Tough Loss, Jersey Auction, Thinel Article

I know a loss is a loss but when you out shoot a team 41-21, you have a power play that has scored 30% of the time against the team and go 0-8, have the best penalty kill in the league and give up three goals in six chances, have the best goalie in the league in net and you are playing at home against your biggest rival a loss really hurts. All of this happened yesterday as the Fort Worth Brahmas beat the Americans 4-3 and made the quest for first place a little more difficult.

- Todd Robinson didn't seem to take much time adjusting to his new team as he was definitely the quarterback of the power play unit. Robinson, who came over from Evansville was leading the ECHL with 61 assists. Todd scored the third goal for Allen and I didn't see him loose a faceoff. Several fans mentioned to me his -35 with Evansville which also was the worst +/- in the ECHL. Hopefully with the American's system this will be reversed. Todd was a +1 in the game.

- Adam Pineault continued his outstanding play with a goal and an assist and has three goals and four assists in the last four games. It looks like Adam has recovered from groin and rib injuries that have kept him out of the line up and slowed him down as he is flying on the ice.

- I don't normally complain about officials as I think all teams feel they get all the bad calls but the interference call on Trevor Ludwig in the third period was a bad call. It was also the back breaker as Ft. Worth scored their fourth goal seven seconds into the power play.

- The Americans point lead is now three over both Wichita and Fort Worth. With Ft. Worth only having three games remaining and they are all on the road in Arizona they have the toughest road to the point lead. You can't over emphasize the importance of the game on Tuesday for Allen as they take on the Thunder at the AEC. Let's win these last two home games!!

- Another jersey auction last night. I am always amazed that there continues to be an interest in all of these specialty jerseys but they do raise a lot of money for charity. Highlight last night was Booter Bootland once again auctioning off his own jersey and getting $850. The highest price for a jersey was $1000 which was the winning bid for the Lukin and Pineault jerseys. Friends and family were winners as I ran into Trevor Hendrickx's girlfriend, Cassi, in the parking lot with his jersey and Brian McMillin's younger brother, an aspiring hockey player himself, was the winner of  Brian's jersey.

Brian McMillin Wearing Specialty Jersey - photo by chlphotos.com

-  I talked to several fans who were at the game at NYTEX on Saturday who felt the spearing suspension against Kerbashian was more of a case of him trying to free his stick after the Brahmas player fell on it during a face off than an attempt to injure. A penalty was not called on the play and since it happened on a face off you would assume the officials had a good look at the play. The CHL press release is below:
The Central Hockey League (CHL) announced today that Allen Americans forward Kale Kerbashian has been suspended indefinitely for his actions in Allen's win over Fort Worth on Saturday, March 16. Further review will be conducted and a final determination on the length of suspension will be announced in the next couple days. Kerbashian was observed spearing his opponent after a face-off in the second period of Saturday's game.

- It wasn't a great weekend for the former Allen Americans now playing in the AHL. Yellow Horn had one assist and was a minus four as Manchester lost two of three games. Skinner had no points as Grand Rapids lost both of their games this weekend. Scott Howes only played in one of Springfield's three games this weekend and had no points. Springfield lost all three games. Ryley Grantham did not score in Houston's last two games which they split, but Grantham had a fight in both games and still has only one minus game since being called up. While the season still has a ways to go as the regular season doesn't finish until April 21st Grand Rapids, Springfield, and Houston should make the playoffs. Manchester still has some work to do.

 - I came across an article written by Bill Althaus at examiner.net, "Votes prove Mavs' Thinel is highly respected in CHL" which talks about the season Sebastien Thinel is having. Thinel was the first player I ever really followed from an opposing team back in 2009-2010. He was playing for Odessa and was so impressive in finding open teammates and putting them in position to score. He had 75 assists that year. Here is a portion of Bill's article.

 

Independence, MO —

It is now apparent that I am not the only one noticing the brilliant season that Missouri Mavericks forward Sebastien Thinel is enjoying.
Time and time again I have compared his exploits on the ice to the once-in-a-lifetime season George Brett enjoyed back in 1980 when he led the Kansas City Royals to their first World Series appearance and flirted with the .400 mark.
Thinel dominated the Central Hockey League’s Best of the Best poll, which was released Friday morning. CHL players, coaches and operational staffers voted and the Mavericks were represented in 24 of the 50 categories with the Mavericks captain winning Best Overall Player, Best Playmaker, Most Valuable to His Team and Most Gentlemanly.
“I’ve been around a long time and been fortunate to win some honors,” said the former CHL scoring leader and MVP, “but I’ve never received this many honors. It’s nice, especially coming from your peers.”
Thinel leads the CHL in overall scoring (86) and assists (61). What makes that assist total even more impressive is that he plays with different lines of a nightly basis and no other member of the Mavericks is in the top 25 in scoring.
He is also among league leaders and leads the Mavericks with a plus-25 plus-minus rating.
“He will undoubtedly go down as one of the best, if not the best player at the Double-A level of professional hockey,” Mavericks coach Scott Hillman said.
“He went through an adjustment period last season, and we are seeing the real Sebastien Thinel this season. I had the honor of playing with Sebbie in (now-defunct) Odessa, and I saw him do some amazing things. But he has been amazing this season, just amazing. Nothing he does on the ice surprises me.”
Thinel’s play is a big reason Kenton Miller is a candidate for Rookie of the Year.
“When you play with Sebastien,” Miller said, “you better be ready to get the puck. He puts it on your stick and always puts you in the best position to put the puck in the back of the net.
Even goaltender Mike Clemente appreciates Thinel’s brilliance on the ice.
“Everyone thinks of him as a great offensive player, but he can get it done defensively and he’s great on the PK (penalty kill). And I’ve never been in a locker room with a better leader.”
The off-the-ice accolades are what have the most impact on Thinel.

"I’ve played so long, and I want to help the young guys any way I can,” Thinel said. “If I can help at practice or in the locker room, I want to be there for them. And I want them to know that I am always there for them.”