A Christmas Day Thank You, Some Food For Thought and So God Made a Hockey Mom

I was going to post a two sentence blog this morning wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and letting you know there will be no blog this week. I am headed back to North Dakota for what was for many years a traditional pheasant hunting trip between Christmas and New Year with my best friend. After a several year hiatus we decided to resume our tradition this year.


I decided to take a look at what I wrote on Christmas days in the past and it struck me that the messages deserve repeating, especially given the lack of success the Allen Americans have experienced so far this season.


On this special day of love, compassion and hope, I want to say Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to all from Barry the Blogger. My wish is for everyone to be able to spend time with family and friends. My thoughts are with those in the military, first responders, and so many others like my labor and delivery nurse daughter who will be working today. I am also thinking this morning about those that have lost loved ones, those who have family and friends dealing with health issues and those who are far away from family.


THANK YOU

- This isn't going to be a laundry list that covers everyone but there are a few groups of people I wish to thank:

1. Thanks to all of you that take the time to acknowledge what I write each day. It probably talks to my insecurities but a like, a share or a comment on Facebook, a retweet, a quote tweet, a like or a comment on Twitter is like a pat on the back. I appreciate it so much when you stop me at games to chat or just say how much you enjoy the blog. The emails, text messages and comments at the end of the blog are all read with great interest and much appreciation.


2. There are a large number of fans just like myself that devote a great deal of time to the Allen Americans because of their love of hockey and the team. They are by and large an all voluntary army that are overworked and underappreciated. Writers, photographers, bloggers, fan club members, broadcasters, interns, coaches and fans that help make the organization successful. Whether you are a coach that works with the team, a fan that takes a player to lunch or dinner, a fan club member that takes players to and from the airport, a photographer that stays up past midnight on game nights to send images of the game, an intern that writes game recaps, a writer that spends many hours writing a feature about the team, a fan club member that tends to the fan club table at the game, a fan that cooks a meal for the team or many other examples too numerous to mention, your effort is both noticed and appreciated. I salute all of you.


3. The players and coaches are the reason this blog has had whatever success there has been. Access is the key to providing useful information when you are writing new content almost every day. I have said this before but it bears repeating, I have never had a player say no to a question, an interview or a request for information. They are all great ambassadors for the Allen Americans. It goes without saying the access I have been given by coach Martinson is what is unique about the blog. Between his duties as a coach and general manager and a dad with two teenagers playing elite level hockey he is very busy. He is always willing to return a phone call, answer questions and share information on and off the record. And he does this win or lose. My thanks to all the players and coaches.



FOOD FOR THOUGHT

- I read a story the other day that reinforced something I have been thinking a lot about lately as it relates to players and fans.


- I have always taken an interest in the social sciences and what makes people tick. I am certainly not an expert but my undergraduate degree, thanks to the University of Minnesota, is in social work. Jack Gulati and I were classmates as we found out when he bought the Allen Americans. I say we were classmates but what that means is we attended the school at the same time along with over 40,000 other students. We actually never met in college.


- What I am about to talk about is not intended to engender a debate but merely to share my opinion and I am an expert at my own opinion.


- My premise is as much as fans think they know players they really don't have much of a clue. Each player has a unique story that has shaped them as a player and a person but fans don't know that story and don't have a right to know it. Everything from culture to country has a big impact on how everyone develops. Did a player grow up poor where they couldn't afford equipment, were they from a broken family, small town or big city, how many siblings, who were their role models all play a big factor in who they are today. Can you imagine the trials and tribulations of moving away from home, many times far away, at 14, 15, 16 years of age. That has to be difficult for the most well adjusted kid even with great hockey talent. For many the hockey dream ends while they are still teenagers and many drop along the way. A very few make it to the professional ranks and are lucky enough to end up in Allen, Texas.


- Fans don't know the disappointment that all of these players have felt along the way. Rejection has been a way of life as skilled as these guys are and rejection is never easy. Can you imagine what it would be like in your job to get a promotion and then sent back to your old job because you weren't good enough and have that happen over and over again. Can you imagine at your job breaking your hand or suffering a concussion and when you return your boss says sorry, I gave your job to someone else. Can you imagine if your boss could say you are out of a job with no notice and for any reason.


- Fans don't know what struggles players have to deal with from financial responsibilities to substance abuse issues to loneliness from being away from family. Can you imagine what it is like to be one hit or one injury away from losing your livelihood and having a physical problem you will deal with the rest of your life.


- In the seven years I have been writing the blog I have heard so many heartbreaking stories from players who couldn't be at home when a close friend or relative was dying or passed away, a player who was traded a week after his fiance joined him and the day she found a job, a player who was traded when his wife was six months pregnant and a family that couldn't afford to travel to Allen to watch their son win a championship. Then there were those serious injuries that ended the season and career for key players.


- If you are still reading this I am sure for some of you the thought has crossed your mind of give me a break. These guys are not being forced to play hockey, they are making a living playing a game and have a pretty cushy job. You sometimes hear fans say if I pay my hard earned money to buy tickets that gives me the right to say anything I want about any player.


- I don't question anyone's right to be critical. My opinion is be critical of the penalty kill or defensive play or shots on goal allowed but if you are a fan of the team don't be critical of a player and make it personal. You don't know the impact that criticism has on the player and/or the player's family when they see something negative on social media. Maybe the old adage of if you can't say something nice best to not say anything at all is a better approach.


- If you question why the coach doesn't trade or waive a player you are questioning the judgement of a guy with 23 years of experience and 10 championships. I learned a long time ago how little I know about hockey and what you see on the ice looks very different if you go thorough a play in slow motion video with coach Martinson, looking at every player on the ice and what they did and didn't do.


- So my plea on this Christmas Day is if you are a fan of the Allen Americans and more generally in life, be careful when you use social media and publicly put a player down, question their ability and wonder why they haven't been traded because you don't know their story. Leave that assessment to the coaching staff who know what they are talking about.


- My point is you never know what each and every member of the Allen Americans has gone through to get to this point in their career and you don't know what they are dealing with today.  Love and support is what everyone needs and that is what I think the Allen Americans hockey family should provide for all of the players.

- Finally, I want to end this post with a video you may have already seen since I posted it a while back. I am pretty sure it will bring a tear to your eye whether you have a child that plays hockey, you play hockey now, you played in your youth or are just a hockey fan. Even if you have seen this before take another look as it will lift your spirits when you think about the role your mom played along the way whether it was in hockey, another sport or other activities. It is called "So God Made a Hockey Mom."

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone. The next blog will be posted on January 1st.  

Where Are They Now - Phil Fox

A Phil Fox meme from back in the day

Today we catch up with Phil Fox who had a big impact on and off the ice in the short time he played for the Allen Americans. He was a member of the team that won the 2014 CHL championship. Phil was part of a contingent of players from the Fort Worth Brahmas (John Snowden, Ross Rouleau, Brad Fogal) that signed in Allen for the 2013-14 season after the Brahmas folded.


- Phil had connections to the Allen team because he played junior hockey with Chad Costello and college hockey with Greger Hanson and Kyle Follmer. Fox's one season in Allen turned out to be injury plagued for Phil with knee surgery keeping him out of the lineup for 10 games at the beginning of the season and a shoulder separation ending his season in March before the start of the playoffs. His stats for the season were 39 games played and 24 points (12G, 12A).


- Here is what I wrote about about Phil when he was playing in Allen:

Phil Fox's story of becoming a professional hockey player is one I have heard many times. From a hockey crazy location (Minnesota), older brother who played hockey, playing hockey outdoor all winter, great high school hockey career (Stillwater Ponies), junior hockey (Des Moines, Fargo, Cedar Rapids), college scholarship at Northern Michigan University (NMU) and a successful college career.

When you sit down and talk to Phil you realize he is a well spoken, driven and passionate professional who is a team player and a leader. Maybe it is his degree (physical education/coaching) or small town upbringing but his presence on this team is much more than what happens on the ice. 

Phil was the captain of his high school team and wore a letter on his jersey for three years at NMU including the "C" as a senior. He told me it was quite an honor because it was voted on by teammates and the coaching staff.


- Phil knew from an early age he wanted to be a hockey coach and even playing professional hockey was a means to an end. He is a close friend of Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Phil Housley who is the  head coach of the NHL Buffalo Sabres. Fox worked at Housley's hockey camps for many years starting when he was in high school. Here is another excerpt from my interview with Phil back in 2013:

Who Would You Pick As A Mentor: Phil Housley. I would like to coach hockey as soon as I am done playing. Being able to help Phil with hockey camps has truly been a blessing. He is someone who I look up to a lot and he has taught me so much over the years of working with him. I am happy to be given the chance to spend time with him and see how he goes about coaching.


 - Phil knew his playing days were numbered after the shoulder separation that ended his 2013-14 season. He got a call from his college coach asking about his interest in returning to NMU as the Director of Hockey Operations. He applied for the job and was selected. That was the start of his journey in hockey after his pro career ended.


- Here is the only video I could find from Phil's playing days in Allen. It is a fighting video which is strange because Phil had only two fights in a three year pro career. This fight was against Ian Schultz who was playing for the Arizona Sundogs at the time and would sign with Allen the next season. Shultz was a fighter with over 100 fights to his credit.  Phil got a five minute fighting major but the referee was being generous since Phil never dropped his gloves, a smart move going against Schultz.

Here is Phil's update in his own words:

Can you give us an update on your family?
I just got married on August 18 and my wife's name is Ricci. We are expecting our first child in June. We have been living for the past two years in Albuquerque, NM. We have a dog named Oscar. He is a miniature dachshund.

Phil and Ricci Fox

Oscar

What involvement do you have in hockey?
I am very involved in hockey right now. I am currently the Vice President of the New Mexico Ice Wolves Hockey Association and Director of Hockey for the Outpost Ice Arena in Albuquerque. I am the head coach of our Bantam A travel team and the Bantam B travel team. I am heavily involved with all other levels of travel hockey. As director of hockey for the rinks I develop and run all types of skill clinics. I brought down former Allen Americans player, Kyle Follmer, as my assistant director of hockey. He is head coaching the peewee A travel team and also assisting on all other levels.


What are your hobbies/interests now that you no longer play professional hockey?
I try and get out and golf as much as I can, which hasn't been as much as I like. 

Phil, Oscar, fishing and a sunset, perfection!

  
Can you share something about your experience playing in Allen?
My experience in Allen was great minus all of the injuries I incurred. I was very blessed to be part of a championship which was definitely a highlight. The best part was the teammates I had. You can never replace the bond you have with them. It is a bond where you can pick up right where you left off.  



DID YOU KNOW: Hockey is a small world. Phil Fox played junior hockey in 2003-04 for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL. He was 18 at the time. Two of his teammates on that team were 17 year old Chad Costello and 18 year old Adam Miller, who now plays in Allen. 

A Season High 51 Shots Isn't Enough, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson's Comments, Division Standings, PIMS Stat, Christmas Break & More

The Allen Americans lost to the Cincinnati Cyclones last night by a score of 4-3 before a crowd of 4001 at the Allen Event Center. When you have won seven games all season and have the worst record in the league the last thing you should talk about is moral victories but that is what I am going to start with this morning. With the win on Friday and loss last night the Americans proved to themselves, the fans and anyone else who is watching that they have a team that is competitive far beyond their record.


- The Americans went toe to toe with the best team in the league these last two games. Allen scored seven goals against the best defensive team in the ECHL, averaging 3.50 goals per game against a team that allows an average of 2.28 goals per game.


- Allen has been outshot in 24 of their 33 games and were facing a team that allows 28.93 shots per game. Allen averaged 40 shots per game this weekend.


- The Americans held their own in goals (7-7), shots (80-81) and also on special teams. Allen was 1-5 (20%) and Cincinnati 1-8 (12.5%).


- It would have been great to get back to back wins against Cincinnati going into the Christmas break but in my opinion the team had a break through that will serve them well going forward.


GAME RECAP

- The game last night started out the same way Allen's last 13 games have started, their opponent scored first. Cincinnati scored at the 3:57 mark of the first period and followed it up with a second goal in less than two minutes. The first period ended with a 2-0 Cyclones lead but the Americans outshot the Cyclones 20-17 and had numerous grade A scoring chances.


- Allen answered with the only two goals in the second period to tie the game 2-2. Spencer Asuchak scored midway through the period and when Zach Pochiro tied the score with 30 seconds remaining all of the momentum swung to Allen.


- When Asuchak scored his second goal of the game early in the third period (2:53) to give Allen a 3-2 it looked like the Americans would get back to back wins for the first time since October. The Americans had the lead and were outplaying Cincinnati. Midway through the third period Allen had a 9-3 shot advantage. The last half of the third period was all Cyclones who outshot Allen 11-3. There was a defense breakdown on the goal that tied the score 3-3 as Allen left a forward trailing the play wide open in the slot.  The game winner came on the power play with two minutes remaining in the game. Allen never had a chance to score after Cincinnati took the 4-3 lead because of penalties.


- Spencer Asuchak scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season and assisted on Pochiro's goal. Spencer now has 25 points (11G, 14A). Pochiro scored his 16th goal of the season and extended his scoring streak to 10 games. Over the last 10 games Zach has had 16 points (8G, 8A). Here are the Sporfie highlights on the three Allen goals.

Spencer Asuchak - Zach Pochiro takes a shot from the sideboards and Spencer is Johnny on the spot to put the rebound in the net.





Zach Pochiro - This was a big goal with 30 seconds left in the second period. Zach makes a great shot just inside the post. Adam Miller is the player in front of the goalie.




Spencer Asuchak - I noticed the camera fell off its mooring prior to this goal. That is why you only see a partial view. You can see the goalie make a save and that is Spencer off to the side of the goal who puts home the rebound.




- Here is a fast paced highlight reel that shows the goals plus all of the near misses and great saves by both goalies.

- Here is the game recap issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/late-goals-bury-americans-in-4-3-loss-to-cincinnati/


- Here is the game recap issued by the Cincinnati Cyclones: https://cycloneshockey.com/news/2018/12/glotov-s-winner-propels-clones-to-thrilling-win


- I stopped by coach Martinson's office after the game and he was clearly upset (nice word) about the game. He walked me through the defensive breakdowns on the last two Cincinnati goals and was already putting clips together for use after the Christmas break. After talking for a while I finally made my case why I thought the team played so much better on Friday and Saturday and it was apparent this team can play with any team in the league. His point to me was how frustrating it is to have a lead with less than six minutes remaining in the game and don't come away with a point. When I asked if he saw any positives coming out of the weekend he said, "Sure, I said to the players it is good that we are playing better but it should feel real crappy that we lost tonight, I am sick of losing."     


OTHER COMMENTS

- The Americans will now have a break for Christmas before they head to Utah for two games on Friday and Saturday. The task doesn't get any easier as the Grizzlies lead the Mountain Division in points (36) and winning percentage (.667).


- The Mountain Division results last night managed to squeeze the top six teams even closer. Kansas City beat Tulsa 6-5, Wichita beat Rapid City 2-1 and Idaho beat Utah 7-3. The point difference between first place and sixth place is now just four  points. Games played by Mountain Division teams varies from 27 to 33. With such disparity in games played, looking at winning percentage is the best way to compare teams. Here is the current list:

.667 - Utah
.630 - Kansas City
.603 - Idaho
.552 - Tulsa
.533 - Wichita
.516 - Rapid City
.242 - Allen


- The Mountain Division standings are extremely close but there are teams going in both directions. Tulsa is falling with a record over the last 10 games of 0-8-2-0. The team with the best record over the last ten games is Idaho (8-2-0-0).


- The best home record in the ECHL belongs to Cincinnati (12-0-2-1) and the best road record belongs to Toledo (11-4-2-0). Allen has taken over the lead in penalty minutes (693). The least penalized team in the ECHL is Manchester (251).


- Allen leads the ECHL in penalty minutes but the makeup of those penalty minutes tells a story of lack of discipline. The only category Allen doesn't lead the league is in five minute majors which are mostly fighting majors. Fighting majors usually take two players off the ice and don't hurt. The Americans lead the ECHL in minor penalties (194) which usually create a power play opportunity for the opponent. Allen also leads in 10 minute misconduct, game misconduct and match penalties. The Americans are one of 27 teams which is about 4% of the league. They have 12.1% of the 10 minute misconduct penalties, 16.1% of the game misconduct penalties and 60% of the match penalties.  


- The Americans wore specialty jerseys in the game last night that were auctioned off live immediately after the game. Most of the jerseys sold for $250 with just one as high as $550. The days of $1000 and up auctions seem to be in the past. Not sure if it is the number of jersey auctions, confusion between online auctions and live auctions, the jerseys themselves or some other reasons but you can definitely buy game worn jerseys at a much lower price than in the past.




DID YOU KNOW:  The Christmas critical dates started last night. No trades or placing players on waivers can take place until noon on Wednesday. It doesn't mean coach Martinson is trying to improve the roster between now and Wednesday as he certainly is. Deals can still happen but won’t be official until Wednesday. Here are the Christmas critical dates:

Dec. 22 - waiver/trade freeze begins (5:00 pm EST)
Dec. 24-26 - no games or practices
Dec. 26 - waiver/trade freeze ends (noon EST)

A Streak Snapper to Remember, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Steve Martinson's Post Game Comments, Rematch Preview and More

There was a streak snapper hockey game in Allen last night as the Americans played their most complete and entertaining game of the season by beating the #1 team in the ECHL, the Cincinnati Cyclones, 4-3 in a shootout.  A crowd of 3887 watched Allen snap their eight game losing streak and also snap the Cyclone's seven game winning streak.


The drama unfolded almost from the first puck drop. Cincinnati scored just 59 seconds into the game and the thought was here we go again but Allen responded with a goal of their own just 48 seconds later. It turned out to be the first of three times Allen fell behind but came back.


- It was clear from the first period  that the Americans were playing better hockey at both ends of the ice and when there were defensive breakdowns goalie C.J. Motte came to the rescue. After the first period Allen was down 2-1 but out shot Cincinnati 10-9.


- I mentioned yesterday Allen was the only team in the ECHL that had not scored a shorthanded goal at home nor allowed a shorthanded goal at home. That changed in the second period when Zach Pochiro took a pass from Joel Chouinard as he was coming out of the penalty box and went in all alone and beat the goalie with a backhand shot.


- Pochiro's goal was the only goal of the second period so the third period started with a 2-2 tie. During the second intermission I couldn't help but think about the fact the Cyclones had allowed a league best 10 goals all season in the third period while Allen had allowed a league worst 48. When Cincinnati scored at the 14:34 mark of the third period on a fluky goal from the point it looked like the writing was on the wall for another defeat. However, the Americans would not be denied as Riley Bourbonnais scored after a scramble in front. Riley's extra attacker goal was scored with 9.8 seconds remaining in the game.


- The overtime produced great scoring chances for both teams. C.J. Motte made two game saving saves when Cyclone players were in all alone.


- Allen elected to go second in the shootout. Both players missed in the first round. Cincinnati missed their second round attempt which brought out Adam Miller who scored. C.J. Motte then stopped the Cyclones third attempt and the victory was sealed.


- It has been a long time since the Allen faithful have seen a win, December 4th to be exact. There were a lot of smiles all around after the game. Last night they were witness to more than a routine win. The excitement included scoring a goal 48 seconds after Cincinnati took the lead 59 seconds into the game, a shorthanded goal, an extra attacker goal with 9.8 seconds remaining to tie the score and a thrilling overtime period with end to end action. A shootout goal to win the game was the cherry on top. Job well done Allen Americans!


- Again, the Allen goals scorers were David Makowski (5), Zach Pochiro (15), and Riley Bourbonnais (6). Adam Miller got the shootout game winner but doesn't officially get credit for a goal. Why the rule is you can get credit for an empty net goal but not the game winning goal in a shootout is beyond me. Here are the Sporfie clips of the goals.

David Makowski - Adam Miller won the draw to Dante Salituro made the pass to Makowski at the blueline. David then did what he does best.






Zach Pochiro - Zach takes a pass from Joel Chouinard as he exits the penalty box and is off to the races. Notice his patience in holding the puck until he has the goalie out of position. The shorthanded goal was Allen's first at home all season.







Riley Bourbonnais - With the game winding down and C.J. Motte on the bench for an extra attacker, Spencer Asuchak and Zach Pochiro handle the puck behind the net and take all of the attention from the Cyclone players. Watch as Riley comes toward the net in the slot and finds the puck on his stick. He scores with 9.8 seconds remaining. Bourbonnais has played two games in Allen and has a goal in both.






Adam Miller - Adam got the game winner in a move he has used before. You may need to watch this replay a few times to see his move. It actually looks like he loses control of the puck as the goes from forehand to backhand but it is a planned play. Watch the goalie bite on the move as the puck slides into the net.






- Here is the game recap issued by the Cincinnati Cyclones: https://cycloneshockey.com/news/2018/12/vaive-s-pair-not-enough-as-cyclones-streak-snapped   



- Here are Steve Martinson's post game comments:

- When I stopped by coach Martinson's office after the game it was obvious he was pleased with the team's performance and was relieved to snap the losing streak. His first comment was, "I will finally get a better night's sleep." He went on to mention several factors that contributed to the win against the Cyclones, who had their best lineup in the game with two players back from assignments to their AHL affiliate. Martinson was pleased how the team worked hard, had fewer turnovers, avoided odd man rushes, defended better and received good goaltending.



REMATCH PREVIEW

- It is hard to overstate the importance of the win last night. The team needed some confidence and they proved to themselves they can play with the best teams in the ECHL with the win over Cincinnati. They need to back up their performance last night with another one tonight. If they could go into the Christmas break with two wins it would be a big boost going into the New Year.


- Special teams have been a positive for Allen in the first two games against the Cyclones. The Americans have killed seven of eight Cincinnati power play opportunities and added a shorthanded goal as well. Allen is 1-5 (20%) on the power play.


- It would be nice if Allen could score the first goal tonight. It has been almost a month since the Americans last scored the first goal of a game. They have scored first in only eight of their 32 games.


- After being outshot 44-25 on Wednesday the Americans narrowed the gap last night. After regulation time last night the shots still favored Cincinnati but by just two (29-27). A key to the game tonight is keeping the shots close.


OTHER COMMENTS

- There was a big scare in the first period when Alex Breton was hit in the arm while blocking a shot. He left the ice to be checked out by the doctor but returned and finished the game. Hopefully he will be okay and there are no complications from soreness or stiffness that typically happens overnight.


- Zach Pochiro had a goal and assist last night to extend his scoring streak to nine games. In those nine games he has 13 points (7G, 6A). His nine game point streak is currently the second longest in the ECHL.


- If you were disappointed when the linesmen stepped in to stop Zach Pochiro and Arvin Atwal from fighting early in the second period after both players removed their helmets, turns out it might have been a blessing in disguise for Allen. First, do you  really want your leading scorer fighting when you are missing so many players. Second, several Allen players who played in the Western Hockey League (WHL) commented that Atwal was a capable fighter. He had 29 fights in the WHL compared to nine for Pochiro. Just saying it may not have ended well for Zach. Thanks linesmen!


- Allen is 5-15 in shootout attempts this season led by Adam Miller who is 2-2. The other shootout goal scorers are Braylon Shmyr (1-5), Dante Salituro (1-3) and departed Chad Butcher (1-1).


- Around the Mountain Division last night Tulsa continued their free fall losing their ninth straight game. Kansas City beat the Oilers 6-1. Another lopsided win was by Utah who were on the road in Idaho and beat the Steelheads 5-1. Finally, Rapid City came from behind to beat Wichita 4-3 in a shootout. It is the same schedule tonight. Here are the standings with games played in parentheses.

36 points - Utah (26 games)
33 points - Idaho (28 games)
33 points - Rapid City (31 games)
32 points - Kansas City (26 games) 
32 points - Tulsa (28 games)
30 points - Wichita (29 games)
16 points - Allen (32 games)

   


DID YOU KNOW: Three of Allen's seven wins this season have come in shootouts. They have been in five shootouts with a record of 3-2. The Americans have the best shootout record in the Mountain Division. Only two teams are above .500 in shootouts, Rapid City is 4-3 and Allen is 3-2. The worst shootout record this season is Tulsa at 0-2. Tulsa has lost 13 straight shootouts and haven't won in a shootout since December 10, 2016. In that win it took seven rounds and 14 attempts for Tulsa to come out the winner. 

Allen vs Cincinnati Game Two Preview, Steve Martinson's Post Game Comments Revisited, Free Premium Level Tickets, Attendance and More

Tonight (7:05 pm) at the Allen Event Center (AEC) the Allen Americans take on the Cincinnati Cyclones in game two of their three game series. Game one on Wednesday saw the Cyclones break a 2-2 tie with four unanswered goals in the third period to take a 6-2 victory.


- At this point given Allen's record of eight straight losses and losing 21 of their last 24 games maybe the question isn't what do the Americans have to do to win the game. Consider Allen will be taking on the Cyclones who have more points (41) than any other team in the league, have the best winning percentage in the ECHL (.759) and have won seven straight games. Maybe the focus should be on playing the right way, back checking, taking pride in defense, avoiding neutral zone turnovers, staying out of the penalty box, finishing checks, driving the net and working hard. If the Americans could accomplish those goals a win should follow but if they still lose you just tip your hat to a better team. A Vince Lombardi quote captures this best, "The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand and the determination that whether you win or lose, you have applied the best of yourselves to the task at hand."


- I don't want to repeat the litany of stats that show the contrasts between Allen and Cincinnati that has the Cyclones ranked #1 in the ECHL and the Americans ranked #27 but a couple of stats stand out and bear repeating.

Cincinnati is the best defensive team in the ECHL allowing an average of 2.19 goals per game, 59 goals in 27 games. Allen is the worst defensive team in the ECHL allowing an average of 4.06 goals per game, 126 goals in 31 games. If you look just at third period scoring the Cyclones have allowed just 10 third period goals all season and have a third period goal differential of +25. Allen has allowed a league worst 48 goals in the third period and have a third period goal differential of -19.

Cincinnati scores an average of 3.78 goals per game, Allen averages 2.45 goals per game.

Cincinnati's goalies have a combined save percentage of .923, Allen's combined save percentage is .891.


- In game one Cincinnati out shot Allen 44-25. If you combine that with the disparity in shooting percentage between these teams it becomes a real problem. The Cyclones shooting percentage this season is 12.2% so their six goals on 44 shots (13.6%) was right in line. The same was true for Allen who have a 7.7% shooting percentage this season so their two goals on 25 shots (8.0%) was also right in line. The takeaway is the Americans will have trouble winning even if the shots are even given the big difference in shooting percentages. If Allen gets out shot like they did on Wednesday they will not win.


- One positive from the game on Wednesday for the Americans is special teams. Allen took just five penalties in the game and matched the Cyclones as each team had one power play goal. Allen was 1-3 and Cincinnati was 1-4. As good as Cincinnati has been this season their road power play percentage is ranked #24 in the league at 10.7%. The Americans can use this to their advantage in the game tonight.


- Two Allen roster changes for tonight's game are Mitch Maloney back in the lineup after being a health scratch on Wednesday and Garrett Clarke on the sidelines with an upper body injury.


- Not that they need any more firepower but Cincinnati had two players reassigned to them by their AHL affiliate (Rochester Americans) yesterday. Forward Myles Powell, 18 points (10G, 8A) in 17 games leads the Cyclones in points per game (1.06) and defenseman Devante Stephens, 15 points (5G, 10A) in 24 games and leads the team in plus/minus (+22) have joined the Cyclones for the final two games in Allen. 


- The referee scheduled for the game is Andrea Barone (#13). The linesman will be Michael Miggins (#47) and Trent Williams (#0).



OTHER COMMENTS

- After listening to Steve Martinson's post game comments to the season ticket holders and spending close to an hour with him in his office after the game on Wednesday several themes came through that are worth sharing.

1. The idea of talking about and planning for next season is not part of Steve Martinson's thinking. His total focus is about winning this season. With 25 home games remaining, Martinson is going to do whatever he can to win this season. He will continue to grind to get the team on a winning track.

2. Doing whatever is necessary to win includes roster changes going forward. If players are unwilling to work hard and don't have the right approach on and off the ice they will be replaced. When you have the worst record in the league players aren't interested in coming to Allen so it complicates trying to improve the roster through free agent signings or recruiting players in Europe. Trades are the main option.

3. There is no room for excuses for how this season has gone and that is very clear when you spend time with coach Martinson. He takes this season personally and losing is harder on him than anyone else. He takes responsibility for what has happened but doesn't dwell on it as he is laser focused on making it better. Remember, this is uncharted waters for Martinson. In his 23 years coaching AA hockey he has never finished a season with a winning percentage lower than .542 and even in the one season his team didn't make the playoffs he had a winning percentage of .556.

4. You can't emphasize enough there is no quit in this coach. He mentioned after the game on Wednesday he was going to do something he hadn't done in many years by having the team watch the entire game with him after practice on Thursday. Typically Martinson breaks down the game tape and shares clips with the players. Having the team watch the entire game with him is just another approach searching for improvement. As he said to me, "You do video with the idea of correcting mistakes and getting better, we will see if it works."


- Here is an interesting stat with some symmetry. Since joining the ECHL Allen has played Cincinnati four times. The Americans record in those four games is 1-1-1-1.


- I get asked frequently about the impact on attendance from the losing season. Allen's home record is 2-9-0-0. The attendance over the first 11 home games has averaged 3716 which is within a 100 of the same period last season. The Americans typically have larger crowds after the first of the year when football season is over. The Americans average attendance last season was 4082 which placed them midpack (15th) in the league. In order to match last year's attendance numbers the Americans will have to average 4434 per game for the remaining 25 home games.


- The Mountain Division is really competitive this season and there are some great matchups this weekend. Wichita is at Rapid City, Tulsa is at Kansas City and Utah is at Idaho for games tonight and Saturday. I know I will be doing some scoreboard watching. 


- I have four FREE premium level club tickets (second level) for the Allen game on New Year's eve (Monday, December 31) at 6:05 pm against Tulsa. Note the early start time. I will have a drawing for the tickets tomorrow afternoon, notify the winner and leave the tickets at will call. If you are interested let me know by email (janssenfamily@msn.com). All I need is your name and whether you are interested in two or four tickets. The tickets are on the upper level in the end of the rink where the Zamboni enters the ice. Good luck!


DID YOU KNOW: Allen is the only team in the ECHL that has not scored a shorthanded goal at home nor allowed a shorthanded goal at home. Jacksonville leads the ECHL with seven shorthanded goals scored at home. Four teams (Brampton, Atlanta, Orlando, Rapid City) are tied for the most shorthanded goals allowed at home (4).      

Another Loss for Allen, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson's Post Game Comments, Third Period Goals Stat and More

When the best team in the ECHL (Cincinnati) plays the worst team in the ECHL (Allen) it is not a surprise when the result is a 6-2 win for Cincinnati. That is what happened last night before a Wednesday night crowd of 3148 at the Allen Event Center. It was the seventh straight win for the Cyclones and the eighth straight loss for the Americans.


Unfortunately the game last night had a ring that is all too familiar this season:

- Cincinnati scored the first goal of the game. It was the 10th straight game Allen has given up the first goal of the game. In 31 games this season Allen has given up the first goal 23 times. The Americans record in those 23 games is 2-20-0-1.

- Cincinnati out shot Allen 44-25. Allen has been out shot in 23 of their 31 games. The Americans record when being out shot is 4-18-0-1.

- Cincinnati had the lead (2-1) after the first period. It was the 15th time in 31 games Allen was trailing after the first period. The Americans record in those 15 games is 2-12-0-1.

- Allen did a good job staying out of the penalty box but still gave up more power play opportunities (4) than they received (3). In the last seven games, all loses, Allen has had more penalty minutes than their opponent.

- Allen's scoring slump continued as they scored just two goals for the third straight game. Allen hasn't scored more than three goals in a game the entire month of December. During the current eight game losing streak the Americans are averaging 2.25 goals per game.

- Allen allowed six goals last night, the third time during the losing streak they have allowed six goals. Over the last eight games, all losses, the Americans have allowed an average 4.88 per game.


- In the game preview yesterday I wrote, "If the game is close going into the third period Allen may be in trouble. The Americans have given up the most third period goals in the league (40) while the Cyclones have given up the fewest goals in the third period (10)." This stat proved prophetic as Cincinnati blew the game open in the third period outscoring Allen 4-0.


- To Allen's credit they did come back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the score 2-2 before the third period disaster. Adam Miller scored his eighth goal of the season at the end of the first period and Riley Bourbonnais scored late in the second period. It was Riley's first goal for Allen and came in his first game with the Americans. Riley's goal was a power play goal. Here are the Sporfie clips on the Allen goals:

Adam Miller - Good play by Zach Pochiro drawing the defense and making a saucer pass just as the defenseman goes down. Adam stops the pass with his skates and then puts the puck in the net.





Riley Bourbonnais - A rink long rush by Alex Breton leads to this goal by Bournonnais. Three things to look for on this goal. The skating ability of Breton who skates end to end and blows by the defense. The pass Alex makes to Bourbonnais and how Riley scores by going to the net.






 - Here is the game recap issued by the Cincinnati Cyclones: https://cycloneshockey.com/news/2018/12/cyclones-roll-to-win-in-texas-opener


- Here is a four minute highlight package showing the goals, some great saves and the Garrett Clarke fight. Clarke did not return after the fight as he suffered an upper body injury that will keep him out of the lineup.

STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS

- Riley Bourbonnais was one of the bright spots tonight. He scored a goal, made some plays and showed some speed.

- We didn't show enough speed tonight which was disappointing. I thought we had a little bit more speed back in the lineup but some of our guys just didn't use their speed.

- In the third period we had a weak play off the faceoff and just got out muscled, we had a turnover right in front of our net, and then we had another play when we didn't get the puck in deep. We had multiple mistakes in the third period. It is painful to watch. Their third line scored a power play goal.

- Our defense was tired. We had one guy sick, one guy is not ready to play and Clarke got hurt so it is one thing after another. We looked tired in the third period and we just got out skated.

- I am going to do something I haven't done in years tomorrow. I am going to watch the entire game with the whole team. I spend hours on this stuff so I am going let them stay here tomorrow afternoon and watch the game with me. I will have some things marked ahead of time but they can see what it is like. They can see what I see and give me their comments and I will give them mine.

- We got that goal at the end of the second period to tie the score so I thought we would have some life in the third period. They just generated more speed. It is bad enough to lose, you just feel bad for our goalie who just gets back and we play like sh..!

- Guys we are paying to make some plays and generate some offense didn't do much tonight and that is frustrating. We looked tired in the third period and Cincinnati generated more offense.

- Mitch Maloney sat out tonight and he will be back in the lineup on Friday.

- Jeremy Brodeur got claimed by Norfolk. I told Jeremy if he didn't get claimed I had a job for him lined up in Pensacola (SPHL). I talked to him about Riley Gill going to the SPHL to get his game back and went on to win three championships. 




OTHER COMMENTS

- Rookie Alex Breton assisted on both Allen goals last night and now has 23 points (5G, 18A). He is second on the team in points and second in the ECHL in points by a defenseman. Alex has twice as many power play assists than any other Allen player. I am sure he will be the Allen representative on the ECHL all-star team which showcases young talent around the league. It would be nice to see Iowa sign Breton to an AHL deal before some other AHL team comes calling.


- How bad is the losing this season? The two longest losing streaks in Allen Americans history, eight games, have happened in the last 53 days. Allen has now lost 21 of their last 24 games. The Americans winning percentage is now at .226. The lowest winning percentage (full season) in ECHL history is .227.


- The Christmas break (December 24-26) can't get here soon enough for the Allen Americans. Getting away from hockey for three days is sorely needed with the mindset of this team right now. It is no magic bullet but it can only help given the way the team has played.


- With Allen out of the playoff picture and the top six Mountain Division teams separated by just five points this weekend has some interesting match ups that could see some shifts in the standings. Wichita is at Rapid City, Tulsa is at Kansas City and Utah is at Idaho for games on Friday and Saturday.


- There have been 13 hat tricks in the ECHL thus far this season. Braylon Shmyr is the only Allen player with a hat trick. His was the first of the season back on October 19.


- There have been 31 shutouts in the ECHL thus far this season. Allen has been part of five on them. The Americans have been shutout three times and C.J. Motte has recorded two shutouts which is tied for the second most in the league. 



DID YOU KNOW: There is no stat that talks more to the difference between Allen and Cincinnati than third period goals allowed. Here are the best and worst in goals allowed in the third period. You can see just how good the Cyclones are and how bad the Americans are, compared to the rest of the ECHL.

Fewest 3rd Period goals
10 - Cincinnati
15 - Idaho
19 - Rapid City
21 - Florida
22 - Tulsa

Most 3rd period goals
48 - Allen
33 - Fort Wayne
33 - South Carolina
33 - Wichita
31 - Brampton



 
 

Roster Update, Allen vs Cincinnati Series Preview, Foes Become Teammates Story, Martinson's 1000th Win and More

If lineup changes will help snap the Allen Americans seven game losing streak they should have a good chance when they take on the Cincinnati Cyclones tonight at the Allen Event Center. Here is a list of  who is in, who is out and other roster updates:

C.J. Motte - Motte arrived back in Allen yesterday afternoon after spending the last month with the Iowa Wild (AHL). He played three times in Iowa winning one game and losing twice in overtime with a GAA of 2.96 and save percentage of .901. His save percentage in Allen is .912. When he has been in goal for the Americans their record is 4-6-0-2. When he hasn't been in goal the Americans record is 2-17-0-0.

Jeremy Brodeur - It was a foregone conclusion that when Motte returned to Allen either Brodeur or Kyle Hayton would be released. Steve Martinson made the decision Jeremy would be released and that happened after practice yesterday. A fan favorite who always seems to have a smile on his face, it is difficult to see players like Brodeur move on. Jeremy posted this on social media, "Thank you Allen Americans for my first pro experience, gunna miss it!" It will be known today if any ECHL teams claims Jeremy off the waiver wire and if he isn't claimed he will become a free agent.

Keven Sundher - Kevin will be in the lineup tonight for the first time since he suffered an injury in that crazy game against Wichita on October 20. Sundher will bring some much needed speed to the lineup.

Riley Bourbonnais - Riley was acquired in a trade with Maine for Greg Chase. He was at practice yesterday (wearing number 23) and will play on one of the top two lines tonight. Coach Martinson has stated one of the reasons he traded for Riley was his penalty kill ability so look for him in that role tonight.

David Makowski -  After missing all three games in Reading while serving a three game suspension,  Makowski will be back in the lineup tonight. Allen needs Makowski in the lineup and out of the penalty box to be successful.

Mike Gunn - Mike will not play tonight as he will be serving the first of a two game suspension for an illegal check to the head in the game against Reading on Sunday.

Alex Ranger - Alex will not play as he is out with an upper body injury suffered when he was cross-checked head first into the boards in the first Reading game on Friday. Ranger will not play in any of the games this week.

Josh Atkinson - Josh participated in practice yesterday wearing the non-contact yellow jersey. That means he is getting close to returning to the lineup. Best case scenario would be after the Christmas break but the first of the year may be more likely.

Thomas Frazee - Thomas was also practicing yesterday wearing a yellow non-contact jersey. He too looked like he is getting close to returning to the lineup. Frazee hasn't been able to skate so it will take a while to get back in playing shape.


ALLEN VS CINCINNATI SERIES PREVIEW

- There could not be a wider gap in stats when comparing Allen and Cincinnati so if you just go by stats Allen will get beaten easily in this three game series. Luckily players decide the outcome, not the stats. Nevertheless, here is the unvarnished truth about how these teams have performed this season:

Points:                 Cincinnati #1 (39), Allen #27 (14)
Winning %:         Cincinnati #1 (.750), Allen #27 (.233)
Goals scored;      Cincinnati #2 (96), Allen #24 (74)
Goals allowed:    Cincinnati #1 (57), Allen #27 (120)
Penalty minutes: Cincinnati #13 (368), Allen #2, (640)
Penalty kill:        Cincinnati #1 (89.1%), Allen #22 (80.7%)
Power play:        Cincinnati #23 (12.7%), Allen #19 (15.3%)


- Cincinnati arrives in Allen with a six game winning streak and in those six games have allowed just nine goals (1.50 per game). Allen has lost seven straight and in those seven games has a total of 16 goals (2.29 per game). It will be a tough task for Allen, who has trouble scoring goals, to get enough goals against the best defensive team in the ECHL to overcome the porous Americans defense that has allowed 33 goals (4.71 per game) in the last seven games.


- Allen is #17 in the league in average shots per game at 31.37. Surprisingly, Cincinnati is ranked #22 averaging 30.15 shots per game. What makes the difference is the Cyclones convert on 12.1% of their shots compared to Allen at 7.7%.


- Allen's power play at home has been one of the worst in the league at 10.9%. However, Cincinnati has been even worse on the road at 9.6%. The penalty kill is a different story with Allen at 80.4% at home compared to Cincinnati's 91.4% on the road. The Americans typically give up more power play opportunities than they get as they lead the ECHL with 180 minor penalties. Cincinnati has taken 114 minor penalties. When it comes to fighting majors Cincinnati has 20 with nine different players with at least one. Allen has had 10 fighting majors (five in one game) with five different players dropping the gloves.


- It is hard to emphasize more the importance of scoring first. During the current seven game losing streak Allen did not score the first goal once. The Americans record isn't great when they do score first (4-3-0-1) but it is a lot better than when they don't score first (2-19-0-1). Cincinnati's record when scoring first is 14-2-2-0.


- As is always the case goalie play will be a big part of this series and it is another stat that favors the Cyclones. In Micheal Houser, Cincinnati has the top ECHL goalie in GAA (1.78) and save percentage (.938). Allen may go with C.J. Motte in all three games and he has a good save percentage (.912) but he has played in only three games in the last month.


- If the game is close going into the third period Allen may be in trouble. The Americans have given up the most third period goals in the league (40) while the Cyclones have given up the fewest goals  in the third period (10).


- If you are looking for an encouraging stat this is it. Cincinnati's home record is 12-0-2-1 but on the road they are just 6-5-0-0. Allen leads the league in losses (22) but are 2-2 in their last four home games. Here are a few quotes that apply to Allen for this series and the rest of the season:

"Whenever you feel like giving up, think of all of the people that love to see you fail"

"It's not about talent. It is about heart. It is about who can go out there and play the hardest. They are not going to give you anything. You gotta go out there and you gotta take it"

"You can't control the minutes you play but you can control how you play in the minutes you get"

"Real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That is real glory"

"Don't be upset by the results you didn't get with the work you didn't do"

"Don't quit. You are already in pain. Your are already hurt. Get a reward from it"



OTHER COMMENTS

- There was just one game in the ECHL last night as Wichita was at home and beat Kansas City 5-2. With the win Wichita now has 29 points and moved 15 points ahead of last place Allen. There are now six teams competing for the four playoff spots in the Mountain Division. First place Utah is just five points ahead of sixth place Wichita. There is just one point difference between each team from first to sixth place.


- Here is a story about former Allen player Dyson Stevenson about being teammates with players they have fought in the past. I know Dyson helped recruit players to Allen that he had fought in juniors. Dyson fought Tanner Eberle several times in juniors and also had tilts with former Allen players, Jessey Astles, Harrison Ruopp and Travis Brown. In this article, "Foes Become Teammates" Dyson talks about one of his current teammates and also shares the story about fighting his good friend, Vincent Arseneau. https://www.echl.com/en/news/2018/12/foes-become-teammates-wichita-thunder


- Talk about friends fighting one another this one between Stevenson and Eberle is a classic from their junior days back in 2014.

- The Allen roster has changed a lot from the beginning of the season. The Americans started the season as one of the youngest teams in the league and they are now transformed into one of the oldest. They are the eighth oldest team in the ECHL with an average age of 26.50. The youngest team is Newfoundland (24.73) and the oldest is Tulsa (28.90).


DID YOU KNOW: I don't think anyone was surprised when Allen had a slow start to the season but nobody saw what has transpired happening. My idea of a bad season was always .500. Now the Americans have a winning percentage of .233 and are on pace to finish the season with around 34 points.

Steve Martinson started the season needing 22 wins to reach the 1000 win milestone and there was little doubt he would reach the 1000 mark in January or earlier.  Now, if the Americans don't pick up the pace the 1000th win won't come this season. The Americans will need a record of 16-26, which is a winning percentage of .380, the rest of the season to reach 22 wins and get Martinson his 1000th victory.

 Here is a list of the regular season points Allen has earned in each season since they were established. Remember the first five season in the CHL they played 66 games compared to the last five seasons in the ECHL when they play 72 games. The playoff finish is in parentheses.

34 points  -   2018-19 (out of playoffs) - based on current pace
78 points  -   2017-18 (lost in first round)
104 points -  2016-17 (lost in second round)
89 points  -   2015-16 (won championship)
106 points -  2014-15 (won championship)
83 points  -   2013-14 (won championship)
87 points  -   2012-13 (won championship)
87 points  -   2011-12 (lost in first round)
97 points  -   2010-11 (lost in conference finals)
89 points  -   2009-10 (lost in championship finals)

Practice Update, Roster Update, Individual and Team Stats Leaders, Update on Former Allen Players Now in Europe & More

The Allen Americans have a practice day today as they get ready for three home games (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday) against the best team in the ECHL, the Cincinnati Cyclones. I will have a complete series preview tomorrow but here is one stat about Allen and Cincinnati that more than any other explains why one is the best in the league and one is the worst. That one stat is goals allowed. Cincinnati is ranked #1 in goals allowed. The Cyclones have allowed 57 goals this season, an average of 2.19 per game. Allen is ranked #27 in goals allowed. The Americans have allowed 120 goals this season, an average of 4.00 goals per game.


- Allen will get some reinforcements in the lineup ahead of the series with Cincinnati. Coach Martinson has already mentioned Kevin Sundher should return to the lineup. Sundher has played just two games all season and hasn't played since October 20. David Makowski will be back in the lineup after completing his three game suspension but Mike Gunn was suspended for two games yesterday (illegal check to the head). Newly acquired forward Riley Bourbonnais will see his first action for the Americans on Wednesday.


- I will get an update after practice today on the status of Josh Atkinson and Thomas Frazee who both under went surgery to repair injuries and should be getting close to returning to the ice. Finally, I will see if there is any update on the return of goalie C.J. Motte who has been in Iowa because of an injury to one of their goalies.


INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS AND TEAM STATS


- Haven't done this for a while so thought it might be instructive to take a look at Allen's stats leaders after 30 games. Below are the team leaders in various statistical categories with the league rank in parentheses:

Points:
23 - Zach Pochiro (34th)
21 - Spencer Asuchak (49th)
21 - Alex Breton (49th)


Goals:
14 - Zach Pochiro (5th)
9 - Spencer Asuchak (50th)
7 - Braylon Shmyr (87th)
7 - Adam Miller (87th)


Assists:
16 - Alex Breton (20th)
12 - Spencer Asuchak (65th)
12 - Braylon Shmyr (65th)


Plus/Minus: (No players are plus)
-1 - Josh Thrower (456th)
-1 - Adam Miller (456th))


Penalty Minutes:
82 - David Makowski (5th)
69 - Dalton Thrower (13th)
61 - Zach Pochiro (20th)


Fighting Majors:
3 - Josh Thrower (21st)
3 - Zach Pochiro (21st)
2 - Jake Doty 
 

Shots On Goal:
86 - Dante Salituro (21st)
78 - Zach Pochiro (31st)
75 - David Makowski (38th) 


Points by Defensemen
21 - Alex Breton (2nd)
12 - David Makowski (35th)
11 - Joel Chouinard (41st)


Goals by Defensemen
5 - Alex Breton (8th)
4 - David Makowski (18th)
3- Joel Chouinard (29th)


Assists by Defensemen
16 - Alex Breton (4th)
8 - Joel Chouinard (38th)
8 - David Makowski (38th)


Save Percentage
.912 - C.J. Motte (16th)
.888 - Jeremy Brodeur (40th)
.887 - Kyle Hayton (41st)



-  Here is how the Americans rank in the ECHL in some critical statistical categories:

Goal differential - 27th (-46)
Shot differential - 26th (-155)
Average PIMS per game - 2nd (21.33)
Minor penalties - 1st (180)
Power play % - 19th (15.3%)
Penalty kill % - 23rd (80.7%)
Ave. goals scored - 25th (2.47)
Ave. goals allowed - 27th (4.00)
Ave. shots for per game - 17th (31.37)
Ave. shots against per game - 26th (36.53)
Shooting percentage - 25th (7.7%)
Team save percentage - 25th (.892)


The team stats tell the story. When you are at or near the bottom of the list in every statistical category (except penalty categories) there is little wonder why Allen is #27 in points (14) and #27 is winning percentage (.233)


FORMER PLAYER UPDATE

I get asked frequently about players from the past that are playing in Europe. Here is an update on some of the them with a photo in their current jersey. I didn't have much choice on a couple of the photos.

Chad Costello - Chad is playing for the Krefeld Pinguine in the top league in Germany (DEL). Chad leads his team in scoring with 26 points (11G, 15A) in 28 games. He is eighth in the DEL in scoring. Krefeld is in 10th place in the 14 team league.

Chad Costello

Colton Yellow Horn - Colton played on the very first Allen Americans team in 2009-10. He has played professional hockey all over the world from Japan to Hungary to the Czech Republic. This season he is in playing for a team in Austria, Graz 99ers. Colton leads his team in points with 34 (14G, 20A) in 28 games. He is tied for third in the league (EBEL) in scoring. The Graz 99ers are currently in fourth place in the12 team EBEL.

Colton Yellow Horn

Kale Kerbashian - Kale is spending his first year playing in Europe. He plays for HK Nitra in the Slovakian League. He has played in only 18 games and has 20 points (7G, 13A). He leads his team in points per game (1.11). HK Nitra is in fifth place in the 13 team league.

Kale Kerbashian

Judd Blackwater - Judd is a teammate of Kerbashian at HK Nitra. He is second on the team in scoring with 33 points (18G, 15A) in 33 games.

Judd Blackwater

Alex Guptill - Alex is playing in England for the Nottingham Panthers. He has the most points of any former Allen players playing overseas. Alex has 39 points (23G, 12A) in 33 games. He leads his team in scoring and is eighth in the league (EIHL). Nottingham is in second place in the 11 team league.

Alex Guptill

Rick Pinkston - After spending the first three years of his pro career in the ECHL and AHL, Rick headed to Europe this season. He plays in Scotland for the Fife Flyers who play in the EIHL. Pinkston has 17 points (2G, 15A) in 27 games. He is second in scoring among defensemen and his plus/minus of +11 is second on the team. Fife is in fourth place in the 11 team EIHL.

Rick Pinkston

Alex Lavoie - After a couple of years playing in Scandinavia (Sweden & Finland) Alex is playing in Austria for HC Innsbruck in the EBEL. Alex has 18 points (5G, 13A) in 26 games which is seventh on his team in scoring. HC Innsbruck is in ninth place in the 12 team EBEL.

Alex Lavoie

Jonathan Lessard - Jonathan is playing for Bordeaux in the French League. He has 16 points (8G, 8A) to go along with 77 penalty minutes in 23 games. He is fourth on the team in scoring and first in penalty minutes. Bordeaux is in fourth place in the 12 team Ligue Magnus.

Jonathan Lessard

Tanner Eberle - Tanner is also spending his first season in Europe playing for the Sheffield Steelers (England) in the EIHL.  He has 13 points (5G, 8A) in 27 games which is seventh on the team in scoring. Tanner has 50 penalty minutes which leads the team. Sheffield is in sixth place in the 11 team EIHL.

Tanner Eberle

Jack Combs - Jack is playing for EHC Kloten in the second tier Swiss League. He signed late and has played in only seven games but already has nine points (4G, 5A). EHC Kloten is in sixth place in the 11 team league.

Jack Combs

Josh Brittain - Josh is playing for Deggendorfer SC in the DEL2 which is the second tier league in Germany. He has 13 points (6G, 7A) in 27 games which is seventh on the team in scoring. Josh has 32 penalty minutes which is third on the team. Deggendorfer SC is in last place in the 14 team DEL2.

Josh Brittain

Greger Hanson - Greger is a teammate of Chad Costello on the Krefeld Pinguine in the top German league (DEL). It has been a tough season for Greger who has spent most of the season on the third or fourth line. He has five points (3G, 2A) in 26 games. He is 15th on the team in scoring. Krefeld is in 10th place in the 14 team league.

Greger Hanson

DID YOU KNOW: Last season Allen had two impact players, Olivier Archambault and Vincent Arseneau that were called up to AHL teams and earned themselves AHL contracts. Archambault was averaging 1.63 points per game when he left the Americans. Arseneau was as tough to play against as any player in the ECHL to go along with 32 points (18G, 14A) in 38 games when he left. This season has been a difficult one for both Archambault and Arseneau. They are in the lineup now but have missed many games because of injury and in Arseneau's case a few games as a healthy scratch. It is hard to believe but they have only played in nine games (Arseneau) and six games (Archambault) all season. In the 15 games (combined) they have no goals and just two assists. Hopefully the rest of the season goes better for Olivier, Vinny and the Allen Americans.     

Reading Sweeps Allen, Game Recap, Steve Martinson's Comments, Road Trip Recap, Fan Feedback & More

The rivalry between the two Jack Gulati owned teams turned out to be not much of a rivalry after all. The first ever series between Allen and Reading turned into a three game sweep by the Royals with a 5-2 win before a Sunday afternoon crowd of 2236 at Santander Arena.


- There were four keys to the game and the Americans failed on all four:

1. Get off to a good start. For the 22nd time in 30 games this season Allen allowed the first goal. The Americans record in those 22 games is 2-19-0-1. To their credit the Americans did come back last night after giving up the first goal and actually took a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. From that point Reading scored four unanswered goals.

2. Stay out of the penalty box. Allen had 30 penalty minutes compared to eight for Reading. More importantly was a disparity in power play opportunities. The Americans were 0-2 on the power play, Reading was 2-6.

3. Play better defense - Once again Allen gave up five goals. In the three games against Reading the Americans allowed 14 goals (4.67 per game). 

4. Score even strength - Both Allen goals came even strength but they could only manage two. Over the three games against the Royals the Americans managed just seven goals (2.33 per game) and scored only three goals even strength.


- Goal scorers for Allen were Spencer Asuchak (9) and Adam Miller (7). Zach Pochiro assisted on Miller's goal to keep his point streak alive. Zach has at least one point in seven straight games with a total of 10 points (6G, 4A).


- Here is the game recap issued by the Allen Americans:  https://allenamericans.com/americans-cant-hold-the-lead-as-reading-completes-weekend-sweep/


- Here is the game recap issued by the Reading Royals: https://royalshockey.com/en/news/2018/9/royals-sweep-3-in-3-with-americans-to-win-sixth-straight-5-2


- I had a chance to check in with Steve Martinson as the team was busing to Philadelphia for an early morning flight back to DFW. I heard Tommy Daniels say on the broadcast last night it was going to be an early start (3:00 am) and the team will arrive home around 10:30 am. Coach Martinson had this to say about the game, "Another game we could have won. It hurt to be down to four defensemen after playing four games in five days. Gunn's hit was legal but we talked about being safe on hits going into the third period. Then Clarke had to give his really important opinion again and took a misconduct penalty. The defense got tired and their forwards were faster and we struggled. We also didn't do much five-on-five on offense."


ROAD TRIP RECAP

Allen ended their six game road trip without a win and had the same problems in all six games. To start with they gave up the first goal in all six games. Here are some other stats that make the point:


- Allen didn't score more than three goals in any of the six games. Their opponents scored four or more goals in five of the six games. Allen was outscored in the six games 27-13. That is an average of 2.17 goals scored and 4.50 goals allowed.


- Allen was outshot in all six games. The total was 205-174. 


- Allen never had more power play opportunities than their opponents on this six game road trip. The Americans had 25 power play chances while the opponents had 41. Allen scored five power play goals (three in one game) while their opponents scored 10 power play goals. Allen was 5-25 (20%) on the power play, their opponents were 10-41 (24.4%).


- In the six road games Allen had 45 penalties for 159 penalty minutes. Their opponents took 31 penalties for a total of 70 penalty minutes.


- With stats like those above you can see why it is tough to win a game. Unfortunately the stats during this six game road trip are reflective of  the same problems Allen has encountered the entire season. The question is can they turn this around.


OTHER COMMENTS


- With the loss last night in Reading the Americans extended their losing streak to seven games. It is hard to believe in the last 51 days Allen has had the two longest losing streaks ever. An eight game losing streak from October 28-November 16 and now a seven game losing streak from December 5- December 16. The current seven game losing streak could get longer as the Americans play three games this week (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday) against the Cincinnati Cyclones who have the best record in the ECHL with 39 points and a winning percentage of .750.


- Each day I come across a different stat that drives home to me just how bad this season has become for the Allen Americans. I didn't notice this one until this morning. Allen has scored 48 goals on the road and allowed 79 for a goal differential of -31. There are 11 ECHL teams that have allowed fewer goals all season (home and away) than Allen has allowed on the road.


- Allen's chances of getting out of last place in the Mountain Division are fading fast because sixth place Wichita is 6-3-0-1 in the last 10 games while the Americans have lost seven straight. Wichita is currently in sixth place but they are closer to first place (seven points) than seventh place (13 points).


- The last four Kelly Cups have been won by tough physical teams that were at the top of the penalty minutes list. With Colorado in the AHL and Allen out of contention could this be the season the Kelly Cup champion is not a high penalty/physical team. Here are the top five teams in the ECHL (winning percentage) with their rank in penalty minutes:

Cincinnati - #13
Toledo - #22
Newfoundland - #23
Florida - #15
Utah - #10


- Yesterday I wrote about how difficult it must be to read the blog each day when there is little good news to report, even for those that are big supporters of the Allen Americans. Everyone was prepared for a down season but nobody saw this season coming. I heard from many Allen fans after the blog post yesterday but this one from Mike captures the spirit of the Allen fans that I know and what this year is all about. Here is Mike's comment to me, "If you are committed enough to keep blogging through this "amazing" collapse, then I'm committed enough to keep reading them. Call me a masochist, but I kind of feel obligated to see this season through, to keep watching on the off chance that this team manages to steal a win. It feels like a karmic debt I owe for the four back-to-back championships to which we were treated."



 - Here is part of an email I received from another fan (and friend), Howard, who was more concerned about the players and coach than winning and losing. "Barry, thanks for your continuing effort on the blog. Just read today's entry and am glad to report that I am one of the 700 who read it every day. As the season has progressed (I am one of the realists who, like you, gave up on making the playoffs long ago) my concern has now turned toward the team. Not being an athlete, I cannot imagine how difficult this must be for the coach and players. I cannot relate how they play with any sense of enjoyment but being professionals I am sure they do. How will this season impact them? Will they doubt their abilities next season? Will they decide to hang up the skates? Are they looking for new opportunities to leave Allen in the dust? Will other players pass up Allen next year as a way to further their careers? Most of all I worry about coach Martinson. He has obviously faced adversity before but I am sure this season is exceptionally hard on him. I guess the same questions I have for the players apply to him. Oddly, in one way, knowing that the playoffs are out of the picture there is less stress in following the team. I believe it will afford us the chance to watch individuals and focus on their play and not focus so much on the outcome of the game. But don't get me wrong, winning would be nice."            


DID YOU KNOW: With all of the losing including seven in a row, eight of the last nine, 12 of the last 14 and 20 of the last 23 there is a silver lining. The Allen Americans are 2-2-0-0 at home in the last month. 

Another Loss Brings Losing Streak to Six, Game Recap, Martinson's Comments, Rematch Preview, How Big is the Hole Now & Startling ECHL Plus/Minus Stats

I want to start this morning by thanking you for hanging in as this historic season seems to go from bad to worse each week. I know it has to be difficult to read the blog each day when there is little good news to report. I can sense interest waning as the team falls further and further behind. Since I love stats the proof is in the pudding and they show fewer people visiting the blog as the losses mount. In past seasons there would be over 1000 pageviews each day, now it is more like 700. I know many of you will be on board even if the team loses the rest of their games but it is understandable when fans need to take a break. I plan to do the same as I will be heading back to North Dakota on another pheasant hunt between Christmas and New Years. Once 2019 arrives I will try and do more stories about the Americans that will be fun and enjoyable rather the litany of stats that show just how bad this season is on the ice. There is also hope and I am a believer that better days are ahead for the Americans and fans can still look forward to some entertaining home games with plenty of victories.


- The Allen Americans lost their sixth straight game last night falling to the Reading Royals 4-2 before a Saturday night crowd of 4183 at Santander Arena. It was the second loss in as many nights against the Royals. Game three of the series is this afternoon with a 4:00 pm CST puck drop.


- In the last 50 days the Americans have managed just three wins squeezed between losing streaks of eight games, four games, one game and now six games and counting. In the previous four seasons combined, Allen had one six game losing streak and two four game losing steaks.


- The formula for defeat remains the same game after game and it was true to form again last night. Allen gave up the first goal for the 20th time in 28 games this season. The Americans record when they don't score first is now 2-18-0-1.


- Allen was out shot 27-16 in the first two periods and 36-29 for the game. Being out shot is as common for the Americans as allowing the first goal. They have been out shot in 21 of their 28 games.


- Allen added to their league leading minor penalty total (175) but reduced the number of minor penalties from 10 in the first game against Reading to five last night. Reading, who has taken the second fewest minor penalties in the league (100) also reduced their minor penalties from five on Friday night to just two last night. Despite being in the penalty box more than Reading last night it did not cost the Americans. Allen was 1-2 on the power play, Reading was 0-5.


- Allen's inability to score continues to plague them. Just two goals again last night. In the two games against Reading the Americans have managed just one even strength goal. Over their current six game losing streak Allen has not scored more than three goals and have averaged just 2.33 goals per game. Over the same six games Allen has allowed more than three goals five times and given up an average of 4.67 goals per game.


- The goal scorers for Allen were Zach Pochiro and Garrett Clarke. Pochiro scored his 14th goal of the season and extended his scoring streak to six games (6G, 3A). Zach's 14 goals place him fifth in the ECHL in goals scored.  It was Pochiro's seventh power play goal of the season which ties him for second in the league in that category. Garrett Clarke scored his first goal since returning to Allen. His last goal in an Americans jersey was opening night in 2015 when he scored the lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Quad City. It was an unlikely third period goal to break up a shutout from three players that didn't score much. The assists on Clarke's only goal that season went to Justin Courtnall and goalie Joel Rumpel.


-  Alex Breton had the primary assist on Pochiro's power play goal. Breton now has 21 points (5G, 16A). He is second in the ECHL in points by a defenseman trailing leader Matt Register by two points. Alex is second in points on the Americans trailing leader Zach Pochiro by just one point. Breton's 16 assists are four more than anyone else on the team. Finally, Breton has nine power play assists which is tied for third best among all ECHL players.


- Here is the game recap issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/americans-drop-another-to-the-reading-royals-despite-outstanding-performance-by-brodeur/


- Here is the game recap issued by the Reading Royals: https://royalshockey.com/en/news/2018/9/bears-fly-swavely-sets-team-record-and-royals-double-americans-4-2




STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS

"We just gave them too many odd man rushes."

"On their goals they just skated faster than some of our players can think."

"The odd man rushes were really the result of bad positioning and bad decision making."

"Ranger missed the game last night because he was boarded head first in the third period Friday night. We really couldn't afford to lose more speed with the other injuries and suspensions."

"We have several players getting increased opportunity, responsibility and ice time because we are playing shorthanded and missing key players. Opportunity is great unless you are not ready for it."

"We have to play a smarter game on Sunday if we expect to win."

" Kevin Sundher and Riley Bourbonnais will be added for the game on Wednesday. I am going to combine them with four forwards from this weekend. The plan is to get two lines that can consistently compete against Cincinnati's top lines. Bourbonnais is a center which gives us flexibility with line combinations." 




ALLEN VS READING REMATCH PREVIEW

- This afternoon Allen will have a final chance to earn some points from Reading and avoid an 0-6 road trip. It won't be an easy task as the shorthanded Americans will be playing their third game in less than 48 hours. Allen played two players short last night. Alex Ranger is out with an injury, Josh Thrower was sick and newly acquired Riley Bourbonnais has not reported yet. I would expect the Americans will be playing shorthanded again today.


- The keys to the game have not changed from yesterday but I will add a fourth one:

1. Get off to a good start. Allen is 4-3-0-1 when they score first. However, in 21 of their 29 games this season Allen has allowed the first goal to their opponent. Their record when they don't score first is 2-18-0-1. The Americans did come back last night after giving up the first goal of the game to tie the score 1-1 after the first period but that isn't necessarily a good thing either. Allen is 1-8-0-1 this season when tied after the first period. Pretty easy formula for success, get off to a good start. If you go strictly by the numbers, if the Americans give up the first goal they will likely lose and if they don't have a lead after the first period they will likely lose.

2. Stay out of the penalty box. Allen has had seven power play opportunities in the first two games against Reading but the Royals have had 15. It hasn't cost the Americans as they have scored four power play goals compared to three for Reading. If Allen gives up twice as many power plays as they get this afternoon it is likely they will not win.

3. Play better defense - Allen is giving up way too many goals. During their current six game losing streak the Americans are allowing close to five goals per game. If Allen expects to win today they need to tighten up defensively.

4. Score even strength - In the last three games Allen has a total of two even strength goals while allowing eight even strength goals. To expect the power play to carry the team to victory is fool's gold. The Americans can't win unless they play better even strength.   


- Here is a great game preview that was issued by the Reading Royals. It covers everything from soup to nuts including a comparison of the two coaches and a little Allen history:  https://royalshockey.com/en/news/2018/9/game-26-preview-allen-at-reading




OTHER COMMENTS

- If you attended the Allen Americans training camp you will recognize the Reading goalie Andrew D'Agostini who has been in goal for both games against the Americans. Andrew was in camp with Allen and has been playing in the SPHL. He just arrived in Reading and beat Allen in his first two ECHL starts of the season with a save percentage of .915.


- Congrats to Mike Gunn who played in his 200th ECHL game last night and to Joel Chouinard who played in his 500th pro game on Friday night.


- The hole gets deeper and deeper for the Allen Americans with each loss. I made the call at Thanksgiving (based on historical data) they would not make the playoffs and even the most diehard fans are now coming to grips with the fact there will be no playoffs in Allen this season. But for the few that have still not thrown in the towel on making the playoffs here are the facts. Based on the number of points it has historically taken to make the playoffs the Americans record for the rest of the season (43 games) will have to be close to 31-9-2-1. That computes to a winning percentage of .756. That is a higher winning percentage than any team in the league has at this point. Just sayin'!


- In Mountain Division action last night the losers in addition to Allen were Tulsa, Wichita, Rapid City and Kansas City. Tulsa has been fading fast having lost their last eight games. The team on the move is Idaho with a record of 8-2 over their last 10 games. Here are the standings with games played in parentheses:

34 points - Utah (25 games)
33 points - Idaho (27 games)
32 points - Tulsa (27 games)
31 points - Rapid City (30 games)
30 points - Kansas City (24 games)
27 points - Wichita (26 games)
14 points - Allen (29 games)


- The Mountain Division has historically done very well when playing teams outside the division but not the case this season. Here is the Mountain Division record against the other divisions:

0-2-0-0:   North Division
2-2-0-0:   South Division
5-13-2-2:  Central Division

7-15-2-2:  TOTAL




DID YOU KNOW: I happened to be looking at the league wide plus/minus numbers after the game last night and after paging through 39 screens one by one found this rather eye opening stat. There are 780 players in the ECHL plus/minus data base and the numbers run from +22 to -19. The Allen Americans occupy five of the bottom 15 spots. I knew it was bad but had no idea it was this bad. Here is the list of how Allen players rank in plus/minus among the 780 players that have played in the ECHL this season:

#766 - Alex Breton (-12)
#773 - Joel Chouinard (-13)
#776 - Braylon Shmyr (-14)
#779 - Dalton Thrower (-18)
#780 - Spencer Asuchak (-19)