For the second time in as many games the Allen Americans came through with a victory when facing elimination. It was a 4-0 shutout yesterday afternoon in Colorado that saw the Americans fight their way back into this series. They still have a lot of work to do but they head back to Allen for game six (Tuesday) and hopefully game seven (Wednesday) trialing in the series 3-2.
- Allen won game five by accomplishing something they had not done all series. They get off to a fast start and scored the first
goal of the game at the 2:33 mark of the first period. Allen has not lost a game in the playoffs when they score first. If you combine the regular season and playoffs the Americans record when scoring first now stands at 44-2-2-1.
- The other key to the game was winning the special teams battle. There were not a lot of power plays as only four penalties were called in the entire game. Allen scored on their lone power play and the Americans penalty kill unit killed off all three Colorado power play opportunities.
- You don't see this stat very often but the Allen penalty kill unit outscored the Colorado power play unit 2-0 in the last two games. The Americans penalty killers held the Eagles to 0-8 on the power play while scoring a shorthanded goal in each of the last two games. In game four it was Tyler Barnes with the shorty in what has been the most important goal in the series thus far for Allen. In the game yesterday Spencer Asuchak got an empty net shorthanded goal.
- The other key to the game was the goaltending of Riley Gill who stopped 35 shots for his second shutout of the playoffs. Riley has not allowed a goal to Colorado since the 3:28 mark of game four which is a total of 116:32 minutes. Riley's nine shutouts this season (7 regular season, 2 playoffs) is the best of his illustrious career.
- Goal scorers for Allen were Chad Costello (3) who has a goal in three straight games, Tyler Barnes (3), Gary Steffes (2) and Spencer Asuchak (2). You can check out all of the goals at ECHL Rewind and it won't take long as the highlight package is a mere 38 seconds. http://www.echl.com/
- Here is the Allen Americans game recap: https://allenamericans.com/gill-americans-extend-series-after-4-0-win-over-colorado/
- Here is the game recap by Cris Tiller from the Loveland Reporter-Herald with great detail, great pictures and great quotes from players and coach Schneekloth. http://www.reporterherald.com/sports/ci_30972019/allen-forces-series-back-home-shutout-win-over
STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS
- Riley Gill is in his playoff zone which makes him tough to beat as shown by giving up just one goal in the last two games.
- We are defending much better now than we were at the beginning of this series. Our top players have really stepped up.
- We have scored eight straight goals over the last two games and we need to carry that momentum back to Allen.
- I am not sure how the disallowed goal was called. The referee that was right there signaled numerous times the goal was good. If they had actually seen the play they would have known Register tackled Asuchak just as he was about to poke the puck into an open net.
OTHER COMMENTS
- I know everyone is excited about the great effort put forth by the team to get the series back to Allen for game six and hopefully a game seven. But there is still a lot of heavy lifting before the Americans can advance to the Western Conference finals. There will be a complete game preview tomorrow but one stat that bears remembering proves this won't be easy. Allen's record at home in the playoffs this year is 1-3 and Colorado's road record in the playoffs this year is 5-0. Allen has proven time and again they have the heart of a champion but anyone who thinks they have this series won because the last two games are at home is sadly mistaken. It will be a battle to the end.
- If you read the Chris Tiller game recap above you may have been struck by the quote from Colorado captain, Sean Zimmerman, who obviously wasn't impressed with Allen's back to back wins in Colorado. "We just have to bear down and
decide whether we want to be here or not. That's it really," captain
Sean Zimmerman said. "There is no way this team (Allen) should be able to play with us." We have to make up our minds and decide we want to be here.
Once we do that, we'll move on. We have two games, we need to win one.
That's it." Sounds like bulletin board material to me. To say a team that has won 15 straight playoff series and just outscored Colorado 8-1 in the last two games can't play with Colorado. C'MON MAN!
DID YOU KNOW: Coming back to win a series after being down 3-0 has happened one time in the history of the ECHL. Cincinnati accomplished the feat against Reading in the 2010 American Conference finals. Cincinnati went on to win the Kelly Cup. Two other teams have forced a game seven after trailing 3-0 and lost. Cincinnati against Atlantic City in the 2003 Northern Conference finals and Toledo against South Carolina in the 2015 Eastern Conference finals.
Monday, May 8, 2017
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
For the first time since I started writing the Allen Americans Blog five years ago the season has ended with a loss. Almost hard to comprehend it has been five years and the first season ending loss was on Tuesday. No time for sorrow or disappointment. It
is time for me to say my thanks to all involved in making Allen Americans hockey the best fan experience anywhere. While I will still be
posting blogs during the summer when there is news to report, it will no
longer be each day.
It is quite an undertaking to write about the team seven days a week during the season and it does indeed take a village to make it all possible. So please indulge me for this once a year post about the blog and all of the people that help me.
It wouldn't be right to have a blog post without some stats so here are a couple that amaze me. I write somewhere around 250,000 words during the hockey season. Readership varies but has steadily increased to around 1200 unique page views per day. Last month it totaled over 40,000. The blog reached quite a milestone last Saturday that is almost unimaginable as the 1,000,000th unique page view took place. Who would have imagined a blog started for the Heritage Ranch Allen Americans fan club now reaches people all over the US and Canada as well as the hockey hotbeds in Europe on a daily basis. It proves fans of the Allen Americans are all over the world.
I want to start out by thanking all of the fans that frequent this blog. It has been my pleasure to meet many of you and your words of encouragement in person, comments at the end of each blog, posts on Twitter, Facebook, message boards, and email have been very satisfying and inspiring. A special thanks to Mary Betz and Ted Hosterman who kindly fill in when I am gone.
Thanks to the many fans, bloggers, and media from all over the league that have promoted the blog as fair and balanced and also have shared information with me about their teams. One of the unexpected benefits of writing the blog has been getting to know all of the broadcasters, writers, bloggers and passionate fans from other teams.
Thank you to the players who have never said no to a single request I have made of them for a chat, an interview or a question. I have gotten to know most of these young men both professionally and personally and they have represented the Americans in an outstanding manner. You see the players at their best when they are visiting schools and hospitals or are interacting with the young fans in any environment.
One of my goals when I started the blog was to share the personal stories of the players. It is something I have gotten away from and hope to do more next season. The wives/girlfriends, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and friends I have met have been great about sharing family stories which I have then been able to share in the blog. Thanks to all of you.
Thanks to Steve Martinson and his staff (Jason Deitsch, Thomas Speer, Luke Chilcott, Jaime Garcia, Tim Abbott) for always being willing to talk to me and help educate me. A special thanks to coach Martinson, for allowing me to stop by his office after every game and every practice to ask questions and talk about the team. It is his openness and trust that has allowed the blog to have information you can't find anywhere else.
Thanks to Tommy Daniels, Director of Communications & Broadcasting for the Allen Americans, who has been a tremendous help to me. He is the one who encouraged me to start the blog, made me feel like part of the media team, answered many questions, publicized the blog to attract new readership, and invited me to be part of the between periods conversation on his radio broadcast to talk hockey and promote the blog. Tommy is the best broadcaster in the business and is always willing to share his knowledge with others. It was a special treat to be part on an hour long pregame show during the home playoff games this year. It is always fun to talk Allen Americans hockey with Tommy and Maurice.
Thanks to Tommy's radio sidekick, Maurice Fitzgerald, for all the between periods chats on the radio broadcast. Maurice has forgotten more about hockey than I will ever know but we are a good combo with all of my day to day information about the team and their stats. I always describe myself as the between periods fill-in guest when nobody else is available. There are plenty of people around during the playoffs but for those midweek games in October and November I am in high demand.
Thanks to team photographer Dianne Webster who works tirelessly to provide pictures for the blog and many others. Dianne has immersed herself in this team and spends an inordinate about of time, effort and money to deliver a high quality product for everyone to see.
Joe Babik, Director of Communication for the ECHL has once again spent more time with me this season than I deserved to help educate me about the policies, rules, procedures and records of the ECHL. Joe has gone above and beyond the call of duty and seems to respond to questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Thanks also to Joe Ernst, Vice President of Hockey Operations, for his willingness to answer all of my questions whenever asked.
Thanks to the entire Team Sin Bin group which has welcomed me into their group for the third year and made it very easy for me to get my stories on their site (thesinbin.net). A special thanks to Matt Harding (SinBinThunder) and Joe Rozycki (SinBinMavs).
Unlike most writers, bloggers, and other media types that cover the Americans I have a dual role as in addition to being a blogger I also coordinate the activities of the fan club (over 200 members) at Heritage Ranch where I live. In this capacity I spend a lot of time in the front office of the Americans arranging for season tickets, suites, individual game tickets, seats for soldiers tickets, and other promotions. I want to thank the entire sales and marketing staff and especially Mike Martin and Robert Fatta who have gone out of their way to help me and the residents of Heritage Ranch. Thanks also to Tom Manning and Robert Ciccotelli of the Allen front office staff for all of their help in providing content for the blog.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't thank my lovely wife of almost 40 years, Nancy, who is kind enough to proofread the blog each morning. It is a tireless task. Despite our best efforts we miss plenty of errors in both substance and form. Luckily a few readers are kind enough to let me know of these errors so corrections can be made. Their help is greatly appreciated. Thanks John, Paul, Mary, Ted, Matt and Madison. I am sure they will find a mistake somewhere in this blog post.
This will be the last daily blog post for the season. I will still blog on an as needed basis as new information becomes available. If you are on Facebook or Twitter you can see whenever there is a new post on the blog by liking my page on Facebook at "Allen Americans Blog" or following me on Twitter at @allenamericans1. Maybe the easiest way to stay in touch is by making allenamericansblog.blogspot.com one of the favorites on whatever search engine you use and checking in once and a while. Remember, it is only 163 days to opening night at the Allen Event Center!
Finally, on a personal note you may know I have been taking a two week fishing trip to Ontario and Minnesota for over 20 years with some buddies from Minnesota. The trip is always the last week of May in Canada and first week of June in Minnesota. This worked fine when Allen was in the Central Hockey League as the playoffs were always over by the time the fishing trip started but that is not the case since joining the ECHL. In 2015 I missed the finals series and last season I flew home early to catch the championship finals. This season I made the tough choice to forego the fishing trip as it made no sense to cover the team every single day and then miss the playoffs. My fishing buddies told me I was making a big mistake by not going on the fishing trip as the team won four straight championships and if I didn't go on the fishing trip the team would lose. Then my superstitious Allen fans (you know who you are) said it would be all my fault if the Americans lost because I decided to not go on the fishing trip. So I guess it is my fault the team lost because I opted to not sign up for the fishing trip this year. Turns out there is a silver lining to the dark cloud with Allen losing in the second round of the playoffs. Talked to my fishing buddies yesterday and they are making room for me on the trip. Since I am the camp cook and a couple of these guys couldn't even find the kitchen in their own homes, I think they were elated Allen lost.
DID YOU KNOW: If you are a student of Allen Americans history this week is the most memorable of any single week of the year. In five of Allen's eight year history the season ended this week. Do you remember these games?
May 4, 2010 - A 4-3 loss to Rapid City in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
May 8, 2011 - A 5-3 loss to Bossier-Shreveport in the CHL Berry Conference finals
May 11, 2013 - A 4-3 OT win over Wichita in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
May 10, 2014 - A 5-2 win over Denver in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
May 9, 2017 - A 4-3 loss to Colorado in the ECHL Mountain Division finals
It is quite an undertaking to write about the team seven days a week during the season and it does indeed take a village to make it all possible. So please indulge me for this once a year post about the blog and all of the people that help me.
It wouldn't be right to have a blog post without some stats so here are a couple that amaze me. I write somewhere around 250,000 words during the hockey season. Readership varies but has steadily increased to around 1200 unique page views per day. Last month it totaled over 40,000. The blog reached quite a milestone last Saturday that is almost unimaginable as the 1,000,000th unique page view took place. Who would have imagined a blog started for the Heritage Ranch Allen Americans fan club now reaches people all over the US and Canada as well as the hockey hotbeds in Europe on a daily basis. It proves fans of the Allen Americans are all over the world.
I want to start out by thanking all of the fans that frequent this blog. It has been my pleasure to meet many of you and your words of encouragement in person, comments at the end of each blog, posts on Twitter, Facebook, message boards, and email have been very satisfying and inspiring. A special thanks to Mary Betz and Ted Hosterman who kindly fill in when I am gone.
Thanks to the many fans, bloggers, and media from all over the league that have promoted the blog as fair and balanced and also have shared information with me about their teams. One of the unexpected benefits of writing the blog has been getting to know all of the broadcasters, writers, bloggers and passionate fans from other teams.
Thank you to the players who have never said no to a single request I have made of them for a chat, an interview or a question. I have gotten to know most of these young men both professionally and personally and they have represented the Americans in an outstanding manner. You see the players at their best when they are visiting schools and hospitals or are interacting with the young fans in any environment.
One of my goals when I started the blog was to share the personal stories of the players. It is something I have gotten away from and hope to do more next season. The wives/girlfriends, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and friends I have met have been great about sharing family stories which I have then been able to share in the blog. Thanks to all of you.
Thanks to Steve Martinson and his staff (Jason Deitsch, Thomas Speer, Luke Chilcott, Jaime Garcia, Tim Abbott) for always being willing to talk to me and help educate me. A special thanks to coach Martinson, for allowing me to stop by his office after every game and every practice to ask questions and talk about the team. It is his openness and trust that has allowed the blog to have information you can't find anywhere else.
Thanks to Tommy Daniels, Director of Communications & Broadcasting for the Allen Americans, who has been a tremendous help to me. He is the one who encouraged me to start the blog, made me feel like part of the media team, answered many questions, publicized the blog to attract new readership, and invited me to be part of the between periods conversation on his radio broadcast to talk hockey and promote the blog. Tommy is the best broadcaster in the business and is always willing to share his knowledge with others. It was a special treat to be part on an hour long pregame show during the home playoff games this year. It is always fun to talk Allen Americans hockey with Tommy and Maurice.
Thanks to Tommy's radio sidekick, Maurice Fitzgerald, for all the between periods chats on the radio broadcast. Maurice has forgotten more about hockey than I will ever know but we are a good combo with all of my day to day information about the team and their stats. I always describe myself as the between periods fill-in guest when nobody else is available. There are plenty of people around during the playoffs but for those midweek games in October and November I am in high demand.
Thanks to team photographer Dianne Webster who works tirelessly to provide pictures for the blog and many others. Dianne has immersed herself in this team and spends an inordinate about of time, effort and money to deliver a high quality product for everyone to see.
Joe Babik, Director of Communication for the ECHL has once again spent more time with me this season than I deserved to help educate me about the policies, rules, procedures and records of the ECHL. Joe has gone above and beyond the call of duty and seems to respond to questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Thanks also to Joe Ernst, Vice President of Hockey Operations, for his willingness to answer all of my questions whenever asked.
Thanks to the entire Team Sin Bin group which has welcomed me into their group for the third year and made it very easy for me to get my stories on their site (thesinbin.net). A special thanks to Matt Harding (SinBinThunder) and Joe Rozycki (SinBinMavs).
Unlike most writers, bloggers, and other media types that cover the Americans I have a dual role as in addition to being a blogger I also coordinate the activities of the fan club (over 200 members) at Heritage Ranch where I live. In this capacity I spend a lot of time in the front office of the Americans arranging for season tickets, suites, individual game tickets, seats for soldiers tickets, and other promotions. I want to thank the entire sales and marketing staff and especially Mike Martin and Robert Fatta who have gone out of their way to help me and the residents of Heritage Ranch. Thanks also to Tom Manning and Robert Ciccotelli of the Allen front office staff for all of their help in providing content for the blog.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't thank my lovely wife of almost 40 years, Nancy, who is kind enough to proofread the blog each morning. It is a tireless task. Despite our best efforts we miss plenty of errors in both substance and form. Luckily a few readers are kind enough to let me know of these errors so corrections can be made. Their help is greatly appreciated. Thanks John, Paul, Mary, Ted, Matt and Madison. I am sure they will find a mistake somewhere in this blog post.
This will be the last daily blog post for the season. I will still blog on an as needed basis as new information becomes available. If you are on Facebook or Twitter you can see whenever there is a new post on the blog by liking my page on Facebook at "Allen Americans Blog" or following me on Twitter at @allenamericans1. Maybe the easiest way to stay in touch is by making allenamericansblog.blogspot.com one of the favorites on whatever search engine you use and checking in once and a while. Remember, it is only 163 days to opening night at the Allen Event Center!
Finally, on a personal note you may know I have been taking a two week fishing trip to Ontario and Minnesota for over 20 years with some buddies from Minnesota. The trip is always the last week of May in Canada and first week of June in Minnesota. This worked fine when Allen was in the Central Hockey League as the playoffs were always over by the time the fishing trip started but that is not the case since joining the ECHL. In 2015 I missed the finals series and last season I flew home early to catch the championship finals. This season I made the tough choice to forego the fishing trip as it made no sense to cover the team every single day and then miss the playoffs. My fishing buddies told me I was making a big mistake by not going on the fishing trip as the team won four straight championships and if I didn't go on the fishing trip the team would lose. Then my superstitious Allen fans (you know who you are) said it would be all my fault if the Americans lost because I decided to not go on the fishing trip. So I guess it is my fault the team lost because I opted to not sign up for the fishing trip this year. Turns out there is a silver lining to the dark cloud with Allen losing in the second round of the playoffs. Talked to my fishing buddies yesterday and they are making room for me on the trip. Since I am the camp cook and a couple of these guys couldn't even find the kitchen in their own homes, I think they were elated Allen lost.
DID YOU KNOW: If you are a student of Allen Americans history this week is the most memorable of any single week of the year. In five of Allen's eight year history the season ended this week. Do you remember these games?
May 4, 2010 - A 4-3 loss to Rapid City in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
May 8, 2011 - A 5-3 loss to Bossier-Shreveport in the CHL Berry Conference finals
May 11, 2013 - A 4-3 OT win over Wichita in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
May 10, 2014 - A 5-2 win over Denver in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
May 9, 2017 - A 4-3 loss to Colorado in the ECHL Mountain Division finals
Allen vs Colorado Game Preview, Suspensions Announced, Kelly Cup Chase Down to 5 Teams, Another Gill Record
And then there were five, that is five teams left competing for the 2017 Kelly Cup. Toledo beat Fort Wayne 5-0 at home last night to win that series 4-1 and claim the Central Division championship. Here are the details about the Komets loss and future courtesy of Justin Cohn of The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne: http://www.journalgazette.net/blog/ice-chips/20170507/questions-answers-after-ks-season-ends
- Toledo joins Manchester (North Division) and South Carolina (South Division) as division champions. Only the Mountain Division, where Colorado holds a 3-1 series lead over Allen, has yet to be decided. They play game five this afternoon (4:05 pm CDT).
GAME PREVIEW
- The ECHL put their fingerprints all over game five between Allen and Colorado with three suspensions that were announced yesterday afternoon. Allen will be without the services of Bryan Moore who was suspended for one additional game (two total) for an incident with a fan after the game on Wednesday. Colorado's Mason Geertsen was given a game misconduct aggressor penalty in the last five minutes of the game on Thursday which is an automatic one game suspension so he will miss the game this afternoon. Finally, the Eagles Alex Belzile, who is leading the ECHL in playoff goals (10) and points (17), was suspended for two games for a cross-checking penalty (that targeted the head) in the third period on Thursady. Here is the ECHL press release announcing the suspensions. http://www.echl.com/echl-announces-fine-suspensions-may-6
- I had a chance to ask coach Martinson about Bryan Moore getting suspended for an additional game (two total) after Moore reacted to a Colorado fan spitting on him as he was in the tunnel leaving the ice after game three on Wednesday. Here is what Martinson had to say, "That incident was so avoidable. Colorado should follow the league rule that requires they have the exit covered. Colorado knows having the tunnel uncovered is a problem because they have a police officer come down at the end of the game. We should have been notified of potential issues with the fans."
- To win the game this afternoon Allen needs to survive the first 10 minutes and score the first goal of the game, something they have not been able to do in the first four games of this series. Colorado has scored the first goal in all four games and the goals came early. In game one it was at the 3:30 mark, game two at 4:46, game three at 10:00 and game four at 3:28. Even though the Americans came back to win game four after giving up the first goal of the game that is a rare occurrence against Colorado.
- Special teams will be another big key in the game today. The power play is still not firing on all cylinders but the Americans did manage to score one power play goal while going 1-8 in the win on Thursday. In the last game the Allen penalty kill not only held Colorado scoreless on five power play opportunities but really turned the game around on a Tyler Barnes shorthanded goal with 63 seconds remaining in the second period. That goal gave Allen their first lead (2-1) in the entire series and seemed to energize the team for the rest of the game. In the first four games of this series Allen (4-24) and Colorado (3-18) have the exact same power play percentage (16.7%) though Allen has had more opportunities. Winning the special teams battle will most likely determine the winner of this game. An advantage for Allen is Colorado will be missing a key component of their power play in Alex Belzile.
- The totals for the first four games of this series have Colorado outscoring Allen 14-9 and outshooting the Americans 113-108. The penalty minutes are 100 for Colorado and 79 for Allen.
- Here is an update to show how Allen and Colorado rank in some statistical categories among the eight teams that were in the division finals:
Penalty Minutes Per Game: Allen 3rd (17.11) - Colorado 4th (16.78)
Goals Scored Per Game: Allen 6th (3.00) - Colorado 1st (3.78)
Goals Allowed per Game: Allen 4th (2.67) - Colorado 4th (2.67)
Power Play Percentage: Allen 3rd (22.7%) - Colorado 5th (21.6%)
Penalty Kill Percentage: Allen 3rd (88.9%) - Colorado 8th (79.1%)
- Allen wins today if they get off to a fast start, score the first goal, win the special teams battle and avoids giving up odd man rushes because they gamble offensively. The Americans allowed only 18 shots on goal in game four after allowing more than 30 shots in the first three games. A defensive effort like game four will go a long way to extending this series.
- Officials scheduled for the game this afternoon are referees Jonathan Sitarski (#23) and Jeremy Tufts (#6) and linesmen Erik Contino (#89) and Jon Shaw (#6).
OTHER COMMENTS:
- I mentioned yesterday that this game is a 50-50 game based on historical records across all major league sports when a team has a 3-1 lead and is playing game five at home. It is also good to remember Allen is 10-5 in game fives since Steve Martinson became the coach and most of those game fives were on the road. Throw in the fact Allen is 4-1 on the road in the playoffs this year while Colorado is 2-2 at home. None of these stats have any bearing on the game today but some good signs nevertheless.
- Toledo is now waiting around to see who they will meet in the Western Conference final. If Allen comes back to win they would not finish the series until Wednesday. If the series with Colorado gets extended to six or seven games it will be a short turnaround for whoever wins. The Mountain Division champion will start the Western Conference finals series with Toledo on the road and the first two games are already scheduled for next Friday (May 12) and Saturday (May 13).
- The San Jose Barracuda beat San Diego 5-1 at home last night to even their second round series 1-1. The series now shifts to San Diego for the next three games on Wednesday, Friday & Saturday.
DID YOU KNOW: Haven't seen this mentioned anywhere but Riley Gill has set another career playoff record in this series against Colorado. In game two Riley became the ECHL career leader in playoff minutes played and now has a total 4975 minutes, surpassing the old record of 4841. Riley already holds the record for most career playoff game appearances with 88 surpassing the old record of 80. He also has the record for most playoff wins at 52 surpassing the old record of 43. It was one year ago today that Riley tied the record for most career playoff wins with a 4-2 victory over Missouri. Here is what I said at the time. - There was a huge milestone reached last night as Riley Gill became the winningest playoff goalie in ECHL history. The win last night was number 43 all time for Riley and ties him with Nick Vitucci who played in the 1990's. Riley took 70 games to get his 43 wins while Vitucci played in 80 playoff games. Congrats Riley!
- Toledo joins Manchester (North Division) and South Carolina (South Division) as division champions. Only the Mountain Division, where Colorado holds a 3-1 series lead over Allen, has yet to be decided. They play game five this afternoon (4:05 pm CDT).
GAME PREVIEW
- The ECHL put their fingerprints all over game five between Allen and Colorado with three suspensions that were announced yesterday afternoon. Allen will be without the services of Bryan Moore who was suspended for one additional game (two total) for an incident with a fan after the game on Wednesday. Colorado's Mason Geertsen was given a game misconduct aggressor penalty in the last five minutes of the game on Thursday which is an automatic one game suspension so he will miss the game this afternoon. Finally, the Eagles Alex Belzile, who is leading the ECHL in playoff goals (10) and points (17), was suspended for two games for a cross-checking penalty (that targeted the head) in the third period on Thursady. Here is the ECHL press release announcing the suspensions. http://www.echl.com/echl-announces-fine-suspensions-may-6
- I had a chance to ask coach Martinson about Bryan Moore getting suspended for an additional game (two total) after Moore reacted to a Colorado fan spitting on him as he was in the tunnel leaving the ice after game three on Wednesday. Here is what Martinson had to say, "That incident was so avoidable. Colorado should follow the league rule that requires they have the exit covered. Colorado knows having the tunnel uncovered is a problem because they have a police officer come down at the end of the game. We should have been notified of potential issues with the fans."
- To win the game this afternoon Allen needs to survive the first 10 minutes and score the first goal of the game, something they have not been able to do in the first four games of this series. Colorado has scored the first goal in all four games and the goals came early. In game one it was at the 3:30 mark, game two at 4:46, game three at 10:00 and game four at 3:28. Even though the Americans came back to win game four after giving up the first goal of the game that is a rare occurrence against Colorado.
- Special teams will be another big key in the game today. The power play is still not firing on all cylinders but the Americans did manage to score one power play goal while going 1-8 in the win on Thursday. In the last game the Allen penalty kill not only held Colorado scoreless on five power play opportunities but really turned the game around on a Tyler Barnes shorthanded goal with 63 seconds remaining in the second period. That goal gave Allen their first lead (2-1) in the entire series and seemed to energize the team for the rest of the game. In the first four games of this series Allen (4-24) and Colorado (3-18) have the exact same power play percentage (16.7%) though Allen has had more opportunities. Winning the special teams battle will most likely determine the winner of this game. An advantage for Allen is Colorado will be missing a key component of their power play in Alex Belzile.
- The totals for the first four games of this series have Colorado outscoring Allen 14-9 and outshooting the Americans 113-108. The penalty minutes are 100 for Colorado and 79 for Allen.
- Here is an update to show how Allen and Colorado rank in some statistical categories among the eight teams that were in the division finals:
Penalty Minutes Per Game: Allen 3rd (17.11) - Colorado 4th (16.78)
Goals Scored Per Game: Allen 6th (3.00) - Colorado 1st (3.78)
Goals Allowed per Game: Allen 4th (2.67) - Colorado 4th (2.67)
Power Play Percentage: Allen 3rd (22.7%) - Colorado 5th (21.6%)
Penalty Kill Percentage: Allen 3rd (88.9%) - Colorado 8th (79.1%)
- Allen wins today if they get off to a fast start, score the first goal, win the special teams battle and avoids giving up odd man rushes because they gamble offensively. The Americans allowed only 18 shots on goal in game four after allowing more than 30 shots in the first three games. A defensive effort like game four will go a long way to extending this series.
- Officials scheduled for the game this afternoon are referees Jonathan Sitarski (#23) and Jeremy Tufts (#6) and linesmen Erik Contino (#89) and Jon Shaw (#6).
OTHER COMMENTS:
- I mentioned yesterday that this game is a 50-50 game based on historical records across all major league sports when a team has a 3-1 lead and is playing game five at home. It is also good to remember Allen is 10-5 in game fives since Steve Martinson became the coach and most of those game fives were on the road. Throw in the fact Allen is 4-1 on the road in the playoffs this year while Colorado is 2-2 at home. None of these stats have any bearing on the game today but some good signs nevertheless.
- Toledo is now waiting around to see who they will meet in the Western Conference final. If Allen comes back to win they would not finish the series until Wednesday. If the series with Colorado gets extended to six or seven games it will be a short turnaround for whoever wins. The Mountain Division champion will start the Western Conference finals series with Toledo on the road and the first two games are already scheduled for next Friday (May 12) and Saturday (May 13).
- The San Jose Barracuda beat San Diego 5-1 at home last night to even their second round series 1-1. The series now shifts to San Diego for the next three games on Wednesday, Friday & Saturday.
DID YOU KNOW: Haven't seen this mentioned anywhere but Riley Gill has set another career playoff record in this series against Colorado. In game two Riley became the ECHL career leader in playoff minutes played and now has a total 4975 minutes, surpassing the old record of 4841. Riley already holds the record for most career playoff game appearances with 88 surpassing the old record of 80. He also has the record for most playoff wins at 52 surpassing the old record of 43. It was one year ago today that Riley tied the record for most career playoff wins with a 4-2 victory over Missouri. Here is what I said at the time. - There was a huge milestone reached last night as Riley Gill became the winningest playoff goalie in ECHL history. The win last night was number 43 all time for Riley and ties him with Nick Vitucci who played in the 1990's. Riley took 70 games to get his 43 wins while Vitucci played in 80 playoff games. Congrats Riley!
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Playoff Update, The Tale of Two Conferences, Allen's Playoff Stat Leaders, Suspension Possibilities
- Back in October, 27 ECHL teams had aspirations to win the Kelly Cup. That number is now down to just six teams (Manchester, South Carolina, Toledo, Fort Wayne, Colorado, Allen). The Manchester Monarchs eliminated the Brampton Beast last night winning game six by a score of 5-4 and taking the series 4-2. The Monarchs are the North Division champions and will now take on the South Division champions (South Carolina Stingrays) in the Eastern Conference final.
- You often hear in all sports but especially in hockey, teams just need to make the playoffs and then anything can happen. The Eastern Conference final is a perfect example. Eight teams made the playoffs and the finals pit the #6 seeded team (Manchester) against the #7 seeded team (South Carolina). Who would have thought Manchester, who finished in fourth place in the North Division during the regular season would have home ice advanatge in the Eastern Conference finals. The Monarchs have home ice advantage in that they get four of the seven games at home. However, as happens so often in the ECHL building availability in Manchester and South Carolina plays a role that could impact the series. The first three games will be held in South Carolina with the last four in Manchester.
- The Western Conference is going much more according to Hoyle as the top four seeds are still vying for division titles. In the Central Division, last night Fort Wayne beat Toledo 4-1 at home to avoid elimination. The Komets were led by former Allen captain, Jamie Schaafsma, who scored two goals and was selected as the #1 star of the game. Fort Wayne trails 3-1 in the series and must win tonight in Toledo to stay alive.
- In the Mountain Division Allen is hanging on by a thread against Colorado, trailing 3-1 in the series with game five at the Budweiser Event Center (BEC) on Sunday afternoon (4:05 puck drop Allen time). The Americans will be hoping for some divine intervention to get this series back to Allen for games six and seven. In case you were wondering what the scheduling conflict is at the BEC that didn't allow game five to be played until Sunday it is the Archdiocese of Denver's Confirmation Ceremony. Nearly 800 students from all of the local parishes will be confirmed this afternoon.
BY THE NUMBERS
- If you compare the regular season stats to the playoff stats Allen is doing a little better in goals allowed having averaged 2.82 goals allowed during the regular season and 2.67 thus far in the playoffs. Goals scored is a different story as the Americans averaged 4.08 goals per game in the regular season, are averaging 3.00 in the playoffs and in the series against Colorado are averaging only 2.25 goals per game.
- During the regular season Allen had eight players average a point per game led by Chad Costello at 1.69 and Greger Hanson at 1.31. During the playoffs only two players are averaging a point per game. Chad Costello is averaging 1.11 points per game and Bryan Moore 1.00 but Moore has only played in four playoff games.
- During the regular season only two players on the playoff roster had negative plus/minus numbers. So far in the playoffs there are 10 players with negative plus/minus numbers.
- Here are the top players in various stat categories for the playoffs. The number in parentheses is the rank among all ECHL players in the playoffs.
Points:
10 - Chad Costello (13th)
8 - Greger Hanson (27th)
7 - Wade MacLeod (37th)
7 - David Makowski (37th)
Goals:
3 - Greger Hanson (31st)
3 - Wade MacLeod (31st)
3 - Josh Brittain (31st)
3 - Joel Chouinard (31st)
Assists:
8 - Chad Costello (3rd)
5 - Greger Hanson (31st)
5 - David Makowski (31st)
4 - Wade MacLeod (48th)
Plus/Minus:
+7 - Joel Chouinard (5th)
+3 - Josh Brittain (30th)
+2 - Dyson Stevenson (56th)
+2 - Harrison Ruopp (56th)
Penalty Minutes:
24 - Josh Brittain (12th)
21 - Dyson Stevenson (17th)
17 - Bryan Moore (27th)
16 - Spencer Asuchak (31st)
Points By Defensemen:
7 - David Makowski (5th)
6 - Joel Chouinard (9th)
3 - Eric Roy (24th)
3 - Mike Brodzinski (24th)
- If you look at the numbers above what stands out is the lack of scoring by the forwards. In prior years Allen's forwards were all over the top ten in all scoring categories. Last season for example Allen's forwards were #1, #2, #10 & #12 in goals, #1 in assists and #1, #3 & #8 in points. If the Americans are to come back against Colorado they will need more point production from the players upfront.
OTHER COMMENTS
- Allen's AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, started their second round playoff series against the San Diego Gulls last night. It was a heart breaker for San Jose as they lost at home 3-2 in overtime. San Diego tied the score 2-2 with under four minutes remaining in the game and took just 38 seconds into overtime to get the game winner. Here are all of the details from Paul Gackle of the Mercury News: http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/05/05/missed-opportunities-haunt-barracuda-in-game-1-loss-to-gulls/
- There were no announcements yesterday by the ECHL concerning suspensions from the Allen vs Colorado series but would assume something will be out this morning. Allen is awaiting a decision on how long the indefinite suspension to Bryan Moore will last hoping it will be just the one game he has already served. Colorado has a couple of players that could be suspended for actions at the end of the game on Thursday. Mason Geertsen was given a game misconduct aggressor penalty penalty in the last five minutes of the game which is normally an automatic one game suspension though the suspension may be rescinded by the Vice President of Hockey Operations. Alex Belzile was given a cross-checking penalty and the cross check was to the head so there is a possibility he could also be suspended. Whatever decisions the ECHL makes it could have a big impact on game five on Sunday. UPDATE: Moore gets one additional game, Geertsen gets one game and Belzile gets two games. Here are the details: http://www.echl.com/echl-announces-fine-suspensions-may-6
DID YOU KNOW: Allen is 10-5 in game fives under Steve Martinson. According to the website Who Wins, looking at major league sports results, Allen has a better than 50% chance of winning game five but less than a 10% chance of winning the series. A 10% chance of winning the series is a big improvement from the 1.49% chance the Americans had when they were down 3-0. If Allen wins on Sunday the odds of winning the series will increase to 25%.
- You often hear in all sports but especially in hockey, teams just need to make the playoffs and then anything can happen. The Eastern Conference final is a perfect example. Eight teams made the playoffs and the finals pit the #6 seeded team (Manchester) against the #7 seeded team (South Carolina). Who would have thought Manchester, who finished in fourth place in the North Division during the regular season would have home ice advanatge in the Eastern Conference finals. The Monarchs have home ice advantage in that they get four of the seven games at home. However, as happens so often in the ECHL building availability in Manchester and South Carolina plays a role that could impact the series. The first three games will be held in South Carolina with the last four in Manchester.
- The Western Conference is going much more according to Hoyle as the top four seeds are still vying for division titles. In the Central Division, last night Fort Wayne beat Toledo 4-1 at home to avoid elimination. The Komets were led by former Allen captain, Jamie Schaafsma, who scored two goals and was selected as the #1 star of the game. Fort Wayne trails 3-1 in the series and must win tonight in Toledo to stay alive.
- In the Mountain Division Allen is hanging on by a thread against Colorado, trailing 3-1 in the series with game five at the Budweiser Event Center (BEC) on Sunday afternoon (4:05 puck drop Allen time). The Americans will be hoping for some divine intervention to get this series back to Allen for games six and seven. In case you were wondering what the scheduling conflict is at the BEC that didn't allow game five to be played until Sunday it is the Archdiocese of Denver's Confirmation Ceremony. Nearly 800 students from all of the local parishes will be confirmed this afternoon.
BY THE NUMBERS
- If you compare the regular season stats to the playoff stats Allen is doing a little better in goals allowed having averaged 2.82 goals allowed during the regular season and 2.67 thus far in the playoffs. Goals scored is a different story as the Americans averaged 4.08 goals per game in the regular season, are averaging 3.00 in the playoffs and in the series against Colorado are averaging only 2.25 goals per game.
- During the regular season Allen had eight players average a point per game led by Chad Costello at 1.69 and Greger Hanson at 1.31. During the playoffs only two players are averaging a point per game. Chad Costello is averaging 1.11 points per game and Bryan Moore 1.00 but Moore has only played in four playoff games.
- During the regular season only two players on the playoff roster had negative plus/minus numbers. So far in the playoffs there are 10 players with negative plus/minus numbers.
- Here are the top players in various stat categories for the playoffs. The number in parentheses is the rank among all ECHL players in the playoffs.
Points:
10 - Chad Costello (13th)
8 - Greger Hanson (27th)
7 - Wade MacLeod (37th)
7 - David Makowski (37th)
Goals:
3 - Greger Hanson (31st)
3 - Wade MacLeod (31st)
3 - Josh Brittain (31st)
3 - Joel Chouinard (31st)
Assists:
8 - Chad Costello (3rd)
5 - Greger Hanson (31st)
5 - David Makowski (31st)
4 - Wade MacLeod (48th)
Plus/Minus:
+7 - Joel Chouinard (5th)
+3 - Josh Brittain (30th)
+2 - Dyson Stevenson (56th)
+2 - Harrison Ruopp (56th)
Penalty Minutes:
24 - Josh Brittain (12th)
21 - Dyson Stevenson (17th)
17 - Bryan Moore (27th)
16 - Spencer Asuchak (31st)
Points By Defensemen:
7 - David Makowski (5th)
6 - Joel Chouinard (9th)
3 - Eric Roy (24th)
3 - Mike Brodzinski (24th)
- If you look at the numbers above what stands out is the lack of scoring by the forwards. In prior years Allen's forwards were all over the top ten in all scoring categories. Last season for example Allen's forwards were #1, #2, #10 & #12 in goals, #1 in assists and #1, #3 & #8 in points. If the Americans are to come back against Colorado they will need more point production from the players upfront.
OTHER COMMENTS
- Allen's AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, started their second round playoff series against the San Diego Gulls last night. It was a heart breaker for San Jose as they lost at home 3-2 in overtime. San Diego tied the score 2-2 with under four minutes remaining in the game and took just 38 seconds into overtime to get the game winner. Here are all of the details from Paul Gackle of the Mercury News: http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/05/05/missed-opportunities-haunt-barracuda-in-game-1-loss-to-gulls/
- There were no announcements yesterday by the ECHL concerning suspensions from the Allen vs Colorado series but would assume something will be out this morning. Allen is awaiting a decision on how long the indefinite suspension to Bryan Moore will last hoping it will be just the one game he has already served. Colorado has a couple of players that could be suspended for actions at the end of the game on Thursday. Mason Geertsen was given a game misconduct aggressor penalty penalty in the last five minutes of the game which is normally an automatic one game suspension though the suspension may be rescinded by the Vice President of Hockey Operations. Alex Belzile was given a cross-checking penalty and the cross check was to the head so there is a possibility he could also be suspended. Whatever decisions the ECHL makes it could have a big impact on game five on Sunday. UPDATE: Moore gets one additional game, Geertsen gets one game and Belzile gets two games. Here are the details: http://www.echl.com/echl-announces-fine-suspensions-may-6
DID YOU KNOW: Allen is 10-5 in game fives under Steve Martinson. According to the website Who Wins, looking at major league sports results, Allen has a better than 50% chance of winning game five but less than a 10% chance of winning the series. A 10% chance of winning the series is a big improvement from the 1.49% chance the Americans had when they were down 3-0. If Allen wins on Sunday the odds of winning the series will increase to 25%.
Friday, May 5, 2017
Allen Wins 4-1, Avoids Sweep, Game 5 on Sunday, Playoff Update, Moore Suspended, Road Trip Diary
The Allen Americans took a big step back from the abyss last night in Colorado. Faced with elimination the Americans beat the Eagles 4-1 before a disappointed crowd of 4499 at the Budweiser Event Center. It was a big win for Allen who still trails in the series 3-1 and will be facing another elimination game on Sunday (4:05 pm Allen time) afternoon in Colorado.
- The game last night started out as usual with Colorado scoring an early goal at the 3:28 mark of the first period but the Americans did not allow another goal the rest of the way. The four unanswered goals by the Americans included a power play goal, a shorthanded goal and two even strength goals. Even more impressive was the defensive effort by Allen who allowed Colorado just 18 shots on goal in the game and only four in the decisive third period.
- The power play is still not firing on all cylinders but the Americans did manage to score one power play goal while going 1-8 on the night. The penalty kill not only held Colorado scoreless on five power play opportunities but really turned the game around on a Tyler Barnes shorthanded goal with 63 seconds remaining in the second period. That goal gave Allen their first lead (2-1) in the entire series and seemed to energize the team for the rest of the game.
- After Allen took a 4-1 lead just past the midway point of the third period Colorado resorted to the rough stuff trying to make a point. When all was said and done there were 97 minutes of penalties handed out in the third period and for the game the total was 121 minutes. Contrast that with the first three games of the series that had a combined total of 58 penalty minutes.
- Goal scorers for Allen were Chad Costello (2), Tyler Barnes (2), Alex Krushelnyski (2) and Josh Brittain (3). As usual you can find all of the goals and video highlights at ECHL Rewind. Here is the link: http://www.echl.com/
- Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/special-teams-lead-americans-over-colorado/
- Here is the game recap from the Loveland Reporter-Herald: http://www.reporterherald.com/sports/ci_30967078/allen-comes-back-postpone-elimination-game-4-win
OTHER COMMENTS
- Things have gotten a little ugly in Colorado. Bryan Moore did not play last night as he was suspended indefinitely by the league for a confrontation with a fan as he was in the tunnel leaving the ice after the game on Wednesday. What isn't in dispute is a fan spit on Moore. What is in dispute is whether Moore made "slight contact" with the fan with his stick. One Allen witness who saw the entire incident said it was very clear no contact was made and another fan told me Moore confirmed to him no contact was made. The league took the word of others that contact was made. Seems like the league should be more interested in protecting players from fans that clearly cross the line of fan behavior.
- Last night after Allen took a 4-1 lead it appeared Colorado took a page out of the Florida playbook in their series against Orlando. Deliberately going after skill players with an attempt to injure. It will be interesting to see what if any actions are taken by the league office for the penalties taken by the Eagles in the third period after the game was decided. A couple of Allen players are questionable for Sunday as a result of these incidents.
- South Carolina beat Florida 2-1 last night and eliminated the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference 4-1. South Carolina moves on to the conference finals for the third straight year. Here are the details from the local paper. http://www.postandcourier.com/sports/south-carolina-stingrays-down-florida-everblades---clinch-series/article_b3fe99b8-3
- There are two games on tap tonight and they are both elimination games. Manchester is at Brampton for game six of their series. Manchester leads the series 3-2. Toledo takes a 3-0 series lead into game four in Fort Wayne.
- Here is the updated bracket courtesy of Robert Ciccotelli:
- Daniel Tetrault, who won a championship in Allen in 2014 and is now the assistant coach for the Rapid City Rush joined Tommy Daniels as a between period guest last night and at Tommy's invitation did color commentary in the third period. Daniel is no stranger to the radio booth. The majority of the 2015-16 season after he retired and before being named assistant coach in Rapid City, Tetrault served as color analyst alongside broadcaster Mark Bineti for Rush home games. Tetrault was excellent on the broadcast and the Americans played great in the third period so Tommy invited Daniel back in the radio booth for game five on Sunday. Stay tuned. By the way Tetrault shared that he is a candidate for the vacant head coaching job in Rapid City. While he has only been an assistant coach for one season Daniel has been a leader on and off the ice ever since he was member of the Team Canada under 18 team in 1996 that won the world championship. Allen fans wish him good luck in his endeavor to become a head coach.
- Here is a story from SBNation that talks about Allen's success over the last four years and the possibility of the historic win streak coming to an end for the San Jose affiliate. This story was written prior to the win last night but it is a good read: http://www.fearthefin.com/2017/5/4/15540252/the-daily-chum-sharks-echl-affiliates-historic-run-near-an-end
DID YOU KNOW: Mary Betz and Ted Hosterman were kind enough to send along the following about their road trip to Colorado. They are headed back to Dallas today along with the other members of the "Fireball Group" Bud, Paul and Leonard. Sounds like they had a great trip highlighted by the win last night. I know there were many others that made the trip to Colorado and all of the players really appreciate the support. Here is Ted and Mary's diary:
This adventure started somewhat enthusiastically as our plane departed Dallas Love field at 6:10 AM (yawn) on Wednesday, arriving in Denver two hours later. We arrived at our hotel in Loveland with enough time to see the team’s morning skate. The players morale was high in anticipation of the game Wednesday night. We had the chance to meet Tanner Eberle’s father and Harrison Ruopp’s mother at the morning skate. They are neighbors in Regina, SK and had driven all night to get to Loveland.
The staff at the Budweiser Events Center were very receptive to the invasion of us Allen fans, they willingly told us where to go in the arena to watch the morning skate. The players were also appreciative of our support. A few sent us texts to thank us for making the trip.
After some late afternoon refreshments we made our way to the arena for game three. Our early enthusiasm soon waned as the Eagles quickly gained control of the game. We were welcomed by many Eagles fans during the intermissions. Overall attitude was that we are all members of one big hockey family. Opponents on the ice but friends in the concourse.
After a bit of sightseeing on Thursday and talking with many of the players, it was time for game four! Our thoughts remained optimistic that we would avoid elimination. The team responded to adversity and totally controlled the game emerging victorious. The warmth shown by the Eagles fans cooled substantially as the game progressed, but some still offered us congrats as we exited the arena.
Post game celebrations were many at the hotel with several of the players and coach Martinson in attendance.
- The game last night started out as usual with Colorado scoring an early goal at the 3:28 mark of the first period but the Americans did not allow another goal the rest of the way. The four unanswered goals by the Americans included a power play goal, a shorthanded goal and two even strength goals. Even more impressive was the defensive effort by Allen who allowed Colorado just 18 shots on goal in the game and only four in the decisive third period.
- The power play is still not firing on all cylinders but the Americans did manage to score one power play goal while going 1-8 on the night. The penalty kill not only held Colorado scoreless on five power play opportunities but really turned the game around on a Tyler Barnes shorthanded goal with 63 seconds remaining in the second period. That goal gave Allen their first lead (2-1) in the entire series and seemed to energize the team for the rest of the game.
- After Allen took a 4-1 lead just past the midway point of the third period Colorado resorted to the rough stuff trying to make a point. When all was said and done there were 97 minutes of penalties handed out in the third period and for the game the total was 121 minutes. Contrast that with the first three games of the series that had a combined total of 58 penalty minutes.
- Goal scorers for Allen were Chad Costello (2), Tyler Barnes (2), Alex Krushelnyski (2) and Josh Brittain (3). As usual you can find all of the goals and video highlights at ECHL Rewind. Here is the link: http://www.echl.com/
- Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/special-teams-lead-americans-over-colorado/
- Here is the game recap from the Loveland Reporter-Herald: http://www.reporterherald.com/sports/ci_30967078/allen-comes-back-postpone-elimination-game-4-win
OTHER COMMENTS
- Things have gotten a little ugly in Colorado. Bryan Moore did not play last night as he was suspended indefinitely by the league for a confrontation with a fan as he was in the tunnel leaving the ice after the game on Wednesday. What isn't in dispute is a fan spit on Moore. What is in dispute is whether Moore made "slight contact" with the fan with his stick. One Allen witness who saw the entire incident said it was very clear no contact was made and another fan told me Moore confirmed to him no contact was made. The league took the word of others that contact was made. Seems like the league should be more interested in protecting players from fans that clearly cross the line of fan behavior.
- Last night after Allen took a 4-1 lead it appeared Colorado took a page out of the Florida playbook in their series against Orlando. Deliberately going after skill players with an attempt to injure. It will be interesting to see what if any actions are taken by the league office for the penalties taken by the Eagles in the third period after the game was decided. A couple of Allen players are questionable for Sunday as a result of these incidents.
- South Carolina beat Florida 2-1 last night and eliminated the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference 4-1. South Carolina moves on to the conference finals for the third straight year. Here are the details from the local paper. http://www.postandcourier.com/sports/south-carolina-stingrays-down-florida-everblades---clinch-series/article_b3fe99b8-3
- There are two games on tap tonight and they are both elimination games. Manchester is at Brampton for game six of their series. Manchester leads the series 3-2. Toledo takes a 3-0 series lead into game four in Fort Wayne.
- Here is the updated bracket courtesy of Robert Ciccotelli:
- Daniel Tetrault, who won a championship in Allen in 2014 and is now the assistant coach for the Rapid City Rush joined Tommy Daniels as a between period guest last night and at Tommy's invitation did color commentary in the third period. Daniel is no stranger to the radio booth. The majority of the 2015-16 season after he retired and before being named assistant coach in Rapid City, Tetrault served as color analyst alongside broadcaster Mark Bineti for Rush home games. Tetrault was excellent on the broadcast and the Americans played great in the third period so Tommy invited Daniel back in the radio booth for game five on Sunday. Stay tuned. By the way Tetrault shared that he is a candidate for the vacant head coaching job in Rapid City. While he has only been an assistant coach for one season Daniel has been a leader on and off the ice ever since he was member of the Team Canada under 18 team in 1996 that won the world championship. Allen fans wish him good luck in his endeavor to become a head coach.
- Here is a story from SBNation that talks about Allen's success over the last four years and the possibility of the historic win streak coming to an end for the San Jose affiliate. This story was written prior to the win last night but it is a good read: http://www.fearthefin.com/2017/5/4/15540252/the-daily-chum-sharks-echl-affiliates-historic-run-near-an-end
DID YOU KNOW: Mary Betz and Ted Hosterman were kind enough to send along the following about their road trip to Colorado. They are headed back to Dallas today along with the other members of the "Fireball Group" Bud, Paul and Leonard. Sounds like they had a great trip highlighted by the win last night. I know there were many others that made the trip to Colorado and all of the players really appreciate the support. Here is Ted and Mary's diary:
This adventure started somewhat enthusiastically as our plane departed Dallas Love field at 6:10 AM (yawn) on Wednesday, arriving in Denver two hours later. We arrived at our hotel in Loveland with enough time to see the team’s morning skate. The players morale was high in anticipation of the game Wednesday night. We had the chance to meet Tanner Eberle’s father and Harrison Ruopp’s mother at the morning skate. They are neighbors in Regina, SK and had driven all night to get to Loveland.
The staff at the Budweiser Events Center were very receptive to the invasion of us Allen fans, they willingly told us where to go in the arena to watch the morning skate. The players were also appreciative of our support. A few sent us texts to thank us for making the trip.
After some late afternoon refreshments we made our way to the arena for game three. Our early enthusiasm soon waned as the Eagles quickly gained control of the game. We were welcomed by many Eagles fans during the intermissions. Overall attitude was that we are all members of one big hockey family. Opponents on the ice but friends in the concourse.
After a bit of sightseeing on Thursday and talking with many of the players, it was time for game four! Our thoughts remained optimistic that we would avoid elimination. The team responded to adversity and totally controlled the game emerging victorious. The warmth shown by the Eagles fans cooled substantially as the game progressed, but some still offered us congrats as we exited the arena.
Post game celebrations were many at the hotel with several of the players and coach Martinson in attendance.
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Allen Loses 4-2, Now on the Brink of Elimination, Martinson's Comments, Teams that Beat the Odds
The Allen Americans put themselves in the most precarious position in playoff hockey by losing to the Colorado Eagles 4-2 last night before an enthusiastic crowd of 4534 at the Budweiser Events Center. The Americans are now down 3-0 in the series and must hold on to the slim hope they can become part of the one percent club. To be precise it is the 1.49% club which represents, based on historical data across all major league sports, the odds of Allen winning this series.
There are some pretty startling facts that put Allen in the position of needing a win tonight or go home. Here are some examples:
- The loss last night was the fifth straight against Colorado (2 regular ,3 playoffs) this season.
- For the third straight game Allen had early opportunities to score but did not capitalize. Last night the Americans had a power play 20 seconds into the game and again two minutes into the game.
- After squandering early scoring chances Allen gave up the first goal for the third straight game which has been proven decisive in every game in this series. I am sure you are tired of seeing this stat but Colorado and Allen have a combined record of 82-4-2-2 this season when scoring first and in the playoff are now 9-0 when scoring first.
- Allen has not had an answer for Colorado forward Alex Belzile who has eight points (5 goals 3 assists) in the three games in this series. Belzile had two goals last night but could have had five with the great scoring chances he created. Even though he has played two or three fewer games than any other player in the top ten in the ECHL playoff scoring race Belzile leads the league in goals (10) and points (17).
- Allen has struggled to score goals in this series with a grand total of five for a per game average of 1.67 while allowing 13 goals for a per game average of 4.33.
- Allen's only goals last night came on the power play which is good news since they were 1-10 going into the game. The Americans are now 3-16 (18.8%) on the power play. However, Allen was held scoreless even strength for the second time in the series. The Americans have just two even strength goals in the three games.
- Allen has never had a lead in this series. Last night was the first time they have even been tied and they came back twice to tie the game but could never grab the lead.
When you string all those facts together you can see why Allen lost last night and is holding on by a thread in this series. It will be a gut check for the team tonight to try and avoid elimination. The same historical data that shows little chance of winning the series says the odds of Allen winning tonight is around 40%.
- The goal scorers for Allen last night were David Makowski who scored his second of the playoffs and Chad Costello who scored his first. You can check out all of the goals in the video highlights posted to ECHL Rewind. Here is the link: http://www.echl.com/
- Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans. https://allenamericans.com/americans-down-3-0-to-colorado-after-a-4-2-loss-on-wednesday-night/
- Here is the game recap from the Loveland Reporter-Herald: http://www.reporterherald.com/sports/ci_30964596/luke-salazars-winner-grabs-3-0-series-stranglehold
STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS
- I think we can turn the tables but not the way we are playing. Hockey is a game of mistakes but we keep repeating the same mistakes.
- In each game in this series we have had full possession of the puck and made unforced turnovers near our net which have resulted in goals.
- We have negative plus/minus players because they are not defending hard enough most notably on odd man rushes.
- On Colorado's second goal our defenseman jumps in on a low probability play and all three forwards come in while the Eagles have full possession of the puck. Our third forward skates right by his man into the offensive zone. Colorado makes one simple pass for a two on one which becomes a four on three with their best player getting the puck. If that started out as a two on two you can kill the play before they get help.
- Our penalty kill handed them a great scoring chance which they buried.
- It is pretty simple. If we want to beat them we have to play harder than we have.
GAME PREVIEW
- It is down to win or go home for the Allen Americans tonight. One thing you learn about a team that has won four straight championships is they don't quit just because the odds are stacked against them. Expect a great effort tonight.
- It is imperative Allen gets off to a good start tonight. They must capitalize early by scoring the first goal of the game.
- The Americans were 2-6 on the power play last night. They will need a repeat performance of that success tonight in order to win. They will also have to score even strength if they expect to win. Colorado has scored four or more goals in their last six playoff games. If the Americans can't hold the Eagles down defensively they need to score a lot more goals tonight. Based on past performance the winning team will have four or five goals.
- Officials scheduled for the game tonight are referees Andy Howard (#2) and Andrew Wilk (#24) and linesmen Erik Contino (#89) and Chris Wilson (#88). Howard and Wilk were the referees last night.
OTHER COMMENTS
- It looks like a Colorado vs Toledo matchup for the Western Conference championship unless something really unusual happens. Both team are up 3-0 with the odds of a comeback by Allen or Fort Wayne highly unlikely based on past history. Not impossible but somewhere between slim and none.
- In the Eastern Conference Brampton won in Manchester last night 2-1 to avoid elimination. Brampton trails in the series 3-2 but will have the final two games at home. In the South Division #1 seed Florida lost in South Carolina 4-2 last night. Florida trails in the series 3-1 with game five tonight in South Carolina. The Everblades came from behind in round one of the playoffs after being down to Orlando 3-1. Can they do it again?
- Here is the updated playoff bracket courtesy of Robert Ciccotelli:
- The odds are very long that Allen or Fort Wayne can comeback from a 3-0 deficit but they are not impossible. The historical record across all major league sports when a team has a 3-0 lead is 335-5. The breakdown by sport is 35-1 in MLB, 121-0 in the NBA and 179-4 in the NHL. Here are the five teams that beat the odds.
1942 Stanley Cup Final - Toronto came back to beat Detroit
1975 NHL Quarterfinals - New York Islanders came back to beat Pittsburgh
2004 Major League Baseball (ALCS) - Boston came back to beat the Yankees
2010 NHL Conference Semifinals - Philadelphia came back to beat Boston
2014 NHL Conference Quarterfinals - Los Angeles Kings came back to beat San Jose
- The road trip diary team is missing in action so no report today. Don't blame them if they went out drinking after the loss last night rather than filing a report. Maybe we will hear from them tomorrow about their experiences in Colorado.
DID YOU KNOW: The last time the Allen Americans lost a playoff series was April 10, 2012. It was a different coach (Dwight Mullins), different team (not one players remains from that team) and a different league (Central Hockey League). Allen lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Texas Brahmas 4-2. Allen won game one of the series 5-0 and then proceeded to lose four of the next five games.
There are some pretty startling facts that put Allen in the position of needing a win tonight or go home. Here are some examples:
- The loss last night was the fifth straight against Colorado (2 regular ,3 playoffs) this season.
- For the third straight game Allen had early opportunities to score but did not capitalize. Last night the Americans had a power play 20 seconds into the game and again two minutes into the game.
- After squandering early scoring chances Allen gave up the first goal for the third straight game which has been proven decisive in every game in this series. I am sure you are tired of seeing this stat but Colorado and Allen have a combined record of 82-4-2-2 this season when scoring first and in the playoff are now 9-0 when scoring first.
- Allen has not had an answer for Colorado forward Alex Belzile who has eight points (5 goals 3 assists) in the three games in this series. Belzile had two goals last night but could have had five with the great scoring chances he created. Even though he has played two or three fewer games than any other player in the top ten in the ECHL playoff scoring race Belzile leads the league in goals (10) and points (17).
- Allen has struggled to score goals in this series with a grand total of five for a per game average of 1.67 while allowing 13 goals for a per game average of 4.33.
- Allen's only goals last night came on the power play which is good news since they were 1-10 going into the game. The Americans are now 3-16 (18.8%) on the power play. However, Allen was held scoreless even strength for the second time in the series. The Americans have just two even strength goals in the three games.
- Allen has never had a lead in this series. Last night was the first time they have even been tied and they came back twice to tie the game but could never grab the lead.
When you string all those facts together you can see why Allen lost last night and is holding on by a thread in this series. It will be a gut check for the team tonight to try and avoid elimination. The same historical data that shows little chance of winning the series says the odds of Allen winning tonight is around 40%.
- The goal scorers for Allen last night were David Makowski who scored his second of the playoffs and Chad Costello who scored his first. You can check out all of the goals in the video highlights posted to ECHL Rewind. Here is the link: http://www.echl.com/
- Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans. https://allenamericans.com/americans-down-3-0-to-colorado-after-a-4-2-loss-on-wednesday-night/
- Here is the game recap from the Loveland Reporter-Herald: http://www.reporterherald.com/sports/ci_30964596/luke-salazars-winner-grabs-3-0-series-stranglehold
STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS
- I think we can turn the tables but not the way we are playing. Hockey is a game of mistakes but we keep repeating the same mistakes.
- In each game in this series we have had full possession of the puck and made unforced turnovers near our net which have resulted in goals.
- We have negative plus/minus players because they are not defending hard enough most notably on odd man rushes.
- On Colorado's second goal our defenseman jumps in on a low probability play and all three forwards come in while the Eagles have full possession of the puck. Our third forward skates right by his man into the offensive zone. Colorado makes one simple pass for a two on one which becomes a four on three with their best player getting the puck. If that started out as a two on two you can kill the play before they get help.
- Our penalty kill handed them a great scoring chance which they buried.
- It is pretty simple. If we want to beat them we have to play harder than we have.
GAME PREVIEW
- It is down to win or go home for the Allen Americans tonight. One thing you learn about a team that has won four straight championships is they don't quit just because the odds are stacked against them. Expect a great effort tonight.
- It is imperative Allen gets off to a good start tonight. They must capitalize early by scoring the first goal of the game.
- The Americans were 2-6 on the power play last night. They will need a repeat performance of that success tonight in order to win. They will also have to score even strength if they expect to win. Colorado has scored four or more goals in their last six playoff games. If the Americans can't hold the Eagles down defensively they need to score a lot more goals tonight. Based on past performance the winning team will have four or five goals.
- Officials scheduled for the game tonight are referees Andy Howard (#2) and Andrew Wilk (#24) and linesmen Erik Contino (#89) and Chris Wilson (#88). Howard and Wilk were the referees last night.
OTHER COMMENTS
- It looks like a Colorado vs Toledo matchup for the Western Conference championship unless something really unusual happens. Both team are up 3-0 with the odds of a comeback by Allen or Fort Wayne highly unlikely based on past history. Not impossible but somewhere between slim and none.
- In the Eastern Conference Brampton won in Manchester last night 2-1 to avoid elimination. Brampton trails in the series 3-2 but will have the final two games at home. In the South Division #1 seed Florida lost in South Carolina 4-2 last night. Florida trails in the series 3-1 with game five tonight in South Carolina. The Everblades came from behind in round one of the playoffs after being down to Orlando 3-1. Can they do it again?
- Here is the updated playoff bracket courtesy of Robert Ciccotelli:
- The odds are very long that Allen or Fort Wayne can comeback from a 3-0 deficit but they are not impossible. The historical record across all major league sports when a team has a 3-0 lead is 335-5. The breakdown by sport is 35-1 in MLB, 121-0 in the NBA and 179-4 in the NHL. Here are the five teams that beat the odds.
1942 Stanley Cup Final - Toronto came back to beat Detroit
1975 NHL Quarterfinals - New York Islanders came back to beat Pittsburgh
2004 Major League Baseball (ALCS) - Boston came back to beat the Yankees
2010 NHL Conference Semifinals - Philadelphia came back to beat Boston
2014 NHL Conference Quarterfinals - Los Angeles Kings came back to beat San Jose
- The road trip diary team is missing in action so no report today. Don't blame them if they went out drinking after the loss last night rather than filing a report. Maybe we will hear from them tomorrow about their experiences in Colorado.
DID YOU KNOW: The last time the Allen Americans lost a playoff series was April 10, 2012. It was a different coach (Dwight Mullins), different team (not one players remains from that team) and a different league (Central Hockey League). Allen lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Texas Brahmas 4-2. Allen won game one of the series 5-0 and then proceeded to lose four of the next five games.
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Allen vs Colorado Game 3 Preview, Playoff Update, Barracuda Advance, Reality Check & Playoff Attendance
The term "must win game" is used all too often in sports and I am as guilty as anyone but for the Allen Americans the game tonight in Colorado is a must win game even though it is not an elimination game. Trailing in the series 2-0, a loss tonight would put the Americans in a hole that very few teams have ever been able to crawl out of. According to the the website Who Wins the all-time record over all sports
in seven game series when one team takes a 3-0 lead is 335-5 which equates to a 1.49% chance of a comeback.
- A more positive stat from Who Wins is in NHL second round games when a team has a 2-0 series lead and started the playoffs on the road they win game three at home only 52% of the time. As bleak as being down 3-0 in the series would be, if Allen wins tonight they are right back in the series. The road has been good for both teams in the playoffs. Allen and Colorado have a combined record of 8-0-0 on the road but just 2-4 at home.
- It will be interesting to see how coach Martinson approaches the lineup tonight. With Bryan Moore returning from a four game suspension you would assume he will be reunited on a line with Zach Hall. The question is who will be the third forward on that line. It could be Alex Krushelnyski or Gary Steffes or Dyson Stevenson or Tanner Eberle. The top two lines of Hanson, Asuchak, Costello and MacLeod, Brittain, Barnes have stayed pretty much intact. Under normal circumstances only 10 forwards would be in the lineup so two of the names above would be healthy scratches. Another option for coach Martinson, which he has used in the past, is to dress 11 forwards and only five defensemen and have Dyson Stevenson help out on defense when necessary. With 22 players on the roster the one fact that is known is four players will be sitting out tonight.
- Here is a comparison between Allen and Colorado looking at the playoff stats:
ALLEN COLORADO
Playoff Record 4-3-0 6-1-0
Home Record 1-3-0 1-1-0
Road Record 3-0-0 5-0-0
Goals For 21 29
Goals Against 19 18
Power Play 23.3% (7/30) 25.0% (7/28)
Penalty Kill 88.9% (4/36) 79.3% (6/29)
Most PIM's Moore (15) Belzile (10)
Leading Scorer Hanson (3-5-8) Belzile (8-6-14)
Costello (0-7-7) Register (4-6-10)
- Here is how Allen and Colorado rank in some statistical categories among the eight teams remaining in the playoffs:
Penalty Minutes Per Game: Allen 4th (13.29) - Colorado 7th (10.14)
Goals Scored Per Game: Allen 6th (3.00) - Colorado 1st (4.14)
Goals Allowed per Game: Allen 6th (2.71) - Colorado 4th (2.57)
Power Play Percentage: Allen 4th (23.3%) - Colorado 3rd (25.0%)
Penalty Kill Percentage: Allen 3rd (88.9%) - Colorado 8th (79.3%)
- The special team stats above are misleading because Allen was great on the power play in the first round against Utah (30%) but in the two games against Colorado are just 1-10 (10%). If Allen is going to win tonight the power play will have to score.
- The team that scored first won games one and two in this series and I don't see that changing in game three. The first goal will be critical tonight. A reminder Allen and Colorado have a combined record of 81-4-2-2 when scoring first this season. Just looking at the playoffs they are a combined 8-0 when scoring first.
- This game will come down to which team has the greater will to win. It comes down to will not skill. These are two very talented teams so you can look for who works the hardest, who wins the battles for the puck and who wants it more. If Allen plays up to their potential they will win tonight.
- Officials scheduled for the game tonight are referees Andy Howard (#2) and Andrew Wilk (#24) and linesmen Erik Contino (#89) and Robert Keltie (#83).
OTHER COMMENTS
- Here is a article written by Chris Tiller of the local paper in Colorado that talks about the familiarity between the Americans and Eagles who were once friends and are now foes. http://www.reporterherald.com/sports/ci_30961487/chad-costello-highlights-player-turnover-rosters-colorado-eagles
- Mary Betz and Ted Hosterman along with a group of friends are in Colorado for the road games the next two nights. Ted & Mary do the blog when I go on vacation and have agreed to do a road trip diary the next two days. Should be interesting to get their perspective.
- The San Jose Barracuda won last night to advance to the second round of the AHL playoffs. There was plenty of drama in the winner take all fifth game of the series against Stockton. The game went to overtime and the Barracuda scored shorthanded for the game winner. Final score was 2-1. San Jose will now play San Diego in the Division finals. Here are the details. http://www.csnbayarea.com/sharks/barracuda-advance-second-round-thrilling-fashion
- There was only one ECHL playoff game last night and that saw the Manchester Monarchs beat the Brampton Beast 6-1. Manchester, who is the #4 seed in the North Division has a 3-1 series lead with a chance to close it out at home tonight. The Monarchs beat #1 seed Adirondack in the first round and is now one win away from reaching the Eastern Conference finals.
- It is a full slate of ECHL playoff games tonight. Brampton is at Manchester (Manchester leads series 3-1). Florida is at South Carolina (South Carolina leads the series 2-1). Toledo is at Fort Wayne (Toledo leads the series 2-0). Allen is at Colorado (Colorado leads the series 2-0).
- Here is the updated playoff bracket courtesy of Robert Ciccotelli of the Americans front office. The best bracket graphic I have seen.
- I had a reality check in the responses I received after the blog post the last couple of days. On Monday I wrote about the conflict I was experiencing between the optimistic and pessimistic thoughts I was having about this series against Colorado. Yesterday it was about fan and player superstitions. The reality check for me was a reminder that regardless of how the series with Colorado turns out, the fans of the Allen Americans love this team and the young men that go out of their way to be accessible. I was also reminded of what a great group of dedicated fans or more appropriately what a great family makes up the Allen fan base. I wanted to share a few responses that make the point very well.
Danielle says, "Our four and seven year old's do lend a different perspective as they seem to have lost interest in the game but are significantly more upset by the thought of not getting to talk to their "buddies" (the players) until the fall. They were spoiled by the amazing kindness and warm reception from the players on the concourse over the last few weeks. So while the season may not end up as we planned, for theses kiddos, it will always be special because of these great young men."
Wendy says, "Win or lose we have an awesome group of guys who not only play great entertaining hockey but who we have the privilege of getting to know as more than just hockey players. The hockey family in Allen is like no other. Yes, we are spoiled, no team, no matter how great can win every year. No coach, no matter how great can win every championship. So win or lose we will be proud of these young men, proud of the people they are, proud of the season they gave us and blessed to have them in Allen. Would we like to comeback - you bet. Do we believe the boys can comeback - absolutely. But if this isn't our year it changes nothing about how we feel about our guys and our team!"
Karen says, "Barry, you are right on with the superstitions. We try to make sure what we wear is something we have worn when the team won a game. We wear the same shoes and eat at Whataburger before the game. I carry the same stuff in my car until the end of the season. Don't want to throw off the mojo! I even have a vinyl decal I bought two seasons ago. It's in my driver's side door pocket in my car. I can't apply it because we have been winning championships since it has been in that pocket. Don't mess with what works!"
Anonymous says, "Barry, I got my hair cut before the last home games and people were telling me to leave, they said short hair was bad luck. They may be on to something, two losses with short hair."
Allen Fan says, "I'm not superstitious because it would be bad luck."
DID YOU KNOW: Average attendance for the ECHL playoffs thus far is 3770 but the variance from team to team is very large. Here is the average playoff attendance for the eight teams remaining in the playoffs. Western Conference teams are drawing much better than the Eastern Conference teams.
6937 - Toledo
5902 - Fort Wayne
5289 - Colorado
4670 - Allen
3165 - Manchester
3132 - Florida
2717 - South Carolina
2486 - Brampton
- A more positive stat from Who Wins is in NHL second round games when a team has a 2-0 series lead and started the playoffs on the road they win game three at home only 52% of the time. As bleak as being down 3-0 in the series would be, if Allen wins tonight they are right back in the series. The road has been good for both teams in the playoffs. Allen and Colorado have a combined record of 8-0-0 on the road but just 2-4 at home.
- It will be interesting to see how coach Martinson approaches the lineup tonight. With Bryan Moore returning from a four game suspension you would assume he will be reunited on a line with Zach Hall. The question is who will be the third forward on that line. It could be Alex Krushelnyski or Gary Steffes or Dyson Stevenson or Tanner Eberle. The top two lines of Hanson, Asuchak, Costello and MacLeod, Brittain, Barnes have stayed pretty much intact. Under normal circumstances only 10 forwards would be in the lineup so two of the names above would be healthy scratches. Another option for coach Martinson, which he has used in the past, is to dress 11 forwards and only five defensemen and have Dyson Stevenson help out on defense when necessary. With 22 players on the roster the one fact that is known is four players will be sitting out tonight.
- Here is a comparison between Allen and Colorado looking at the playoff stats:
ALLEN COLORADO
Playoff Record 4-3-0 6-1-0
Home Record 1-3-0 1-1-0
Road Record 3-0-0 5-0-0
Goals For 21 29
Goals Against 19 18
Power Play 23.3% (7/30) 25.0% (7/28)
Penalty Kill 88.9% (4/36) 79.3% (6/29)
Most PIM's Moore (15) Belzile (10)
Leading Scorer Hanson (3-5-8) Belzile (8-6-14)
Costello (0-7-7) Register (4-6-10)
- Here is how Allen and Colorado rank in some statistical categories among the eight teams remaining in the playoffs:
Penalty Minutes Per Game: Allen 4th (13.29) - Colorado 7th (10.14)
Goals Scored Per Game: Allen 6th (3.00) - Colorado 1st (4.14)
Goals Allowed per Game: Allen 6th (2.71) - Colorado 4th (2.57)
Power Play Percentage: Allen 4th (23.3%) - Colorado 3rd (25.0%)
Penalty Kill Percentage: Allen 3rd (88.9%) - Colorado 8th (79.3%)
- The special team stats above are misleading because Allen was great on the power play in the first round against Utah (30%) but in the two games against Colorado are just 1-10 (10%). If Allen is going to win tonight the power play will have to score.
- The team that scored first won games one and two in this series and I don't see that changing in game three. The first goal will be critical tonight. A reminder Allen and Colorado have a combined record of 81-4-2-2 when scoring first this season. Just looking at the playoffs they are a combined 8-0 when scoring first.
- This game will come down to which team has the greater will to win. It comes down to will not skill. These are two very talented teams so you can look for who works the hardest, who wins the battles for the puck and who wants it more. If Allen plays up to their potential they will win tonight.
- Officials scheduled for the game tonight are referees Andy Howard (#2) and Andrew Wilk (#24) and linesmen Erik Contino (#89) and Robert Keltie (#83).
OTHER COMMENTS
- Here is a article written by Chris Tiller of the local paper in Colorado that talks about the familiarity between the Americans and Eagles who were once friends and are now foes. http://www.reporterherald.com/sports/ci_30961487/chad-costello-highlights-player-turnover-rosters-colorado-eagles
- Mary Betz and Ted Hosterman along with a group of friends are in Colorado for the road games the next two nights. Ted & Mary do the blog when I go on vacation and have agreed to do a road trip diary the next two days. Should be interesting to get their perspective.
- The San Jose Barracuda won last night to advance to the second round of the AHL playoffs. There was plenty of drama in the winner take all fifth game of the series against Stockton. The game went to overtime and the Barracuda scored shorthanded for the game winner. Final score was 2-1. San Jose will now play San Diego in the Division finals. Here are the details. http://www.csnbayarea.com/sharks/barracuda-advance-second-round-thrilling-fashion
- There was only one ECHL playoff game last night and that saw the Manchester Monarchs beat the Brampton Beast 6-1. Manchester, who is the #4 seed in the North Division has a 3-1 series lead with a chance to close it out at home tonight. The Monarchs beat #1 seed Adirondack in the first round and is now one win away from reaching the Eastern Conference finals.
- It is a full slate of ECHL playoff games tonight. Brampton is at Manchester (Manchester leads series 3-1). Florida is at South Carolina (South Carolina leads the series 2-1). Toledo is at Fort Wayne (Toledo leads the series 2-0). Allen is at Colorado (Colorado leads the series 2-0).
- Here is the updated playoff bracket courtesy of Robert Ciccotelli of the Americans front office. The best bracket graphic I have seen.
- I had a reality check in the responses I received after the blog post the last couple of days. On Monday I wrote about the conflict I was experiencing between the optimistic and pessimistic thoughts I was having about this series against Colorado. Yesterday it was about fan and player superstitions. The reality check for me was a reminder that regardless of how the series with Colorado turns out, the fans of the Allen Americans love this team and the young men that go out of their way to be accessible. I was also reminded of what a great group of dedicated fans or more appropriately what a great family makes up the Allen fan base. I wanted to share a few responses that make the point very well.
Danielle says, "Our four and seven year old's do lend a different perspective as they seem to have lost interest in the game but are significantly more upset by the thought of not getting to talk to their "buddies" (the players) until the fall. They were spoiled by the amazing kindness and warm reception from the players on the concourse over the last few weeks. So while the season may not end up as we planned, for theses kiddos, it will always be special because of these great young men."
Wendy says, "Win or lose we have an awesome group of guys who not only play great entertaining hockey but who we have the privilege of getting to know as more than just hockey players. The hockey family in Allen is like no other. Yes, we are spoiled, no team, no matter how great can win every year. No coach, no matter how great can win every championship. So win or lose we will be proud of these young men, proud of the people they are, proud of the season they gave us and blessed to have them in Allen. Would we like to comeback - you bet. Do we believe the boys can comeback - absolutely. But if this isn't our year it changes nothing about how we feel about our guys and our team!"
Karen says, "Barry, you are right on with the superstitions. We try to make sure what we wear is something we have worn when the team won a game. We wear the same shoes and eat at Whataburger before the game. I carry the same stuff in my car until the end of the season. Don't want to throw off the mojo! I even have a vinyl decal I bought two seasons ago. It's in my driver's side door pocket in my car. I can't apply it because we have been winning championships since it has been in that pocket. Don't mess with what works!"
Anonymous says, "Barry, I got my hair cut before the last home games and people were telling me to leave, they said short hair was bad luck. They may be on to something, two losses with short hair."
Allen Fan says, "I'm not superstitious because it would be bad luck."
DID YOU KNOW: Average attendance for the ECHL playoffs thus far is 3770 but the variance from team to team is very large. Here is the average playoff attendance for the eight teams remaining in the playoffs. Western Conference teams are drawing much better than the Eastern Conference teams.
6937 - Toledo
5902 - Fort Wayne
5289 - Colorado
4670 - Allen
3165 - Manchester
3132 - Florida
2717 - South Carolina
2486 - Brampton
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