Xavier Bernard Returns to Allen, The Week Ahead, A Look at Plus/Minus Stats, ECHL Shootout Stats, ECHL Longest Win Streaks and More

After a day off yesterday, the Allen Americans will be back at practice this morning as they prepare for two games this week in Idaho. I will attend practice and hopefully get an injury report. From what I understand there were no suspensions from Sunday, either to McAuley or on the hits to Butcher and Brown.

 

- It is a real scheduling oddity to play only two games in a week and to do that in back-to-back weeks is very rare. After this week Allen will play three or four games each week for the rest of the season which finishes on April 15.

 

- Allen got some good news yesterday as defenseman Xavier Bernard has been loaned to Allen by the Belleville Senators. Bernard was in Allen for 18 games between January 6 and February 15. A defensive defenseman, Bernard had eight points (0G, 8A) in his first stint in Allen. Despite playing only 18 games for the Americans he is second on the team in plus/minus (+4). In his 18 games with Allen, Bernard had a negative plus/minus just three times. Look for him to pair with Zach Massicotte.

 

- Speaking of plus/minus, it may be the most polarizing stat in hockey, especially now days with so many other analytics to look at. Here is a story from Mike Commito about the history and future of the stat. One quote in the story is from Brian Burke, "It's pretty simple. If your team stinks, so does your plus/minus. And it is compounded if you play against the opposition's top players."  This isn't a new story, but it is an in depth look at this antiquated stat, a great read: https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/just-doesnt-add-history-future-plus-minus/

 

- With all of the flaws with plus/minus it is still used in hockey. While the NHL did away with its award for the best plus/minus number each season many years ago, the ECHL still has the award. As a matter of fact, former Allen Americans player Matt Register is running away with the plus/minus race this season at +51. If Matt finishes this season that high, it would be the second best plus/minus in ECHL history.

 

- Here is the current team plus/minus for each team in the Mountain Division. Interestingly, only first place Idaho has a positive team plus/minus. 

• +427: Idaho
• -49: Kansas City
• -53: Rapid City
• -97: Allen
• -114: Wichita
• -129: Tulsa
• -198: Utah 

 

-  Mountain Division teams have between 16-18 games remaining, so every week is now critical. Here is the schedule this week by number of games being played. Any team that sweeps or gets swept (except Idaho) will likely move in the standings.

• 2 games: Allen at Idaho (Friday, Saturday)
• 2 games: Cincinnati at Tulsa (Friday, Saturday)
• 3 games: Kansas City at Utah (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
• 3 games: Wichita at Rapid City (Thursday, Friday, Saturday)

 

- I have mentioned a few times how historic this season is going to be from a goal scoring perspective. I am sure the team focus is on making the playoffs and making a deep run in the playoffs. With that said the Allen all-time single season goal scoring list is starting to be loaded up with players from 2022-23 and there 18 games yet to be played. By the end of the season Liam Finlay will also be on this list and the "Four Sure Gang" will all be at or near the top of the list. Here is an update of the all-time Allen goal scorers (30+ goals) for a single season:

  

• 44 goals - Gary Steffes (2014-15)
• 41 goals - Chad Costello (2014-15)
• 36 goals - Hank Crone (2022-23)
• 35 goals - Greger Hanson (2016-17)  
• 34 goals - Bruce Graham (2010-11)
• 34 goals - Nino Musitello (2010-11)
• 34 goals - Zach Pochiro (2018-19)
• 33 goals - Chad Costello (2016-17)
• 33 goals - Colton Yellow Horn (2010-11)
• 32 goals - Colton Hargrove (2022-23)
• 31 goals - Bruce Graham (2009-10)
• 30 goals - Corey Mackin (2020-21)
• 30 goals - Jack Combs (2022-23) 

 

-  The number of ECHL games requiring a shootout to decide the game has been drastically reduced since the league moved from five minute to seven-minute overtimes. You hear more and more chatter about the NHL moving to seven-minute overtimes. In the last year of five-minute overtime in the ECHL (2018-19) 39% of overtimes required shootouts. This season it is closer to 17%. Here are the shootout stats by number of shootouts by team. 

• 0 - Five teams (Utah, Newfoundland, Reading, Indy, Trois Riviéres) have yet to be in a shootout.
• 1 - Eight teams
• 2 - Seven teams
• 3 - Four teams
• 4 - Four teams (Savannah 3-1, Fort Wayne 2-2, Cincinnati 1-3, Florida 0-4)

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about the longest winning streaks in ECHL history. I am sure many will remember the year South Carolina set the all-time record of 23 games. The Americans beat the Stingrays in the 2015 Kelly Cup finals. It was Allen's first year in the ECHL.

Toledo currently has 13 straight wins to join the all time list. It is the longest win streak in the ECHL since 2017. Toledo will try to extend the streak tomorrow night in Wheeling. Here are the longest single season win streaks in ECHL history.

 

23 - South Carolina, 2015

17 - Colorado, 2017*

17 - Cincinnati, 2008*

15 - Victoria, 2009

14 - Missouri, 2015

14 - Louisiana, 2001

14 - Knoxville, 1994

13 - South Carolina, 2009

13 - Las Vegas, 2007

13 - Toledo, 2023

 

*Won Kelly Cup

 

 

Allen Sweeps Rapid City, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Injury Report, Possible Suspensions, Player of the Week, ECHL Streaks, Crone 36 Goals #3 All-time and More

 

The Allen Americans polished off a perfect weekend with a 7-5 win over the Rapid City Rush before a Sunday afternoon crowd of 3033 at the CUTX Event Center. It certainly wasn't a perfect game as the inconsistency that has plagued the team all season reared its ugly head again. However, the resiliency this team has shown time and time again since January delivered another victory.

 

- The score by period tells you all you need to know how the game played out. Allen won the first period 3-1, Rapid City won the second period 3-0 and Allen won the third period 4-1. The Americans got off to a great start with back-to-back power play goals by Colton Hargrove at the 1:29 and 4:32 mark of the first period. It was the first time in the last nine games Allen scored the first goal of the game. When Hank Crone extended Allen's lead to 3-0 at the 12:41 mark of the first period it looked like the game was going to be a blowout. In just over half of the first period the Americans had outshot the Rush 14-6 and took a 3-0 lead. 

 

-  Coach Costello describes how the team goes from its "A" game to its "C" game and that inconsistency took over at the end of the first period and into the second. After the Americans took the 3-0 lead (12:41) they had one shot the rest of the period. Rapid City started to take over the play and cut the score to 3-1 by the first intermission.

 

- The second period was a disaster for Allen. The Americans have been coming from behind in all of their recent wins with second period comebacks. Yesterday was just the opposite. Allen had a comfortable 3-1 lead and let Rapid City comeback and it happened quickly. Three unanswered goals in the first six minutes of the second period and Allen's 3-0 early lead had turned into a 4-3 deficit. The Rush took a 4-3 lead into the second intermission. Winning games when trailing after the second period is rare in the ECHL. Allen's record before last night when trailing after the second period was 3-22-0-0. Rapid City's record before last night when leading after the second period was 17-1-1-0.

 

- What makes the Allen team so special is an offense that is so potent the team never feels they can't comeback. It is the reason the team has a record of 19-8-0-0 (.704) since January 1st. It took 85 seconds into the third period for Allen to tie the score 4-4 on a Liam Finley goal and another three minutes to take the lead on Hank Crone's second goal of the game. Rapid City came back again on an offensive zone turnover by the Americans to tie the score 5-5. The game winner was scored by recently acquired Stefan Fournier off a scrum in front of the net. The referee reviewed the play for minutes before ruling it was a good goal. Mikael Robidoux scored an empty net goal to make the final score 7-5. 

 

- Goal scorers for Allen were Colton Hargrove (31,32), Hank Crone (35,36), Liam Finlay (27), Stefan Fournier (9) and Mikael Robidoux (7). Jack Combs had three assists. Grant Hebert, Hargrove and Crone had two assists.  Here are the video highlights with the Allen goals: https://www.echl.com/en/video/2023/3/rapid-city-rush-vs-allen-americans---mar-5-2023-kEzrnjwL

 

- Here is the game recap from the Rapid City Rush covering all 12 goals: https://www.rapidcityrush.com/en/news/2023/3/rush-drop-wild-one-in-allen-7-5

 

- The injury report from the game won't be known until today but Chad Butcher left the game and didn't return, and Aidan Brown was hit up high late in the game and was slow getting back to the bench. There wasn't a penalty called on either play but that doesn't prevent the league from reviewing them. 

 

- Colby McAuley was given a five-minute major penalty in the second period for cross-checking. Anytime you get a five-minute major for cross-checking it comes with an automatic game misconduct. There is no specific suspension that comes with this penalty, but it will be reviewed and could lead to a suspension at the "discretion of the Commissioner."

 

- After the game was over there was a scrum and Rapid City's Keegan Iverson was given a grade III physical abuse of official penalty. If that sticks it comes with a minimum three game suspension.   

 

- Allen has averaged over five goals per game over the last 17 games which is a testament to just how much offensive firepower there is on this team. On the flip side Allen is allowing too many goals if they expect to make the playoffs and have success. In the last 10 games the Americans have allowed five or more goals six times including eight goals twice. The top seven teams in the league (by points) have goals against averages that range from 2.15 to 2.95 per game. Allen is ranked #22 giving up an average of 3.70 goals per game. In the last 10 games that average is 4.7 goals per game. 

 

- Special teams continue to play a vital role in Allen's success. In the two wins over Rapid City the power play percentage was 50% (3-6) and the penalty kill percentage was 100% (0-8). The Allen season long power play percentage is up to 24.4% (ranked #2) and the penalty kill percentage is now at 81.9% (ranked #11). 

 

- ECHL Player of the Week honors typically go to players that have played three or even four games. Allen played only two games this week so it will be tough for Player of the Week, but no player had a better two games this week than Hank Crone's seven points (5G, 2A) and Colton Hargrove's seven points (2G, 5A). Two players averaging 3.5 points per game for the week is very impressive.

 

- Colton Hargrove's two goals last night get him back on his goal per game pace. Hargrove has 28 goals in the last 28 games dating back to December 31. 

 

- Next up for the Americans is a visit to Idaho where they will take on the league leading Steelheads (Friday and Saturday). Idaho's home record this season is 23-3-0-0 so it will be a big challenge for Allen. With Jared Bethune gone and Justin Young out injured and more injuries possible, coach Costello will be looking for players to add this week. Maybe Belleville can help out, but I would expect Costello will be casting a wide net to add to the roster before the weekend.

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The Mountain Division winners yesterday were Allen, Idaho and Utah. Tulsa, Kansas City Rapid City and Wichita lost. Kansas City lost to Idaho in overtime so did earn one point. When the dust settled after the games last night Allen was in third place just two points behind Kansas City. Here are the current standings by points percentage with points in parenthesis:

• .809 - Idaho (89 points)
• .536 - Kansas City (59 points)
• .528 - Allen (57 points)
• .509 - Wichita (57 points)
• .491 - Utah (53 points)
• .454 - Rapid City (49 points)
• .426 - Tulsa (46 points)

 

- The two hottest teams in the ECHL right now come from the Central Division. Toledo is on a 15-game point streak (14-0-0-1) and Cincinnati is on a 12-game streak (10-0-1-1). FYI, Allen has the longest streak in the Mountain Division (4-0-0-0). 

 

- Hank Crone's two goals last night give him 36 for the season with 18 games remaining. Hank is now #3 on the Allen Americans all-time list of goals in a season. He only has two of his coaches left to pass. Next up is Chad Costello (41 goals) and then Gary Steffes (44 goals). They both hit the 40-goal mark in 2014-15, Allen's first year in the ECHL.

 

DID YOU KNOW: Another list full of Allen Americans players:

 

 

2022-23 ECHL Player Streaks 

 

CURRENT STREAKS

Goals: 8 games - Hank Crone, Allen

Assists: 8 games - Jack Combs, Allen

Points: 19 games - Jack Combs, Allen

PIMS: 7 games - Lukas Craggs, Toledo 

 

SEASON STREAKS

Goals: 8 games - Hank Crone, Allen

Assists: 10 games - Josh Winquist, Fort Wayne

Points: 23 games - Colton Hargrove, Allen

PIMS: 11 games - Nico Blachman, Savannah

Another Allen Comeback Win Led by Crone Hat Trick, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Costello Comments, Rematch Preview. ECHL Projected Scoring Leaders and More

 

Led by a Hank Crone hat trick, the comeback kids struck again last night defeating the Rapid City Rush 3-2 before a crowd of 3825 at the CUTX Event Center. Allen has a 5-1 record over the last six games and gave up the first goal in all six. Even the lone loss had a big comeback as the Americans trailed 4-0 before scoring three goals in 90 seconds. An empty net goal ended the comeback. 

 

- Slow starts have been the hallmark lately, but strong second periods have also become a hallmark. The Americans have scored 51 goals this season in the first period. They have scored 70 second period goals, the third most in the league.  

 

- Last night Rapid City had no answer for Hank Crone. Rapid City took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission and without some stellar goaltending by Chase Perry the score could have been much worse. The Rush outshot the Americans 17-10 in the opening frame. It didn't take long to do what Allen has done so often lately, strike back after trailing in a game. Just 36 seconds into the second period Crone tied the score 1-1 and later in the period (15:27) he scored again to give Allen a 2-1 lead going into the third period.

 

- Taking leads into the third period is usually the golden ticket for ECHL teams as over 90% of the time a lead after the second period ends up in victory. Rapid City put a lot of pressure on the Americans. At one point in the period from 6:59 to 17:02 the Rush outshot Allen 10-1 and finally tied the score 2-2. Less than two minutes later (18:42) it was Hank Crone to the rescue again with his game winning hat trick goal to make the final score 3-2. 

 

- Rapid City pulled the goalie with 64 seconds remaining in the game. Allen had a great opportunity for an empty net goal, with a 3-on-1, but some unselfish passes ended up with a missed opportunity. Allen took a penalty with 5.6 seconds remaining. Rapid City won the draw and Mikael Robidoux made a great defensive play blocking a Rush shot as time expired.

 

- There were two referees for the game last night and for the most part they let the teams play. An unusually low total of 10 penalty minutes combined in the game. All were stick penalties including three for slashing and one each for high sticking and hooking. Allen was 1-2 on the power play and Rapid City was 0-3. If you are a betting person, bet the over if there will be more or less than 10 penalty minutes in the game this afternoon.

 

- Here are the game recaps from both teams:

Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/media/crone-and-perry-lead-the-americans-over-rapid-city/

Rapid City Rush: https://www.rapidcityrush.com/en/news/2023/3/rush-fall-short-in-allen-3-2

 

 - Crone's hat trick produced his 32, 33, and 34 goals of the season. Colton Hargrove assisted on all three goals. Crone now has a four-goal lead in the ECHL goal scoring race over his linemate Hargrove and teammate Combs. The trio remain the only 30 goal scorers in the league thus far. Here are the video highlights which only show the Allen goals:  https://www.echl.com/en/video/2023/3/rapid-city-rush-vs-allen-americans---mar-4-2023-dbxbij6A

 

 

CHAD COSTELLO COACH'S COMMENTS

"We are playing good hockey as we are fighting to meet our goals. It was a good win tonight. In the third period we gave up too many shots but mostly kept them to the outside."

"Rapid City keeps its game very simple. They dump the puck, and they work, and they work, and they work and are hard to play against."

"I told the guys before the game we are now in a 20-game sprint to the end of the regular season. We are off to a good start."

"I like when we hit. When Fournier, Robidoux, Hebert, Brown and our defensemen hit it seems to liven up our skill players. Hitting will always be a key to our game."

"I was actually not too mad after the poor start in the first period. Earlier in the year we would play bad and give up three goals and the game was over. Now we are learning how to manage the game when we are playing our "B" or "C" game until we find our "A" game. The team has done a good job of grasping the bend but don't break mentality."

 

SUNDAY REMATCH PREVIEW

- The lineup this afternoon should be the same as last night with the exception of Luke Peressini getting the start in goal.  

- Rapid City is playing without some key players this weekend. Here are the game notes the Rush issued yesterday before the game last night, but it will give you an update on where the team stands. https://www.rapidcityrush.com/en/news/2023/3/game-notes-3-4-at-allen 

 

- Despite the five comeback wins in the last six games after giving up the first goal, Allen needs to get a better start today. The Americans haven't scored the first goal in a game since the second game of the Fort Wayne series on February 10. That is eight straight games giving up the first goal. Time for a change today.

 

- Special teams are always a key and will likely be even more so this afternoon. In the last five games the Allen power play is 8-22 (36.4%). All Allen needs is more of the same against Rapid City today.

 

- It will be back to a one referee system for the game today. Michael Zyla (#34), who was one of the two referees last night, is scheduled today.   

 

OTHER COMMENTS

 

- Crone's hat trick was the fifth for Allen this season. Liam Finlay and Colton Hargrove have each had two hat tricks. FYI, last season Allen had six hat tricks by five different players: Gavin Gould, Luke Henman, Chad Costello, Josh Winquist and Branden Troock (2).

 

- Allen's special teams continue to shine. The Americans power play percentage is up to 23.9% ranked #2 in the league. The penalty kill is up to 81.6% which is ranked #11. The combined PP and PK percentage has climbed to 105.5%. Anything above 105% is considered excellent special teams play.

 

- I had a lot of questions about what happened to Jared Bethune. There has been nothing official from the team, but my reporting is he will be playing in the SPHL. Because the overseas deadline has passed, and Allen has his ECHL rights that is the only other place he could sign at this point in the season. I am sure Jared was not happy with his playing time in Allen recently. He was mostly on the fourth line, killed penalties and had been healthy scratched sometimes. Bethune has ties to the SPHL and friends that play in that league, so going where he will get more ice time and can have a big impact could be a great choice for him. I know everyone in Allen wishes him the best of luck wherever he lands.  

 

- It was a great win for Allen last night which it needed to keep pace in the division. Kansas City had a big win against Idaho to take over second place. Utah and Wichita were idle. Here are the current standings by points with games remaining in parenthesis:

• 87 points - Idaho (18)
• 58 points - Kansas City (18)
• 57 points - Wichita (17)
• 55 points - Allen (19)
• 51 points - Utah (19)
• 49 points - Rapid City (19)
• 46 points - Tulsa (19)

 

- There are 10 games on tap this afternoon with all seven Mountain Division teams in action. In addition to Rapid City at Allen, Idaho is at Kansas City, Utah is at Wichita and Tulsa is at Kalamazoo. There will not be any big movement for Allen based on the results this afternoon. The Americans will move into third place with a win and a Wichita loss. If Allen loses to the Rush, they will retain the fourth-place position. FYI, Allen has the earliest Sunday start of any team in the league at 2:05 pm local time. The latest start time is in Toledo at 5:15 pm local time. My opinion is it would be better for the team if the Sunday start time would be moved back to 4:05 pm like it was in the past. Traveling back to Allen after an away Saturday night game for an early Sunday game is not in the best interest of the players. Here are the previews of all 10 games on the schedule today: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2023/3/echl-today-march-5 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here is the ECHL Stats post for today. It is pretty amazing what the Allen "Four Sure Gang" is accomplishing this season.

Last season Will Graber (Fort Wayne) was the ECHL points leader with 83 points. With less than 20 games remaining this season, seven players are projected to end the season with 83+ points, three with 90+ points and one with over 100 points. The last time an ECHL player scored over 100 points was in 2016-17 when Chad Costello scored 122 points for the Allen Americans.

PROJECTED POINTS

• 104: Hank Crone, Allen
• 98: Jack Combs, Allen
• 96: Zach O'Brien, Newfoundland
• 87: Alex Ierullo, Greenville
• 86: Colton Hargrove, Allen
• 83: Michal Stinil, Wichita
• 83: Liam Finlay, Allen

 

Allen vs Rapid City Preview, Mountain Division Tightens, Tonight's Lineup, Goalie Fight Video, Hockey IQ Video, NHL, AHL, ECHL Trade Deadlines and More

 

It is game day for the Allen Americans and the start of another important series, something I seem to say every week. The Americans will play the Rapid City Rush tonight (7:05 pm) and tomorrow afternoon (2:05 pm). The reason every weekend is so important is the Mountain Division is the tightest in the ECHL. Idaho beat Kansas City last night and now has a staggering 30 point lead in the division. However, after last night the rest of the field, from second to last place, is separated by just nine points. Utah beat Wichita 5-4 in overtime and Tulsa beat Kalamazoo 4-1 last night to tighten the standings even more. Here is the latest with points percentage in parenthesis:

• 87 points - Idaho (.821)
• 57 points - Wichita (.518)
• 56 points - Kansas City (.528)
• 53 points - Allen (.510)
• 51 points - Utah (.481)
• 49 points - Rapid City (.471)
• 46 points - Tulsa (.442)

 

- Who is hot and who is not? Here are the records over the last 10 games for the Mountain Division, from best to worst:

• 9-0-1-0: Idaho
• 6-4-0-0: Allen
• 5-3-2-0: Utah
• 5-4-1-0: Kansas City
• 4-6-0-0: Tulsa
• 4-6-0-0: Rapid City
• 1-7-2-0: Wichita

 

- You look at the points above and you can see how important the two games against Rapid City this weekend are for the Americans. They could be tied with Wichita (57 points) for second place with two wins or tied with Rapid City (51 points) for sixth place with two losses.

 

- If you look at season long stats Allen averages more goals per game than Rapid City (3.6 vs 3.3). However, if you look more recently, at the last 15 games, Allen has scored 77 goals which is an average 5.1 goals per game. Rapid City has scored 46 goals in its last 15 games, an average of 3.1 goals per game.

 

- Special teams are always key to any series and Allen has a clear advantage against Rapid City. Overall power play stats favor Allen, ranked #2 in the ECHL at 23.7% vs Rapid City, ranked #22 at 16.7%. On the penalty kill Allen is ranked #12 (81.3%) vs Rapid City ranked dead last in the ECHL at 74.4%.

 

- If you compare home vs road special team stats, Allen at home is 23.5% on the power play and 81.8% on the penalty kill. Rapid City on the road is 14.9% on the power play and 75.6% on the penalty kill.

 

- Neither of these teams have been in a lot of overtime games, Allen five and Rapid City seven, but both are great in extra time games. Allen is 3-1 in overtime and 1-0 in shootouts for a points percentage of .800. Rapid City is 5-1 in overtime and 1-0 in shootouts for a points percentage of .857. 

 

- Allen is 16-6-1-0 (.717) when scoring the first goal of the game, Rapid City is 17-9-1-0 (.648). When they don't score the first goal of the game Allen is 10-19-0-0 (.345) and Rapid City is 7-18-0-0 (.280). A huge benefit accrues to the team that scores first.

 

- The three keys if met will almost surely equal a win. Score first, win the special teams battle and outshoot Rapid City.

 

TONIGHT'S LINEUP

 FORWARDS

• 67 Crone-7 Hargrove-29 McAuley 
• 21 Combs-17 Butcher-15 Finlay 
• 44 Fournier-77 Hebert-32 Robidoux
•                                          25 Brown

 

DEFENSEMEN

• 4 Myllari-23 Saucerman 
• 49 Massicotte-24 Skelly
• 22 Gally-3 Gagnon 

 

GOALIES

• 35 Perry
• 31 Peressini  
  

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- A lot of streaks and scoring plateaus will be on the line tonight:

• Hank Crone has goals in six straight games.
• Jack Combs has points in 17 straight games and assists in six straights games.
• Jack Combs has points in 10 straight home games.
• Colton Hargrove has 26 goals in his last 26 games.
• Liam Finlay has had multiple points in eight of the last 10 games. 

 

- In 2014-15 Chad Costello set the Allen all-time record by scoring at least one point in 65 of 72 games (90.3%). In only seven games the entire season he was held without a point. With 20 games remaining the Americans "Four Sure Gang" has been held scoreless nine or 10 times thus far. 

 

- There are 12 games on the ECHL schedule tonight. Two of the idle teams are Utah and Wichita. They play again tomorrow in Wichita. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2023/3/echl-today-march-4

 

- A great example of hockey IQ is shown in this video featuring a Leon Draisaitl goal from last night.

 

 

 - Goalie Rémi Poirier as spent most of the season in Idaho where he leads the ECHL in GAA at 2.07 and has a record of 19-2-1-1. The Dallas Stars sixth round draft choice was recently recalled to the Texas Stars. He is 3-0 in three starts for Texas and last night added a goalie fight to go along with his 5-3 win over Milwaukee. Here are the game highlights. The fighting starts at the 4:15 mark and there are several views of the goalie fight. Poirier was fighting against Nashville's first round draft choice, Yaroslav Askarov.

 

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Reminder, Trade Deadline Dates:

 

NHL: The NHL trade deadline passed yesterday afternoon (3:00 pm ET) with about 20 trades on the final day and 60+ in the last two weeks.

 

AHL: The AHL trade deadline date is next Friday, March 10 at 3:00 pm ET.

 

ECHL: The ECHL trade deadline is Thursday, March 16 at 3:00 pm ET.

 

Several ECHL teams were impacted by the NHL deadline. Even more will be impacted by the AHL and ECHL trade deadlines over the next two weeks.

 

Best Friends Honored, Allen vs Rapid City Stats, NHL/AHL Trade Deadlines, 40+ Power Play Points Players and More

 

I wanted to start this morning by adding my congratulations to Hank Crone (ECHL Player of the Month) and Liam Finlay (ECHL Rookie of the Month) for being honored for their great play in the month of February. It is very rare two players from the same team get these honors. It is even more rare two players from the same household receive these honors. Liam and Hank are best friends who live in a house along with three other players. They are also roommates on the road. The have been best friends since they played together at the University of Denver in 2019-20. They were line mates in Denver playing a similar style of hockey. 

 

- After Hank signed in Allen this is how he described his pitch to Liam, "He was my best friend at Denver, and I talked to him this summer about playing together for a coach that values our type of game. I gave his name to Costello and told him I think Liam would be a no-brainer in this league to help us out. It has worked out pretty good so far."

 

- If you haven't seen the press releases, here they are:

Crone is Player of the Month:  https://www.echl.com/en/news/2023/3/allen-crone-named-warrior-hockey-echl-player-of-the-month

Finlay is Rookie of the Month: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2023/3/allen-finlay-named-howies-hockey-tape-echl-rookie-of-the-month

 

- Here is video from ECHL Week with comments from coach Costello, Hank Crone, Liam Finlay and Luke Peressini:

 

 

- I asked Hank about the two best friends both being recognized, and he said, "It's really cool to be recognized for any type of league award and the fact that we both got one at the same time was even cooler. We were great friends in Denver and that has continued in Allen. We decided to go to Uncle Julio's for lunch the day we found out. For us that was a big deal. haha"

 

- Coach Costello also shared his thoughts, "Liam and Hank have been great for us all year. Both of them are great players and great teammates. We are all very proud and happy for them."

 

- If the ECHL had an award for "Best Four Players of the Month" all four would come from the Allen Americans. It is worth revisiting what Crone, Finlay, Combs and Hargrove accomplished in the 12 games the team played in February.

• Jack Combs scored in all 12 games for a total of 21 points (8G, 13A)
• Colton Hargrove scored in 11 games for a total of 22 points (13G, 9A)
• Hank Crone scored in 11 games for a total of 24 points (11G, 13A)
• Liam Finlay scored in 11 games for a total of 21 points (8G, 13A)   
• You add it all together and the "Four Sure Gang" had a total of 88 points (40G, 48A) in the 12 games in February. That is a group average of 1.83 points per game. Allen scored a total of 63 goals in the month a February. These four players scored 64% of them (40).  

 

 

 - All four players did something unique and special in February:

• Hank Crone - Averaged 2.00 points per game.
• Colton Hargrove - Averaged 1.08 goals per game.
• Jack Combs - Scored in all 12 games.
• Liam Finlay - Scored three game winning goals to extend his record to seven game winning goals in Allen's last 13 wins (54%). 

 

- Any team would be thrilled to have even one player average 1.83 points per game, let alone four. This group of four players averaged 3.33 goals and 4.00 assists per game for the entire month of February. 

 

- I will have a complete preview tomorrow for the two-game series against Rapid City on Saturday and Sunday. Here are a few overview stats.   

Allen has lost eight straight home games against Rapid City which includes three playoff games. The last time Allen beat Rapid City at the CUTX Event Center was a 4-0 shutout on June 5, 2021.

If you look at the last five years between these teams Allen's record is 23-15-0-0. The record at home is 12-8-0-0 and in Rapid City is 11-7-0-0. 

Since the beginning of January Allen's record is 17-8-0-0 (.680). Rapid City's record since the beginning of January is 9-11-1-0 (.452)

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- If you track AHL transactions you noticed Belleville had a defensemen, Jacob Larsson, returned on loan from Ottawa yesterday. Xavier Bernard was recalled to Belleville from Allen on February 16 and has played in just one game. There are a lot of rosters changes taking place with the NHL trade deadline this afternoon and the AHL trade deadline next Friday. After it all shakes out, you wonder if Bernard is still with Belleville, and not playing, could he end up back in Allen. This is one of those wait and see transactions.

 

 - Allen and Rapid City are idle tonight but there are 11 games on the schedule. Five Mountain Division teams are in action. Utah is at Wichita, Idaho is at Kansas City and Tulsa visits Kalamazoo. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2023/3/echl-today-march-3  

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here is another stat where Chad Costello is dominant. 

In the last 15 years just eight times players have scored 40+ power play points in a single season. The last time was in 2016-17. Here are the eight times ECHL players have scored 40+ power play points in a single season since 2008-09:

 

49: Chad Costello, Allen, (2016-17)

48: Kevin Baker, Florida, (2008-09)

45: Ryan Gunderson, Trenton, (2008-09)

44: Chad Costello, Allen, (2014-15)

44: Tyler Donati, Elmira, (2009-10)

42: Mark Derlago, Idaho, (2010-11)

41: Ryan Kinasewich, Utah, (2009-10)

40: Chad Costello, Allen, (2015-16)

 

 

Practice Update, Weekend Matchups, Affiliate Playoff Chances, ECHL Scoring is Up, PIMS Leaders Since 2017-18 and More

 

It was back to practice for the Allen Americans yesterday as they get ready to take on the Rapid City Rush on Saturday (7:05 pm) and Sunday (2:05 pm). Rapid City's record over the last month is a dismal 4-9-0-0 (.308). The Rush have fallen to sixth place in the Mountain Division. Despite the record the Americans don't want to look past Rapid City to next week when Allen plays Idaho, the top team in the ECHL.

 

- Rapid City is a well-coached and a hard-working team that has given Allen fits at the CUTX Event Center. Looking at regular season games the Americans have lost five straight home games to the Rush including three straight earlier this season. You have to go back to the 2020-21 season the find the last time Allen won at home against Rapid City. In the opening round of the Kelly Cup playoffs last season Rapid City closed out the series (4-1) by beating Allen 5-1, 4-1 and 6-3 at the CUTX Event Center. You add it all together and Allen has lost eight straight at home against Rapid City. Getting four points this weekend against the Rush will not be easy.

 

- Justin Young was injured in the second game in Utah on Friday when he blocked a shot and missed the game on Saturday. Young did not practice yesterday and will likely not play against Rapid City, but could be available for the trip to Idaho next week. 

 

- The ECHL has started announcing its monthly awards. This morning it was announced Toledo's John Lethemon was named the Goalie of the Month for February. Have to believe with the stats the "Four Sure Gang" (Crone, Combs, Finlay, Hargrove) put up in February they have to be in contention for the monthly awards. 

 

- I mentioned yesterday that Kansas City is playing five games this week compared to two for Allen so the Americans could lose a lot of ground to the Mavericks. After beating Wichita at home 4-1 on Tuesday, Kansas City traveled to Iowa last night where they beat the Heartlanders 5-4 in overtime. The rest of the week will be tougher for the Mavericks as they will entertain Idaho at home on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

 

- With the win in Iowa last night Kansas City passed Wichita for second place in the Mountain Division. Both have 56 points, but Wichita has played two more games. Allen is in fourth place with 53 points. Adding more intrigue to the weekend is Wichita plays two games at home against Utah. If you want to play best case and worst case for Allen check this out:

• Best Case: Allen sweeps Rapid City, Utah Sweeps Wichita and Idaho sweeps Kansas City. The Americans end the weekend all alone in second place in the division with 57 points and a .528 points percentage.
• Worst Case: Rapid City sweeps Allen, Utah Sweeps Wichita and Kansas City sweeps Idaho. Allen ends the week nine points out of second place and in a tie with Rapid City and Utah for fourth, fifth and sixth place in the division with 53 points. Allen's points percentage would be back to .491.

 All Allen can do is take care of its business by getting four points against the Rush. If the Americans accomplish that they will be in no worse than the fourth-place and will likely gain ground on the teams ahead of them. 

 

- I get numerous questions about the possibility of Allen getting help from Belleville for the playoffs. There are a couple of factors that will impact how this plays out. First to be qualified for the ECHL playoffs an AHL contracted player must play a minimum of five ECHL regular season games. Defenseman Xavier Bernard (18 games) and goalie Kevin Mandolese (6 games) are the only players in Belleville currently qualified. Allen has 20 games remaining so still time to get more players qualified.

The second factor that has an impact is whether or not the affiliate makes the playoffs. Both Ottawa and Belleville are currently outside a playoff position but still hoping to make the playoffs.

 

- In the NHL the top three teams in each of four divisions make the playoffs. In addition, two wild card teams (by points) in each conference make the playoffs. Here are the current Eastern Conference wildcard standings. The top two teams make the playoffs.  

• 1. Islanders (70 points)
• 2. Penguins (69 points)
• -------------------------------
• 3. Sabres (66 points)
• 4. Panthers (66 points)
• 5. Capitols (66 points)
• 6. Senators (64 points)
• 7. Red Wings (64 points)

It looks like a steep uphill battle for Ottawa to get a wildcard spot, but it should be noted the Senators have the best last 10 game record (6-3-1-0) of all seven teams on the list. 

 

- The AHL playoff format has 23 of 32 teams making the playoffs so it is hard to be out of contention. In the seven team North Division, where Belleville plays, five teams will make the playoffs. Belleville is currently in last place, but with 18 games remaining there is still plenty of time to get the fifth and final playoff spot. Here are the current North Division standings by points and points percentage:

• .713 (77 points) - Toronto
• .567 (59 points) - Syracuse
• .557 (59 points) - Utica
• .549 (56 points) - Rochester
• .500 (53 points) - Laval
• .481 (50 points) - Cleveland
• .454 (49 points) - Belleville

You can see the standings are close, but it will be an uphill battle for Belleville. The Senators are currently five wins under .500 and both Ottawa and Belleville have been dealing with numerous injuries this season. The last I looked between the two teams they had nine goalies on their rosters. 

 

- If Allen makes the playoffs and its affiliate teams do not you have to expect the affiliates would like to see some of their young players get playoff experience in Allen. The question remains will they try to get any other players qualified for the ECHL playoffs. The answer to that question will likely depend on injuries and how close Belleville is to making the AHL playoffs. 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

-  The odd stat of the day. There were four games in the ECHL last night, three of them ended with a score of 5-3, the fourth was 5-4.  

 

- If it seems like scoring is up this season the facts bear that out. Average goals per game this season is at 6.53 with 25 % of the season remaining. It is the highest average in the last six seasons. The average since 2017-18 (excluding 2020-21 when only 14 teams played) was 6.36 ranging from 6.32 to 6.41. It may not sound like a big difference from 6.36 to 6.53, but the .17 goal per game difference over the course of the entire 2022-23 season would by an increase of 175 goals. 

 

- While the Mountain Division is the closest division in the ECHL with the exception of Idaho, the other divisions have some breathing room between the last playoff spot and fifth place. The difference between fourth place and the home ice advantage second place also varies widely.

North Division: Fourth place Worcester is 11 points ahead of fifth place Adirondack. The difference between second place (Maine) and fourth place is six points.

South Division: Fourth place Greenville has a five-point lead and two games in hand over fifth place Atlanta. The difference between second place (Florida) and fourth place is two points.

 

Central Division: Fourth place Fort Wayne has a five-point lead over fifth place Wheeling. The difference between second place (Cincinnati) and fourth place is 18 points. 

 

Mountain Division: Fourth place Allen has a three-point lead over fifth place Rapid City and Utah. The difference between second place and fourth place is three points.

 

 

 

- Last season just one ECHL team finished the regular season with a points percentage above .700, Toledo finished at .708. This season there is one team above .800 (Idaho, 817) and one team above .700 (Newfoundland, .708). The only other team close is Cincinnati at .698. Jacksonville and Toledo are next in line at .673. The odds of the Kelly Cup going to one of these five top teams is over 80% based on results since 2005. FYI, the three teams that won the Kelly Cup since 2005 and finished outside the top five in the regular season finished in sixth or seventh place. 

 

 

  

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about the active players with the most PIMS since 2017-18. The most PIMS by any Allen player since 2017-18 is Spencer Asuchak with 336 minutes.

 

 

Five active ECHL players (at some point in 2022-23) have more than 600 penalty minutes since 2017-18:

 

706 - Mike McKee, Tulsa

654 - James Melindy, Newfoundland

628 - *Travis Howe, Jacksonville

624 - **Arvin Atwal, Cincinnati

607 - Yannick Turcotte, Adirondack 

 

*Currently in AHL (San Diego)

**Signed in Europe in January

Revisiting a Chad Costello Story From the Past

 

With literally no news to report this morning other than Kansas City beat Wichita last night to vault passed Allen for third place in the Mountain Division, I decided to dive into the archives for a post from the past.

I came across this one about Chad Costello which was originally posted in 2018 for a series in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the Allen Americans franchise which I called "Where Are They Now." Coach Costello doesn't always appreciate when I post stories about player Costello because he wants all of the focus and attention on the current players. However, as I revisited this story it held my interest and reminded me what a special time it was for the Allen Americans and the Costello family for the three seasons from 2014-17.

Much has happened for the Costello family since this story was written in November, 2018. Most important was the addition of daughter Adelyn to the family in 2019. Chad played a second season in Krefeld, Germany and then moved to Stavanger, Norway where he suffered a season ending injury 11 games into the season. After rehabbing he returned to Allen last season and then became head coach and general manager in the off season. It has been quite a journey for the Costello's. Whether you are a long time Allen fan or recently started following the team, this story captures the essence of what Chad is all about and how important he has been and will be for the Allen franchise and the entire ECHL. The title of the story was, "Where Are They Now - Chad Costello, Plus the Case for Chad Being the #1 ECHL Player of All-Time." I hope you enjoy this story from the past.  

Costello Family 2022 Version:  Chad, Avery, Ashley, Adelyn, Cayne, Camden

November 26, 2018

Today we continue with the "Where Are They Now" series as we catch up with Chad Costello and family. When I agreed to do this series for the 10th anniversary of the franchise it was the Chad Costello story I was most looking forward to write. If you recall, last August the ECHL came out with their 30 greatest players in ECHL history and Chad was selected as #9 greatest player. It was a great honor and Chad was the only player in the top ten that isn't already in the ECHL Hall of Fame, but my thought was how could Costello be ranked so low given what he has accomplished. It wasn't an hour after the top ten list was revealed that I got a text message from Spencer Asuchak who had the exact same reaction as I did, "Barry, don't you think Costy should have been ranked higher? In this day and age what he accomplished will never be matched! Chad is as good as any player I have played with or against in any league. His hockey smarts are as high as they can be and not only that he is an amazing person off the ice too."


I told Spencer at some point this season I would make the case (from my perspective) why Chad Costello should be ranked as the #1 ECHL player of all time. Today is that day.


The story of Chad Costello and the Allen Americans began in the summer of 2014. Chad had played just 14 games in the 2013-14 season and his hockey future was in real doubt because of serious concussion issues he was dealing with. When Costello arrived at training camp, he was on a tryout contract because it was uncertain he would be able to play symptom free. Chad got through training camp just fine, signed a contract and began a three-year career in Allen that is the best three seasons in the history of the ECHL. Maybe the most amazing record and there are many is the fact that Chad went from a tryout contract because of health issues to not missing a single game regular season or playoffs for three straight seasons. That was 276 straight games and he played hurt for many of those games.


It is hard to know where to start when describing Chad Costello's impressive accomplishments with the Allen Americans. He was in Allen for three seasons, led the league in scoring each year and was selected as the ECHL MVP all three years (by the PHPA in 2015). He won two Kelly Cups, was the Kelly Cup MVP in 2016 and was a captain of the team his last two seasons.

Chad lifts the Kelly Cup in 2016

As for Allen Americans team records many of these will never be broken. Here is a list of where Chad stands in the all-time and single season record book.


Allen Americans all-time career records:
Points - Chad leads with 350 which is 115 more than second place.
Assists - Chad leads with 252 which is 114 more than second place.
Goals - Chad is tied with Greger Hanson at 98 goals.

Allen Americans single season records:
Points - Chad is #1 (125), #2 (122) and #3 (103) in team history, no other player has more than 88 points.
Assists - Chad is #1 (89), #2 (84) and #3 (79) in team history, no other player has more than 55.
Goals - Chad is # 2 with 41 goals in 2014-15.


 Here is my case for Chad Costello as the #1 player in ECHL history. It is important to put scoring in perspective when comparing numbers over time. In the 1990's the style of the game was such that scoring was prolific. For example, in the 1996-97 season there were six fifty goals scorers and six players with over 100 points. In the history of the ECHL 50 goals have been scored 41 times. All but two took place prior to 2000. There have been 12 times an ECHL player has scored 120 or more points in a season. All but two of those seasons took place before 2000. The two exceptions are Chad Costello.

 In my mind because of the prolific scoring in the 1990's the only way to determine the best player is to compare players with their peers. In the 31-year history of the ECHL the scoring champion has won the scoring title by more than 20 points only six times. Here are the six seasons where the ECHL scoring champion had at least twenty more points than the runner up.

45 points - 2014-2015 (Chad Costello)
43 points - 1992-1993 (Trevor Jobe)
35 points - 1989-1990 (Bill McDougall)
34 points - 2016-2017 (Chad Costello) 
24 points - 1995-1996 (Hugo Belanger)
23 points - 2015-2016 (Chad Costello)


The stat above shows Chad is the most dominate point scorer relative to his peers of all time. Here are a few other stats to help make the case:

Chad is the only player in ECHL history to win the MVP Award more than once. He has three ECHL MVP awards, 2012 in Colorado, 2016 in Allen and 2017 in Allen. He should have also won the award in 2015 when he had his best season in Allen (125 points). He was selected as the MVP that season by the player's association (PHPA).

Chad is the only player in ECHL history to win the scoring title three years in a row.

In his three years in Allen, Costello had the #3, #5 and #12 best single seasons for assists in ECHL history. No other player is in the top 12 more than once. Only three players in ECHL history had more assists than the 89 Chad had in 2016-17 and they all played in the 1990's.

 Chad's ECHL career points per game average is #5 in the history of the ECHL (350 games minimum) at 1.58. The four players ahead of him all played in the 1990's.

Chad won the 2015 ECHL Sportsman Award given to the player adjudged in a vote by the ECHL coaches to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct with a high standard of playing ability.

Chad won two Kelly Cups in Allen and was the playoff MVP in 2016. He is all over the ECHL record book for playoff scoring. Here are a few examples:

#1: Most assists one playoff year (29)
#1: Most assists in final series (10)
#2: Most points one playoff year (36)
#3: Most assists in playoff, career (61)
#3: Most points in playoffs, career (83)
#3: Most points in a final series (13)


The bottom line is if you just look at the numbers, Chad can't compare to the 85 goals, 93 assists and 161 points scored in a single season back in the 1990's. However, if you look at what Costello accomplished in his era compared to his peers there is no doubt in my mind, he is #1 player all time.


After the 2016-17 season Chad and Ashley Costello made the decision to move to Germany for the 2017-18 season. This is what I wrote at the time about the move:

"As you might imagine after every season Chad gets offers to play overseas and has never made the leap. Why is this season different?  Costello had another great season in Allen winning the scoring title and the league MVP but he is soon to be 31 years old, and you never know how many opportunities will arise in the future. Getting a contract offer from a team in the top league in Germany (DEL) means two things for Chad. First, the financial rewards are much greater than what he could get in the ECHL even as a top player. Second, he will play with his best friend and former teammate Jack Combs.

The most important thing Chad wanted me to know when I asked about why he signed in Germany was it had nothing to do with how the season ended in Allen or playing in Allen. As a matter of fact, that is what made the decision to leave so difficult. Chad and Ashley don't see Allen as a place where Chad has a job, they don't see folks as co-workers and fans, but they see everyone as friends and that makes it hard to leave. Chad also expressed his admiration and respect for Steve Martinson who he credits in large part for his record-breaking success in Allen."


After a year playing for the Isherlohn Roosters, Chad signed to play with the Krefeld Pinguine this season. Greger Hanson is his teammate. Chad describes this season below but what he doesn't mention is he leads his team in scoring with 23 points (9G, 14A) and is third in the league in scoring. Krefeld is fighting for a playoff spot and are currently in 10th place in a 14-team league.


Here is an update from Chad in his own words:

Costello family on a recent trip to London

Can you give us an update on the family?
I think everyone knows Ashley and I have been together a long time. She is amazing and I honestly think she is the secret to my success, and I am lucky to have her. Cayne is eight now and turning into a great little boy and a really good hockey player. Camden is four now and skates everyday with Cayne's hockey team and can hold his own. He is a tough little boy with a bright face. Our youngest is Avery who is two. She is so smart and beautiful and makes us all smile every day. We also have a golden doodle named Bauer; you can imagine we are busy every day.


Tell us about your team?
I am playing in the top German league in Krefeld. Krefeld is a city of about 225,000 in the western part of Germany close to the river Rhine. We have a good team here in Krefeld and are trying to change the culture. I think we have a playoff team, and I am doing all I can to help. I plan on playing as long as I can as I love the sport and feel I still have more to give. I am getting older that's for sure, but I guess that is part of it and I am enjoying that part as well. Well, kinda haha.

Chad now plays for the Krefeld Pinguine

Any hobbies you are enjoying?
Golf, cycling and hanging out with Ashley and the kids.


Can you share something about your experience playing in Allen?
Allen is home to us, we love it there. I love the culture and the expectation to win. The fans are amazing in every aspect. Coach Martinson is the best coach I have ever had. He always got the best out of me and my teammates. He is a good coach, great motivator and a good person. Playing for him was challenging and rewarding at the same time. I think Allen is the best place to play because of the ten-year history and the people surrounding the organization. From bus driver Monty to the voice of the Americans, Tommy. The staff were not just great at their job, they were great people and I love being around them. The memories of Allen is something I think about every day. I was so lucky in my time in Allen, I had the best teammates. The guys I played with those three seasons in Allen have a special place with me. I believe in all of them and have seen them make plays and do things that were amazing. I remember them all and will forever. I cheer for the Americans every game while I am away.


What is your highlight, fondest memory of your time playing in Allen?
My fondest memories are the championships. They were so hard fought. I really appreciate the battle and the challenge it was to end the season on top. Winning games is very difficult and winning championships is even harder. To do what we did was very special. It took special people all working together at the right time. Wow was that fun! I also have great memories of the day to day work we put in. I enjoyed every trip on "Big Red." Every time I went to the rink it was great because of the great teammates and friends I had on the team. We were so close and would do anything for one another, and that is not only why we won but almost better than winning.


Who was your favorite/closest teammate in Allen. Any stories you can tell?
My favorite teammates, wow that is a tough one. I had so many when I was there. A quick list off the top of my head would include Gensy, Gary Steffes, Assman, Hanno, Schaffs, Shultz, the Ludwig Bros., Clarke, Follmer, Younger, Vinny, Cranner, Gillsy, Rumps, Zabby, Mak Daddy, Kinger, Laffy, Royzy, Gunner, Chewy, Mooresy, Mathers, Dys, and Combsy. And that is a short list because all of my teammates are my favorites. Not to mention Marty, Monty boy and Tommy boy. I miss them all. We all have so many stories. I stay in touch a little bit. Not as much as I would like as we are all busy, but they know I am there if they need anything, and I think of them every day.


After you read this story hopefully you will agree with me that Chad Costello is a great teammate, a great leader, a great family man and the best player in ECHL history.

L to R Camden, Chad, Ashley, Avery & Cayne Costello celebrate 2016 championship