It is game day and the second season for the Allen Americans has finally arrived. For the 11th time in the 13 year history of the Allen franchise and the 23rd time in Steve Martinson's 26 year coaching career, the pursuit of a championship begins. The Americans started the season losing 10 of the first 14 games but finished the last six weeks of the season with a record of 14-6-2-0 to claim the #3 seed in the Mountain Division. History says it will be an uphill battle for the Americans to win a third Kelly Cup based on their finish in the regular season. The goal right now is to win the first round, best of seven series against the Rapid City Rush.
- The team had a smooth 15 hour overnight trip to Rapid City on Big Blue yesterday. The team had a light practice after they arrived and will have an optional pregame skate this morning. Here is the roster that made the trip to Rapid City:
Goalies
- #31 - Luke Peressini
- #40 - Frank Marotte
Defensemen
- #3 - Darian Skeoch
- #4 - Kris Myllari
- #8 - Jake Kearley
- #20 - Ben Carroll
- #23 - Nick Albano
- #24 - Nolan Kneen
- #25 - Phil Beaulieu
Forwards
- #9 - Josh Winquist
- #10 - Jackson Leppard
- #11 - Branden Troock
- #13 - Chad Costello
- #16 - Corey Durocher
- #17 - Chad Butcher
- #19 - Jared Bethune
- #21 - Jack Combs
- #26 - Spencer Asuchak
- #28 - Justin Young
- #29 - Colby McAuley
- The three players on the playoff roster that did not make the trip to Rapid City are J.D. Dudek, Ryan Lohin and Eric Roy. It is hoped all three will be available when the series returns to Allen, if not by Tuesdays, by the games next Friday and Saturday.
- Comparing regular season stats is of limited use because both of these teams are very different from the teams they were back in October. If you recall, the first game Allen played in Rapid City this season (November 17) as part of a three game series, the Americans played with the minimum allowed 13 skaters because of a COVID breakout and injuries. Steve Martinson wasn't on the trip because he had COVID. Here is what I wrote about that game at the time:
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 trailing 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 helped 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.
- With all of the caveats here is a comparison between Allen and Rapid City based on regular season stats:
- Goals Scored (average per game)
- 3.35 - Rapid City
- 3.33 - Allen
- Goals Allowed (average per game)
- 3.22 - Rapid City
- 3.39 - Allen
- Goal Differential (goals scored minus goals allowed)
- +9 - Rapid City
- -4 - Allen
- Shots For (average per game)
- 32.56 - Rapid City
- 28.22 - Allen
- Shots Against (average per game)
- 33.49 - Rapid City
- 35.31 - Allen
- Shooting Percentage (goals as a percent of total shots)
- 11.7% - Allen
- 10.3% - Rapid City
- Power Play Percentage
- 19.6% - Rapid City
- 18.5% - Allen
- Penalty Kill Percentage
- 85.1% - Rapid City
- 80.4% - Allen
- Power Play Goals Scored
- 53 - Rapid City
- 50 - Allen
- Plus/Minus
- -14 - Rapid City
- -25 - Allen
- Goals Against Average (GAA)
- 3.11 - Rapid City
- 3.33 - Allen
- Save Percentage
- .906 - Rapid City
- .904 - Allen
- Record Last 10 Games
- 6-3-1-0 - Allen
- 4-4-2-0 - Rapid City
- Of the 13 stats on this list Rapid City leads in 11 of them. However, the two exceptions are critical. Allen has a better record over the last 10 games and the Americans have a better shooting percentage. Allen does a better job capitalizing on opportunities, they just need to create more of them in this series.
- Allen's record since the beginning of March is 14-6-2-0 which is a points percentage of .682. Rapid City's record since the beginning of March is 9-5-2-2 which is a points percentage of .611.
- Allen's special teams has also been much improved since the beginning of March. The power play is at 20.3% and the penalty kill was at 87.5% before the last game of the season when it allowed three power play goals to Iowa.
- The keys to the game tonight and the series are no different than what Steve Martinson has been saying over the last month.
- Be ready to play and get off to a good start. Don't play from behind.
- Reduce turnovers, especially in the neutral zone which will create more opportunities for Allen and reduce shots for Rapid City.
- Stay on the defensive side of the puck and play with the same energy on defense as offense.
- Stay away from undisciplined penalties that give Rapid City power play opportunities.
DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about goalies used by each ECHL teams. Allen used six different goalies during the regular season.
As u are well aware when it comes to playoffs standing don't mean anything. The Allen Americans have alot of talent & experience. Their last game of the season was one of their best games. More shots on goal & goals scored. They have to carry this into the playoffs & if they do there's no stopping them. You guys have the organization & Fans with you 100%. Show them your best.
ReplyDelete