The Allen Americans' quest for second place in the Mountain Division continues tonight at the CUTX Event Center in the first of two games against the Tahoe Knight Monsters. If the Americans want to control their own destiny and not rely on Idaho to lose one of its three remaining games, tonight's game is a must-win.
- Allen has played Tahoe three times this season, all at the beginning of January on the road. Allen lost the first two games of the series and won the third. They were memorable games. Here is a reminder:
January 2 - The Allen Americans were shut out 5-0 by the Tahoe Knight Monsters in the opening game of a three-game series. You know it is going to be a long night when the Americans outshot Tahoe 20-8 in the first period and trailed 3-0. The game was over quickly when the Knight Monsters scored twice in the first four minutes of the game (2:14 & 4:07). Allen had plenty of chances, but could not get the puck by rookie goalie Cameron Whitehead, who stopped all 39 Allen shots on the way to his first professional shutout.
January 3 - The Allen Americans lost a heartbreaker, 4-3. The game was back-and-forth from beginning to end. Tahoe scored first just 85 seconds after the opening puck drop. Allen scored the next two goals to take a 2-1 lead. Then it was Tahoe's turn to score two goals to take a 3-2 lead. Allen tied the score 3-3 with less than five minutes remaining in the game, and as time wound down, it looked like it was headed to overtime. That is when the heartbreak happened. Allen iced the puck with 22 seconds remaining, lost the faceoff, and Tahoe scored the game-winner with 13 seconds remaining to make the final score 4-3.
January 4 - The Allen Americans salvaged the series in Tahoe with a 5-1 win over the Knight Monsters on Sunday afternoon. After losing the first two games of the series (5-0 & 4-3), the Americans made a statement in game three, dominating Tahoe in record fashion. On the way to their 5-1 victory, Allen set a franchise record with 63 shots on goal. The Americans also eclipsed the highest shot total in the ECHL this season (55). Coach Martinson has talked about the importance of winning the final game of three games in three days and four games in five days, something that wasn't happening earlier in the season. Team fitness, playing physically, and playing with speed through the neutral zone are key components to recent success in these situations. As Martinson said after the game, "Our team is built for series and the playoffs, we are just getting started."
- FYI, the 63 shots Allen recorded in that game on January 4 is still the ECHL high for the season, and it is five more shots than second place.
- Here are some comparison stats between Allen and Tahoe:
- Allen's record is 39-23-5-0 (.619), Tahoe's is 33-29-3-3 (.529).
- Allen is 7-3-0-0 over the last 10 games, Tahoe is 4-5-1-0.
- Allen is 22-9-2-0 (.697) at home, Tahoe is 14-15-2-1 (.484) on the road.
- Allen's goal differential is +51 (248-197), Tahoe's is -1 (242-243).
- Allen's team plus/minus is +154, Tahoe's is -14.
- Allen's team save percentage is .914, Tahoe's is .905.
- Here are more statistical comparisons between the two
teams.
- Goals scored average: Allen #1 (3.70) - Tahoe #3 (3.56)
- Goals allowed average: Allen #14 (2.94) - Tahoe #28 (3.57)
- Shots for average: Allen #2 (33.76) - Tahoe #8 (31.97)
- Shots allowed average: Allen #27 (34.28) - Tahoe #29 (37.01)
- Power play percentage: Allen #9 (20.7%) - Tahoe #5 (22.1%)
- Penalty kill percentage: Allen #11 (83.8%) - Tahoe #20 (79.3%)
- When you look at the stats above, a few things stand out:
- Allen is an excellent home team, and Tahoe has a losing record on the road.
- Goal differential is a good proxy for how good a team is. The four playoff teams are +95 (Kansas City), +51 (Allen), +27 (Idaho), and -1 (Tahoe).
- Both teams have high-powered offenses, ranked #1 and #3 in the league. The team that plays better team defense will win. Allen has allowed 15 goals in the last seven games (2.14 average). Tahoe has allowed 24 (3.43 average).
- Special teams will likely be the difference in the series, and these teams are close statistically:
- Overall PP percentage: Allen 20.7% vs Tahoe 22.1%
- Overall PK percentage: Allen 83.8% vs Tahoe 79.3%
- Home vs Road PP %: Allen 16.2% vs Tahoe 18.8%
- Home vs Road PK%: Allen 88.6% vs Tahoe 79.8%
- Shorthanded goals for: Allen 5 vs Tahoe 9
- Shorthanded goals against: Allen 6 vs Tahoe 5
- Odds are heavily in favor of the team that scores the first goal winning the game. League-wide, it is about 75%. Allen is way above the league average at 89%, and Tahoe is below the league average at 62%. A reminder, the Americans' record when giving up the first goal is not good, 12-21-2-0 (.371).
- If you are looking for players to watch in this series, it is a very long list. Two of the best offenses in the league both have six players with 19 or more goals. One player to watch if he is in the lineup is #18 Alex Weiermair, who just signed with Tahoe on Wednesday. He is a 2025 draft choice of the Las Vegas Golden Knights and just wrapped up his junior career in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks. He will be on an NHL contract next season, but will begin his pro career with Tahoe, starting tonight. He had 93 points (37G, 56A) in 66 games for Portland this season.
- The Allen players in the lineup tonight will be the same as Wednesday against Wichita. Brett Mirwald will start in goal; the defensive pairings should be the same, but Coach Martinson told me the lines will be juggled.
OTHER COMMENTS
- Spencer Asuchak will play in his 700th professional game tonight. 615 of them are with the Allen Americans. I have always thought it was strange that when teams and the league acknowledge these milestones, they only include regular-season games. The real total, if you include playoff games, is that Spencer has played in 714 games for Allen and 811 in his professional career.
- I have had a lot of questions asking about players from Belleville, who might be sent to Allen for the playoffs. I have no idea who and when players might be sent. Here is a list of players who could be sent to Allen based on the ECHL playoff qualification rules:
- Mark Duarte - Right-shot forward who played nine games in Allen the first month of the season and 36 games in Belleville. Led the Americans in goals last season.
- Riley Kidney - Left-shot forward who played 46 games in Trois-Rivières this season, six games in Laval (AHL), and five games in Belleville. The 2nd round draft choice of Montreal (2021) is under an NHL contract. He was traded to Ottawa and loaned to Belleville in mid-March.
- Ryan O'Rourke - Left-shot defenseman played 11 games with Trois-Riviéres this season, eight with Laval (AHL), and nine with Belleville. He was traded from Laval to Belleville in mid-March. He was the second-round draft choice of the Minnesota Wild in 2020.
- Djibril Touré - Right-shot defenseman who played five games in Allen and has played 34 games in Belleville,
- Luke Mistlebacher - Right-shot forward who was just signed by Belleville for the 2026-27 season and joined Belleville on an ATO (amateur tryout) for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. Because he is on an ATO he is qualified to be sent to Allen, even though he has not played in the ECHL.
- Hoyt Stanley - Right-shot defenseman recently (March 30) signed a three-year entry-level NHL contract with Ottawa, set to start in 2026-27. He was Ottawa's fourth-round draft pick in 2023. He just joined Belleville on an ATO (amateur tryout). Because he is on an ATO, he is qualified to be sent to Allen, even though he has not played in the ECHL
- Jackson Parsons - He has played 22 games in Allen this season and 13 games in Belleville.
- It is a busy night in the ECHL with 13 games on the schedule, with many having playoff implications. Some teams can move up in the seedings, and two teams (Reading & Adirondack) can punch their ticket to the playoffs. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/04/echl-today-april-10
DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about teams finishing above .700 in the regular season and not winning the Kelly Cup. In 2014-15, Allen had a .736 regular-season points percentage, which was #2 in the league and went on to win the Kelly Cup. The following season (2015-16), Allen finished #5 in the regular season (.618) and won the Kelly Cup. The only team above .700 was Kansas City at .757. Allen beat Kansas City 4-2 in the second round of the playoffs.
Caron is also qualified and we retain his rights, although I suspect he burnt bridges with Marty by leaving for Europe.
ReplyDeleteAny word on Brady S-F being returned from Iowa?
ReplyDeleteHe's out for the rest of this season 😢😢
DeleteInjured when on loan.
DeleteTulsa did us a favor tonight folks! LFG Red!!!
ReplyDeletePretty pathetic that Asuchak only gets a lousy announcement for his 700th professional game as everyone in the building is on their way out. 13 seasons in Allen, 2 Kelly Cups, leads multiple stats in the franchise’s history, and that’s all he gets? Not even a picture on the screen during the game? Shameful
ReplyDeleteGame day presentation is stale.
DeleteMany things need to change.
When you can’t recognize Costello properly for his jersey retirement, forget Asuchak 700th game (or forget to present him something), same old silly songs, many things need to change.
Some need to open their eyes or consult with fans about their suggestions for inprovement.
C’mon Allen.
👆🏻💯
DeleteFor a front office and in game operations that do nothing but pat themselves on the back its a shame how bad they are with recognizing milestones like this. They seem to have Myles fooled and are taking full advantage of him. Our game day presentation is one of the worst in the league. Incompetence has always held this team back in that regard.
DeleteIt is a total disgrace how this organizations does not recognize the players for their achievements while playing for the Allen Americans. The players while here in Allen need to be honored. The cheap so called player jerseys hanging in the arena are pathetic. Millstones in a players career need to be better addressed during games are special occasions.
DeleteThe organization seems to want to cater to the kids and younger adults. Every second of a time out they think the fans need to be entertained with loud over modulated music/noise and the same old lame activities. Who was the genius who came up with the 1973 John Denver song to play during the second intermission? Really? That's all you can come up with! The game ops folks have no idea what hockey tradition is and what songs and type of music to play. Do some research ask a cross section of fans for their ideas and opinions on what would be appreciated for the game presentations going forward. Open your eyes and have an open mind....
ReplyDeleteYes, it’s absolutely horrendous that they are trying to get people involved during intermission, and even get a younger crowd to the game for the long-term building of the fan base. Oh, the humanity.
ReplyDeleteNo one is forcing you to go to the game.
That argument would hold up if it were true. The reality is the operation is lazy and the fan experience is cookie-cutter and amateur. Spending one night at a Stars game, or at any other building in the league, would be an education.
DeleteI have season tickets to the stars as well, and the only reason I mention that is they do the same thing over and over and just mix up the music in different times of the game. Just focus on being a fan and let the marketing team for the Americans focus on getting fans on the seats and doing what they do.
DeleteYou must work for the team.. sorry to offend but you need to do better.
Deleteand remember that for most people, it’s new to them because they don’t go to games as frequently as those of us who are season ticket holders. So what is redundant/repetitive for you, might be new and fun for the non-season ticket holder or first or second time attendee at a game.
ReplyDeleteHay wake up people! Its playoff time! Focus on that for a change! Go RED!!!
ReplyDelete