Allen vs Rapid City Preview, Conner Bleackley Traded, Will Lochead Loaned, Forward Brett Neumann and Defenseman Darian Skeoch Added and More

 

Given the number of times the Allen Americans have played four games in five days or three games in three days in this crazy season they have a light week coming up with three games in four days in Rapid City. The Americans will play tonight, Friday and Saturday with all games starting at 8:05 pm CDT.

 

- There was a lot of roster movement yesterday starting with the loan of defenseman Will Lochead to the Cleveland Monsters (AHL). Allen was already short defenseman which was made worse when Les Lancaster was injured on Sunday. Steve Martinson has always supported players being loaned to the AHL even though in this case it meant Allen was down to four healthy defensemen. Martinson has been trying to add defensemen but the need became critical with Lochead loaned to Cleveland. Martinson traded Conner Bleackley, the rights to Kayle Doetzel and future considerations for rookie defenseman Darian Skeoch.

 

- In a separate transaction, rookie forward Brett Neumann was assigned to Allen by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL). 

 

- When I talked to coach Martinson this morning he was unsure if Les Lancaster would play tonight. It will be a game time decision. Defenseman Darian Skeoch will not arrive in Rapid City until late tonight so will not play. Brett Neumann is with the team and will be in the lineup. What this all means is you could see a forward playing defense tonight. Frank Marotte is expected to get the start in goal.

 

- Martinson has also come to terms with another defenseman who should arrive in Allen around the 25th. He is described as a punishing physical defender with some offensive skill who was the captain of his team in the past. Martinson is also expecting another player being added to the roster this week. Stay tuned.

 

- There has been a lot of roster changes so here is an update. Rookies are marked with an asterisk.  The current Allen roster includes three goalies, eight defensemen and 14 forwards. If you look at players on the trip to Rapid City there are two goalies, six defensemen and 12 forwards. Dyson Stevenson and Kameron Kielly are the forwards not with the team.

Goalies 

#31 - Frank Marotte*

#34 - Jake Paterson

#39 - Justin Kapelmaster* (injured)

 

Defensemen 

#5 - Phil Beaulieu*

#14 - Les Lancaster 

#20 - Ben Carroll*

#21 - Dominic Cormier*

#25 - Nolan Kneen* (injured reserve)

#43 - Matt Register

#47 - Will Lochead (loaned to AHL)

#?? - Darian Skeoch*

Forwards

#8 - Steve Owre* 

#11 - Kameron Kielly*

#15 - Corey Mackin

#17 - Colby McAuley

#19 - Chad Butcher 

#26 - Spencer Asuchak    

#27 - Sam Laberge

#28 - Tim Doherty*

#29 - Josh Maser*

#40 - Josh Lammon

#44 - Zane Franklin*

#71 - Dyson Stevenson (injured reserve)

#77 - Scott Conway

#?? - Brett Neumann* 

- The game tonight will be the ninth of 16 times Allen plays Rapid City this season. In the eight games these teams have played Allen's record is 5-3. The record in Allen is 3-2 and in Rapid City the Americans record is 2-1. Over the last five seasons Allen's record in Rapid City is 11-4-0-0.

- Allen has an edge in almost every statistical category but the most important thing to remember is Rapid City beat the Americans twice in Allen by scores of 6-4 and 5-2,  just two weeks ago. 

- Allen has the edge over Rapid City in average goals scored per game (3.4 vs 2.9), average goals allowed (2.8 vs 3.2), average shots for (32.4 vs 30.9) and average shots allowed (32.5 vs 33.9). Allen's goal differential (goals for minus goals against) is +26 and Rapid City's goal differential is -14.

- Head to head totals in the eight games these teams have played show Allen leading in goals 29-24 and shots 276-232. Head to head the power play advantage also goes to Allen. The Americans are 4-31 (12.9%) against Rapid City which isn't great but Rapid City has just one power play goal against Allen all season. The Rush scored a power play goal in game one on December 18 and haven't scored again. They haven't scored a power play goal against Allen in the last seven games and are 1-29 (3.4%) in the eight games these teams have played. 

- Even though these teams just played three games against each other at the end of March the Americans are a much different team. Allen has added more speed, skill and puck carrying ability with the addition of Chad Butcher, Steve Owre and Brett Neumann. Jake Paterson is also back after a stint on the IR. Allen enters this series on a four game winning streak and a six game point streak.

- Allen has scored first in 61% of its games which is the best percentage in the ECHL. Rapid City has scored first in 43% of its games the second worst percentage in the league. Allen's record when scoring first is 21-5-1-0 which converts to a point percentage of .796. Rapid City's record when scoring first is 14-4-2-0 which converts to a point percentage of .750. A good start tonight is key for both teams.

- Shorthanded goals aren't a factor very often but it should be noted Rapid City has given up more shorthanded goals (10) than any other team in the league. Allen is ranked #3 allowing just three shorthanded goal. The Americans have scored six shorthanded goals this season with four of them coming against Rapid City. 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Here is the Allen Americans press release on the roster changes yesterday: https://allenamericans.com/news/general/americans-trade-for-defenseman-darian-skeoch-from-indy/

 

- Corey Mackin was selected as the ECHL Player of the Week yesterday. Here is the ECHL press release on Corey's selection: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2021/4/allen-mackin-named-inglasco-echl-player-of-the-week

 

- There are five games on tap in the ECHL tonight. In addition to Allen at Rapid City the only other Western Conference teams in action are Kansas City at Utah. Here is the ECHL Today with a preview on all of the games: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2021/4/echl-today-april-14   

DID YOU KNOW:  Looked at shutouts for ECHL Stats this morning. A couple of Allen Americans on the all time list:

Team defense and goalie play improves as the season progresses based on the number of shutouts by month this season:

1 - December

8 - January

9 - February

17 - March

 

- There have been six shutouts in the first 11 days of April including four this past weekend. 

 

- Ryan Bednard (Greenville) leads the ECHL with three shutouts.

 

- Here are the all time leaders in shutouts in a single season:

8 - Laurent Brossoit (Alaska/Bakersfield, 2013-14)

8- Ryan Zapolski (South Carolina, 2012-13)

8- Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (Alaska, 2008-09)

7 - Parker Milner (South Carolina, 2019-20)

7- Jake Paterson (Toledo, 2016-17)

7- Riley Gill (Allen, 2016-17)

7- Jeff Jakaitis (South Carolina, 2014-15)

7- Frederic Cloutier (Louisiana, 2001-02)

7- David Brumby (Jackson, 1999-2000)

7- Maxime Gingras (Richmond, 1998-99)

 

    

Getaway Day, Roster Update, Paterson's ECHL Save of the Week, Allen's Five Year Road Record by Team and More

 

It is getaway day for the Allen Americans as they head to Rapid City for the only three road games between March 22 and May 11. The Americans will have a lite workout this morning and have a flight to Rapid City this evening. Gone are the 1100 mile, 20+ hour bus trips to South Dakota on Big Red.

 

 - Forward Frank DiChiara was traded to Greenville yesterday for future considerations. Coach Martinson is still talking to teams about additional trades and agents about college players just turning pro. Martinson will not have anything done before the game in Rapid City tomorrow night. The good news is Les Lancaster will make the trip to Rapid City but when he might be able to play is undecided. Dyson Stevenson will not make the trip with the team but could be available for the Utah series starting April 23. 

 

- Coach Martinson has been talking to several AHL teams about getting players assigned to Allen in time to qualify for the playoffs. The rule requires them to play five regular season ECHL games and the five games must be completed before the AHL season ends on May 16. I wouldn't be surprised if Allen gets a player or two assigned this week.  

 

- This has been a strange season at all levels of hockey with the pandemic. There has been fewer college players turning pro because most college conferences gave players an extra year of eligibility and some have opted to stay in college one more season. 

 

- Thanks to everyone who reminded me that Jake Paterson's amazing save in the Kansas City series was voted the ECHL save of the week. If you haven't had a chance to see it, here is a link with the top three saves of the week: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2021/4/echl-saves-of-the-week-apr-5-11  

 

- Today is a good time to say I am always looking for pertinent content for the blog and my ECHL Stats page. If you see a story, article, social media post, stats or anything else you think other Allen or ECHL fans would enjoy please send it along to me by whatever means you can. Thanks! 

- I will have a complete game preview tomorrow but the upcoming series between Allen and Rapid City is vitally important to both teams. Rapid City is fighting to get in the playoffs. While the Rush have been in last place most of the season they have been playing better hockey for over a month. In the last 15 games Rapid City has a record of 10-3-1-1 and have moved into fifth place in the conference within striking distance of fourth place Utah. Allen is in a battle with Wichita and Fort Wayne for first place in the conference. If the Americans win or lose in overtime tomorrow night they will take over sole possession of first place in the Western Conference. 

- Don't forget Rapid City spoiled the first series of the Americans long homestand when they came to Allen and won two of three games. The two wins were by a score of 5-2 and 6-4. Allen will have its work cut out in the three games in Rapid City.

 

DID YOU KNOW: Allen has always been a good road team. Here is Allen's five year road record against their conference rivals. Keep in mind these records include the 2018-19 season when Allen had the worst record in the ECHL which included a road record of 10-21-3-2. Allen has lost 51 road games in the last five seasons, 26 of the losses came in the 2018-19 season.

11-4-0-0: Rapid City

11-6-0-1: Utah

16-8-3-2: Wichita

17-13-1-0: Tulsa

10-12-1-0: Kansas City

65-43-5-3: TOTAL

Allen Sweeps Kansas City, Lancaster Injured, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson's Comments and ECHL Stats on Scoring First

 

The Allen Americans finished their four game series against the Kansas City Mavericks on Sunday afternoon with a come from behind 4-3 victory before a crowd of 1561 at the Allen Event Center (AEC). The sweep is the first time in team history Allen has won a four game series at home. The Americans have earned 13 of a possible 14 points in April and find themselves tied for first place in the Western Conference.

 

- It didn't look good for the Americans yesterday. After a scoreless first period Allen fell behind 3-1 by the midpoint of the second period and it looked like the grind of four games in five days was taking a toll. However, just as they did in game one of the series they mounted a comeback. Two goals late in the second period, one by Les Lancaster and one by Spencer Asuchak with 19 seconds remaining tied the score 3-3 at the second intermission.

- Allen finished the comeback with the only goal of the third period when a shot from the top of the faceoff circle by Matt Register deflected off Corey Mackin into the net at the 12:02 mark. 

 

- Kansas City had trouble pulling the goalie because Allen kept the puck in the offensive zone most of the last two minutes in the game. When the Mavericks were finally able to get an extra attacker on the ice with 32 seconds remaining, Allen was able to withstand the pressure.

- Jake Paterson stopped 28 of 31 shots to improve his record to 8-2-1-0. His save percentage is .928. Jake has now played 669 minutes and needs 840 minutes played to qualify for the official ECHL stats. If he was qualified his .928 save percentage would rank him #1 in the league. FYI, Frank Marotte's save percentage is .918 and Justin Kapelmaster's is .912, so the Americans have a great trio of goalies. 

- Goal scorers in the Sunday matinee were Spencer Asuchak (9,10), Les Lancaster (13) and Corey Mackin (19). Here are the video highlights from the Allen Americans YouTube channel: 

Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/general/americans-sweep-kc-take-over-top-spot-in-the-west/

 

- The big concern for the Americans now is the status of Les Lancaster who was injured shortly after his goal to cut the score to 3-2 late in the second period. I watched the replay several times of when Lancaster was injured and it is clear he was cross checked in the side/back area just above the pants where there is no protection. He immediately crumbled to the ice in pain. Players know the vulnerable spots and it makes you wonder if there was an intent to injury on the play. No penalty was called so it is unlikely the play will be reviewed by the league. Coach Martinson told me Lancaster is day to day so that says to me he could be back soon. 

 

- Coach Martinson also said this about Lancaster's performance yesterday, "Les put everyone on his back when we were flat and trailing 3-1. He is the most valuable players (MVP) in the league hands down."

 

- The Americans will now get ready for their lone road trip among a bunch of home games between March 22 - May 11. The totals are 19 home games and three away games. The three away games are this week in Rapid City with games on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Allen started this long homestand losing two of three games to Rapid City so there is an an opportunity for payback this week. The team leaves tomorrow to fly to Rapid City.

 

- With Lancaster unlikely to play on Wednesday the Americans are down to just five healthy defensemen. The team has a surplus of forwards and Dyson Stevenson could return at any time. It makes sense Martinson has been on the phone trying to trade a forward for a defenseman for the upcoming road trip to Rapid City. As I have said before he has many other irons in the fire for big and small transactions to improve the roster but the need for a defenseman is now critical. 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- A big part of Allen's success this season has been the depth. Allen played four lines this past weekend and all four were capable of scoring. In Allen's last 10 wins (regulation and overtime) 10 different players have scored the game winning goal. Now that is depth. 

 

- As predicted the Western Conference standings were shaken up after Sunday action. Allen is now tied for first place and the three teams tied for last place have been separated. It seems like the three teams at the top are fighting for first place, the three teams at the bottom are trying to avoid last place and Utah isin the middle all by itself. Here are the standings:

.670 - Allen

.670 -Wichita

.667 - Fort Wayne

.543 - Utah

.511 - Rapid City

.500 - Tulsa

.489 -Kansas City

- Florida lost three straight games to Jacksonville over the weekend to see its point percentage drop to .688 which is still tops in the ECHL but not by much. The Western Conference now has the #2, #3 and #4 ranked teams in the ECHL in points percentage. 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Came across this stat while doing the ECHL Stats post this morning. Allen scores the first goal of the game more than any other team in the ECHL. 

Scoring the first goal of the game is a big advantage when you consider the team that scores first earns 75% of the points when scoring first. Here are the ECHL teams with the highest and lowest percentage of games they score first:

 

Highest Percentage (50% plus)

61% - Allen

60% - Florida

55% - Wichita

53% - Jacksonville

50% - Indy

50% - Tulsa

 

Lowest Percentage (below 50%)

41% - Orlando

43% - Utah

43% - Rapid City

44% - Wheeling

47% - South Carolina

48% - Fort Wayne

49% - Kansas City

49% - Greenville

 

 

Allen Wins and Goes for Sweep Today, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Game Four Preview and Spencer Asuchak's 300 Point Milestone Saga

 

The Allen Americans beat the Kansas City Mavericks 5-3 last night before a crowd of 1828 at the Allen Event Center. The Americans will go for a sweep of the four games series with the Mavericks this afternoon at 2:05 pm. 

 

- Allen has used a different path to victory in the first three games of the series. Game one was a 3-2 comeback win after trailing 2-0. Game two was the biggest power play production of the season (3-4) on the way to a 4-3 win. Game three last night saw Allen set season records for most shots in a period when they totaled 21 shots in the first period and most shots in a game with 49.

 

- Despite bombarding Kansas City with 21 first period shots and out shooting the Mavericks 21-10 the Americans only scored once due to great goaltending. The lone goal of the first period came late (18:22) when Corey Mackin deflected a pass from Samuel Laberge for his team leading 17th goal of the season. It is always a good sign when Allen scores first as its record is now 21-5-1-0. It is even a better sign when the Americans lead after the first period. Their record is now 15-0-2-1

 

- The teams traded goals back and forth in the second period with each scoring twice. Allen took a 3-2 lead into the second intermission which was another good sign. Allen's record when leading after the second period is now 20-1-1-0. 

- The Americans scored two goals early in the third period to put the game away and give themselves a chance for a sweep this afternoon. Allen has now won three straight games, they have won five of their last six and have points in six straight games. They also improved their home record to 14-3-2-1.

-  Goal scorers for Allen were Corey Mackin (17,18), Josh Maser (1), Colby McAuley (6) and Samuel Laberge (14). Here are the video highlights from the Allen Americans YouTube channel. 

- Here is the game recap issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/general/americans-win-third-straight-over-kansas-city/

 

- After the best power play performance of the season on Friday night when the Americans scored on three of four power play opportunities, last night Allen had its worst power play effort of the season. The American were 1-8 on the power play and gave up a shorthanded goal. It was just the third shorthanded goal Allen has allowed this season. Only two teams have allowed fewer than three shorthanded goals, Wichita and Kansas City have allowed two.

 

GAME FOUR PREVIEW

 - When I checked in with coach Martinson this morning he did not anticipate many changes in the lineup for the game this afternoon. He likes the way the team is playing and just hopes more shots aren't directed right at the goalie. Jake Paterson will get the start in goal for the Americans.

 

- It is a cliche to say the fourth game in five days against the same team will be a battle of will over skill. Both of these teams have to have very tired legs and a 2:05 pm start this afternoon doesn't help the rehydration and recuperation process. 

 

- As always a good start and special teams will play a big role in the game today. As a reminder the team that scored first has won six of the seven games between Allen and Kansas City this season. While Allen had a tough night last night going 1-8 the good news is the power play has improved. The Americans have scored at least one goal in seven of the last eight games. Puck movement and possession time has improved so more of the same should prove successful.

 

- In a four game series making adjustments is important and coach Martinson has talked about tweaking some things the last two games. It has certainly worked with the Americans generating a total of 85 shots in the last two wins. If that continues this afternoon it will be a good sign for the Americans.

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The Western Conference saw plenty of changes in the standings last night. Fort Wayne lost in regulation to Indy and dropped from first place to third place. There is now a three way tie for last place in the conference. Here are the standings;

.685 - Wichita

.663 - Allen

.654 - Fort Wayne

.533 - Utah

.500 - Rapid City

.500 - Kansas City

.500 - Tulsa

Look for more changes after games today as all seven teams are in action with Kansas City at Allen, Utah at Wichita, Rapid City at Tulsa and Indy at Fort Wayne. Every team but Utah could could move up or down in the standings based on how they play today.

 

- I know I keep saying this but coach Martinson has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to improve the lineup. The immediate need is adding a defensemen but with the trade deadline coming up (April 22) Martinson is also looking ahead to the playoffs. I just get the feeling some moves are close. It could be through trades, signing of college players or assignment of players from AHL teams but there is no doubt moves are on the horizon.

 

DID YOU KNOW: Spencer Asuchak was given an assist on Allen's third goal last night which was announced as his 300th point of his career. Unfortunately it was later taken away. I looked at the replay several times and it looks to me like it was the right call to give the goal to Colby McAuley and the assists to Phil Beaulieu and Matt Register. In my mind Asuchak has already reached the 300 point milestone if you count his professional career. If you just count his North American pro career he is at 299. You can't forget the one goal he scored when he played for a short time in the top league in Slovakia at the beginning of the 2017-18 season. Some other Asuchak trivia is related to his AHL career. Spencer has five AHL goals but a hat trick is included. It happened on December 2, 2015 and the headline read, Spencer Asuchak's hat trick powers Chicago Wolves past Manitoba Moose 8-2." There are not a lot of players that can claim an AHL hat trick in their career. Here is the breakdown of Spencer's pro career points.

233 points - ECHL

56 points - CHL

10 points - AHL

1 point - Slovakia     

300  TOTAL

Allen Extends Point Streak to Five Games and Steve Martinson Comments on His Future

 

It was a clash of rivals at the Allen Event Center (AEC) on a Friday night and they put on a great show. The physical play was evident from the opening puck drop to the final buzzer. Fans may have thought they were at rugby match with all the scrums after the whistle. When the dust settled Allen won an entertaining game 4-3 over the Kansas City Mavericks before a crowd of 1640. The Americans have now won the first two games of a four game series. The teams will meet again tonight (7:05 pm) and Sunday (2:05 pm) at the AEC.

 

- Goalie Jake Paterson, playing in his first game since March 13 when he was injured, stopped 35 of 38 Mavericks shots including several breakaways and got run over in the goal crease which resulted in a "charging the goaltender" penalty that ended up producing a power play goal.

 

- The game was a wild one with periods of wide open play that led to grade A chances for both teams, a bunch of times when the puck went off the goal post, fights, roughing penalties, post whistle scrums and plenty of chirping. The game even had an exciting ending when Kansas City closed the gap to 4-3 with less then three minutes left in the game and then tried to capitalize on Allen's second delay of game penalty for shooting the puck out of play with less than two minutes remaining. The Mavericks pulled the goalie but could not convert their 6-on-4 advantage.

 

- Allen scored the first goal of the game early in the first period (3:49) and improved its record when scoring first to 20-5-0-1. The team that has scored first has won five of the six games Allen and Kansas City have played this season. 

 

- Allen won the special teams battle in style. The Americans were 3-4 on the power play. It is the first time all season Allen has scored three power play goals. In the last six games the power play percentage is 27.6% (8-29) and the penalty kill percentage is 88.5% (3-26). 

 

- Goal scorers for Allen were Samuel Laberge (13), Les Lancaster (12), Spencer Asuchak (8) and Steve Owre (2). Here are the video highlights from the Allen Americans YouTube channel:

 

 - Here is the game recap form the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/general/americans-take-down-the-mavericks-4-3/

 

- Here is the game recap issued by Kansas City: https://www.kcmavericks.com/en/news/mavericks-defeated-by-allen-friday-night-4-3

 

- In addition to scoring his 12th goal of the season to lead all defensemen in the ECHL in goals scored by three, Les Lancaster also had two assists last night and now leads all ECHL defensemen in points with 34. I get asked all of the time why Les hasn't been given an opportunity in the AHL with the way he has played this season. My opinion is AHL teams are more interested in playing their draft picks to  develop them in this shortened pandemic season. Winning is not important and right now college players are being added to AHL teams for the last few weeks of the season. If anything you will see depth players being assigned to ECHL teams as more draft choices and prospects are signed and report to AHL teams. If this was a normal season players like Lancaster and Samuel Laberge would be playing in the AHL based on what they have done in Allen. 

GAME THREE PREVIEW

- Allen has won the first two games of the four game series with Kansas City in much different ways. In game one Allen battled back after giving up the first goal and falling behind 2-0, didn't have a power play goal and allowed a power play goal. Last night Allen scored the first goal early and had its best power play night of the season scoring three goals. Allen needs to continue the formula that was successful last night.

- Here is the latest from coach Martinson on the game tonight. There will be lineup changes starting with Frank Marotte getting the start in goal. Jake Paterson hasn't played a game in almost a month so it would be unfair to ask him to play back to back games after what he went through last night. One or two of the players that were healthy scratches last night will be in the lineup tonight. Martinson needs to check to see how everyone is this morning before making a final decision.

- If you heard Martinson's pregame interview last night he was talking about some adjustments he was planning from game one to game two. Nothing too structured but with so many new forwards playing with different lines Martinson wanted to make sure players could get to spots where they were open. When I talked to Martinson this morning he was pleased with the adjustments even though Allen scored only one even strength goal. The Americans hit several posts and had numerous 2-on-1 chances.

- Martinson also noted Kansas City was playing three lines much of the time while the Americans were going with four lines. Over a long series that should work to Allen's advantage. Martinson also mentioned the team has done a good job of getting the puck in deep and using their physicality against the Kansas City defensemen. To quote Martinson, "The opposing defensemen know they are going to get hit and they know there are six more periods of that coming."

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Allen has now won four of its last five games and the lone loss was a shootout loss. The Americans have earned nine of a possible 10 points since April 1. The top three teams in the Western Conference (Fort Wayne, Wichita, Allen) won last night so Allen remains in third place but improved its winning percentage to .655. 

 

- Here is the ECHL Today with a preview of all seven games on tap in the ECHL tonight: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2021/4/echl-today-april-10  

 

MARTINSON COMMENTS

- I talk to Steve Martinson everyday and he has made it clear how important the month of April is for the team with a lot of moving parts. He feels the team can catch Wichita and Fort Wayne and 12 home games this month is the time to make the move. In addition to all that is happening on the ice, Martinson the general manager is working to improve the roster for the home stretch and playoffs. This is where I always say Martinson is playing chess when many are playing checkers. His 26 years of  experience in AA hockey makes him uniquely qualified for the job. 

 

- I knew this day was coming but was surprised this morning when talking to coach Martinson about all of the moving parts involving the team he shared the moving parts as it relates to him personally. I have written many times in the blog that the reigning ECHL General Manager of the Year was on the last year of his contract which expires July 1. It is hard to understand why Martinson has not been given a contract extension but it is what it is. Here is what Martinson shared with me this morning:

"I don't want to be wondering in July what I am doing. Right now I want to climb the standings and have other organizations take notice of the entertaining brand of hockey we are playing."

"If I am going to leave next season is probably the best time to do it with 13 teams on the sidelines watching."

 

- I have written this blog since Steve Martinson's first season (2012-13). I have interacted with fans, players and the front office for nine years. I know Martinson's impact on the success of the franchise is immeasurable. The impact on the franchise if he leaves is also immeasurable. Hopefully he will be given another contract with the Allen Americans but as each week passes the likelihood of that happening diminishes. I know with season ticket renewals in full swing many fans are waiting to see if Martinson is re-signed to make that commitment. Let's hope for the best!              

Allen vs Kansas City Preview, Jake Paterson Returns, ECHL Average Players Used Per Team Highest in Five Years and More

 

Get ready for a lot of hockey as the Americans play Kansas City at the Allen Event Center (AEC) the next three days. Tonight will be game two of the four game series against the Mavericks. Allen won game one on Wednesday 3-2.

 

- Playing four games in five days is tough, playing three games in three days is tough but the next three days is even more of a challenge. With a 2:05 pm start on Sunday it means just 43 hours between the start of game one to the start of game three. It means returning to the AEC 14 hours after the end of the game on Saturday to get ready for the Sunday game. The ECHL schedule is not player friendly in most seasons but this season is ridiculous with the number of times the schedule calls for three games in three days and four games in five days. I doubt there is any player not suffering from some ailment and finding a healthy groin muscle on the team is almost impossible. Team trainer Jordan Dutton is earning his keep this season for sure. 

 

- With three games in a short period of time coach Martinson will be able to use all 14 healthy forwards on the roster to keep some fresh legs in the lineup. That is unless he has made a trade for a defenseman. Allen has just six healthy defensemen so no rest for them this weekend.  

 

- The game tonight will see the return of goalie Jake Paterson who will be starting his first game since being injured on March 13. Paterson has a record of 6-2-1-0 with two shutouts since joining the Americans at the end of January. He hasn't played enough minutes to be qualified for official stats. Jake has played 549 minutes and needs 780 minutes to be qualified. If he was qualified his .931 save percentage would be ranked #1 in the ECHL. 

 

- Allen won on Wednesday with good team defense and goaltending but there is certainly room for improvement. The Americans won the game despite giving up the first two goals of the game to Kansas City. You don't win very often in the ECHL after getting behind 2-0. In the five games against the Mavericks this season the team that scored first won four of them. A good start by Allen tonight is imperative.

 

- Allen also lost the special teams battle on Wednesday. The Americans were scoreless on the power play (0-3) while Kansas City was 1-4. To be fair Allen scored the game winning goal seven seconds after a Mavericks penalty expired and the player was just getting back into the play. Allen's special teams have been improving and that needs to continue tonight. In the last five games the power play percentage is 20.0% (5-25) and the penalty kill percentage is 90.9% (2-22). The penalty kill unit also had a shorthanded goal (Mackin). A big key tonight will be to win the special teams battle.

 

- Les Lancaster with five points and Zane Franklin with four points have been the most productive players against Kansas City this season. Chad Butcher had two goals on Wednesday and has stood out since joining the Americans. He looks like a point a game player going forward. 

 

- Allen's average attendance over its 18 home games is 1848 which ranks then 10th out of the 14 ECHL teams playing. The first three Friday night games drew 2032, 2259 and 2392 fans. The last two Fridays nights have drawn crowds 1891 and 1954. Tonight is Veteran's Night so hopefully attendance will be over 2000 once again.

 

- Steve Martinson's alma mater, St. Cloud State University, defeated Minnesota State last night to advance to its first national title game in school history. The team's coaching staff asked Martinson to talk to the team at the beginning of the season about what it takes to win a championship. With 10 championships as a coach and two as a player, Steve certainly knows what it takes to win a championship and how to communicate that to young players. St. Cloud State will play the University of Massachusetts in the title game Saturday night.   

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- It will be an action packed weekend in the ECHL with the possibility of a shake up in the Western Conference standings. Rapid City plays  Tulsa, Utah plays Wichita and Fort Wayne plays Indy. All seven teams could be in a different position both up or down by Sunday evening. As a reminder, here are the standings going into play tonight:

.670 - Wichita

.667 - Fort Wayne

.646 - Allen

.558 - Utah

.523 - Kansas City

.500 - Rapid City

.489 - Tulsa

 

DID YOU KNOW: Allen has used 45 players this season, 46 if you count one player that was signed but never played. Here is the ECHL Stats post from today that compares players used thus far this season to prior years. Bottom line is more players have already been used this season (average per team) than any of the four previous seasons:

With 40% of the ECHL season remaining, teams have already used more players in 2020-21 than in any of the past five seasons based on average players used per team. Here is a list with average players used per team. Total players used leaguewide is in parenthesis: 

 

39: 2020-21 (549)

26: 2019-20 (680)

37: 2018-19 (1000)

36: 2017-18 (980)

35: 2016-17 (958)

 

The average number of players used per team ranges from Indy who has used 48 players to 40 used by Rapid City. Fort Wayne has used 30 players but has only played 24 games.

 

 

A Comeback Win, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson's Comments, ECHL Shorthanded Goals Stats and More

 

Chad Butcher scored his second goal of the night with 1:49 left in the game off a perfect back door pass from Les Lancaster to lead Allen to a 3-2 comeback win last night over the Kansas City Mavericks. A Wednesday night crowd of 1891 watched the Americans fight back from an early 2-0 deficit to win the opening game of a four game series with the Mavericks.

 

- There was no scoring in the first period but plenty of excitement. As predicted the Americans had not forgotten that one of the Maverick's tough guys had jumped one of Allen's skill players the last time the Americans were in Kansas City. The long memory resulted in two fights by the midpoint of the first period. Allen out shot the Mavericks 14-8 in the first period but the game was scoreless at the first intermission.

 

- The tight game turned quickly as Kansas City scored twice in the middle of the second period in just 48 seconds. The first goal was scored on the power play and the second on a turnover off a clearing pass from behind the net. 

 

- Allen was able to cut the score to 2-1 at the 14:33 mark of the second period on a great individual effort by Chad Butcher. Chad won a puck battle along the wall, skated to the slot and put a wicked backhand top shelf past the Mavericks goalie. 

 

- Allen completed the comeback with two third period goals. The tying goal was scored by Zane Franklin after Tim Doherty made a great pass to Colby McAuley to send him in all alone on a breakaway. Colby was stopped but managed to pass the puck from behind the net to Franklin who used a backhand to bury the puck.

 

- The game winning goal came with under two minutes remaining in regulation time. An Allen power play had just expired when Lancaster made a sweet pass from the side boards to Butcher who was skating toward the net on the weak side. Two things to note when you watch the replay on this game winning goal. Notice the Kansas City player coming back into the play after his penalty expired couldn't quite get to Lancaster before he passed the puck. Also notice Butcher slapping his stick on the ice to show he was open. A nice play at both ends to complete the Allen comeback.

 

- Again the goal scorers for Allen were Chad Butcher (1,2) and Zane Franklin (5). Here are the video highlights from the Allen Americans YouTube channel with the goals and the fights:

 

 

- Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/general/americans-rally-back-to-beat-kansas-city-3-2/  

 

- I checked in with coach Martinson this morning and here are some of his comments:

 "Anytime you can come back from a 2-0 deficit is a good night."

"We are playing better team defense recently."

"The forwards are consistently coming back hard on defense."

 "I am still working on adding another defenseman, something could happen as soon as today." 

 

- Les Lancaster's assist on the game winning goal was his 20th of the season to go along with his league leading 11 goals among defensemen. Les has six points (2G,4A) in his last six games. His 31 points rank him #2 in points by defensemen just one behind the leader. 

 

- Goalie Francis "Frank" Marotte stopped 31 of 33 shots to improve his record to 3-1-0-1. Marotte's GAA is now 2.50 and his save percentage is .919. Frank gave up five goals in his lone regulation loss but in his other four starts he allowed just two goals in each game.  

- Two players that don't get enough credit, maybe because they rarely show up on the scoreboard, are defensemen Ben Carroll and Will Lochead. Blocking shots, killing penalties, dropping the gloves and putting their bodies on the line were keys to Allen's win last night. Both of these guys have improved as the season has progressed.

OTHER COMMENTS

- Was asked about suspensions for too many fights and how close is Zane Franklin to getting suspended? As a reminder the rule (23.7) states, "A player who incurs a total of 10 fighting major penalties shall be suspended automatically for the next league game of his team." For each subsequent fighting majors the player gets a one game suspension until they reach 14 when the suspension increases to two games for each fighting major. Franklin is in good shape as he has had five fighting majors thus far with 57% of the season completed. 

 

- The Western Conference standings have a different look with Wichita now in first place and Tulsa in last place. 

.670 - Wichita

.667 - Fort Wayne

.646 - Allen

.558 - Utah

.523 - Kansas City

.500 - Rapid City

.489 - Tulsa

 

DID YOU KNOW:   Here is my ECHL Stats post from today which shows Allen is one of the top ECHL teams in both shorthanded goals scored (#3) and shorthanded goals allowed (#1).

 

There have been 71 shorthanded goals scored in the ECHL this season. Here is the breakdown:

 

Most shorthanded goals scored:

 

12 - Florida

10 - Wheeling

6 - Allen

6 - Orlando

 

Most shorthanded goals allowed:

10 - South Carolina

9 - Florida

9 - Rapid City

 

Fewest shorthanded goals scored:

1 - Jacksonville

2 - Tulsa

3 - Indy

3 - Rapid City

 

Fewest shorthanded allowed:

2 - Allen

2 - Wichita

2 - Kansas City