Getaway Day, Individual and Team Stats, Allen Connection to Hockey Day Minnesota, Affiliation Trio Standings, Stat that Predicts Kelly Cup Champ

It is getaway day for the Allen Americans at least that is the plan. With something like 25% -33% of all flights canceled it remains to be seen if the team makes it to Salt Lake City today. The games against Utah are scheduled for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday so if the worst case happens it looks like there is flexibility if a game has to be rescheduled. The last I heard the team is at the airport and still has a chance of getting to Utah.

–   It has been over a month since I took a look at the Allen stats leaders (current players). The month of January was a big month for many players. With 56% of the season in the books here are the Allen stats leaders. The ECHL rank is in parenthesis:

• Points
• 50: Jack Combs (3rd)
• 48: Hank Crone (5th)
• 36: Liam Finlay, Colton Hargrove (30th)

• Goals
• 22: Jack Combs (2nd)
• 20: Hank Crone (5th)
• 18: Liam Finlay (11th)

• Assists
• 28: Hank Crone (8th)
• 28: Jack Combs (8th)
• 19: Colton Hargrove (58th)

• Average Points Per Game (min. 20 games)
• 1.30: Hank Crone (6th)
• 1.25: Jack Combs (23rd)
• 1.24: Liam Finlay (26th)

• Plus/Minus
• +6: Chad Butcher (130th)
• +6: Xavier Bernard (130th)
• +4: Liam Finlay (171th)

• PIMS
• 82: Zach Pochiro (14th)
• 71: Mikael Robidoux 22nd)
• 48: Colton Hargrove (65th)

• Ave. Penalty Minutes Per Game (min. 13 games)
• 5.46: Mikael Robidoux(1st)
• 2.28: Zach Pochiro (33rd)
• 1.41: Colton Hargrove (93rd)

• Shots
• 131: Colton Hargrove (12th)
• 116: Jack Combs (23rd)
• 115: Hank Crone (25th)

• Shooting Percentage (min. 70 shots)
• 25.4%: Liam Finlay
• 19.0%: Jack Combs
• 17.4%: Hank Crone

• Save Percentage
• .932: Chase Perry
• .889: Luke Peressini

• GAA
• 2.43: Chase Perry
• 3.75: Luke Peressini

– A couple of things standout when you look at the stats above. Over the last month the big three has become the big four in scoring. Colton Hargrove scored in every game in the last month (15 games) for a total of 22 points (13G, 9A). Allen has been relying Hargrove, Combs, Crone and Finlay for scoring.  These four players account for 63% of Allen’s goals and 51% of the Americans points. Allen has started to get more depth scoring recently which will be critical for Allen to make the playoffs.

–  The other stat worth noting is plus/minus. As a team the Americans are -109. Allen’s goal differential is   -23 (123 goals for, 146 goals against). A positive goal differential is a must over the final 32 games of the season. In the last month Allen has scored 52 goals and allowed 53.

– Here is how the team ranks in some key stats. Definitely some room for improvement going forward.

• #18: Ave. goals scored (3.08)
• #22: Ave. goals allowed (3.65)
• #24: Ave. shots for (29.95)
• #24: Ave. shots against: (34.55)
• #16: Power play percentage (20.1%)
• #15: Penalty kill percentage (80.6%)
• #2: Ave. penalty minutes (17.10)
• #19: Team save percentage (.894)

– How much have these stats changed over the last month? Here are the same stats from December 27th:

• #21: Ave. goals scored (2.88)
• #24: Ave. goals allowed (3.67)
• #23: Ave. shots for (29.42)
• #25: Ave, shots against: (35.04)
• #11: Power play percentage (21.0%)
• #11: Penalty kill percentage (82.6%)
• #3: Ave. penalty minutes (16.58)
• #17: Team save percentage (.895)

– The most important stat over the last month is won/loss. Here is what the Mountain Division standings looked like a month ago. I have added the team’s current points percentage and the difference in parenthesis:

• .870 – Idaho (.813, down .057)
• .643 – Wichita (.583, down .060)
• .500 – Kansas City (.513, up .013)
• .483 – Rapid City (.488, up .005)
• .423 – Utah (.488, up .065)
• .420 – Tulsa (.436, up .016)
• .340 – Allen (.463, up (.123)

It is clear Allen has gained more ground over the last month than any other team in the division. If Allen can repeat that success in February it will be in the thick of the playoff race. It won’t be easy with the February schedule which includes two trips (six games) to Utah. Sandwiched between the two trips to Utah are three games series at home against Fort Wayne and Florida. Two of the teams Allen plays in February (Utah & Florida) have a record of 7-2-1-0 over the last 10 games. Fort Wayne is 5-2-1-0 over its last eight games.

OTHER COMMENTS

– My home state, Minnesota, has a celebration each year called Hockey Day Minnesota that celebrates the sport of hockey throughout the state. The main set of games are played on an outside rink constructed for the event featuring high school boys and girls team. It is a five day event with the Saturday games broadcast on TV. The event started back in 2007 when one small town in northern Minnesota had the idea. That small town was Baudette, MN, Aaron Gens hometown with a population of around 1000. Here is the story of how the little town of Baudette started Hockey Day Minnesota which has grown to be a huge event: https://youtu.be/dSvWCWozCUQ

– All three teams in the Ottawa, Belleville and Allen affiliation are outside looking in for a playoff spot. NHL Ottawa is in seventh place in the eight team Atlantic division, AHL Belleville is in seventh place in the seven team North Division and ECHL Allen is in sixth place in the seven team Mountain Division. Belleville and Allen still have a chance to make the playoffs. Belleville has a .429 points percentage. Five teams make the playoffs and fifth place team is at .488. Allen has a .463 points percentage. Four teams make the playoffs and the fourth place team is at .488.

– Iowa’s 20 game road losing streak has been on hold because the Heartlander have been at home for the last six games, all losses. Iowa goes go back on the road this week to Wheeling and Fort Wayne. Iowa has not won a road game all season and the 20 straight losses is tied for second all time for road winless streak. They have a ways to go to catch #1 which is 26 games, set in 1992-93.

DID YOU KNOW: The last five Kelly Cup champions finished in the top five during the regular season in average goals scored. Here are the top five in average goals scored per game thus far in 2022-23. Is a Kelly Cup in their future?4.15: Idaho3.98: Newfoundland3.83: Indy3.76: Maine3.66: Fort WayneThe last team to win the Kelly Cup that was not in the top five in average goals scored during the regular season was in 2015-16. The Allen Americans won the Kelly Cup averaging just 3.08 goals per game during the regular season, which was ranked #10 in the ECHL.