In a script Hollywood would reject as unrealistic, the Allen Americans, against all odds, beat the Rapid City Rush in a shootout last night by a score of 6-5. Here are the characters in this unlikely script. The story opens with the team heading on the road nursing a four game losing streak. Just before the team is scheduled to fly to South Dakota the coach and four players test positive for COVID. The coach, while dealing with COVID, scrambles to find players so the team has enough to play the game. He trades for two players from a US based team but the team is on a road trip on Canada. The two new players have plenty of time to meet the team in South Dakota but get delayed in a line of 500+ at the Montreal airport getting COVID tests to get back into the US and don't arrive in time to play.
- The team plays the game with an injured player as the bench coach. The roster is 13 skaters and just seven forwards rather than the typical 16 skaters and 10 forwards. Of the 13 skaters one is playing their first game with the team and another (a defenseman) is playing his first game in 248 days. For extra drama let's have the defenseman score a goal and have an assist. For good measure the goalie will be playing his second game for the team after a long career in the AHL.
- The story line continues as this shorthanded team gives up yet another shorthanded goal, the league leading seventh they have allowed in 10 games. The team gives up the first goal of the game but battles back time and time again. They come back after trialing 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, 4-3 and 5-3 to tie the score and send the game to overtime. Just what a shorthanded team needs is to play an extra seven minutes after working their tails off for 60 minutes. The team gets outplayed in overtime and out shot 9-3 but the AHL goalie stands on his head stopping one quality scoring chance after another. The game goes to a shootout.
- The story ends with the only shootout goal being scored by a future Hall all of Fame player who has returned to the team after four years in Europe and coming back from a serious injury. And the AHL goalie stops all three shootout attempts.
- There you have it, a script to good to be true but one that played out in Rapid City last night. A great win for the Americans who turned lemons into lemonade. Who played the roles in this script. Jack Combs was great as the injured player who became the bench coach. Nolan Kneen starred as the defenseman coming back from a serious injury to tally a goal and an assist in his first game since last March 14. Antoine Bibeau played the AHL goalie that help steal the game. Allen was out shot 45-23 for the game, 19-5 in the second period and 9-3 in overtime. When the game was on the line in overtime and in the shootout, Bibeau was outstanding. And the perfect ending had to be played by Chad Costello who has been the team hero ever since he arrived in Allen in 2014-15.
- Every player on the team deserves acknowledgement starting with the goal scorers; D-Jay Jerome (4), Jared Bethune (2), Nolan Kneen (1), Spencer Asuchak (3) and Jackson Leppard (2). D-Jay Jerome had two assist to go with his goal and is now tied with Spencer Asuchak for the team lead in points with 10. Gavin Gould, playing his first game with the American, had two assists.
- It was unfortunate the Americans gave up another shorthanded goal but the power play was key going 2-7 including the third period power play goal by Jackson Leppard that sent the game to overtime.
- Here is the game recap issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/americans-win-in-a-shootout/
- Here is the Rapid City Rush game recap: https://www.rapidcityrush.com/en/news/2021/11/rush-drop-a-wild-one-in-a-shootout-6-5
- Here is a link to the video highlights: https://youtu.be/74_58DrJE90
- The Americans will have a day to recuperate before they play the Rush back to back on Friday and Saturday with an expanded roster. Defenseman Ben Owen may be going to Rapid City and newly acquired forwards Tyler Poulsen JD Dudek arrived late last night.
- D-Jay Jerome is now tied for the ECHL lead in points among rookies. He has 10 points (4G, 6A) in 10 games.
STEVE MARTINSON'S COMMENTS
- I talked to Steve Martinson this morning and asked about how the experience of watching the game from home was for him. He shared how difficult it was to watch from home. It was the first time in 26 years of coaching he missed a game because of sickness and the first time watching a game from home. He has missed a few games over the years when he was suspended but was always in the arena in those instances. You can only imagine the frustration for Martinson when he sees changes he would like to make but there is nothing he can do. He did talk to Jack Combs between periods.
- He gave credit to Combs for dealing with a short bench with two defensemen playing up front. "It is very hard to manage a game with 13 skaters."
- Martinson gave credit to goalie Antoine Bibeau who made 40 saves in the game and stopped all three shootout attempts. "Bibeau was the difference in the game and was outstanding in the overtime and the shootout. He is a pro and in great shape, better shape than many of our skaters."
- "The positive thing is we won last night despite playing short three forwards and we have some players coming to give us more depth so we won't have to play two defensemen at forward on the weekend.
- "What stood out to me when reviewing the game this morning was blocked shots. They had 28 blocked shots and we had nine."
- "Kneen looked really good in his first game back. That isn't a surprise because he has been good in practice for some time."
OTHER COMMENTS
- After games last night five ECHL teams have winning percentages above .667. Will the Kelly Cup champion come from this list?
.800 - Newfoundland
.750 - Tulsa
.722 - Fort Wayne
.722 - Reading
.714 - Atlanta
- If you need proof that defense wins here it is. The top three teams in points percentage (see above) are the top three teams in average goals allowed:
1.88 - Tulsa
2.22 - Fort Wayne
2.40 - Newfoundland
DID YOU KNOW: Allen has now won five of six shootouts going back to last season. Chad Costello won the shootout last night. Last season Allen was 4-1 in shootouts but the odd stats is four of the five shootouts were against Utah. The four shootout goal scoring winners were Zane Franklin who had the only goal in an eight round shootout against Wichita, Sam Laberge against Utah, Corey Mackin against Utah and Jesse Mychan against Utah.
I really liked Gould. Thought he had good speed and was everywhere. Seems like a good trade.
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