Duarte Out, Offense Struggling, Time for Line Changes - Tonight's Preview and Lineup, Keys to the Game, Division Finals Update and More

 

The Allen Americans are at home tonight, facing the reality every playoff team hopes to avoid: a must-win game three against the top team in the league. Historically, teams falling behind 3-0 in best-of-seven series rarely survive. Everyone in the CUTX Event Center understands tonight isn't technically an elimination game, but emotionally and practically, it feels very close.

 

  - Despite trailing the series 2-0, Allen can point to just how razor-thin the losses in Kansas City really were. The Americans lost 2-1 and 1-0 in two games dominated by defense, great goalie play, special teams, and missed opportunities.

 

- Allen entered the playoffs with the highest scoring offense in the league, but Kansas City's structured defensive game has slowed the Americans to a crawl. Still, the scoring drought cannot be blamed entirely on the Mavericks' defense. Allen has struggled to generate second chances, generate traffic around the net, and produce on the power play. Allen was 0-for-4 in Kansas City while the Mavericks capitalized on two of eight opportunities.  

 

- To make tonight's challenge even tougher, Kansas City got another player assigned by Coachella Valley. Forward Jakov Novak is familiar to Allen fans. He played briefly for the Americans in 2022-23 after he finished his collegiate career. He had 12 points (7G, 5A) in 14 games for Allen. Last season, he won the Kelly Cup with Trois Riviéres. This season, he has spent most of the time in the AHL with Coachella Valley, playing in 37 games, tallying 12 points (5G, 7A).

 

- Allen has lost one of its top players, Mark Duarte, for tonight, and he is doubtful for the weekend. With Duarte out and Coach Martinson looking for an offensive spark, you can see the forward lines are shuffled tonight, hoping to reignite some lines that have a history of carrying the team in the past. Here is the lineup:

Forwards

67 Crone - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley

9 Katic - 91 Gildon - 44 Dubois

26 Asuchak - 29 Watts -18 Blaisdell 

11 Barbashev- 76 Kidney - 55 Hookey

 

Defense

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

86 Anania - 40 Toure

21 Decker - 22 Costantini

 

Goalies

31 Parsons

33 Costantini (backup)

- Here are the combined stats after the first two games of this series:

• Goals - Allen 1, Kansas City 3
• Shots - Allen 52, Kansas City 56
• Power Play - Allen 0-4, Kansas City 2-8
• PIMS - Allen 15 penalties 78 minutes, Kansas City 10 penalties for 60 minutes  
• Scored First - Allen 0, Kansas City 2
• Save Percentage - Allen .946, Kansas City .981 

 

- Keys to the game:

• Allen has to score the first goal. They haven't done it in the last five playoff games. So far in the division finals (10 games), the team that scored first has won them all.
• Allen has to win the special teams battle. The Americans have taken some costly penalties that have led to critical goals in the two losses. Kansas City has had twice as many power plays as Allen.  The Americans need to stay out of the penalty box and score a power play goal tonight.
• Allen has been trying a lot of east-west passing coming through the neutral zone with lots of turnovers. Going more north-south and getting the puck behind the defensemen if there isn't a play to be made could jump-start the offense.

 

- Here is another take on keys to the game from Maurice Fitzgerald, Americans' broadcast color analyst:

"Copy and paste the first period of game one against Idaho, when the Americans came out hitting everything that moved and played that physical, uptempo, Steve Martinson brand of hockey that has gotten the team to this point. If they do this, they can disrupt Kansas City's gameplay, which then opens up Allen's offensive creativity and allows the Americans to dictate the flow of the game."

"Go at the net hard all night long. Make it uncomfortable for the netminder when the play is regularly in the paint. We saw in the first two games how plays down in the paint were the difference makers. If Allen can keep up the pressure down low, it can open things up top for the points to rip more shots."

"Mind the retaliation in the after-the-whistle scrums. Recognize that the referees are, more often than not, going to ignore the initial infraction and call the retaliation. Allen needs to not take the bait and stay focused on the play within the whistles."  

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The Division Finals are moving right along. Three of the #1 seeds (Florida, Kansas City, Fort Wayne) have 2-0 leads and will play three more games by Sunday. These three teams could advance to the Conference Finals by Sunday. The fourth #1 seed, Wheeling, is tied 2-2 with Maine. The final three games of that series are tonight, Sunday, and Monday. 

 

- There are three games on the schedule tonight. Kansas City at Allen, Wheeling at Maine, and Florida at South Carolina. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-today-may-13 

 

- Despite the Allen scoring drought, several Americans players are still on the ECHL leaderboard:

• Danny Katic
• #1 goals (6)
• #2 PP goals (3) 
• #3 points (13)
• #3 PP points (5)
• #3 Shooting% (40.0%)

• Brayden Watts
• #1 PP Assist (4) 
• #6 points (9) 

• Jackson Parsons
• #3 Save % (.963)
• #4 GAA (1.11)

 

- Here are the number of veterans on the rosters of the eight teams remaining in the playoffs:

• 4 veterans - Allen, Florida, Fort Wayne
• 3 veterans - Maine 
• 2 veterans - Kansas City
• 1 veteran - South Carolina, Toledo, Wheeling

 

- Kansas City is the only team remaining in the playoffs that still has playoff-eligible players in the AHL. The other seven teams are at their maximum 25-player rosters.  

DID YOU KNOW: This week is the anniversary of two very big days in the Allen Americans franchise history:

 

- On May 11, 2013, Allen won its first championship with a 4-3 overtime win against Wichita. Never get tired of this video celebrating that season. A fun watch, whether you were following the team at that time or you are a recent Allen fan.

 

 

 

 

- On May 10, 2014, Allen won its second championship with a 5-2 win over Denver. 

 

 

Records, Rings, Awards and Respect - Matt Register Retires

 

MATT REGISTER RETIRES

 

After a long professional career, Matt Register shared these heartfelt thoughts with me today:

First, I just want to say thank you.

It's hard to put into words what hockey has meant to me. I never imagined how much this game would shape my life. Hockey became more than just a sport to me; it became part of who I am. It taught me how to work hard, how to overcome adversity, and how to keep going even when things got tough. Hockey has given me lifelong friendships, unforgettable memories, and lessons I will carry forever. 

To my coaches - thank you for believing in me, even during the moments I doubted myself. Thank you for pushing me to work harder and become a better player and person, both on and off the ice, and for giving me every opportunity to live out my dream.

To my teammates - some of my greatest memories in life came from standing beside you in that locker room and battling together every game. Every laugh in the locker room and every unforgettable moment we shared together were what made my career so special. There's nothing like being part of a hockey family.

To my Mom and Dad - I want to thank the two people who made this journey possible from the very beginning. Thank you for every early morning practice, every late-night drive home, every tournament weekend, and every sacrifice you made so I could play the game I love. You spent countless hours in cold rinks, cheered me on through wins and losses, and never stopped believing in me, even when I doubted myself. I wouldn't be standing here without you.

Hockey has given me some of the best years of my life, and I will always be grateful for every second I got to spend on the ice. As hard as it is to walk away. I know hockey will always be a part of me. The game may end, but the lessons, memories, and love for it never will.

This isn't goodbye, it is just the start of a new chapter.

 

- Here is my salute to Matt's career:

Stick taps to long-time ECHL defenseman Matt Register, who has retired. A lock for the ECHL Hall of Fame, Matt has played in the ECHL since 2012-13, except for one season. In 2021-22, he went to Europe (EIHL) and won a championship. He has played for ECHL teams in Ontario, Allen, Colorado, Toledo, and Idaho. Here are some of Register’s ECHL accomplishments:

 

2016 Kelly Cup champion (Allen)

2017 Kelly Cup champion (Colorado)

2018 Kelly Cup champion (Colorado)

2019 Kelly Cup runner-up (Toledo)

2023 Kelly Cup runner-up (Idaho)

2017 Kelly Cup Playoff MVP

2014 ECHL Defenseman of the Year

2017 ECHL Defenseman of the Year

2018 ECHL Defenseman of the Year

Nine-Time All-Star

 

 

How dominant has Register been since 2012-13? If you combine regular-season and playoff stats, he leads in all categories by a wide margin. Since 2012-13, among defensemen, here are his stats with the distance between him and #2:

 

#1 in games played (843), 247 more games than #2

#1 in points (668), 371 more points than #2

#1 in goals (147), 72 more goals than #2

#1 in assists (521), 280 more assists than #2

 

- Register dominates stats among defensemen, but he also leads ALL players in points and assists since 2012-13 (regular season and playoffs combined)

 

- Register has transitioned into coaching and is the Assistant Coach for the Allen Americans.

 

Two Explosive Offenses, One Lonely Goal, Allen in a Deep Hole as the Americans Return Home - The Details

 

The Allen Americans dug themselves an even deeper hole with a 1-0 shutout loss in Kansas City yesterday. Was it great defense, Allen gave up one goal, or poor offense, Allen was shutout? My assessment is that it was a combination of the two, along with three goal/no goal reviews, all going against the Americans. I won't dwell on the referees' involvement in the outcome of the game, but based on all of the messages and videos I received from fans during and after the game, it was clear to them. The Allen goal disallowed for goalie interference, the Mavericks' goal not called goalie interference, and the Allen goal ruling the puck did not cross the goal line were all wrong. Thanks to the great overhead replays provided by Kansas City, while the referees took a long time to review the video, everyone else seemed to have a conclusion on the right call long before the officials. On one of the reviews, they brought in both linesmen (one at a time) before ruling against Allen. The crease became hockey's version of a crime scene investigation, and Allen fans learned over and over again that seeing the puck in the net and having a goal are apparently two different things. The only thing under heavier pressure than the goalies was the video review system.  Let's move on!

 

- It was a game of inches, whistles, and one power-play goal in Kansas City yesterday. For the second straight game, two teams noted for lighting up the scoreboard found themselves trapped in a playoff defensive chess match. The 0-0 deadlock lasted until midway through the third period before Kansas City finally broke through with a power-play goal. One goal was all the Mavericks needed to send the Americans to a frustrating 1-0 loss and a 2-0 series deficit. 

 

- Here is what the stats say:

• Allen gave up the first goal for the fifth straight game. That is a death wish against Kansas City. The Mavericks were 40-2-2-0 (.932) when scoring first during the regular season and are a perfect 5-0-0 in the playoffs.
• The only goal was scored on the power play. Kansas City was 1-4 on the power play, and Allen was 0-3. Special teams were the difference in both games. The power play percentages after the two games in Kansas City are 0% for the Americans and 25% for the Mavericks.
• Allen's defense was outstanding in Kansas City. Giving up three goals in two games should be automatic wins for the best offense in the ECHL. Scoring a total of one goal in back-to-back games is the fewest all season. Props to Kansas City, which had the #2 defense in the ECHL during the regular season, allowing 2.21 goals per game and the #1 playoff defense, allowing 1.00 goals per game. With that said, the expectations from the Allen offense are much higher than what it has produced thus far. 
• Jackson Parsons took both the losses in Kansas City despite being Allen's best player both nights. He gave up three goals in two games. Two of the goals were power-play goals, and on one of them, he was interfered with. Parsons' save percentages in the two losses were .933 and .962. 

 

- The good news for Americans is the series finally shifts to Allen, where energy, matchups, and a loud crowd can quickly change momentum in a playoff series that has been razor-thin through two games. Despite being down 2-0 and the odds heavily stacked against them (see DID YOU KNOW below), the Americans can point to how close the games have been. One bounce, one reviewed goal, or one special-teams break could have completely flipped this series. The Americans return home knowing game three will decide whether this becomes a long series or a long summer. 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- There have been 49 playoff games played thus far, and nine of them have been shutouts. It just shows how tight playoff hockey becomes when 18.4% of games result in a shutout. During the regular season, there were 1080 games, and 125 shutouts. That is a shutout percentage of 8.6%, less than half the rate in the playoffs.  

 

- Despite the Americans being shutout last night, Danny Katic still leads the playoffs in goals (6) and is #2 in points (11). He has one of the two hat tricks so far. The other was by Anthony Romano (Florida).

 

- There is only one game on the schedule tonight. Wheeling is in Maine for game three of their series. Wheeling leads 2-0. Here is the ECHL Today with the preview as well as the schedule for all of the other series: https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-today-may-11 

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The four #1 seeds in the Kelly Cup playoffs have a combined record of 23-1-1 and could all advance to the Conference Finals. They are unbeaten in the Division Finals (7-0).

Here are the current playoff records of the #1 seeds. The odds of the 2-0 teams winning the Division Finals series is 88%. The odds for the 1-0 team is 75%.

 

Division Finals

2-0-0: Florida

2-0-0: Kansas City

2-0-0: Wheeling

1-0-0: Fort Wayne

 

Overall Playoff Record

6-0-0: Florida

6-0-0: Kansas City

6-0-1: Wheeling

5-1-0: Fort Wayne

 

 

Despite the odds heavily favoring all four #1 seeds making the final four, ECHL history says they won’t. Going back 15 years, all four #1 seeds have never made the final four. Here is how many of the #1 seeds made it recently:

 

3 - 2025 (South Carolina missed)

3 - 2024 (Greenville missed)

2 - 2023 (South Carolina & Cincinnati missed)

3 - 2022 (Reading missed)

 

Which #1 seed won’t advance in 2026, or will they defy the odds and all four make the Conference Finals?

 

Late Goal Leads to Defeat, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Today's Preview, AHL Affiliates in Playoffs and More

 

 Two of the ECHL's most dangerous offenses spent most of the night locked in a tense defensive struggle, but in the end, the Allen Americans came away on the wrong side of a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Mavericks in game one of the Mountain Division Finals last night.

 

- Despite the firepower on both benches, neither team could solve the opposing goaltender in a scoreless first period. The turning point came after the horn sounded to end the opening frame. Allen was given a roughing penalty, which gave the Mavericks a power play to begin the second period. The Mavericks capitalized at the 1:31 mark. It was the only goal of the second period. Not a good sign for Allen, trailing 1-0 after the second period. Kansas City's record (regular season and playoffs) when leading after the second period is 24-1-0-0.

 

- The Americans battled back and finally broke through at 4:15 of the third period on Danny Katic's league-leading sixth goal and 11th point of the playoffs to tie the score 1-1. It was a typical Katic goal right at the net on a wrap-around. Allen generated chances late in the period, but Kansas City delivered the final blow with 78 seconds remaining, turning a tense playoff atmosphere into a celebration for the home crowd. 

 

- Allen had one last desperate chance with an offensive zone faceoff with .5 seconds remaining, which turned into a post-game melee of pushing and shoving. When order was finally restored, officials handed out 11 misconduct penalties, six to Allen and five to Kansas City, adding even more intensity to a series that already feels heated. With emotions clearly carrying over, Game two this afternoon at 4:05 pm should have plenty of edge from the opening puck drop.   

 

- Here are the video highlights, which show the goals and the many great saves by both goalies, plus the game recap from the Allen Americans:

• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-kansas-city-mavericks-may-9-2026-game-1 
• Allen Americans recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/05/game-recap-americans-fall-short-in-2-1-loss-in-game-1

 

- I had a chance to check in with Coach Martinson early this morning as he was putting together video clips to use in the pregame meetings today. Here is what he had to say:

"The difference in the game was they had four power plays to our one. 

"We had an even strength puck possession advantage in every period, and it was the biggest in the third period."

 "We were the more physical team, and that will have an effect over the course of the series." 

 

- It will get really difficult to win this series if the Americans lose this afternoon and fall behind 2-0. Here are some keys to the game:

• Allen has given up the first goal in its last four games. The Americans can't afford to do that against the Mavericks. 
• Allen lost the special teams battle last night, giving up a power play goal (1-4) while going 0-1 on the power play. The Americans took five minor penalties in the game, two of which were for after-the-whistle roughing penalties, including one that led to the Mavericks' power play goal. After the whistle scrums have hurt the Americans in the playoffs. You never know how the referees will hand out penalties after these scrums, so play physical between the whistles, not after the whistle.
• Allen had plenty of great scoring chances, but could not finish. They need more time and space to get the puck in the net, with net front presence. 
• Kansas City has alternated goalies in the playoffs, so look for former Allen goalie Dylan Wells to get the start this afternoon if the alternating continues. Wells has a better GAA, (0.90 vs 1.34) and save percentage (.962 vs .938), than the goalie that played last night.   
• The 4th line (Asuchak, Dubois, Barbashev) created havoc with their physicality and spent a lot of time in the offensive zone. The 3rd line (Blasidell, Kidney, Hookey) created a lot of opportunities. For Allen to be successful, these lines need to turn all of the hard work into some goals. 
• Parsons was great in goal last night. I assume he will start in goal again this afternoon. Allen will need another performance today like last night.

 

- Here is the lineup for this afternoon. It is the same as last night, but as usual with Coach Martinson, don't be surprised if he makes some adjustments during the game: 

Forwards

92 McAuley - 7 Hargrove - 27 Duarte

29 Watts - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

18 Blaisdell - 76 Kidney - 55 Hookey

26 Asuchak - 44 Dubois - 11 Barbashev

 

Defense

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

86 Anania - 40 Toure

21 Decker - 22 Costantini

 

Goalies

31 Parsons

33 Costantini (backup)

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The #1 seeds continued their playoff dominance last night, winning three more games. The four #1 seeds now have a combined playoff record of 21-1-1. Here is the breakdown:

• 6-0-0 - Florida
• 5-0-0 - Kansas City
• 6-0-1 - Wheeling
• 4-1-0 - Fort Wayne

 

- The Americans did get a break last night. Coachella Valley beat Ontario 3-2 in double overtime to upset the #1 seed in the best-of-five series. They now advance to the Pacific Division finals against Colorado. That best-of-five series will start on Wednesday (13th) with games on the 15th, 17th, 20th, and 22nd. The bottom line is that the Kansas City playoff-eligible players in Coachella Valley may not return during the series with Allen.

 

- There are two games on the schedule today. In addition to Allen at Kansas City, Toledo is at Fort Wayne for game one of the Central Division finals. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-today-may-10  

 

-  Here are the eight teams remaining in the Kelly Cup playoffs, showing which NHL and AHL affiliates are still involved in the playoffs:

• Allen - none
• Florida - AHL (Springfield)
• Fort Wayne - none
• Kansas City - AHL (Coachella Valley)
• Maine - none
• South Carolina - none
• Toledo - AHL (Grand Rapids)
• Wheeling - AHL (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) 

  

DID YOU KNOW: The 2026 Kelly Cup playoffs are down to eight teams. Here is the last year that each team made the final four (Conference Finals) of a 16-team playoff:

 

2025 - Florida (lost in conference finals)

2025 - Kansas City (lost in conference finals)

2025 - Toledo (lost in championship finals)

2018 - Fort Wayne (lost in conference finals)

2017 - South Carolina (lost in championship finals)

2016 - Allen (won Kelly Cup)

2016 - Wheeling (lost in championship finals)

Never - Maine

 

This excludes 2021, when only 14 teams played in the regular season, eight made the playoffs, there were only three rounds to the championship, the first round was called the conference semifinals, and the playoffs were all best-of-five series.

Let's Go!, Allen vs Kansas City Series Preview, Importance of Winning Game One, 2026-27 Schedule Release, Baby on Board, #1 Seeds Record and More

 

The day has finally arrived! Talking to coaches, players, and fans, everyone is past ready to get this party started with game one of the Mountain Division finals tonight in Kansas City. Allen's last game was April 28, and Kansas City's was April 30, so both teams are well rested. 

 

- The Americans didn't practice yesterday, and left by bus (sleeper) for Kansas City early in the morning for a leisurely 475-mile trip. They stopped in Joplin, MO, for a late lunch and arrived at the hotel around 5:00 pm. The team will have a pregame skate this morning as the final preparation for the series.

 

- Allen was 3-4-0-0 against Kansas City during the regular season. The Americans lost the first four games and won the last three, including back-to-back wins in Kansas City at the end of February.  

 

- Allen has the best record in the league since the end of  March at 15-1-1-0 and defeated Idaho 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs. Kansas City is right there with Allen. The Mavericks' record is 15-2-1-1 and they defeated Tahoe 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs.

 

- During the regular season, Allen had the #1 offense in the league, averaging 3.72 goals per game. Kansas City was right behind, ranked #3, averaging 3.54 goals per game. On defense. Kansas City was #2, allowing an average of 2.21 goals per game. Allen was ranked #13, allowing 2.90 goals per game. 

 

- Rather than going through all of the regular-season stats, let's take a look at how these teams have done in the playoffs:

Goal Differential

+12 - Kansas City

+6 - Allen

 

 

Power Play %

28.6% - Allen

22.2% - Kansas City

 

 

Penalty Kill %

82.4% - Kansas City

75.0% - Allen

 

 

Goals Scored Average

4.25 - Kansas City

4.00 - Allen 

 

 

Goals Allowed Average

1.25 - Kansas City

2.80 - Allen 

 

 

Plus/Minus

+55 - Kansas City 

+24 - Allen 

 

 

Team Save %

.945 - Kansas City

.908 - Allen

 

 

Team Shooting Percentage

14.3% - Kansas City 

12.5% - Allen 

 

 

Penalty Minutes (Average)

19.00 - Kansas City

17.20 - Allen 

  

- It is a small playoff sample size, but relevant all the same. Neither team has lost when scoring first, leading after the first period, or leading after the second period. Good starts and playing with the lead will be imperative in this series.

 

 

- Allen has all 25 players on the playoff roster on the trip and available to play. Kansas City will be missing ECHL MVP and defenseman Marcus Crawford tonight, who will serve the third game of a three-game suspension. The Mavericks have been saving four roster spots for playoff-eligible players in the AHL. They got one of those players back yesterday. Defenseman Zach Uens split time between Kansas City (32 games, +28) and Coachella Valley (21 games) this season. He did not play in the AHL playoffs.

 

 Kansas City's AHL affiliate, Coachella Valley, is playing tonight in Ontario in game five of a best-of-five series. If they lose, Kansas City will get three more players sent back. If Coachella Valley pulls an upset tonight (Ontario is the #1 seed), the next round is also a best-of-five series. 

    

 

- I won't have the lineup until this afternoon and will update here when I get it, so you can check back later. At practice on Thursday, Martinson had Riley Kidney centering Harrison Blaisdell and Landen Hookey. Kidney will be playing his first game in Allen. The 23-year-old was the second-round draft choice of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021 NHL draft. He had over 100 points in his last two seasons in juniors (QMJHL) and has played in 132 AHL games (39 points, 11G, 28A). He has been a pass-first playmaker with great vision and high hockey IQ. Keep an eye on this line with speed and skill. It should be fun to watch in this series.

 

UPDATE

Allen’s lineup tonight against Kansas City. Healthy scratches are Crone, Sillinger, LeDonne, Warmuth, Mirwald.

 

Forwards

92 McAuley - 7 Hargrove - 27 Duarte

29 Watts - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

18 Blaisdell - 76 Kidney - 55 Hookey

26 Asuchak - 44 Dubois - 11 Barbashev

 

Defense

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

86 Anania - 40 Toure

21 Decker - 22 Costantini

 

Goalies

31 Parsons

33 Costantini (backup)

 

 

- Allen and Kansas City are two high-powered offenses with a lot of point scorers. Here are the playoff stats:

• Kansas City has five players tied for the lead in points with five. Seven players averaged 1.00 to 1.25 points per game in the first round of the playoffs.
• Danny Katic leads the league in playoff points with ten. He is averaging 2.00 points per game and 1.00 goals per game.
• Brayden Watts is #3 in the league in points (9) and is averaging 1.80 points per game. 
• Allen has five players averaging 1.00 or more points per game. In addition to Katic and Watts, Hargrove, McAuley, and Sedley averaged a point per game in the first round.  

 

- Here is the Americans Weekly with even more stats and information to help get you ready for what should be a great series: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/05/news-americans-weekly

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Congratulations to Spencer and Cass Asuchak, who have announced they are expecting their first child. Baby Asuchak is due in October. 

 

- Three of four division finals series will be in action tonight:

• #2 Allen at #1 Kansas City  - Game 1 (Game 2 is tomorrow)
• #2 South Carolina at #1 Florida - Everblades lead the series 1-0 (Game 3 is Wednesday)
• #2 Maine at #1 Wheeling - Nailers lead the series 1-0 (Game 3 is Monday)

• #2 Toledo at #1 Fort Wayne play game one tomorrow (Sunday).  

Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-today-may-9 

 

- How important is winning game one tonight for the Americans?

• The ECHL MVP will return to the lineup Sunday.
• If Coachella Valley loses tonight, Kansas City could add three players from the AHL, possibly by the Sunday afternoon game.
• Home teams that win game one of a best-of-seven series go on to win the series about 75% of the time.

 

- The two best teams in the ECHL when scoring first during the regular season were Allen and Kansas City. They were almost unbeatable when scoring first. Their combined record was 70-4-6-0 for a points percentage of .913. 

 

- I have heard the intention is to release the 2026-27 schedule on Thursday (14th), but that has not been confirmed yet. What is known is that the Allen schedule will be front-loaded with road games. The CUTX Event Center will host three major stages of the 2026 League of Legends World Championships. League of Legends is the largest esport in the World (multi-player video game). The actual tournament, according to the CUTX Event Center calendar, is in three different stages through the semifinals, running from October 23 to November 8.  But you can be sure the event center will be tied up before and after the tournament. The tournament finals will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. All of the games are streamlined live, and at their peak can reach close to seven million worldwide viewers.  

 

- Coach Martinson has always preferred more road games early in the season. It gives the team a chance to bond and also avoids conflicts with Texas high school football games. He will definitely get his wish next season. 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Kelly Cup Division Finals began last night and the #1 seeds continue to roll, going 2-0. Florida and Wheeling won. The combined playoff record of the four #1 seeds is now 18-1-1. 

 

5-0-0: Florida

4-0-0: Kansas City

5-0-1: Wheeling

4-1-0: Fort Wayne

   

A Bunch of "This N That" While Waiting for Round Two of the Playoffs to Begin

 

Not much new to report, but with so many days off between Allen beating Idaho 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs and the beginning of the Division Finals against Kansas City next Saturday (May 9), I thought I would recap some old info and share some random information. Here goes: 

 

- Here is the schedule for the series with Kansas City:

 

 

 

- It was announced two days ago that the Mavericks will play games six and seven, if necessary, in their community rink with no spectators allowed. Most of you know the Kansas City arena is a twin of the Allen facility, so the community rinks hold around 300 in the limited bleachers. This is the Mavericks' statement to fans.

"Please know that this situation has been as difficult for the organization as it is for our supporters. However, adhering to strict occupancy limitations at the alternate venue (community rink), there is no fair or equitable way to accommodate the demand of our loyal fan base, so no fans will be allowed at the games. We recognize the disappointment and frustration this may cause and sincerely regret that we are unable to provide access to all who wish to attend.”

Seems to me they could find a fair way to let a few hundred season ticket holders attend using a drawing or some other criteria, but opted to have no fans attend.  Welcome to ECHL playoff hockey scheduling. FYI, had Tahoe won the series against Kansas City, Allen would have had some scheduling problems in the Division Finals. However, Allen was exploring options such as NYTEX and Comerica Center, as I am told by their leadership that playing without their home fans was "never a solution we were going to accept."

 

- Four of the eight teams that will advance to the Division Finals have already been determined, and the higher seeds advanced: 

• #1 Florida defeated #4 Savannah 4-0
• #1 Kansas City defeated #4 Tahoe 4-0
• #1 Wheeling defeated #4 Reading 4-1
• #2 Allen defeated #3 Idaho 4-1

 

- In the four series yet to be decided, the higher seeds are leading: 

• #1 Fort Wayne leads #4 Indy 3-1
• #2 Toledo leads #3 Bloomington 3-2
• #2 South Carolina leads #3 Atlanta 3-2
• #2 Maine leads #3 Adirondack 3-2

I looked back at the last 10 Kelly Cup playoffs, and there has never been a time when there wasn't at least one upset in the first round of the playoffs. In 2025, and 2024 there were three upsets each season. It sure looks favorable for all of the higher seeds to advance. 

 

 

- Here are some impressive team stats from the first round of the playoffs

 

• Wheeling gave up 4 goals in 5 games against Reading for a 0.80  goals per game average.
• Kansas City scored 17 goals (4.25 average) and allowed five goals (1.25 average) in its sweep of Tahoe for a goal differential of +12.
• Florida took only 20 penalty minutes in its sweep of Savannah, by far the lowest PIMS in the first round. The other team that swept (Kansas City) took 76 penalty minutes. Florida is the only playoff team with a 100% penalty kill percentage.
• Fort Wayne had the #2 penalty kill percentage in the regular season (24.7%) and is #1 in the playoffs (31.6%).

 

- Here are some impressive individual stats from the first round:

 

• Taylor Gauthier, Wheeling, leads all goalies with a 0.74 GAA and .979 save percentage. There have been six shutouts in the playoffs thus far, Gauthier has three of them.
• Danny Katic has the only playoff hat trick thus far and is the points leader with 10 (5G, 5A).
• Lucas Sowder, (KC), and Jade Miller (IDH) lead with a shooting percentage of 75% (3 goals on 4 shots).
• Connor Moore, South Carolina, leads all defensemen, averaging an assist per game (5 games, 5 assists).
• Charlie Combs, South Carolina, brother of former Allen player Jack Combs, leads the playoffs in goals (6) and has a goal in all 5 games played. 
• Sam Sedley is tied for the point lead among defensemen with 5 (1G, 4A). His lone goal was a short-handed goal (an empty-net goal).
• Cam Johnson, ECHL Goalie of the Year, played in all four games in Florida's sweep of Savannah with a GAA of 1.00 and a .963 save percentage.  

 

- Some stats don't change from the regular season. Even though Allen beat Idaho 4-1, the goal differentials by period are similar to the regular season: negative in the first period, positive in the second and third. Here are Allen's playoff goal differentials stats:

• -3: First period (3 goals scored, 6 allowed)
• +2: Second period (7 goals scored, 5 allowed)
• +6: Third period: (9 goals scored, 3 allowed) 

 

 

 

- One of the best things about the long layoff between games is time for all of the bumps, bruises, and worse to heal. Every member of the Allen playoff roster has been on the ice this week. Will have to see toward the end of the week if any players will be unavailable for the trip to Kansas City for games one and two.

 

 

- The Allen Americans' practices will get a little more intense this week after some days off sprinkled with "fun" practices until today. One practice was a player's only game with lunch provided by Coach Martinson to the winners. Another day was a practice completely run by the players with no coaches on the ice. The players had to decide the drills, timing, etc.

 

 

 

- Kansas City has only 21 of the 25 maximum players allowed on the playoff roster. They have saved four playoff spots for five playoff-eligible players playing in the AHL playoffs for the Mavericks' affiliate, Coachella Valley. They are the #4 seed and in the midst of a best-of-five series against the #1 seed in the division, Ontario. The first two games were in Ontario, and they split. The next two games are in Coachella Valley on Tuesday (5th) and Thursday (7th). If the series goes to a fifth game, it will be in Ontario on the 9th. The Mavericks could add four additional players to their roster depending on how Coachella Valley fares in the playoffs. 

 

 

 

- What is known for sure is that Kansas City will be missing ECHL MVP Marcus Crawford for game one on Saturday. Crawford was suspended for three games for a game misconduct, elbowing penalty in the Tahoe series. Because Kansas City swept Tahoe, Crawford still has one game of his suspension to serve, which will be served on Saturday against Allen. 

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: This was my ECHL Stats post from yesterday. The numbers may have changed a bit after the games last night, but this makes the point:

 

The trend from the regular season continues in the playoffs. The Western Conference equals offense, and the Eastern Conference equals defense. Thus far in the playoffs, the top four teams on offense (average goals scored) are from the Western Conference. Four of the top six teams on defense (average goals allowed) are from the Eastern Conference:

 

Goals Scored Average

4.25 - Kansas City

4.00 - Allen

3.75 - Fort Wayne

3.60 - Toledo

 

Goals Allowed Average

1.00 - Wheeling

1.00 - Florida

1.25 - Kansas City

2.25 - Fort Wayne

2.40 - South Carolina

2.50 - Maine 

 

During the regular season, the top six teams in average goals scored were from the Western Conference. Four of the top five in average goals allowed were from the Eastern Conference.

   

Allen Advances, Game Recap, Martinson Comments, Plans For Practice, Possible Schedule, Katic's Hat Trick Records and More

 

Idaho owned the Allen Americans for the last two regular seasons, 6-0-0-1 this season and 6-0-0-0 last season. Regular-season frustration turned into playoff domination when the Allen beat the Steelheads 6-3 last night and eliminated Idaho 4-1. The Americans will now wait for the winner of the Kansas City vs Tahoe series to see their opponent for the Division Finals. 

 

- Resilience and refusal to allow Idaho to gain momentum is the storyline of the win last night. Three times Allen fell behind (1-0, 2-1, 3-2) and three times they answered. Danny Katic scored to tie the game 1-1, and Brayden Watts scored to tie the score 2-2.

 

- The emotional turning point came with seven seconds remaining in the second period when Allen tied the score 3-3. Coach Martinson put Spencer Asuchak out with Hargrove and McAuley to take an offensive zone faceoff with 18 seconds remaining. Spencer has been one of the best faceoff players in the ECHL for years. He won the draw and went to the front of the net along with Hargrove. McAuley took a shot from the high slot, and it went in off Asuchak into the net to tie the score 3-3. If you watch the replay, notice all the traffic in front of the net. The goal was an emotional gut punch to Idaho that lifted the Americans and drained the building. That late-period goal proved to be the backbreaker. 

 

-  The Americans were not going to be denied in the third period. As one player texted me, "There was never a doubt on our bench that we were going to get it done." Mark Duarte gave Allen the lead (4-3) at 8:20, Danny Katic scored an insurance power-play goal at 14:38, and tallied his fourth hat trick of the season with an empty-net goal at 15:54 to make the final score 6-3. 

 

- Goal scorers for Allen were Katic (3,4,5), Watts (4), Asuchak (1), and Duarte (1). Sedley had three assists, McAuley two. The home team is supposed to post highlights to the ECHL website, but for some reason, Idaho hasn't done that. 

 

-  Here are the game recaps from both teams:

• Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/04/game-recap-americans-moving-on-to-round-2  
• Idaho Steelheads: https://idahosteelheads.com/news/2026/04/steelheads-eliminated-in-6-3-loss-to-americans  

 

MARTINSON COMMENTS

I had a chance to check in with Coach Martinson this morning as he was celebrating the victory by working out at the fitness center. He was on the bike as he shared these thoughts:

"Going into this series, we were playing good hockey and added some first-line players from Belleville We will be even better in the next round as the team has more time to work together."

"The goal at the end of the second period was a real backbreaker. The plan worked great. I put Asuchak out to win the draw, and then we had big bodies going to the net. Asuchak and Hargrove were both in front of the net, screening the goalie. When those two guys get set up in front, you can't move them. After five games in six days, Idaho gave up the lead with seven seconds left in the period. All of the momentum swung to us on that goal.  

"Everybody played well, but the guys you count on in an elimination game really stepped up."

"We made some adjustments to the power play, and it worked for two goals. We had some things we wanted to try, and the guys did a great job incorporating those ideas."

"Our power play will get better for the next round because we will have time to work on it over the next 10 days. We haven't had time to work on the power play very much with all the new guys."

"With so much time before the start of round two, there is a need to balance rest and practice. I will talk to the strength and conditioning coach in Ottawa, who is an expert on dealing with rest, conditioning, and recovery, and we will come up with a schedule. There will be one day with a competitive game for lunch, where the players pick the teams. I will have the players run practice by themselves without me one day, with all new drills. I have learned over the years that you want to stay active but not overwork the players. There is a lot more science in conditioning and recovery now than when I played. Getting advice from the Ottawa strength and conditioning coach, a real expert in the field, will drive our schedule."

"It is fun to see a group of guys, many of them have not played with each other very much, come together and excel. It is a fun group of guys to coach. It was nice going into the locker room after the game last night and seeing them enjoying themselves."      

 

 

 OTHER COMMENTS

- The Americans will have to wait up to 10 days for the start of the second round. The league sets the start and end dates for each series, and the participating teams must determine how to fit up to seven games within that time frame. The earliest the second round can start is May 8th. Kansas City is leading Tahoe 2-0 with the next three games in Tahoe (tonight, Thursday, and Saturday). If the series goes past five games, the sixth and seventh games, if necessary, would be in Kansas City on Monday, May 4th, and Wednesday, May 6. 

I will go out on a limb and make the assumption that Kansas City, the best team in the ECHL during the regular season, will win this series against Tahoe, the 16th-ranked team during the regular season. That would mean the Kansas City vs Allen series, which will be a 2-3-2 series, would start in Kansas City. Since the series can't begin before May 8, it is likely the first two games will be the weekend of the 8th. The teams would then travel to Allen for games 3, 4, and 5. Since teams try to maximize weekend games, you could expect the Allen home games to include a couple of weekend games. For sure, Allen will have to play its three home games between May 12 (Tuesday) and May 17 (Sunday).    

 

- Danny Katic's hat trick last night covers a lot of milestones. 

• First-ever playoff hat trick.
• Fourth hat trick this season, all-time single-season record.
• 11th team hat trick this season, breaking the all-time record of 8. 
• Danny's four hat tricks also tie him for Allen's career hat tricks with Costello and Crone. 

 

- Here is the updated list of hat tricks this season.

• 4 - Danny Katic 
• 3 - Harrison Blaisdell 
• 1 - Hank Crone 
• 1 - Mark Duarte 
• 1 - Colton Hargrove 
• 1 - Brayden Watts

- During his Allen coaching career, Steve Martinson has been involved in 21 playoff series. His record after the series win last night is 17-4, with four championships.

 

- Six of the seven first-round playoff series still being contested are in action tonight. South Carolina vs Atlanta is idle, and Allen has already advanced. Toledo is leading Bloomington 3-0 and is the only team that can punch its ticket to the second round tonight. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/04/echl-today-april-29   

 

- Danny Katic leads the playoffs in points with 10 (5G, 5A). Brayden Watts is second with eight points (4G, 4A) and has at least one point in all five playoff games. Sam Sedley leads all defensemen with six points (1G, 5A). 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Nine playoff teams don’t have playoff-eligible players in the AHL (ADK, ALN, BLM, FLA, FW, IND, REA, SAV, TOL). Here are the six teams that are waiting for players once their affiliates are eliminated from the playoffs. The first number is the number of players on the playoff-eligible list. The second number is the number of ECHL slots being saved for a playoff-eligible player. For example, Wheeling has six playoff-eligible players in the AHL, but can only add one when they become available.

 

Wheeling, 6 players, 1 slot

Kansas City, 5 players, 4 slots

South Carolina, 4 players, 1 slot

Atlanta, 2 players, 1 slot

Maine, 1 player, 0 slots (already at max 25 player roster)

Tahoe, 1 player, 1 slot

 

Idaho, which was eliminated by Allen last night, had one slot saved for their top goalie, but he never became available. The Steelheads ended up playing one goalie for five games in six days and lost the series 4-1.