The Allen Americans took off this morning for yet another weekend where they will play three games in less than 48 hours. The series in Tulsa will start with a puck drop tonight at 7:05 pm and will end around 5:30 pm on Sunday. How important is this series? The Allen season is quickly winding down. It will be 67% complete by Sunday night. Tulsa is a team Allen has to beat to hold its position in the standings, and it is a team the Americans should beat. The Oilers are the worst team in the ECHL and have won only 12 games all season. Tulsa has lost seven straight games and 12 of its last 13.
- Allen's record against Tulsa is similar to its overall record. Before Thanksgiving, the Americans lost all three games against Tulsa. Since Thanksgiving, the Americans have won five of six. Even more impressive is that in the last six games against Tulsa, Allen outscored Tulsa 30-15, averaging five goals per game.
- Here are some comparison stats between Allen and Tulsa:
- Allen's record is 24-17-4-0, Tulsa's is 12-27-3-0
- Allen is 4-5-1-0 over the last 10 games, Tulsa is 1-6-3-0.
- Allen is 10-10-3-0 on the road, Tulsa is 8-13-3-0 at home.
- Allen's goal differential is +17 (160-143), Tulsa's is -58 (100-158).
- Allen's team plus/minus is +38, Tulsa's is -212.
- Allen's team save percentage is .910, Tulsa's is .892.
- Here is the more traditional statistical comparison between the two teams. The league rank is in parentheses:
- Goals scored average: Allen 3.6 (#3) - Tulsa 2.4 (#30)
- Goals allowed average: Allen 3.2 (#20) - Tulsa 3.8 (#28)
- Shots for average: Allen 33.0 (#5) - Tulsa 32.6 (#7)
- Shots against average: Allen 35.5 (#28) - Tulsa 35.0 (#27))
- Power play percentage: Allen 20.0% (#10) - Tulsa 17.9% (#21)
- Penalty kill percentage: Allen 84.7% (#6) - Tulsa 76.1% (#28)
- Here are the cumulative stats against Tulsa. The game tonight will be the 10th of 15 meetings between these teams this season. Allen's record in the first nine games is 5-3-1-:
- Allen outscored Tulsa 36-27
- Tulsa outshot Allen 300-282
- Allen was 25.0% on the power play (8-32)
- Tulsa was 19.0% on the power play (4-21)
- Allen scored 1st in 6 of the 9 games.
- Allen took 42 penalties (107 minutes), Tulsa took 54 penalties (150 minutes)
- If you look at all of the stats above, it is clear that Tulsa has outperformed versus Allen this season. After all, 25% of the Oilers' wins (4 of 12) have been against Allen. However, this stat is skewed when you consider Allen lost three straight to Tulsa early in the season and is 5-1-0-0 since. The one loss was Allen's last game against Tulsa on January 17, a 5-2 loss in Tulsa (2 empty net goals).
- As usual, special teams will play a key role in this series. Allen has the advantage in overall stats, head-to-head stats, and road vs home power play stats. The Americans have the #3 ranked road power play (24.4%), and the Oilers home power play is ranked #17 (18.6%).
- Across the ECHL, the team that scores first wins 75% on the points. Allen is one of the best in the league with a points percentage of .833 (16-2-3-0) when scoring first. Tulsa is the worst in the league and one of two teams with a losing record when it scores first. The Oilers' record when scoring first is 7-8-0-0 (.467).
- Playing with the lead is also a key to this series. Here is Allen's record that tells the story of why the Americans can't be playing from behind in this series.
- 9-1-2-0: leading after 1st period
- 17-0-1-0: leading after 2nd period
- 12-3-1-0: tied after 1st period
- 5-4-1-0: tied after 2nd period
- 3-13-1-0: trailing after 1st period
- 2-13-2-0: trailing after 2nd period
- Anyway you slice it, the Americans will be the favorite in all three games this weekend. A sweep would give Allen some distance between themselves and fifth-place Wichita, who beat the Americans on Wednesday. Wichita will play either Idaho or Kansas City in seven of its next eight games.
- The Allen roster will be improved tonight with the following additions:
- Andre Anania returns from suspension.
- Jake Chiasson returns from the AHL All-Star break
- Sam Stange, a forward under contract with the AHL Springfield Thunderbirds has joined the Americans and will be in the lineup. (see profile below).
- Tulsa will be playing shorthanded after two players were suspended for a post-game melee in Kansas City last Friday. A total of five players were suspended. Cade McNelly, who leads Tulsa in penalty minutes, will miss all three games. In Allen's 5-2 loss to Tulsa on January 17, McNelly scored a hat trick, his only three goals in 59 games with Tulsa over the last two seasons. Tyrell Goulbourne was suspended for one game and will miss tonight's game.
- Players to watch in this series for Allen, based on the nine games these teams have played this season, are Katic (9G, 7A), Watts (7G, 4A), Crone (2G, 7A), and Sedley (2G, 6A). No Tulsa player has more than three goals against Allen. The Oilers' leading scorer is #27 Easton Armstrong (15G, 8A).
- The game tonight will be a one-referee game. The referee will be Will Kelly (#7). For what it is worth, Kelly was one of two referees in Allen's loss to Wichita on Wednesday. The duo called just two penalties in the game, one on each team.
PLAYER PROFILE - SAM STANG
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| Sam Stang |
Sam Stang has been assigned to the Allen Americans by the AHL Springfield Thunderbirds. He
is a 24-year-old, 6''1", 210-pound, right-shot forward from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He played his junior
hockey in the USHL and his college hockey at the University of Wisconsin (4 years) and the University of Nebraska - Omaha for his final collegiate season. Originally a 4th-round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2020, the rookie started this season with the Florida Everblades, where he scored three goals in the first four games, and was recalled to Springfield. He has played 31 games in Springfield and tallied four points (3G, 1A). Here are some facts and stats:
- In 2018-19, his last year of high school, he had 67 points (31G, 36A) in 24 games.
- 2019 Joe Pavelski award winner as top forward in Wisconsin.
- 2019 Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Player of the Year.
- 3-run homer in the 2019 state baseball championship led his high school team to championship
- Hobey Baker Award nominee
- Named All-Academic Big 10 three times (college major - neurobiology)
- Named Big 10 distinguished scholar
- Big 10 regular season champion (2020-21)
- 34 points (16G, 18A) in 36 games last season in Omaha (wore an "A")
Here are two videos with Sam Stang. The first is after he was drafted by Detroit in 2020, and the second is from last season. Both will give you an idea of the type of player Allen is getting in Sam Stang.
Great info and appreciate the hard work you put into this
ReplyDeleteWe knew that the GM from Springfield being at games last weekend had to have some meaning and hopefully a positive one . Thank as always for the insight, stats & details Barry!
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