Allen Takes 2-0 Series Lead, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Playoff Stats in Rarefied Air, Allen Connection to DEL Playoffs Finals and More

 

The Allen Americans took a 2-0 series lead with a 4-2 win over the Idaho Steelheads before a crowd of 5466 at the CUTX Event Center last night. After the win on Thursday, Coach Martinson said the focus for game two would be playing like the first period of game one for 60 minutes, avoiding all of the after-the-whistle retaliation penalties, and making adjustments on the power play. How did it work out last night?

• Allen played more consistently last night, outshooting Idaho in every period (14-11, 12-7, 12-10) for a total of  38-28, and was the more physical team.
• Allen scored the first goal of the game for the 12th time in the last 14 games and have won them all. Last night, the first goal didn't come until early in the second period (2:50) when Andre Anania scored from the blueline on the power play. The Americans' record this season when scoring first is now 34-2-4-0 (.850).
• Allen took a 2-0 lead later in the second period (9:56) when Landon Hookey deflected an Anthony Costantini shot into the net. Allen took the 2-0 lead into the second intermission, and the win was all but insured, given Allen's record when leading after the second period is 32-0-2-0.
• When Colton Hargrove stretched the lead to 3-0, 51 seconds into the third period, the only remaining question was whether Brett Mirwald would get his third shutout of the season in his ninth pro game.
• Idaho made the game interesting, scoring twice in 45 seconds (one on the power play) to cut the score to 3-2 with eight minutes remaining. When Allen took a slashing penalty with 2:09 remaining and Idaho pulled the goalie for an extra attacker, you could cut the tension with a skate blade. It was survival mode for Allen. Four defenders against six attackers, and 5000 fans barely breathing.
• And then Karma struck. Sam Sedley, who took the penalty that allowed Idaho to cut the lead to 3-2, just cleared the puck out of the zone. It wasn't a shot, it was a slow-motion miracle. Rolling on its side like it had a mind of its own, in a slow arc towards the empty net and crossing the line just before an Idaho player slammed into the net in desperation.
• After the strangest empty net goal of the season gave Allen a 4-2 lead, there were still 18 seconds remaining on the clock. Still time for a pushing-and-shoving convention that produced nine roughing penalties. An Idaho stick even found Coach Martinson on the bench. 

 

- Special teams played a big role in the game, and it was to Allen's advantage. Only two of the six goals were scored at even strength, one by each team:

• Allen was 2-5 on the power play and scored a shorthanded goal 
• Idaho was 1-3 on the power play. 

 

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

• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/idaho-steelheads-vs-allen-americans-apr-24-2026-game-2 
• Allen Americans recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/04/game-recap-americans-take-2-0-series-lead
• Idaho Steelheads recap: https://idahosteelheads.com/news/2026/04/idahos-comeback-falls-short-in-game-2-loss

 

COACH MARTINSON'S POST-GAME COMMENTS

As he does after every game, Coach Martinson met with a standing room only crowd of season ticketholders after the game.  There was a lot of energy in the room among the fans and the coach on the nine roughing penalties called with 12.5 seconds remaining in the game. Here are Martinson's comments about the game:

"This is a great start at home, being up 2-0 in the series and getting a 3-0 lead tonight. It was kind of a lucky goal right off the faceoff on their first goal after Asuchuk won the faceoff. Then they got a second goal on the power play 45 seconds later and turned the game into a nail-biter."

"It was good getting a couple of power-play goals tonight after our struggles last night. We had a lot of traffic in front of the net on the goals."

"The other thing for us is that the guys played more together and are starting to get more chemistry."

"We are going on three different flights in the morning. Management is going earlier because we don't have to play. We are going at 8:40 am. Then a bunch of guys are leaving at 10:40 am, and some of the veteran guys don't leave until 8:30 pm. 

"We did a better job staying out of the after-the-whistle stuff tonight until the game was decided with a few seconds remaining. I didn't like the way the scrum at the end of the game that resulted in nine roughing penalties was handled."

"The big thing on Sunday will be that they are going to come at us with everything. Nobody wants to go down 3-0. We know we have to be ready for their best game."

    

OTHER COMMENTS

 -  I know it is early, as there have only been nine playoff games played thus far, but here are some numbers rarely seen in ECHL playoffs. Running laps around historical averages. 

• Higher seeds are 9-0.
• Home teams are 9-0.
• Average penalty minutes are twice as high as in the regular season, 24 vs 12 minutes.
• There have been 14 10-minute misconduct penalties in nine games. 
• The teams that scored first are 8-1.
• There have been five shorthanded goals in nine games.
• Winning teams are allowing an average of 0.89 goals per game.   

  

- The Allen vs Idaho series is the only one that has played two games, so no surprise the Americans have the playoff leaders in a bunch of stats:

• #1 in points: Watts  (4)
• #1 in goals:  Watts and Hargrove (2)
• #1, #2, #3 in plus/minus: Sedley (+5), Prefontaine (+4), Gildon (+3) 
• #1, #2 in points by defensemen: Anania (3), Sedley (2)

 

- Allen and Idaho are idle today, but the other seven series will be in action. The higher seeds have had their way so far; I would expect that will change today. Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/04/echl-today-april-25

 

- The top league in Germany and one of the elite leagues in Europe is the DEL. They are in the finals of the playoffs with Eisbaren Berlin leading Adler Mannheim 1-0 in the best-of-seven finals. There is a rooting interest for Allen fans as two former players, goalie Jake Hildebrand and defenseman Les Lancaster, play for Eisbaren Berlin. Lancaster was the ECHL Defenseman of the Year when he played for Allen in 2020-21. He had twice as many goals (26) as any other defenseman in the league. Hildebrand was part of the 2016 Kelly Cup championship team. It takes 16 wins to earn the Kelly Cup. In 2016, Riley Gill at 12 of the 16, Hildebrand three, and Joel Rumpel one.  Game two of the DEL finals is tomorrow.  

 

 

DID YOU  KNOW: Welcome to ECHL playoff hockey. There have been nine games thus far, and the higher seeds have won all nine with great defense. Here are the goals allowed in the nine games by the winning teams:

 

0 goals - 3 games

1 goal - 4 games

2 goals - 2 games

 

That’s right, nine games all won by the higher seeds, allowing an average of 0.89 goals per game.

Allen Takes Series Lead With 5-1 Win, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Tonight's Lineup, 70+ Point Scorers Declining and More

 

 The quote of the night, as I walked around CUTX Event Center between periods and after the game, was "Now that is Martinson hockey." In a game reminiscent of the championship years, Allen overwhelmed Idaho in the first period with a combination of physicality and skill. Every Allen player was finishing every check, and they weren't those running into the player type of checks.  

 

- It took just 32 seconds after the opening puck drop for Allen to get on the scoreboard. A great pass from Andre Anania to Brayden Watts in the slot, and the puck was in the net on the first shot of the game. Scoring first has been a magic elixir for the Americans this season. After last night, their record when scoring first stands at 31-2-4-2.

 

- Danny Katic made it 2-0 at the 16:31 mark of the first period. Sam Sedley walked the puck to the front of the net, and Katic was in his office (blue paint) to tap the goal into an open net. When the dust settled on the first period, Allen had outshot Idaho 14-7, outscored them 2-0, and delivered 15 big hits (5 by Danny Katic).  

 

- The back-breaker goal was scored by Colton Hargrove early in the second period (2:14). Allen had killed off a carryover penalty from the first period. Allen grabbed the momentum when Landen Hookey sprung Hargrove on a breakaway with a great cross-ice pass, and Colton did one of his patented moves of fake right, go left, and tap the puck into an open net. With a 3-0 lead, the game was pretty much over at that point.

 

- Hargrove's goal was scored on the first shot by either team in the second period. At that point, Allen had a 15-7 shot advantage. From that point, Allen had only 12 shots over the remaining 38 minutes of the game, and two of them were open-net goals (McAuley & Watts). Idaho scored a goal in the second period to cut the score to 3-1., Allen took a 3-1 lead into the second intermission, and that was pretty much lights out for the Steelheads. Allen's record with a second-period lead is now 31-0-2-0. 

 

- Here are the video highlights and game recaps. Pay attention to the primary assists on the goals, as there were some good ones. 

• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/idaho-steelheads-vs-allen-americans-apr-23-2026-game-1
• Allen Americans recap: https://echl.com/videos/idaho-steelheads-vs-allen-americans-apr-23-2026-game-1
• Idaho Steelheads recap: https://echl.com/videos/idaho-steelheads-vs-allen-americans-apr-23-2026-game-1  

 

- What are the keys to the game tonight? 

• A repeat of the first period from last night. Score the first goal and accentuate the physical play. 
• Keep the foot in the gas for all three periods.
• Stay out of the penalty box, especially avoiding retaliation penalties after the whistle.
• Win the special teams battle. 

 

- Coach Martinson outlined the plan for tonight when he talked about the 5-1 win with the season ticket holders last night: 

"It was a great start, at one point we were outshooting them 18-5, and then the BS started, and we were biting into it, and retaliating. What irritates me with the stuff after the whistle is how they hand out the penalties. When all of the after-the-whistle stuff started happening, and they got some back-to-back power plays, our lines got all messed up, and we ended up losing momentum."

"I told the guys what intimidates is the hard hits, and that is what we were doing in the first period. We know when the stuff after the whistle happens, like a glove in the face, it is just BS, and they are not going to fight."

"We have to be more disciplined after the whistle stuff was the difference in the game. We just didn't have that fluid play in the second half of the game. We have to learn from that."

"We padded our stats with the two empty net goals, which looks good on the stats sheet." 

"Mirwald was good again in goal. He still hasn't lost a game in regulation time. (6-0-1-0 &.952 save %).

"Our power play sucked, and we have to work on a couple of things for the game tomorrow. We have to get on the drawing board and get a little tighter on our power play. It was frustrating."

"It was a good start, and we will take it. We have to have the same kind of start tomorrow. That will be our focus: what we must do to repeat that start."  

"Our centers were good tonight on faceoffs. I had Jason keep track of how each center was doing against their centers, so if we got to a point when we really needed to win a draw, we could get the right center out." (FYI, final tally on faceoffs favored Allen 56% to 44%.)

 

- Allen’s lineup tonight against Idaho:

 

Forwards

92 McAuley - 7 Hargrove - 27 Duarte

29 Watts - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

77 Sillinger - 55 Hookey - 18 Blaisdell

26 Asuchak - 44 Dubois - 11 Barbashev

 

Defense

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

86 Anania - 40 Toure

22 Costantini - 2 Warmuth

 

Goalies

32 Mirwald

33 Costantini (backup)

 

- There will be a different pair of referees working the game tonight. Logan Gruhl (#29) and Emile Charron (#43). The linesmen will be Michael Miggins (#47) and Daniel Barnes (#76). 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- How important is winning the game tonight? History says teams that win the first two games at home go on to win the series almost 90% of the time. A split at home turns the series into a near coin flip and hands Idaho the momentum.       

 

- The playoffs really get going tonight with seven of the eight series in action. The only teams not playing are Bloomington and Toledo. Here are the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/04/echl-today-april-24 

 

- If the Allen vs Idaho series goes seven games, it would end on May 3, the earliest of the eight first-round matchups. Three series have game seven on May 5th, and four have game seven on May 6. 

  

 

 DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about the declining number of players reaching 70 points in a season. Allen's numbers are different. The Americans had two 70+ point scorers this season (Watts & Harrison), none in 2024-25 and 2023-24. In 2022-23, Allen had four players with 70+ points. Crone (105), Combs (95), Hargrove (85), and Finlay (70):

 

Why are 70+ point scorers in the ECHL declining? Here are the number of 70+ point scorers the last four seasons:

 

6 - 2025-26

9 - 2024-25

13 - 2023-24

18 - 2022-23

 

Here are the six 70+ point scorers this season:

86 - Marcus Crawford, Kansas City

78 - Brandon Hawkins, Toledo

75 - Brayden Watts, Allen

73 - Simon Pinard, South Carolina

73 - Danny Dzhaniyev, Utah

70 - Danny Katic, Allen

 

Allen Turnaround One of Best All-Time, Allen vs Idaho Series Preview, Tonight's Lineup, Martinson Statement on Affiliation Extension, Playoff Vets and Rookies

 

Steve Martinson and the Allen Americans begin the "Drive for Five" anew tonight, kicking off the Kelly Cup playoffs against the Idaho Steelheads. It is the beginning of a grueling five games in six days, with the lone off day spent traveling from Allen to Idaho.   

 

- Four years ago, Steve Martinson was shown the door after winning four championships in 10 years with the Allen Americans. He returned to the bench this season and rewrote the script, turning the league's worst team into the hottest (11-0-1-0) going into the playoffs. In the process,  Martinson authored the fourth-largest turnaround in ECHL history. Now comes the hardest part: proving that redemption stories end with a championship, not just applause. 

 

- The turnaround: Allen finished the regular season with 92 points (.639), 49 points better than the 43 points (.299) the team had last season. The +49 point turnaround has only been exceeded three times in the 38-year history of the ECHL:

• +58 points - Toledo from 49 points in 2013-14 to 107 points in 2014-15
• +50 points - Greenville from 33 points in 2003-04 to 83 points in 2004-05
• +50 points - Knoxville from 44 points in  1992-93 to 94 points in 1993-94
• +49 points - Allen from 43 points in 2024-25 to 92 points in 2025-26

 When I mentioned this 49-point turnaround to Coach Martinson, comparing this season to last season was not a big deal. His exact words were, "It's a nice stat, but the best part of this season was how we dialed it in the last month (11-0-1-0), and then added some skilled and gritty players for the playoff push."

 

-  I have heard from several fans that Idaho has to be the favorite in this series, based on the Steelheads beating the Americans six of seven times (6-0-0-1) in the regular season. I understand the sentiment. Here are the facts that mitigate the regular-season record and give Allen the edge:

• Three of the losses came before Thanksgiving when Allen wasn't playing well.
• Five of the seven games were on the road.
• Three of the seven games went to overtime.
• Allen's lone win was the last time the teams played.
• The last time Allen played Idaho, eight players on the playoff roster did not play (Asuchak, Barbashev, Crone, Duarte, Dubois, Hookey, Kidney, Sedley, Touré)
• Allen averaged 2.29 goals a game and allowed 3.29 in the seven games against Idaho.
• In the last month, Allen has averaged 5.25 goals per game and allowed 2.25, going 11-0-1-0.

 

- Here is a statistical comparison between Allen and Idaho, looking at the stats from the 72-game regular season:  

Goals Scored (average per game)

• 3.72 - Allen  
• 3.49 - Idaho

Goals Allowed (average per game) 

• 2.90 - Allen
• 3.04 - Idaho

Goal Differential (goals scored minus goals allowed)

• +59 - Allen
• +32 - Idaho 
  

Shots For (average per game)

• 34.24 - Idaho
• 33.72 - Allen

Shots Against (average per game)

• 32.35 - Idaho
• 34.33 - Allen

Shooting Percentage (goals as a percent of total shots)

• 10.9% - Allen 
• 10.0% - Idaho

Power Play Percentage

• 21.7% - Allen 
• 18.5% - Idaho

Penalty Kill Percentage

• 84.1% - Allen
• 79.4% - Idaho 

Power Play Goals Scored

• 60 - Allen
• 50 - Idaho 
  

Plus/Minus 

• +169 - Allen 
• +133 - Idaho 

Goals Against Average (GAA)

• 2.87 - Allen
• 2.97 - Idaho

Save Percentage

• .915 - Allen  
• .906 - Idaho

Record Last 10 Games

• 9-0-1-0 - Allen
• 5-4-1-0 - Idaho

 THE ROSTER

- I am sure you have seen the 25-player playoff roster by now. Here is the list with height, weight, and left- or right-shot status. The height and weight data are from the Allen Americans website and may be inaccurate in some cases. NHL/AHL contracted players are marked with an asterisk.

Forwards

• #7 Colton Hargrove - 6'2"  205 lbs  left shot
• #9 *Danny Katic - 6'4"  222 lbs  left shot
• #11 *Maxim Barbashev - 6'1"  188 lbs  left shot 
• #18 Harrison Blaisdell - 5'11"  181 lbs  left shot
• #26 Spencer Asuchak - 6'6"  230 lbs  left shot
• #27 *Mark Duarte - 6'2"  187 lbs right shot
• #29 Brayden Watts - 6'0"  182 lbs  left shot
• #44 Jax Dubois - 6'4"  205 lbs  right shot
• #55 *Landon Hookey - 6'5"  225 lbs  right shot
• #67 Hank Crone - 5'9"  170 lbs  left shot
• #76 *Riley Kidney - 6'0"  190 lbs. left shot
• #77 Lukas Sillinger - 5'11"  170 lbs  left shot
• #91 Michael Gildon - 6'2"  196 lbs left shot
• #92 Colby McAuley - 6'0"  185 lbs  left shot 

     How do the forwards compare to Idaho? Allen has three players under 6'0, and Idaho has nine. Allen's average weight is 11 pounds heavier than Idaho's. Allen has recently added some right-shot forwards that helped even out what was a big imbalance. The split is now 11 left shots vs 3 right shots. Idaho is split 7 left shots vs 6 right shots.  

 

Defense

• #2  Quinn Warmuth - 6'4"  219 lbs  right shot
• #8 Ty Prefontaine - 6'3" 215 lbs  left shot
• #21 Jackson Decker - 5'11"  175 lbs left shot
• #22 Anthony Costantini - 6'1" 185 lbs right shot
• #23 Sam Sedley - 6'0"  185 lbs  right shot
• #25 Trevor LeDonne - 6'1"  205 lbs  left shot
• #40 *Djibril Touré - 6'7"  210 lbs right shot
• #86 Andre Anania - 6'1"  190 pounds  right shot 

How do the defensemen compare to Idaho? Average height and weight are the same. The big difference is on offense. Allen's top two defensemen have 97 points; Idaho's have 49. If you look at the top four, Allen has the edge, 140 points to 91.

 

Goalies

• #31 *Jackson Parsons - 23 games. 2.41 GAA, .923 save percentage
• #32 Brett Mirwald - 7 games, 1.58 GAA, .950 save percentage
• #33 Marco Costantini - 33 games, 2.83 GAA, .917 save percentage

How do the goalie stats compare with Idaho? The Steelheads only have two goalies on the roster, and one of them has played only one ECHL game. Their third goalie, an NHL-contracted goalie, is on the playoff-eligible list and currently recalled.   

 

- Here are the five players who will not play tonight: Crone, Decker, LeDonne (healthy scratches), Kidney (listed as day-to-day), and Parsons (cleared but not playing tonight).

- Allen’s lineup tonight against Idaho:

 

Forwards

92 McAuley - 7 Hargrove - 27 Duarte

29 Watts - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

77 Sillinger - 55 Hookey - 18 Blaisdell

26 Asuchak - 44 Dubois - 11 Barbashev

 

Defense

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

86 Anania - 40 Toure

22 Costantini - 2 Warmuth

 

Goalies

32 Mirwald

33 Costantini (backup)

 

 

- It has been a big week in the continuing relationship between Allen, Belleville, and Ottawa. The Americans have six players from the Senators' organization, and the teams have just signed a one-year extension to their affiliation agreement. I asked Coach Martinson what this means for Allen, and this is what he had to say:

"My last three years in Allen (2019-22) were with affiliations that weren't coming back, or in the case of Seattle, a team that didn't have any players. Minnesota wouldn't even send back our own guy. 
What we have now with Ottawa/Belleville is just the opposite. An affiliation that cares and wants players to play in Allen as part of their development. To win a Stanley Cup, you have to play about 100 games. I really don't have time for affiliations that don't see the importance of playoff games. You might as well say you are soft, and that is one thing I prefer never to be called. The renewed affiliation isn't just paperwork; it's a statement of trust and belief among Ottawa, Belleville, and Allen, reaffirming that Allen is a vital proving ground for prospects throughout the season and into the playoffs, where playoff intensity and ice time create valuable growth opportunities."

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: What is the best mix of rookies and veterans for success in the Kelly Cup playoffs? Are too many rookies and not enough veteran presence an issue in the playoffs? Here is the mix for the 16 ECHL playoff teams:

 

Adirondack - 6 rookies, 3 veterans

Allen - 7 rookies, 4 veterans

Atlanta - 9 rookies, 2 veterans

Bloomington - 13 rookies, 1 veteran

Florida - 2 rookies, 4 veterans

Fort Wayne - 6 rookies, 4 veterans

Idaho - 13 rookies, 4 veterans

Indy - 14 rookies, 1 veteran

Kansas City - 6 rookies, 2 veterans

Maine - 9 rookies, 3 veterans

Reading - 7 rookies, 1 veteran

Savannah - 4 rookies, 1 veteran

South Carolina - 7 rookies, 1 veteran

Tahoe - 10 rookies, 2 veterans

Toledo - 10 rookies, 1 veteran

Wheeling - 13 rookies, 1 veteran

       

Playoffs, Playoffs, Playoffs - Thanksgiving Prediction Results, Regular Season Predicts Playoff Success, Career Playoff Points, NHL/AHL Contracted Players

 

For those of you who have followed the blog in the past, you know that each season I post a Thanksgiving blog listing the 16 teams that will make the playoffs. I use a model based on NHL playoff history that says 80% of playoff teams are decided by Thanksgiving. Typically, that means just a few teams not in playoff positions at Thanksgiving will make the playoffs. It is strictly by the numbers, with some commentary on possible teams that will defy the model. 

 

- This is always a fun blog to write each season and track how accurate it is come playoff time. I have had some success with this hypothesis, but also some spectacular failures. None more memorable than four years ago when I wrote this about the Americans at Thanksgiving, "Allen is in last place in the division with a .393 point percentage and is the only team out of contention for a playoff spot." That commentary had me eating crow chili in April as Allen finished second in the Mountain Division and advanced to the second round of the Kelly Cup playoffs. 

 

- Here are the results of the predictions from Thanksgiving. These were the standings and point percentages at Thanksgiving. The teams with an asterisk ended up making the playoffs.   

 

NORTH DIVISION  (3/4 correct)

• 1. Wheeling (..806)*
• 2. Maine (.676)* 
• 3. Trois Riviéres (.647)
• 4. Reading (.556)*

 Adirondack (.531) was close behind Reading for the final playoff spot at Thanksgiving and displaced the defending Kelly Cup champion, Trois-Riviéres, in the playoffs. Trois-Riviéres finished in fifth place.

 

 
SOUTH DIVISION (3/4 correct)

• 1. Atlanta (.750)*
• 2. Florida (.684)*
• 3. South Carolina (.611)*
• 4. Jacksonville (.529)
• 4. Greenville (529)

The South Division had six of seven teams with a points percentage of .500 or more at Thanksgiving. My commentary at Thanksgiving said this:  "While none of the teams below the playoff cut line are out of the picture, except Orlando (.250), the final playoff spot will likely be Jacksonville or Greenville. They are two evenly matched teams with a history of making the playoffs and with strong affiliations. Savannah is the other .500 team, but the Ghost Pirates have never made the playoffs since joining the ECHL in 2022-23 and will likely have the same fate this season." Bad commentary on my part as Greenville and Jacksonville faded to below .500 teams and Savannah claimed the fourth playoff spot.  

CENTRAL DIVISION (3/4 correct)

• 1. Fort Wayne (.750)*
• 2. Bloomington (.625)* 
• 3. Toledo (.618)* 
• 4. Cincinnati (.583)

 

The only other team above .500 at Thanksgiving was Indy (.528), and the Fuel edged out Cincinnati and Kalamazoo for the final playoff spot, which wasn't decided until the last game of the season.   

MOUNTAIN DIVISION

• 1. Tahoe (.675)*
• 2. Kansas City (.647)*
• 3. Idaho (.600)*
• 4. Utah (.500)

 

Here was my commentary at Thanksgiving: 

The Mountain Division is easily the most difficult to predict and most likely to have teams not in the top four make the playoffs. Notice the #1 team (Tahoe) has the lowest point percentage of any division's #1 team, and the #4 team also has the lowest point percentage of any #4 team in the other divisions. While Tahoe and Kansas City seem to be the class of the division, anything could happen. The four teams not currently in a playoff spot are Wichita (.472), Allen (.469), Rapid City (.444), and Tulsa (.438). If affiliate help determines the outcome, here are the NHL/AHL contracted players assigned to each team as of last week's report: Rapid City (10), Wichita (7), Tulsa (6), and Allen (0). I know these numbers have changed since a week ago, but this gives you a relative comparison. The bottom line is that none of the Mountain Division teams are out of the playoff hunt, and I would expect one or two teams currently outside of a playoff spot to make it in. 

The team that came on strong after Thanksgiving was Allen, who not only made the list but finished in second place. Here are the points percentage changes from Thanksgiving to the end of the season in final standings order:

• +.152: Kansas City increased from .647 to .799
• +.170: Allen increased from .469 to .639 
• +.032: Idaho increased from .600 to .632 
• -.140: Tahoe decreased from .675 to .535
• -.014: Utah decreased from .500 to .486
• +.007: Rapid City increased from .444 to .451
• .000: Tulsa stayed the same .438 - .438
• -.041: Wichita decreased from .472 to .431

 

CONCLUSIONS

• The model predicted 12 of the 16 teams that made the playoffs for a 75% accuracy rate.
• The good news is that the model was 92% accurate on the top three teams making the playoffs from each division. 11 of the top 12 teams at Thanksgiving made the playoffs.
• The bad news is that three of the four fourth-place teams at Thanksgiving didn't make the playoffs. 
• All in all, it was a lot of fun putting this together again this season, and it proved once again that most teams' fate is determined by Thanksgiving.  

 

 

- How does the regular season finish affect the playoffs? Finishing #1 (Kansas City) always brings up talk of the Brabham Cup curse. After all, the #1 team during the regular season hasn't won the Kelly Cup since 2014. Does it make a difference where a team finishes in the regular season? Here is where the Kelly Cup champion has finished in the regular season since 2005. 

• 2025 - Trois-Rivières - (5th) 
• 2024 - Florida (8th)
• 2023 - Florida (11th)
• 2022 - Florida (3rd)
• 2021 - Fort Wayne (5th)
• 2020 - No Playoffs
• 2019 - Newfoundland (3rd)
• 2018 - Colorado (4th)
• 2017 - Colorado (3rd)
• 2016 - Allen (5th)
• 2015 - Allen (2nd)
• 2014 - Alaska - (1st)
• 2013 - Reading (2nd)
• 2012 - Florida (7th)
• 2011 - Alaska (1st)
• 2010 - Cincinnati (5th)
• 2009 - South Carolina (4th)
• 2008 - Cincinnati (1st)
• 2007 - Idaho (6th)
• 2006 - Alaska (1st)
• 2005 - Trenton (5th)

 

- Here is another breakdown of where the Kelly Cup champions finished in the regular season since 2005. 80% of the time, the Kelly Cup champion finished in the top five in the regular season. The idea that once you make the playoffs, any team can win is a misnomer. The team in parentheses is the team occupying that spot in the regular season just completed. Will a team outside the top five win the 2026 Kelly Cup?

• #1 - 4 times (Kansas City)
• #2 - 2 times (Florida)
• #3 - 3 times (Fort Wayne)
• #4 - 2 times (Toledo)
• #5 - 5 times (Wheeling)
• #6 - 1 time (South Carolina)
• #7 - 1 time (Atlanta)
• #8 - 1 time (Maine)
• #9 - never (Allen)
• #10 - never (Idaho)
• #11 - 1 time (Adirondack)
• #12 - never (Reading)
• #13 - never (Bloomington)
• #14 - never (Indy)
• #15 - never (Tahoe)
• #16 - never (Savannah)

 

- Here are players participating in the 2026 Kelly Cup playoffs with 30 or more career playoff points:

• 101 points (42G, 59A), 81 games - Brandon Hawkins, Toledo
• 52 points (24G, 28A), 82 games - Spencer Asuchak, Allen
• 49 points (20G, 29A), 57 games - Oliver Chau, Florida
• 41 points (21G, 20A), 73 games - Justin Taylor, Adirondack
• 41 points (17G, 24A), 41 games - Logan Lambdin, Florida
• 33 points (14G, 19A), 30 games - Ty Pelton-Byce, Idaho
• 30 points (15G, 15A) 41 games - Alex Aleardi, Fort Wayne  

Asuchak, Chau, and Lambdin have won two Kelly Cup championships; Hawkins has won one. 

 

 

- Two playoff MVP's will be participating in the 2026 playoffs, both from the Florida Everblades.

• Oliver Chau won the award in 2024, leading Florida to its third straight Kelly Cup. In 23 games, he had 23 points (9G, 14A) and a team-leading +21 among the forwards. 
• Cam Johnson was the playoff MVP in 2022 and 2023, leading Florida to Kelly Cups. A workhorse, Johnson was in goal for 31 of the 32 wins in the two championship seasons. In the just-completed regular season, Johnson played in more games (49) than any other ECHL goalie, and led the league in GAA (1.84). He will be a big factor as he and the Everblades try for their fourth Kelly Cup in the last five seasons.

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here are the NHL/AHL contracted players who are currently assigned to each ECHL playoff team. The numbers in parentheses are teams that listed playoff-eligible players currently recalled to the AHL. They can be added when they become available. Teams can supplement their original playoff roster up to a maximum of 25 players total. The number of playoff-eligible spots that can be filled is dependent on the number of spots the team has saved for these players. What this all means is that teams with saved spots will start the playoffs with fewer than 25 players, reduced by the number of saved spots they have. They can add players as they become available until they reach 25. Wheeling is the best example. They have seven players recalled to the AHL, but they have only saved spots for two of them, as they already have 23 players on the playoff roster. Wheeling can add two players as they become available, but once they hit 25, the roster is frozen.

 

12: South Carolina (7) saved 4 spots

12: Wheeling (7) saved 2 spots

10: Adirondack

9: Fort Wayne

9: Reading

9: Savannah

8: Florida

7: Toledo

7: Allen

7: Maine (2) saved 1 spot

6: Bloomington

6: Tahoe (2) saved 2 spots

5: Atlanta (3) saved 2 spots

5: Kansas City (5) saved 4 spots

4: Idaho (3) saved 3 spots

4: Indy (3) saved 1 spot

 

 

Belleville Assigns Four More Players to Allen, Affiliation Agreement Extended, Mountain Division Playoff Matrix and Stick Taps to the Ironmen

 The ECHL playoff rosters will be released later today, but if you track AHL transactions, you'll see Ottawa stepped up big time yesterday, sending four players to the Americans to add to the two already here. Here are the six NHL/AHL contracted players from Ottawa/Belleville assigned to Allen for the playoffs. In addition to getting some talented players, adding three more right-shot players helps solve what has been an imbalance:

• Mark Duarte - Right Wing (Right shot)
• Landon Hookey - Center (Right shot)
• Danny Katic -  Left Wing (Left shot)
• Riley Kidney - Center (Left shot) 
• Jackson  Parsons - Goalie
• Djibril Touré - Defensemen (Right shot) 

If you add Maxim Barbashev, who is an AHL-contracted player from Tucson, the Americans will have more NHL/AHL-contracted players (7) than they have ever had going into the playoffs, and more than many other playoff teams. 

There were several other players eligible to be assigned to Allen who were on amateur tryout contracts, who opted not to play and went home. I heard two of them had to return to school to finish their degrees. 

It is clear to me that the number of players sent to Allen also says it is likely Ottawa/Belleville will be the Americans' affiliate next season. Stay tuned. 

UPDATE: Affiliation agreement with Ottawa/Belleville has been extended for one year through the 2026-27 season. https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/04/senators-extend-affiliation-with-americans 

 

- Thursday, I will look at the first round matchup between Allen and Idaho. Today, I wanted to preview the four Mountain Division teams in the playoffs and compare them to help determine which are the strongest based on regular-season results. The "Barry the Blogger Matrix" has been spot-on some seasons and so-so in others at predicting the outcome of the first round, which pits #1 seed Kansas City vs #4 Tahoe and #2 Allen vs #3 Idaho. This matrix is a way to compare teams across a number of statistical categories and then come up with an overall score.

- Below is how the four teams in the Mountain Division playoffs rank in 13 statistical categories based on regular-season stats. Fairly easy to see the strengths and weaknesses of each team. 


Goals Scored (average per game)

• 3.72 - Allen 
• 3.57 - Tahoe 
• 3.54 - Kansas City
• 3.49 - Idaho

Goals Allowed (average per game)

• 2.21 - Kansas City 
• 2.90 - Allen
• 3.04 - Idaho
• 3.61 - Tahoe

Goal Differential (goals scored minus goals allowed)

• +96 - Kansas City
• +59 - Allen
• +32 - Idaho
• -3 -  Tahoe 
  

Shots For (average per game)

• 34.24 - Idaho
• 33.72 - Allen
• 33.46 - Kansas City
• 32.22 - Tahoe

Shots Against (average per game)

• 26.60 - Kansas City
• 32.35 - Idaho
• 34.33 - Allen
• 37.13 - Tahoe

Shooting Percentage (goals as a percent of total shots)

• 11.0% - Tahoe
• 10.9% - Allen
• 10.6% - Kansas City 
• 10.0% - Idaho

Power Play Percentage

• 23.0% - Kansas City
• 22.0% - Tahoe 
• 21.7% - Allen 
• 18.5% - Idaho

Penalty Kill Percentage

• 88.4% - Kansas City
• 84.1% - Allen
• 79.4% - Idaho 
• 78.1% - Tahoe 
  

Power Play Goals Scored

• 64 - Kansas City 
• 60 - Allen
• 54 - Tahoe
• 50 - Idaho 
  

Plus/Minus

• +304 - Kansas City 
• +169 - Allen 
• +133 - Idaho
• -7 - Tahoe  

Goals Against Average (GAA)

• 2.15 - Kansas City
• 2.87 - Allen
• 2.97 - Idaho
• 3.53 - Tahoe

Save Percentage

• .918 - Kansas City
• .915 - Allen  
• .906 - Idaho
• .904 - Tahoe

Record Last 10 Games

• 9-0-1-0 - Allen
• 6-2-1-1 - Kansas City 
• 5-4-1-0 - Idaho
• 4-4-2-0 - Tahoe

- Finally, I tallied up the rank for each team in every category to get an overall score. The lower the score, the better. If you finished first in every category, you would get a final score of 13. Here are the results:

• 20 - Kansas City  (1.54 average)
• 26 - Allen  (2.00 average)
• 40 - Idaho  (3.08 average)
• 44 - Tahoe  (3.38 average)

 - Based on the stats:

• Kansas City is a huge favorite over Tahoe. You add the fact that during the regular season, the Mavericks' record against the Knight Monsters was 6-1-0-0, and this series could be 4-0 or 4-1.
• Based on the stats, Allen is the favorite over Idaho. However, counterbalancing the matrix is Allen's 1-4-2-0 regular-season record against Idaho. Odds are this will be a long series.  
• This is just a fun way to look at stats and not very sophisticated. Two of the biggest flaws are that it doesn't factor in the differences between teams, which can be small or large, and how teams are performing as the playoffs begin. If you looked at these stats over the last six weeks rather than the entire season, you could see a very different picture.  

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today recognizes the Ironmen from this season who played in all of their team's games. I have always felt this is an underrated stat. The Allen Ironmen this season were Harrison Blaisdell and Michael Gildon, two players who go full speed all of the time. Here is Allen's all-time list of Ironmen:

Congrats and stick taps to all Allen Ironmen past and present! It is a very exclusive club. Special stick taps to the Hall of Fame of Ironmen, Chad Costello and Kris Myllari, who didn't miss a game for three straight seasons!

• 2025-26 - Harrison Blaisdell, Michael Gildon 
• 2024-25 - None
• 2023-24 - Kris Myllari
• 2022-23 - Kris Myllari, Ryan Gagnon
• 2021-22 - Kris Myllari 
• 2020-21 - Les Lancaster
• 2019-20 - None
• 2018-19 - Spencer Asuchak  
• 2017-18 - Joel Chouinard, Casey Pierro-Zabotel
• 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   

 

 

THE IRONMEN (2025-26)

 

The value of players that can be counted on each and every game can’t be overstated. Of the 1195 players who played in the ECHL this season, there were only 42 (3.5%) who played in every game for their team. Stick taps all! 

 

Special recognition to these Ironmen of all Ironmen. To go multiple seasons without missing a game is extraordinary:

 

- Haven’t missed a game in three seasons:

Jay Dickman, Wichita

Devon Paliani, Tahoe, Savannah, Reading 

 

- Back-to-Back Ironmen who haven’t missed a game in two seasons:

Peter Bates, Wichita

Ryan Cox, Kalamazoo

Carson Denomie, Atlanta

Aaron Luchuk, Orlando

 

Allen's 2-1 OT Win Earns 2nd Place, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Playoff Schedule, Allen Players in ECHL Top Ten, 1st Round Playoff Matchups and More

 

The Allen Americans beat Kansas City 2-1 in overtime last night to leapfrog Idaho for second place in the Mountain Division. It wasn't the prettiest win of Allen's 12-game points streak (11-0-1-0) to secure second place, but it was definitely the most exciting.  

 

- The good news is that the Americans met all three keys to the game from yesterday's preview. 

• Both of these teams win about 90% of the points when they score first. Harrison Blaisdell accomplished that for Allen with his 31st goal of the season at the 16:12 mark of the first period. It was the only goal in the period. Taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission leads to the second key.
• Both of these teams are lethal with the lead. Their combined record when leading after the first period is 38-2-2-0. Allen avoided playing from behind the entire game. 
• The third key was winning the special reams battle. The Mavericks entered the game with the #1 penalty kill and #3 power play in the league. Allen's penalty kill was perfect (0-3), including killing a 4-on-3 in overtime. Allen's power play was 1-4. The Americans scored the game-winning goal at 5:16 of overtime on the power play. It was Harrison Blaisdell to the rescue again, scoring his second goal of the game and 32nd of the season. 

 

- It wasn't all good news when analyzing the game. Allen never trailed in the game, but they got outplayed in the second and third periods. 

• Kansas City tied the game with 90 seconds remaining in the second period. It wasn't a power-play goal; it was scored three seconds after a penalty expired. The Mavericks had the puck in the Allen zone the entire power play. They took five shots, all of which Mirwald stopped, but the Americans lost all five of the faceoffs. The attack was relentless until what looked like a harmless wrist shot from the blueline, by a former Allen defenseman (Hudson Wilson), found its way into the net just as the penalty expired. 
• The shot totals favored Kansas City, 13-5 in the second period and 17-4 in the third period. To say there was some doubt whether Allen could get the game to overtime would be an understatement. The defense held up in a large part by the play of rookie goalie Brett Mirwald, who came up with great saves time and time again in the third period. His totals for the game were 39 of 40 shots saved, GAA  0.92, and a save percentage .975, plus #1 star of the game.

 

- Here are some of the stats from the game analytics software the Americans use:

•  Shots
• Allen: 53 shots - 19 on goal - 2 goals
• Kansas City: 59 shots - 37 on goal - 1 goal

 

• Puck Possession
• Allen: 47%  (21.32 minutes)
• Kansas City: 53% (23:55 minutes)

 

• Faceoffs
• Allen: 46% (29)
• Kansas City  54% (34)

 

• Most telling are the analytic stats related to special teams. Allen lost 8 of 10 faceoffs when they were on the power play. The Americans took nine shots on four power plays, and just two were on goal, but one was the game-winner.   

 

- Here are the video highlights and game recap:

• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/kansas-city-mavericks-vs-allen-americans-apr-18-2026 
• Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/04/americans-beat-kc-in-ot

 

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

- Get ready for a condensed schedule for the playoff series against Idaho. Arena availability always drives dates, and the switch of positions complicated things. The first five games of the series take place in six days, including travel by both teams to Boise on the one day off:

• Game 1 in Allen: Thursday, April 23, 7:10 pm CDT
• Game 2 in Allen: Friday, April 24, 7:10 pm CDT
• Travel to Idaho: Saturday, April 25
• Game 3 in Idaho: Sunday, April 26, 4:10 pm MDT
• Game 4 in Idaho, Monday, April 27, 7:10 pm MDT
• Game 5 in Idaho, Tuesday, April 28, 7:10 pm MDT*
• Game 6 in Allen, Saturday, May 2, 7:10 pm CDT*
• Game 7 in Allen, Sunday, May 3, 4:10 pm CDT*
• *if necessary 

 

MARTINSON'S POST-GAME COMMENTS

 - Coach Martinson held court with the season ticket holders after the game and talked about the win that clinched second place and the upcoming playoffs:

"Hats off to the guys who earned 23 of 24 points over the last month. I am really proud of their effort."

"Tomorrow will be a big day. Belleville will be meeting with all of their players. I will be on the phone with them to determine which of the eight players on their roster will be assigned to Allen. We won't take all eight players."   

"We need to take more shots on our power play. Too many times tonight, we went to the side of the net instead of screening the goalie. I will show the guys a video of how many times we went to the side of the net." 

"We had too many shots against tonight, and to beat the top teams in the playoffs, we will have to be a little better than we are right now. The players we get from Belleville will help."

"Today was a big day in the Martinson household as our daughter Lily got engaged. Michelle has been busy planning a surprise engagement party for her, which was earlier today."  

   

OTHER COMMENTS

- Now that Allen's regular season is in the books, here are the players who finished top 10 in the league:

• Goals
• #1 - Danny Katic (38)
• #3 - Harrison Blaisdell (35)

 

• Points
• #3 - Brayden Watts (75)
• #6 - Danny Katic (70)

 

• Power Play Goals
• #3 - Danny Katic (11)
• #4 - Colton Hargrove (10)

 

• Power Play Points
• #4 - Sam Sedley (30)

 

• Power Play Assists
• #3 - Sam Sedley (27)
• #5 - Brayden Watts (20)
• #10 - Hank Crone (18) 

 

• Assists
• #2 - Brayden Watts (51)
• #4 - Sam Sedley (47) 

 

• Points (Defensemen)
• #4 - Sam Sedley (55)

 

• Assists (Defensemen)
• #2 - Sam Sedley (47)

Other mentions include Danny Katic #1 in shooting percentage (26.0%), Colton Hargrove #4 in shots (242), and two players that played in all 72 games (Michael Gildon & Harrison Blaisdell). 

  

 

- Brett Mirwald's stat line since joining the Americans after completing his college season is:

• Record - 5-0-1-0
• GAA - 1.58
• Save percentage - .950   

 

- There have been seasons when teams below .500 make the playoffs, but not the case this season. The lowest-ranked team in the playoffs will be Savannah, ranked #20 with 74 points and a .514 points percentage. Kansas City is #1 with 115 points and .799 point percentage. Those totals are the third-highest (tied) in ECHL history. 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: All ECHL first-round playoff matchups have been decided except in the Central Division:

 

North

#1 Wheeling vs #4 Reading

#2 Maine vs #3 Adirondack 

 

South

#1 Florida vs #4 Savannah

#2 South Carolina vs #3 Atlanta 

 

Mountain

#1 Kansas City vs #4 Tahoe

#2 Allen vs #3 Idaho

 

Central

Kalamazoo plays at Fort Wayne today, and the results of that game will decide all four seeds in the division. None is determined yet.

 

 

Watts Wins Sportsmanship Award, Allen Wins 3-2, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, KC Preview, ECHL Average Attendance Hits 5000 and More

 

The Allen Americans extended their point streak to 11 games (10-0-1-0) last night with a 3-2 win in Wichita. It sets up the final game of the season tonight. The point streak built the chance; tonight decides the reward. 

- The 72-game regular season ends tonight, and while Kansas City has already locked up the league's top spot, the Americans have something a lot more personal on the line: home ice against Idaho. Riding a scorching 11-game point streak, Allen needs one point against the Mavericks to leapfrog Idaho for second place and open the playoffs at the CUTX Event Center next week instead of boarding another plane to Boise. 

Both teams staggered into Allen overnight, the Mavericks from Tulsa and the Americans from Wichita. Expect some tired players, strong coffee, and a game that means nothing to Kansas City, but everything for Allen.   

 

- Kansas City played most of its top players in Tulsa last night in a 3-1 loss to the Oilers, so they will not be any more rested than the Americans. Allen won 3-2 and played all 20 players on the roster, as the Americans await the assignment of players from Belleville.

 

- Allen got off to a great start last night, scoring twice early in the first period. Jax Dubois scored his fifth goal in his 10th game with the Americans at the 1:56 mark. Just 95 seconds later (3:31), Danny Katic scored his league-leading 38th goal on the power play. With a 2-0 lead less than four minutes into the game, it looked like it would be an easy night for Allen. Wichita had other plans. The Thunder scored midway through the first period to cut the deficit to 2-1, and that's how the period ended. 

 

- Allen has been the best team in the league in the second period (+42 goal differential) and managed to extend its lead to 3-1 with the only goal in the second period, despite being outshot 14-9 by Wichita.  Hank Crone scored his 13th goal of the season to give Allen a cushion at the second intermission.

 

- Wichita's persistence paid off in the third period when they cut the score to 3-2 at the 7:50 mark. Unlike previous games against the Thunder, when Allen extended its lead in the third period, Wichita kept the pressure on the entire period. The Thunder took the last six shots of the game, and Allen had no shots in the final eight minutes of the game.  

 

- There was a lot to like about the game, even though Allen's high-powered offense, which has averaged close to six goals a game for the last 10 games, was held to three goals:

• Allen scored the 1st goal of the game and improved its record when scoring 1st to 29-2-4-0 (.886)
• Allen led 2-1 after the 1st period and improved its record with a 1st period lead to 17-1-2-0 (.900)
• Allen led 3-1 after the 2nd period and improved it record with a 2nd period lead to 30-0-2-0 (.969)
• Allen won the special teams battle, going 1-3 on the power play and 0-4 on the penalty kill, including a long 5-on-3 penalty kill. 
• Allen's defense held Wichita to two goals, below the Americans' average of  2.93. Marco Costantini was great in goal, stopping 35 of 37 shots for a .946 save percentage.
• Allen finished the season with a record of 9-1-0-0 against Wichita. 

 

Here are the video highlights with all of the goals and great saves, plus game recaps from both teams:

• Video highlights:  Here are the game recaps from both teams: Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/04/game-recap-americans-beat-wichita-3-2 Wichita Thunder: https://wichitathunder.com/news/2026/04/late-push-falls-short-in-loss-to-allen  

• Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/04/game-recap-americans-beat-wichita-3-2 
• Wichita Thunder: https://wichitathunder.com/news/2026/04/late-push-falls-short-in-loss-to-allen 

 

ALLEN VS KANSAS CITY PREVIEW

- One point stands between Allen and sleeping in their own beds for the first round of the playoffs. The challenge tonight is taking one point from the best team in the ECHL this season.  The game tonight will be the seventh time Allen has played Kansas City this season. The bad news is the Americans are 2-4-0-0 against the Mavericks. The good news is Allen won the last two games, which were road games.  

 

- Here are the stats:

• Allen's record is 42-23-6-0 (.634), Kansas City's is 55-12-2-2 (.808)
• Allen is 9-0-1-0 over the last 10 games, Kansas City is 7-2-0-1.
• Allen is 23-9-3-0 at home, Kansas City is 28-4-1-2 on the road.
• Allen's goal differential is +58 (266-208), Kansas City's is +97 (254-157).
• Allen's team plus/minus is +169, Kansas City's is +304.
• Allen's team save percentage is .914, Kansas City's is .918.

If you look at the season-long stats above, it is clear that Kansas City has been the better team. The Mavericks .808 points percentage is the second-best in the history of the ECHL. If Kansas City wins tonight, it will give them 29 road wins, which would tie the all-time ECHL record. The Mavericks own that record, set in 2023-24 when Kansas City's road record was 29-4-2-1.  

What the stats do show is that Allen is playing the best hockey in the league right now. Since March 22, the Americans have earned 21 of a possible 22 points, averaging 5.80 goals per game and allowing an average of 2.36 goals per game. Interesting, the one point lost was on a controversial overtime penalty. That singular lost point is why Allen needs one point tonight.        

 

- Here are three keys to the game if Allen wants to get a win tonight.

• The Americans have to score the first goal. Allen is almost unbeatable when they score first (29-2-4-0) .886. The only team in the league with a better record is Kansas City, 40-2-2-0 (.932). 
• Allen has to win the special teams battle, and that will be a challenge. Kansas City is ranked #3 on the power play (23.3%) and #1 on the penalty kill (88.6%). Allen has the #7-ranked power play (21.6%) and #10-ranked penalty kill (83.9%). In the six head-to-head games, Allen is 5-31 (16.1%) on the power play, and Kansas City is 7-35 (20.0%). Just like scoring first, if the Americans win the special teams battle, it will go a long way in securing a victory.
• Allen has to avoid playing from behind if they expect to win. The Americans are almost unbeatable with a first-period lead (17-1-2-0). Kansas City is even better (20-1-0-0).
• The same is true with a second-period lead. Allen is 30-0-2-0 with a second-period lead. Kansas City is even better, 34-0-1-0.  

 

- Allen's lineup tonight will be the same as last night, with the exception that Brett Mirwald will get the start in goal. Landon Hookey will play briefly (opening puck drop) and then leave the ice, and that will give him the five games needed to qualify for the playoffs.  

 

Forwards

11 Barbashev - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley

29 Watts - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

77 Sillinger - 44 Dubois - 18 Blaisdell

26 Asuchak - 55 Hookey - 67 Crone

 

Defense

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

86 Anania - 22 Costantini

21 Decker - 2 Warmuth

 

Goalies

32 Mirwald

33 Costantini (backup)

 

  

- Coach Martinson has been pointing to this game for well over a month. What I thought was a long shot, he was confident in. I know this game is important to him on many levels. This is what he shared with me this morning:

"The team has been getting the job done, and now it comes down to one game for home ice in the first round of the playoffs. It is business, but some wins feel better than others. I feel we will come out tonight playing full tilt hockey."  

"Tonight will be like a playoff game. We can see early who has the mindset and discipline to play a best of one! Can't wait for the puck to drop. 

 

   

OTHER COMMENTS

- Stick taps to Brayden Watts, who is the recipient of the 2025-26 ECHL Sportsmanship Award. The award is given annually to a player with a high standard of playing ability who is judged to have exhibited the best sportsmanship. The only other Allen player to win this award was Chad Costello in 2014-15. 

Watts had a hooking penalty last night. It was only his sixth penalty of the season. He went half the season, 36 games and three months, from December 3 to March 6, without taking a penalty.  

   

- Danny Katic scored a goal last night and maintains a three-goal lead in the most goals race (38-35) and still has a chance to reach 40 goals. Brayden Watts had an assist last night and leads all forwards with 50 assists. 

 

 - The Central Division is still up in the air, coming down to the last two days of the season. The division championship won't be decided until Sunday. Fort Wayne and Toledo are tied with 98 points. Toledo is done. Fort Wayne plays at home tomorrow. Toledo has the tiebreaker if they end up tied.

    Three teams (Bloomington, Indy, Kalamazoo) have a chance to claim one of the final two playoff spots tonight. Here are the details, plus the previews on the 11 games on the schedule tonight. https://echl.com/news/2026/04/echl-today-april-18    

 

- Tulsa is at Wichita tonight in a battle for the cellar in the Mountain Division. Tulsa has been in last place since before Thanksgiving and tied with Wichita last night by beating Kansas City. The Oilers and Thunder are tied with 71 points. The team that loses tonight ends up in last place. Tulsa has gained 11 points on Wichita in the last 10 games and, with one more win tonight, will escape the cellar. 

 

- There are some hard-to-explain records between Mountain Division teams this season. Here are a few examples:

• 13-2-0-0 Kansas City vs Wichita
• 4-3-0-1 Wichita vs Tahoe
• 6-0-0-0 Tulsa vs Rapid City
• 10-1-2-0 Rapid City vs Tahoe
• 9-1-0-0 Allen vs Wichita
• 6-0-0-1 Idaho vs Allen 

  

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL hit an attendance milestone last night. 11 games drew 64,127 fans for an average of 5830 per game. That was enough to push the season average to 5001. It is the first time the ECHL has averaged 5000 per game since the 1990’s. With 16 games and two days remaining in the season, the average will continue to climb. The 2025-26 season will be the fourth-highest average attendance in the 38-year history of the ECHL. Here are the top seven attendance seasons all-time:

 

5361: 1997-97

5196: 1995-96

5110: 1997-98

5001: 2025-26 (16 games remaining)

4984: 2024-25

4981: 2023-24

4979: 1999-2000