Allen vs Tahoe Series Preview Including AHL and NHL Experience, ECHL Shot Leaders and More

 The Allen Americans begin a three game series in Tahoe tonight that will be a challenge for both teams and the Allen fans for different reasons:

- Tahoe is fighting to make the playoffs first and finish in second place in the division which comes with home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. From second to fifth place in the division is separated by only five points. Tahoe could just as easily finish in second place or miss the playoffs. Here are the current standings which show how tight it is. Only three of these teams will make the playoffs:

• 66 points - Tulsa
• 65 points - Wichita
• 64 points - Tahoe
• 61 points - Idaho 

 

- Allen is just trying to stop the bleeding and break the longest losing streak in franchise history. The Americans have lost 10 straight since defeating Rapid City at home in overtime (3-2) on February 1. Ironically Allen hasn't won since (0-9-0-1) and Rapid City hasn't lost since (10-0-0-0), both setting franchise records in the process. 

- In Allen's last two series (Worcester & Kansas City) the games have been close. However, the Americans have developed a pattern of falling behind in the first period, working hard to comeback put falling short. How bad have the first periods been for the Americans? In the last six games they have scored two goals in the first period (both in the same game) and trailed after the first period in five of the six games. Allen has been outscored 12-2 in the first period. In the final two periods Allen outscored Worcester and Kansas City 13-9. If the Americans can get off to a good start in Tahoe they will have a good chance to come away with points.

 

- The challenge for Allen fans will be to stay awake, especially for the game tonight. Tahoe is in the Pacific time zone so start times in Allen will be:

• 9:30 pm - Friday
• 9:00 pm - Saturday
• 5:00 pm - Sunday

If you watch the entire game tonight you won't get to sleep until well after midnight. Since I get up at 4:00 am I will not see most of the game live. I will watch the replay tomorrow morning before I write the blog. 

 

- It it is hard to remember, but Allen played Tahoe twice at home early in the season. On December 3 Allen lost 4-3 in overtime and the next night lost 4-3 in regulation time. Allen was outshot 71-56, and was 1-7 (14.3%) on the power play. Tahoe was 2-6 (33.3%) on the power play. It is impossible to compare Allen's lineup from December to the one that will play Tahoe tonight. 11 of the 20 players that played in the December games for the Americans are either no longer with the team or are injured. 

 

- Here is how Allen and Tahoe rank in some key stats this season:

• Ave. goals scored: Allen #24 (2.50) - Tahoe #5 (3.62)
• Ave. goals allowed: Allen #28 (4.19) - Tahoe #20 (3.36)
• Ave. shots for: Allen #20 (20.83) - Tahoe #7 (32.23)
• Ave shots allowed: Allen #29 (38.46) - Tahoe #18 (31.19) 
  
• Power play percentage: Allen #17 (19.1%) - Tahoe #7 (21.1%)
• Penalty kill percentage: Allen #16 (80.0%) - Tahoe #11 (82.6%) 

It is no surprise given where Allen and Tahoe are in the standings that Allen is ranked lower then Tahoe in every stat above. Allen scores over a goal per game less (1.12) than Tahoe and allows almost a goal per game more (0.83) than Tahoe. 

 

- Over the last 10 games Tahoe's record is 5-4-1-0 compared to Allen's 0-9-0-1. Both teams played top ECHL teams on the road last week. Allen lost three games in Kansas City (3-2, 6-3, 2-1). Tahoe played in Florida, losing the first two games (4-2 & 4-1) before winning game three (6-2). 

 

- Special teams as always will play a key role in this series and as usual it will be important for Allen to stay out if the penalty box. Tahoe is the least penalized team in the league with 478 penalty minutes compared to 649 penalty minutes for Allen. Tahoe has taken 184 minor penalties, Allen 232.  

 

- Allen has scored first in just one game during this 10 game losing streak and the Americans lost that game 9-2. Allen's record when scoring first is still the worst in the ECHL, 7-9-4-2 (.455). Tahoe's record when scoring first is 20-7-1-0 (.732). If Allen gives up the first goal of the game in this series there is a 75% chance Tahoe wins the game.

 

- It is generally bad news when Allen has to play from behind, but even more so in this series. Tahoe is one of the best teams in the the league playing with the lead. The Knight Monsters record with a first period lead is 17-1-0-0 and with a second period lead is 21-0-2-0. It will be very difficult for the Americans to overcome those odds.  

 

- Every healthy Allen player is on the trip to Tahoe including all three goalies. Anson Thornton is on the trip and just coming back from an injury. His availability for the weekend is still day to day. Cole Fraser will miss the first two games of the series serving the final two games of the three game suspension he got in Kansas City last week. With the two hour time difference I won't get the lineup for the game tonight until later this afternoon. I will post the lineup on Facebook and X. 

 

- None of the players that stayed home on the 14-day IR are close to returning to the lineup. The players on 14-day IR are Spencer Asuchak, Brian Chambers, Will Gavin and Kenny Johnson. 

 

- The referee tonight, in a one referee game, is #25 David Lilly. From my records the only other time he has worked Allen games this season was the two games against Tahoe back in December. He was part of a two man crew who called eight penalties in one game and nine in the other.     

 

OTHER COMMENTS 

- Tahoe has lost five games in regulation time at home all season. The Knight Monsters also have two overtime losses and one shootout loss at home. No other Western Conference team has fewer home losses than Tahoe. Considering Tahoe has more home games remaining than any other team in the division (13), that could be a difference maker in the battle for second place.

 

- Allen and Tahoe are two of the more experienced ECHL teams with over 2500 ECHL games played. Three players Spencer Asuchak, Anthony Collins and Logan Nelson have played in 500+ ECHL games. Tahoe has a big advantage in AHL games played (725-282), driven a lot by the fact that forward Luke 
Adams has played in 342 AHL games. 

Allen has 15 players with AHL experience, five with more than 20+ games played:

• 64 - Spencer Asuchak
• 63 - Dylan Wells
• 46 - Colin Jacobs
• 36 - Patrick Polino
• 28 - Miko Matikka

Tahoe has 14 players with AHL experience, eight with 20+ plus games plauyed.

• 342 - Luke Adams
• 87 - Patrick Newell
• 84 - Jake McGrew
• 43 - Jett Jones
• 40 - Isaiah Saville
• 37 - Troy Loggins
• 30 - Isaac Johnson
• 23 - Jesper Vikman

  Each team has one player with NHL experience. Allen goalie Dylan Wells has one NHL game (Chicago). Tahoe's captain, Luke Adams, has 90 games of NHL experience (Buffalo & Columbus).  

- It is a full slate of games in the ECHL tonight with all eight Mountain Division teams in action within the division:

• Allen at Tahoe
• Utah at Kansas City
• Idaho at Rapid City
• Tulsa at Wichita

Will the lower ranked teams be spoilers or the higher ranked teams solidify their place in the standings in the fight for the second seed in the division. Here is the ECHL Today with previews on all 14 games: https://echl.com/news/2025/02/echl-today-feb-28

 

- If you have FloHockey and want to catch what should be a great game, checkout South Carolina at Florida. These are the top two teams in the South Division and two of the four teams in the ECHL with point percentages above .700. Even better, this game should be over by the time the Allen game starts. 

 

- The ECHL season is getting to crunch time very quickly. Games remaining vary from 15 to 22 with many teams playing three times this weekend. It won't be long before the top teams will start clinching playoff spots.  

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about shot leaders. Allen's leaders are Mark Duarte with 135 shots and 13.3% shooting percentage and Brayden Watts with 121 shots and 14.1% shooting percentage. Notice Sloan Stanick, Tahoe's leading scorer is #2 in the league in shots:

 

Here are the ECHL leaders in shots including shooting percentage in parenthesis. Just five players have more than 168 shots:

 

261: Brandon Hawkins, Toledo (11.5%)

 

187: Sloan Stanick, Tahoe (11.2%)

 

185: Anthony Repaci, Worcester (12.4%)

 

184: Anthony Callin, Worcester (8.7%)

 

183: Cade Borchardt, Kansas City (16.9%)

 

 

- Last season Brandon Hawkins led the ECHL with 346 shots. He had 74 more shots than the #2 in shots. At his current pace Hawkins will have an even wider gap this season.