve a .919 save percentage.
• Win the special teams battle. 

 

- What are Coach Martinson's keys to the game tonight? I asked him that question early this morning, and this is what he had to say. He plans to have a video review with the team before the pregame skate this morning. 

 "We need to cut down on the number of turnovers at the blue line, trying to make low-probability plays. Lack of speed through the neutral zone and poor positioning contribute to the turnovers."

"Sometimes our structure is undisciplined, which makes it difficult to create offense off the rush."

"When we have puck support, we have success going into the zone. When we have a poor structure, too often it results in a broken play, a turnover, and a shot against." 

"To solve our lack of offense, we need better rushes that create more pressure on the puck as we enter the zone. Even if you don't have success, if you have good positioning and structure, you have a better chance at recovering the puck if you have to chip it in." 

"Another focus will be on getting pucks from high to low, D to D, traffic in front of the net, and getting off a good shot. Identifying when the defense is collapsing and getting the puck to the point is key." 

Martinson won't make lineup decisions until later in the day, but I would expect you will see the same lines as on Wednesday. I also assume both goalies will get a game this weekend, with Costantini going tonight and Tendeck tomorrow. I will post the lineup here and on social media later today.

 

- The game tonight will be a two-referee game. Tyler Hascall (#8) and Eliot Grauer (#59), who worked the game on Wednesday, will be the referees again. They let a lot go on Wednesday, calling only four minor penalties. I would expect you will see more penalties in the game tonight, and it will be more physical.

 

 - Here is the game day preview issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/11/game-day-preview-americans-at-idaho-810-pm-cdt 

 

 

 OTHER COMMENTS 

- There are 13 games on the ECHL schedule tonight. All eight Mountain Division teams will be in action, with two playing inter-divisional games (Wichita at Toledo, Savannah at Tahoe). Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2025/11/echl-today-nov-21 

 

- If you are on YouTube, check out the latest video on the Allen Americans Blog YouTube Channel. Team President Jonny Mydra, talks about the ECHL All-Star Classic and Fan Fest that Allen will be hosting in January. If you aren't already subscribed to the channel, please do so, and you will be notified whenever a new video is posted.

 

- Here is the odd stat of the day. It is over a month into the ECHL season, and here are some home game stats:

• Two teams are undefeated at home: South Carolina (5-0-0-0) and Wheeling (4-0-0-0).
• One team hasn't won at home, Orlando (0-4-0-0)
• One team has yet to play a home game: Fort Wayne plays at home tonight after playing its first 11 games on the road because of rink renovations. Despite 11 straight road games, the Komets lead the Central Division with a record of 8-3-0-0 (.727). Their .727 point percentage is the second-best in the ECHL.

 

DID YOU KNOW: Who is hot and who is not in the ECHL. Records over the last 10 games:

 

HOT

9-1-0-0: Wheeling

7-3-0-0: South Carolina

7-3-0-0: Atlanta

7-3-0-0: Fort Wayne

7-3-0-0: Tulsa

 

NOT HOT

1-9-0-0: Orlando

2-7-1-0: Iowa

3-6-1-0: Wichita

3-5-2-0: Allen

3-5-2-0: Norfolk

Offense Struggles Again, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Stats Leaders, ECHL Strongest Division and More

The Allen Americans' struggles continued last night with a 3-1 loss in Idaho. It was Allen's fourth straight loss, tied for the second-longest losing streak in the league. Coach Martinson made another adjustment to the lines, aiming to create more offense. The strategy worked from a shot standpoint as the Americans tallied 40 shots, including 33 in the first two periods. However, the Americans did not score an even-strength goal. Allen's lone goal was scored by Michael Gildon (assisted by Sedley & Crone) on the power play.  

 

- Here is what the stats say about the game last night:

• Allen gave up the first goal for the eighth time in 11 games. 
• Allen's shooting percentage was 2.5% (1-40). Overall, they have one of the lowest shooting percentages in the league (7.9%). 
• Allen stayed out of the penalty box and killed the one penalty they took. The penalty kill unit has given up only one goal in the last seven games (1-26) and has improved the Americans' #3-ranked penalty kill percentage to 91.1%.
• Allen trailed 1-0 after the first period. The Americans' record when trailing after the first period is now 1-5-1-0. 
• Allen scored just one goal and has scored only seven goals (1,3,2,1) during this four-game losing streak, an average of 1.75 goals per game.

 

- Here are the game recaps from both teams and the video highlights:

• Allen recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/11/americans-fall-to-idaho-3-1 
• Idaho recap: https://idahosteelheads.com/news/2025/11/steelheads-fend-off-americans-for-3-1-wednesday-win 
• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-idaho-steelheads-nov-19-2025 

 

- The team will take the day off the ice today since they are playing three games in four days, but I am sure Coach Martinson will be having a video session in an attempt to snap this losing streak. 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Allen's team plus/minus is now -53. Only three players have a positive plus/minus rating:

• +3 Danny Katic
• +2 Brad Morrison
• +1 Andre Anania

 

- With the loss last night, Allen fell below the .500 point percentage mark for the first time since October 29. Here are the Mountain Division standings with games played in parentheses. The positive for Allen is that the division is so close that a three-game win streak gets you right back in contention.

• .636 - Tulsa (11)
• .615 - Kansas City (13)
• .607 - Tahoe (14)
• .567 - Idaho (15)
• .462 - Utah (13)
• .462 - Rapid City (13)
• .455 - Allen (11)
• .423 - Wichita (13) 

 

-  Here is the odd stat of the day. Allen has lost four straight games and outshot its opponent in all of them:

• 34-31 - lost 4-1
• 35-31 - lost 4-3 in OT
• 33-24 - lost 4-2
• 40-36 - lost 3-1 

 

- Here are the Allen leaders in the offensive categories. This list looks different from what most would have predicted at the beginning of the season:

Points

• 11 - Watts
• 8 - Anania
• 7 - Katic

Goals

• 5 - Watts
• 4 - Gildon
• 3 - Katic, Duarte, Blaisdell, 

Assists

• 7 - Anania
• 6 - Watts
• 4 - Katic, Crone, Sedley,    

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about inter-divisional play. The South Division looks like the strongest division in the ECHL:  

It is a small sample size, but here is the point percentage and record for each ECHL division when playing the other three divisions. Strength of schedule plays a role, but these early records might say something about the strength of the divisions. How would you rank the four divisions?

 

Inter-divisional Records

.722 - South Division: 12-4-1-1

.556 - Central Division: 5-4-0-0

.471 - Mountain Division: 6-7-4-0

.450 - North Division: 4-5-1-0

  

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

10: CIN, RC

9: ADK

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

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

6: WOR

5: IDH, IND, KC, MNE, NOR

4: BLM, KAL, OR

3: JAX, GSO, GVL, TOL

2: ATL

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

 

 

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

- What stands out in the stats above?

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

 

 

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

 

Goalies

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

Defensemen

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

Forwards

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

 

- Tonight's lineup:

 

Forwards

67 Crone - 91 Gildon - 11 Caron

29 Watts - 26 Asuchak - 77 Morrison

92 McAuley - 7 Hargrove - 18 Blaisdell

19 Maxwell

 

Defense

86 Anania - 23 Sedley 

44 Spinozzi - 2 Warmuth

21 Decker - 6 Simmons-Fischer

22 Costantini

 

Goalies

33 Costantini

32 Tendeck (Backup) 

 

 

 

- Keys to the game are many:

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

 

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

 

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

 

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

 

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

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

      

  

Early Season Assessment by the Numbers, Mark Duarte (#3) and Jackson Parsons (#1) Earn Stars in Win, Yablonski Visits Practice and More

 

I want to take some time this morning to assess the Allen Americans' season thus far. There are so many factors to consider when deciding where Allen stands 10 games (13.8%) into the season. When the season started on October 18, there was a consensus among most Allen fans and those around the Mountain Division that with the return of Steve Martinson and the skilled, physical team he recruited, the Americans would be a contender in the division.

 

- It was also clear that it might take some time for the team to come together since Coach Martinson had not coached most of the players he recruited. It has been an up-and-down first month of the season. Allen beat Wichita on the road on opening night, but since that first win, Allen has lost three straight, won three straight, and lost three straight. 

 

- The loss to Tulsa on Saturday (4-2) was particularly frustrating because the team had a week off between games, had a good week of practice, team meetings, and a chance to heal bumps and bruises. The expectations for that game were very high. With a win the Americans' record would improve to 5-3-2-0 (.600) as Allen hits the road for two weeks, when Disney on Ice takes over the CUTX Event Center. Instead, the Americans hit the road nursing a three-game losing streak.

 

- It wasn't just the loss on Saturday that was disheartening; it was how the team lost the game. 

• Allen outshot Tulsa in every period (33-24 for the game).
• A fluky goal on Tulsa's first shot of the game spelled defeat, as Allen never recovered.
• Three second-period goals, including another fluky goal, put the game out of reach as the Oilers took a 4-0 lead into the second intermission. 
• Allen turned it on in the third period, outshooting Tulsa 13-8 and outscoring them 2-0 to make the final score 4-2. It was encouraging to see how the team responded in the third period, but a disappointing result as the team approaches one of the roughest stretches of the schedule with nine of the next 12 games on the road. 

 

- If you step back and look at the season thus far, this is what the stats say:

- With all of the ups and downs, Allen is still a .500 hockey team in the thick of the Mountain Division standings race, because the division is the closest in the league. You can make the argument that Allen could return from the upcoming six-game road trip to Idaho and Utah in first place or last place in the division. Here are the current standings by point percentage, which is a better measurement than points because games played vary from 10 (Allen) to 14 (Tahoe & Idaho):

• .636 - Tulsa
• .615 - Kansas City
• .607 - Tahoe
• .536 - Idaho
• .500 - Allen
• .462 - Utah
• .462 - Rapid City
• .423 - Wichita 

 

- There is no denying that Allen is getting less help from its affiliate than any team in the division, and it isn't even close. It is important to remember, by the time Steve Martinson was hired as coach and general manager, his choice was to affiliate with Ottawa or be the only team in the ECHL without an affiliation, and thus be independent. Martinson's relationship with Ottawa/Belleville is great, and the Senators want to help. The main issue is that budget constraints limit the number of players the Senators have under contract, so injuries prevent them from sending players to Allen. As of last Tuesday, here are the numbers of NHL/AHL contracted players assigned to each Mountain Division team. 

• 10 - Rapid City
• 8 - Utah
• 6 - Tulsa
• 6 - Kansas City
• 6 - Tahoe
• 6 - Wichita
• 0 Allen - Net zero (Katic assigned, Duarte loaned)

 

- Scoring has been an issue with the Americans so far, given the skill on the team. Allen has scored 28 goals in its first 10 games, but if you look behind the numbers, the Americans scored six goals twice. In their other eight games, Allen has scored a total of 16 goals (2.00 per game). Here is a breakdown of the number of goals scored in the first 10 games.

• 6 goals - two times
• 3 goals - three times
• 2 goals - one time
• 1 goal - four times

Allen's record when scoring 3+ goals is 4-0-1-0, and when scoring two or fewer goals, it is 0-4-1-0. 

 

- Here are the Allen players who have three or more points after 10 games. 

• 11 points (5G, 6A) - Brayden Watts
• 8 points (1G, 7A) - Andre Anania
• 7 points (3G, 4A) - Danny Katic (5 games played)
• 5 points (3G, 2A) - Mark Duarte (loaned to Belleville)
• 5 points (3G, 2A) - Harrison Blaisdell
• 4 points (3G, 1A) - Michael Gildon
• 4 points (2G, 2A) - Thomas Caron
• 4 points (1G, 3A) - Brad Morrison (8 games played)
• 4 points (1G, 3A) - Spencer Asuchak (9 games played)
• 4 points (1G, 3A) - Hank Crone
• 3 points (2G, 1A) - Matt Register (4 games played)
• 3 points (1G, 2A) - Colton Hargrove
• 3 points (0G, 3A) - Kevin Spinozzi (9 games played)
• 3 points (0G, 3A) - Sam Sedley 

There are a lot of proven goal scorers on the list above. If Allen has success on the upcoming road trip, there must be more scoring from these proven goal scorers. 

 

- Allen has been a .500 club over the first 10 games, which is an okay start. However, the Americans have played seven of their 10 games at home. Between now and Christmas, the Americans will play 12 of 17 games on the road. This section of the schedule will go a long way in determining if Allen is a contender or one of several teams fighting for the final playoff spot.   

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- When Mark Duarte was loaned to Belleville last week. My first thought other than being excited about the promotion, was would he get signed to an AHL deal by the Senators and not return to Allen. After all that is the goal. Mark is the perfect type of player to be loaned as a third/fourth line player. He works hard, is great on the forecheck, and is an outstanding penalty killer who can contribute offensively. Mark has played in all three games since reporting to Belleville, which were all road games, at Rochester, Utica, and Syracuse. Belleville won all three games.

Mark scored his first two AHL goals in Belleville's 4-1 win over Syracuse on Saturday. He scored the first goal of the game, unassisted, with a backhanded shot Allen fans are familiar with. He then scored the final goal of the game into an empty net. It says a lot about Mark's defensive ability that he was on the ice at the end of the game when Syracuse pulled its goalie for an extra attacker. For his effort, Mark was selected as the #3 star of the game. 

Here are the video highlights, which show both of Mark's goals plus one of his blocked shots (he has been killing penalties). The highlights also include many of Jackson Parsons' saves as he stopped 34 of 35 shots for a .971 save percentage to earn the #1 start of the game:

 

 Here is a post-game interview with Mark:

 

- As I mentioned in the blog post on Saturday, enforcer Jeremy Yablonski visited practice on Friday to work with a couple of players before and after practice. Here are two videos from my Allen Americans YouTube channel. The first one is Jeremy working with Braidan Simmons-Fischer after practice, and the second is Steve Martinson talking about why he asked Yoblonski to help out. FYI, Yablonski has visited Allen's practices several times in the past. 

 

 

 

- After practice, I had a chance to sit down with Yablonski and Martinson as they talked about fighting back in the day and today, but I was intrigued as they talked about how Jeremy works with players on fighting techniques. He talks with players about the mental approach to fighting as much as the physical aspects. After a lot of fighting talk the conversation shifted to the importance of self-responsibility in leadership. Before you can lead anyone else, you must take ownership of your own actions, choices, and growth. Personal accountability is the foundation of influence in coaching and in the locker room. 

If you watched the Simmons-Fischer fight on Saturday, you could see that he applied the lessons learned from Jeremy, especially how to switch hands, adjust positioning, and have patience. Here are the video highlights from the game, including the fight: https://echl.com/videos/tulsa-oilers-vs-allen-americans-nov-15-2025 

  

- The Americans will leave tomorrow morning for Boise, where they will start their road trip with games against Idaho on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. The team will practice tomorrow after they arrive in Boise. Because of the long road trip, all healthy players will accompany the team. I would assume the only player staying home will be Malik Johnson who is on injured reserve. It remains to be seen if Jackson Parsons will return to Allen for the road trip. The expectation is he will, but if he doesn't, Martinson will sign a goalie rather than play with an EBUG in Idaho. 

 

- Here is the first of what I hope will be many player videos this season that will be posted to the Allen Americans YouTube Channel (please subscribe). I did this one last week as a way to get to know the players in their own words. Thanks to Michael Gildon for being the first:

  

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about the leading scorers among ECHL defensemen. Andre Anania is on the list. Andre is Allen's second leading scorer behind Brayden Watts:

Top scoring ECHL defensemen by average points per game (minimum 10 games played):

 

1.08 - Marcus Crawford, Kansas City

1.00 - Chad Nychuk, Atlanta

.92 - Noah Beck, Wichita

.91 - Jake Johnson, Cincinnati

.82 - Brent Johnson, Wheeling

.80 - Andre Anania, Allen

.80 - Riley McCourt, Toledo