Allen vs Tulsa Preview, Today's Lineup, Gorman and Duarte Out, Coach's Keys, Allen's Role in Playoff Race, ECHL Rookie Goalie Leaders and More

 

It is April 1 and Allen will be playing the Tulsa Oilers at 10:30 this morning and it is not an April Fools hoax, even though many come to mind. For those of you that are gullible, beware as you go through the day that you don't get fooled.

 

- The Americans are at home for the rest of the season with the exception of a game in Wichita on Sunday. The schedule this week sounds like an April Fools practical joke, but unfortunately it is not. Here is the schedule for the week:

• Tuesday - Tulsa at home (10:30 am start)
• Friday - Idaho at home (7:10 pm start)
• Saturday - Idaho at home (7:10 pm start) 
• Sunday - Wichita on the road (2:05 pm start)

The team will drive all night after the game on Saturday for the afternoon game in Wichita on Sunday. It sounds bad, but it is even worse. Wichita plays in Tulsa on Friday, but is off on Saturday.

 

- Next week the long and difficult season finally comes to an end with three games against Tulsa on Wednesday (9th), Friday (11th) and Saturday (12th). As odd as it may sound the series will have meaning for both teams. Tulsa is in a battle with Wichita and Idaho for two playoff spots and Allen will definitely have a chance to play the spoiler. More importantly the Americans are trying to avoid the record books for fewest home wins in a single season. The Americans have six home wins with six home games remaining so the question is where in the 6-12 range will they finish. Here is the current record book listing for fewest home wins in a season:

• 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)

The Americans will have to win four of the remaining six home games to stay off of this list. 

 

- Allen has not fared well against Tulsa this season. The game this morning will be the ninth of 12 games against the Oilers this season. In the first eight games Tulsa is 7-1-0-0 against Allen. The Americans lone win was in Tulsa. Here are the cumulative stats:

• Tulsa has outscored Allen 36-20, including two shutouts both in Allen.
• Tulsa has outshot Allen 334 to 221. Average per game is 41.75 vs 27.62.
• Tulsa has scored first in five of the eight games and won them all.
• Allen is 5-25 (20.0%) on the power play.
• Tulsa is 4-24 (16.7%) on the power play.

 

- Allen comes into the game this morning on a two game points streak and a record over the last 10 games of 1-8-0-1. Tulsa has won its last two games after losing five straight. Tulsa  is 5-5-0-0 over the last 10 games. 

 

- You always hear how tough these morning games are for players, but in realty they are used to taking the ice at 10:30 in the morning, as that is the typical practice time at home. While game day routines are disrupted it is common place to be at the rink and on the ice at 10:30 am.

 

- Allen's top four scorers against Tulsa this season are Kyle Crnkovic, Brayden Watts, Mark Duarte and Easton Brodzinski. Only Watts will be in the game today.

 

- In a case of former players coming back to bite their former team, no better example than Tyler Poulsen who leads Tulsa in points against Allen with nine (4G, 5A) in eight games. Tyler has 25% of his goals for the season and 26% of his points for the season against the Americans. Tulsa's third leading scorer against Allen (8 points in 8 games) is another Allen alum, defenseman, Duggie Lagrone.

 

- As always special teams will be a key to the game this morning. Allen was 4-7 on the power play in Utah in game one and 2-5 in game three to break a long streak of 11 games (0-39) without a power play goal. Allen was 6-13 (46.2%) in the series against Utah last week. It will be a big boost if Allen can score a power play goal today.  

- Playing with the lead, as always, will be key in the game. Tulsa has the fourth best record in the ECHL when scoring the first goal, 24-4-2-1 (.823). Neither of these teams play well from behind. Here are the records when trailing after the first and second period:

Trailing after the first period

• 2-27-2-1 (.109) - Allen
• 4-14-1-1 (.250) - Tulsa

Trailing after the second period

• 2-35-2-2 (.098) - Allen
• 4-14-2-0 (.250) - Tulsa

 

- Here is Allen's lineup. Mark Duarte and Liam Gorman, who were injured in the last game in Utah are out. Brayden Watts is back in the lineup after missing the Utah series with an illness. Allen will go with seven defensemen as Cole Fraser returns. Newly signed goalie, Dylan Myskiw, will be the backup:

Forwards

#25 Westcott - #86 Kane - #44 Morrison

#92 Watts - #17 Jacobs - #91 Matikka

#24 Blaisdell - #14 Burnie - #9 MacDonald - 

#16 Gildon                         #70 Perepeluk

 

Defense 

#5 Wilson - #2 Warmuth

#55 Johnson - #3 Powell

#23 Brassard - #82 Fraser

#57 LeDonne

 

Goalies

#33 Richardson

#1 Myskiw (backup)

 

 

 

- Here are coach Ferguson's thoughts on the game this morning:

 

"Tulsa is fighting to hang on to their playoff spot in the standing, so they will be motivated."

 

"Tulsa just works hard and finishes every check. They protect the house very well in their zone so it will be a challenge to get to their net.

 

"We will have to match Tulsa's intensity and we have to win the battle of our blue paint."

 

"They use the back of the net a lot and try to bring pucks into our house and load bodies at the net."

 

 

 

- The game will be a one referee game (Tyler Hascall #8). Hascall has worked three Allen games by himself and three with a partner. In the six games he has worked, penalties have totaled between 6-10 per game, with an average of  eight per game. The linesmen will be Trent Williams (#48) and Aaron Schaat (#51).

 

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

 

- There are three games on the ECHL schedule today, In addition to Tulsa at Allen, Fort Wayne is at Kalamazoo and Toledo is at Indy. The Allen game is the only day game. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2025/04/echl-today-april-1 

- It was a rough day for former Allen players yesterday as three of them were released:

• Dakota Seaman was released by Indy.
• Rylan Van Unen was released by Savannah.
• Stanislav Demin was released by Tahoe.

 

 

- If you are tracking transactions you have been seeing a lot of players just finishing their college/junior careers signing with ECHL teams. Over 50 players have signed in the last two weeks, mostly from Division 1 colleges in the US. When the ECHL weekly roster comes out later today the number of rookies on rosters will definitely be higher.

 

 

 

-  Here is a reminder of just how close the battle for the Mountain Division playoffs is between Wichita, Tulsa and Idaho. Here are the current points for the three teams with their remaining schedule, including home (H) and away (A) games:

• 81 points: Wichita -  Tulsa (A), Allen (H), Tahoe 3 times (A)
• 80 points: Tulsa -  Allen (A), Wichita (H), Idaho (H), Allen 3 times (A)
• 77 points: Idaho - Allen 2 times (A), Tulsa (A), Kansas City 3 times (H)

All of Allen's remaining seven games are against these three teams, so the Americans will play a big part in who make the playoffs, whether the Americans win or lose against these teams. Allen plays Tulsa four times, Idaho twice and Wichita once.

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about rookie goaltenders. Allen rookie Luke Richardson has six wins and a save percentage of .904:

 

ECHL rookie goalies with the most wins this season, with save percentage. All are from the Western Conference:

 

21 - Ben Kraws, Idaho, .911

21 - Victor Ostman, Kansas City, .903

20 - Brett Brochu, Fort Wayne, .924

19 - Carter Gylander, Toledo, .906

18 - Connor Ungar, Fort Wayne, .903