Pros Become Boys at Practice, Trade Deadline Moves, MacLeod's Goal Scoring Prowess & More

I have to admit watching Allen Americans practices is not something I enjoy doing. My reason for going is to see who is on the ice and who is not, see what the line combinations are, see what the defensive pairings are, talk to players after practice and get updates from coach Martinson.  However, every once in while you get to witness something special at practice. Over the years there have been a few times when players seriously squared off, a lot when they do it for fun and I have witnessed coach Martinson hold a fighting clinic or two, especially back in the CHL days. By far the best practices to attend are when these professionals become boys again, choose up sides and play for something like who buys lunch. One of the best ever was a few years ago when it was Canada vs USA.


- The match up yesterday was the young players (white jerseys) vs the old players (red jerseys) or should I say older players. It was back and forth hockey and as you can imagine a lot more offense than defense. With Riley Gill on the shelf with strep throat, the oldtimers had to bring in an EBUG (emergency back up goalie) which may have been a factor in the outcome. After a lot of goals, smiles, stick taps and fun, the young guys were victorious.


- Here are some photos courtesy of Dianne Webster:

The "Youngins" celebrate their victory

They slayed the "old guys"

Wade MacLeod participated in his first practice

- Coach Martinson has been in the business a long time and there is always a method to his madness. He did not participate in practice but was a spectator for quite a while and I saw him smile a few times. But whenever Martinson is watching he is always assessing, so if a player is gliding down the ice in a scrimmage instead of skating he will take notice. This is a tough week for coach Martinson with the trade deadline on Thursday. Winning a fifth straight championship and third straight Kelly Cup is certainly unprecedented and he is totally committed to doing that. If he has the chance to upgrade the roster this week to improve Allen's chances in the playoffs he will make that move. But I also know from talking to him over the years he doesn't like moving players who have been with the team all season. The next two days will be interesting and could range from big moves with future considerations involved, to trades, to no changes whatsoever. I am sure it is not an easy week for the players or the coach. Maybe that is why practice yesterday was intended to just have some fun.


- Newly signed forward Wade MacLeod participated in his first practice with the team and fit right in. Here is a video interview Tommy Daniels recorded after practice. One of the questions was if Wade is okay with the #19 he will be wearing in Allen. That in fact is his favorite number as he was #19 in college, in Idaho and in Germany. https://youtu.be/Fk7w0kpZBT0



OTHER COMMENTS

- Aaron Dell won his ninth game last night as San Jose defeated the Jets in Winnipeg 3-2. Dell stopped 31 shots in his 14th game for the Sharks. His GAA is 1.88 and his save percentage is .935. Here is a link to a recap of the game along with video highlights: https://www.nhl.com/news/san-jose-sharks-winnipeg-jets-game-recap/c-287448270


- As you might imagine I got a lot of questions and comments from my remarks in the blog yesterday about a story in the Reading paper concerning their coaching vacancy and my pessimistic outlook on the future of Steve Martinson in Allen. More than a few Allen fans were wondering, thinking, conspiring about owner Jack Gulati signing Steve Martinson to coach in Reading. I have no idea what will happen but feel strongly if Steve Martinson is not the head coach in Allen he will not be in Reading. He will be a free agent with many options as to where he coaches. Martinson deserves to be the highest paid coach/general manager in the ECHL with a long term contract and if that doesn't happen in Allen it will happen elsewhere.


- I had the chance to ask coach Martinson about another item in the blog yesterday. Allen will play one day longer than any other ECHL team. The game in Wichita that was originally scheduled for this Wednesday takes place on April 9, one day after the ECHL season officially comes to an end. With the playoff rosters due April 10 and the playoffs starting on the 12th it would have been nice if the Americans had the 9th off like all of the other ECHL teams. Martinson shared with me he really didn't have much choice in agreeing to the schedule change but did ask that Allen's first playoff game be delayed until the 13th rather than start on the 12th.



DID YOU KNOW: Wade MacLeod is a goal scorer and always has been. In his last year of junior hockey (2006-07) he scored 51 goals which was only good for a tie for the team lead with another familiar name in Allen, Casey Pierro-Zabotel. Their entire team (Merritt Centennials) scored 212 goals that season. Wade and Casey had 102 of them. No other teammate had more than 14.  Wade moved on to college at Northeastern University where he played for four years. He was second on the team in points as a freshman and then led the team in points his last three seasons. He led Idaho in goals (38) and assists (42) in 2014-15 and last season in Germany he led his team with 34 goals in 50 games. If you compare ECHL career goals scored per game for MacLeod and Allen's top goals scorers here are the results. This is career ECHL goals divided by ECHL games played.

.54 - Wade MacLeod
.52 - Greger Hanson
.49 - Chad Costello
.45 - Bryan Moore
.41 - Gary Steffes
.38 - Spencer Asuchak

Practice & Schedule Update, Hanson & Moore Return, It's Deadline Week, Irony of Reading Royals Coaching Vacancy

It is another light week that is part of a month long schedule that has the Allen Americans playing five road games in 25 days. In a league where three or four games a week are the norm the Americans go from February 20 to March 16 and average one game every five days. After completing a two game sweep of Missouri on Saturday, Allen will play just two games in the next 12 days. Those two games are back in Missouri on Friday and at the Indy Fuel on Sunday.


-  There will be lots of practice days between now and the next home game on March 17. This week the team will have four days before they play in Missouri on Friday. Coach Martinson always says he doesn't like to practice more than three days in a row because he gets tired of yelling at the team and they get tired of listening to him yell. The plan for this week however is to practice every day but have shorter practices each day.


- The Americans need to rest up now because starting with the next home game on March 17 they go from 5 games in 25 days to finishing the season with 11 games in 23 days. Fortunately eight of the 11 games are at home. Allen will play one day longer than any other ECHL team. The game in Wichita that was originally scheduled for this Wednesday takes place on April 9, one day after the ECHL season officially comes to an end. With the playoff rosters due April 10 and the playoffs starting on the 12th it would have been nice if the Americans had the 9th off like all of the other ECHL teams.


- This will be a big week as far as roster moves are concerned. Wade MacLeod will join the team as discussed in the blog yesterday. Greger Hanson and Bryan Moore are returning to Allen today from their AHL loans. If any NHL/AHL team wants to move one of their contracted players from their ECHL affiliate to Allen they must do that before the recall/assignment date which is Wednesday at 11:59 pm local time. The ECHL trade deadline is Thursday at 3:00 pm EST. Amateur players are also being recruited but aren't tied to these deadlines. Bottom line is you could see players coming and going this week but it is also possible Martinson stands pat. Stay tuned.


-  If you look at the Mountain Division standings the top three teams (Colorado, Allen, Idaho) have separated from the bottom three teams (Alaska, Missouri, Utah) that are fighting for the final playoff spot. Teams still have 13-16 games to play so anything can happen but if you would have to predict today the top three seeds will be #1 Colorado, #2 Allen and #3 Idaho. The battle for the #4 seed will come down to the last weekend of play. Alaska plays their last three games at home against Idaho while Missouri is on the road for their last three games in Utah. It will be an interesting finish for sure.


- The talk about Steve Martinson's future with the Allen Americans has certainly quieted down since the press conference announcing the sale of the club to Jack Gulati on February 23. At that time the most optimistic were saying relax, give them time to talk and everything will be fine. The most pessimistic were saying there is trouble brewing and Martinson may be coaching elsewhere next season. I came across this story yesterday in the Reading Eagle written by Jason Guarente which talks about the Reading Royals current coaching vacancy because coach Larry Courville is leaving when his contract expires at the end of the season. I was struck by some of the similarities between Reading and Allen when it comes to their coaches. A couple of sentences in the story really hit home with me, makes me wonder about the future in Allen and pushes me a little closer to the pessimistic side. The link to the story is below and you definitely need to read the entire thing but here are the sentences that got my attention.

"Owner Jack Gulati, who finalized a deal to buy the ECHL's Allen Americans last month, is allowing someone synonymous with the Reading franchise to walk out the door because of failed contract negotiations. Everything that follows must be viewed through that lens. The Royals are fixing something that didn't have to be broken."

"In a transient, volatile league, coach Courville was as close as it gets to a sure thing. Letting him leave puts the Royals' status as a perennial winner in jeopardy."

My hope and wish is the optimists are correct and it is just a matter of time before a multi-year contract for Steve Martinson is announced. It would be a shame if Allen ends up in the same position as Reading.

Here is a link to story. If you can't get the story from this link you can from a search engine (ie Google) by searching "Jason Guarente: Replacing Courville big task for Royals" http://www.readingeagle.com/sports/article/jason-guarente-replacing-courville-big-task-for-royals



DID YOU KNOW: Since the seven former CHL teams joined the ECHL for the 2014-15 season the group has had a firm grip on the Kelly Cup thanks to back to back wins by Allen. Who will carry the torch for the group this season. Thus far it looks like it will be Allen, Brampton and Quad City as they are the only teams currently in a playoff spot. Here are the points for the former CHL teams with their division standings in parentheses. The top four teams in each division make the playoffs.

79 points - Allen (2nd in the Mountain Division)
71 points - Brampton (2nd in the North Division)
67 points - Quad City (3rd in the Central Division)
61 points - Missouri (5th in the Mountian Division)
58 points - Tulsa (5th in the Central Division)
50 points - Rapid City (7th in the Mountain Division)
38 points - Wichita (6th in the Central Division)

Allen Sweeps Missouri, Martinson Comments, Allen Signs Forward Wade MacLeod & More

The Allen Americans beat Missouri 4-2 last night to sweep the weekend series against the Mavericks. Allen defied the odds by scoring four unanswered goals after Missouri scored the first two goals of the game and took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.

- Allen allowed the first goal of the game, trailed 2-0 after the first period, allowed a power play goal, did not score a power play goal, were out shot 13-4 in the first period and 33-23 for the game. Throw in the fact the team was missing the top ranked goalie in the league (Riley Gill out sick) and two of their top four goal scorers (Greger Hanson 30 goals & Bryan Moore 20 goals) and it sure didn't look like a recipe for a victory. To the Americans credit they just kept digging, some guys stepped up and Jamie Murray played great in goal. The Americans got back in the game by scoring two goals 26 seconds apart early in the second period.


- Goal scorers for Allen were David Makowski (14), Spencer Asuchak (24), Tanner Eberle (10) and Gary Steffes (17). Makowski's goal was setup by Gary Steffes who stole the puck in the neutral zone and passed it to Makowski who went in all alone on the goalie. Asuchak had a great tip in goal with a defenseman all over him off a pass from Kale Kerbashian. Eberle scored on a wrap around and put the puck off the goalie's skate into the net. On the fourth goal, Jake Marchment sent the puck toward the goal from the side boards and Gary Steffes somehow got his stick on the puck. Gary was at the hash marks on the faceoff circle and the puck was waist high. Definitely a goal scorers goal. The referee conferred with the linesmen as to whether it was tipped with a high stick before allowing the goal. You can check out all of the goals and the Mathers vs Doty fight at ECHL Rewind: http://www.echl.com/


- Here is the press release issued by the Missouri Mavericks recapping the game. http://www.missourimavericks.com/news/?article_id=797


- Steve Martinson had this to say after the game, "Some players stepped it up after the first period. Kerbashain and Steffes up front had good games. We started to show more speed which created scoring chances. We certainly missed some quality scoring opportunities but that is easier to take when you win the game."


- Prior to the win last night Allen's record when they didn't score the first goal of the game was 8-15-1-1  and when trailing after the first period their record was 3-15-1-1. They definitely defied the odds.


- Missouri forward Jake Doty did his best to swing momentum to the Mavericks dropping the gloves with Derek Mathers to start the game. According to the website dropyourgloves.com Doty has 10 fights this season with four of them taking place this weekend against Allen. Doty fought Gunn, Brittain, Mathers and Stevenson. Probably not the best tactic as that style plays right into Allen's hands as evidenced by the two wins over the Mavericks. The Americans have nine players with two or more fights led by Derek Mathers with 26. The current Missouri roster combined only has 26 fights. It will take Doty a long time to run out of Allen dance partners and Derek Mathers will be looking for a rematch when the Americans return to Missouri next Friday.



OTHER COMMENTS

- Colorado had their 17 game win streak snapped last night as South Carolina beat the Eagles 4-1. Allen finally gained a couple of points on Colorado. The Americans now trail the Eagles by five points in the Mountain Division standings with 13 games remaining for both teams.


- Allen has 13 games remaining with still a chance for the #1 overall seed but they will have to have some help. As things currently stand in the ECHL the Americans are #4 in points (79), #5 in win percentage (.669), #4 in wins (37), #2 in road wins (20), #1 in goals scored (235), #5 in goals allowed and #1 in penalty minutes (1196). Allen will have to go on a long winning streak if they want to overtake the teams ahead of them in the ECHL standings (Colorado, Toledo, Florida).


- Allen had 89 points last season and finished #5 in the ECHL on the way to their second Kelly Cup. With 79 points and 13 games remaining along with a favorable schedule the Americans  should easily exceed last season's point total.


- A reminder that the Allen pocket schedules and some other places show an away game against Wichita this Wednesday. That game was changed early in the season to allow Wichita to make up two postponed games in Greenville. The Allen game in Wichita originally scheduled for Wednesday (March 8) is scheduled for April 8.


- Bryan Moore was a healthy scratch for Manitoba last night. Greger Hanson played for Binghamton as they lost to Syracuse 4-1. Greger had no points, no shots and was -2. Both teams play today with Manitoba at Chicago and Binghamton at home against Syracuse. Hope Bryan and Greger get a chance to play today.

Newly signed forward Wade MacLeod

 - Coach Martinson mentioned during his pregame interview with Tommy Daniels last night that he has signed forward Wade MacLeod to a contract. MacLeod is making a comeback after his second brain tumor surgery, the first in 2013 and the second last year. Martinson describes Wade as a talented forward who he sees playing with the Chad Costello. MacLeod is scheduled to arrive in Allen today and practice with the team on Monday. Here is a video from two years ago when Wade was the leading scorer for the Idaho Steelheads with 80 points (38 goals 42 assists). This was after his first brain tumor surgery but before his second. In the video Wade talks about his health issue.  Incidentally, Wade and Chad Costello were college teammates in 2007-08 at Northeastern University. https://youtu.be/KYwNheRuo2c

- Here is a highlight video from last season when Wade played in Germany. The guy definitely has some sweet moves:

DID YOU KNOW: Wade MacLeod has played in 91 ECHL games and has 95 points (49 goals 45 assists) for a points per game average of 1.04.

Allen Wins 3-1, Rematch Tonight, Pros & Cons of the Morning Skate, All-Time 20, 30 & 40 Goal Scorers

The Allen Americans got a big win in Missouri last night beating the Mavericks 3-1 before a disappointed crowd of  4851 at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena. Missouri has been one of the hotter teams in the league as they went into the game with a record of 8-2 over the last 10 games and a recent home record of 9-2.


- After a scoreless first period Allen got on the board 15 seconds into the second period as Josh Brittain beat the defensmen along the boards at the blue line, came down the left wing and made a perfect pass to Gary Steffes who was charging the net. Steffes put the puck in the net for his 16th goal of the season.


- Coach Martinson mentioned in his pregame show the importance of scoring the first goal of the game. Allen is almost unbeatable when scoring first. Including last night, Allen has scored the first goal in 32 of their 58 games. When scoring first Allen's record is 28-2-1-1.


- Allen's second goal was scored by Kale Kerbashian, his fifth of the season and second in as many games. Kale picked up the rebound off a Joel Chouinard shot from the point, made a great highlight reel move around the goalie and slipped the puck in the net. What was great about this goal is all three forwards (Kerbashain, Schoenborn, Marchment) were at the net when Chouinard took the shot.


- Allen's third goal came with 23 seconds left in the second period. It was a power play goal by David Makowski, his 13th of the season. Makowski took a pass from Chad Costello in the middle of the ice just inside the blue line and faked a shot which made the defense react. Instead of shooting he passed back to Chad on the side boards and got the puck right back from Costello. The faked shot along with the quick back and forth pass with Chad opened up a shooting lane and Makowski made no mistake with a rocket over the goalie's blocker.


- I described the three goals in some detail because as happens more frequently than it should, when the home team loses, the highlight package doesn't get loaded to ECHL Rewind. Martinson described the three goals as the result of, "solid plays and skating."


- It was encouraging to get a win with the top line held scoreless. The two even strength goals came from the second and third line. Depth in scoring is a difference maker and it proved to be the case last night.


- Joel Chouinard continues his great play at both ends of the ice. He had one assist last night but was on the ice for all three Allen goals. Joel was a +2 for the game and increased his ECHL leading plus/minus to +33.


- Here is an interview Tommy Daniels record with Steve Martinson after the 3-1 victory last night.

- The referee scheduled for the game tomight is Andrea Barone (#15) and the linesmen are Erik Contino (#72) and Tony Pizzutelli (#85). The last time Allen had Barone was at home against Tulsa on February 3 and there were eight fighting majors and three game misconducts.


GAME PREVIEW

- It was great Allen scored first last night and took a 2-0 lead midway through the second period. However, if the Americans want to come away with another win tonight (game time is 7:05 pm) they need to improve on the 30-14 shot advantage they gave Missouri in the last two periods. It took a #1 star of the game performance by Riley Gill to ensure a win for Allen.


- Allen has clearly had the better power play against Missouri in their eight head to head matches this season. The Americans are 8-37 (21.6%) on the power play while Missouri is 5-47 (10.6%).  As is almost always the case, special teams will be a key to victory tonight.


- I would expect Riley Gill will get the start in goal. It is back to back but the team had six days without a game before last night and will have five days without a game after tonight. Riley is 15-2 since December 2.  You have to go with the hot goalie.


- Derek Mathers will certainly be in the line up tonight. It will be interesting to see if Jacob Doty will drop the gloves with Derek after all his shenanigans last night. I am sure he will get the chance.  According to coach Martinson, after Doty instigated the first fight last night the Americans challenged several Mavericks but there weren't any takers. So Allen did what they do best and played a very physical game which gave them momentum and led to the first goal. Look for more of the same tonight.


OTHER COMMENTS

- David Makowski deserves consideration for Defenseman of the Year in the ECHL. Despite missing the first two months of the season and playing in only 34 games his statistics speak for themselves. David is #145 in games played among defensemen but is tied for third in goals (13), sixth in assists (30), fifth in points (43), ninth in plus/minus (+22), third in power play goals (6) and first in power play assists (21). The one stat that factors in games played is average points per game. In this stat Makowski is head and shoulders above all other defensemen in the league. Of the top 20 scoring defensemen in the ECHL here are the top five in average points per game.

1.26 - David Makowski (Allen)
.95  - Matt Register (Colorado)
.90  - Kevin Schulze (Wheeling)
.89 - Blake Kessel (Kalamazoo)
.88 - Eric Roy (Allen)


- Allen gained no ground with their win last night as Colorado won for the 17 straight time beating South Carolina at home 5-4. It was a penalty filled game with 41 penalties called including eight with two seconds remaining in the game and seven after the game was over. The teams have a rematch tonight and the same referee is scheduled. Should be interesting to keep an eye on what will surely be an exciting game.


- Colorado is now tied for the second longest win streak (17 games) in ECHL history. They have a ways to go to catch #1 which is the 23 game win streak accomplished by South Carolina from February 7 - March 27 in 2015.


- I came across this story yesterday about the pros and cons of the morning skate before a game. It is a few weeks old but hadn't seen it before. I have talked to coach Martinson about this a few times over the years and would put him in the category of questioning the benefit of the morning skate. Maybe I will ask some of the players about this next week after practice. Here is a link to the story: http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/nhl/is-the-morning-skate-an-outdated-nhl-ritual-one-coach-has-killed-it-but-not-everyone-agrees


- Coach Martinson mentioned in his pregame interview with Tommy Daniels that he was about to sign a player that should be available for next weekend when the Americans are back in Missouri. In addition to looking at college/junior players there are also some free agents available. This new player could be a rookie or could be a 30 year old. You just never know where general manager Martinson will find the next player to improve the roster.




DID YOU KNOW:  The other day there was a list in the blog of average goals per game for each season in franchise history. The highest scoring team was 2010-11 (4.20 goals per game) and they didn't make it to the championship finals. The lowest scoring team was last season (3.08) and they won the Kelly Cup. Today I want to list all the 20, 30 and 40 goal scorers in franchise history. It is interesting the Americans have had just two 40 goal scorers (both in the same year) and they led the team to a Kelly Cup. However, in Allen's other three championship seasons they didn't have a single player with 30 goals. I guess all this proves is there are many ways to win a championship. Here are the 20+ goal scorers in each season with how that team finished in the playoffs:

2009-10:  Lost in finals
31 Bruce Graham 
23 Nino Musitelli
23 Justin Bowers 

2010-11:  Lost in third round
34 Graham
34 Musitelli
33 Colton Yellow Horn
21 Jarret Lukin
20 Dave Bonk 
20 Judd Blackwater

2011-12:  Lost in first round
26 Graham 
24 Yellow Horn
20 Jim McKenzie

2012-13:  Won championship
24 Jamie Schaafsma
22 Darryl Bootland 
21 Scott Howes

2013-14:  Won championship
28 Jonathan Lessard 
25 Alex Lavoie 
21 Spencer Asuchak
21 Greger Hanson 
21 Schaafsma 
20 Tyler Ludwig

2014-15:  Won championship  
44 Gary Steffes
41 Chad Costello
28 Hanson
22 Jack Combs

2015-16:  Won championship  
24 Costello 
22 Steffes
21 Chris Crane

2016-17:  ????????? 
31 Costello 
30 Hanson
23 Asuchak
20 Bryan Moore

Allen vs Missouri Preview, Alex Schoenborn Player Profile, Comparing ECHL & AHL Scoring for Allen's Best

It is game day for the Allen Americans as they take on the Missouri Mavericks tonight (7:30 pm) at the Silverstein Eye Centers Arena. It will be the eighth of 13 meetings between Allen and Missouri during the regular season. The Americans next three games are in Missouri (tonight, tomorrow night and a week from tonight).

- Allen is 5-1-1 in the first seven games these team have played this season but that dominance doesn't mean much at this point. Missouri has been playing excellent hockey recently with a record of 8-2 over their last 10 games.  The Mavericks have come from the back of the pack and are now fighting for a playoff spot. They currently trail Alaska for the fourth and final playoff position and are only three points behind the Aces. Throw in the fact Missouri was 6-1 at home during the month of February and you can see the Americans will have their hands full tonight.


- Allen will be without Greger Hanson and Bryan Moore who are on loan to the AHL. The Americans added forward Alex Schoenborn to the roster yesterday as he was assigned to Allen by San Jose. Alex played two games for Allen last season. (See details below).


- Here is how Allen and Missouri match up:

                                    ALLEN                              MISSOURI

Team Record:             35-17-3-2 (75 points)          26-21-2-5 (59 points)
Division Ranking:        2nd Mountain                     5th Mountain
Conference Ranking:  3rd Western                       9th Western
League Ranking:        4th                                      18th
Last Game:                 9-1 Win (Tulsa)                   4-1 Win (Tulsa)
Goals For:                   228                                     178
Goals Against:            167                                     181
Power Play:                22.3% (55/247)                   15.1% (36/238)
Penalty Kill:                83.9% (43/267)                    83.3% (33/198)
Most PIM                    Mathers (224)                      Fox (91)
Leading Scorers:        Costello (31-72-103)            Fox (24-33-57)
                                   Hanson (30-35-65)               Nowick (20-22-42)



-  Here is how Allen and Missouri rank in the ECHL in some statistical categories:

Penalty Minutes Per Game: Allen 1st (20.07) - Missouri 14th (13.15)
Goals Scored Per Game: Allen 2nd (4.00) - Missouri 15th (3.30)
Goals Allowed Per Game: Allen 5th (2.93) - Missouri 16th (3.35)
Shots For Per Game: Allen 15th (31.77) - Missouri 18th (31.61)
Shots Against Per Game: Allen 22nd (34.49) - Missouri 23rd (34.54)
Power Play Percentage: Allen 6th (22.3%) - Missouri 21st (15.1%)
Penalty Kill Percentage: Allen 9th (83.9%) - Missouri 11th (83.3%)


- A couple of things stand out when you look at the stats. Allen takes a lot more penalties than Missouri averaging seven more minutes per game. Toughness is not a Missouri strength as they have only 28 major penalties all season compared to Allen with 64. Derek Mathers has 25 fights while the entire Missouri team combined has just 35 fights. You would have to assume there will not be a lot of penalties in this game but you never know. In the past Missouri seemed to struggle against teams that play a physical style and that is exactly what you can expect from Allen. However, along with their recent improved play the Mavericks have exhibited more toughness.


- As I was updating the stats above from the last time Allen played Missouri (January 16) it was noticeable the Mavericks were improved in almost every category. Back in January Allen was in first place in the division and Missouri was in last place. You would have to put this in the odd stat category but since these teams last played on January 16 they have identical records of 12-4-1-1. The great record hasn't helped Allen much with Colorado on a 16 game win streak but it has gotten Missouri in the playoff picture.


- If you combine the stats for the seven games these teams have played this season Allen leads in goals (26-17) but Missouri has a slight edge in shots (244-240). Allen has a big advantage on the power play as they have at least one power play goal in six of the seven games. The Americans are 7-33 (21.2%) on the power play while Missouri is 4-40 (10.0%). Allen has 119 penalty minutes compared to 85 for Missouri.


- With Hanson gone the plan was to move Moore up to the top line. With Moore loaned to Manitoba look for Dyson Stevenson to start the game tonight with Costello and Asuchak. Riley Gill will get the start in goal.


- The referee scheduled for the game is Andrew Bruggeman (#25) and the linesmen are Lucas Bisbee (#72) and Tony Pizzutelli (#85).



OTHER COMMENTS


- Greger Hanson will not play tonight for Binghamton when they play in Utica. Greger will be serving the second of his two game suspension. The Senators have a home and home against Syracuse on Saturday and Sunday so Hanson should see plenty of action this weekend.


- Bryan Moore should also get plenty of playing time with Manitoba this weekend. They have three road games in three different cities with Rockford tonight, Milwaukee Saturday night and Chicago Sunday afternoon.


- Aaron Dell was in goal last night as San Jose beat Vancouver 3-1. Aaron has won eight of 11 starts, has a GAA of 1.88 and save percentage of .935.


- Alex Schoenborn joins Allen after spending the entire season with the San Jose Barracuda where he played in 25 games and had four points (1 goal 3 assists). Alex was the third round pick (#72 overall) of the San Jose Sharks in the 2014 NHL draft. He just turned 21 in December and will become the youngest player on the Americans. What type of player is Schoenborn? Here is some of what was said when he was drafted. Alex is a player with size, skill and tenacity. Gives 100% effort in all phases. A lunch pail player that doesn't get cute. He hits hard, has a strong forecheck and is aggressive in puck battles.

Here are his stats courtesy of hockeydb:

Alex Schoenborn

Right Wing -- shoots R
Born Dec 12 1995 -- Minot, ND
[21 yrs. ago]
Height 6.02 -- Weight 205

Drafted by San Jose Sharks

- round 3 #72 overall 2014 NHL Entry Draft

			Regular Season						Playoffs
Season	Team	Lge	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	+/-	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2011-12	Lincoln Stars	USHL	3	0	0	0	2	-2	--	--	--	--	--
2012-13	Portland Winterhawks	WHL	20	1	1	2	22	-2	--	--	--	--	--
2012-13	Wenatchee Wild	NAHL	10	0	1	1	34	-3	--	--	--	--	--
2013-14	Portland Winterhawks	WHL	72	18	18	36	121	19	21	3	2	5	41
2014-15	Portland Winterhawks	WHL	49	15	18	33	66	-11	17	3	1	4	18
2015-16	Portland Winterhawks	WHL	67	27	30	57	80	0	4	1	0	1	8
2015-16	San Jose Barracuda	AHL	1	0	0	0	0	0	--	--	--	--	--
2015-16	Allen Americans	ECHL	2	0	1	1	0	-2	--	--	--	--	--
2016-17	San Jose Barracuda*	AHL	25	1	3	4	17	-1

- Here is a video from 2014 when the local television station did a story about Alex and his off season training when he is back home in Minot, ND.

DID YOU KNOW: Whenever you compare how a player scores in the AHL versus the ECHL there are a couple of factors to take into consideration. To start with players in the AHL are generally bigger, faster and quicker than the players in the ECHL so that makes it harder to score. A more important factor, however, has to do with ice time and what line you play on. Top scorers in Allen get lots of ice time and power play opportunity. When they are loaned to AHL teams they are usually on the third or fourth line and do not get power play opportunities. Many times the fourth line gets few or no shifts in the third period. Here are the average points per game for Allen's top scorers for games played in the ECHL versus the AHL. These are career statistics with the first number being average points per game in the ECHL and the second number being the average points per game in the AHL.

Chad Costello -       1.60 vs .43
Greger Hanson -     1.16 vs .26
Bryan Moore -         1.05 vs .29
Spencer Asuchak - .93 vs .20
Gary Steffes -         .75 vs .30

Practice & Roster Update, Moore Loaned, Goalie Stories & Historical Stat on Average Goals Per Game

 The Allen Americans leave today for Independence, Missouri where they take on the Mavericks Friday and Saturday night (7:05 pm CST). The Americans will practice this morning and then depart on Big Red around 1:00 pm this afternoon.


- I had the chance to stop by and watch practice yesterday and talk to coach Martinson afterward. Everyone was on the ice except Aaron Gens who is still out with an injury and Greger Hanson who is loaned to Binghamton.  Two players ( Travis Brown & Kyle Neuber) were wearing the no contact gold jersey. The team was working on system related drills focusing on breakouts and entering the offensive zone.


- Coach Martinson indicated David Makowski and Tanner Eberle will be back in the lineup in Missouri after missing games with injuries. Travis Brown is close to returning and looked good in practice but will not play this weekend. Travis could be back next weekend. Bryan Moore has been loaned to the Manitoba Moose (AHL) and will not play in Missouri.


- If my numbers are right,  Allen will head to Missouri with ten forwards and six defensemen. There is always the possibility of bringing in a new player but there wasn't anything definitive as of yesterday morning.


- I mentioned earlier this week Martinson is spending a lot of time trying to identify amateur players to recruit. These are college/junior players that are just finishing up their eligibility. An amateur player could be added to the roster at any time. Martinson is also looking at players on AHL contracts that might be available. With the NHL trade deadline now passed, AHL teams know if they are gaining or losing players as a result of all the NHL trades made in the last few days. There are two critical dates coming up in the next week. The ECHL trade deadline is a week from today, March 9 at 3:00 pm EST. A more important date for coach Martinson in trying to get AHL contracted guys assigned to Allen is the recall/assignment date which is March 8 at 11:59 pm local time. If an NHL/AHL team wants to move one of their contracted players from their ECHL affiliate to Allen they must do that before the recall/assignment date. Why would NHL/AHL teams want to do this? There are several reasons but the most common is a situation where their ECHL affiliate is not going to make the playoffs so they move their contracted players to a team that will make the playoffs. That way their contracted players can get additional development and playoff experience. Because of Allen's success in the playoffs it is a good place for NHL/AHL teams to send their contracted players but you can be assured many of the playoff bound ECHL teams are chasing the same group of players.


OTHER COMMENTS

- One winning streak ended and another continued last night. The San Jose Barracuda lost 2-1 in a shootout to the Texas Stars to snap a 14 game win streak. The Colorado Eagles beat the South Carolina Stingrays 7-2 at home and extended their win streak to 16 games. That is the third longest win streak in ECHL history. Colorado and South Carolina play again on Friday and Saturday. With one more win (#17) Colorado will tie for second on the all-time consecutive win list. Interestingly the all-time record is 23 held by South Carolina (2014-15). The Stingrays will have two chances to stop the Eagles pursuit of their record.


- In other Mountain Division action last night Idaho beat Rapid City 1-0 and Utah beat Alaska 5-3. With Colorado's win they have opened up a seven point lead on Allen and a 13 point lead on third place Idaho. Here are the current division standings with games remaining in parentheses:

82 points - Colorado (15 games remaining)
75 points - Allen (15 games)
69 points - Idaho (16 games)
62 points - Alaska (18 games)
59 points - Missouri (18 games)
58 points - Utah (16 games)
50 points - Rapid City (16 games)


- The NHL trade deadline passed and the San Jose Sharks did not obtain a veteran backup goalie so Aaron Dell will be the backup during the playoffs. As has been the case throughout his career, Aaron had to earn the backup role for the playoffs. Aaron was actually told on Monday the Sharks would not be looking for a veteran backup goalie prior to the trade deadline. Here is a story that gives all the details. http://www.csnbayarea.com/sharks/dell-remains-sharks-backup-heavier-workload-likely


- I am sure if you are on social media you have seen this story and video with the title "Little goalie has all the right dance moves" where an eight year goalie from Brampton gets his teammates and the crowd going by dancing before the game. If you haven't seem it you can check it out here: https://www.nhl.com/news/little-goalie-dances-at-aaa-game/c-287236976https://www.nhl.com/news/little-goalie-dances-at-aaa-game/c-287236976



DID YOU KNOW: It is fascinating to look at the Allen Americans history and compare average goals scored per game. Would you be surprised to know the most prolific goal scoring team in Allen history lost in the third round of the playoffs and the team with the lowest average goals per game won the Kelly Cup? Here are the average goals per game (regular season) for each team in Allen history with their playoff results in parentheses:

2009-10:   3.28 (lost in finals)
2010-11:   4.20 (lost in third round)
2011-12:   3.21 (lost in first round)
2012-13:   3.18 (won championship)
2013-14:   3.77 (won championship)
2014-15:   4.05 (won championship
2015-16:   3.08 (won championship)
2016-17:   4.00 (?????????)

Back to Practice, Allen's All-Time ECHL Record Holders, Behind the Bench Story, Brabham Cup Jinx

After a three day all-star break and an optional skate yesterday it is back to the normal practice routine today for the Allen Americans. With the frequency of games and all the travel in the ECHL, finding practice time can be difficult this time of year but that is not the case for Allen. Since the Americans played a lot of games earlier in the season they have more off days now. Allen plays just four games in the next 16 days, all on the road. The Americans will be in Missouri Friday, Saturday and March 10. They play in Indy on March 12.


- Every team in the Mountain Division has games in hand on Allen so there will be many nights the Americans will be idle while division rivals play games and can make up ground. Tonight is a good example. Five Mountain Division teams are in action. Alaska is at Utah, Idaho at Rapid City and South Carolina visits Colorado.


- Periodically I include various team and individual statistics in the blog talking about who is leading the ECHL or all-time Allen records but I have never devoted a blog to all-time ECHL records. The ECHL is currently playing their 29th season so all-time records are hard to come by. Offensive records are particularly tough to achieve because of the style of play and unbelievable scoring that took place in the early years of the league. The best example of the difference in scoring then and now is from 1989-1996 100 points in a season was achieved 40 times. From 2011-2017 it has been done three times and all three were by Chad Costello. The other factor when looking at all-time records is longevity. Allen has only been in the league three years and there is no one on the team with over 300 ECHL games. Most record holders have over 500 games played.


- If you look at team and single season all-time ECHL records Allen appears quite frequently. After all, the Americans are two for two in competing for the Kelly Cup.


So here is a random trip through the ECHL all-time record book with some highlights you might find interesting. If you are not into stats you might want to skip this section but make sure to watch the Costello shorthanded hat trick video. Here goes:

- Chad Costello is the reigning scoring champ, ECHL MVP and playoff MVP. That has never happened in the history of the ECHL.

- Riley Gill is tied for third all-time in regular season shutouts with 20.

- Chad Costello is on the 100 points scorers list three times. The 125 points he scored in 2014-15 is ninth place all-time. Chad is the only player in the top 18 on the list that did not play in the 1980's & 1990's.

- The Allen Americans have the highest overall winning percentage in the history of the ECHL at .667 with a record of 89-38-17. The Americans also have the highest road winning percentage in the history of the ECHL at .708 with a record of 47-17-8. Incidentally second place in road winning percentage is .597.

- Chad Costello is tied with two other players with three shorthanded goals in one game. Chad was playing in Colorado (December 12, 2012) when he accomplished this feat against the Las Vegas Wranglers. If you have never seen Chad's shorthanded hat trick or want to enjoy it again here is a great video:

- Chad has the second longest consecutive assist scoring streak in ECHL history. He had an assist in 19 straight games last season.


- Only one coach in the history of the ECHL has won three championships (John Brophy, Hampton Roads). Steve Martinson is one of just five coaches who have won two championships.

- Allen is one of five teams that have come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Kelly Cup playoffs. In 2015 the Americans were down 3-1 in the Western Conference finals to Ontario. Allen won game five (6-2 at Ontario), game six (2-1 at home) and game seven (3-1 at home). Allen went on to win the Kelly Cup defeating South Carolina in the final.

- Gary Steffes is tied for second all-time in most goals in a Kelly Cup finals series with six. Gary had six goals in six games in the Kelly Cup final against Wheeling last season.

- Greger Hanson is tied for third all-time for most goals in one playoff year. Greger had 15 goals last year in the playoffs. Greger is tied for second all-tme for power play goals in one playoff year. He had eight power play goals last year.

- Chad Costello has the all-time playoff record for most assists in one playoff year (29) and most assists in a final series (10). He set both of those records in the 2016 playoffs.

- Chad is second all time in points in one playoff year (36) and and third all-time in points in a final series (13).

- Riley Gill is first all-time in playoff wins with 48. Second place has 43 playoff wins.

- Riley is second all-time in career playoff game appearances (79), second in minutes played (4489) and second in most shutouts in one playoff year (4).

- The record book shows the top 20 career post season record holders for goals, assists and points.  Gary Steffes is #13 in goals (29),  Chad Costello is #5 in assists and #12 in points (71).


- Have to admit the list of players already in the ECHL all-time record book is very impressive for a team that has only been in the league for two years. If Allen can make another deep run in the playoffs this season the list will be a lot longer next season.


OTHER COMMENTS

- If you are like me I am sure you have wondered what takes place on the bench during a hockey game. I have always wanted to spend a game on the bench to see and hear first hand what it is like. Here is a story written by Doyle Woody who just had that experience with the Alaska Aces. A good read for sure: https://www.adn.com/sports/aces/2017/02/28/behind-the-aces-bench-the-sights-the-sounds-the-smell-surprisingly-not-funky/


- I have always been told the ECHL business model is a challenge to have a successful franchise that does not lose money. It seems like teams are always coming (Worcester & Jacksonville) or going (Alaska) and being sold (Allen & Adirondack). With Alaska ceasing operations after this season you wonder if it isn't time for the ECHL to reassess what their ideal geographic footprint would look like. When you consider the average attendance in the NHL is something like 17,000, the AHL is averaging 5700 while the ECHL is trending downward and averaging just over 4100 maybe the business model needs some adjustment.


- The Colorado Eagles have won 15 games in a row and now stand in a tie for third place on the ECHL all-time longest winning streak list. Allen might have Colorado right where they want them for the playoffs. In 2015 Allen defeated South Carolina in the Kelly Cup final after the Stingrays set the all-time record with 23 straight wins in the regular season. Last season Missouri had the longest winning streak in the ECHL (14 games) which was good for fourth best on the all-time list and Allen beat them in the playoffs on their way to their second Kelly Cup. Allen and Colorado could easily face each other in the playoffs this season. The Americans may have a chance to make it three in a row of defeating the team with longest regular season win streak.



DID YOU KNOW: With a 15 game win streak Colorado is now battling Toledo for the best record in the ECHL and the coveted Brabham Cup which goes to the regular season point champion and guarantees home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Winning the Brabham Cup has not led to Kelly Cup success for most teams. With the exception of Alaska who was the Brabham Cup winner in all three of their Kelly Cup championship season (2014, 2011 & 2006) the only Brabham Cup winner since 1997 that went on to win the Kelly Cup was Cincinnati in 2008. Beware the Brabham Cup jinx!