THE GRIZZLIES BEAT THE AMERICANS AGAIN!

*Please note while Barry's name remains at the bottom of this blog, he is on vacation and the information/views posted in his absence do not reflect Barry's views or the views of the Allen Americans organization.

In a better effort than the previous game, before a crowd of 3966 at the Maverik arena, the Americans were unable, once again, to cave those grizzlies.  However, in a much better performance by Allen, your Americans did not go down without a fight!  One exchange of blows between J.P. LaFontaine and Jason Binkley resulted from a scrum in front of the Utah bench.  Fontaine and Binkley were given 5 minute majors, Vincent Arseneau and Utah's Barry Almeida and Gentry Zollars were assessed roughing penalties as a result of the fracas.   

Congratulations to Chad Costello for picking up his 500th career point assisting on Allen's second goal.  Chad barely missed getting the 501st on a break away in the third period. Only an NHL caliber stop by Utah goalie Chris Rawlings kept Costello from scoring.

Game Recap:

• Gary Steffes opened the scoring in the second.  He scored on a pass from Justin Courtnall to Chris Crane that bounced off a Utah defender and was seized by Gary, scoring from the right face off circle.
• Utah did not let this go unanswered and scored at the 4:06 mark of the second, and again at 7:24 on a power play.
• Allen tied the score at 13:34 of the second when a shot by Eric Roy rebounded to Chad Costello in front of the net.  Chad got the puck to Casey Pierro-Zabotel just left of the goal crease.  Costello continued in front of the Utah goalie and Zabotel put the biscuit in the oven.
• The third period was Allen's worst.  They were out shot 20-5 and out scored 2-0 with the last goal into an empty net.
• Utah's Ryan Moore had 2 assists last night giving him a total of 7 points in the last two games against Allen.
• For the second consecutive night, Utah's goalies was given the third star of the game.  Chris Rawlings attained his first victory of the season stopping 26 of 28 shots.
• It was Allen's first loss when scoring first.
• Since the 2nd period of the game at Tulsa on Nov. 22nd, Allen has been playing without Ian Schultz, Justin Baker, Dave Makowski, Tristan King, Daniel Doremus and Greger Hanson.  This has created a big void in the lineup. 
• This loss drops Allen to 5-5 in the last 10 games.

Coach Martinson's post game comments:

• We had problems because they pressured our D (defense)
• We got out skated in the third, plain and simple
• They put pressure on us
• We had too many passive forwards in the third

We would like to remind and encourage all to bring new, unwrapped  Teddy Bears for the Teddy Bear toss on Saturday, December 5th benefiting the Scottish Rite Hospital and 444 Angel.

Former Allen player Kale Kerbashian was activated, by Rapid City, from injured reserve on Friday, 11/27. Rapid City is Allen's opponent for the upcoming game on Friday.

Unless something changes between now and Friday, the next blog will be a game preview for Friday night.

Did you know: Ice hockey is an adaptation of the Native American game of lacrosse.  In fact, many of the first rules were borrowed directly from the game.

WHO WOKE UP THE SLEEPING BEARS?


*Please note while Barry's name remains at the bottom of this blog, he is on vacation and the information/views posted in his absence do not reflect Barry's views or the views of the Allen Americans organization.

If Allen went into the game last night thinking "we got this", we sure hope that we were the ones "awakened" and not the bears.  It is not too late to get back on track and put the Grizzlies back into their caves.  One wonders where to start when analyzing the game last night.  Missed passes, sloppy passing, not enough shots on goal in the first period.  We looked like a group that is every man for himself instead of playing as a team.  C'mon guys get it together and show the bears they don't stand another chance against the Americans.

It was disappointing that Chad Costello was not able to register his 500th point last night.  Chad's response was if we do not win the game, the points do not matter. Hopefully, he will be successful in attaining that goal, as well as assisting an Americans win.  Chad also had his league leading road point streak snapped.

We mentioned before the importance of AHL affiliations.  Last night, Bryan Moore, just assigned from San Diego yesterday, tallied 5 points on 2 goals and 3 assists.

Game Recap:

• Utah scored 4 goals in the first period, 1 being a shorthanded goal
• Allen finally got on the board at the 17:45 mark of the first period when J.P. LaFontaine scored his first from the left face off circle.  This goal was set up from Justin Courtnall, who's adept stick handling drew 4 Utah defenders as he skated past the blue line
• Allen's goalie, Riley Gill, was replaced at the start of the 2nd period and 3 minutes 41 seconds later, Joel Rumpel was unsuccessful in preventing the Grizzlies 5th goal of the night
• Terrible power play performance led to another shortie when Utah scored their 6th goal. On the same power play, LaFontaine notched his second goal of the night.  This goal was a deflection by J.P, in front of the net, off a shot by Aaron Gens from the point.
• On an Allen penalty kill, Utah scored their 7th goal and 2nd power play goal at the 5:36 mark of the third period
• At the 16:40 mark of the third, newly assigned Chris Crane scored the games' final goal.  He was assisted by Vincent Arseneau who maintained a steady presence in front of the Utah net.
• Utah goalie, Taran Kozun recorded his first professional win, and was named the games 3rd star.

Coach Martinson's post game comments:

• Our second unit scored both power play goals
• We gave up 2 shorthanded because we did not work hard enough for the puck
• We got out skated again in the first
• We turned pucks over on soft low percentage plays
• When you are missing key guys, you need to play smarter and harder than we did tonight 

Game Preview:

• Let's hope the trend of a good game following a poor performance holds true tonight.
• As always, scoring first and/or leading after one continues to be of vital importance.  We must start off strong in order to abate Utah's momentum coming off their victory last night,

Did you know: Due to scheduling inequities (5 California teams play 68 games while the 2 remaining teams play 76) the AHL Pacific Division Standings are determined by points percentage instead of points only.

LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS.....OH MY!

*Please note while Barry's name remains at the bottom of this blog, he is on vacation and the information/views posted in his absence do not reflect Barry's views or the views of the Allen Americans organization.

This is not the Wizard of Oz but ECHL hockey, so no lions, no tigers but bears, the Grizzlies to be exact, will meet Allen tonight in West Valley, Utah at the Maverik Center.  Please remember the puck drops at 8:05 Texas time.  The Utah Grizzlies are 5th in the league in attendance averaging 5189 in 7 home games this season (Allen's average is 4659), so expect a large crowd.  There have been two previous games played between these two teams, both in Utah, on Oct. 23rd and Oct. 24th.  Allen won the first game, in overtime, by 6-5, and the second in regulation with the score of 4-2. After tonight's game, they will meet at the AEC for 2 more games, Dec.5th and Feb. 5th.  Utah leads their division but is fourth in the Western Conference with 20 points and trails Allen by 4 points. Allen is second in their division and the Western Conference but Allen has played 2 more games(18) than Utah.  Utah's AHL affiliate is is the San Diego Gulls and the NHL affiliate being the Anaheim Ducks.

Game preview:

• Both teams have almost the same record in the last 10 games.  Utah is 6-3-1-0 and Allen is 7-3-0-0.
• Utah's home record is a paltry 2-4-1-0.  (Their road record is 7-1-1-0)
• Allen continues to be undefeated when scoring first (10-0) and leading after one (6-0). Their record drops to 1-4 when trailing after 1.  A strong starts continues to be the formula for success. 
• Teams are very close in Goals For and Goals Against per game.  The teams are tied at GF (3.06) but Allen has slight advantage in GA (2.78 vs. 2.81)
• Allen holds the advantage on special teams.  Their power play is 14/82 (17.1%) and penalty kill is 9/69 (87.0%).  Utah is 7/53 (3.2%) on the PP and 7/47 (85.1) on the PK. Utah has scored only 2 PPG on their home ice.
• Team leaders for Utah in points are Ryan Walters (15) and Matt Berry (13).  Their goal leaders are Barry Almeida and Matt Berry with 7 each.  Allen's Chad Costello leads in points (24) and Casey Pierro-Zabotel leads in goals with 7.  Costello still leads the league in assists (18)
• Shots on Goal stats have Utah 4th in the league.  Shots for (32.25/game) and 17 in shots against (29.61/game).  As always, getting pucks to the net is important.
• Chad Costello will be looking to continue his league leading 9 game road streak in points and assists.
• In the plus/minus category, Allen is -4 as a team. Our team leader is Gregor Hansen at +7: Justin Baker is second at +6.  Some suprises on the other side with Aaron Gens at -11, and Gary Steffes at -8!

Expect to see Utah's goalie Ryan Faragher in goal this time around.  Faragher did not play in our previous meetings due to illness.  Faragher is 1 win behind Allen's Joel Rumpel.  Who will be in net tonight for Allen is unknown at the time of this writing, but one would imagine we would see the battle of the goalies either tonight or Saturday!

The referee for tonight's match is Andrew Wilk  #(24)

Did you know:  There are 3 teams without AHL/NHL affiliations - Colorado, Wichita, and Alaska. In the 28 team ECHL, these teams are ranked 21st, 24th, and 26th respectively, demonstrating just how important affiliations are in this league.

WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF FINGERNAILS!


*Please note while Barry's name remains at the bottom of this blog, he is on vacation and the information/views posted in his absence do not reflect Barry's views or the views of the Allen Americans organization.

It looked like it was going to be a great night for the Allen fans at the BOK yesterday, but it turned out to be another nail biter.  Before an official crowd of 4870, the Tulsa Oilers got back into the game in the second period to cut the American's 2-0 lead in half.  But Allen was not satisfied with a 1 goal lead and scored their 3rd goal in the 2nd.  Looking much better than Saturday night, Allen would score another in the 3rd making the score 4-2.  Allen would come out the victors but not before an exciting last few minutes as Tulsa scored again to make the score 4-3.  This concluded the American's 7th game in 10 nights!

“We needed this one,” said Americans Captain Chad Costello following the teams eighth road win of the season. We were embarrassed with our performance last night at home so coming out strong at the beginning and setting the tone for the game was important.” (quote courtesy of the Allen Americans Professional Hockey website).


The game was quite chippy, more on the Oilers side, as Tulsa had 29 penalty minutes and Allen only 17.  The fight between Mathieu Gagnon and Dyson Stevenson deserves honorable mention. 

(photo courtesy of Kevin Pyle)

Game Recap:

• Goal 1 - started by Jacob Poe with a pass to Casey Pierro-Zabotel. Zabotel carried the puck across the blue line drawing the Tulsa defensemen, then firing a pass to Chad Costello streaking down the right side.  The assist was Poe's first point as a professional.  Way to go Jacob!
• Goal 2- power play goal started by a booming one timer from the point by Eric Roy. Roy's shot bounced off Vincent Arseneau and was controlled by Jonathan Parker who beat Tulsa's goalie, Kevin Carr to the wide side.  Even after being struck by Roy's shot, Arseneau continued to set up a screen of Carr making him unable to locate the puck.
• Goal 3- Tulsa goal by Gagnon after a pass from behind the net by Adam Pleskach.  Ayrton Nikkel made a good effort to disrupt the play, laying out his entire 6'1" frame in an attempt to block the pass to Pleskach.
• Goal 4 - (Allen's 3rd), started by Justin Courtnall taking the puck up the ice with some impressive stick handling.  He made a pass to Costello in the right corner, and Costello made his patented no-look pass through 2 Oiler defenders finding Pierro-Zabotel who burried the puck in the net.
• Goal 5- Arseneau, after setting up another beautiful screen of Carr, scored Allen's 4th goal on a rebound from Costello's shot from the left face off circle.  
• Goal 6- was a power play goal from Tulsa's Pleskach scoring on a rebound of a slap shot by Dennis Brown from outside the face off circle.  
• Goal 7 - Christophe Lalancette scored on a scramble in front of the net lofting the puck over a "stickless" Joel Rumpel.
• Allen continued its' undefeated streak when scoring first (10-0) and leading after one (6-0). This demonstrates when we start strong we are victorious.
• With Costello's 1 goal and 2 assists last night, Chad leads the entire league in points (23) and assists (17).  He extended his league leading road streak for points and assists to 9 which dates back to Oct. 23rd.
• Joel Rumpel continued his league lead in wins (10)  and is 2nd in minutes played (853).  
• Allen equaled their total shots on goal from Saturday's game in 2 periods on Sunday (21). 
• Schultz left the ice in the first period and did not return, Baker left the ice in the second period, returned, and left the ice again less than a minute later.  He, also, did not return.

The Americans will hold practice on Tuesday and Wednesday this week at 10 a.mat the AEC..

Coach Martinson's post-game comments:

• Pretty solid game
• Short bench caught up to us in the 3rd after losing (Ian) Schultz and Baker,
• Dyson Stevenson was a huge part in our top line in last years' playoff run.  If we had 20 guys with his "team first" attitude we would be undefeated.

This will be our final blog until Friday, November 27th.  We wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Did you know - Some of the first commercial hockey sticks were honed by Mi'Kmaq carvers in Nova Scotia in the mid 1800's, using wood from the hornbeam tree.

WHEN WE'RE GOOD WE'RE VERY GOOD, WHEN WE'RE BAD WE'RE AWFUL!

*Please note while Barry's name remains at the bottom of this blog, he is on vacation and the information/views posted in his absence do not reflect Barry's views or the views of the Allen Americans organization.

There is no way to sugar coat what 5408 in attendance witnessed last night at the AEC.  This game was no contest as a goal from Tulsa's Dan DeSalvo at the 1:01 minute mark of the first period put Tulsa on the board first, and was the first of 6.  Allen would finally get a goal from good effort by Gary Steffes who received a great pass from Casey Pierro-Zabotel and Chad Costello at the 19:51 mark in the second period. 

                                       

(photo courtesy of DianneWebster)

 The biggest contest of the evening seemed to be who would get the most penalty minutes in which Allen came out on top!  And those jerseys and socks! We thought they would make Tulsa dizzy, but we were the only ones spinning last night!  

(photo courtesy of Dianne Webster)

The only fireworks for the Allen fans were those on the ice before the game and at intermission.

Game Recap:

• Shots on goal were minimal again last night as Allen only put 5 to the net in the first, 4 in the third totalling only 20 for the game, C'MON MAN!
• The Oilers broke a 5 game losing streak with their first win in 18 days
• Adam Pleskach recorded a "hat trick" scoring his first goals of the season
• Allen goalie Riley Gill faced 26 shots on goal, and Joel Rumpel faced 6, Gill has now faced 60 shots in just over 4 1/2 periods
• Chad Costello's assist on the Steffes goal strengthened his league lead (15) for assists
• With the victory, Tulsa leads in games against Allen 3-2

Ian Shultz asking Tom Kroshus if he would like to dance!

(photo courtesy of scenebyKimberly.com)

Coach Martinson's Post Game Comment(s):

As you could imagine, Coach's comments were brief and to the point!

• "We got outplayed, plain and simple"

Game Preview:

• As always, Allen must score early and take the momentum away from Tulsa
• Statistics are basically unchanged from last night's game except Tulsa's have improved
• As Barry always mentions - It is always nice to get beat at home if you do not have to wait long to do something about it.  Allen has a chance to avenge their embarrassing loss in less than 24 hours.
• Referee for today's game is Jeremy Tufts

Did you know - Darryl Bootland, the player we love to hate, leads the ECHL in major penalties with 8, and is 2nd in overall penalty minutes with 72.

ITS CANDY CANES FOR KIDS TONIGHT - AMERICANS RETURN HOME VICTORIOUS

Today is a day filled with fun and festivities including a Josh Wilson concert before the game. Last night was also filled with fun after a daunting first period

Game Recap

• Chad Costello scored the first goal at the 4:38 mark of the first period.  He was given an excellent backdoor pass from Justin Baker and scored as he crossed the crease.
• The second goal, at 9:11 of the second period, was a result of good aggressive play by Vincent Areseneau and Casey Pierro-Zabotel keeping traffic in front of the net.  After a shot from the point by Jonathon Parker, a rebound allowed Arseneau a shot and Pierro-Zabotel was there to knock Arseneau's rebound home.
• The night's final goal was again a result of aggressive play in front of the net. A rebound from a shot by Costello was poked twice by Arseneau and an alert play on the squirming puck by Justin Baker allowed a score over the left shoulder of Wichita goalie David Shantz.
• The first period was unnerving as Allen allowed a season high 21 shots on goal while managing only 7 of their own.  Riley Gill's outstanding play in goal kept the score at 1-0 after the first period.  The remaining two periods were a complete turnaround as the Americans picked up the pace with aggressive forechecking, strong physical play all around and penalty killing on all four Wichita power plays, one being a 5 on 3 for over a minute and a half.
• Evidence of the increased physical play was 4 roughing penalties and 4 fighting penalties called in the last two periods.  The "Main Event" involved Dyson Stevenson and Wichita's Dan Milan.  A number of rights were exchanged.  (We scored the round 10-7, Stevenson).
• Riley Gill was outstanding in goal,getting his first shut out of the year and surviving a barrage of shots in the first period.  He was rightfully named first star of the game.

Coach Martinson's post game comments

• Riley Gill was very good in goal tonight
• Scoring first and special teams play made the difference tonight
• Chad Costello used his speed to create some opportunities
• Strong physical play from Stevenson - Braid line.
• A full post game interview, compliments of the All Americans facebook page, is below

• Missouri defeated Tulsa, tonight's opponent, in overtime last night.  They remain 3 points ahead of the Americans with a game in hand and lead the entire ECHL in points

Pregame for Tonight

• Please remember the start time of tonight's game has been moved to 7:35PM due to pregame activities surrounding the Candy Canes for Kids events.
• The Americans are on a three-in-three stretch beginning with last nights game and continuing today at the AEC and concluding tomorrow in Tulsa with a 4:05PM start time.  Tulsa also played last night and, with Allen today and tomorrow, is also in the middle of their own three-in-three.  The Americans will depart at 10:00AM Sunday for the trip to Tulsa
• Tulsa is currently in last place in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference and 26th in the ECHL, besting only the Evansville IceMen in points.
• Allen leads Tulsa in the division with 22 points vs Tulsa's 10.
• Leading points scorers for Tulsa are Adam Pleskach with 9 points and Brandon Wong with 7.  By comparison the Americans have 5 players with over 10 points
• Phil Brewer and Brandon Wong lead the Oilers in goals with 4.  The Americans have four players with 5 or more goals
• For special teams, Allen is 11/71 (15.5%) on the PP; Tulsa is 5/41(12.2%).  On the PK Allen is 6/59 (89.9%) and Tulsa is 8/47 (83.0%)
• Tulsa has lost their last 5 games, Allen is 3-2 over the same stretch.
• Allen continues its unbeaten streak when scoring first (9-0) and leading after 1 period (5-0).  A fast start usually means success for the Americans
• In spite of the statistical differences, the teams are 2-2 in head to head meetings.  Allen winning its only home game with the Oilers and recording a 1-2 record at the BOK Center in Tulsa.  It appears we may have a closer game than would be expected by looking at stats only.
• Tudor Floru, a crowd favorite, will be the referee tonight - he also called last night's game in Wichita (doubtful he made the trip to Allen on the team bus!)

This and That

• ECHL officials will wear #32 on their helmets for the remainder of the season in honor of ECHL linesman Camden Nukols.  Nukols passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday after a brief illness.  He was 25 years old.
• For those of you interested in recent activities of the Stevens brothers please check out this link which was listed in the echlforums.com-http://www.pitch.com/FastPitch/archives/2015/11/17/a-couple-guys-from-wichita-want-to-bring-minor-league-hockey-to-kemper-arena

Did you know - The earliest hockey games were played with chunks of frozen cow dung (aren't we glad that the puck has evolved into vulcanized rubber!?)

MISSOURI OUTS ALLEN! - WICHITA PREVIEW


*Please note while Barry's name remains at the bottom of this blog, he is on vacation and the information/views posted in his absence do not reflect Barry's views or the views of the Allen Americans organization.

Please note: there will be no blog on Thursday, Nov. 19th or Friday Nov 20th.  We will post Saturday the 21st.

Before an official crowd of 4289 in Independence Missouri, your Allen Americans were defeated by a score of 4-1.  This was Missouri's first regulation victory over the Americans since joining the ECHL.
Nothing seemed to click for Red last night as there were numerous missed passes and not enough pucks challenging Missouri goalie Josh Robinson.  By coach Martinson's own admission the team was outskated and outplayed.

Game Recap:

• Shots on Goal (SOG): Allen - 18, Missouri - 42 - Allen managed only 3 second period shots despite being on a 5 minute power play.
• Each team had a power play goal with Allen being 1 of 4 and Missouri 1 of 5
• Goalie Joel Rumple saw 42 shots on net and stopped 38 of them.  He made some highlight reel saves to keep the score from being worse.
•  Missouri Goalie Robinson stopped 17 of 18 attempts and maintained his ECHL lead in GAA and SV%.
• Ian Schultz and Vincent Arseneau left the ice with injuries in the second period.  Arseneau later returned; Schultz is still out with no update on the extent of his injury.  Maverick's forward Josh Holmstrom was given a 5 minute major penalty for elbowing and a game misconduct for his hit on Schultz.

Recent Transactions

• Forward Mike DiPaolo was released on waivers
• Defenseman Jacob Poe was signed.
• Forward Chance Braid was acquired in a trade with Idaho
• Below are statistics on Poe and Braid

Jacob Poe

Defense
Born Dec 17 1990 -- Arlington, TX
[24 yrs. ago]
Height 6.03 -- Weight 210 [191 cm/95 kg]

			Regular Season						Playoffs
Season	Team	Lge	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	+/-	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2008-09	Topeka Roadrunners	NAHL	48	2	11	13	69	8
2009-10	Topeka Roadrunners	NAHL	55	1	27	28	55	31
2010-11	Topeka Roadrunners	NAHL	58	4	26	30	120	23	13	0	3	3	8
2011-12	U. of Connecticut	AHA	39	3	5	8	28
2012-13	U. of Connecticut	AHA	37	0	16	16	30
2013-14	U. of Connecticut	AHA	30	4	11	15	14
2014-15	U. of Connecticut	H-East	35	2	8	10	39	-15
2015-16	Allen Americans	ECHL	1	0	0	0	0	0

Chance Braid

Left Wing -- shoots L
Born Sep 26 1994 -- Chauvin, ALTA
[21 yrs. ago]
Height 6.01 -- Weight 210 [185 cm/95 kg]

			Regular Season						Playoffs
Season	Team	Lge	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	+/-	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2011-12	Prince Albert Raiders	WHL	62	1	3	4	54	-17	--	--	--	--	--
2012-13	Prince Albert Raiders	WHL	67	9	20	29	66	-4	4	0	0	0	4
2013-14	Prince Albert Raiders	WHL	72	7	17	24	93	-21	4	1	0	1	0
2014-15	Prince George Cougars	WHL	35	8	5	13	42	-9	--	--	--	--	--
2014-15	Kelowna Rockets	WHL	30	5	6	11	36	0	18	4	3	7	17
2015-16	Idaho Steelheads*	ECHL	3	0	0	0	5	-1

 

Here is video from coach Martinson's post game comments courtesy of the Allen Americans facebook post.

 

 

 

 

 

Looking ahead to the game in Wichita on Friday night-



• This is the second meeting of the teams with Allen winning the previous meeting 5-2 at the AEC on November 10.
• Wichita is in third place in the Central Division of the Western Conference, trailing Allen by 9 points with one game in hand.
• Statistically Allen would look to be the overwhelming favorite but in 2014-2015 Wichita was 8-8-0-1 in their 17 meetings.
• Scoring leader for Wichita is Peter Sakaris with 10 points; goal lead is shared by 5 players, each with 4 goals.
• Allen continues to be undefeated when scoring first and also when leading after the 1st period.
• Meetings between these two teams has historically been very physical.  Look for a hard fought game.

Did you know: The Evansville IceMen are threatening to shut down if a new lease arrangement isn't made with the city by Dec 1.  According to an IceMen press release the current rent paid to the city is over 4 times the ECHL median.

ALLEN - MISSOURI GAME PREVIEW AND INTERVIEW WITH LEE HASTINGS

*Please note while Barry's name remains at the bottom of this blog, he is on vacation and the information/views posted in his absence do not reflect Barry's views or the views of the Allen Americans organization.

Game Preview:

• This is the second meeting of 11 for the 2015-16 season
• Since joining the ECHL, Missouri has never beaten Allen in regulation and has managed only one overtime win in 9 games.
• Allen is currently second in the Western Conference and Central Division, one point behind Missouri.  Both teams are tied for wins at 10.  Allen has played 1 more game than Missouri.
• Winner of this game will either lead the ECHL in points and wins or tie with Florida for the lead.
• Physicality may be a factor in the game as Missouri is much more of a skilled team than a physical one.
• Missouri has no players with more than 10 penalty minutes for this season; Allen has 9 players in that category
• Missouri averages 8.2 penalty minutes per game: Allen 16.4
• Missouri has three players averaging over a point per game, Allen has 2
• It will be to Allen's advantage to play a physical game without taking unnecessary penalties
• Both teams are similar in size averaging 6' in height.   Allen has a slight edge in average weight 197lbs. vs. 193lbs.
• Missouri's new affiliation with Bridgeport/NY Islanders seems to have had a major impact on their performance this year.  Their roster players have had 637 AHL game experience (Allen has 479).   Thus far this year Missouri has had 15 players reassigned from their AHL affiliate (Allen has 5). AHL experience is an invaluable asset when playing in the ECHL.
• Missouri had the two top goalies in the ECHL.  They are first and second in GAA (both are under 1.50) and first and fourth in SV% (both are above .940).  Both goalies are on reassignment from Bridgeport.
• While Missouri is on a 5 game winning streak, both teams have won 5 of their last 6 games.   Missouri is undefeated at home, winning all three games played in Independence.  Allen has won 6 of 8 games on the road.
• Both teams are undefeated when scoring first; also when leading after the first period. The team with the fast start is likely to win the game.
• Leading scorers for the Mavericks are Jesse Root, Kellen Jones, and Tyler Barnes. Root and Jones have 14 points and Barnes has 13.  Root has 7 goals and Barns has 6 - this compares to the Americans whose top goal scorers have 5.  Root and Barnes are on reassignment from Bridgeport.
• Referee for the game is Andrea Barone.   This is Barone's first year as an ECHL ref.  He started in September, 2015.  He does have prior experience in USA hockey, and the SPHL.  He has called 4 games this season with 49 penalties totally 150 minutes. Looks like he is doing a great job filling the void by Jake Brenk. (thanks to MavsfanJoe for posting this info on ECHLforum.com)

Everyone has heard the voice of our game announcer, but we know little about him.  So we interviewed Lee to find out more of what makes him tick!  We must say it was a very interesting interview and quite lengthy, so in the interest of time, we have consolidated and am posting what we think you would like to know.  Thanks to Lee for a great interview and spending so much time with us.

                                                (photo courtesy of scenebyKimberly)

Q. What does the job entail?

A. Being in a positive mood, even when you're not, it is important not to let your emotions come through the mike. Sometimes have to tune out the crowd, for example when a fight breaks out between the players.  I track penalties and goals as to be a source in case of a discrepancy. Watch the game differently than the fans, watch in anticipation for unexpected stoppage of play and announce the proper penalties, etc...  

Q. How long have you been with the Americans?

A.  Have been here since day 1,  Have only missed a couple of games.

Q. What is your full time job?

A. Regional Director of Pure Water technology.

Q. Is it hard to get off for daytime games?

A. No, have tons of vacation time and my boss is aware of what I do and he supports me.

Q. Is there anything special you need to do to prep for games, and does it vary by visiting teams?

A.  I check the players names and sometimes call the visiting team's front office for proper pronunciations.  I often write them down phonetically to ensure I announce them correctly.  Do not do anything special for different team, but if it is a big rivalry I will try to rev up the fans early in the game.

Q. Do you coordinate with the music director or with Tommy Daniels.
A.  I do not coordinate with the music director, but sometimes make suggestions. I usually only have to get with Tommy for stats, like if I know if someone is about to break a record.

Q. What is the craziest thing you have seen during intermissions.
A.  Strapping bungee chords to the entrance of the zamboni door and shooting people out..  One time someone went through the teflon wall.  They stopped doing that!  I would not call this crazy, but the most memorable event I have seen in Allen is Mark and Mary's wedding.  Then there was the time the Dallas zoo had the animals and a dog decided to go potty on the carpet.   And there was a time when we were rolling the carpets out for the first time and a couple rodents scrambled out.  Players tried to corral the rodents with their sticks!

Q. Are there any games we used to play during intermission you would like to see resurrected for intermissions?
A. No, but I would like to see, once in awhile, some big events for the fans like shootout for a car, or bedroom suite, things like that.

Q. Where are you originally from?
A.  My Dad was in the Air Force so I have moved around.  I have been in Texas since 2005, before that North Carolina, Germany, Kansas.  Folks in Germany told me that I talk funny as I had a southern accent.  I have had many opportunities traveling around that other kids did not have.

Q. Were you always interested in announcing?
A. No.  When I was in Kansas, a neighbor asked me to stay at her house while her child was sleeping so she could run to the store.  While I was in her house I noticed gold records and microphones and all this stuff, meanwhile, her husband came home first and we talked.  A couple of days later he asked me if I wanted to try being a disk jockey.  So I went on to DJ at a rock station, country station, top 40 station,etc.  I was attending Wichita Thunder games and came to know some of the people there.  One day I was asked to fill in for their announcer, and the rest is history, I became the Thunder announcer.  

Q. What are your announcing aspirations?
A.  I would love to do a NHL game.  I was in the running for the for the Stars PA vacancy but knew there were others more qualified than myself.  So needless to say, I did not get the job.  Maybe someday, when I do not have an Allen game, I will be asked to fill in for Jeff K.  I would love to do at least 1 game.

We would like to congratulate Lee Hastings and Lisa Hammond on their recent engagement.  We understand there will be a wedding soon!

                                               (photo courtesy of Lisa Hammond)



Did you know:  In 1885, Canada's first national hockey association was formed, with teams quickly influencing their neighbors to the south.  By 1896, teams were competing in the New York area, with the first game between the U. S. and Canada played in 1899.

PHEW!  ANOTHER CLOSE ONE, BUT A WIN NONETHELESS!

*Please note while Barry's name remains at the bottom of this blog, he is on vacation and the information/views posted in his absence do not reflect Barry's views or the views of the Allen Americans organization.


What an evening for the Pierro-Zabotel family as their son was the guest skater of the night!

                                                         (photo courtesy of Lauren Lyssy)

Before a crowd of 5050 on Sunday, we all witnessed something we have never seen at the Allen Event Center.  The Allen Americans scored the first goal for the Colorado Eagles by being on a delayed power play.  Our net was empty due to an impending penalty on the Eagles and we had our extra attacker on the ice.  Who would have ever thunk it???

Game Highlights:

• Goal 1 was the unusual goal which resulted from an errant pass from J. P. LaFontaine which careened off the far boards and into the American's empty net.
• Goal 2 resulted from Trent Daavettila intercepting a pass from Aaron Gens deep in the Allen zone then making a sweet pass to wide-opened Kyle Ostrow.
• Goal 3 was courtesy of Aaron Gens getting the puck through a crowded net scoring his 4th goal of the season.
• Goal 4 resulted from LaFontaine making a nifty pass to Tristan King coming to the net
• Goal 5, the night's only power play goal resulted from Justin Courtnall screening the Eagle's Goalie Jacob DeSerres for Jonathan Parker to score
• Goal 6 was a pass from Dyson Stevenson and Rick Pinkston to Vincent Arseneau who fired the biscuit over the shoulder of DeSerres
• Goal 7, with an extra attacker on the ice, Joe Zarbo scored on a rebound in front of the net and lifting the puck over 2 Allen defenders
• Congratulations to Vincent Arseneau for his Gordie Howe Hat Trick
• Unlike Friday night, this game was a more physical contest in which there were 8 fighting majors and 3 roughing minors
• Chad Costello's league leading point streak (9 games) and assists  streak (6 games) came to a screeching halt last night,  Chad is still tied for ECHL league lead with 16 points and leads the league with 12 assists. 

Cheap Shot of the Night Award goes to Colorado defenseman Telgan Zahn who took out defenseman David Makowski with an apparent, deliberate knee-to-knee contact.  Makowski will be out of the lineup an estimated 6 weeks or more.   Coach Martinson will send video to the league for review.  Ian Schultz stuck up for his teammate by immediately challenging Zahn.

                                                    (photo courtesy of scenebyKimberly)

Coach Martinson's Post Game Comments:

• Got off to tough start, did not like first period too much
• Played more physical with push back as the game progressed, should have fought back last night as we did tonight "better late than never"
• Dave Makowski will be out at least a month and a half 
• Spencer Asuchak was injured earlier this week while playing for the Chicago Wolves (AHL)
• Looking forward to our next meeting with Colorado
• Colorado forechecked hard, reminded me of South Carolina, we need to work on forechecking 
• Team was probably tired after playing 3 games in 3 nights, and recent call-ups gives us no extra players
• Our next game with Missouri will be completely different, it will be more of a skilled game, they have 3 lines that can score
• I particularly liked the line of Arseneau, LaFontaine, and Dyson Stevenson, they get goals, and are aggressive going to the net
• Greger Hanson was a +2, scored a goal, and was the #1 star of the game, I suggested that he be like the "energizer bunny" on this call up
• Still have the cat, the kids want him.  I scratch its' ears, feed it every morning and it still runs every time I enter the room.   Can't remember its name, think it might be Leroy or some name like that

Faith and Family night was a success as Gary Steffes hosted post- game assembly for Christian fans. Gary tirelessly gives his time and talents to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

(photo courtesy of Lauren Lyssy)

We took a few moments to speak with an ECHL goal judge to gain some insights of their role in the game. This particular goal judge actually watched Coach Martinson in San Diego while he was coaching the Gulls.  His involvement in organized hockey led him to the opportunity to be a goal judge.  

• In addition to judging goals, his assistance is sometimes requested for further information on a goal scored and players involved. 
• It is important to stay focused on the puck and tune out other distractions.  
• The change to blue post (from red posts) this year has made the goal judge's job more challenging as they sometimes cast a different shadow and make it more difficult to distinguish the puck.  
• There are occasional confrontations usually with goalies, the key is to remain objective.  
• He has had some goals overturned, ultimately it is the referee's decision. If the puck completely crosses the line, the goal light will appear.

(photo courtesy of scenebyKimberly)

Did you know: Since 2009 there have been 4 empty net delayed penalty goals in the NHL. Prior to last night the most recent occurrence in professional hockey involved Forshega IF vs Tranas AIF in Sweden's Division I on Sept. 21, 2015.

Allen Suffers Worst Defeat in Team History, Holiday Specialty Jersey Auction & Bye-Bye

There is no way to sugarcoat what happened last night at the Allen Event Center before the largest crowd of the season (5456) as the Colorado Eagles defeated the Allen Americans 8-1. The Colorado press release about the game had "Eagles Crush Allen" and the Allen press release had "Americans Blown Out By Colorado," The sad note is those were kind headlines compared to what happened last night.

The Americans were out worked, out hustled, out hit, out played and obviously out scored in a game that you would never expect from a three time champion. Losing at home can happen, but to be embarrassed the way Allen was last night and just let it happen is not acceptable.

How bad was the 8-1 loss? It was the worst defeat in Allen Americans history. That is right, WORST DEFEAT EVER, in the seven year history of the team, both home and away. Until last night the Americans had never lost a game either at home or on the road by more than five goals.

No need to go into a statistical analysis with a result like last night but let it suffice that Allen was beaten in every phase of the game. Colorado scored the first goal of the game late in the first period which has been a great predictor of who will win the game. The Eagles proceeded to score the next six goals to take a 7-0 lead on the way to the 8-1 win. Colorado out shot Allen (42-30), were 2-5 on the power play and 0-6 on the penalty kill.

DID YOU KNOW: Decided to put this here rather than the end because the blog is so long today.  Here are the  worst defeats in Allen Americans history in chronological order:
8-1: Colorado - 11/14/2015 (home)
6-1: Fort Worth - 2/23/2013 (away)
5-0: Laredo - 2/25/2012 (away)
11-6: Colorado - 1/1/2011 (home)
5-0: Tulsa - 12/18/2010 (home)
6-1: Laredo - 3/4/2010 (away)
6-1: Rapid City - 1/15/2010 (home)



STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS

- I have said many times, if you are a season ticket holder, attending the post game Q & A with coach Martinson is a must. There is almost always a summary of Martinson's comments in the blog but you miss a lot if you are not in the room to hear his comments first hand. Last night was a perfect example of you really had to be there.

- Driving home after listening to what coach Martinson had to say after the game made me regret not saying out loud what I was thinking while sitting in stunned silence at the Q &A session. Guess I was numb after witnessing the worst Allen Americans game in history. First was the fact coach Martinson was willing to come and talk to the media and season ticket holders, which would not have happened elsewhere. Good or bad, Steve Martinson always shows up. He never blows off the group because it was a bad night and he never sends a surrogate after a bad game. He comes and says what is on his mind and takes questions from the fans.

- My second thought was if everyone connected with the Allen Americans organization from ownership, to the front office staff, to the on ice staff, to the players, were as passionate about doing things right, working hard and hated to lose as much as Martinson this team would never have games like last night.

- In deference to coach Martinson, who was obviously upset and embarrassed about how the team performed, I have decided it is best to not include any specific quotes today. My suggestion is to be sure to attend the post game Q & A after the game today.

OTHER COMMENTS

- It is always nice when you get beat at home if you don't have to wait long to do something about it. If that is the case, Allen is very lucky in they get a second crack at the Colorado Eagles in less than 19 hours after the end of the 8-1 debacle last night.  It is a 4:05 start time this afternoon.

- In the strange stat category and almost hard to believe, defensemen Rick Pinkston was a +1 in the game. If your team loses 8-1 and you end up with a plus that is noteworthy.

- The Allen Ice Angels had their calendar release party after the game which helped brighten the mood for those in attendance. Congrats to everyone involved the in making of the calendar. About all you can say is WOW!

- Wendy Ellis, who is a big Allen Americans fan/supporter and works for the company (MGHerring Group) that manages the The Village at Allen (TVAA) and The Village at Fairview (TVAF), asked me to share with everyone they are having their holiday kickoff event next Saturday, November 21st from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm at the Allen Event Center.  The third annual Candy Canes For Kids featuring Josh Wilson, is the official start of the Holiday Season at The Village at Allen & The Village at Fairview! It’s a day full of fun that makes a difference in our community! There will be activities all day that will be fun but also raise money for the Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County (CACCC). The activities include:

Peppermint Stick Tree Build: Purchase peppermint sticks for 2 for $1. Then write your name, the name of a loved one, or your Holiday wish on the sticks and help us use them to build the trees. All proceeds benefit CACCC and the completed trees will remain on display at TVAA & TVAF through the Holiday Season.

 

Toy Drive: We’ll be collecting toys to benefit children served by CACCC all day at the event and at the Allen Americans Hockey Game. Children 12 and under that bring a toy valued at $10 or more will receive a special thank you gift while supplies last.

 

KLTY Live Broadcast & Cash Cube: Come meet Heather and Hudson from KLTY as they broadcast LIVE from 10:00 am - 7:00 pm. There will be more than $7,000 in prizes up for grabs in the Cash Cube including Allen Americans tickets, Disney On Ice tickets, Disney Live tickets, gift cards and more! - FREE

 

Free Entertainment: Enjoy FREE live entertainment all day including a FREE concert by Josh Wilson! For complete details go to http://thevillageshopping.com/events/Candy_Canes_For_Kids

 

Children’s Activities: Enjoy face painting, balloon artists, bounce houses, a petting zoo from Cathy's Critters,  crafts and more. Tickets are just 5 for $5 and all proceeds benefit CACCC.

 

Special Celebrity Appearances: Meet Carly Patterson, Miss Texas, Allen Americans Players & Ice Angels, and more. The Big Guy will make his first appearance at TVAA & TVAF at the event. - FREE

 

Allen Americans Hockey: Join us for the Allen Americans game at 7:05pm and enjoy more from Josh Wilson (meet and greet, National Anthem, puck drop and a special intermission performance) as well as The Big Guy, a special red, white and blue Peppermint Stick Tree Build, special in-game surprises and a game-worn jersey auction. All proceeds benefit the Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County. There will be 500 FREE* Allen Americans tickets available beginning at 2:00 pm, so come early for Josh Wilson and stay for the game! 

 

The Josh Wilson concert is FREE*, but we ask everyone to bring a new unwrapped toy or to make a donation to CACCC at the event.  There will be 500 FREE Allen Americans tickets available at the event on a first come first served basis.

 

Wendy tells me they are trying to raise $20,000+ for Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County  and the post game jersey auction will be a big part of that effort. One thing that is different about this jersey auction is that The Village At Allen & The Village At Fairview underwrote the cost of the jerseys, so 100% of the proceeds will benefit Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County - in fact folks will pay CACCC directly when they get the winning bid on a jersey.

Specialty Jersey to be auctioned on Saturday

 

 

 

- Finally, wanted to let everyone know I am taking my blog proofreader (no, not you John Weithman) on an all expense paid trip to South America, where we will be spending a few days in the cities of Quito, Ecuador and Lima, Peru but the majority of the next month will be spent at remote camps on the Amazon River in Ecuador and aboard a small ship on the Peruvian part of the Amazon. We will also be visiting the Galapagos Islands aboard a small ship (eight cabins) and take in one of natures most unique places. A group of islands that are geographically so remote they have never been connected to the continents. It is where three major ocean currents intersect which makes for nutrient rich (cold) and coral sustaining (warm) water environments where you see plants, marine life  and wildlife that exist no where else on earth. By the way that proofreader is my lovely wife, Nancy.

 

Our Galapagos Small Ship Home

- While we are in South America, Mary Betz and Ted Hosterman have once again graciously agreed to write the blog, so starting tomorrow they will be publishing the latest and greatest about the Allen Americans. Ted & Mary have some great interviews already in the works and they will be doing game previews and post game recaps so the blog won't miss a beat while I am gone. Thanks to Ted and Mary for taking on this task which requires a big time commitment.

Allen Battles Tulsa On Military Night & Wins 3-2 , Game Recap, Plus Allen vs Colorado Game Preview

Coach Steve Martinson is not fond of using war metaphors to describe hockey games as he correctly points out, in war you are literally trying to kill your enemy. However, the Allen Americans hard fought 3-2 victory over the Tulsa Oilers before an announced crowd of 5750 at the BOK Center took place on Military Night with the Oilers wearing camouflage jerseys, so hopefully coach is okay with this military style description of the game. After all, we just celebrated Veterans Day. Describing the game as a battle would be an understatement as there were six fighting majors called along with two lesser skirmishes where the players were given double minors for roughing.

It was a combative contest from the get go and Allen got the tactical advantage by scoring the first goal of the game on a great play by Vincent Arseneau, who was playing in his first game for the Americans after being reassigned by San Jose. Here is how the Tulsa Oilers described the play in their press release, "Arseneau showed a combination of muscle and hustle to create the first goal of the game. He blocked a shot from an Oiler defenseman, and looked to be off to the races before stumbling in the Tulsa zone. The 23 year old winger somehow recovered his balance and the puck before dropping a pass to David Makowski who smacked a shot through goalie Kevin Carr for a 1-0 Americans' lead."

Scoring the first goal was huge as the Americans have not lost all season when scoring the first goal of the game. They are now 8-0 when scoring first.

Allen took what appeared to be a commanding 2-0 lead midway through the second period on a patented cross ice pass through the slot from Chad Costello to Casey Pierro-Zabotel who buried the puck for his fifth goal of the season. Tulsa had scored just three goals in their last three games so the 2-0 lead looked safe but the Americans soon came under attack.

The Americans spent a lot of time in retreat the last half of the game as Tulsa made a frontal assault with puck possession and a barrage of shots. The Oilers outshot Allen 23-12 in the final two periods and in the third period, Allen managed only three shots on goal. When Tulsa tied the score 2-2 with less than five minutes left in the game, it looked like Allen was going to be overrun. However, the Americans managed to mount a counter attack led by two of their young guns. Just 48 seconds after Tulsa had tied the score, J.P. LaFontaine made a great cross ice pass from the right boards to Eric Roy who was streaking down the left side from the point. Roy fired a cannon past the goalie for the game winner.

It was the fourth straight win for the Americans who have now won eight of nine games after starting the season 1-2. No rest for the weary as the team boarded "Big Red" right after the game to head back to Allen where they will take on the Colorado Eagles tonight (Saturday) at 7:05. The Eagles flew to DFW yesterday afternoon and will be the more rested team when they take on the Americans tonight.

- Steve Martinson had this to say about the game, "We started out strong in the game but gradually increased our turnovers. We have too many guys that want to make cute plays. It looked like a contest to see who could make the hardest play by both the forwards and the defense. We have to get back to battling and get pucks in deep."

OTHER COMMENTS

- Eric Roy has quickly established himself as one of the top rookies in the ECHL. His five goals, including one in each of his last four games, is tied for the team lead and he is also tied for the most goals by a defensemen in the league. His plus/minus of +9 leads the Americans and is second among all defensemen in the league. His two game winning goals is tied with teammate David Makowski for the most by a defensemen in the entire ECHL.

- Chad Costello had an assist to keep his scoring streak alive. Chad has scored in the last eight games and has a total of 13 points (3 goals 10 assists) in those eight games.  Chad is now tied for the league lead in assists (10) and is tied for third in points (14).

- Joel Rumpel had another excellent night in goal for Allen and continues to lead all ECHL goalies in wins (9). Joel has given up two or fewer goals in 10 of his 11 starts.

- The Allen penalty kill did not allow a goal last night and hasn't given up a power play goal for seven straight games. Not sure what the Americans all time record is for consecutive games without allowing a power play goal but my guess is this is the record. The Americans have only allowed two power play goals all year (2-43), one on opening night against Quad City and one in game five against Utah. The penalty kill percentage is now at 95.3%. The best penalty kill in the ECHL last season for a full 72 games was South Carolina at 87.7%.

- The Missouri Mavericks continued their excellent play last night in Wichita beating the Thunder 7-2 to maintain their one point lead over Allen in the Central Division standings which now look like this:
19 points: Missouri (12 games)
18 points: Allen (12 games)
10 points: Wichita (13 games)
9 points: Tulsa (11 games)

- Tonight is the Allen Ice Angels calendar release party which takes place at Kelly's right after the game. Seems like more excitement than ever as the Ice Angels have outdone themselves again.

- Greger Hanson & Daniel Doremus played for San Jose (AHL) last night as the Barracuda defeated San Diego in a shootout by a score of 4-3. Greger and Daniel did not figure in the scoring but they each had one shot in the game. The two teams play again tonight.

- It was a pretty good night all around for the Americans and their San Jose affiliates:
NHL: San Jose Sharks 3 - Detroit Red Wings 2
AHL: San Jose Barracuda 4 (SO) - San Diego Gulls 3
ECHL: Allen Americans 3 - Tulsa Oilers 2


ALLEN VS COLORADO GAME PREVIEW

- Allen will play Colorado seven times this season (4 home 3 away) which is the most they play any team outside their own division. In their only meeting thus far (October 21st), Allen won in Colorado 3-1 scoring three goals in the third period after trailing 1-0.

- Here is a match up between Allen and Colorado:

                                     ALLEN                               COLORADO

Team Record               9-3-0-0 (18 points)               3-7-1-0 (7 points)
Division Ranking         2nd - Central                        5th -West
Conference Ranking   2nd - Western                      13th - Western
League Ranking         4th                                         27th
Home Record             3-1                                         3-3-1-0
Road Record              6-2                                         0-4
Last Game                  3-2 W (Tulsa)                        4-2 L (Utah)
Goals For                    41                                          24
Goals Against             26                                          31
Power Play                 14.0% (7/50)                         25.7% (9/35)
Penalty Kill                  95.3% (2/43)                         89.5% (4/38)
Most PIM's                  Makowski (21)                      Bootland (44)
Leading Scorer           Costello  (4-10-14)                Daavettila (2-6-8)


-  Here is how Allen and Colorado rank in the ECHL in some statistical categories:

Penalty Minutes Per Game: Allen 17th (14.08) - Colorado 3rd (17.82)
Goals Scored Per Game: Allen 7th (3.42) - Colorado 25th (2.18)
Goals Allowed per Game: Allen 5th (2.17) - Colorado 13th (2.82)
Power Play Percentage: Allen 18th (14.0%) - Colorado 4th (25.7%)
Penalty Kill Percentage; Allen 1st (95.3%) - Colorado 4th (89.5%)

- If you just look at their records, Allen has a big advantage in the two upcoming games against Colorado. Colorado has only won three games all season and is 0-4 on the road. However they have been playing better recently having won two of their last three games.

- Special teams stats may actually favor Colorado in this two game series. While the Americans have the best penalty kill in the league, Colorado is not far behind and is ranked #4. On the power play, Colorado is ranked #4 (25.7%) while Allen is #18 (14.0%). Tonight will be a real challenge for the Allen special teams.

- Darryl Bootland is one of the most popular players to ever play in Allen and he is the ultimate showman. With all of the excitement of having the guy they call "Booter" back at the AEC you can expect he won't disappoint the Allen fans. By the way, when these teams played in Colorado, Dyson Stevenson and Bootland had a fight.

- Officials scheduled for the game tonight are referee Stephen Thomson (#27) and linesmen Alex Black (#63) and Rick Rivera (#59).


DID YOU KNOW: How good is the Allen penalty kill this season? It is impossible to maintain the current torrid pace for the entire season but here is how the penalty kill stacks up to prior seasons:
2015-16:  95.3%
2014-15:  86.3%
2013-14:  82.1%
2012-13:  85.7%
2011-12:  83.5%
2010-11:  82.8%
2009-10:  83.4%  

Allen vs Tulsa Game Preview, Aaron Gens Puts a Ring On It & A Little Oiler History

 The Allen Americans start a four games in five days stretch tonight as they travel to Tulsa to take on the Oilers for their fourth of fifteen meetings this season. The team will leave around 1:00 pm for the 230 mile bus trip to Tulsa. The line up will have a different look as the big news yesterday was Greger Hanson and Daniel Doremus getting the call from San Jose that they will join the Barracuda. In return, Gary Steffes and Vincent Arseneau have been sent to Allen.

- Tulsa is in last place in the Central Division with just four wins in 10 games but two of those four victories have been against the Allen Americans. Allen only has three losses all season but two of those losses have come at the hands of the Oilers. The home team has won the three previous meetings between these teams. The Americans won at home 4-2 on October 17th and the next day Tulsa won at home by a score of 3-1. Since the October 18th loss in Tulsa, the Americans have won seven of eight games with the only blemish another 3-1 loss in Tulsa on November 3rd.

- The combined stats from the first three meetings between Allen & Tulsa shows two pretty evenly matched teams. Tulsa has the edge in goals (Tulsa 8, Allen 6) and shots (Tulsa 78, Allen 75), penalty minutes are almost identical (Allen 38 minutes, Tulsa 41 minutes) and the power play has been close (Allen 1-12 & Tulsa 0-12). The key to victory tonight maybe how these teams have progressed since they played 10 days ago. Allen has played three times, won all three games and scored 16 goals. Tulsa has played three times, lost all three games and has scored just three goals.

- Here is a match up between Allen and Tulsa:

                                     ALLEN                                TULSA

Team Record               8-3-0-0 (15 points)               4-5-0-1 (9 points)
Division Ranking         2nd - Central                        4th - Central
Conference Ranking   2nd - Western                       10th - Western
League Ranking         4th                                         19th
Last Game                  5-2 W (Wichita)                     2-1 L (Wichita)
Goals For                    38                                         21
Goals Against             24                                          24
Power Play                 14.3% (7/49)                         11.1% (4/36)
Penalty Kill                  95.1% (2/41)                         84.4% (7/45)
Leading Scorer           Costello  (4-9-13)                  Pleskach (0-7-7)


-  Here is how Allen and Tulsa rank in the ECHL in some statistical categories:

Penalty Minutes Per Game: Allen 21st (13.27) - Tulsa 12th (15.60)
Goals Scored Per Game: Allen 5th (3.45) - Tulsa 26th (2.10)
Goals Allowed per Game: Allen 5th (2.18) - Tulsa 7th (2.40)
Power Play Percentage: Allen 18th (14.3%) - Tulsa 23rd (11.1%)
Penalty Kill Percentage; Allen 1st (95.1%) - Tulsa 14th (84.4%)

- Six different players (Courtnall, King, Makowski, Steffes, Costello, Baker) scored the six goals for Allen in the first three games against Tulsa, but if you are looking for who might be the hero tonight, watch Gary Steffes and Chad Costello who always seem to play well against their former team.

- This is another case where getting off to a good start is essential. Both teams have not lost when scoring first, combining for a prefect 11-0. Allen is 7-0 and Tulsa is 4-0.

- Looking at home and road special teams stats gives a different picture than overall stats especially for Tulsa. The Oilers power play percentage overall is 11.1% but at home it is 28.6%. The Tulsa penalty kill is 84.4% overall but at home is 93.8%. Allen's power play overall is 14.3% but on the road it is 15.4%. Their penalty kill is 95.1% overall and 95.2% on the road. 

- Officials scheduled for the game are referee Andy Howard (#2) and linesmen Erik Contino (#92) and Chip Excell (#42).

- Ian Schultz and Mike DiPaolo have been cleared by the doctor so they are available to coach Martinson. DiPaolo is wearing a cage. Just because they have been cleared doesn't mean they will be in the line up. DiPaolo just got back on the ice while Schultz has been practicing for a couple of weeks so more likely you will see Schultz play tonight.


OTHER COMMENTS
 
- Missouri plays at Wichita tonight so an Allen victory and a Missouri regulation loss would vault the Americans into first place in the Central Division and Western Conference. However, being that Allen is 0-2 in Tulsa this year, they need to worry about taking care of their business and play better against the Oilers.

- The last time the Allen Americans played four games in five days was about a year ago (November 25 -29) when they played Tulsa (A), Missouri (A), Tulsa (A) & Wichita (H). They won the three away games and lost game four at home. 

- Nolan Descoteaux, who was released by Rapid City on Tuesday, has been signed by the Atlanta Gladiators.

- The four Central Division teams (Allen, Missouri, Tulsa, Wichita) have not played any games against teams outside the Western Conference. The Central Division is 4-4 against the Midwest Division (Allen is 0-1) and 9-3 against the West Division (Allen is 5-0).

Aaron & Kellie got engaged last night

-  It has been a big couple of days for Aaron Gens. On Wednesday his girlfriend Kellie, who has been in Phoenix for the last month going through flight attendant training,  played a big surprise on Aaron. Kellie just finished her ground training and flew back to Dallas where she will be based. The surprise was Aaron didn't know what day she would get back, so Kellie showed up unannounced, dressed in her flight attendant uniform and totally caught Aaron off guard as he was getting out of his truck to go fishing with several of his teammates. Not to be outdone, Aaron one upped Kellie last night by proposing to her at dinner with some of his teammates. Two great surprises for two people whose light shines bright. Congrats Aaron and Kellie.

DID YOU KNOW: The very first Tulsa Oilers hockey team was way back in 1928 as part of the American Hockey Association. More recently, Tulsa was one of only two teams (Wichita the other) that played in all 22 seasons of the Central Hockey League (CHL) from 1992-2014. Tulsa's one and only CHL championship came in the inaugural season in 1993.