Allen Shutout, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Coach's Comments, Today's Preview, Offense Struggles, All-Time Shutouts, Home Losses Records and More

 

The Allen Americans were shutout 4-0 by the Jacksonville Icemen last night after a 9-1 loss on Thursday night. Scoring one goal in two games while allowing 13 shows how dominant the Icemen have been. It is hard to believe how Jacksonville is in third place in the South Division based on how the Icemen have played the last two games. If they were in the Mountain Division they would be in first place with 78 points.

 

- Jacksonville scored the first goal of the game and the only goal of the first period at the 10:32 mark. It is well documented the Americans do not play well from behind. After the loss last night Allen's record when trailing after the first period is now 2-25-2-0. 

 

- Despite trailing 1-0 Allen had plenty of chances to tie the score in the second period. The Americans had three power play opportunities including a very short  (9 seconds) 5-on-3. Allen had seven shots on goal, plus several other shots that missed the goal or were blocked, but were blanked over almost six straight minutes of power play time. 

 

- The back breaker came when Jacksonville scored from the blue line on what looked like a harmless shot with less than a second (.9) left in the period after Allen had full possession and failed to clear the puck. The Icemen took a 2-0 lead into the second intermission which was the kiss of death. You combine Allen's record when trailing after the second period (2-30-2-0) with Jacksonville's record when leading after the second period (26-0-3-1) and Allen was toast.

 

- The third period was all Jacksonville. The Icemen outshot Allen 19-7 and outscored the Americans 2-0 to preserve a 28 save shutout for goalie Matt Vernon, whose dad Mike had a 19 year NHL career. It was Vernon's second shutout of the season. Allen was playing shorthanded after forward Nick Isaacson was injured and defensemen Jay Powell received a game misconduct penalty in the second period. Maybe fatigue played a factor.

 

- Here are the game recaps from both teams:

Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/03/game-recap-americans-blanked-by-jacksonville-4-0 

Jacksonville Icemen: https://jacksonvilleicemen.com/news/2025/03/icemen-blank-americans-4-0-magic-number-at-a-dozen 

- Here are the video highlights. Jacksonville scored twice from the blue line and twice on rebounds. A formula Allen will need to win the game tonight. https://echl.com/videos/jacksonville-icemen-vs-allen-americans-mar-7-2025

 

- When you get the results Allen has been getting the last month you look for any advantage you can find. Only one I can find is the Texas jersey the Americans will wear tonight has the best record of all of the jerseys both this season and last season. I am skeptical the Texas jersey will come through tonight. It is Saturday night with a big crowd and the jerseys will be auctioned off live after the game, almost like a specialty jersey. Will the specialty jersey curse apply? 

- Some things Allen could do tonight to win the game:

• Score first - Allen has given up the first goal in 11 of the last 15 games and lost them all.
• Score a power play goal - Allen hasn't scored a power play goal in six games (0-18).
• Score an ugly goal. 
  
• Keep the net front clear on defense.
• Win 50% or more of all faceoffs.
• Don't play from behind.
• Have fun! 

 

- Here is the game preview from the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/03/game-day-preview-final-game-of-the-series-with-jacksonville

 

- I will post the lineup on social media later this afternoon. I did hear:

• Jay Powell was not suspended for his boarding game misconduct penalty last night. 
• Forward Nick Isaacson is out after his injury last night. 
• Allen will dress eight defensemen with two playing upfront. 
• Anson Thornton will start in goal.  

OTHER COMMENTS

- After giving up six goals in three games last week against Tahoe the defense was looking good coming into the Jacksonville series. It has been the offense that has been suspect ever since Allen's three game sweep of Rapid City at the end of January. In Allen's lone win since that Rapid City sweep the defensemen scored all four goals. Allen has played 15 games since the Rapid City sweep. Here is a breakdown of goals scored in those 15 games:

• 0 goals - 2 times
• 1 goal - 4 times
• 2 goals - 4 times
• 3 goals - 4 times
• 4 goals - 1 time (the lone win)

You add it all together the total is 28 goals in 15 games for a per game average of  1.87. Even worse is of the 28 goals the forwards have scored just 21 for a per game average of 1.40. Compare that to Jacksonville's Olivier Nadeau who has averaged 1.11 goals per game all by himself over the last nine games. He has tallied four goals in the two games against Allen, four times as many goals as the entire Americans team.  

 

- Allen was shutout for the sixth time this season last night. How does that compare to prior seasons? It is not even close to the all time record. Here are the number of shutouts for each season since Allen joined the ECHL:

• 6 - 2024-25 (thru 57 games)
• 2 - 2023-24
• 2 - 2022-23
• 1 - 2021-22
• 1 - 2020-21
• 3 - 2019-20
• 9 - 2018-19
• 5 - 2017-18
• 2 - 2016-17
• 2 - 2015-16*
• 1 - 2014-15*  

*Won Kelly Cup

 

- With the loss last night Allen's home record is now 6-17-4-1. Three of the six wins came in a three game sweep of Rapid City at the end of January. Two wins were back-to-back against Utah on November 13 and 15. The sixth win was against Wichita on January 6. Allen won't set the record for fewest home wins in a season which is five. Second place is eight shared by four teams and another three teams had nine home wins. Allen needs four wins in its eight remaining home games to avoid joining the record book. Here is the list of fewest home wins in a season from the ECHL record book:

• 5 - Greenville Grrrowl (2003-04)
• 8 - Las Vegas Wranglers (2013-14)
• 8 - Stockton Thunder (2005-06)
• 8 - Texas Wildcatters (2004-05
• 8 - Victoria Salmon Kings (2004-05)
• 9 - Evansville Icemen (2014-15)
• 9 - Johnstown Chiefs (2009-10)
• 9 - Greensboro Generals 2001-02)

 

 

- Idaho has been in fifth place in the Mountain Division and outside a playoff spot for over two months. Most observers expected the Steelheads would get things turned around, but not against Kansas City on the road. Idaho not only beat Kansas City on Wednesday and last night, they spanked the Mavericks 5-0 and 6-2. The Steelheads are now tied with Wichita with 67 points for the fourth and final playoff spot. Idaho has the better schedule with eight home games remaining compared to Wichita with four. The Steelheads play Allen five times, but finish the season with three games against Kansas City at home.  Among Wichita's remaining games are road games against Indy (2), Rapid City (3), Kansas City (2) and Tahoe (3). After a great season could Wichita find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoffs once again. The Thunder have made the playoffs just twice since joining the ECHL in 2014-15. Wichita made the playoffs in 2021 (14 team season) and 2018. They lost to Fort Wayne in the first round in 2021 and to Colorado in the first round in 2018.

 

- There are three ECHL teams with point percentages over .700. All are in the Eastern Conference:

• .731 - Trois Riviéres
• .728 - Florida
• .705 - South Carolina 

- There are three ECHL teams with point percentages below .400, two of them in the Mountain Division:

• .333 - Allen
• .375 - Adirondack
• .395 - Utah

 

 

- There are 13 games on the ECHL schedule tonight with six Mountain Division teams in action.

• Jacksonville at Allen
• Wichita at Indy
• Idaho at Kansas City
• Rapid City at Tahoe

Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2025/03/echl-today-march-8  

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about point percentages of teams that have made and missed the playoffs. Last season two teams made the playoffs with losing records, both in the Mountain Division. Tulsa is the one below, but Allen also made the playoffs with a losing record (.486) and was the third seed.   

 

The top four teams in each ECHL division make the Kelly Cup playoffs. 2024-25 could see a repeat of 2023-24 when a good team missed the playoffs and a losing team made the playoffs:

 

2023-24:

- South Carolina (South Division) missed the playoffs with a .590 point percentage.

- Tulsa (Mountain Division) made the playoffs with a .479 point percentage.

 

2024-25: If playoffs started today

- Idaho (Mountain Division) would miss the playoffs on a tiebreaker with a .598 point percentage.

- Bloomington (Central Division) would make the playoffs on a tiebreaker with a .473 point percentage.