Allen Sets Loss Record, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Tonight's Preview, All Time Allen Losing Streaks, Worst ECHL Teams and More

 

Once again the Allen Americans followed the same script last night in a 6-3 loss to Kansas City. Fall behind early (3-0), scratch back to get close (4-2) and lose the game. Last night was worse than normal. The Mavericks scored on their first, second and sixth shots of the game to take a 3-0 lead and the game was over.  

 

- You knew Allen was in trouble when Kansas City took is 3-0 lead into the first intermission. The Mavericks record when leading after the first period is a perfect 21-0-0-0. Here are some other facts and stats from the game:

• Kansas City scored the first goal of the game on the first shot of the game just 23 seconds after the opening puck drop. 
• Kansas City scored the second goal of the game on the third shot of the game (Mavericks 2nd) at the 3:13 mark of the first period.
• Allen's goals were scored by Miko Matikka, his first as a pro on the power play, Colin Jacobs (7) on the power play and Hudson Wilson (3) shorthanded.
  
• Allen scored no goals 5-on-5. 
• Allen was outshot 40-32, the ninth time in nine games against KC they have been outshot.
• Kansas City scored first for the eighth time in nine games against Allen. The team scoring first has won every game.
• Allen's record against KC this season is now 1-8-0-0. The game tonight is the final time these teams will play this season.
• Allen won the special teams battle going 2-3 on the power play. KC was 1-6 and gave up a shorthanded goal. 
• Allen took seven penalties for 25 minutes, KC five penalties for 13 minutes.
• Allen's goals allowed average in the nine games against KC is 4.89. KC's goals allowed average in the nine games against Allen is 2.00. 

- It won't get any easier for Allen to come away with a win tonight:

• Allen will be without leading goal scorer Spencer Asuchak, who was injured last night when he crashed hard into the end boards.
• Cole Fraser received a match penalty in the third period for an illegal check to the head. The rule cited for the match penalty (48.5) states, "The referee at his discretion, may assess a match penalty if, in his judgement, the player attempted to or deliberately injured his opponent with an illegal check to the head. This penalty doesn't come with an automatic suspension, but there is little doubt a suspension is forthcoming, how long is the question.
• Kansas City will get back Daniel Amesbury tonight after he served a one game suspension for a game misconduct (aggressor) penalty in the game on Wednesday. He leads the ECHL in average penalty minutes per game (5.29).
• Kansas City will also get back Max Andreev tonight. He was suspended for two games and missed the first two games of this series. Andreev leads the Mavericks in assists (30) and is second in points (42).  

 

- If you watched the game last night you could see there was a lot of animosity at the end of the game and I would say there will be a lot of carryover into the game tonight. Add Daniel Amesbury into the mix, the fact that tonight will be the last time these teams will plat this season, it could be one of those get revenge games. The referee will be the same as the first two games and he will likely need to get the game under control early. 

 

- Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans and the video highlights:

• Game recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/02/americans-fall-to-kc-6-3 
• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-kansas-city-mavericks-feb-21-2025
  

 

 COACH'S COMMENTS

- I had a chance to touch base with coach Ferguson late last night. His last text to me was 1:27 AM. Lot's of work for the coach coming out of the game. Here is what he had to say:

"Spencer will be out tomorrow with an upper body injury. We will know more in the morning, obviously hoping for the best."

"We let another one get away from us early, clawed our was back in the third period to make it 4-2 with a great chance to make it 4-3 and their goalie makes a big save on Duarte."

"Then we spent the final eight minutes of the game shorthanded. Not helpful."

"We got 20 shots from our defensemen tonight which was great.". 

"We need to find a way to score 5-on-5, win the blue paint areas and score on the flurries around the net created by the initial shot."

"We will see what shakes out with the injuries and suspensions and I will get you a lineup tomorrow afternoon."   

KEYS TO THE GAME

- Not going to come up with a new list of keys to the game tonight, which begins early (6:05 pm). Here is a repeat of the keys from yesterday which all still all apply:

Coach Ferguson

"Tonight we need to be relentless without the puck, trying to get it back. We call it being on the hunt. This includes on the forecheck as well as the backcheck,"

"Our power play needs to get going again and get its mojo back. We switched up the units last game, and saw some positive strides."

"We can't trade chances with them as they are a highly potent offensive team. We need to control the middle of the ice defensively and manage the puck offensively. No silly turnovers."

 

Maurice Fitzgerald

I asked Maurice, color analyst on the Americans home broadcasts, to share his keys for the remaining two games against Kansas City. Here are Maurice's keys:

"Allen must play a solid 60 minutes at both ends of the ice. Defense needs to execute faster breakouts and forwards need to work hard to be available for the passes."

"The defense needs to maintain better gaps and not stand there watching the puck. They need to challenge the puck carrier and get a body on them. We have seen the defense giving up too much time and space and then sweep checking the puck." 

"Scoring needs to come from more than one line or one player. Everyone needs to be contributing."

"The Americans need to capitalize on the power play which has been squandered far to often lately." (FYI, the Allen power play is 1-10 the last three games against Kansas City) ."

"If Allen doesn't score with the extra man, they can build momentum to score immediately following the power play. With sustained pressure in the offensive zone, they have a greater chance of capitalizing on a tired penalty kill unit unable to get a change, if the Americans can keep them out there longer."   

 

Barry Janssen

"The only thing I would add to coach Ferguson and Maurice's keys is get off to a good start, right from the opening puck drop and don't play from behind. Don't forget Kansas City has scored first in eight of the nine games against Allen and won them all. The Mavericks are literally unbeatable if they lead after the first period (21-0-0-0)."

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The shorthanded goal Allen scored was only the second one surrendered by Kansas City all season. Allen has allowed six shorthanded goals. Both teams are at the tail end of the shorthanded goals scored list. The shorty last night was Allen's third of the season. The Mavericks have scored just two. 

• Rapid City and Jacksonville lead the ECHL in shorthanded goals scored with nine. 
• Maine has scored just one shorthanded goal.
• Atlanta has given up just one shorthanded goal all season.
• Greenville has given up a league leading 13 goals. 

The loss last night was Allen's ninth straight, the second longest losing streak in the ECHL this season. How does Allen's nine game losing streak compare to the Americans losing streaks of the past. Here is the longest losing steak in each season since Allen joined the ECHL in 2014-15:

• 9 games: 2024-25 (still ongoing)
• 6 games: 2023-24
• 7 games: 2022-23
• 4 games: 2021-22
• 3 games: 2020-21
• 3 games: 2019-20
• 8 games: 2018-19
• 6 games: 2017-18
• 4 games: 2016-17
• 4 games: 2015-16
• 2 games: 2014-15  

In addition to Allen's current nine game losing streak the Americans previously had losing streaks of eight, seven and five games.  

 

 

 

- Here are the "Best of the Rest" standings with each team's record over the last 10 games in parenthesis:

• .469 - Rapid City (7-2-1-0)
• .410 - Utah (4-4-1-1)
• .343 - Allen (1-8-1-0)
  

- Former Allen defenseman Dalton Skelly (2022-24) has signed with the Rapid City Rush. The Rush were down to five defensemen after three defensemen were called up or loaned to AHL teams. Skelly has been playing in the SPHL this season and is the second leading scorer among all defensemen with 29 points (10G, 19A) in 39 games.

 

 

 

- Defenseman Matt Register (Idaho), who started his pro career with the Allen Americans in 2011-12 in the Central Hockey League days, played in ECHL game 661 last night, the most ECHL games ever played by a defenseman. The sure fire ECHL Hall Famer has three Kelly Cup championships (one with Allen) and has been ECHL Defenseman of the Year three times. He has been named to the ECHL All-Star team nine times. The 36 year old is still performing at a high level this season. Among all ECHL defensemen, Matt is #1 in assists (37), #2 in points (42) and he hasn't missed a game all season.

 

 

- Another busy night in the ECHL with 13 games on the schedule. All eight Mountain Division teams play the same team as last. Here are the games with the winner last night marked with an asterisk. Three road teams won:

• Allen at *Kansas City
• *Wichita at Idaho
• *Rapid City at Utah
• *Tulsa at Wheeling
• Tahoe at *Florida

Here is the ECHL Today with previews of all 13 games: https://echl.com/news/2025/02/echl-today-feb-22    

 

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is not pleasant if you are an Allen's Americans fan. Allen is on the worst team list twice. This season, which could change, and in 2018-19:

 

The worst team in the ECHL this season is Allen (.343). Here is the point percentage for the last place team the last 10 seasons: 

 

.347 - Atlanta, 2023-24

.326 - Norfolk, 2022-23

.408 - Adirondack, 2021-22

.375 - Wheeling, 2020-21

.300 - Norfolk, 2019-20

.389 - Allen & Greenville, 2018-19

.382 - Quad City, 2017-18

.292 - Elmira, 2016-17

.340 - Wichita, 2015-16

.271 - Evansville, 2014-15

 

- The lowest point percentage all time was .227 by the Roanoke Valley Rampage in 1992-93. 

 

- Evansville’s .271 in 2014-15 is #5 all time.