Another Challenging Week for the Allen Americans, Travel Roster, Idaho Stats, Game Winning Goal Rant and More

It is back on the road for the Allen Americans today as they fly to Boise for three important games with the Mountain Division leading Idaho Steelheads (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday). The team will practice this morning and fly this afternoon.

– Allen has traditionally been on the road for the American Thanksgiving. There has only been a couple of exceptions in the 14-year history of the franchise. There will be a team Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday and the guys won’t have to spend their per diem money. Props to the Americans front office as they will pick up the tab.

– The series against Idaho will be another big challenge for the Americans, but one they are prepared for. Last week it was the top team in the Central Division, this week the top team in the Mountain Division. Idaho’s record is 10-2-0-1 which is a points percentage of .808. The Steelheads are the best defensive team in the ECHL allowing a paltry average of 1.85 goals per game. In 13 games Idaho has had three shutouts, two one goal games and five two goal games. Idaho’s goal differential (goals for minus goals against) is +27, Allen’s is -2.

– The good news for Allen is the offense has picked up. The Americans have won three of the last four games and scored 14 goals in the three wins, scoring four or five goals in each game.

– Allen will have 18 skaters on the trip to Idaho, 11 forwards and seven defensemen. As of this morning Luke Peressini will be the only goalie and Allen will use an EBUG. Jared Bethune gives the Americans flexibility since he can play defense and forward. Here is the roster for the Idaho trip. A reminder of who is not on the trip; Spencer Asuchak (IR), Justin Young (IR), Stephen Baylis (IR) and Mikael Robidoux (Suspended).

Goalies

• #31 – Luke Peressini
• #1 – EBUG

Defensemen

• #3 – Ryan Gagnon
• #4 – Kris Myllari
• #19 – Jared Bethune
• #23 – Colton Saucerman
• #24 – Dalton Skelly
• #49 – Zachary Massicotte
• #55 – Lord-Anthony Grissom

Forwards

• #7 – Colton Hargrove
• #10 – Jackson Leppard
• #15 – Liam Finlay
• #18 – Zach Pochiro
• #20 – Kolten Olynek
• #21 – Jack Combs
• #29 – Nico Blachman
• #44 – Andrew Durham
• #52 – Joe Widmar
• #58 – Marcel Godbout
• #67 – Hank Crone

–  Listening to Belleville Senators coach Troy Mann’s post-game interview, it sounds like he expects one of his injured goalies to return to the lineup for their game on Wednesday. If that happens you could see Logan Flodell returning to Allen.

– Allen has won five games but only four game winning goals are credited. The reason for that is a game winning goal is not credited for shootout wins which Allen had in Fort Wayne on Saturday. I have never understood why the winning goal scorer (Hank Crone in Fort Wayne) in shootouts isn’t given credit for a goal scored or a game winning goal.

– Allen has had four game winning goals this season, Jack Combs has three of them, Colton Saucerman the fourth. Combs is tied for the league lead in game winning goals.

– I will have a complete series preview tomorrow but here are some interesting head-to-head record stats for Allen against Idaho:

• 6-1-1-0 in 2021-22
• 18-7-6-2 last five years
• 10-3-2-1 last five years in Allen
• 8-4-4-1 last five years in Idaho

OTHER COMMENTS

– The difference from top to bottom in the North Division could hardly be any wider. Newfoundland has a points percentage of .893 (12-1-1-0) which is on record pace. The all-time record is .806 set by the Louisiana IceGators in 2001-02. Norfolk has a points percentage of .067 which is also on record pace. The all-time lowest points percentage is .227 (14-49-1) set by the Roanoke Valley Rampage in 1992-93.

– Here is the points percentage range from top to bottom for the other three divisions:

• South: .708 (South Carolina & Florida) to .385 (Orlando)
• Central: .850 (Cincinnati) to .200 (Iowa)
• Mountain: .808 (Idaho) to .409 (Tulsa)

– No ECHL team remains undefeated at home, but one team is still undefeated on the road. Cincinnati has a 4-0-0-0 road record. Norfolk is perfect on the road but not in a good way. The Admirals road record is 0-11-0-0.

– Zach O’Brien (Newfoundland) leads the ECHL in points with 24. If he maintains that pace and plays in the remaining Growler games, he will finish the season with 130 points.

– Talk about turning things around quickly all you have to do is look at the Reading Royals. On November 4th, Reading had a record of 1-4-1-0 and points percentage of .250. a couple of weeks later they have reeled off an ECHL best six straight wins and now have a record of 7-4-1-0 with a points percentage of .625.

DID YOU KNOW: The 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic will consist of a tournament featuring the ECHL All-Stars and the Norfolk Admirals, with an integrated skills competition with points counting towards each team’s score.The game will take place on Monday, January 16, 2023, at Norfolk Scope Arena.You have to wonder how competitive the game will be since Norfolk is on pace for the worst record in ECHL history. The Admirals are 1-14-0-0 which is a points percentage of .067. The all-time worst record is .227 (14-49-1) set by the Roanoke Valley Rampage in 1992-93.