Iowa Assigns Three to Allen, Game Preview Allen vs Tulsa and More

If you are attending the Allen Americans game against Tulsa tonight (7:05 pm) you will need to grab a program as you enter the Allen Event Center (AEC) because you won't recognize this team with all of the lineup changes since the last home game. Two new players met the team in Rapid City and yesterday three players were assigned to Allen by the Iowa Wild.


- Allen certainly needs some reinforcements with Tyler Sheehy and Olivier Archambault missing the last game because of injury and Stepan Falkovsky out serving a two game suspension. Archambault is listed as day to day so you might see him back in the lineup tonight.


- Here are the new faces that could be in the lineup tonight.

#28 Cody Corbett (D) - acquired in trade
#9 Colton Heffley (RW) - signed after completing his collegiate career last week
#43 Matt Register (D) - assigned by the Iowa Wild
#21 Mitch McLain (C) - assigned by Iowa Wild
#20 Kyle Bauman (C) - assigned by Iowa Wild


- Here is the press release issued by the Allen Americans on the assignment of the three players from Iowa.  If you don't recognize the faces in this press release McLain is on the left, Register in the middle and Bauman on the right:  https://allenamericans.com/allen-americans-receive-three-players-from-ahl-affiliate-iowa/


- Here is the Iowa Wild press release on the assigning of the three players with more details on their careers:  https://www.iowawild.com/news/detail/iowa-wild-reassigns-three-to-allen 


- Based on comments from Iowa coach, Tim Army, the players assigned by the Wild will only be in Allen for the three home games this week. It helped that Iowa will be in Austin this weekend playing the Texas Stars so if they need any of the players back because of injuries they will be close by. Here are four tweets from Iowa Wild feature writer, Tom Witosky, quoting Iowa coach Tim Army about these reassignments:

1. I-35S report:  Iowa Wild has reassigned Mitch McLain, Kyle Bauman and Matt Register to the Allen Americans. Coach Tim Army said all three have played well in Iowa, but are in need of games to stay sharp. He also said they likely will be recalled after the Americans' game Saturday.

2. More from Army on the Iowa Wild reassignment: "With us traveling, the numbers get too big. Plus these guys haven't played in a while. We can get these guys some games and keep them sharp and, number two, we can help the Americans out a little bit."

3. Army said the Americans, who are in first place in the ECHL's Mountain Division, have been hit with injuries and "are a bit thin right now." Army also pointed out the players will be in nearby Allen when the Iowa Wild is playing the Texas Stars near Austin.

4. "They'll be back Sunday and we'll come back Sunday." Army said. "Then we'll sort things out for the Chicago game Tuesday and deal with the trade deadline if something happens there. Then we get ready for the two-week trip."


- Stepan Falkovsky was suspended for two games yesterday as a result of the match penalty he received in Rapid City on Saturday for high sticking. Falkovsky was given the match penalty under rule 60.4 which says, "When, in the opinion of the referee, a player attempts to or deliberately injures an opponent while carrying or holding any part of his stick above the shoulders of the opponent, the referee shall assess a match penalty to the offending players." Here is the ECHL press release announcing the two game suspension:  https://www.echl.com/en/news/2020/2/echl-announces-fine-suspension-feb-17 



ALLEN VS TULSA GAME PREVIEW

- The game tonight will be game number six of 13 Allen will play Tulsa this season. As I mentioned yesterday 42% (8 of 19) of the Americans remaining games are against the Oilers. Allen was 4-1-0-0 in the five games these teams have played thus far. In the only game played at the AEC (January 30) the Americans defeated the Oilers 4-3. 


- Tulsa has a record of 25-24-5-1 and is in fifth place in the division while Allen is in first place with a record of 34-11-6-2. Tulsa's record is deceiving because 12 of their wins have come in the last 21 games which is exactly the number of wins Allen has in their last 21 games. 


- Allen has been playing good team defense and the goalie play has also been good. Despite losing two of three games in Rapid City last week the Americans only gave up a total of four goals. It was the offense that stalled in Rapid City and that will not last.


- Allen averages 4.06 goals per game while Tulsa averages almost a goal per game less at 3.15. What distinguishes the Oilers is they are always near the top of the chart in shots on goal. This season they are ranked #1 again averaging 36.13 shots per game. The challenge for the Americans tonight will be to keep the number of shots allowed down.


- If you compare Allen's home and Tulsa's road special teams percentages there is little difference. Tulsa has a slight edge on the power play (15.9% vs 15.4%) and the penalty kill (84.9% vs 83.7%).


- You can throw the head to head stats between these teams out the window for a couple of reasons. Tulsa is playing much better hockey than earlier in the season when they met the Americans four times. Over the last 10 games both teams have almost identical records, 6-3-0-1 for Allen and 6-3-1-0 for Tulsa.


- It is not going to be easy tonight for the Americans with Sheehy and Falkovsky on the sidelines and Archambault a game time decision. Even though there are some talented players going into the lineup from Iowa, none of them have played in a game recently. None of them have played in Iowa's six games thus far in the month of February. 


OTHER COMMENTS


- The Iowa Wild goalie coach, Frederic Chabot, is in Allen working with Dereck Baribeau. The young goalie, who just turned 21 a few weeks ago, has been steadily improving. His GAA is down to 2.86 and his save percentage is up to .911 after his 26 save shutout in Rapid City on Friday.


- With the NHL trade deadline coming up on Monday there could be big impacts on both AHL and ECHL affiliated teams. In Allen's case the question remains if the Minnesota Wild will trade players for draft choices or other players. Whether Minnesota has more or fewer players after the deadline is unknown. Because of the uncertainty I would expect coach Martinson to wait until after the trade deadline before making anymore trades.


- With the hit to the head Tyler Sheehy took in Rapid City you can expect he will be placed on the injured reserve list.


- Look for additional roster changes to be announced later this week.


- Here is the Allen Americans Weekly issued by the team with all kinds of up to date stats and information:  https://allenamericans.com/allen-americans-weekly-26/



DID YOU KNOW: My friend Joe from Kansas City (aka Mavs Fan Joe) shared this info with me this morning. Allen's magic number over Tulsa is 14 points, Wichita is six points and Kansas City is 10 points. Any combination of points gained by Allen or lost by the opponent totaling these numbers will eliminate that team from catching the Americans.