Allen vs Utah Preview, Good News & Bad News, Active Streaks, Mountain Division Analysis, Contracted Players Used by ECHL Teams, Who Wins the Kelly Cup and More

 

It's Sunday afternoon hockey for the Allen Americans in Utah. After sitting around idle for two days, the Americans should be chomping at the bit to play the Grizzlies again after beating them 6-2 on Thursday. It was good news/bad news for the Americans while they were idle the last two days. Idaho won a game and lost in overtime at home against South Carolina to increase its lead over Allen to an almost insurmountable 12 points. Allen does have three games in hand, but needs to win out and get some help from Idaho. The good news is Tahoe lost twice in Rapid City (they play again this afternoon) and the Americans maintain a six-point lead over the Knight Monsters with two games in hand.

 

- Allen's Sunday record is decent (4-2-1-0), especially when you consider Sunday games are usually the tail end of three games in three days. This afternoon (4:10 pm CDT), both teams are well-rested, though the Americans will be playing shorthanded with just 10 forwards. After today, Allen won't play again until Thursday, when they open a three-game series against Greensboro. It will be back-to-back odd start times as the Thursday game is a School Day game with a 10:30 am puck drop.

 

- Allen hasn't won more than three games in a row since the middle of January. As the playoffs approach, the Americans have a chance to extend their current winning streak, which is at two games, against Utah today, the worst team in the league at home, (.339). Next week, there are three games against the #29-ranked road team, Greensboro (.328). A six-game win streak would match the longest of the season (accomplished once), close the gap on Idaho, and widen the gap on Tahoe. 

 

- Inconsistency has been an issue with Allen this season, and has kept the Americans from moving from a good team to a great team. If you look at the March record, you can see this inconsistency. Allen's March record is 5-4-0-0. Here are the goals scored in the nine games:

• 1 goal - 2 times
• 2 goals - 1 time
• 3 goals - 1 time
• 4 goals - 1 time
• 6 goals  -2 times
• 7 goals - 2 times

Allen has averaged over 4 goals (4.11) per game in March, but scored 3 or fewer goals in 4 of the 9 games. 

 

- Allen has a potent offense (# 3 in the ECHL), and it has really shown up recently. The Americans scored 7 goals on Thursday, 13 goals in the last two games, and 17 goals in the last three games. That is an average of 5.67 per game. Coach Martinson has been playing with three lines recently, and that has been working; it will have to work again today. The roster will definitely grow before the Greensboro series; it is just a matter of how much.

 

-  The keys to the game today would be pretty much what Allen accomplished on Thursday:

• Allen scored first.
• Allen took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. 
• Allen took a 2-0 lead into the second intermission. 
• Allen outshot Utah.
• Allen won the special teams battle.
• Allen stayed out of the penalty box.
• Allen got great goaltending. 
• Allen scored six goals.

When I asked Coach Martinson for improvement he would like to see in the game today, he said this, "The biggest thing I want to get straightened out is our forwards are swinging around too much. It makes it too hard to find them for a pass." 

 

- The lineup this afternoon will be very similar to Thursday. The one difference for sure is that defenseman Sam Sedley will not be in the lineup. He was loaned to Belleville and played last night as the Senators lost 1-0 at home to Manitoba. Quinn Warmuth will take Sedley's place, pairing with Ty Prefontaine. With two days' rest, I expect Coach Martinson to go with the hot goalie, Jackson Parsons. I will post the lineup here and on social media when I get it later today.  

 

- There are a lot of streaks on the line this afternoon. Some are not so obvious:

• Andre Anania is in the midst of an 8-game point streak and a 5-game assist streak.
• Harrison Blaisdell has a 3-game goal streak, scoring 5 goals in the last 3 games.
• Brayden Watts has an assist in the last 4 games and the last 9 road games.
• Danny Katic has at least one penalty in the last 7 road games, the longest ECHL streak this season. 

 

 - The same two referees who worked the game on Thursday, Kurtis Pare (#55) and David Lilly (#25), will work the game this afternoon. They called 9 penalties on Thursday; 4 of them were high-sticking penalties, including two double minors. That explains, in part, why Allen had 7 power plays to Utah's 3. Double minors count as two power play opportunities.

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The best way to see the Mountain Division teams gaining and losing ground in the standings is by points earned in the last 10 games. Here is the latest:

• 18 points - Kansas City
• 13 points - Idaho 
• 12 points - Allen
• 10 points - Utah 
• 10 points - Rapid City
• 8 points - Tulsa 
• 6 points - Tahoe
• 6 points - Wichita 

 

- Here are the Mountain Division standings by points with games remaining in parentheses:

105 points - Kansas City (8)

85 points - Idaho (7)

73 points - Allen (10)

67 points - Tahoe (8)

59 points - Rapid City (9) 

58 points  - Wichita (10)

57 points - Utah (9) 

49 points - Tulsa (9) 

  

 

- Two more teams, Fort Wayne and Maine, can clinch spots in the playoffs today and join the 7 teams already qualified. Here is the list by division:

• North Division: Wheeling
• South Division: Florida, Atlanta, South Carolina
• Central Division: Toledo
• Mountain Division: Kansas City, Idaho

 

- It is a very busy day around the ECHL for a Sunday with 12 games on the schedule. Fans in Wichita will have the earliest start time (2:05 pm CDT), and fans in Orlando the latest (6:00 pm EST). Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/03/echl-today-march-29  

 

- I put this information together a couple of days ago. It is the total number of NHL/AHL contracted players used by each ECHL team this season. Includes current players assigned (active, reserve, 3-day IR, 14-day IR) plus any players that spent time with the ECHL team earlier in the season, but are now recalled by their NHL/AHL team. Something to note about the Allen number. The Americans have had seven NHL/AHL contracted players assigned, but 3 of them come from teams other than the Allen affiliate (Ottawa/Belleville). 

 

20: SC

19: WHL

17: REA

16: SAV

13: ADK, FW

12: CIN, FLA, IA, RC, TR, UTA, WOR

11: BLM, MNE, ORL, TUL

10: KAL

9: GSO, GVL, IDH, KC, WIC

8: IND, NOR, TAH

7: ALN, JAX

6: ATL, TOL

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: If defense wins championships, the 2026 Kelly Cup will go to one of these five teams whose goals allowed average is below 2.50:

2.05 - Florida

2.13 - Kansas City

2.35 - Wheeling

2.41 - Maine

2.44 - Atlanta 

 

 

If offense wins championships, the 2026 Kelly Cup will go to one of these five teams whose goals scored average is 3.45 or above:

3.61 - Kansas City

3.58 - Tahoe

3.52 - Allen

3.48 - Idaho

3.45 - Fort Wayne 

 

 

The truth is, it will take a team that is good at both ends of the ice to win the 2026 Kelly Cup. Here are the top teams when you combine the two numbers by rank. For example, if a team is #3 in offense and #5 in defense, their number is 8. Here are the top teams:

3 - Kansas City (#1 offense, #2 defense)

8 - Florida (#7 offense, #1 defense)

11 - Fort Wayne (#5 offense, #6 defense)

13 - Wheeling (#10 offense, #3 defense)

14 - Toledo (#6 offense, #8 defense)

15 - Maine (#11 offense, #4 defense)

17 - Allen (#3 offense, #14 defense)

 

Allen Tames the Grizzlies 6-2, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Parsons' Stats, ECHL Plus/Minus Leaders on Record Pace and More

 The Allen Americans started their Thursday and Sunday Utah series in style last night with a 6-2 win over the Grizzlies. Colby McAuley scored 73 seconds after the opening puck drop, and the Americans never looked back. Allen had a 5-0 lead before Utah got on the scoreboard late in the third period. Utah scored a power-play goal with less than five minutes remaining in the game, and an even-strength goal with three seconds remaining to spoil a shutout for Jackson Parsons, who deserved a better fate.

 

Here is what went right for Allen, and the list is long:

• Allen scored first and improved its record when scoring the first goal to 23-2-3-0 (.875). Kansas City is the only ECHL team that has a better record when scoring first.
• Allen scored the only goal of the first period and took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. The Americans' record when leading after the first period is now 14-1-2-0. 
• Allen scored the only goal of the second period and took a 2-0 lead into the second intermission. The Americans' record when leading after the second period is now 24-0-2-0.
• Allen outshot Utah 39-25, including 29-13 in the final two periods.
• Allen won the special teams battle, scoring two power-play goals. Allen's road power play percentage improved to 24.8%, #2 in the league.
• Allen stayed out of the penalty box, taking just three penalties for six minutes; Utah took eight penalties for 24 minutes.
•  Allen scored six goals after scoring seven last Sunday. The Americans' goals-per-game average is 3.52, #3 in the league.
• Six players, including two defensemen, had two or more points.
• Allen scored four third-period goals to improve its third-period goal differential to +6. The second period is still by far the best for the Americans (+33), and the first period is the worst (-7). 

 

- Goal scorers for Allen were Colby McAuley (21), Colton Hargrove (20), Sam Sedley (7), Harrison Blaisdell (24,25), and Andre Anania (6). In addition, Brayden Watts had two assists, and Michael Gildon had three. Here are the video highlights with all of the goals, a bunch of great saves, and a few of the scrums, as well as the recaps from both teams with goal-by-goal details. 

• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-utah-grizzlies-mar-26-2026 

• Allen Americans - "Americans Handle Grizzlies 6-2." https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/03/game-recap-americans-handle-grizzlies-6-2
• Utah Grizzlies - "Grizzlies Fall 6-2 on Thursday Night."   https://utahgrizzlies.com/news/2026/03/grizzlies-fall-6-2-on-thursday-night-at-maverik-center

- The Americans will now have a very rare Friday and Saturday off on the road. It is a great time to have some downtime with the basketball Sweet 16 games (Men's & Women's) and the hockey Regional semifinals in full swing. Also, plenty to do outdoors, from a visit to the mountains (Snowbird or Park City) to the Great Salt Lake. The team is off today and will practice on Saturday:

 

- COACH MARTINSON COMMENTS

- I had a chance to talk to Coach Martinson this morning, and we covered a lot of ground. His plan for the day was an extra-long session at the gym and then making calls, putting together the video clips he will use at practice tomorrow, and general research.

"Sam Sedley has been loaned to Belleville again and will miss the game on Sunday. It is an opportunity for him to play. He is from Ontario, so I am sure he will have friends and family come and watch him play. It is a win-win for everybody. We still have six defensemen, so we will be okay."  

"We won't get any additional players for Sunday. We will play with 10 forwards and six defensemen. That is not an issue since we have two days off between games. We had a big night last night playing three lines and six defensemen. Because we have guys coming from the AHL, I don't want to bring in a player just for the sake of bringing them in for the short term."

"I still expect we will be getting AHL players assigned, but not sure when and how many. We have open spots on the roster and need some more players for the playoffs when the roster expands to 25."

"Dubois played well for his first pro game. He wins faceoffs, is diligent defensively, and finishes checks."

"You could see Hargrove's explosive speed make a difference on the power play entries last night."

"It is unfortunate that a couple of turnovers late in the game led to goals and cost Parsons a shutout."  

      

 

OTHER COMMENTS

 - How the Americans performed last season has no bearing on this season, but I come across these stats accidentally all the time. Earlier in the season, it was about home wins. Allen had matched last season's home wins (7) by December 19 and now has 18 home wins with seven home games remaining. Today I was looking at points by defensemen. Last season, the total was 98. With 10 games remaining, the Americans' defensemen have 152 points. 

 

- Two more teams can clinch playoff spots tonight, Toledo and Idaho. Thus far, only four teams have clinched playoff spots. Three of the four are from the South Division (Florida, South Carolina, and Atlanta). The other is Kansas City in the Mountain Division, which has already clinched the division and is on the way to the Brabham Cup (regular season champion).

 

- There are 11 games on the ECHL schedule today. Allen is idle but will be interested in the five Mountain Division teams in action:

• Rapid City at Tahoe 
• South Carolina at Idaho
• Kansas City at Wichita

Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/03/echl-today-march-27 

 

- Jackson Parsons is now just 14 minutes away from becoming qualified for ECHL goalie stats. It takes 1200 minutes played, and Parsons is at 1186. The 1200 minutes will increase to 1440 by the end of the season. Parson's .925 save percentage is top five in the league, and his 2.33 GAA is top 10. In 19 games played this season, his save percentage has been under .900 just three times. Since Allen joined the ECHL in 2014-15, a .925+ save percentage has been accomplished just three times:

• .935 - Riley Gill, 2016-17
• .927 - Jake Paterson. 2020-21
• .925 - Jackson Parsons. 2025-26     

 

DID YOU KNOW: It is a two-man race for the ECHL Plus Performer of the Year. Here are the top six in plus/minus. Sambrook and Crawford are already in record-breaking territory with 9 (Sambrook) and 10 (Crawford) games remaining. Where will they end up?

 

+52: Jordan Sambrook, Florida

+51: Marcus Crawford, Kansas City

+28: Zach Uens, Kansas City

+28: Dru Krebs, Fort Wayne

+24: Connor Doherty, Florida

+24: Tanner Dickinson, Toledo

 

In the 38-year history of the ECHL only four players have reached the +50 plus/minus mark in a single season:

+59: Victor Gervais, Hampton Roads, 1992-93

+53: Matt Register, Idaho, 2022-23

+53: Cody Haiskanen, Idaho, 2022-23

+51: Brad McCaughey, Toledo, 1991-82

 

Allen vs Utah Series Preview, Americans' All-Time PPG Leaders, ECHL Rookie Numbers Increasing and More

 

The Allen Americans are caught between the most optimistic point of view that they can catch Idaho for second place and the most pessimistic view that Tahoe can overtake Allen for second place. Here are the facts: 

• Allen trails Idaho by 11 points (82-71) and has two games in hand over the Steelheads. Idaho's maximum points are 100. Allen's maximum points are 93. That means if Allen wins all of its remaining games, Idaho would have to go 7-3 to finish in second place. More realistically, if Idaho has a record of 4-5 over its last nine games, the Americans would have to go 10-1 over their last 11 games to overtake the Steelheads. Bottom line is second place is mathematically possible for Allen, but almost impossible. Idaho started a 3-game home series against South Carolina last night with a 6-1 win. Next week, they will play a three-game series against Kansas City at home. Allen plays two games against Utah this week and three games against Greensboro at home next week. It’s a big if, but if Idaho gets swept and Allen sweeps the next five games, it will be game on for second place.
• Allen leads Tahoe by four points (71-67) and has a game in hand. Allen's maximum points are 93, Tahoe's are 87. The teams play twice (April 10 & 11) in Allen, and that series could determine which team finishes third and plays Idaho and which team finishes fourth and plays Kansas City. If it all comes down to the last games of the season (April 18), Allen plays Kansas City at home, and Tahoe plays Rapid City on the road. If Allen plays .500 hockey in its last 11 games, Tahoe will have to go 8-2 to pass the Americans for third place.   

 

- My own view is the same as I have been saying for several weeks. The Mountain Division playoff seedings will not change:

• #1 - Kansas City
• #2 - Idaho
• #3 - Allen
• #4 - Tahoe  

 

- The Americans can't be thinking about the standings as they play Utah tonight and then again on Sunday. Utah is out of the playoff race, and Allen needs a sweep. The teams have played eight times this season, and the Grizzlies' record against the Americans is 3-4-1-0. The last time Allen visited Utah (February 20 & 21), the teams split two games, with both decided in overtime.

 

 - Here are some comparison stats between Allen and Utah:

• Allen's record is 33-23-5-0, Utah's is 24-30-8-1 
• Allen is 6-4-0-0 over the last 10 games, Utah is 4-4-1-1
• Allen is 15-14-3-0 on the road, Utah is 7-15-5-0 at home.
• Allen's goal differential is +29 (212-183), Utah's is -22 (202-224).
• Allen's team plus/minus is +56, Utah's is -146.
• Allen's team save percentage is .914, Utah's is .887.

 

-  Here is the more traditional statistical comparison between the two teams. The league rank is in parentheses: 

• Goals scored average: Allen 3.48 (#4) - Utah 3.21 (#8)
• Goals allowed average: Allen 3.00 (#14) - Utah 3.56 (#27)
• Shots for average: Allen 33.49 (#2) - Utah 31.37 (#12)
• Shots against average: Allen 34.70 (#27) - Utah 31.33 (#21)
• Power play percentage: Allen 20.6% (#10) - Utah 20.8% (#7)
• Penalty kill percentage: Allen 83.8% (#9) - Utah 79.1% (#22).

 

- The oddest stat above is Utah's home record of 7-15-5-0 (.352). The Grizzlies have the league's worst home record. On the road, Utah's record is 17-15-3-1 (.528). Go figure.

 

- As always, special teams will play a big role in this series. Allen was 3-6 on the power play in the 7-1 win in South Carolina on Sunday. Hopefully, the Americans can keep that going. Here are a couple of ways to look at the stats other than overall percentages:

• PP% home vs road: Allen 24.6% (#2) on the road, Utah 20.2% at home (#13).
• PK%  home vs road: Allen 79.3% (#18) on the road, Utah 81.6% (#16) at home. 
• PP% head to head: Allen 11.5% (3-26), Utah 10.7% (3-28). 
• PK% head to head: Allen 89.3% (3-28), Utah 88.5% (3-26) 

Utah is one of the least penalized teams in the league, ranked #28, averaging 9.76 minutes per game. Allen is ranked #9, averaging 13.25 minutes per game. In the eight games played this season, the teams have combined for fewer than 14 penalty minutes six times. There will be two referees working the game tonight, Kurtis Pare (#55) and David Lilly (#25). By my records, Allen hasn't had either of these referees work a game this season.

 

- Since the last trip to Utah resulted in two overtime games, here are the stats for both teams. Advantage Allen:

• Allen is 3-5 in overtime and 3-0 in shootouts, for a points percentage of .556.
• Utah is 2-8 in overtime and 0-1 in shootouts, for a .182 points percentage. 

 

- Scoring first records. Advantage Allen:

• Allen has scored first in 44% of its games. with a record of 22-2-3-0 (.870), which is #2 in the ECHL.
• Utah has scored first in 48% of its games, with a record of 18-9-3-0 (.650), which is ranked #22 in the ECHL.  

 

 

- Here are the keys to the series from a preview earlier in the season. They all still apply:

• Speed through the neutral zone.
• Win the special teams battle.
• Keep the physicality at a high level.
• Pucks and bodies to the net.
• Balanced scoring
• Forecheck
• Offensive zone pressure  

The bottom line is Allen can and should win these two games. 

 

ROSTER UPDATE

Here is the latest info I have on the players not with the team:

• Spencer Asuchak - has been skating and is expected to play next week against Greensboro.
• Hank Crone - will miss the Utah series and the Greensboro series.
• Chase Maxwell - will miss the Utah Series and Greensboro series.
• Braidan Simmons-Fischer will not return from his loan to Iowa this week.
• Divyane Apollon has returned to his FPHL team (Pee Dee).
• Nitika Susuyev has returned to Springfield (AHL) and is not expected to return to Allen.  

 

Here are the recently added players who are with the team in Utah:

• Sam Sedley returned from his loan to Belleville
• Maxim Barashev was loaned to Allen by Tucson (AHL) for the South Carolina series.
• Coach Martinson has signed Jax Dubois - 22 years old, 6'4", 205 pound. right shot center who just finished his season with the University of New Brunswick.

 

- If my numbers are correct, Allen will have 10 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goalies for tonight's game. If all goes as planned, a player or players will be added before the game on Sunday. That is one advantage of playing on Thursday and then not until Sunday. If you are wondering about the scheduling conflicts at the Maverik Center. Friday night is a Turnpike Troubadours, Wild America Tour concert, and Saturday is the Dinastia Tour by Peso Pluma and Friends.       

 

 Here is the lineup tonight. Jackson Decker moves from the blue-line to forward. Dubois will wear #44, and Parsons starts in goal.

Forwards

11 Barbashyov - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley 

9 Katic - 91 Gildon - 29 Watts

77 Sillinger - 18 Blaisdell - 14 Gursoy  

21 Decker - 44 Dubois

 

Defense 

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley 

86 Anania - 22 Costantini

25 LeDonne - 2 Warmuth 

 

Goalies

31 Parsons 

33 Costantini (backup)

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Have you ever had a conversation about the best scorer in the history of the Allen Americans? Chad Costello's name is clearly #1 whenever you look at per-game stats. He averaged over an assist per game in his 282-game Allen career. I decided to take a look at Allen players with the best career points per game average. Here are the seven players who have averaged more than a point per game in their Allen career, all household names. I set the minimum games played at 100 games. Here are the results: 

• 1.50 - Chad Costello
• 1.31 - Jack Combs
• 1.28 - Bruce Graham
• 1.25 - Hank Crone
• 1.15 - Greger Hanson
• 1.09 - Colton Hargrove
• 1.07 - Colton Yellow-Horn 

 

-  If you are looking for players to watch tonight for Utah, keep an eye on #26, Danny Dzhaniyev. The diminutive (5'5" - 155 lbs) rookie leads Utah in points (63), assists (40), and shots (254). He is the favorite to be the ECHL Rookie of the Year; he has 11 more points and five more assists than any other rookie. His 254 shots lead the entire ECHL. Dzhaniyev also leads Utah in the head-to-head games against Allen (1G, 6A). The other player to watch is #23 Reed Lebster, who is #3 in the league in goals (30). 

 

- Allen's leading scorers in the eight games against Utah are:

• Points - Watts (7)
• Assists - Sedley (6)
• Goals - McAuley & Gildon (4) 

  

 

DID YOU KNOW: As college players finish their collegiate careers and sign with ECHL teams, the rookie numbers have increased for most teams. Close to 50 have signed in the last six weeks. Here are the rookie numbers for each team as of the beginning of this week:

 

18: CIN

17: UTA

15: **GSO, IDH

14: IND, **IA, JAX, WOR

13: TR, **TUL

12: BLM, GVL, NOR, WHL*

11: KAL, MNE, ORL, SC

10: ADK, ATL, KC*, REA, TAH, WIC

9: ALN, RC

8: TOL*

7: SAV

5: FW

4: FLA*

 

*Division leaders

**Teams below .400 points percentage

 

Allen Routed South Carolina 7-1, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Martinson's History with Volunteer Coaches, Playoff Teams and More

 

The Allen Americans didn't just win on Sunday; they issued a firm reminder of who they can be if everything clicks. The Americans finally remembered they're allowed to score first and then never stopped. When it was all over, the Americans had the Stingrays tangled in their own net and salvaged the final game of the series with a 7-1 win. And they did it all playing shorthanded.

 

- All of the things that went wrong in the first two games of the series went right yesterday.

• Allen scored first after allowing the first goal on Friday and Saturday.
• Allen never trailed in the game after never leading in the first two games.
• Allen was outscored 2-1 in the 1st period in the first two games, but outscored South Carolina 3-1 on Sunday.
• Allen led 3-1 after the first period, 6-1 after the second period.
• Allen was 1-6 (16.7%) on the power play in the first two games and 3-6 (50%) on Sunday.
• Allen had the fewer penalty minutes yesterday. The Americans had 10 penalty minutes, South Carolina had 26. 
• Allen outshot South Carolina 17-6 in the first period on Sunday.
• Allen shut down the high-scoring South Carolina offense after it scored 10 goals in the first two games, allowing just one goal       

 

- Scoring first was huge for the Americans. Harrison Blaisdell scored his 22nd goal of the season at the 5:31 mark of the first period. Allen is dominant when they score first, which they have done only 44% of the time. The Americans are #2 in the league when they score first, with a record of 22-2-3-0 (.870).    

 

- The game really turned on back-to-back power play goals at 9:46 and 11:02 of the first period. Danny Katic scored his 31st goal of the season and 10th power play goal, followed by Colton Hargrove notching his 19th goal of the season and seventh power play goal. These two players account for 35% of Allen's power-play goals this season. Their goals yesterday were typical of their power play goals. Katic's was close to the net, and Hargrove's was a rocket from the top of the circle. 

 

- Allen had a 3-0 lead just over halfway through the first period and never looked back. Allen added three more goals in the second period by Harrison Blaisdell (23), Michael Gildon (23), and Colby McAuley (20). Gildon added his 19th goal of the season in the third period to make the final score 7-1. The six-goal margin of victory matched the largest of the season. Allen beat Tulsa 7-1 and 6-0 earlier in the season. 

 

- Here are the game recaps and video highlights. The highlights include all of the goals and the scrum in the third period that resulted in a bunch of penalties. Several of the Allen goals are highlight reel worthy. You can back them up 10 seconds to watch them over and over, and appreciate all of the skill.

• Video Highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-south-carolina-stingrays-mar-22-2026  
• Allen Americans game recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/03/americans-crush-stingrays-7-1 
• South Carolina Stingrays game recap: https://stingrayshockey.com/news/2026/03/south-carolina-drops-final-meeting-with-allen-7-1 

 

COACH MARTINSON COMMENTS

I had a chance to talk to Coach Martinson before the team headed to the airport this morning. This is what he shared:

"Sedley is on his way back to Allen, and we could get an additional 1-3 players by Thursday. Simmons-Fischer will not return this week. Crone and Maxwell will not make the trip to Utah. Asuchak has started skating and could return for the Greensboro series.

 "I showed a video of the defensive breakdowns before the game, but the difference in the game is that we worked hard and tightened up the defense."

"We played well with the puck on Saturday, but did not work as hard on defense. That changed on Sunday, when we played harder when we didn't have the puck."

"Scoring on the power play early in the game is a big plus; it gives you energy and a great attitude. Those two power play goals back-to-back were big after we made some adjustments for the game. If we don't score on the first couple of power plays, the guys can get frustrated, and that isn't good." 

 

 

 OTHER COMMENTS

 - The Americans will fly home this afternoon and have the day off tomorrow. However, Coach Martinson has arranged an optional practice and will have Max Gratchev, who owns a well-known East Coast skills development company (MaxPro Hockey). He will work with any interested players at the optional practice tomorrow. It is a great opportunity for players to work on skating technique and skill development. Here is a little info about Gratchev:

• 4th round draft choice of the New York Islanders in 2004.
•  His MaxPro Skills program explicitly trains skating as a core pillar along with puck skills and gameplay.
• His methodology blends Russian-style skating (fluid edges, agility) with North American power skating (speed, strength). 
• He is not just a general skills coach, he is very much in that category of high-end skating and skills development coaches, even if he doesn't brand himself strictly as a "skating coach" like some specialists do.
• He works heavily on edge work and skating mechanics, and teaches skating within game situations. not just isolated drills. 

- Coach Martinson has always found resources in the community that provide volunteer time, which can help develop players over and above what most ECHL teams can provide. It has been a stepping stone to the NHL in the past. Here are some examples: 

• Luke Chilcott: Luke was Allen's skating coach for several years, starting in 2015 when the Americans won their first Kelly Cup. From his work with Allen, he became the skating coach of Allen's NHL/AHL affiliate (San Jose). Since 2022-23, Luke has been the Dallas Stars skating coach. 
• Thomas Speer: Thomas was Allen's goalie coach for their first three championships. He went on to coach in the US National development program, the AHL (Stockton Heat), and has been the goalie coach for the San Jose Sharks since 2023-24
• Jeremy Yoblonski: Jeremy had a 15-year pro career as one of the toughest enforcers in the AHL, ECHL, and KHL. He won a Calder Cup and Kelly Cup. Jeremy was also a novice boxing champion and mixed martial arts fighter. He has attended Allen practices many times over the years to work with players on fighting techniques. Jeremy now owns a security company. 
• Gratchev is yet another one of these great resources that Coach Martinson has found to help. He recently moved to North Texas. 

 

 - The Mountain Division standings are about the same after the results yesterday. Allen, Tahoe, and Utah won; Rapid City lost. Here is the update, game remaining in parentheses:

99 points - Kansas City (11)

80 points - Idaho (10)

71 points - Allen (11)

67 points - Tahoe (10)

58 points  - Wichita (13)

57 points - Utah (9) 

55 points - Rapid City (11)

47 points - Tulsa (11) 

 

   

- Allen players in the ECHL top 10:

• #2 goals - Danny Katic (31)
• #2 PP goals - Danny Katic (10) 
• #2 assists - Brayden Watts (41)
• #2 PP assists - Sam Sedley (22)
• #5 points - Brayden Watts (60)
• #5 save percentage (.925) - players with 1100+ minutes 
• #7 PP assists - Hank Crone (17) 
• #7 Defensemen assists - Sam Sedley (35) 
• #8 shots - Colton Hargrove (195)
• #8 Defensemen points - Sam Sedley (41) 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: 16 teams qualify for the Kelly Cup playoffs. 10 teams are already locks to make the playoffs, even though only four teams have clinched spots (marked with an asterisk), and three of the four are in one division. Realistically, only six playoff teams remain to be decided. Games remaining in the regular season vary from 9 to 12. Here are the 10 teams that are locks to make the playoffs.

 

North Division

Wheeling

Maine

Adirondack

 

South Division

*Florida

*South Carolina

*Atlanta

 

Central Division

Toledo

Fort Wayne

 

Mountain Division

*Kansas City

Idaho

 

*clinched playoff spot

 

Allen Loses 5-4, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Today's Preview and Lineup, Katic Joins 30 Goal Club and More

 

The Allen Americans lost to the South Carolina Stingrays 5-4 last night in a similar fashion to the Americans' 5-3 loss on Friday. Anthony Rinaldi was acquired by South Carolina at the trade deadline and scored at the 3:48 mark of the first period on Friday. He bettered that last night, scoring at the 3.14 mark of the first period. Just like on Friday, the Americans spent the entire game trying to come back from deficits. 

• After trailing 2-0, they tied the score.
• After trailing 4-2, they cut the score to 4-3
• After trailing 5-3, they cut the score to 5-4

 

- Allen never gave up, worked until the end, but the bottom line was another loss. In six periods over two games, Allen has yet to have a lead. In 120 minutes of playing time, the Americans have been tied for 25 minutes and trailed for 95 minutes. Here are the stats from last night:

• Allen gave up the 1st goal, record is 11-21-2-0 (.353)
• Allen trailed after the 1st period, record is 5-17-2-0 (.250)
• Allen trailed after the 2nd period, record is 3-18-2-0 (.174)
• Allen was outshot 39-29
• Allen was 0-3 on the power play
• Allen was 1-4 on the penalty kill, but scored a shorthanded goal

It is hard to win under the circumstances above, even though Allen hung in right to the end of the game.  

 

- Goal scorers for Allen were Danny Katic (29, 30), Harrison Blaisdell (21), Michael Gildon (16). Andre Anania had two assists. Here are the video highlights and the goal-by-goal recaps from both teams: 

• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-south-carolina-stingrays-mar-21-2026 
• Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/03/game-recap-americans-lose-heartbreaker-in-south-carolina 
• South Carolina Stingrays: https://stingrayshockey.com/news/2026/03/stingrays-punch-ticket-to-postseason-with-5-4-win-over-allen 

 

COACH MARTINSON'S COMMENTS

"We didn't play as well last night as we did on Friday. We took 67 shots, 22 were blocked, 17 missed the net, and 28 were on goal. 

 "We managed only four shots on goal on three power plays and no goals. I am going to make some changes to the power play for the game today."

"We had too many breakdowns on the goals. Sometimes players just get beaten, and that happens. What we need to avoid is bad positioning and bad decisions. When a defenseman makes a mistake around the net, everyone notices, but usually, there have been several mistakes before the last one."

"I expect we will get more help before the Utah series next week."  

 

TODAY'S PREVIEW

- If Allen is going to salvage two points from this series, a few things will need to happen. Allen needs to score first and avoid playing from behind like in the first two games. The defense needs to be better. Giving up five goals like the first two games will spell defeat. Finally, the Americans need to be better on the power play. In the first two games, the Americans were 1-6 (16.7%), and South Carolina was 3-7 (42.9%).

The only lineup change today is Jackson Parsons will start in goal. The number of minutes to be qualified for league stats just went up to 1200 minutes. Parsons is at 1079 minutes and could be qualified by the end of next week. If he were qualified, Parsons' save percentage of .925 would rank #5 in the league. 

 UPDATE: Add Susuyev to the injured list along with Crone and Maxwell. Allen will be two forwards short this afternoon:

- Today's lineup:

Forwards

11 Barbashyov - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley 

9 Katic - 91 Gildon - 29 Watts

77 Sillinger - 18 Blaisdell -14 Gursoy  

4 Apollon

 

Defense

86 Anania - 22 Costantini

8 Prefontaine - 2 Warmuth

25 LeDonne - 21 Decker

 

Goalies

31 Parsons 

32 Mirwald (backup)

 

OTHER COMMENTS

 - Danny Katic joined the exclusive Allen Americans' 30-goal scorers club last night. It has happened 15 times since 2009-10. Chad Costello and Bruce Graham did it twice.  

• 49 goals - Hank Crone (2022-23)
• 44 goals - Gary Steffes (2014-15) 
• 41 goals - Chad Costello (2014-15) 
• 39 goals - Colton Hargrove (2022-23) 
• 36 goals - Jack Combs (2022-23)  
• 35 goals - Greger Hanson (2016-17)  
• 34 goals - Bruce Graham (2010-11)
• 34 goals - Nino Musitello (2010-11)
• 34 goals - Zach Pochiro (2018-19)
• 33 goals - Chad Costello (2016-17)
• 33 goals - Colton Yellow Horn (2010-11)
• 33 goals - Liam Finlay (2022-23) 
• 31 goals - Bruce Graham (2009-10)
• 30 goals - Corey Mackin (2020-21)
• 30 goals - Danny Katic (2025-26) - 12 games remaining

 

- Sam Stange scored four goals in the second period last night as Florida beat Orlando 9-2. Stange's goal-scoring pace is the second-best in the league (see DID YOU KNOW below). Sam had five goals in eight games with Allen and has eight goals in 10 games in Florida. Oddly enough, he has only scored in three of his 10 games in Florida. His four-goal game last night, a hat trick and a one-goal game.

 

- Tahoe beat Toledo last night and has closed the gap to third-place Allen to four points. Allen has 12 games remaining, Tahoe 11. Here are the remaining schedules with home (H) and away (A) plus the opponents' points percentage:

• ALLEN
• 1 game (A) - South Carolina (.680)
• 2 games (A) - Utah (.444)
• 3 games (H) - Greensboro (.350) 
• 3 games (1H, 2A) - Wichita (.492)
• 2 games (H) - Tahoe (.533)
• 1 game (H) - Kansas City (.811)

• TAHOE
• 1 game (A) - Toledo (.683)
• 5 games (3H, 2A) - Rapid City (.458)
• 3 games (H) - Cincinnati (.517)
• 2 games (A) - Allen (.575)

The battle for third and fourth place may come down to the last games of the season. Allen has seven of its 12 remaining games at home. Tahoe has six of 11 at home. Mark your calendar for April 10 &11 when Tahoe comes to Allen for two games. Those two games could very well decide playoff seedings. 

 

- It is a busy Sunday afternoon in the ECHL with 11 games on the schedule. Four Mountain Division teams are in action, all against opponents from other divisions and all on the road:

• Allen at South Carolina
• Rapid City at Kalamazoo
• Utah at Indy
• Tahoe at Toledo  

Atlanta can become the fourth team to qualify for the playoffs with a win today and a Greenville loss. Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/03/echl-today-march-22 

 

- Kansas City has 48 wins and will likely hit 50 wins next week. It will be just the 11th time since 2008-09 that a team has had 50 regular-season wins. The Mavericks had 54 wins in 2023-24 and 52 wins in 2015-16. The odd stat is that none of the 11 teams that have hit the 50-win milestone since 2008-09 went on to win the Kelly Cup.    

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Seven ECHL players are averaging .50 or more goals per game (minimum 13 goals). In parentheses are the total goals for a full season (72 games) at the player’s pace:

 

.73 - Brendan Hoffmann, Idaho (53)

.72 - Sam Stange, Florida (52)

.68 - Josh Bloom, Fort Wayne (49)

.60 - Danny Katic, Allen (43)

.58 - Bobo Carpenter, Kansas City (42)

.51 - Kyle Crnkovic, Wichita (37)

.51 - Sloan Stanick, Tahoe (37)

Allen Loses 5-3, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Preview for Tonight's 5:05 PM CDT Start, Assists Stats, and More

 

The Allen Americans traded goals with the South Carolina Stingrays the entire game last night. Unfortunately, the goals started and ended with the Stingrays and led to a 5-3 Allen loss. The game was not decided until an empty net goal put the nail in the coffin with just over two minutes remaining in the game. 

 

- In the series preview yesterday, two of the biggest keys were scoring first and winning the special teams battle. Allen didn't accomplish either:

• Allen's record when they score first is one of the best in the league, 21-2-3-0 (.865). When they give up the first goal, the Americans' record is a paltry 11-20-2-0 (.364).   
• Allen hadn't given up a power-play goal in the last four games before last night. While the Americans scored a power-play goal (1-3), they gave up two (2-3) and lost the special teams battle. More often than not, that spells defeat, and it did last night. 

 

- Allen fell behind early in the first period (3:48) but struck back at the 7:00 minute mark. Danny Katic scored a power play goal to tie the score 1-1. Assists went to Andre Anania and Colby McAuley. It was Katic's 28th goal (#3 in the ECHL) and ninth power play goal (#3 in the ECHL). It was his 28th goal on 112 shots, which is a shooting percentage of 25.0% (#1 in the league).

 

- South Carolina struck again in the back-and-forth battle at the 16:57 mark of the first period and carried a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. It was another bad sign from the keys to the game. South Carolina's record when leading after the first period is 19-3-1-0 (.848). Allen's record when trailing after the first period is 5-16-2-0 (.261).

 

- Despite the odds, Allen fought back in the second period, outshooting the Stingrays 15-9. The Americans scored the only goal of the second period to tie the score 2-2. Kevin Gursoy scored his second goal of the season, assisted by Brayden Watts and Katic. 

 

- The back and forth continued in the third period. South Carolina took a 3-2 lead at the 8:10 mark on its second power-play goal of the game. Allen responded just 20 seconds later (8:30) on Colby McAuley's 19th goal of the season, assisted by Colton Hargrove, and the score was tied once again (3-3). Two minutes after the McAuley goal the Stingrays took the lead for the final time. The Americans could not get the equalizer and pulled goalie Jackson Parsons early (17:52). It took South Carolina just 17 seconds to score into an empty net and make the final score 5-3.

 

- Allen showed they could play with South Carolina. They outshot the Stingrays 31-23 and came back from 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 deficits to tie the game. The Americans could never grab the lead once they fell behind, but they do have something to build on for the game tonight. 

 

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

• Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/03/game-recap-americans-fall-5-3-in-south-carolina 
• South Carolina Stingrays: https://stingrayshockey.com/news/2026/03/stingrays-skate-by-americans-5-3 
• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-south-carolina-stingrays-mar-20-2026 

 

- I had a chance to check in with Coach Martinson this morning to get his thoughts on the game. He had already gone through all of the InStat analytics and was going through all of the goals to put together the video clips he will use in his pregame meetings. Here is what he had to say:

"We should have won that game. The analytics show we had a 57% to 43% advantage in puck possession. We took more shots, 74-45, had more shots on goal, 39-24."

"Faceoffs, especially at critical times, have been hurting us. Faceoffs were 32-23 (58% to 42%) in favor of South Carolina."

"I want our defensemen to be aggressive and pinch to keep puck possession, but they can't do that if all three forwards are low. One forward should be high to help out the defenseman, but if they are not, you can't pinch. That happened several times in the game and led to 2-on-one rushes."

"Our penalty kill wasn't very good, and the penalties we took weren't very smart. The referees were calling slashing penalties, and we slashed guys."

"We have a couple of guys who are doubtful for the game tonight. We will see how they are this morning. We could be playing short tonight."    

 

- I often get comments about which goalie is playing or should be playing in a particular game. I know Martinson sees save percentage as a big factor in looking at goalies. But there are other factors he considers in addition to straight save percentage when he is comparing goalies. One of these is the number of power plays. Because Allen has a good penalty kill, a lot of penalties will improve the save percentage. On the flip side, a power play goal like the 5-on-3 in the Idaho game also factors in. I also know, after all these years of writing the blog, that Martinson also factors in the intangibles when comparing players at all positions. Work ethic is an important value, as well as being a good teammate.  

 

- Marco Costantini will get the start in goal tonight. If Allen can clean up the penalty kill, still be aggressive pinching, but at the right times, score the first goal, and improve the faceoff percentage, they will win. I will post the lineup for tonight later today.

UPDATE: Here is the lineup for the game tonight. Crone and Maxwell are out. Martinson has added a player from the FPHL Pee Dee Icecats. Divyne Apollon is a 20-year-old, 6'3", 249-pound forward who will drop the gloves.  

Forwards

77 Sillinger - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley 

9 Katic - 91 Gildon - 29 Watts

11 Barbashyov - 18 Blaisdell - 44 Susuyev 

4 Apollon -14 Gursoy

 

Defense

86 Anania - 22 Costantini

8 Prefontaine - 2 Warmuth

25 LeDonne - 21 Decker

 

Goalies

33 Costantini 

32 Mirwald (backup)

 

- Here is the game preview/notes from the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/03/game-day-preview-earlier-start-time-in-sc 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

-  Allen got some help despite the loss last night. Tahoe lost to Toledo, so the Americans maintain their six-point lead for third place in the division and have a game in hand. However, any hope of reaching second place continues to evaporate. Idaho won last night and is now 10 points ahead of Allen. Here are the Mountain Division standings with games remaining in parentheses. I think it is possible, and will go out on a limb and say it is probable that the final standings order will be exactly the same as today:  

     

99 points - Kansas City (11)

79 points - Idaho (11)

69 points - Allen (13)

63 points - Tahoe (12)

58 points  - Wichita (13)

55 points - Utah (11) 

53 points - Rapid City (13)

45 points - Tulsa (12) 

 

- Here are some stats that continue to amaze:

• Brendan Hoffmann, Idaho, still leads the ECHL in goals (32) even though he has been in the AHL since February 11. 
• Marcus Crawford, Kansas City, continues his march toward the ECHL MVP. As a defenseman, he leads the league in points by 14 (77-63). He leads all defensemen by 29 points (77-48). 
• Danny Katic leads the league in shooting percentage at 25.0%. You don't normally see a player with a lot of shots maintain a 25% average (28-112). Danny also led the league in shooting percentage last season when he played for Bloomington. You only need 34 shots to qualify for this stat, and he had 43 shots. He scored 13 goals on those 43 shots for a league leading 30.2% shooting percentage.

 

-  It will be another busy night in the ECHL with 14 games on tap. South Carolina can become the third team to clinch a playoff spot tonight, joining Kansas City and Florida.  Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/03/echl-today-march-21 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today highlights two impressive things. First, the season defenseman Marcus Crawford is having is historic. This highlights his assist totals. Second, it reminds us of yet another stat that shows Chad Costello as one of the best ECHL players of all-time. I could list a bunch of stats that show why he should be in the ECHL Hall of Fame. 

ECHL players with more than 60 assists in a single season since 2013-14. Marcus Crawford, the only defenseman on this list, already has 64 assists this season with 11 games remaining:

 

64 - Marcus Crawford, Kansas City, 2025-26

64 - Zach O’Brien, Newfoundland, 2022-23

*89 - Chad Costello, Allen, 2016-17

68 - Shane Berschbach, Toledo, 2016-17

64 - Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Colorado, 2016-17

79 - Chad Costello, Allen, 2015-16

84 - Chad Costello, Allen, 2014-15

 

*4th highest assist total all-time. The top three were in the 1990’s. Costello has the #4, #7, and #13 highest single-season assist totals all-time. He is the only player on the top 15 list more than once.

 

Allen vs South Carolina Series Preview, 2015 Kelly Cup Finals Revisited, Tonight's Lineup, Defensemen Used By Each ECHL Team, Transactions Breakdown and More

 

Before I start the blog today, I wanted to let everyone know that if you access the blog on X (Twitter), my account has been suspended. I'm not sure why, and there's no way to talk to anyone. I have filed a written appeal and am awaiting a response from X. Here are the options for getting the blog.

• Bookmark "Allen Americans Blog" on Google or whatever search engine you use.
• Go to the Allen Americans website (allenamericans.com) and click on News & Info, and there will be a drop-down menu. Click on Janssen on Hockey, and it will take you to the blog.
• Facebook is still working, so Allen Americans Blog for those with Facebook.
• If you are on X, make sure you are following the Allen Americans (@AllenAmericans) as they will be posting the blog on their X account while I am trying to resolve this suspension.  

 

- Enough about social media, let's talk hockey. The Americans are in South Carolina to take on the Stingrays tonight (6:05 pm CDT), Saturday (5:05 pm CDT), and Sunday (2:05 pm CDT). The Allen Americans and their longtime fans have fond memories of the North Charleston Coliseum, where the Stingrays have played since it opened in 1993. In 2015, Allen won its third straight championship and its first Kelly Cup (first season in the ECHL), beating South Carolina in the finals in seven games. What many don't remember is that the series was a 3-3-1 series with Allen having home ice advantage.

 

- Allen opened the series at home, and it did not go well. The Americans lost game one (4-3), won game two (5-2), and lost game three (4-1). South Carolina headed home with a 2-1 series lead and needing to win two of three at home to win the Kelly Cup. Here is how the three games at the North Charleston Coliseum went in June of 2015:

• Allen won the first game 3-2 in double overtime to tie the series 2-2. 
• Allen won the second game in overtime to take a 3-2 series lead.
• South Carolina won the third game 4-1 to tie the series and set up game seven back in Allen.
• Allen made no doubt winning game seven 6-1. 
• Here is the blog after that win, which is a great trip down memory lane from how the league didn't want the upstart CHL team to win, to how the veterans dominated game seven. Many household names to this day on that team: https://allenamericansblog.blogspot.com/2015/06/allen-wins-kelly-cup-you-will-walk.html  

 

- Tonight will be the first time back in the North Charleston Coliseum since 2015, and it will be quite a challenge for the Americans. South Carolina had been one of the best teams in the ECHL all season. The Stingrays are ranked #4 in points (79) and #5 in points percentage (.669). Their home record is even better at .726 (22-8-0-1). South Carolina has been at or near the top for the most NHL/AHL contracted players assigned all season. As of this morning, that number is at a peak for the season. 16 contracted players are currently assigned to South Carolina

 

- Allen can't match South Carolina's numbers, but the Americans have added two contracted forwards who were assigned yesterday. Here is the press release with the details: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/03/news-americans-receive-two-ahl-contracted-players  

 

- Coach Martinson didn't make a move at the trade deadline, which was yesterday, because to get a good player in a trade, you have to give up a good player as part of the future considerations. Martinson didn't want to give up a player for next season to get a player this season. Instead, Martinson has been dealing with four different AHL teams to get players assigned this season, which could lead to an affiliation next year. I wouldn't be surprised to see General Manager Martinson working with more than one NHL/AHL team next season. The two players assigned yesterday are just the beginning of more players being assigned from now, all the way until the playoffs begin. In addition to the contracted players, look for Martinson to add college/junior players finishing their careers and looking to turn pro. 

 

- Every healthy player on the Allen roster made the trip to South Carolina, including all three goalies. The good news is Allen has a full lineup. Here is the lineup for tonight: 

Forwards

6 Crone - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley 

9 Katic - 91 Gildon - 29 Watts

77 Sillinger - 18 Blaisdell - 14 Gursoy

11 Barbashyov - 19 Maxwell - 44 Susuyev 

 

Defense

86 Anania - 22 Costantini

8 Prefontaine - 2 Warmuth

25 LeDonne - 21 Decker

 

Goalies

31 Parsons 

33 Costantini (backup)

  

- Here are some comparison stats between Allen and South Carolina:

• Allen's record is 32-21-5-0, South Carolina is 38-18-1-2. 
• Allen is 6-3-1-0 over the last 10 games, South Carolina is 7-1-0-2.
• Allen is 14-12-3-0 on the road, South Carolina is 22-8-0-1 at home.
• Allen's goal differential is +26 (198-172), South Carolina's is +24 (183-159).
• Allen's team plus/minus is +47, South Carolina's is +90.
• Allen's team save percentage is .915, South Carolina's is .910.

 

- Here is the more traditional statistical comparison between the two teams. The league rank is in parentheses: 

• Goals scored average: Allen, 3.41 (#6) - South Carolina, 3.10 (#12)
• Goals allowed average: Allen, 2.97 (#14) - South Carolina, 2.69 (#9)
• Shots for average: Allen, 33.66 (#2) - South Carolina, 27.75 (#28)
• Shots against average: Allen, 35.07 (#28) - South Carolina, 29.54 (#10)
• Power play percentage: Allen, 19.9% (#10) - South Carolina, 19.5% (#13)
• Penalty kill percentage: Allen, 84.5% (#6) - South Carolina, 86.4%% (#3) 

 

- Looking at the stats above, they are surprisingly close. Allen scores a little more, and South Carolina has a little better defense. This is typical of the Western Conference vs. the Eastern Conference. The top seven ECHL teams in average goals scored are in the Western Conference. Eight of the bottom 12 in average goals allowed are in the Western Conference. 

 

- Special teams will play a big role in this series. Both teams have top-notch penalty kill units and they could be the difference. It should be noted that South Carolina is the most penalized team in the league (947 minutes) compared to Allen, ranked #7 (777 minutes). Here is how the teams compare by type of penalty. South Carolina leads in every category. The game tonight will be a two-referee game, so I would expect more than a few penalties.

• 271 vs 251 - minor penalties
• 35 vs 23 - major penalties (mostly fighting majors)
• 14 vs 10 - 10-minute misconduct penalties
• 7 vs 6 - Game misconduct penalties
• 2-0 - match penalties

  I did notice South Carolina must take a lot of chances on the penalty kill because they have given up 10 shorthanded goals and have scored five. Allen has given up six shorthanded goals and scored just two.

 

- Beware the team that scores the first goal in this series, as both teams are lethal when they score first.  

• Allen: 21-2-3-0 (.865)
• South Carolina: 22-4-1-1 (.821)

 

- Playing from behind is also a sure way to defeat. Here are the records with a lead after the second period:

• Allen: 22-0-2-0 (.958)
• South Carolina: 27-1-0-1 (.948)

 

 OTHER COMMENTS

- It is another big night in the ECHL with 14 games on the schedule. After tonight, teams will have between 10 and 14 games remaining in the season. If South Carolina wins tonight and Greenville loses in regulation  (they play in Savannah), the Stingrays will become the third team (Kansas City and Florida are the others) to clinch a playoff spot. Speaking of Kansas City, if the Mavericks win tonight and Idaho loses in regulation, the Mountain Division title will belong to Kansas City for the third straight season. Here is the ECHL Today with all the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/03/echl-today-march-20  

 

- Here is my ECHL Stats post from a few days ago, showing the defensemen used by each ECHL team:

The ECHL has used 343 defensemen this season. Number used by each team:

18: MNE, UTA

17: RC, WOR

16: REA, SC

15: GSO, IA, ORL, TUL

14: ADK, CIN, FW, IND, JAX, NOR, TAH

13: ALN, *WHL*

12: ATL, *FLA*, IDH, SAV, TR, WIC

11: BLM, KAL

10: GVL, *KC*, *TOL*

 

*Division Leaders*

 

 

Last season (2024-25), four teams used 20+ defensemen:

24: Utah

21: Tahoe

20: Bloomington

20: Reading

 

   

DID YOU KNOW: There were 142 ECHL transactions in just the last two days. In addition to the many players moving off and on reserve and 3-day IR, here are some of the other player transactions affecting rosters. It is that time of the season when there are lots of roster moves, even though the trade deadline passed yesterday. Lots of players finishing their collegiate or junior careers are signing amateur tryout contracts (ATO) and standard player contracts (SPC). Here is the list, just for the last two days:

21: Players Signed (SPC & ATO)

11: Players Traded

11: Players Recalled

11: Players Placed on 14-day IR

10: Players Released

6: Players Assigned by NHL/AHL