Friday, November 30, 2018
Allen vs Wichita Preview, Roster Update, Penner Not Signed - The Details, Free Suite Tickets and More
It is game day in Allen as the Americans take on the Wichita Thunder in the first of two games this weekend. Allen got some good news on the roster front as Braylon Shmyr, Dante Salituro and Johnny McIinnis have all been cleared to play and were full participants in practice yesterday. With seven defensemen and 11 forwards available tonight coach Martinson will have healthy scratches for the first time in weeks.
- One player that won't be in the lineup tonight or tomorrow night is Alex Penner. My reporting indicates Allen did have a signed contract with Penner and there were plans for him to be in Allen and play this weekend. However, the contract was not registered with the league office. My understanding is the ECHL office put both teams on notice that actions the league felt would be detrimental to the ECHL in the games this weekend would lead to fines and suspensions. Allen's management made the decision not to submit the Penner contract.
- With warnings from the league office in place it remains to be seen how the game tonight unfolds. Could the game be even less physical than the typical Allen vs Wichita game? Will everyone be on their best behavior or will the bad feelings between these teams boil over once the emotions of the game take over.
- One thing for sure is the Americans will have more speed and skill in the lineup with Shmyr and Salituro playing. It will be the first time since November 11 (seven games ago) they have both been in the lineup.
- There are lots of reasons for the Americans to play well in the game tonight being they are playing their biggest rival. Wichita embarrassed Allen in the Americans home opener 4-1. However, nothing should be more motivating than trying to win a game in front of the home crowd. With a home record of 0-6 the Americans have been the only team in the ECHL without a home win for weeks. In the Mountain Division every team has at least four home wins while the Americans sit at zero.
- The game tonight has been much anticipated ever since the home opener loss to Wichita back on October 20. I am sure nobody anticipated these teams would be the two worst teams in the division with long odds to make the playoffs after that home opener loss in October. Here are the facts. Wichita is in sixth place in the division with a record of 6-8-3-1 and 16 points. Wichita is five points out of a playoff spot. Allen is in seventh place with a record of 4-14-0-2 and 10 points. The Americans are 11 points out of a playoff position.
- Wichita is 3-6-0-1 over their last 10 games, Allen is 1-8-0-1. The Americans have lost their last four games while the Thunder won their last game beating Kansas City 5-2 on Tuesday.
- The game tonight will be the fifth of 13 between Allen and Wichita this season. It seems like a long time ago but in their first meeting this season on October 13 in Wichita the Americans shutout the Thunder 4-0 with C.J. Motte making 34 saves. Allen's record against Wichita this season is 1-1-0-2 so they have actually played the Thunder close when you consider four of Allen's 10 points after 20 games played this season have come against Wichita.
- The head to head cumulative stats over the four games these teams have played show Wichita with a slight 15-14 edge in goals and 162-145 edge in shots. Allen leads in penalties (39-37) and penalty minutes (110-105).
- As always and especially when Allen and Wichita play, special teams are a key and in this area Wichita has a distinct advantage. Allen's power play percentage at home is 10.3% (3-29) compared to Wichita's road power play percentage of 23.1% (6-26). The penalty kills are almost identical with Allen at 80.6% at home and Wichita 80.0% on the road. It will be important for the Americans to stay out of the penalty box unless they take a Wichita player with them.
- Better team defense will be a key to the game but scoring five-on-five will be just as important. The Americans have only nine goals in their last seven games averaging just 1.29 goals per game. Doesn't matter how good the defense is you can't win very often scoring one or two goals per game. With Shmyr and Salituro expected back in the lineup it should give the offense a big boost.
- I would assume Kyle Hayton will get the start in goal based on his play in Tulsa on Tuesday when he stopped 33 of 36 shots for a save percentage of .912. It was only his second start of the season and he met the team in Tulsa so he will be more acclimated to the team in this start.
- Scoring first and an overall good start will be key as the Americans try and break their home winless streak. Allen hasn't been all that good when scoring first (4-3-0-1) but they are still to win a game when their opponent scores first (0-11-0-1).
- The referee scheduled tonight is Stan Szczurek (#15). The linesmen will be Micheal Miggans (#47) and Aaron Schacht (#31).
OTHER COMMENTS
- There are 11 games scheduled around the ECHL tonight including Tulsa at Kansas City and Utah at Rapid City. Here is the ECHL today with a short preview of all 11 games. https://www.echl.com/en/news/2018/11/echl-today-nov-30
- Would you like free suite tickets for the Allen Americans game on Tuesday. It is against Rapid City and remember it is a day game that starts at 10:35 am. If you are interested give suite owner Ralph Roath a call at 940-442-2560. A great opportunity to see the game from above in the luxury of a suite.
DID YOU KNOW: Allen has always played tough against the Wichita Thunder but the Americans dominance has certainly waned the last two seasons. Here are Allen's records against Wichita:
1-1-0-2: Head to head in 2018-19
6-6-0-0: Head to head in 2017-18
40-11-4-5: Last five year record against Wichita
19-6-3-1: Allen vs Wichita last five years in Allen
21-5-1-4: Allen vs Wichita last five years in Wichita
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Injury Woes Continue, Atkinson and Frazee to IR, Wichita Weekend, Major Penalty Stats, Attendance Ups & Downs, Ice Angel Calendar Release & Free Suite Tickets
- Two more injuries have impacted the Allen Americans roster. Thomas Frazee (effective 11/28) and Josh Atkinson (effective 11/25) were both place on the 14 day (minimum) injured reserve (IR) yesterday. These moves are not surprising as both players have been playing with injuries for some time. The injuries will not get better without taking the time to get them fixed.
- Atkinson's move to IR can be dealt with because there still seven healthy defensemen. Forwards are another story with six out of the lineup with injuries. Braylon Shmyr, Dante Salituro and Johnny McInnis are all expected to practice today and are listed as day to day so hopefully one or more will be cleared to play tomorrow (Friday) night.
- There has certainly been a lot of chatter on social media about the upcoming games against Wichita. Everyone is an expert in their own opinions and many have been more than willing to share those opinions so thought I would add my opinion to the mix. I talk to coach Martinson most every day and his focus since the loss in Tulsa on Tuesday night has been how to prepare his team to get four points this weekend. He has added toughness to the team (Garrett Clarke & Jake Doty) recently because it was needed and not many people disagree with the notion the Americans lacked the toughness that made them successful in the past. As to the rumor Allen will sign Alex Penner before Friday, I think all of the chatter is driven more by the player's name, Alex Penner, not that he is a tough guy. Adding toughness to play a specific team is something I have seen happen many times in the last 10 years. I have seen teams sign guys off the street, call up tough guys from the SPHL and activate tough guys who sit out most of the time when they play a tough team. If coach Martinson signed a unknown tough guy from the SPHL today for the games this weekend because Allen is shorthanded nothing would have been said. Finally, my opinion based on observing these types of situations many times in the past is they usually don't live up to the pregame hype. Problems usually happen when you least expect it and when you are sure there will be problems it usually doesn't pan out that way. Sure there will be a fight or two as is always the case with Wichita but I would be surprised if things get out of hand like they did back on October 20 at the home opener against the Thunder.
- Allen leads the ECHL in minor penalties (117). However, when it comes to major penalties the Americans are way down the list so the claims of Allen being a team that takes a lot of major penalties is not founded in fact. Here are the top teams in major penalties.
27 - Rapid City
20 - Idaho
16 - Wichita
16 - Fort Wayne
16 - Cincinnati
16 - Utah
15 - Jacksonville
14 - Greenville
13 - Kalamazoo
13 - Orlando
12 - Indy
12 - Worcester
11 - Florida
10 - Reading
10 - Atlanta
10 - Allen
- Which ECHL teams fight the most? Here is the complete list courtesy of the website dropyourgloves.com, from most fights to fewest fights:
29 - Rapid City
24 - Idaho
20 - Utah
17 - Fort Wayne
17 - Greenville
17 - Kalamazoo
16 - Cincinnati
15 - Wichita
14 - Jacksonville
14 - Indy
13 - Florida
13 - Atlanta
12 - Worcester
11 - Reading
11 - Toledo
11 - Reading
10 - Orlando
10 - Adirondack
9 - Norfolk
9 - Kansas City
8 - Allen
7 - Manchester
7 - Maine
6 - Newfoundland
6 - Tulsa
4 - Brampton
4 - South Carolina
- Here is a story written by Justin Cohn from The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne about fighting in hockey. Justin writes about why fighting has become less frequent in the NHL and AHL but not in the ECHL. A good read: http://journalgazette.net/sports/professional/komets/20181122/echl-is-not-about-to-scrap-scrapping
- Maybe the biggest fight of the weekend will be to see who gets in line first at Killarney's Live Irish Pub on Saturday after the game for the Allen Ice Angels calendar release event. Ice Angels director, Stephanie Di Biase-Wheat never disappoints. Here is the photo Stephanie posted inviting everyone to the event:
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| Allen Ice Angels |
- ECHL attendance just passed one million for the season and is down slightly from last season which is not unexpected as average attendance increases as the season progresses. Here are the changes in the average for the 25 ECHL teams that were in the league last season and this season (Newfoundland & Maine are first year teams). The numbers show average per game increase or decrease in attendance from the full season last year to the current average attendance this season:
+800 - Norfolk
+792 - Wichita
+400 - Fort Wayne
+262 - Worcester
+250 - Orlando
+214 - South Carolina
+203 - Wheeling
+165 - Kalamazoo
+79 - Adirondack
-13 - Florida
-35 - Allen
-47 - Toledo
-87 - Atlanta
-115 - Greenville
-188 - Cincinnati
-314 - Kansas City
-327 - Indy
-338 - Jacksonville
-463 - Brampton
-478 - Manchester
-520 - Idaho
-601 - Reading
-690 - Rapid City
-692 - Utah
-844 - Tulsa
FREE SUITE TICKETS
Would you like free suite tickets for the Allen Americans game on Tuesday. It is against Rapid City and remember it is a day game that starts at 10:35 am. If you are interested give suite owner Ralph Roath a call at 940-442-2560. A great opportunity to see the game from above in the luxury of a suite.
- Finally, I wanted to end today with something I saw this morning from a friend on Facebook. With all that is happening with the Americans and the world this made smile. It's not new and has nothing to do with hockey but if you are someone of my generation it might put a smile on your face:
To my children:
Never make fun of having to
help me with computer stuff.
I taught you how to use a spoon.
DID YOU KNOW: Here are the number of fights for the Allen Americans for each season since joining the ECHL. The number in parentheses is how the Americans ranked that season:
2018-19: 8 fights (ranked #21)
2017-18: 64 fights (ranked #5)
2016-17: 85 fights (ranked #1)
2015-16: 71 fights (ranked #2)
2014-15: 79 fights (ranked #7)
Here are the players with the most fights each season
2018-19: Jake Doty, Josh Thrower, Zach Pochiro - 2 fights
2017-18: Mike Gunn - 11 fights
2016-17: Derek Mathers - 30 fights
2015-16: Dyson Stevenson - 16 fights
2014-15: Garrett Clarke - 16 fights
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Allen Loses 3-2, Game Recap, Martinson's Comments, Why the Wichita Series This Weekend is So Important, Virginia Tech's Hockey Helmet Research & Ratings
The Allen Americans lost to the Tulsa Oilers 3-2 last night before a crowd of 4135 at the BOK Center. Allen used a familiar recipe to lose for the 12th time in their last 13 games. They gave up the first goal, were out shot (36-25), lost on special teams (Allen 0-3, Tulsa 1-4 on the power play), couldn't score more than two goals and played poorly defensively. Certainly not a formula for success. Even in their lone victory in the last 13 games (2-0 over Tulsa) the Americans only managed two goals and were out shot 43-23.
- There is no doubt Allen is playing shorthanded especially at forward and there are some key players out of the lineup. When Braylon Shmyr, Dante Salituro, Kevin Sundher, Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Johnny McInnis and Josh Atkinson are missing from the lineup it has to hurt. However, Tulsa was also missing some key players. Here is a quote from the Tulsa World game recap (see below). Coach Rob Murray said, "We are shorthanded right now. If you look at our lineup two weeks ago, there are seven guys that would have been in the lineup, that would have been here. But the rest of these guys are stepping up and getting the job done."
- Despite the loss, Allen was able to keep the score close. After Tulsa scored first and took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission Allen came back to tie the score early in the second period when Alexandre Ranger, a former Oiler got his second goal as an American. Three minutes after the Ranger goal the Oilers scored again taking a 2-1 lead. Allen came back again as Adam Miller scored his second goal as an American but Tulsa took the lead again to take a 3-2 lead into the second intermission. Allen made a big effort in the third period out shooting the Oilers 12-10 but could not get the equalizer. The Americans had two power plays early in the third period but could not cash in.
-Here is the game recap from the Tulsa World: https://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/oilers/
STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS
- It was another frustrating night. We weren't very smart on either of the first two goals.
- On Tulsa's first goal we had a turnover that led to a 4-on-3 rush and the puck in the back of our net.
- The second goal was just soft defending and not getting back quick enough. Both defensemen laid their sticks down hoping rather than defending.
- I thought our lineup looked slower than at practice yesterday.
- Our lineup was certainly good enough to win the game but we didn't out play Tulsa or out smart them.
- We will get some much needed speed back in the lineup for this weekend which will help.
- It is time to prove we can win.
OTHER COMMENTS
- The team headed home right after the game last night and will now prepare for two home games against Wichita on Friday and Saturday. These games will be critical for several reasons. The most important is the Americans need to win. The season is 28% complete and the Americans have still not won a home game (0-6). Allen is quickly losing touch with the rest of the division in the standings. Wichita beat Kansas City 5-2 last night so the Americans are now in last place by six points. If they lose these two home games this weekend they will be 10 points back of Wichita and may never escape the cellar let alone make the playoffs. As of this morning Allen is 11 points out of a playoff spot and 18 points behind first place Tulsa.
- The other reason the two games against Wichita this weekend are so important is because of what happened in the first game these teams played this season back on October 20. The Thunder dominated the Americans on the scoreboard (4-1) and physically. The game ended with 112 penalty minutes and 10 fighting majors. There is a long history between these teams and Allen was missing some toughness the first times these teams met. With the recent signing of Jake Doty and Garrett Clarke and Alex Penner putting out information on social media he will be in Allen this weekend, the Americans will not be short on toughness this weekend. Allen will have more skill in the lineup with some injured players returning and more toughness. It should be quite a two game series. My advice is try and find a way to attend both games against Wichita this weekend. It could be as good as it gets for two teams fighting it out for last place in the Mountain Division.
- The ECHL brass must think the games this weekend will be enjoyable games to watch. I heard Joe Ernst, Senior Vice President of Hockey Operation, plans to attend. Joe is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations of the League's Hockey Operation Department and Officiating Department. Ernst has worked for the ECHL for 28 seasons. He also is in charge of player supplemental discipline. With 11 ECHL games on tap Friday night I guess Joe thought the most entertaining would be in Allen.
- Allen continues to make stars of their opponents. Utah swept the weekly awards this week based on their games with Allen. Joe Cannata was selected as ECHL Goalie of the Week yesterday based on his two shutouts (4-0 & 5-0) against Allen. Utah's Matt Berry was selected as the ECHL Player of the Week based on his four goals, five assists and a plus/minus of +8 in three games against Allen. Berry joins Dyson Stevenson (Wichita) and Grant Besse (South Carolina) who won Player of the Week honors after playing Allen. The Player of the Week has been given seven times so far this season and the Americans can take credit for three of them. Not good!
- Injuries have clearly had more of an impact on the 2018-19 Allen Americans team than in seasons past and concussions have led the list of injuries. I was doing some research on hockey helmet technology and came across the article below. Turns out Virginia Tech's biomedical engineering department has been doing helmet research since 2003 when they equipped every football player's helmet with six accelerometers which measured how many times, how hard and what direction the player was hit. Over an eight year period they gathered over 1,000,000 pieces of data. From this data they created a model for assessing helmet safety. In 2011 Virginia Tech started providing unbiased helmet ratings based on a five star rating system they developed based on over 10 years of research. They now have ratings for football, hockey, soccer and bicycle helmets/headgear and plan to add youth football, baseball and softball helmets ratings soon. Here is a story about hockey helmets that is about a year old when they awarded their first five star rating for a hockey helmet. https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2017/12/ictas-fivestarhockey.html
- Here is the Virginia Tech's helmet ratings page which is kept current and contains star ratings for 48 hockey helmets, 18 varsity football helmets, 30 bike helmets, and 22 soccer headgears. If you participate in any of these activities or have children/gandchildren that do, this is great information to have: https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/
DID YOU KNOW: 28% of the season is now in the books with 20 games played. Here is Allen's record after 20 games over the last four years with points in parentheses. Another view of how big a hole the Americans have dug for themselves this season.
2018-19: 4-14-0-2 (10 points)
2017-18: 11-6-2-1 (25 points)
2016-17: 9-11-0-0 (18 points
2015-16: 12-8-0-0 (24 points)
Monday, November 26, 2018
Practice Update, Roster Update, Allen vs Tulsa Preview, Allen Trades for Goalie Kyle Hayton and the Return of Weapon X aka Alex Penner to Allen
I am going striper fishing at Lake Texoma this morning (leaving at 4:00 am) and yes I know it will be below freezing but the fish are biting. That's the reason for such an early posting of the blog.
You never know what to expected from day to day at the Allen Americans practice session and yesterday was no exception. It was good to see Garrett Clarke on the ice and he looked good even though he hasn't skated for a week. Also practicing for the first time since being injured were Dante Salituro and Johnny McInnis. Not at practice were Braylon Shmyr who missed the last two games in Utah and Josh Atkinson who has been playing with an injury for awhile.
- The team leaves around 1:00 pm this afternoon for their trip to Tulsa to take on the Oilers at 7:05 pm. There are so many players that are day to day it won't be known until the team gets on the bus who is making the trip. The transactions from yesterday show Braylon Shmyr and Josh Atkinson being placed on reserve and Dante Salituro was placed on injured reserve effective November 12. It looks like they will be staying home even though players on reserve can change daily. One player definitely not making the trip will be Zach Pochiro, who will be serving his one game suspension for shooting the puck into the crowd in Utah on Saturday night. Garrett Clarke will be making his first start for Allen since returning from Europe.
- In the biggest move of the day coach Martinson acquired goalie Kyle Hayton from Fort Wayne to complete the transaction that sent J.C.Campagna to the Komets on October 15. Hayton is a rookie who was not playing in Fort Wayne. He played for three season at St. Lawrence University with save percentages of .937, .935 and .929. Hayton graduated from St. Lawrence with a degree in both Business and Economics and had a year of eligibility remaining so he signed on at the University of Wisconsin to pursue a graduate degree and play hockey. In 2016-17 Kyle was the ECAC (Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference) Goaltender of the Year and was a semifinalist for the Mike Richter award as the NCAA's most outstanding goaltender. Hayton is meeting the team in Tulsa and I would expect he will get the start against the Oilers.
- The game tonight will be the fourth of 13 times Allen and Tulsa play this season. Allen's only win in the last month came in a 2-0 victory in Tulsa on November 17 even though the Oilers outshot the Americans 43-23. C.J. Motte got the 43 save shutout and was called up to Iowa the next day.
- Allen's record of 4-13-0-2 places them last in the Mountain Division. Tulsa's record is 11-2-2-2 has them in second place.
- In the three head to head games this season the goals are close with Tulsa leading 9-8. A big discrepancy exists in shots with Tulsa out shooting Allen 136-81. Allen does have the edge on special teams going 3-9 (33.3%) on the power play compared to Tulsa's 1-13 (7.7%)
- If you look at season totals Allen does have an advantage on special teams. The Americans road power play percentage is 17.5% (10-57) while Tulsa at home is 10.2% (5-49). Allen's road penalty kill is at 84.6% (10-65) while Tulsa's home penalty kill percentage is 81.4% (8-43). Allen has a slight edge on special teams but they may not be able to use that to their advantage. Tulsa is one of the least penalized teams in the league averaging 10.53 minutes per game compared to Allen's 19.79. Tulsa has taken 67 minor penalties, the Americans have taken 113. In the three head to head games these teams have taken a total of 50 minutes in penalties.
- Other than special teams the stats heavily favor the Oilers. Tulsa is ranked #1 in average shots per game (35.88) and Allen is ranked #15 (31.68). The Oilers score an average of 3.29 goals per game, Allen just 2.47. Tulsa is ranked #5 in goals allowed (2.65) and Allen is ranked #25 allowing 3.95 goals per game.
- For Allen to come out on top they will be need to be better defensively and that includes the goalie, forwards and defensemen. The Americans also have to find a way to score. In their last five games they have scored a total of seven goals. A forward hasn't scored a goal in the last three games.
-The referee scheduled is Stephen Reneau (#17) and the linesman will be Michael Miggans (#47) and Chuck Schamel (#97).
OTHER COMMENTS
- It looks like Weapon X will be in Allen this weekend for the games against Wichita. Alex Penner posted this on social media last night. If you were not planning to attend the Allen vs Wichita game on Friday I suggest you change your plans and arrive early. When these teams met on October 20th there were 10 fighting majors. It is hard to believe but you may want to take the over if you are betting on fighting majors on Friday. With Alex Penner, Jake Doty, Garrett Clarke, Dalton Thrower, Josh Thrower and Mike Gunn the Americans will be prepared. There hasn't been anything official about Penner being signed by Allen in ECHL transactions but Penner's social media post sure suggests he is coming to Allen this weekend.
DID YOU KNOW: In the Allen Americans first season (2009-10) they played in the Southern Conference of the CHL which was comprised of seven Texas teams and the Arizona Sundogs. Tulsa was in the Northern Conference. Allen played Tulsa just three times that season, winning twice. However, the first game ever between Tulsa and Allen took place on November 3, 2009 and the Oilers shut out the Americans 4-0. It was a penalty filled game especially in the third period when the Oilers already had the 4-0 lead. The teams were a combined 0-19 on the power play (Allen 0-8, Tulsa 0-11). There were 70 penalty minutes called in the third period and three Allen players (Nathan O'Nabigon, Liam Huculak and Justin Bowers) got fighting majors.
You never know what to expected from day to day at the Allen Americans practice session and yesterday was no exception. It was good to see Garrett Clarke on the ice and he looked good even though he hasn't skated for a week. Also practicing for the first time since being injured were Dante Salituro and Johnny McInnis. Not at practice were Braylon Shmyr who missed the last two games in Utah and Josh Atkinson who has been playing with an injury for awhile.
- The team leaves around 1:00 pm this afternoon for their trip to Tulsa to take on the Oilers at 7:05 pm. There are so many players that are day to day it won't be known until the team gets on the bus who is making the trip. The transactions from yesterday show Braylon Shmyr and Josh Atkinson being placed on reserve and Dante Salituro was placed on injured reserve effective November 12. It looks like they will be staying home even though players on reserve can change daily. One player definitely not making the trip will be Zach Pochiro, who will be serving his one game suspension for shooting the puck into the crowd in Utah on Saturday night. Garrett Clarke will be making his first start for Allen since returning from Europe.
- In the biggest move of the day coach Martinson acquired goalie Kyle Hayton from Fort Wayne to complete the transaction that sent J.C.Campagna to the Komets on October 15. Hayton is a rookie who was not playing in Fort Wayne. He played for three season at St. Lawrence University with save percentages of .937, .935 and .929. Hayton graduated from St. Lawrence with a degree in both Business and Economics and had a year of eligibility remaining so he signed on at the University of Wisconsin to pursue a graduate degree and play hockey. In 2016-17 Kyle was the ECAC (Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference) Goaltender of the Year and was a semifinalist for the Mike Richter award as the NCAA's most outstanding goaltender. Hayton is meeting the team in Tulsa and I would expect he will get the start against the Oilers.
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| Kyle Hayton |
- The game tonight will be the fourth of 13 times Allen and Tulsa play this season. Allen's only win in the last month came in a 2-0 victory in Tulsa on November 17 even though the Oilers outshot the Americans 43-23. C.J. Motte got the 43 save shutout and was called up to Iowa the next day.
- Allen's record of 4-13-0-2 places them last in the Mountain Division. Tulsa's record is 11-2-2-2 has them in second place.
- In the three head to head games this season the goals are close with Tulsa leading 9-8. A big discrepancy exists in shots with Tulsa out shooting Allen 136-81. Allen does have the edge on special teams going 3-9 (33.3%) on the power play compared to Tulsa's 1-13 (7.7%)
- If you look at season totals Allen does have an advantage on special teams. The Americans road power play percentage is 17.5% (10-57) while Tulsa at home is 10.2% (5-49). Allen's road penalty kill is at 84.6% (10-65) while Tulsa's home penalty kill percentage is 81.4% (8-43). Allen has a slight edge on special teams but they may not be able to use that to their advantage. Tulsa is one of the least penalized teams in the league averaging 10.53 minutes per game compared to Allen's 19.79. Tulsa has taken 67 minor penalties, the Americans have taken 113. In the three head to head games these teams have taken a total of 50 minutes in penalties.
- Other than special teams the stats heavily favor the Oilers. Tulsa is ranked #1 in average shots per game (35.88) and Allen is ranked #15 (31.68). The Oilers score an average of 3.29 goals per game, Allen just 2.47. Tulsa is ranked #5 in goals allowed (2.65) and Allen is ranked #25 allowing 3.95 goals per game.
- For Allen to come out on top they will be need to be better defensively and that includes the goalie, forwards and defensemen. The Americans also have to find a way to score. In their last five games they have scored a total of seven goals. A forward hasn't scored a goal in the last three games.
-The referee scheduled is Stephen Reneau (#17) and the linesman will be Michael Miggans (#47) and Chuck Schamel (#97).
OTHER COMMENTS
- It looks like Weapon X will be in Allen this weekend for the games against Wichita. Alex Penner posted this on social media last night. If you were not planning to attend the Allen vs Wichita game on Friday I suggest you change your plans and arrive early. When these teams met on October 20th there were 10 fighting majors. It is hard to believe but you may want to take the over if you are betting on fighting majors on Friday. With Alex Penner, Jake Doty, Garrett Clarke, Dalton Thrower, Josh Thrower and Mike Gunn the Americans will be prepared. There hasn't been anything official about Penner being signed by Allen in ECHL transactions but Penner's social media post sure suggests he is coming to Allen this weekend.
DID YOU KNOW: In the Allen Americans first season (2009-10) they played in the Southern Conference of the CHL which was comprised of seven Texas teams and the Arizona Sundogs. Tulsa was in the Northern Conference. Allen played Tulsa just three times that season, winning twice. However, the first game ever between Tulsa and Allen took place on November 3, 2009 and the Oilers shut out the Americans 4-0. It was a penalty filled game especially in the third period when the Oilers already had the 4-0 lead. The teams were a combined 0-19 on the power play (Allen 0-8, Tulsa 0-11). There were 70 penalty minutes called in the third period and three Allen players (Nathan O'Nabigon, Liam Huculak and Justin Bowers) got fighting majors.
Where Are They Now - Chad Costello, Plus the Case for Chad Being the #1 ECHL Player of All-Time
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| L to R Camden, Chad, Ashley, Avery & Cayne Costello celebrate 2016 championship |
Today we continue with the "Where Are They Now" series as we catch up with Chad Costello and family. When I agreed to do this series for the 10th anniversary of the franchise it was the Chad Costello story I was most looking forward to write. If you recall, last August the ECHL came out with their 30 greatest players in ECHL history and Chad was selected as #9 greatest player. It was a great honor and Chad was the only player in the top ten that isn't already in the ECHL Hall of Fame but my thought was how could Costello be ranked so low given what he has accomplished. It wasn't an hour after the top ten list was revealed that I got a text message from Spencer Asuchak who had the exact same reaction as I did, "Barry, don't you think Costy should have been ranked higher? In this day and age what he accomplished will never be matched! Chad is as good as any player I have played with or against in any league. His hockey smarts are as high as they can be and not only that he is an amazing person off the ice too."
I told Spencer at some point this season I would make the case (from my perspective) why Chad Costello should be ranked as the #1 ECHL player of all time. Today is that day.
The story of Chad Costello and the Allen Americans began in the summer of 2014. Chad had played just 14 games in the 2013-14 season and his hockey future was in real doubt because of serious concussion issues he was dealing with. When Costello arrived at training camp he was on a tryout contract because it was uncertain he would be able to play symptom free. Chad got through training camp just fine, signed a contract and began a three year career in Allen that is the best three seasons in the history of the ECHL. Maybe the most amazing record and there are many is the fact that Chad went from a tryout contract because of health issues to not missing a single game regular season or playoffs for three straight seasons. That was 276 straight games and he played hurt for many of those games.
It is hard to know where to start when describing Chad Costello's impressive accomplishments with the Allen Americans. He was in Allen for three seasons, led the league in scoring each year and was selected as the ECHL MVP all three years (by the PHPA in 2015). He won two Kelly Cups, was the Kelly Cup MVP in 2016 and was a captain of the team his last two seasons.
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| Chad lifts the Kelly Cup in 2016 |
As for Allen Americans team records many of these will never be broken. Here is a list of where Chad stands in the all time and single season record book.
Allen Americans all-time career records:
Points - Chad leads with 350 which is 115 more than second place
Assists - Chad leads with 252 which is 114 more than second place
Goals - Chad is tied with Greger Hanson at 98 goals
Allen Americans single season records:
Points - Chad is #1 (125), #2 (122) and #3 (103) in team history, no other player has more than 88 points
Assists - Chad is #1 (89), #2 (84) and #3 (79) in team history, no other player has more than 55
Goals - Chad is # 2 with 41 goals in 2014-15
Here is my case for Chad Costello as the #1 player in ECHL history. It is important to put scoring in perspective when comparing numbers over time. In the 1990's the style of the game was such that scoring was prolific. For example, in the 1996-97 season there were six fifty goals scorers and six players with over 100 points. In the history of the ECHL 50 goals have been scored 41 times. All but two took place prior to 2000. There have been 12 times an ECHL player has scored 120 or more points in a season. All but two of those seasons took place before 2000. The two exceptions are Chad Costello.
In my mind because of the prolific scoring in the 1990's the only way to determine the best player is to compare players with their peers. In the 31 year history of the ECHL the scoring champion has won the scoring title by more than 20 points only six times. Here are the six seasons where the ECHL scoring champion had at least twenty more points than the runner up.
45 points - 2014-2015 (Chad Costello)
43 points - 1992-1993 (Trevor Jobe)
35 points - 1989-1990 (Bill McDougall)
34 points - 2016-2017 (Chad Costello)
24 points - 1995-1996 (Hugo Belanger)
23 points - 2015-2016 (Chad Costello)
The stat above shows Chad is the most dominate point scorer relative to his peers of all time. Here are a few other stats to help make the case:
Chad is the only player in ECHL history to win the MVP Award more than once. He has three ECHL MVP awards, 2012 in Colorado, 2016 in Allen and 2017 in Allen. He should have also won the award in 2015 when he had his best season in Allen (125 points). He was selected as the MVP that season by the player's association (PHPA).
Chad is the only player in ECHL history to win the scoring title three years in a row.
In his three years in Allen, Costello had the #3, #5 and #12 best single seasons for assists in ECHL history. No other player is in the top 12 more than once. Only three players in ECHL history had more assists than the 89 Chad had in 2016-17 and they all played in the 1990's.
Chad's ECHL career points per game average is #5 in the history of the ECHL (350 games minimum) at 1.58. The four players ahead of him all played in the 1990's.
Chad won the 2015 ECHL Sportsman Award given to the player adjudged in a vote by the ECHL coaches to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct with a high standard of playing ability.
Chad won two Kelly Cups in Allen and was the playoff MVP in 2016. He is all over the ECHL record book for playoff scoring. Here are a few examples:
#1: Most assists one playoff year (29)
#1: Most assists in final series (10)
#2: Most points one playoff year (36)
#3: Most assists in playoff, career (61)
#3: Most points in playoffs, career (83)
#3: Most points in a final series (13)
The bottom line is if you just look at the numbers, Chad can't compare to the 85 goals, 93 assists and 161 points scored in a single season back in the 1990's. However, if you look at what Costello accomplished in his era compared to his peers there is no doubt in my mind he is #1 player all time.
After the 2016-17 season Chad and Ashley Costello made the decision to move to Germany for the 2017-18 season. This is what I wrote at the time about the move:
"As you might imagine after every season Chad gets offers to play overseas and has never made the leap. Why is this season different? Costello had another great season in Allen winning the scoring title and the league MVP but he is soon to be 31 years old and you never know how many opportunities will arise in the future. Getting a contract offer from a team in the top league in Germany (DEL) means two things for Chad. First, the financial rewards are much greater than what he could get in the ECHL even as a top player. Second, he will play with his best friend and former teammate Jack Combs.
The most important thing Chad wanted me to know when I asked about why he signed in Germany was it had nothing to do with how the season ended in Allen or playing in Allen. As a matter of fact, that is what made the decision to leave so difficult. Chad and Ashley don't see Allen as a place where Chad has a job, they don't see folks as co-workers and fans but they see everyone as friends and that makes it hard to leave. Chad also expressed his admiration and respect for Steve Martinson who he credits in large part for his record breaking success in Allen."
After a year playing for the Isherlohn Roosters Chad signed to play with the Krefeld Pinguine this season. Greger Hanson is his teammate. Chad describes this season below but what he doesn't mention is he leads his team in scoring with 23 points (9G, 14A) and is third in the league in scoring. Krefeld is fighting for a playoff spot and are currently in 10th place in a 14 team league.
Here is an update from Chad in his own words:
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| Costello family on a recent trip to London |
Can you give us an update on the family?
I think everyone knows Ashley and I have been together a long time. She is amazing and I honestly think she is the secret to my success and I am lucky to have her. Cayne is eight now and turning into a great little boy and a really good hockey player. Camden is four now and skates everyday with Cayne's hockey team and can hold his own. He is a tough little boy with a bright face. Our youngest is Avery who is two. She is so smart and beautiful and makes us all smile everyday. We also have a golden doodle named Bauer, you can imagine we are busy every day.
Tell us about your team?
I am playing in the top German league in Krefeld. Krefeld is a city of about 225,000 in the western part of Germany close to the river Rhine. We have a good team here in Krefeld and are trying to change the culture. I think we have a playoff team and I am doing all I can to help. I plan on playing as long as I can as I love the sport and feel I still have more to give. I am getting older that's for sure, but I guess that is part of it and I am enjoying that part as well. Well kinda haha.
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| Chad now plays for the Krefeld Pinguine |
Any hobbies you are enjoying?
Golf, cycling and hanging out with Ashley and the kids.
Can you share something about your experience playing in Allen?
Allen is home to us, we love it there. I love the culture and the expectaion to win. The fans are amazing in every aspect. Coach Martinson is the best coach I have ever had. He always got the best out of me and my teammates. He is a good coach, great motivator and a good person. Playing for him was challenging and rewarding at the same time. I think Allen is the best place to play because of the ten year history and the people surrounding the organization. From bus driver Monty to the voice of the Americans, Tommy. The staff were not just great at their job, they were great people and I love being around them. The memories of Allen is something I think about every day. I was so lucky in my time in Allen, I had the best teammates. The guys I played with those three seasons in Allen have a special place with me. I believe in all of them and have seen them make plays and do things that were amazing. I remember them all and will forever. I cheer for the Americans every game while I am away.
What is your highlight, fondest memory of your time playing in Allen?
My fondest memories are the championships. They were so hard fought. I really appreciate the battle and the challenge it was to end the season on top. Winning games is very difficult and winning championships is even harder. To do what we did was very special. It took special people all working together at the right time. Wow was that fun! I also have great memories of the day to day work we put in. I enjoyed every trip on "Big Red." Every time I went to the rink it was great because of the great teammates and friends I had on the team. We were so close and would do anything for one another, and that is not only why we won but almost better than winning.
Who was your favorite/closest teammate in Allen. Any stories you can tell?
My favorite teammates, wow that is a tough one. I had so many when I was there. A quick list off the top of my head would include Gensy, Gary Steffes, Assman, Hanno, Schaffs, Shultz, the Ludwig Bros., Clarke, Follmer, Younger, Vinny, Cranner, Gillsy, Rumps, Zabby, Mak Daddy, Kinger, Laffy, Royzy, Gunner, Chewy, Mooresy, Mathers, Dys, and Combsy. And that is a short list because all of my teammates are my favorites. Not to mention Marty, Monty boy and Tommy boy. I miss them all. We all have so many stories. I stay in touch a little bit. Not as much as I would like as we are all busy but they know I am there if they need anything and I think of them everyday.
After you read this story hopefully you will agree with me that Chad Costello is a great teammate, a great leader, a great family man and the best player in ECHL history.
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Utah Sweeps Allen, Game Recaps, Video Highlights, Martinson's Comments, Pochiro Suspension Upcoming, Plus/Minus Historical Stats and More
A strange thing happened on the way to Allen's third straight loss and 11th loss in their last 12 games. Sure the final score last night in Utah was 5-3 in favor of the Grizzlies but for the first time ever since I have been writing the blog the Americans met all five keys to the game and still lost. Check it out straight from yesterday's game preview.
1. Allen will most likely have to score first to have any chance of winning tonight. The Americans record when they don't score first now stands at 0-10-0-1. RESULT: Mission accomplished as David Makowski scored the first goal of the game at 6:21 of the first period.
2. Another key tonight will be to avoid all of the stick penalties that lead to power play opportunities. You cannot expect to win giving up a bunch of power plays to the Grizzlies. RESULT: Allen had seven power play opportunities while Utah had just four.
3. Allen probably needs to score a power play goal to win tonight, something they haven't accomplished in the first two games. RESULT: Another gold star as the Americans won the special teams battles going 2-7 compared to Utah's 1-4.
4. It is hard to find much positive when your team has been shutout twice and in the process gotten outscored 9-0. The one stat that the team can build on in the game tonight is they have kept the shot differential close. In the first game Utah out shot Allen 24-18. The 24 shots allowed by the Americans was the fewest they have allowed all season. Last night the Grizzlies had the edge in shots 39-35. Utah is 9-1-1-0 when out shooting their opponent so Allen is going to have to find a way to out shoot the Grizzlies tonight. RESULT: Another feather in the cap for the Americans as they out shot Utah 39-36. The first time in a month the have out shot an opponent.
5. Allen must find a way to slow down Utah's top line. It is not realistic to shut them down entirely but the Americans have to do a better job against this lethal trio. Caleb Herbert leads the league with 28 points (16G, 12A) and is on pace to score over 70 goals and 130 points this season. That tells you the kind of start to the season he has had. Herbert's line mate, Cole Ully, has six assists in the two games against Allen and now leads the ECHL with 18 assists. RESULT: The big three did manage two of the five Grizzlies goals but one was an empty net. The real damage was done by other lines when Utah scored three unanswered goals in the second period to turn a 1-1 game into a 4-1 Grizzlies lead.
- When you have the worst record in the league there is no place for moral wins. However, if you had told me Allen would out shoot Utah, score first, have three more power play opportunities than the Grizzlies, score two power play goals and slow down the hottest line in the league I would have guaranteed a victory. At least in my eyes you know things are going bad when the team accomplishes all of the keys to winning but still loses.
- The story of the game went like this. Allen scored first on a David Makowski power play goal, his third goal of the season. Utah tied the score 1-1 later in the first period and that was the extent of the scoring at the first intermission. As they did on Friday night, the Grizzlies put the game away in the second period scoring three goals in just under eight minutes. The score after the second period was 4-1. Allen scored two goals in the third period to close the gap to 4-3. David Makowski scored his fourth of the season at the 12:19 mark followed by Alex Breton with his third goal of the season at 17:46. Breton's goal was a 6-on-4 power play goal after a Utah penalty and Brodeur on the bench for an extra skater. Caleb Herbert put an end to the Allen comeback scoring an empty net goal with 33 seconds remaining in the game. It was Herbert's 17th goal in 16 games. He has five more goals than any other player in the league and has a goal in 14 of the Grizzlies 16 games. Not sure why he is not playing with Utah's AHL affiliate, Colorado Eagles, where he is under contract.
- Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/americans-rally-in-utah-falls-short/
- Here is the game recap issued by the Utah Grizzlies: http://www.utahgrizzlies.com/team-news/headline-news/?article_id=3595
- Here are the video highlights courtesy of the Utah Grizzlies:
- Steve Martinson's recap of the three games in Utah was very short. "Painful weekend! Bad gaps and missed defensive coverage contributed to most of the goals."
- Zach Pochiro was given a game misconduct penalty after the fourth Utah goal at the 15:13 of the second period for shooting the puck into the crowd. The league doesn't take kindly to that even if it is accidental. A suspension will be forthcoming for sure, just a matter of how long it will be. Hopefully it will be just a one game suspension.
- It has been quite a drought for the Allen forwards. They have not scored a goal in over three games, 184 minutes and 21 seconds to be exact. With all three goals last night plus one assist the defensemen have 47 of Allen's 131 points this season which is 36% of the points.
- The team will fly home today, have a practice tomorrow and travel to Tulsa on Tuesday to take on the Oilers. Tulsa beat Wichita last night and are on a three game winning streak.
- Jake Doty was selected as the #2 star of the game last night. He has done his job in protecting his teammates. He fought Utah's tough guy and captain Teigan Zahn on Friday and Jake Marchment last night. These were the first Allen fights in over a month.
- Spencer Asuchak had two assists last night and has taken over the team lead in scoring. He has 16 points (7G, 9A) in 19 games. Tied for second in team scoring with 15 points are rookies Braylon Shmyr and Alex Breton.
OTHER COMMENTS
- With Allen's loss to Utah last night and Idaho's 6-0 win in Rapid City the Americans now find themselves 11 points out of the fourth and final playoff spot in the Mountain Division.
- There are three games on tap in the ECHL today including Kansas City at Tulsa. Kansas City is in third place in the division with 23 points trailing Tulsa by one point and Utah by four. However, because they have played only 14 games the Mavericks have the best winning percentage in the division (.821) and the second best in the ECHL trailing only Toledo (.844).
- Only one team in the ECHL is undefeated at home and that is Toledo who is 5-0. Only one ECHL team has not won a home game this season and that is Allen who is 0-6.
The Cincinnati Cyclones are in rarefied air as they lead the ECHL in average goals scored (3.89) and average goals allowed (2.28). Allen is #25 in both categories scoring an average of 2.47 goals per game and allowing 3.95.
- Close to 25% of the ECHL season has now been completed and the average league wide attendance is 4222 per game. The average attendance last season was 4424. Attendance always picks up after the first of the year so being 200 per game below last season's average is not reason for alarm. Typically, the average attendance will increase by over 300 per game between Christmas and the end of the season so there is a good chance average attendance will increase this season.
- I always get a lot of questions about players that get called up to the AHL such as C.J. Motte a week ago. Fans want to know why they recall Motte at such a critical time for the Americans. Players that are under contract with the Wild (Motte, Salituro, Lang, J. Thrower) are in Allen for development and when needed by the parent team are recalled. Their salaries are paid for by the Wild while the contract players are in Allen and then the Americans reimburse the Wild $525 per week which is much less than the actual cost. Motte was signed by the Wild and sent to Allen as their fifth/depth goalie specifically for cases when they have an injury in Minnesota or Iowa. Motte has been in Iowa for three games, was the back up twice and got the start on Friday night losing 4-3 in overtime to Manitoba.
DID YOU KNOW: Plus/Minus is not a good stat for a lot of different reasons but it is worthy of note that not a single player is in the plus category this season. Here is the range of plus/minus since Allen joined the ECHL with the number of players in the plus category in parentheses (minimum 20 games):
2018-19: -1 to -11 (after 19 games)
2017-18: +28 to -19 (11)
2016-17: +47 to -6 (19)
2015-16: +11 to -13 (7)
2014-15: +43 to -14 (18)
Here are the plus/minus leaders by season;
2017-18: +28 David Makowski
2016-17: +47 Joel Chouinard
2015-16: +11 Eric Roy
2014-15: +43 Chad Costello
1. Allen will most likely have to score first to have any chance of winning tonight. The Americans record when they don't score first now stands at 0-10-0-1. RESULT: Mission accomplished as David Makowski scored the first goal of the game at 6:21 of the first period.
2. Another key tonight will be to avoid all of the stick penalties that lead to power play opportunities. You cannot expect to win giving up a bunch of power plays to the Grizzlies. RESULT: Allen had seven power play opportunities while Utah had just four.
3. Allen probably needs to score a power play goal to win tonight, something they haven't accomplished in the first two games. RESULT: Another gold star as the Americans won the special teams battles going 2-7 compared to Utah's 1-4.
4. It is hard to find much positive when your team has been shutout twice and in the process gotten outscored 9-0. The one stat that the team can build on in the game tonight is they have kept the shot differential close. In the first game Utah out shot Allen 24-18. The 24 shots allowed by the Americans was the fewest they have allowed all season. Last night the Grizzlies had the edge in shots 39-35. Utah is 9-1-1-0 when out shooting their opponent so Allen is going to have to find a way to out shoot the Grizzlies tonight. RESULT: Another feather in the cap for the Americans as they out shot Utah 39-36. The first time in a month the have out shot an opponent.
5. Allen must find a way to slow down Utah's top line. It is not realistic to shut them down entirely but the Americans have to do a better job against this lethal trio. Caleb Herbert leads the league with 28 points (16G, 12A) and is on pace to score over 70 goals and 130 points this season. That tells you the kind of start to the season he has had. Herbert's line mate, Cole Ully, has six assists in the two games against Allen and now leads the ECHL with 18 assists. RESULT: The big three did manage two of the five Grizzlies goals but one was an empty net. The real damage was done by other lines when Utah scored three unanswered goals in the second period to turn a 1-1 game into a 4-1 Grizzlies lead.
- When you have the worst record in the league there is no place for moral wins. However, if you had told me Allen would out shoot Utah, score first, have three more power play opportunities than the Grizzlies, score two power play goals and slow down the hottest line in the league I would have guaranteed a victory. At least in my eyes you know things are going bad when the team accomplishes all of the keys to winning but still loses.
- The story of the game went like this. Allen scored first on a David Makowski power play goal, his third goal of the season. Utah tied the score 1-1 later in the first period and that was the extent of the scoring at the first intermission. As they did on Friday night, the Grizzlies put the game away in the second period scoring three goals in just under eight minutes. The score after the second period was 4-1. Allen scored two goals in the third period to close the gap to 4-3. David Makowski scored his fourth of the season at the 12:19 mark followed by Alex Breton with his third goal of the season at 17:46. Breton's goal was a 6-on-4 power play goal after a Utah penalty and Brodeur on the bench for an extra skater. Caleb Herbert put an end to the Allen comeback scoring an empty net goal with 33 seconds remaining in the game. It was Herbert's 17th goal in 16 games. He has five more goals than any other player in the league and has a goal in 14 of the Grizzlies 16 games. Not sure why he is not playing with Utah's AHL affiliate, Colorado Eagles, where he is under contract.
- Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/americans-rally-in-utah-falls-short/
- Here is the game recap issued by the Utah Grizzlies: http://www.utahgrizzlies.com/team-news/headline-news/?article_id=3595
- Here are the video highlights courtesy of the Utah Grizzlies:
- Steve Martinson's recap of the three games in Utah was very short. "Painful weekend! Bad gaps and missed defensive coverage contributed to most of the goals."
- Zach Pochiro was given a game misconduct penalty after the fourth Utah goal at the 15:13 of the second period for shooting the puck into the crowd. The league doesn't take kindly to that even if it is accidental. A suspension will be forthcoming for sure, just a matter of how long it will be. Hopefully it will be just a one game suspension.
- It has been quite a drought for the Allen forwards. They have not scored a goal in over three games, 184 minutes and 21 seconds to be exact. With all three goals last night plus one assist the defensemen have 47 of Allen's 131 points this season which is 36% of the points.
- The team will fly home today, have a practice tomorrow and travel to Tulsa on Tuesday to take on the Oilers. Tulsa beat Wichita last night and are on a three game winning streak.
- Jake Doty was selected as the #2 star of the game last night. He has done his job in protecting his teammates. He fought Utah's tough guy and captain Teigan Zahn on Friday and Jake Marchment last night. These were the first Allen fights in over a month.
- Spencer Asuchak had two assists last night and has taken over the team lead in scoring. He has 16 points (7G, 9A) in 19 games. Tied for second in team scoring with 15 points are rookies Braylon Shmyr and Alex Breton.
OTHER COMMENTS
- With Allen's loss to Utah last night and Idaho's 6-0 win in Rapid City the Americans now find themselves 11 points out of the fourth and final playoff spot in the Mountain Division.
- There are three games on tap in the ECHL today including Kansas City at Tulsa. Kansas City is in third place in the division with 23 points trailing Tulsa by one point and Utah by four. However, because they have played only 14 games the Mavericks have the best winning percentage in the division (.821) and the second best in the ECHL trailing only Toledo (.844).
- Only one team in the ECHL is undefeated at home and that is Toledo who is 5-0. Only one ECHL team has not won a home game this season and that is Allen who is 0-6.
The Cincinnati Cyclones are in rarefied air as they lead the ECHL in average goals scored (3.89) and average goals allowed (2.28). Allen is #25 in both categories scoring an average of 2.47 goals per game and allowing 3.95.
- Close to 25% of the ECHL season has now been completed and the average league wide attendance is 4222 per game. The average attendance last season was 4424. Attendance always picks up after the first of the year so being 200 per game below last season's average is not reason for alarm. Typically, the average attendance will increase by over 300 per game between Christmas and the end of the season so there is a good chance average attendance will increase this season.
- I always get a lot of questions about players that get called up to the AHL such as C.J. Motte a week ago. Fans want to know why they recall Motte at such a critical time for the Americans. Players that are under contract with the Wild (Motte, Salituro, Lang, J. Thrower) are in Allen for development and when needed by the parent team are recalled. Their salaries are paid for by the Wild while the contract players are in Allen and then the Americans reimburse the Wild $525 per week which is much less than the actual cost. Motte was signed by the Wild and sent to Allen as their fifth/depth goalie specifically for cases when they have an injury in Minnesota or Iowa. Motte has been in Iowa for three games, was the back up twice and got the start on Friday night losing 4-3 in overtime to Manitoba.
DID YOU KNOW: Plus/Minus is not a good stat for a lot of different reasons but it is worthy of note that not a single player is in the plus category this season. Here is the range of plus/minus since Allen joined the ECHL with the number of players in the plus category in parentheses (minimum 20 games):
2018-19: -1 to -11 (after 19 games)
2017-18: +28 to -19 (11)
2016-17: +47 to -6 (19)
2015-16: +11 to -13 (7)
2014-15: +43 to -14 (18)
Here are the plus/minus leaders by season;
2017-18: +28 David Makowski
2016-17: +47 Joel Chouinard
2015-16: +11 Eric Roy
2014-15: +43 Chad Costello
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Allen Shutout Again, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Rematch Preview, A Lot of Bad Stats & One Good One, Asuchak Becomes Career Leader in Games Played
Allen lost to Utah 5-0 last night before a crowd of 4425 at the Maverik Center. It was the second straight game the Americans were mauled by the Grizzlies after being drubbed 4-0 on Wednesday. Just when it seems it can't get any worse for the Americans, it does. The loss last night was different than Wednesday. Allen held the top power play team in the league (25.6%) scoreless on seven power play opportunities Wednesday night. Last night the Grizzlies put the game away with three power play goals in a five minute span in the second period.
- Here is the game recap issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/americans-shutout-by-utah-again/
- Here is the Utah take on the 5-0 shutout: http://www.utahgrizzlies.com/team-news/headline-news/?article_id=3593
- Here are the video highlights (lowlights if you are an Allen fan). The defensive breakdowns are pretty obvious as you watch this video.
Here are some random thoughts about the game last night, the series and Allen's state of play recently.
- Allen has no answer for Utah's top line of Caleb Herbert, Cole Ully and Matt Berry. The three have combined for 18 points (7G, 11A) in the two games. They have seven of the Grizzlies nine goals.
- Allen continues to take way too many minor penalties which lead to power plays. Not a wise choice when you are playing against the best power play unit in the league. The Americans dodged a bullet on Wednesday (0-7) but not last night (3-7). For the two games the Americans have had eight power play opportunities (0-8) compared to 14 (3-14) for Utah.
- Allen has taken 109 minor penalties this season which is the most in the ECHL.
- Allen has scored a total four goals in the last four games. Even in their lone win they only scored two goals. The average goals per game for the Americans has dropped to 2.44 which is ranked #26 in the ECHL. Allen has played 18 games and have already been shutout three times and been held to one goal four times.
- At their current pace Allen would be shut out 12 times this season. The most they have been shutout in an entire season since joining the ECHL was five. The Americans first three seasons in the league they were shutout a combined five times.
- Allen has now lost 10 of their last 11 games and over the last 11 games have been outscored by their opponents 42-20. They have the fewest wins and most losses of any team in the league and their winning percentage (.278) is last in the division and far behind Wichita (.438) who is in sixth place.
- What was a deep hole to dig out of has become a crater and there is no end in sight. Who would have thought getting to .500 would become a "stretch goal" for this team.
- There is no question the Americans continue to battle adversity. Coach Martinson was pleased to have a full contingent of 20 players make the trip to Utah since the team had been playing shorthanded. A trade (Pavel Jenys), an injury (Braylon Shmyr) and a suspension (Dalton Thrower) had the Americans playing shorthanded again last night.
- I remember during training camp thinking this team will have no problem scoring goals, the only question will be on defense. They were loaded with skilled players that scored over 100 points and 30 goals as juniors. For various reasons including trades and injuries many of those players from training camp are not in the lineup. The Americans find themselves with a team that is having trouble scoring and having a porous defense. That makes for the worst goal differential in the league. Allen has scored 44 goals and allowed 70 for a goal differential of -26. Allen has never had a team that finished the season with a negative goal differential. In 2014-15 the Americans goal differential was +89 and in 2016-17 it was +91.
- It is hard to find much positive when your team has been shutout twice and in the process gotten outscored 9-0. The one stat that the team can build on in the game tonight is they have kept the shot differential close. In the first game Utah out shot Allen 24-18. The 24 shots allowed by the Americans was the fewest they have allowed all season. Last night the Grizzlies had the edge in shots 39-35. Utah is 9-1-1-0 when out shooting their opponent so Allen is going to have to find a way to out shot the Grizzlies tonight.
- Allen will most likely have to score first to have any chance of winning tonight. The Americans record when they don't score first now stands at 0-10-0-1.
- Another key tonight will be to avoid all of the stick penalties that lead to power play opportunities. You cannot expect to win giving up a bunch of power plays to the Grizzlies. On the flip side Allen probably needs to score a power play goal to win tonight, something they haven't accomplished in the first two games.
- Allen must find a way to slow down Utah's top line. It is not realistic to shut them down entirely but the Americans have to do a better job against this lethal trio. Caleb Herbert leads the league with 28 points (16G, 12A) and is one pace to score over 70 goals and 130 points this season. That tells you the kind of start to the season he has had. Herbert's line mate, Cole Ully, has six assists in the two games against Allen and now leads the ECHL with 18 assists.
- With C.J. Motte in Iowa there is no relief for Jeremy Brodeur who will get the start in goal tonight. Hopefully he will get more support than in the first two games of this series. Brodeur is still looking for his first win of the season and has seen his save percentage drop to .895.
- Allen has not scored a goal in their last 124:21 of play. That is the longest scoreless streak since joining the ECHL.
- Dalton Thrower will not be in the lineup tonight as he will be serving the second game of his two game suspension. Braylon Shmyr is day to day so may return to the lineup tonight. Coach Martinson mentioned in his pregame interview last night that Garrett Clarke has arrived in Allen.
OTHER COMMENTS
- If you read the blog post yesterday you saw the historical data shows if you are five points out of a playoff spot on Thanksgiving the chance of making the playoffs is almost nonexistent. In one ten year period in the NHL it happened only two times. Not good news for the Americans who are now nine points out of a playoff spot. Here are the current Mountain Division point standings with games played in parentheses:
25 points - Utah (16 games)
23 points - Kansas City (14 games)
22 points - Tulsa (15 games)
19 points - Idaho (19 games)
19 points - Rapid City (18 games)
14 points - Wichita (16 games)
10 points - Allen (18 games)
- There are 11 games scheduled around the ECHL tonight. The Mountain Division has Allen at Utah, Wichita at Tulsa and Idaho at Rapid City with Kansas City idle. Here is a link to the ECHL Today which has a preview of all 11 games. https://www.echl.com/en/news/2018/11/echl-today-nov-24
- After the game tonight 26.4% of the season will be in the books for the Americans. If they lose tonight they will need a record of 31-22-0-0 the rest of the season just to get to .500 and that would not be good enough to make the playoffs.
- Congratulations to Spencer Asuchak who became the all time career leader in games played for the Americans last night playing in his 248th regular season game, surpassing Tyler Ludwig's 247. What doesn't get talked about as much is Asuchak is also the all time leader in playoff games played with 83, seven more than second place Greger Hanson (76). If you add up all games played in an Allen uniform Asuchak is way ahead with 331 games played compared to second place 308 by Tyler Ludwig. Spencer is also the only player in team history to play for Allen in six different seasons. In second place with five seasons is Brian McMillin and Jarret Lukin.
DID YOU KNOW: Here are the number of times the Allen Americans have been shutout in each season since joining the ECHL.
2018-19: 3 (after 18 games)
2017-18: 5
2016-17: 2
2015-16: 2
2014-15: 1
Friday, November 23, 2018
ECHL Playoff Predictor: It's Thanksgiving - Are the Playoff Teams Already Decided?
- I have talked about this in the past after reading numerous articles about the history in the NHL where data proves somewhere between 75% - 80% of playoff teams are already decided by Thanksgiving. Here is one of the more informative stories about this subject from the Hockey News several years ago: http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/out-of-the-playoffs-december-1-done-like-thanksgiving-dinner
- It is strange to think with a little more than 20% of the ECHL season complete you can predict who will be in the playoffs with close to 80% accuracy. Nothing ventured, nothing gained so here are the playoff teams strictly by the numbers plus where I think the "Thanksgiving Playoff Theory" might be wrong. The numbers in parentheses are current points.
North Division
1. Newfoundland (26)
2. Adirondack (21)
3. Reading (18)
4. Brampton (17)
The top two are the locks in the North Division but the other two are subject to change because there are only four points separating third place from seventh place. I know some picked Worcester to win the division and they are in last place but only three points out of a playoff spot. After a 3-7-1-0 start the Railers are 3-1-0-0 in their last last four games. The other team on the outside looking in (by one point) is Manchester and they have won three straight. This is a division where two of the Thanksgiving playoff teams may be out by season's end.
South Division
1. Jacksonville (24)
2. Norfolk (19)
3. Florida (18)
4. Orlando (18)
The South Division is led by two teams very unfamiliar with the playoffs. Jacksonville hasn't made the playoffs in five years going back to their roots in Evansville and Norfolk has missed the playoffs six of the last seven years going back to their Bakersfield days. Jacksonville is the real deal this season leading the division with 24 points and are a lock to make the playoffs. Greenville and Atlanta are already out of contention. The fight will be between four teams (Norfolk, Florida, Orlando and South Carolina) for two spots. Three teams are tied with 18 points so winning percentage determined the top four. South Carolina has made the playoffs the last 11 seasons and will be the team that gets in the playoffs. If past is prologue look for Norfolk to be the odd team out at season's end.
Central Division
1. Cincinnati (24)
2. Toledo (23)
3. Indy (16)
4. Fort Wayne (12)
Fort Wayne just snuck into the top four with a win over Brampton in the only Thanksgiving Day game in the ECHL. The Komets started the season 1-6 but have gone 5-3 recently. Toledo looks to be the class of the league and are in second place in points because they have played fewer games than Cincinnati. Wheeling and Kalamazoo are the teams out of the playoffs and that should be the same come playoff time. The top four will be the top four the rest of the season but how they end up being seeded will shuffle around.
Mountain Division
1. Utah (23)
2. Tulsa (22)
3. Kansas City (21)
4. Idaho (19)
Rapid City was in the top four until recently but have lost three straight games. Rapid City has missed the playoffs the last three seasons. Idaho has gone in the opposite direction having gone 3-0-1-1 in their last five games to bypass the Rush. Idaho has made the playoffs in a league best 15 consecutive seasons. Just like the Central Division the four teams currently in the playoff spots should be the same at season's end and the only change will be the seedings. If it holds true to form Rapid City, Wichita and Allen miss the playoffs.
- History says if you are more than five points out of a playoff spot at Thanksgiving the chances of making it into a playoff spot are almost nonexistent. That is bad news for Greenville, Atlanta, Wichita and Allen because if history is correct they can start making plans for next season now.
- Teams more than five points in the clear of the final playoff spot as this point can start selling playoff tickets as they rarely miss the playoffs. Teams in this category include Newfoundland, Jacksonville, Cincinnati and Toledo.
- This is all done in fun and I will definitely revisit this at the end of the season. If your favorite team is in the out the playoffs group, remember even with 80% accuracy the Thanksgiving day playoff theory will have three or four teams wrong.
DID YOU KNOW: Here are the ECHL's longest streaks for number of consecutive seasons making the playoffs in their current geographical location.
15 - Idaho
11 - South Carolina
9 - Reading
5 - Fort Wayne
4 - Allen
4 - Toledo
4 - Florida
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Allen Shutout 4-0, Game Recap, Roster Woes Continue, Goals For and Against Tell the Story and More
If I told you the Allen Americans went on the road and allowed the top team in the division 24 shots (16 fewer than they normally allow) and killed all seven power play opportunities against the best power play unit in the ECHL you would probably think they won the game or at least it was close. Not the case last night as the Utah Grizzlies shutout Allen 4-0 before a crowd of 3101 at the Maverik Center.
Here are a few reasons why Allen allowed the fewest shots to an opponent all season and went 0-7 on the penalty kill but still got devoured by the Grizzlies.
- Allen gave up 24 shots, the fewest all season, but they took only 18 shots, the fewest all season
- Allen had only three shots in the first period
- Allen had only four shots in the second period
- Allen was 0-4 on the power play
- Utah scored on their second, third and fourth shots of the game
- Allen had no answer for Utah's top line of Berry (3G, 1A), Herbert (1G, 2A) & Ully (0G, 2A)
- Statistically the game was close with the exception of the score. The problem was the Americans gave up three goals on Utah's first four shots and the game was over midway through the first period.
- Here is the game recap issued by the Utah Grizzlies: http://www.utahgrizzlies.com/team-news/headline-news/?article_id=3589
- Here is a story with quotes from the Utah coach, the #1 star of the game and more info about the top line for the Grizzlies. http://www.utahgrizzlies.com/team-news/headline-news/?article_id=3590
- The only comment I got from coach Martinson was Allen had more shots on goal than were credited but the Americans also missed the net on several scoring chances.
- Allen will have the day off today to celebrate Thanksgiving and then try to get back on the winning track on Friday and Saturday. The Americans have spent all 10 years of their existence on the road for Thanksgiving. Mark and Elizabeth Fisher are providing Thanksgiving dinner for the team as they have in the past. I heard the dinner will be at Cracker Barrel.
- With one win since October 27 the Americans continue to fight on despite adversity. Zack Pochiro was back in the lineup last night but Braylon Shmyr missed the game with an injury. Pavel Jenys did not play because his NHL contract was traded by the Minnesota Wild to the Los Angeles Kings for defenseman Stepan Falkovsky. The trade will not benefit Allen, at least in the short term, as Falkovsky will report to the Iowa Wild (AHL) .
- Coach Martinson mentioned in his pregame interview he hopes Dante Salituro will return after this weekend and Kevin Sundher is a couple of weeks away from returning. However, there are also a couple of players that have been playing with injuries that are not getting better so they may have to take the time to get the injuries fixed. It seems like it has been one step forward and two steps back all season for the Americans.
- Garrett Clarke posted this message on Twitter this morning. "Beyond excited to be back in red. Lets turn this ship around and bring back the Kelly Cup back to Allen!"
- Allen is now ranked #24 in goals scored per game (2.59) and #25 in goals allowed (3.82). The Americans have never had a season when they have scored fewer goals on average than they have allowed. See the details below (DID YOU KNOW).
OTHER COMMENTS
- With each loss the hole gets deeper for the Americans. History would say it is a hole they will not be able to climb out of. Here are the current Mountain Division point standings with games played in parentheses:
23 points - Utah (15 games)
22 points - Tulsa (15 games)
21 points - Kansas City (13 games)
19 points - Idaho (18 games)
17 points - Rapid City (17 games)
15 points - Wichita (14 games)
10 points - Allen (17 games)
- Allen Americans assistant coach, Jason Deitsch, is a McKinney fireman and is working with some fellow firefighters to hang Christmas lights over the next few weeks. If you need help with your Christmas lights give Jason a call.
- Tomorrow in the blog I will take my annual look at the playoffs at Thanksgiving with the title, IT'S THANKSGIVING - ARE THE PLAYOFF TEAMS ALREADY DECIDED?
DID YOU KNOW: Allen has a combination of the lowest goals scored average and highest goals allowed average since joining the ECHL and it isn't even close. Here are the stats showing average goals for per game and average goals allowed per game with the goal differential in parentheses:
2018-19: 2.59 - 3.82 (-1.23)
2017-18: 3.26 - 3.22 (+0.04)
2016-17: 4.08 - 2.82 (+1.26)
2015-16: 3.08 - 2.83 (+0.25)
2014-15: 4.06 - 2.82 (+1.24)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE & HAPPY 27TH BIRTHDAY SPENCER ASUCHAK!
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Allen vs Utah Series Preview, So God Made a Hockey Mom Video and Allen Connected Defensemen Lead Scoring Since 2016-17
It is game day for the Allen Americans as they take on the Grizzlies in the first of three games in Utah. The teams play tonight, take the day off tomorrow for Thanksgiving and play again on Friday and Saturday.
- Under normal circumstances you might think going on the road to play the top team in the division (tied) might be a success if Allen could get half of the available points but these are not normal circumstances for the Americans. They find themselves with the worst winning percentage in the ECHL (.313) and are seven points out of a playoff spot.
- You can still say it is early in the season and there is plenty of time to get things back on track but the facts are after the game on Sunday just over 25% of the season will be completed. If Allen wins only one of the three games in Utah they would have to have a winning percentage of .632 the rest of the season to make the playoffs based on the average number of points (79) it takes to make the playoffs.
- The Americans had the only practice they will have in ten days on Monday. This time of year with games and travel and a holiday thrown in, practice time can be hard to find. The good news is the three newest players, Greg Chase, Mitch Maloney and Jake Doty were able to get in a full practice before the team departed for Utah. I did have a chance to meet Doty briefly after practice and confirmed with him he goes by Jake, not Jacob. He will be wearing #37.
- The team met up very early Tuesday morning at the Allen Event Center to get to the airport for their flight to Salt Lake City. They didn't have ice time and had a free afternoon. They will also have the day free on Thursday.
- The Allen roster changes on a daily basis and the good news is Josh Thrower and Zach Pochiro made the trip with the team to Utah. You wouldn't think they would be on the trip if they weren't expected to play at some point in the three game series.
- With goalie C.J. Motte in Iowa the Americans brought Thomas Hodges on the trip and he will be the EBUG (emergency backup goalie). That means it will be the Jeremy Brodeur show in goal.
SERIES PREVIEW
- This series in Utah pits Allen with a record of 4-10-0-2 against Utah with a record of 9-2-3-0. All four of Allen's wins have come on the road (4-4-0-2). The Grizzlies home record is 5-1-1-0.
- Allen has fared well against Utah since joining the ECHL with an overall record of 11-5-0-0. In games played in Utah the Americans record is 7-2-0-0.
- Here is a comparison between Allen and Utah this season:
ALLEN UTAH
Team Record 4-10-0-2 (10 points) 9-2-3-0 (21 points)
Division Ranking 7th - Mountain 2nd - Mountain
Conference Ranking 12th - Western 4th - Western
League Ranking 26th 6th
Last Game 2-0 Win (Tulsa) 4-0 Win (Indy)
Goals For 44 52
Goals Against 61 41
Power Play 15.5% (11/71) 26.5% (18/68)
Penalty Kill 84.6% (12/78) 87.5% (7/56)
Leading Scorer Shmyr (7-8-15) Herbert (13-10-23)
Most PIM's Makowski - 64 Zahn - 43
- One of the biggest challenges for the Americans in this series will be finding a way to slow down #40, Caleb Herbert, who leads the ECHL in scoring with 23 points (13G, 13A) in 13 games. Averaging a goal a game is very impressive and even more impressive is he has at least one goal in 11 of his 13 games.
- A big key to this series will be special teams play. Utah has the best power play in the ECHL (26.5%) and it is even better at home (27.3%). The Grizzlies have the #4 ranked penalty kill in the league (87.5%) but it has not been as good at home (82.8%). Allen's road power play is 19.0% and their road penalty kill is 87.2%. It will be important for the Americans to avoid minor penalties that give Utah a man advantage. Allen has taken 94 minor penalties this season, Utah has taken just 68.
- With the addition of Jake Doty to Allen's lineup you can expect he will make his presence known and will be trying to keep order on the ice and prevent Utah from taking any liberties. Utah is toward the top of the ECHL list for fighting majors (15) while Allen is toward the bottom with six fighting majors. Remember, five of the six fights for the Americans came in one game. Teigan Zahn leads the Grizzlies with six of their 15 fighting majors. You would have to think the odds of Doty and Zahn dropping the gloves are very good.
- A good start will be crucial in this series and by good start I mean scoring the first goal. Utah has a first period goal differential of +8 (18 for 10 against) and has scored first in 10 of their 14 games with a record of 7-1-2-0. Allen's first period goal differential is -1 and they have scored first in just six of their 14 games. Allen's record when they don't score first is 0-8-0-1.
- Another key to the series is shots allowed which has been a problem for the Americans all season. Even in the 2-0 win in Tulsa in their last game the Americans gave up 42 shots. Allen is last in the ECHL in average shots allowed at 39.88 per game. Utah is one of the best in the league ranked #3 allowing 27.93 shots per game. If you combine this stat with the fact Utah has a much better shooting percentage (11.6%) than Allen (8.4%), it is not likely the Americans can win if they are out shot by the Grizzlies. Utah is 4-0-0-0 when out shooting their opponent at home. When the Grizzlies are out shot by opponents at home their record is 0-1-2-0.
- The referee scheduled tonight is Chris Pontes (#12) and the linesmen scheduled are Andrew Collins (#49) and James McKenna (#96).
OTHER COMMENTS
- I came across this video titled "So God Made a Hockey Mom" and immediately thought of some of the Allen Americans hockey moms I have met over the years and still keep in touch with today. Some may not be hockey moms yet but they are soccer moms and hockey wives that have spent plenty of time juggling many balls while their husbands played hockey. When I watched this video I specifically thought of Nicole Schaafsma, Janelle Snowden, Ashley Costello and Levi Pierro-Zabotel who all have husbands who spend time on the road and children heavily involved in hockey. If you haven't seen this video it is a great tribute to hockey moms.
- There are 11 games on tap tonight around the ECHL. In the Mountain Division, Tulsa is at Wichita and Idaho visits Rapid City in addition to Allen at Utah. Here is a link to the ECHL Today with a preview of all 11 games: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2018/11/echl-today-nov-21
DID YOU KNOW: Since the 2016-17 season the top three ECHL defensemen in total points all have a connection to the Allen Americans and if you look at total goals by defensemen three of the top four have Allen connections. Here is the list.
Total points by ECHL defensemen since 2016-17
141 - Matt Register
110 - David Makowski
101 - Joel Chouinard
Total goals by ECHL defensemen since 2016-17
37 - Matt Register
32 - Jordan Henry (Brampton)
29 - David Makowski
28 - Eric Roy
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Where Are They Now - Joel Rumpel
Today we catch up with another player from the past in our weekly "Where Are They Now" series and that player is goalie Joel Rumpel.
Joel Rumpel spent two seasons with the Allen Americans and collected two championship rings in the process. The native of Swift Current, Saskatchewan was part of the 2015 and 2016 Kelly Cup championship teams.
Joel was assigned to Allen after he signed an NHL deal with the San Jose Sharks after he completed an outstanding collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin. During his time at Wisconsin (2011-15) Joel had a career save percentage of .918 and guided the Badgers to two NCAA tournament appearances and a Big Ten Tournament championship. In 2014 Joel was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award (hockey's Heisman) and the Mike Richter Award, presented to the nation's most outstanding collegiate goaltender.
Joel arrived in Allen at the end of March in 2015 just a week after signing with the Sharks. He was called on right away as Riley Gill went down with an injury. Rumpel started four straight games at the end of the season with a record of 3-0-0-1 and a GAA of 1.68. During the first two rounds of the 2015 Kelly Cup playoffs Rumpel and Riley Gill shared the goalie duties but when it got to the semi-finals and finals all the starts went to Riley Gill, the best playoff goalie in the history of the ECHL.
Joel Rumpel was called on heavily early in the 2015-16 season starting 12 of the first 13 games winning nine of the 12 games. Riley Gill was out with illness and injury several times during the season. By seasons end Joel had more games played (39) than Gill (29). Rumpel ended the season with a record of 21-11-2-2. When the 2016 playoffs rolled around it was once again the Riley Gill show but Joel got a key win after taking over for Gill in a semi-final game against Fort Wayne. Gill was hit by the puck in an unprotected area and had to leave the game. Rumpel played the final 35:58 and allowed just one goal. The game went to overtime and Allen won after just 56 seconds on a Gary Steffes goal. Rumpel's stats for the night were 15 saves on 16 shots for a GAA of 1.63 and a save percentage of .938. Allen went on to win their second Kelly Cup in 2016. Three goalies shared the workload between the regular season and playoffs. Riley Gill had 48 games, Joel Rumpel 42 games and Jake Hildebrand had 14 games.
Joel made a big move this season as he signed to play in Scotland for the Glasgow Clan in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). The EIHL is comprised of 11 teams from all four countries in the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales).
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| Joel is playing for the Glasgow Clan |
Here is Joel Rumpel in his own words:
Can you tell us about playing in Scotland?
This is my first year overseas and I really enjoy it so far. It is great to be able to travel with my
fiancé (Alex) and see Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. The season is going well and we are in a good spot to make the playoffs but it is still early in the season.
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| Alex and Joel |
Can you share something about your experience playing in Allen? Why is Allen considered one of the best places to play?
Allen was a special place. Great fans and an amazing city to play in. I think when you win a couple of championships somewhere that place will always be with you, the great coaching, great teams and great fans. I still stay in touch with a lot of people from my time in Allen and I think that is what made it so special.
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| Joel with one his biggest fans at a post game skate - photo by Dianne Webster |
What is your highlight, fondest memory of your time playing in Allen?
Both championships are great memories but the friends you make along the way have to be the best part.
Who was your favorite/closest teammate in Allen? Any stories you can share?
Dyson Stevenson I am still closest with from that team but I stay in touch with a lot of the guys. J.P. LaFontaine, Matt Register and Kyle Follmer are living in Minnesota so I get to see them since we spend part of the summer there. Same with Riley Gill when he comes up north. Jake Hildebrand and I work hockey camps together in the summer so it is great staying in touch with him. Rick Pinkston is playing over here (Fife Flyers) and is only an hour away so we meet up for dinner, it is nice to have an old friend nearby. Jamie Schaafsma, Kevin Young, David Makowski and Chris Crane I don't get to see much but texts and Snapchat help stay in touch.
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| Joel says, "The puck stops here" photo by Lauren Lyssy |
Monday, November 19, 2018
Allen Signs Forward Jacob Doty - The Details, C.J. Motte Recalled by Iowa, Christophe Lalancette Released and a Look at Allen's All Time Games Played List
Allen coach Steve Martinson delivered as promised to add physicality to the roster with the announcement yesterday that the Americans have signed forward Jacob Doty. Depending on which website or story you read about the 25 year old Doty he is 6'3" or 6"4" and weighs between 220 and 235 pounds. In the press release issued by the Allen Americans (https://allenamericans.com/americans-add-big-body-and-toughness-to-the-lineup/ ) coach Martinson had this to say, "Everyone knows Jacob Doty is one of the toughest players in pro hockey. Last year his career high 16 goals, which was third on his team, reflects his ability to help his team win games."
- Prior to spending the last two seasons playing in Great Britain, Doty played 71 games in the AHL and 106 in the ECHL. Allen fans will remember him from the 2016-17 season when he played for the Missouri Mavericks. He had 14 fights that season with six of them against Allen, all in the month of March. Here is Jacob Doty's fight card against Allen in March of 2017 from the website dropyourgloves.com. He fought four different players and didn't lose once.
March 3 - Mike Gunn (Win)
March 3 - Josh Brittain (Draw)
March 4 - Derek Mathers (Win)
March 4 - Dyson Stevenson (Win)
March 10 - Derek Mathers (Win)
March 30 - Derek Mathers (Draw)
- Here is Doty's highlight video from last season when he played for the Braehead Clan in Glasgow, Scotland:
- Here is another side of Jacob Doty as he is interviewed in a one minute speed round by a couple of young Braehead fans in a segment called "Headbuzz" and remember it is Scotland so the Scottish brogue is a challenge:
- Jacob Doty played his junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) spending time with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Medicine Hat Tigers. He should feel right at home in Allen where there are 11 former WHL players on the roster. Doty was born in Denver, Colorado. Jacob (aka Jake) and his wife Jessica (aka Jess) were married last summer and are expecting their first child in February. They live in Montana in the off season.
- Doty wasn't the only roster move for the Americans yesterday. C.J. Motte, just off a 42 save shutout in Tulsa, was recalled by the Iowa Wild. Motte is under contract with the Wild organization so as the fifth goalie on the Wild depth chart every time there is an injury in Minnesota or Iowa he will get recalled. Coach Martinson told me Motte isn't expected to be gone long but he will know more later today.
- With the signing of Jacob Doty the Americans released forward Christophe Lalancette yesterday. Lalancette played eight games in Allen and had one assist.
- The Americans will have a practice today and it will be important with so many new players on the roster. It will be the first practice for Doty, Greg Chase and Mitch Maloney. It will also be an opportunity to see if Josh Thrower and Zach Pochiro will be available for the road trip to Utah. The team flies to Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
- With the addition of Jacob Doty and a goalie to replace C.J. Motte, the Americans have already had 32 players on their roster this season. I am sure it comes as no surprise that only one other ECHL team has used more players than Allen. The Atlanta Gladiators have used 34 players in the first five weeks of the season. At the opposite end of the spectrum are two Mountain Division teams, Kansas City and Utah who have only used 23 players thus far.
- Allen's next four games are on the road, three in Utah and one in Tulsa. However, that may be a good thing since the Americans home record is 0-6-0-0 while their road record is 4-4-0-2.
- Allen fans will have the opportunity to watch the best player in the ECHL when the Americans play three games in Utah this week. Caleb Herbert has averaged a goal a game so far and is leading the league in points. Herbert has 23 points (13G 10A) in 13 games.
- Here is a Jacob Doty fight from back in juniors when he took on former Allen forward Jessey Astles. It was a toe to toe slugfest by two heavyweights. It was the longest fight (1:45) in the WHL that season and also one of the most entertaining.
DID YOU KNOW: There will be a lot of talk this week about Spencer Asuchak who will become the Allen Americans all time leader in regular season games played, passing Tyler Ludwig who leads with 247 games played. Spencer will tie the record on Wednesday in Utah and pass it on Friday. You rarely hear anyone talk about total games played (regular season and playoffs) which to me is a better reflection of a player's impact on the organization. In that category Spencer has been #1 for quite a while. Here are the top ten players in Allen Americans history in overall games played (regular season and playoffs). This is a who's who list of the franchise. The number in parentheses is the number of championships each player won in Allen.
329 - Spencer Asuchak (3)
308 - Tyler Ludwig (3)
295 - Jarret Lukin (2)
277 - Mike Berube (2)
276 - Chad Costello (2)
264 - Gary Steffes (2)
260 - Jamie Schaafsma (3)
256 - Brian McMillin (3)
239 - Bruce Graham (1)