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Handling adversity: Americans snap skid, look to sharpen play before postseason
BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@starlocalnews.com
This past weekend may have seemed like a mixed bag for the Allen Americans.
Allen lost its fourth straight game Friday, a 3-2 decision to the Laredo Bucks, but got back into the win column in Saturday's rematch with a 5-4 shootout victory.
A look beyond just the results showed an Americans squad skating better than it had the past two weeks.
Allen held a 2-0 advantage after the first period Friday following goals from Jim McKenzie and Colton Yellow Horn, who assisted on the prior score.
"A two-goal lead isn't insurmountable," Mullins said. "If you can get to three, that is the key and we have had a hard time scoring goals at times this season."
That cost Allen as Laredo responded with goals from Neil Trimm and Adam Rivet in the second period to tie the game. Rusty Masters scored the lone goal of the third, putting the Bucks ahead, 3-2, with 1:54 remaining and setting the final.
Allen picked up a one-goal win the next night back in Laredo, but it wasn't easy.
The Americans again established a two-goal advantage, this time 3-1, after scores from Yellow Horn (who is four away from the 200th point of his professional career), Scott Langdon and McKenzie. The Bucks cut their deficit in half early in the third period when Rivet's neutral zone dump pass took a high bounce off the ice and over the glove of Allen netminder Rejean Beauchemin.
"That was kind of a miracle goal where they were punting from their blue line," Mullins said. "I've never seen that before and it was one of those times where you think, "Maybe the hockey Gods are not on your side."
That was proven untrue Saturday.
But only after Laredo tied the game at 3-3, Allen regained the lead following a goal from Jason Deitsch and the Bucks tied the game, 4-4, with 67 seconds remaining in regulation. Laredo beat Beauchemin, who has the second best goals against average in the CHL (2.24), only once in the shootout. The Americans would light the lamp twice courtesy of McKenzie and Brian McMillin, who played in his 100th pro game the night prior.
Those scores gave Allen a 2-1 shootout advantage and 5-4 victory.
Though the Americans (30-19-9, 69 points) retain a one-point lead on the Texas Brahmas for second place in the Berry Conference, they trail the first-place Wichita Thunder by 11.
"Everybody looks at the standings and everybody wants to be first; that's what we are playing for," Mullins said. "We learned a lot last year about playing our best at the right time, so right now we are working on simplifying our system and adjusting our identity to what we do best and not worrying as much about what other teams do.
"We want to put ourselves in a good position and we feel we have an opportunity to make up ground over the next three and a half weeks."
The next opportunity for that will come at 7:05 p.m. today when Allen hosts Quad City for the second time in three days. The Mallards beat the Americans on Tuesday, 3-2.
"Quad City is having an extremely good year," Mullins said. "They definitely have some talented players and dangerous guys offensively, so we will need to be physical and play the way we are capable of."
Americans stay busy off the ice
While pushing to clinch a playoff spot, Allen has made some roster adjustments.
The Americans welcomed back rookie forward Nick Layton from the AHL's Texas Stars on Tuesday. Layton has played in 50 games for Allen, registering 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists).
"Nick has been real reliable all year, so to have him back is nice," Mullins said. "It's good to get our guys on the ice and get some continuity going."
But what the AHL giveth, it usually taketh away and that remained the case this week as defenseman Trevor Hendrikx has been called up to the Hamilton Bulldogs. Hendrikx scored 13 points and was a +7 in 45 games for the Americans.
"It's been a juggle, no doubt," Mullins said. "But our organization takes a lot of pride in players being called up, so we are real happy for Trevor."
Allen also put forward Aaron McGill on waivers. The Salem, Ore. native played in seven games before suffering an injury.
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