Allen Snaps Losing Streak, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Coach's Comments, Hank Crone to Europe, Florida on Record Pace and More

 

The Allen Americans snapped their seven game losing streak last night with a 3-2 win over Rapid City. It was the fifth time in six games against the Rush this season the margin of victory was one goal. The one exception was Allen's 8-4 loss in Rapid City last Saturday. You have to believe that loss was a motivator for the game at home last night. Allen's record against Rapid City is now 3-2-0-1 with two more games on Friday and Saturday.

 

- It was an entertaining game with lots of twists and turns. Rapid City struck first with a power play goal  just 79 seconds after the opening puck drop. Mark Duarte had blocked two shots and was laying on the ice injured. A shot bounced off the pipe and Rapid put in the rebound. Duarte was helped off the ice but later returned to play. 

 

- Allen tied the score a few minutes later (4:57) when Spencer Asuchak scored his 13 goal of the season on a beautiful tip of a shot from the point by Mike Van Unen. Allen dominated the first period after the first couple of minutes of play, outshooting the Rush 15-6, but the score was tied 1-1 at the first intermission. 

 

- Momentum swung back in Rapid City's direction early in the second period (2:22) when a defensive breakdown allowed the Rush a goal into a wide open net. The second period has been an issue for Allen this season and when Rapid City took a 2-1 lead it made you wonder. I thought the most important sequence of the game earned Allen a 2-2 tie. Allen just finished a power play opportunity in which they had no shots. Rapid City ended up with a 2-on-0 breakaway with one of the players just coming out of the penalty box. Dylan Wells made a great save on the breakaway and Allen skated down the ice and scored. Colin Jacobs got the goal (his sixth) on a great backhand pass from Liam Gorman. 

- Allen wasn't through with its second period scoring. There were 34 seconds left in the period when Hudson Wilson took what looked like a harmless shot from the point and beat the goalie. It gave Allen a 3-2 lead at the second intermission. How big was it for Allen to take a lead into the third period. Rapid City hasn't won a game all season when trailing after the second period. The Rush record when trailing after the second period is now 0-20-3-0.

 

- It wasn't easy for Allen to hold Rapid City scoreless in the third period. The Americans had to kill off four penalties as the referee called penalty after penalty against Allen. Goalie Dylan Wells was great all night but especially in the third period when Allen spent most of the period shorthanded. Rapid City outshot Allen 20-3 in the third period, but could not get the puck past Wells. He faced 46 shots and made 44 saves for a .957 save percentage. 

 

- Allen's penalty kill was a difference maker in the game. After giving up a power play goal early in the game they killed six straight penalties. Allen's power play was 0-3 and continues to struggle. At the beginning of December the Allen power play was ranked #3 in the ECHL at 25.5%. Today it is ranked #10 at 20.2%. Still respectable, but not as potent as it once was.   

- Here are the game recaps and video highlights:

• Allen Americans recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/01/americans-defeat-rapid-city-3-2-to-end-losing-skid 

• Rapid City Rush recap: https://rapidcityrush.com/news/2025/01/game-recap-rush-fall-in-allen-despite-season-high-46-shots

• Video Highlights: https://echl.com/videos/rapid-city-rush-vs-allen-americans-jan-29-2025

 

COACH'S COMMENTS

- Coach Ferguson met with the season ticket holders after the game and brought along defenseman Artyom Kulakov. Here is what they had to say:

"We have had 2.5 practices since I took over. The players have been great, adapting on the fly. The work ethic and effort every night is great even though the results haven't been there. They have been dialing home some details that is starting to show.".....Ferguson

"I know it sounds like a cliche but we try to take it one play at a time. You can't live in the past. What happened on your last shift is over. We emphasize going north. Try not to turn it back toward our net. The defensemen are doing a great job of moving the puck through the neutral zone and keep going toward their net. More time in the "fun zone" helps.".....Ferguson

"Jared Westcott is a tenacious guy who averaged a point a game last season in college. I don't think he has fear going to the net. We need more of that to get some of those dirty goals. I like his skating and think he will help us out along the walls. When I talk about going north that means a lot of pucks along the wall that we put the onus on the forwards to win those battles.".....Ferguson

"It will definitely be more physical this weekend. We think the physical play works for us. Talking to the guys in the locker room we know we have to be that type of game to be successful. Good things will happen.".....Kulakov

"I think there is something to be said about team toughness. What I have been preaching is getting tougher around our net. Taking no crap around our net. We are tired of seeing our goalies getting bumped all of the time. Kulakov is a guy that plays tough every shift. Johnson is the same way. We just added Jay Powell who is 6'7" and might hit his head on the scoreboard going out. He is big, long and rangy and will play tough every shift.".....Ferguson

"We owe a lot to what Richardson has done for us. When Wells went up to the AHL and we brought Richardson he took over the #1 role. We have three games in three days this weekend and I would like to get him in. Stay tuned. He definitely deserves to play and his numbers don't lie.".....Ferguson

"We had to flush the 8-4 loss. Fergie has done a good job of telling us to forget about the past. We have a lot of home games coning up so we have to take advantage of that. They have shifty forwards who can shoot the puck. We have to be aware of that around the net, be meaner and move the puck north just like we did tonight. We played physical, moved the puck up north and the goalie made some big saves when we needed it.:....Kulakov

"The attitude in the first period was because we were sick of losing to them. There is not an option to lose anymore games to them. We need to be ready from the opening puck drop, be physical and mean and we will win the game.".....Kulakov

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- If you listened to the between periods interview I did with Tommy Daniels last night you heard me say Hank Crone was headed to Europe to play in the Swiss League based on someone telling me that at the game. When I got home I did some checking and Hank did sign with EHC Olten in the Swiss League, but it is for the 2025-26 season. I swapped messages with Hank this morning and he assured me he is staying in Idaho for the remainder of this season. He also shared he will be back in the lineup this weekend against Utah. He has been on injured reserve since being injured when Idaho played Allen on New Year's Eve. Here is the press release from his Swiss team on Hank's signing: https://swisshockeynews.ch/en/shn/men/swiss-hockey/sl/hank-crone-is-ehc-oltens-second-import-player-for-the-2025-26-season

 

- The "Best of the Rest" competition has tightened up again. Here is the latest:

• .388 - Rapid City
• .385 - Utah
• .375 - Allen

- Cincinnati had a horrible start to the season and in mid December had a record of 3-15-3-0 (.214). In its last 13 games the Cyclones record is 10-2-1-0 (.846). After the poor start Cincinnati has a chance to make the playoffs, but still has some ground to make up. 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The Florida Everblades are on pace to set an all-time ECHL record for average goals allowed per game. After 40 games Florida’s average is 1.93. No team has every allowed fewer than 2.13 goals per game for a single season. The Everblades could not only beat the all-time record, they could destroy it. Here are the top five all-time:

 

2.13 - Idaho, 2022-23

2.13 - South Carolina, 2017-18

2.17 - Louisiana, 2001-02

2.21 - Atlantic City, 2003-04

2.24 - Reading, 2004-05 

 

Florida has seven shutouts thus far. The all-time ECHL record in a single season is 12.