Allen Wins in OT, Game Recap, Coaches Comments, Jake Paterson Returns, Stats Tell the Story, Allen's Start Best Ever and Sayonara for a While

After a disappointing 4-3 loss to Idaho on Saturday the Allen Americans came back with an exciting 2-1 overtime win over the Steelheads on Sunday. The Americans improved their home record to 3-2 with all three wins coming in overtime.


- The hero last night was Olivier Archambault who scored the game winner 95 seconds into the overtime period assisted by Spencer Asuchak.


- In Allen's first five games, goals scored by both teams averaged almost nine per game so the 2-1 score last night was unique. There was no scoring in the first two periods. The Americans controlled play in the first period and had a shot advantage of 16-10. Idaho controlled the second period out shooting the Americans 15-3. 


- Allen scored first at the 6:21 mark of the third period when Tyler Sheehy scored his second goal of the season off a nice pass from Brett Pollock. Just over two minutes later Idaho got the equalizer and that was the end of the scoring in regulation.


- Both goalies were great in regulation and made big saves in overtime before Archambault split two defenders and made a slick move on the Idaho goalie for the game winner.


- Here is the game recap issued by the Idaho Steelheads:  https://www.idahosteelheads.com/en/articles/steelheads-extend-point-streak-to-seven-slip-in-2-1-ot-loss-to-allen


- Here are the video highlights which show the three goals and the many great saves made by both goalies.

Here is the Sporfie highlight from Idaho's lone goal. If you watch this on a big enough screen/monitor you can see the puck hits the linesman as he tries to avoid it and rather than rimming the boards it falls right to a Steeelheads player who makes a pass to a wide open teammate on the side of the net. You can see the Allen players pointing and talking to the linesman after the goal. It was bad luck for the Americans but that is the way the puck bounces sometimes.

- Here is Steve Martinson's post game interview:

- I had a chance to spend some time with coach Martinson and assistant coach Deitsch after the game and they were pleased to get the overtime win and felt the team played better defensively. While the shots favored Idaho 39-31 many of the shots were from the perimeter. With that said they both agreed there is a lot of room for improvement and were reviewing video and making plans for practice drills on Tuesday. The team has the day off today (Monday). Martinson, however, does not have the day off and he will be working the phones to see what he can do to improve the team.


OTHER COMMENTS

- Jake Paterson has returned to Allen after spending a few days with the Iowa Wild in a back up role. With Paterson back the Americans have four goalies under contract and Martinson mentioned to the season ticket holders Saturday night, "I have another goalie that might be getting assigned here from another organization." The bottom line is there will have to be some goalie moves this week. Stay tuned.


- The Americans are now six games into their 72 game season and the good news is their record is 4-2-0-0. They are tied for the fourth best point total in the ECHL. Here are a few stats that give some cause for concern going forward and why coach Martinson keeps saying the team has got to be better.

- Allen is perfect in overtime (3-0) but has only one regulation win.
- Allen has a record of 4-2 but a negative goal differential, 22 goals for, 25 goals against.
- Allen is ranked #24 in average penalty minutes per game (9.67) The only penalties Allen has taken are 29 minor penalties. Not a good stat for a team that wants to play greasy and gritty.
- Allen is top ten in penalty kill percentage (83.3%) but bottom ten in power play percentage (13.0%).
- Allen's average goals scored is 3.67 while average goals allowed is 4.17.
- Allen takes an average of 31.0 shots per game but allows 34.5 per game.


- It is sayonara for a while as Nancy and I leave tomorrow on a visit to South Korea and Japan. I hope to post a special feature later today or early tomorrow morning but this will be the last regular blog until around November 19.  


DID YOU KNOW: Since joining the ECHL, Allen has never had a better start to the season than this season. They have also never played more home games to start the season than this season. Here is Allen's record after six games since 2014-15. The number in parenthesis is the number of home games:

4-2-0-0   2019-20   (5)
2-3-0-1   2018-19   (1)
3-2-1-0   2017-18   (2)
3-3-0-0   2016-17   (4)
4-2-0-0   2015-16   (2)
3-3-0-0   2014-15   (3)