Thursday, December 26, 2013

Roster Changes, Bootland Suspended, Game Preview, Fight Card, Tulsa Jerseys

The short Christmas break is over and it is time for hockey again as the Americans take on the Tulsa Oilers tonight and it will be a long day indeed.  The team will skate in Allen at 10:00 am, leave for Tulsa at noon, play the game at 7:05 pm and leave immediately after the game (10:30 pm) for the 400 mile bus ride to St. Charles where the Americans play Friday night.

- The team will have to play the next two games (Tulsa & St. Charles) one player short as Darryl Bootland has been suspended for two games. Here is the CHL press release:
GLENDALE, AZ (December 24, 2013) – The Central Hockey League (CHL) announced today that Allen Americans forward Darryl Bootland has been suspended for two (2) games as a result of his actions in Saturday’s game versus the Brampton Beast. Bootland’s suspension comes from a request for review regarding a boarding infraction in the first period of the American’s 6-2 loss to the Beast.  It was observed that Bootland did not attempt to avoid or minimize contact with his opponent who was in a defenseless position.  The hit caused injury and the Brampton player did not return to the game.  Bootland was assessed a two minute boarding penalty on the play. The veteran will miss Allen’s game Thursday in Tulsa and Friday in St. Charles.
 

- The big question for the week is what roster changes will take place. We do know Lukin and Ehrhardt were on IR last game, Bootland has been suspended for two games and Brian McMillin will meet the team in St. Charles on Saturday. While the team could carry 21 players if there were three on injured reserve the more likely outcome will be to reduce the roster by at least one player. This could be accomplished through a trade, a waiver claim or and outright release. You can be assured if a player is released the coaches attempted to trade them first and then placed them on waivers. It is only after trying trade and waiver will the team release a player.

- The game tonight will be the 9th time the Americans have played Tulsa this year. While Allen has  won five of the previous eight meetings they won the first four times the teams played early in the year. In the last four times the teams have met, Tulsa has won three times including the 10-8 win in Allen (November 23) when the Oilers scored seven times in the second period. Here are the results of the eight games played thus far:
     PAST RESULTS                        
     10/26/13    Allen  3 at Tulsa 2     
     10/27/13    Allen  3 at Tulsa 2     
     10/30/13    Tulsa 3 at Allen  4 Shoot Out  
     11/02/13    Allen  5 at Tulsa 4     
     11/03/13    Tulsa 3 at Allen  1     
     11/22/13    Tulsa 1 at Allen  3     
     11/23/13    Tulsa 10 at Allen 8    
     11/24/13    Allen  2 at Tulsa 4 


- Leading goal scorers in this head to head match up are Michel Beausoleil (8 games 6 goals) and Adam Pleskach (5 games 5 goals) for Tulsa and Kale Kerbashian (8 games 6 goals) and Alex Lavoie (8 games 5 goals) for Allen.

- A good chance you will see some fisticuffs tonight and back in Allen on Saturday as there has been some bad blood between these teams in the past. To start with they rank #1 (Allen with 40) and #3 (Tulsa with 37) in number of fights for the season in the CHL. There have been 15 fights between these two teams this year and nine of them took place the last time they met (November 23 & 24). If you remember the November 23 game was the 10-8 game when a mini line brawl broke out at 15:27 of the second period which resulted in 18 different penalties being called. There were seven or eight players in each penalty box. In that game alone there were nine fighting majors penalties and eleven roughing penalties assessed.

- If you plan on attending, watching or listening to the New Years Eve game against Wichita make sure to mark your calendar that the start time for the game has been changed from 7:05 pm to 6:05 pm.

- The Tulsa Oilers have gotten on the ugly Christmas Sweater Jersey bandwagon and will be wearing theirs on Thursday against Allen and Friday against Wichita. They will be auctioned off after the game on Friday.
Designed by Tyler Fleck, Former Oiler Captain & Company Owner



DID YOU KNOW: In the five year history of the Allen Americans they have won more regular season games on the road (91) than they have at home (90). So much for home ice advantage.


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