Allen vs Idaho Series Preview, Former Allen Players Positioned for Championships, Roster Breakdown and More

 

The Allen Americans open the second half of the toughest six game road trip of the season tonight in Idaho. Last week the Americans earned three of a possible six points against Kansas City, the team with the best points percentage in the league. This week the Americans go up against the team with the fifth best points percentage in the league. If Allen can earn three or more points in the three games against Idaho it will be a successful road trip.

 

- Allen has already visited Idaho twice this season and has a record of 1-4-0-0 and remember the lone win was the game on opening night of the season when goalie Leevi Meriläinen stole the game. Allen was outshot 45-19 but managed to get the victory. 

 

- Here are the stats from the five previous games in Idaho:

• Allen has given up an average of 5.2 goals per game.
• Allen has scored an average of 3.0 goals per game.
• Allen has given up an average of 47.8 shots per game.
• Allen has taken an average of 28.4 shots per game.
• Allen's power play percentage was 21.7% (5-23)
• Allen's penalty kill percentage was 86.2% (4-29)

 

- You look at the stats above and it is abundantly clear what Allen has to do to be successful and it is all about team defense. You can't give up 47.8 shots and 5.2 goals and expect to get any points out of this series. To be fair the Americans have done a better job of holding teams to fewer shots recently and the team that is in Idaho this week is vastly different than the last time Allen visited the Steelheads in November. Ten players that played in the last game against Idaho are not with the team this week.

 

- As always special teams will be a key in this series and Allen had the advantage in the five previous games in Idaho. Allen's power play percentage was 21.7% compared to Idaho's 13.8%. However, if you look at the most recent series in Allen the Steelheads were 4-14 (28.6%) on the power play compared to the Americans 1-12 (8.3%). Allen's power play also struggled last week against Kansas City going 1-13 (7.7%).

 

- Allen's power play has been struggling for the last month. A month ago Allen had the #3 ranked power play in the ECHL at 26.7%. It is now ranked #9 at 21.7%. Idaho has been just the opposite and is now the #1 ranked power play in the ECHL at 27.9%. Coach Costello has emphasized with the team the importance of taking fewer penalties that lead to power plays opportunities. For the season Allen has had 152 power play opportunities but the opponents have had 177. 

 

- Allen and Idaho have a combined record of 31-8-2-1 when scoring first. Allen's points percentage when scoring first is .700 and Idaho's is .826. These stats tell you all you need to know about a good start. Scoring first ties into playing with the lead. The combined record for Allen and Idaho when leading after the first period is 21-3-2-1 (.833) and when leading after the second period the combined record is 34-3-1-1 (.897). The bottom line is a great start and playing with the lead will be a big key in this series.

 

-  Here are a couple of excellent previews of the Allen vs Idaho, one from each team. Plenty of stats and information on both teams. Well worth the read:

• From the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2024/01/game-day-preview-americans-at-idaho-810-pm-cst 
• From the Idaho Steelheads:  https://idahosteelheads.com/news/2024/01/idaho-steelheads-weekly-week-15-13024

 

- Players to watch for in this series are:

• Hank Crone has nine points (5G, 4A) in six games against Idaho.
• Blake Murray has five points (1G, 4A) in just three games against Idaho.  
• Kris Myllari has seven points (2G, 5A) in eight games against Idaho.
• #6 Wade Murphy has 10 points (4G, 6A) in eight games against Allen.
• #92 Mark Rassell has 10 points (3G, 7A) in eight games against Allen.
• #43 Matt Register is always good against Allen and has been averaging a point a game the last month. 

OTHER COMMENTS

- It is a light schedule in the ECHL tonight with three games on tap. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews. https://echl.com/news/2024/01/echl-today-jan-31

 

- Just two points separate fourth place Allen (38 points) from Utah and Rapid City who have 36 points. It looks more and more like only one of these three teams will make the playoffs. After this series with Idaho, Allen will play seven games through March 1st and six of them will be against Tulsa. Five of the six games will be home games. 

 

- Had a chance to catch up with Steve Martinson last night. He and Michelle are is still working on their solar business. Their daughter, Lily, is a junior at Providence College and still playing hockey. Steve let me know she is on the #1 power play and has a cannon of a shot from the point. Martinson clearly keeps up with the ECHL and was talking about teams and players like he was still coaching. Not sure if he would ever get back in the grind of coaching in the ECHL but if these new franchises wanted a coach that could put together a good team quickly all they would have to do is look at Martinson's resume. Not just the 10 championships but that fact that he won a championship in his first year coaching in San Diego and his first year coaching in Allen.

 

-  Here is a list of former Allen Americans players that have a great chance to win a championship this season. Their team is currently in first place with the playoffs not that far away. Here are the players, the team, the league, the country and the years they played in Allen

• Les Lancaster - Ilves - Liiga - Finland (2019-21)
  
• Colton Saucerman - Sheffield - EIHL - England (2022-23) 
  
• Jordie Benn - Brynas - HockeyAllsvenskan - Sweden (2009-10)
• Brett Neumann - Sheffiled - EIHL - England (2020-21)
  
• Jake Hildebrand - Eisbaren Berlin - DEL - Germany (2015-16)
  
• Dominic Cormier - Sheffield - EIHL - England (2020-12)

DID YOU KNOW: Here is where the Allen roster stands in three key categories. Allen is at the low end compared to the rest of the league in the number of players in each category:

• 4 - NHL/AHL contracted players (Crone, Murray, MacArthur, Sinclair)
• 5 - Rookies (Allen, Bakich, Constantini, Farmer, Sinclair)
• 2 - Veterans (Hargrove, Jacob) 

As a comparison Fort Wayne and Newfoundland have 12 NHL/AHL contracted players, Indy has five veterans (one on IR) and Newfoundland has 14 rookies.

Tidbits From Allen Practice, Asuchak Signs in Romania, Roster Update, Deadlines for Going to and Returning from Europe and More

 

  It is getaway day for the Allen Americans as they fly to Boise this morning where they will take on the Idaho Steelheads on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. All three games will start at 7:10 pm local time (8:10 pm Allen time). I attended practice yesterday and had the chance to talk to the coaches, players and staff. Here is the information I picked up:

- The team had a bus breakdown shortly after leaving Kansas City on Saturday night. A four hour delay caused the team to arrive back in Allen around 9:00 am Sunday morning.

- Colton Hargrove was at practice cheering on (chirping) his teammates. His surgery went well and he is already lifting some light weights as his rehab continues. You can expect to see him around the team on a consistent basis.

 

- Spencer Asuchak left yesterday for Europe where he has signed to play in Romania for Csikszereda in the Erste Liga. A pretty impressive list of former Allen players have played for Csikszereda:

• Jack Combs
• Colton Yellow Horn
• Judd Blackwater
• Garrett Clarke
• Aiden Brown (currently on the team)

 

-  Asuchak leaves Allen as the all-time leader in games played (511), goals (155) and penalty minutes (591). The 32 year old has played 11 season in Allen, five more than any other player. I caught up with Spencer last night at the airport as he and his family (wife and dogs) were about to head to Europe and this is what he had to say, "It was an extremely difficult decision but with where I am at in my career I felt this might be my last opportunity to be able to see the world while still playing. I am forever grateful to have gotten to spend 11 seasons with such an amazing organization with the most amazing fans. Allen will always be home and I am forever thankful for everything it has given me."

- Forward Bennett MacArthur has been assigned to Allen by Tampa Bay and was at practice yesterday. In his first stint with Allen MacArthur played in 12 games and had 10 points (3G, 7A) and was +6.

- Goalie Mark Sinclair, who has been out with an injury since January 6 could be available by the weekend. He won't play on Wednesday but could possibly be ready for the weekend.

 

- Two players who are on injured reserve were practicing yesterday. Defenseman Justin Allen was practicing wearing the "no contact" jersey which is now green. Solag Bakich was a full participant in practice.

 

- Liam Finlay hasn't played since the end of October and there was some question as to whether he would play again this season. I heard he is feeling better and it is possible he could be back in Allen in the near future. That would be a big lift for the Americans.

 

- With Spencer Asuchak headed to Europe the Americans will have an "A" to give out. There are several leaders in the locker room and on the ice deserving so I would expect coach Costello will take a little time before handing out the "A" again.

 

- I would describe the practice yesterday as spirited but you could tell the payers were loose and having fun. The drills put together by the coaches helped. I didn't sense any hangover from the disappointing shootout loss in Kansas City. If anything, I get the sense the Americans are confident if they end up playing Kansas City in the playoffs they can beat the Mavericks.

 

- You can't help but think how much better Allen could be in the playoffs if they get healthy and get some help from Belleville. Ottawa is definitely not making the playoffs and Belleville is tied for the last playoff spot in its division. It is just speculation at this point but these additions are possible:

• Liam Finlay
• Leevi Meriläinen
• Donovan Sebrango
• Tarun Fizer
          

 

- I will have a complete game preview tomorrow but it is worth noting Allen's record over the last 10 games is 5-4-0-1 and Idaho's record over the last 10 games is 4-5-1-0. After a regular season record against Idaho last season of 0-8-0-0 the Americans are 3-5-0-0 this season.

 

DID YOU KNOW: ECHL players going to and from Europe is about to end because of the following signing deadlines:

 

GOING TO EUROPE

Some deadlines have already passed, however, most countries/leagues have a January 31 deadline. A few (mostly in Scandinavia) have a February 15 deadline.

 

RETURNING FROM EUROPE

To play in the ECHL this season (2023-24) players must return by February 15.

 
 

Allen Blows Three Goal Lead, Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Best and Worst PP Teams and More

 

The Allen Americans lost to the Kansas City Mavericks last night by a score of 5-4 in a shootout before a crowd of 5529 at the Cable Dahmer Arena.

 

Is the Allen glass half full or half empty?

 

 

- If you are a glass half full type of Allen fans these might be some of your thoughts this morning:

• Allen took three of a possible six points on the road from the best team in the ECHL (by point percentage).
• Allen is last in the league in shots allowed per game (40.54) but held Kansas City to 31, 30 and 33 shots in the series.
• Allen had the closest shot total of any series all season and almost matched Kansas City in shots (91-94).
• Allen's penalty kill was great in the series 90% (2-20).
• Allen scored first in two of the three games in the series.
• Allen earned a point last night and maintained its playoff position in the Mountain Division.
  

 

- If you are glass half empty type of Allen fan these might be some of your thoughts this morning:

• Allen's team defensive deficiencies struck yet again, blowing a 4-1 lead with less than 15 minutes remaining in the game. 
• Allen can't stay out of the penalty box. Allen had 13 power play opportunities in the series, Kansas City had 20, and the goal that tied the game late in the third period was a power play goal.
• Allen's power play was anemic in the series scoring one goal in 13 opportunities for a power play percentage of 7.7%. 
• Throwing away a point by blowing a three goal lead last night will cost Allen in what will be a very tight race for a playoff spot in April.

- The game last night could not have started much better. Allen scored first early in the opening period (2.54) on a goal by Mikael Robidoux. Kansas City tied the score 1-1 midway through the period but Allen responded with two goals (Colin Jacobs and Blake Murray) in 38 seconds to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission. Allen extended its lead to 4-1 early in the second period (1:57) on a Colby McAuley goal and it turned out to be the only goal of the second period.

 

- Allen had a commanding 4-1 lead after the second period. At that point there was little doubt the Americans would win the game and be the first team all season to win back to back regulation games against the Mavericks. The stats spoke to the likelihood of an Allen win. The Americans hadn't lost a road game all season when leading after the second period (9-0-0-0) and Kansas City hadn't won a home game all season when trailing after the second period (0-6-0-0).  

- The third period was a disaster for the Americans as Kansas City scored two goals in 62 seconds early in the period to cut the lead to 4-3 and then tied the score late in the period on a power play goal. Both teams had chances to win the game in overtime, but a shootout gave Kansas City the victory. Blake Murray, Hank Crone and Colby McAuley were Allen's shooters in the shootout and all three missed. David Cotton scored the game winner in the shootout for the Mavericks. Cotton also scored a goal in regulation. He scored both Kansas City goals on Friday night when Allen won 4-2.

 

- Goal scorers for Allen were Mikael Robidoux (4), Colin Jacobs (2), Blake Murray (13), Colby McAuley (19). Easton Brodzinski had two assists in the game. Here are the video highlights with all of the goals and the shootout attempts: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-kansas-city-mavericks-jan-27-2024 

 

- Here is the game recap issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2024/01/americans-earn-a-point-in-shootout-loss  

- It won't get any easier for the Americans next week. Allen flies to Boise on Tuesday to take on the Idaho Steelheads on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Allen won two of three games against Idaho at home at the end of December but Idaho has given the Americans fits last season and this season in Boise. 

- When I last talked to the coaches there was hope Mark Sinclair would make the trip to Idaho with the team after being out of the lineup with an injury since early January. It is worth noting Allen has 18 wins this season with 17 of the coming with either Sinclair or Leevi Meriläinen in goal.

 

- With between 31-33 games remaining in the regular season for Mountain Division teams it is fair to say the playoffs are a battle between five teams for two playoff spots. Kansas City and Idaho have an insurmountable lead (13 & 19 points) over third place so are locks for the top two spots. Wichita is nine points out of a playoff spot and six points from sixth place so their chances are slim. That leaves Tulsa, Allen, Utah and Rapid City fighting for two playoff spots. It looks to be a finish similar to last season when second to fifth place ended up separated by just four points. That is why the lost point last night was so critical. You rarely see ECHL teams blow three goal leads in the third period.

 

- While Allen is on the road in Idaho next week, Rapid City is on the road in Maine and Utah visits Tulsa. Allen, Utah and Rapid City are separated by just two points so it will be another critical week for these teams.

 

- Of the ECHL teams that have been involved in more than one shootout, Savannah shooters have scored on 80% (4-5) of their attempts at the high end and Toledo shooters have scored on 8.3% (1-12) on the low end. Adirondak has the best shootout record (3-1) of teams involved in more than two shootouts while Toledo and Fort Wayne have the worst record (1-3).

 

- There are seven games on the ECHL schedule this afternoon. Here is the ECHL Today with previews: https://echl.com/news/2024/01/echl-today-jan-28   

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: ECHL teams with the best and worst home and away power play percentages:

 

HOME

Best

27.8% - Fort Wayne*

25.7% - Jacksonville*

25.0% - Cincinnati 

 

Worst

11.9% - Tulsa

13.3% - Orlando

13.7% - Rapid City 

 

ROAD

Best

34.4% - Idaho*

30.3% - Toledo*

29.3% - Adirondack*

 

Worst

11.9% - Utah

12.3% - Kalamazoo

16.2% - Trois Rivières 

 

*Teams currently in 1st or 2nd place in respective division.

Allen Snaps Its Losing Streak and KC's Point Streak, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Today's Game Preview and More

 

We just got back from a great trip to the Madeira Islands, Canary Islands, Morocco and Senegal just it time to see the Allen Americans snap a four game losing streak and end Kansas City's 12 game point streak. The Americans won 4-2 last night before a crowd of 3528 at the Cable Dahmer Arena. The Americans used a combination of a goal just after a power play expired, a shorthanded goal, a goal with 1.5 seconds left in the period and an empty net goal to to get their third win in Kansas City this season. The Mavericks have lost just eight games in regulation all season and three of them have come at home against the Americans.

 

- After a scoreless first period the Americans scored the first goal of the game at the 4:05 mark of the second period on an Eric Williams unassisted seeing eye goal from the high slot. Allen took a 2-0 lead at the 9:15 mark on Gavin Gould's second shorthanded goal of the season. Kansas City had not given up a shorthanded goal all season before Gould made a great play to light the lamp. The Mavericks were the last team in the ECHL to allow a shorthanded goal.

 

- Kansas City cut the score to 2-1 but Allen regained its two goal lead on Colby McAuley's team leading 18th goal of the season. It was a big momentum goal for Allen as it came with 1.5 seconds remaining in the second period. Allen took a 3-1 lead into the second intermission and the stats were really in the Americans favor. 

• Allen's road record when leading after the second period is a perfect 9-0-0-0.
• Kansas City's home record when trailing after the second period is a perfect 0-6-0-0.

 

- Despite the favorable odds Kansas City put plenty of pressure on the Americans in the third period. Allen had to kill off a penalty and nearly half of the Mavericks shots in the game (14 of 30) came in the third period. Kansas City cut the score to 3-2 with less than three minutes remaining on David Cotton's second goal of the game. Kansas City pulled the goalie at the 18:02 mark and manged five shots on goal before Blake Murray won a puck battle along the boards and put Ty Fournier in all alone on an empty net for the final goal with 1.7 seconds remaining. Goalie Marco Constantini, making the first ECHL start of his career, was excellent in goal especially in the third period. He finished the game stopping 28 of 30 shots for a .933 save percentage.

 

- Goals scorers for Allen were Eric Williams (3), Gavin Gould (5), Colby McAuley (18) and Ty Fournier (6). It was one of those strange games where Allen had four goals but only three assists (Robidoux, Hebert, Murray). Here is a great highlight package put together by the Kansas City Mavericks that includes all of the goals, some great saves by both goalies and some of the chippy stuff that went on in the game. https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-kansas-city-mavericks-jan-26-2024

 

- Here is the game recap issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2024/01/americans-silence-kc-with-4-2-victory   

- Some stats from the Mountain Division standings:

• The teams just ahead of Allen (Tulsa) and behind Allen (Rapid City) both lost last night.
• With the Allen win the Americans have moved back into a playoff spot.
• Despite Allen's four game losing streak the Americans have the second best record in the division over the last 10 games (6-4-0-0). Only other team with a winning record is Kansas City (8-1-1-0).
• Allen's road record improved to 11-10-1-0. The home record is 7-11-0-0 but when you consider Allen started 0-5-0-0 it is much improved. 

 

- Here are the Mountain Division standings by points with point percentage in parenthesis:

• 58 points - Kansas City (.763)
• 54 points - Idaho (.692)
• 39 points - Tulsa (.513)
• 37 points - Allen (.463)
• 36 points - Rapid City (.450)
• 34 points - Utah (.436)
• 29 points - Wichita (.382)

- The Mountain Division has two of the strongest teams in the ECHL in Kansas City and Idaho but the division also has more teams with a losing record (4) than any other division. The Central Division has just one and the other two divisions (North and South) have two. 

RUBBER MATCH PREVIEW

- The Americans will have quite the challenge tonight in the third game of this series. Remember the game starts early (6:05 pm). Kansas City has lost just one series all season (to Idaho) and has not lost back to back games in regulation all season. 

- One of the keys to the game last night for coach Costello was to take fewer penalties than Kansas City and that didn't happen. Allen had five power play opportunities but Kansas City had six. Neither team managed to score a power play goal but Costello's key of fewer penalties than the Mavericks remains for tonight. Over the last five games Allen has allowed 26 power play opportunities while having just 16 of their own. That is not a winning formula.

- Allen scored first last night and improved its record when scoring first to 13-5-1-0 (.711). Kansas City is almost unbeatable when scoring first with a record of 20-2-0-1 (.891). The Americans do not want to play from behind tonight. If Allen can score first and gain the momentum the Americans could take the series. If Kansas City gets the good start it could be a long night for the Americans. 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

 - Not sure how much this was talked about while I was on vacation but I want to mention Kris Myllari giving up his chance to play in the ECHL All-Star game because he didn't want to miss the Allen game that was scheduled the same day. Being selected as an all-star is a big honor and to forgo what may be his only chance to play in the game says a lot about his character, commitment and leadership. From my reporting it wasn't even a close call for Kris, he was staying with the team. As I have said before players shouldn't be put in position to choose between staying with their team or the All-Star game. The ECHL needs to have no games on All-Star game day just like the other leagues, so everyone can participate.  

 

- Adirondack shutout Newfoundland 4-0 last night to extend its unbeaten streak to 12 games, the longest in the ECHL this season. Adirondack has a 17 point lead in the North Division and a .756 points percentage. Every other team in the division has a point percentage below .530.

- Allen almost broke it's perfect record last night of not winning a game when outshooting an opponent. The Americans had the shot advantage until Kansas City outshot Allen 5-1 in the last 117 seconds of the game. The Mavericks ended up with a 30-28 shot advantage. Allen has outshot its opponent just four times in in 40 games (10%) this season and is 0-4-0-0 in those games. 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL stats post today is about teams with very high road power play percentages. Allen's road power play percentage is 20.0% and over the last five games it is just 12.5%.

Playing well on the road goes a long way to team success. Stick taps to the four ECHL teams that have road power play percentages above 29%. That is higher than any ECHL team’s home power play percentage. The team’s overall power play percentage is in parenthesis:

 

33.9% Idaho (27.5%)

30.3% Toledo (27.5%)

29.5% Newfoundland (26.1%)

29.3% Adirondack (21.7%)

 

- Toledo and Adirondack lead their division, Idaho is second and Newfoundland is third.

 

Allen Wins Again, Game Recap, Video Highlights, January 4, 2024 and 2023 Compared, Allen Offense and Defense Both Improved and More

 

 The Allen Americans continued their great play on home ice beating the Tulsa Oilers last night by  a score of 5-2. Allen has won five of its last six games, all at home and are back in the playoff hunt. The Americans are now two points out of fourth place and three points from third place in the Mountain Division.

 

- The first period was close and it looked like it would end with no scoring until a late period goal gave Tulsa a 1-0 lead. Late period goals always create momentum and the Tulsa goal was scored with 30 seconds remaining. Tulsa's 1-0 lead after the first period was also a reminder Allen was 8-0-1-0 when leading after the 1st period, 2-12-1-0 when trailing after the first period.

 

- Allen took Tulsa's momentum away quickly early in the second period. Two goals just 32 seconds apart by Blake Murray at the 2:44 mark and Easton Brodzinski (3:16) gave the Americans a 2-1 lead. Midway through the period Tulsa tied the score 2-2 with a power play goal. It looked like Allen was going to kill off a tripping penalty but the Oilers scored with three seconds left in the penalty. The second period ended with a 2-2 tied score.

 

- Allen took control with three unanswered goals in the third period. Kris Myllari scored the game winner on the power play at 2:12 followed by Easton Brodzinski's second of the game at the 6:41 mark. Bennett MacArthur made the score 5-2 with a goal at 13:23 and the Americans cruised to victory.   

- The win was even more impressive when you consider the flu bug has struck the Allen locker room. Three players were so sick they were not available for the game last night and several others were not at 100% but played. It helped last night that Colby McAuley and Mikael Robidoux returned from injury. It is expected the only players that will not travel to Wichita today are the guys on injured reserve. Allen has a bunch of players not feeling well so hopefully it doesn't spread further from the six hour bus ride to Wichita. Three games in three days is always a war in Wichita.

 

- The goal scorers last night were Blake Murray (10), Easten Brodzinski (10,11), Kris Myllari (8) and Bennett MacArthur (4). Colby McAuley chipped in with three assists and Murray had two assists to go along with his goal. Here are the video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/tulsa-oilers-vs-allen-americans-jan-3-2024  

- Here are the game recaps issued by both teams:

• Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2024/01/americans-continue-hot-play-at-home-with-5-2-win-over-tulsa
• Tulsa Oilers: https://tulsaoilers.com/news/2024/01/third-period-gives-americans-victory-over-oilers

 

- Allen's recent success has them ahead of schedule compared to the Americans turnaround last season. Here is a comparison of the Mountain Division standings on January 4 in 2024 and 2023:

•  January 4, 2024
• .758 - Kansas City
• .726 - Idaho
• .500 - Rapid City
• .483 - Tulsa
• .435 - Allen
• .400 - Wichita
• .393 - Utah
   

• January 4, 2023
• .879 - Idaho
• .633 - Wichita
• .536 - Kansas City
• .484 - Rapid City
• .444 - Tulsa
• .393 - Utah
• .375 - Allen

 

- It is hard to overstate the impact that Hank Crone and Blake Murray have had on the Allen offense since they were assigned to the Americans. Here are some stats:

• Crone has played 20 games in Allen and has a point in 18 of them. He had a seven game point streak when he first arrived and is currently on an 11 game point streak.
• Murray has played in 10 games and has points in nine of them.
  
• In 20 games Crone has 31 points (10G, 21A) for a points per game average of 1.55.
• In 10 games Murray has 18 points (8G, 10A) for a points per game average of 1.80.
• Crone has the longest current point streak in the ECHL (11 games).
• Murray has the longest current assist streak in the ECHL (7 games).
• In the last 10 games Crone has six multi point games and a total of 19 points (7G, 12A)
• In the last 10 games Murray has five multi point games and a total of 18 points (8G, 10A)
   

  

- Over his last 12 games Easton Brodzinski has four multi goal games. His total goals over the last 12 games is 11, an average of .92 goals per game. His average goals per game in his first 14 games of the season was .00. That is what you call a turnaround. First 14 games no goals, last 12 games 11 goals. 

 

 

 

- Allen has plenty of offensive firepower as mentioned above. The big difference recently has been defensively. Since the middle of December Allen has allowed two or fewer goals in five of nine games. If you throw out the 10-5 loss to Rapid City, Allen has given up an average of 2.62 goals per game since the middle of December. With the offense averaging 4.22 goals per game over the last nine games you can see why the results have been positive. FYI, the season long averages have the Americans ranked #7 is goals scored (3.48) and #28 in goals allowed (4.32). 

 

 

- On a personal note my blog editor/proofreader (aka wife Nancy) and I are taking a small ship cruise to Portugal (Madeira archipelago), the Canary Islands, Morocco and down the western coast of Africa to Senegal. You may see some posts on social media, depending on internet availability, but the blog will not return until the end of the month.  

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Anatomy of the ECHL Western Conference standings:

 

- The Western Conference has the only three teams in the ECHL with point percentages above .700:

.786 - Toledo

.758 - Kansas City

.726 - Idaho 

 

- Just two other teams in the Western Conference have winning records:

.571 - Wheeling

.565 - Fort Wayne 

 

- None of the other nine teams in the Western Conference has a winning record. All at .500 or below:

.500 - Rapid City

.500 - Cincinnati

.500 - Indy

.483 - Kalamazoo

.483 - Tulsa

.435 - Allen

.435 - Iowa

.400 - Wichita

.393 - Utah

 

 

 

  

Allen vs Tulsa Preview, Roster Changes, Kris Myllari Named to All-Star Team and More

 

One of the worst scenarios an ECHL teams faces during the season is a schedule that calls for four games in five days with travel and an early start time in game four. Welcome to the Allen Americans week. It starts tonight at home against Tulsa followed by three games in Wichita on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

 

- The game tonight is between two teams headed in opposite directions recently. Allen has won four of its last five games including a series win against Idaho. Tulsa is in the midst of a six game losing streak which is the longest in the league. The Oilers just lost three straight to Utah, the last place team in the division.

 

- The game tonight will be the fifth of 16 times Allen will play Tulsa this season. 29% of Allen's remaining games are against Tulsa and it will get even worse in February. From February 7 to the end of the season (April 14) Allen will play 36% of its games (10 of 28) against Tulsa. Here are the stats from the first four games between these teams:

• Allen's record against Tulsa is 2-1-1-0.
• Three of the four games went to overtime. (Allen's only overtime games this season).
  
• Allen won two of the three overtime games.
• Allen allowed 6,4,5 and 5 goals in the four games.
• Total goals favor Tulsa 20-17.
  
• Allen was outshot in all four games by a total of 185-121.
• Allen's power play was 1-3, 0-2, 3-5, 0-2 in the four games, (4-12, 33.3%).
• Tulsa's power play was 0-3, 2-6, 0-1, 1-3 in the four games, (3-13, 23.1%).
   

 

-  If you look at season long stats they look very familiar to almost every team Allen plays:

• Allen scores more goals on average than Tulsa: 3.4 vs 3.2.
• Allen allows more goals on average than Tulsa: 4.4 vs 3.2.
• Allen takes fewer shots per game than Tulsa: 28.9 vs 35.3.
• Allen allows more shots per game than Tulsa: 42.0 vs 28.8.

 

 - Special teams will likely play a deciding role in the game tonight. The team that won the special teams battle has won the previous four games between Allen and Tulsa. Allen has a better power play percentage (24.8%) than Tulsa (17.8%) and a better penalty kill (78.0% vs 76.8%). 

- Here is the lineup for tonight. Good news is Colby McAuley is back after missing the Idaho series and Mikael Robidoux returns for the first time since November 10. The bad news is a couple of players (Hank Crone & Brandon Puricelli) are under the weather and will not play.

Forwards

29 McAuley - 21 Murray -18 Brodzinski

10 MacArthur - 11 Gould - 32 Robidoux

77 Hebert - 26 Asuchak - 5 Jacobs

                                       14 Fournier 

 

Defense

4 Myllari - 20 William

57 Farmer - 3 Gagnon

16 Gatenby - 44 Orzeck 

                    28 Jarvis

 

Goalies

 31 Sinclair

 34 Meriläinen (backup)

 

- Keys to the game for Allen:

• Play physical and finish checks.
• Don't worry about shots on goal. Tulsa throws everything at the net. Keep them on the outside.
• Take advantage of Allen's better power play.
• Don't get stuck in the defensive zone, head up ice quickly and with speed.
• Limit Tulsa to fewer than four goals.
• Don't play from behind. Allen is 8-0-1-0 when leading after the 1st period, 2-12-1-0 when trailing.
   

- Players to watch for Tulsa are #15 Eddie Matsushima who has nine points (4G, 5A) in four games against Allen. Former Americans player Tyler Poulsen has torched his former team with four goals in four games. Colby McAuley is Allen's leading goal scorer against Tulsa with four goals. 

 

- Some stats leaders from the ECHL daily report. Blake Murray has an assist in six straight games for the longest current assist streak in the league. Hank Crone has points in 11 straight games for the longest points streak. Colby McAuley is tied for the ECHL lead in power play goals with eight. Kris Myllari is the ECHL leader in power play assists (15) and tied for the lead in power play points (18). 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The ECHL just announced the players selected for the All-Star game that will take place on January 15. Congrats to Allen defensemen and team captain, Kris Myllari who has been selected to represent the Allen Americans at the All-Star game. Unfortunately, the ECHL schedules games on All-Star day and Allen is one of six teams that play on the 15th. The Americans will play Tulsa at home. I have seen some players opt out of the All-Star game because they feel being their for their team is more important. I think putting players in a position where they have to choose between going to the All-Star game or playing a key game for their team isn't right. Shut down the league for a day or two. C'MON MAN!

 

- Here is the ECHL press release with the complete All-Star team and all the details about the game and festivities: https://echl.com/news/2024/01/roster-announced-for-2024-warriorechl-all-star-classic

 

- There have been 21 penalty shots in the ECHL thus far this season and the goalies have gotten the best of the shooters. Just three penalty shots have resulted in goals for a 4.8%  success. The goalies have stopped the last 13 penalty shots including the last one which was on December 29 and took place in overtime. 

- There have been 161 misconduct penalties (10 minute) handed out this season and four teams account for 46 of them. 

• 18 - Norfolk
• 10 - Allen
• 9 - Kalamazoo
• 9 - Wheeling

- It is a light schedule around the ECHL tonight with only 12 teams in action. The only other Mountain Division playing besides Tulsa at Allen is Idaho. The Steelheads are at home to start  a three game series against Reading.  Here are the previews: https://echl.com/news/2024/01/echl-today-jan-3

  

DID YOU KNOW: How are the final four Kelly Cup teams from 2022-23 faring in 2023-24? Who will make the playoffs? Who will make the final four again? Eastern Conference teams not doing as well as Western Conference teams. Here are the four teams with their 2023-24 record, point percentage and current place in the division standings:

 

North Division

Newfoundland: 14-12-4-0 (.533), 4th place 

 

South Division

*Florida: 13-10-4-0 (.556), 5th place 

 

Central Division

Toledo: 20-4-1-3 (.786), 1st place

 

Mountain Division

**Idaho: 22-7-0-1 (750), 2nd place

 

*Kelly Cup champion

**Kelly Cup finalist

 

 

Allen Wins Series, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Coaches Comments, Goals For and Against Leaders and More

 

The Allen Americans beat the Idaho Steelheads 5-4 last night before a New Year's Eve crowd of 4031 at the CUTX Event Center. Even the most ardent Allen fans had to be surprised the Americans won two of three games against Idaho this weekend. Idaho is the best road team in the ECHL who arrived in Allen with a road record over the past two seasons of 36-9-1-2 (.781). Idaho had not lost a road series since the 2021-22 season.

 

- Allen jumped on Idaho early in the game last night scoring twice (Hank Crone & Blake Murray) by the 4:30 mark of the first period. Crone got a second goal late in the period and the Americans took a 3-0 lead into the first intermission. Even though Allen's record with a first period lead is one of the best in the ECHL (8-0-1-0) a three goal lead did not seem safe against Idaho. Idaho is one of three ECHL teams with a winning record when trailing after the first period (6-4-0-1).

 

- Allen added to its lead in the second period on goals by Brandon Puricelli and Gavin Gould (shorthanded). Even with a 5-0 lead you knew Idaho would make a run and that is exactly what happened. The Steelheads scored twice in the second period to cut Allen's lead to 5-2 at the second intermission.

 

- A third period power play goal by Idaho cut the score to 5-3 and a late period goal after the Steelheads pulled the goalie cut the score to 5-4 with almost two minutes remaining in the game. It was touch and go over the last two minutes until Idaho took a penalty with 18 seconds remaining to assure the Allen victory. 

 

- Goal scorers for Allen were Hank Crone (9,10), Blake Murray (9), Brandon Puricelli (4) and Gavin Gould (2). Here are the video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/idaho-steelheads-vs-allen-americans-dec-31-2023

 

- Here are the game recaps:

• Allen Americans game recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2023/12/americans-close-2023-with-a-5-4-win-over-idaho
  
• Idaho Steelheads game recap: https://idahosteelheads.com/news/2023/12/rassell-and-becker-each-score-twice-in-5-4-loss

 

- With two goals and an assist Hank Crone extended his point streak to 11 games which is the longest point streak in the ECHL this season. In those 11 games Hank has 20 points (6G, 14A). Crone leads the Americans in points with 31 (10G, 21A). His points per game average of 1.55 is higher than last season (1.52) when he had 105 points.

 

- Blake Murray had a goal and two assists last night to add to his amazing totals since joining the Americans nine games ago. He has points in eight of the nine games. He has a six game assist streak which is the longest current assist streak in the ECHL. Blake has 15 points (7G, 8A) since joining Allen. His points average of 1.67 is higher than any other player in the league. A full season at the rate he is scoring would equal 120 points (56G, 64A). 

 

- Allen has now won four of its last five games and in the last 10 days moved from last place in the division with a .340 point percentage to fifth place with a .417 point percentage. Allen's next eight games are against Tulsa, Wichita and Utah and gives the Americans a great opportunity to continue their winning ways. It will be important for Allen to do well in the next eight games because after that stretch Allen will hit the road for six games, three games in Kansas City followed by three in Idaho. Kansas City is the #1 team in the ECHL in points (47) and Idaho is #2 (45). The stretch between January 24 and February 3 will be key for Allen's playoff hopes.

 

- Here are the Mountain Division teams listed by change in points percentage over the last 10 days showing which teams are improving and by how much. The team's point percentage 10 days ago and today is in parenthesis:    

• +0.77: Allen (.340 to .417)
• +0.45: Utah (.348 to .393)
• +0.36: Kansas City (.722 to .758)
• +0.20: Rapid City (.480 to .500)
• -0.23: Wichita (.423 to .400)
• -0.30: Idaho (.780 to .750)
• -1.04: Tulsa (.604 to .500)
   

- The win last night to take the series from Idaho added to celebrating New Year's Eve and made for a big celebration night for the team. Luckily the Amricans have the day off today, but will be back at practice Tuesday morning to get ready for the game on Wednesday against Tulsa.  

COACHES COMMENTS

- Coach Costello and coach Gens spoke with the season ticket holders after the game. Here is what they had to say:

"We are really proud of the guys to bounce back tonight after the loss on Saturday. The message coming into the game was a lot of positives and the negatives weren't that bad. The way we broke down the video and talked to the guys was about keeping our composure no matter how things go. Chad wanted to make sure we stayed steady."....Gens

"As far as the team goes that is a very gutsy win tonight and those games can go a long way later in the season knowing what we can do. Yes, Idaho got a couple of goals at the end but they are a great hockey team but we will learn from that and get better. I really like our team and am very proud of them."....Gens 

"We are growing for sure but that was a f...ing series winner against Idaho tonight. That was good and a lot of heart and soul went into that game and we will keep going.".....Costello

"We are getting healthier every week. Adding Hebert and throwing him into that game was a little unfair but he is so athletic he did a good job. Robidoux is getting game ready and we are getting closer and closer to going on a run.".....Costello

"I like our schedule coming up. We play Tulsa on Wednesday, then three in Wichita, then three at home against Utah and one against Tulsa. I like our chances of going on a run.".....Costello

"One of the toughest parts of the job is assembling a team that you think will be able to compete every night and then it  kind of falling apart. You hear guys will be coming down from the AHL but the don't, you sign guys to fit roles and end up with 10 on injured reserve. The Hargrove injury was deadly. He was a 20 minute guy, power play guy, hits, fights and scores. You have these plans and something happens to your plans and you have to reset. Most people don't understand how difficult it is to reset during the season. All the good hockey players right now are on hockey teams so it is very hard to maneuver.".....Costello

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Great publicity for the Allen Americans. Owner Myles Jack on his way to his NFL game. Myles has played in the last two games for the Steelers, both wins. He has 14 tackles (10 solo) and one sack.

Allen owner and Pittsburg Steeler player Myles Jack

 

 - The Mountain Division is shaping up to be very similar to last season. Last season one team (Idaho) was way a head of the rest and left five teams fighting for three playoff spots. This season two teams (Idaho & Kansas City) are way out in front and it appears five teams will be fighting for two playoff spots. 

 

- Leevi Meriläinen added 60 minutes played last night and has become a qualified goalie for ECHL stats. He has played 569 minutes and the cutoff for being qualified is 540 minutes. Leevi is ranked #8 in the ECHL in save percentage at .918. 

 

- Talk about falling from grace the Atlanta Gladiators were ranked #1 in the ECHL the first part of the season. Atlanta won eight games to start the season (second longest streak in league history for wins to start a season). Two months later and Atlanta is the last place team in the entire league.   

DID YOU KNOW:  Just four ECHL teams are in the top 10 in both goals for (GF) and goals against (GA) per game. All are in playoff positions. Here are the four teams including their record and point percentage:

 

Kansas City (23-7-1-0, .758)

#4 GF (3.87)

#1 GA (2.58)

 

South Carolina (17-9-2-0, .643)

#5 GF (3.54)

#8 GA (3.14)

 

Orlando (16-9-1-1, .630)

#8 GF (3.33)

#5 GA (2.81)

 

Wheeling (15-11-1-1, .571)

#10 GF (3.32)

#7 GA (3.00)

 

 

Where does Allen rank in goals for and against?

Allen (12-17-1-0, .417)

#7 GF (3.52)

#28 GA (4.40)