It is game day for the Allen Americans as they take on the Utah Grizzlies tonight (7:10 pm) in the second of a three game series. After playing their best game of the season on Wednesday in the Americans 3-1 win over the Grizzlies, Allen will try and improve on its recent success of winning three of its last four games.
- The game tonight will be the fourth of nine times these teams will face each other in the regular season. After game five tomorrow night Allen will not play Utah again for four months (March 16) Welcome to the ECHL schedule where Allen will play Utah five times in the first 24 days of the season and then goes four months before playing the Grizzlies again.
- Allen is 2-1 in the first three games against Utah, losing 5-1 and then winning 6-4 and 3-1. Each team has scored 10 goals, but Utah has the shot advantage (111-85) despite the Americans outshooting the Grizzlies 37-27 on Wednesday. Allen is 3-10 (30%) on the power play while Utah is 2-14 (14.3%). Based on the head to head games the Americans match up very well against Utah.
- One thing that has helped Allen is good starts. The Americans gave up the first goal of the game the first three games of the season, but since then have scored first in six of seven games including all three games against Utah. The Americans have scored first in all three of their wins this season and lost all four games when they gave up the first goal. That first goal will be key tonight.
- How important is playing with the lead for these teams. Neither team has won a game when trailing after the first period (combine record of 0-8-0-0) or the second period (combined record of 0-8-0-0). The key for both teams is not playing from behind.
- Allen won the special teams battle on Wednesday by capitalizing on Utah's #29 ranked penalty kill (61.1%). Allen was 1-3 on the power play, but also stayed out of the penalty box, holding Utah scoreless in three power play opportunities. The Americans penalty kill hasn't been great, ranked #23 at 77.5%, but it is 16.4% better than Utah.
- Here are some stats I don't typically include but they show the differences and similarities between Allen and Utah. Here is each team's roster by category:
- NHL/AHL contracted players: Allen (4) - Utah (5)
- Veterans: Allen (2) - Utah (1)
- Rookies: Allen (10) - Utah (16)
- 14-day IR: Allen (2) - Utah (2)
- The keys to the game are the same as for the win on Wednesday:
- Get off to a good start by scoring the first goal.
- Limit the neutral zone turnovers, if there isn't a play to be made, dump the puck.
- Win the 50-50 battles.
- Win the special teams battle and take advantage of Utah's penalty kill.
- Keep the shots close.
- Continue the excellent goaltending. In the last three games Wells and Thornton have combined for a .950 save percentage, stopping 113 of 119 shots.
- It will be a two referee game tonight so players will have to watch the stuff that goes on behind the play when there is only one referee. The referees will be #42 Ryan Siegel and #23 Marc-Olivier Phaneuf.
OTHER COMMENTS
- There has been a lot of discussion about how the Americans started this season compared to past seasons. So I dug into the files to get the Americans record after nine games for each season since joining the ECHL. How the season finished is in parenthesis:
- 3-5-1-0: 2024-25 (?????)
- 3-6-0-0: 2023-24 (lost in first round)
- 4-4-1-0: 2022-23 (lost in second round)
- 2-5-2-0: 2021-22 (lost in first round)
- 6-3-0-0: 2020-21 (lost in second round)
- 7-2-0-0: 2019-20 (playoffs cancelled)
- 3-5-0-1: 2018-19 (missed playoffs)
- 4-3-2-0: 2017-18 (lost in first round)
- 4-5-0-0: 2016-17 (lost in second round)
- 6-3-0-0: 2015-16 (won Kelly Cup)
- 6-3-0-0: 2014-15 (won Kelly Cup)
- The ECHL announced its 2025 Hall of Fame inductees this week and one of them was a goalie. Dave Gagnon, who played in the league from 1990 to 2001, had a stellar career earning two championships with Hampton Roads (1991) and Toledo (1994) and was named Playoff MVP both times.. By my count there are now seven goalies in the ECHL Hall of Fame. A fan asked me how do Riley Gill's stats compare to the other goalies in the Hall of Fame and I have to say very favorably. Riley's career was cut short because of injury so he doesn't have some of the longevity regular season stats as others, but when it comes to playoffs, Riley is at the top of the list. Only one goalie in the Hall of Fame has more championships than the three Gill won. Nick Vittucci, who the ECHL Goalie of the Year Award is named after, has five championship rings, four as a player. Here are some of Riley's all-time career stats.
Regular Season
- #2 - Most 30 win seasons (2)
- #3 - Career shutouts (21)
- #8 - Career wins (147)
- #1 - Playoff wins (53)
- #1 - Playoff games (90)
- #2 - Playoff minutes (5095)
- Kelly Cup Champion - 2013, 2015, 2016
- Kelly Cup MVP - 2013
- ECHL Best Save Percentage (.935) - 2016-17
- ECHL Goaltender of the Year - 2017
- ECHL 1st All-Star Team - 2017
No surprise Crone and Hargrove are on this list. Just think where we would be if they were still here
ReplyDeleteAnother reason LJ either needs to step up and make executive decisions or give the power and authority to Mydra.
DeleteAnother reason why Costello should never have been fired, and further justification that BJ never reached out to a number of players, and one of many reasons he should be fired.
LJ - Fire BJ before it's too late.
LOL with BJ as the coach ....glad they got out!
DeleteRiley Gill should have been in the Hall of Fame yrs ago!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, he should have. Would be great to announce in Allen in '26 at the event.
DeleteSS DD, move on!
ReplyDeleteThanks TB follower.
Deleteto the SS DD, move on commenter. It's not hurting you if fans are venting. If you don't like the comments then don't read them. Until this leadership and ownership shows fans something different than what they have then people are gonna vent.
DeleteYeah, another day, another lost opportunity. Another day accepting mediocrity, another day some of the fans defend ridiculous statements from an OHL coach and think the moves in the offseason were justified, another day of some thinking the start today is reflective of improvement, as opposed to understanding who we have played and the metrics of the game.
DeleteOnce you understand basics like the SOG differential, why this matters, and the excuse after excuse that the stats show something different, like 15 goals were incorrectly recorded, which was essentially a 50% variance between the ECHL records and what BJ and Video Guy say was the actual SOG, then you may have a different opinion than you do today.
I haven't even started on the locker room issues.
Open your eyes.
SS DD person... I talk code too STFU, troll on
DeleteI cannot think of one reason for BJ not to heavily recruit Crone and Hargrove. He is not the smartest guy in the room and needs as much veteran leadership as he can get. Bj is going to find out what an excellent opportunity he has been given very soon. I suspect he will not survive the season when the dog days of February and March arrive and the record is sub 500. And the arena is empty. Allen will not support a Loser.
ReplyDeleteYou guys make me laugh down there in TX.
DeleteWelcome to the way BJ operates.
Dumb, bonehead decisions, lame excuses, recruits his buddies or friends of buddies etc.
Really not a talented guy. Lot's of excuses.
I keep telling you the information was out there as to why he was fired, a few of you have figured it out, others have not.
We fired him as an OHL coach, halfway through his first full season. The calls were just like I see on here.
Good luck, but he wont last, I mean he can't. Look for more excuses or rinse repeat of the ones he has used.
You need to lose a few more games to see him angry.
How would you feel if you knew BJ didn’t call them?
DeleteNot that they weren’t leaving anyways 🤣
The great Joe Earnst told him not to call them.
Fact
Beyond delusional if that were true.
DeleteBased on the roster and decisions made, I’m sure it’s true.
Train wreck….
Don’t know the first thing about getting Gill in the Hall of Fame but willing to help. What’s the first step?
ReplyDeleteEmail LJ.
DeleteShe has ECHL pull (not Allen Americans pull though!)
LJ AT ALLENAMERICANS.COM
Heck, email JM also.
This today:
ReplyDeleteRapid City’s Chaz Smedsrud is on a four-game point streak (4g-2a).
Makes you seriously wonder WTF.
Chaz was making progress under Costello.
Traded under BJ.
Fire BJ.
How would you feel if you knew BJ didn’t call them?
ReplyDeleteNot that they weren’t leaving anyways 🤣
The great Joe Earnst told him not to call them.
Fact
Predictions for tonight?
ReplyDeleteUtah 3-2
DeletePrediction..:: small crowd due to football home playoff game, low energy in the event center..:Allen wins 3-2 in overtime.
ReplyDeleteWatts gets the game winner::: get out shot 52-28::::
Well go buy your lottery ticket
DeleteWell except for your shot totals wow right on! Good job
DeleteNailed it! Impressive.
DeleteUtah win
ReplyDelete10mins to game time.
ReplyDeleteUnder 1000 in the seats.
Good job LJ 🙄
Ended up being around 1800-1900 in arena not counting boxes.
Delete4-2 Utah. SOG differential-27%. Additional tone deaf after game comments from coach fueling more calls from fans for his firing as well as demands for explanation of dismantling this team yielding no response from owners/managers.
ReplyDeleteTommy. Enough with the grandkid.
ReplyDeleteI know it’s ridiculously annoying He’s horrible
DeleteI wonder if Asuchak feels that being the longest tenured player is a dubious honor. #BullDurham
ReplyDeleteWells is a rockstar. Saved the team tonight.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Awesome tonight.
Delete$7.50 for a small soda.
ReplyDeletePricing is out of control.
Allen’s Event Center, home of the $7.50 small soda and $8 bottle of water. 🙄
DeleteWhat a diabolical joke….
ReplyDeleteAllen winning against the bottom half of the division isn't impressive. Again, Utah is beatable, not impressed.
ReplyDeleteExactly.
DeleteLucky to get the W.
Wells saved the team.
Zero coaching during timeouts.
Don’t believe me, sit opposite the bench (penalty box side) and watch.
Polar opposite to Costello.
🤯
prior to losing the past two games to Allen, Utah was top half of the division. Two great wins!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteErie Otters FanNovember 15, 2024 at 2:56 PM
You guys make me laugh down there in TX.
Welcome to the way BJ operates.
Dumb, bonehead decisions, lame excuses, recruits his buddies or friends of buddies etc.
Really not a talented guy. Lot's of excuses.
I keep telling you the information was out there as to why he was fired, a few of you have figured it out, others have not.
We fired him as an OHL coach, halfway through his first full season. The calls were just like I see on here.
Good luck, but he wont last, I mean he can't. Look for more excuses or rinse repeat of the ones he has used.
You need to lose a few more games to see him angry.
My recollection of BJ during his time in Erie is a bit more positive. Winning the OHL championship in 2017 and going on to the memorial cup finals was incredible. BJ was a huge part of that run with coach Knoblauch who most recently took the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals.