The Allen Americans salvaged a point on their three game swing through the Central Division with a 4-3 overtime loss in Fort Wayne last night. Allen's losing streak of six games (0-4-2-0) is now the longest of the season. The Americans record over the last 10 games is 2-5-3-0.
- Unlike the first two games of this road trip, Allen had some good to go along with the bad in the loss yesterday. Here are a few of the good and the bad:
- Allen scored the first goal, by Spencer Asuchak and his reunited line.
- Fort Wayne had a 15-9 shot advantage in the first period.
- Allen led 2-0 after the first period.
- Fort Wayne scored the only goal of the second period on a breakaway.
- Allen led 2-1 after the second period, its record with a second period lead was 6-1-0-0.
- Fort Wayne scored twice early in the third period to take a 3-2 lead.
- Allen (Mark Duarte) scored late in the third period (17:49) to send the game to overtime.
- Fort Wayne scored the game winner 55 seconds into overtime on a breakaway.
- Allen didn't give up a power play goal (0-2).
- Fort Wayne didn't give up a power play goal (0-2).
- Allen gave up four goals, the fewest of the weekend.
- Fort Wayne scored three of its four goals on breakaways, all by Jack Dugan.
- Allen's second goal was scored by Robbie Baillargeon, his 50th as a pro.
- Fort Wayne had a 42-23 shot advantage.
- Goal scorers for Allen were Spencer Asuchak (8), Robbie Baillargeon (1) and Mark Duarte (6). Here are the video highlights. Three breakaway goals in a 4-3 game is not acceptable. The fact they were all scored by the same player is even worse. https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-fort-wayne-komets-dec-15-2024
- Fort Wayne has a population of around 420,000 in its metropolitan area and gets so much local media coverage the Komets don't produce or publish game recaps on its website. Here is the Allen Americans game recap and a couple of the game recaps from Fort Wayne media:
Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2024/12/game-recap-americans-fall-to-komets-in-ot
WANE 15: https://www.wane.com/sports/komets/dugans-hat-trick-leads-komets-to-overtime-win-over-allen/
The Journal Gazette: https://www.journalgazette.net/sports/professional/komets/jack-dugan-scores-on-3-breakaways-including-ot-winner-and-komets-down-americans/article_d43d3036-bb35-11ef-bd12-7b4fb7fcc73b.html
- While you can certainly find some good in the game yesterday the bottom line is it ended in another defeat for the Americans. Next up for Allen is two home games against Wichita on Wednesday and Friday. If Allen has hopes of making the playoffs, these games against Wichita are vitally important because the Thunder occupy fourth place in the division. Allen's current point percentage is .432 compared to Wichita's .560. If Allen sweeps the two games the Americans would narrow the point percentage gap to .479 vs .519. If Allen gets swept by Wichita the point percentage gap will widen to .396 vs .593. The Americans would be 13 points out of a playoff position.
OTHER COMMENTS
- How does the Mountain Division rank among all 29 ECHL teams in point percentage? Here is the ranking with point percentage in parenthesis:
- #6 - Kansas City (.700)
- #8 - Tahoe (.696)
- #11 - Tulsa (.630)
- #14 - Wichita (.560)
- #17 - Idaho (.542)
- #22 - Allen (.432)
- #27 - Rapid City (.354)
- #28 - Utah (.261)
- Hank Crone has finally made it to the top of the ECHL points list. Crone leads the league in points (31) and assists (22). Hank also leads Idaho in plus/minus (+13).
- Ryan Smith (Adirondack) leads the ECHL with three shorthanded goals in just 18 games played. Last season the shorthanded goal leader was Patrick Polino of Cincinnati who had five. Here are Allen's shorthanded goal leaders since the Americans joined the ECHL
- 1 - Spencer Asuchak, 2024-25 (after 22 games)
- 4 - Gavin Gould, 2023-24
- 2 - Liam Finlay, 2022-23
- 2 - Spencer Asuchak, 2021-22
- 5 - Corey Mackin, 2020-21
- 2 - Tyler Sheehy and Stepan Falkovsky, 2019-20
- 3 - Riley Bourbonnais, 2018-19
- 1 - By seven different players, 2017-18
- 2 - Bryan Moore, 2016-17
- 3 - Justin Courtnall, 2015-16
- 5 - Greger Hanson, 2014-15
- Every season there is plenty of discussion why Allen's record is good or bad to start the season. Discussions often allude to injuries, call ups, loans and road vs home games just to name a few. It seems like good teams find a way to overcome these issues. I pulled a sample of Allen's record after 22 games over the years. I included the first ECHL season for Adams (2024-25), Costello (2022-23) and Martinson (2014-15) plus Martinson's last season in Allen (2020-21). As a reminder, Martinson missed the playoffs once in his 10 years in Allen and won four championships. Costello made the playoffs in both seasons he coached in Allen. It remains to be seen if the Americans can overcome their poor start this season and make the playoffs.
- 7-10-5-0 (.432), 2024-25
- 7-14-1-0 (.341), 2022-23
- 10-9-3-0 (.523), 2020-21
- 16-4-1-1 (.773), 2014-15
- It is no coincidence the Wheeling Nailers are on pace to set the all-time ECHL record for point percentage in a single season. Wheeling's point percentage is .833, just ahead of the all-time record of .826 set by Idaho in 2022-23. The number of NHL/AHL contracted players assigned to Wheeling has actually increased since the season began and is the highest of all ECHL teams as of last week. The Nailers have two NHL contracted goalies from their affiliate (Pittsburgh Penguins) and 12 AHL contracted players from their AHL affiliate (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins). Wheeling is the hottest team in the league right now. Three teams in the North Division have the ECHL's longest current point steaks led by Wheeling. Here is the list:
- 15-0-1-0: Wheeling
- 10-0-2-0: Trois Rviéres
- 10-0-0-0: Norfolk
DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about the best and worst teams in several statistical categories:
Glad you reminded everyone Chad got us to the playoffs twice! This fool of a coach will not.
ReplyDeleteStill hoping for a new coach as a Christmas present.
Our players deserve a coach that knows what he’s doing.
Horrible lose again.
ReplyDeleteI never have to change my thoughts on Martinson. Winner everywhere he goes. Should have never let him go and should have opened the checkbook in the offseason to bring him back.
Never going to happen with Ernst influencing and guiding LJ and Myles. They did exactly what Joe suggested. Shameful.
DeleteDestroyed so much in a matter of months.
Agreed, Martinson was the ultimate coach/GM
DeleteTotally agree on Marty! Would have had top notch players and be in playoff contention
ReplyDeleteWill be a while before Allen sees the playoffs.
DeleteCostello had the GM role almost mastered with the trades executed on the back half of last season.
BJ Adams actually trades talent away.
Polar opposite in execution and our owners don't care.
I’m not sure why the previous owner let Martinson go as while I lived here I did not yet have season tickets. Maybe he’s hard to work with? Maybe bad management advice not to sign again? No idea. But sometimes you agree to disagree if you have proven winner in house. Sure maybe a few lean years at the end but how much of that was affiliations and/or owner interference? No idea. I watch the SD Gulls (had season tickets for many, many years) let him go for nepotism and the owner hired the really good player Martin St Amour to be coach…because he married the owners daughter. Team went to sh-t once Martinson was let go.
DeleteHowever, you can see wherever Martinson goes, he wins. Period. He knows how to get players to play above their capabilities and plays sound hockey with a good, solid punch you back attitude. Always a pipe dream to get him back but we certainly need a new coach. This experiment has failed miserably.
I’m not an owner but wish I had the Money to do so. At this level, winning puts butts in seats and no feeble tickets. That’s no way to build revenue when people hate the high concession prices so you’re not even gaining revenue that way.
And how about the original jerseys this season in the gift shop. With the logos peeling off. Talk about going cheap to save a few bucks. WTAH.
No one gets tired of winning. Everyone gets tired of losing.
Autocorrected freebie to feeble. Lame
DeleteBarry why do you delete comments that are relevant and other than calling ownership a joke and saying Myles lied, which he did, which is on hundreds of posts ... why delete my comment?
ReplyDeleteHere's the comment:
DeleteLJ (Americans Owner) - June 12 2024 (Just 13 days after firing Chad Costello, and a mere 30 days after Myles Jack lied to Chad's face).
“We are very excited to have B.J. Adams as our new Head Coach,” said Americans Owner La Sonjia Jack. “He is a great fit for our players, the community, and our organization. Adams comes with a breadth of experience, from his playing history and years as a fearless coach. Here’s to chasing victories and crafting champions together!”
You are a joke of an owner.
You need to fix the mess you started.
Barry getting a call/text from Mydra, who got a call/text from either LJ or Myles.
DeleteFor sure they read the blog.
Read the blog and do something good. Toiling around below mediocrity will destroy the team. Unless that’s the objective.
DeleteOr burning down a parking garage lol
DeleteI'm not sure why I keep posting.
ReplyDeleteThis team and ownership and coaching is the same old every game.
I'm moving on.
You'll have my tickets to sell to some other sucker next season.
Your loss LJ, my family spend is north of $5-6k on tickets/merch a season.
It all adds up.
Sad so many have decided this but for GOOD reason!
ReplyDeleteSuch a catch 22 situation too. Don't want to pay because the on ice product sucks after the total decimation of the team in the off season. But if we don't pay we could very well lose the team we've been cheering for the past 15 years.
DeleteI'm still on the fence as to what I'll do in the end. I just know for a fact I won't be renewing day 1 of renewal availability.
Wait it out. It’s your money not anyone else’s. Just like a normal business, they should earn it.
DeleteYep - your situation is the same for many other fans, especially long time STH’s. An unnecessary situation created by unqualified ownership and betrayal of outside management.
DeleteThe ECHL should never have approved any sale.
DeleteThey (ECHL) have certainly been bamboozled by Zawyer.
Would they have approved a sale without Zawyer being "managers" ?
Forcing STH renewal by March 1st is a joke. That's not going to work in their favor this time around. Definitely going to be more tickets to give away after the mass exodus of STH. Although with the price of concessions, and the craptastic on ice product, I wouldn't even want to go with free tickets, pay so much in concessions
Deleteand not even see a good game.
At least the Ice Angles are still top notch talent and Stephanie knows how to run a professional organization. Maybe she could coach next season :D
Allen:
ReplyDeletedelete Ryan Mahshie, F traded to Worcester
What is going on BJ?
You traded for him, only to trade him?
Did he want out or is this another player in conflict with you?
What a mess.....
delete Colin Jacobs, F traded to Allen
DeleteHere we go ....
We traded for Jacobs 👍🏼
DeleteJacobs added Mahshie deleted … come on you can read
DeleteStep 1 of 100 to fix the mess.
DeleteMore is coming
DeleteLove the insiders posting.
DeleteMakes you wonder if it's Myles or LJ listening and observing and actioning......
Just hopeful thinking
DeleteNow just need to:
ReplyDelete- Fire BJ and Video Guy
- hire Costello and Gens
- bring back Marco, Crone, Hargrove, Myllari, Farmer, Smedsrud etc.
- Bring back “Red Kingdom”
- Pay Barry for putting up with all the comments and deletes over the past 6 months
- have LJ and absent owner Myles step up and admit they made horrible decisions
- empower Mydra
Should get us ready for 25/26 🙄
Seems like a simple solution to me!
DeleteBarry - Question for Tommy/JM: Why doesnt Mixlr retain recordings of prior seasons games?
ReplyDeleteGood job BJ, you failed to call Blake.
ReplyDeleteBlake Murray of the Atlanta Gladiators is the Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week for Dec. 9-15. It is the second time in his career that he has received the weekly honor.
Murray scored four goals and added two assists for six points in three games last week.
Yep failed to call many! Listened to the great Joe Ernst.
DeleteI’m sure Marty is laughing at this joke of a team. Not many years ago we were the most dominant team in the ECHL and thanks to terrible ownership and coaching we are the laughing stock of the entire league. It’s really sad. I predict the Americans will leave Allen in the next 2 years.
ReplyDeleteSeems too convenient doesn’t it?
Delete2 years? You’re being generous! Wait till Mydra leaves. I’m sure he is beside himself as all of us are. He’s hired to do a job he’s not allowed to do. Think about that..
Deleteagreed. I'm hearing he has an offer with the Islanders that he's seriously considering.
DeleteWake up LJ!!!!!!!!!! 🙈
DeleteI can see it being 2 because of the ASG. This is season 1, 2 would be next with ASG and then out. No doubt they have looked at markets.
ReplyDeleteSend them to Arlington or Fort Worth to compete with cowboys and rangers then get a good franchise with good owners back in Allen. It’s a good market, especially when you have winners — not losers.
ReplyDelete