Game Preview: Checkers at Chicago (Oct. 12, 2014)

The Checkers hope the third time will be a charm as they complete their season-opening, three-in-three weekend with a rematch in Chicago tonight.

Now in its fifth AHL season, Charlotte has already had to wait longer for its first standing point than in any of its previous campaigns, having opened with two consecutive regulation losses for the first time. Both of those losses, a 6-3 setback in Milwaukee on Friday and a 2-1 loss against these same Chicago Wolves on Saturday, came in those teams’ respective home openers.

Following this evening’s game, the Checkers return to Charlotte to get set for their own home opener at Time Warner Cable Arena against Grand Rapids this coming Friday.

Charlotte

Though the Checkers remained in the game until quite literally the final buzzer as they applied significant pressure in the final few minutes in search of the tying goal, their 15 total shots on Saturday marked the lowest total in team history. A single shot on goal in the first period, one that came 15 minutes into the game off the stick of rookie Phil Di Giuseppe, tied the club record for fewest in a single frame.

The Checkers, who scored three times on 27 shots in their opener, will clearly be looking for more tonight, though they remain at a rest disadvantage to the Wolves, who were idle Friday. Rookie defenseman Dennis Robertson, who sat out Saturday’s game due to injury, is the only player on the roster with multiple points thus far, with the team’s four goals coming from four different players (Di Giuseppe, Justin Shugg and Zach Boychuk on Friday; Jared Staal on Saturday).

Charlotte, which has never taken fewer than two points from its first three games of the season (a 1-2-0, three-in-three road trip to begin their inaugural 2010-11 campaign marks its slowest three-game start), will now be looking to avoid going pointless in a three-in-three for the second consecutive time and just the second time in team history. Needing points to remain in last season’s playoff race, the Checkers came up empty on an April 4-6 trip through San Antonio and Oklahoma City to go 0-3-0 on such a weekend for the first time.

In goal, coach Jeff Daniels will have the choice between Drew MacIntyre, who stopped 21 of 26 shots in his Checkers debut in Milwaukee, and all-time wins leader John Muse, who maintained his impeccable ratios in Chicago (1.55 goals-against average, .947 save percentage in five career visits) by stopping 27 of 29 on Saturday. Despite his stellar individual statistics at Allstate Arena, Muse is just 1-2-2 in terms of wins and losses.

Joining Robertson on the injured list on Saturday was another rookie, Carter Sandlak, who had just made his professional debut in Milwaukee. Defenseman Austin Levi, who has yet to make his season debut, was the team’s only healthy extra in the first meeting with the Wolves.

Chicago

Last season’s Wolves team enjoyed considerable offensive success (3.14 goals per game – 6th AHL) despite its power play, which ranked dead last in the league at 12.6 percent. Though the home team still got the result it wanted on Saturday thanks to even-strength goals by Colin Fraser in the first period and by former Checker Jeremy Welsh in the second, the man advantage finished the night 0-for-6.

One of those power plays, a two-man advantage lasting roughly a minute and a half to straddle the second and third periods, could have effectively put the game out of reach much earlier if not for stalwart killing by the Checkers, who have nullified nine of 10 opposing power plays to start the season.

Always a veteran team, the Wolves are especially experienced on defense, where they feature the likes of Brent Sopel, a 37-year-old veteran of 659 NHL games who played his first in the AHL since the 1999-00 season on Saturday. Sopel is joined by Chris Butler, recently of the Buffalo Sabres and Calgary Flames, whose Saturday performance against the Checkers was his first in the league since the 2008-09 campaign.

Should the Wolves not return to Matt Climie (14 saves on Saturday) tonight, their other option is Jordan Binnington, who is set to begin his first full season in the AHL. The 21-year-old, third-round pick by St. Louis in 2011 has two career AHL games under his belt (1-1-0, 2.88 goals-against average, .917 save percentage), having spent most of his first professional campaign in ECHL Kalamazoo last season.

Up front, Welsh, who the Carolina Hurricanes signed as an undrafted college free agent in the spring of 2012, is still loooking to break through as a full-time NHL player. He signed a two-way deal with the St. Louis Blues this summer after leaving Vancouver, who acquired him via trade from Carolina just prior to the start of last season. Welsh, 26, now has 42 points (22g, 20a) in 119 career AHL games.

Checkers Notes

Know Your Enemy

Checker's goalie Drew MacIntyre played 61 games across two seasons with the Chicago Wolves from 2009-11, logging a 32-22-3 record. He was also in net for the Toronto Marlies in last season's Calder Cup Playoffs when they faced the Wolves, helping lead Toronto to a sweep. Meanwhile, Wolves forward Jeremy Welsh suited up for the Checkers in 2012-13 and contributed 26 points (14g, 12a), a career high. Welsh scored the game-winning goal against the Checkers in the first meeting between the two teams this season on Oct. 11.

Chicago holds an all-time record of 11-5-1 record against the Checkers, including wins in four of the last five. The four most recent meetings between the two clubs have been decided by one goal.

Tough Start

The Checkers, who fell 6-3 in Milwaukee on Friday and 2-1 in Chicago on Saturday, are pointless through two games for the first time in their five AHL seasons. Their previous record for slowest start was in 2011-12, when they went 0-1-1 in two road games against Norfolk, that season’s eventual Calder Cup champion.

The Checkers' record for lowest point total from a season's first three games was set in the inaugural 2010-11 season, when they went 1-2-0 on a three-games-in-three-nights road trip through Connecticut, Springfield and Portland.

Shooting Blanks

The Checkers' 15 shots on goal at Chicago on Oct. 11 marked the lowest total in their five AHL seasons, eclipsing a 16-shot effort at Abbotsford on Feb. 22, 2013. Charlotte mustered just one shot in the first period on Friday, tying the lowest single-period total in team history, a mark set once previously on March 4, 2013, vs. Oklahoma City (second period).

Three in Threes

The Checkers will tonight look to avoid going pointless in a three-in-three set for just the second time in team history (28 previous instances). They recently went pointless in their most recent three-in-three set, another all-road trip to San Antonio (one game) and Oklahoma City (two games) from April 4-6 of last season.

The current three-in-three set is one of just two the team will play all season, a franchise low, and the only one set entirely on the road. After dropping the first two games of the current set, the Checkers all-time three-in-three record sits at 46-31-9. They are 33-24-7 on the road and 14-13-1 in game three.

The Champ Returns

Reigning AHL goals-champion Zach Boychuk picked up right where he left off last season by netting a goal in the second period that tied the score at three in Milwaukee on Friday. Boychuk, who led the Checkers with six shots on goal in the opener, now has points in five of his last seven AHL games (5g, 3a) dating back to last season. Boychuk has just one point, an assist, in his last four games against Chicago.

Moving On

Six of the top 10 scorers from last season's squad are no longer on the Checkers' roster. Chris Terry and Victor Rask made the Hurricanes out of training camp, Aaron Palushaj and Mark Flood signed with Medvescak Zagreb of the KHL, Philippe Cornet signed with the Hershey Bears and longtime captain Brett Sutter signed with the Minnesota Wild. That group combined for 107 of the 230 total goals scored by the Checkers last season.

Fresh Faces

This season's team features many new names, with 10 of the 23 players making their first full time appearance on the Checkers' roster. That list includes five rookies (three out of juniors and two out of college) and five offseason signings. Of the returning players, just four suited up for Charlotte during the inaugural 2010-11 season (Zach Boychuk, Michal Jordan, Rasmus Rissanen, Jared Staal).

New Leadership

The Checkers named defenseman Michal Jordan as the third team captain in team history on Thursday. Jordan, who ranks second in team history with 268 games played as a Checker, takes over for Brett Sutter, who signed with the Minnesota Wild after holding the role from 2011-14. Ben Holmstrom and Greg Nemisz will serve as new alternate captains, taking over for Nicolas Blanchard (St. John's) and Chris Terry (Carolina).

Been So Long

After signing with the Checkers in the offseason, Chad LaRose on Friday played his first AHL game since December 3, 2005, with the Lowell Lock Monsters. The veteran of 508 career NHL games, all with the Hurricanes, is attempting a comeback after not playing professional hockey last season. The Stanley Cup champion has 83 points in 127 career games at the AHL level.

Quick Hits

• Defenseman Dennis Robertson (2a) is the only Checker with multiple points thus far.
• The Checkers have yet to hold a lead this season.
• The Checkers are one of three AHL teams (Adirondack, Iowa) off to 0-2-0 starts.
• Jared Staal's goal on Saturday was his 11th in 171 career AHL games.

Milestones

• Justin Shugg is one shy of 150 AHL games played
• Zach Boychuk is two shy of 300 AHL games played
• Brody Sutter is two shy of 100 AHL games played
• Ben Holmstrom is seven shy of 500 AHL penalty minutes
• Alex Aleardi made his Checkers debut at CHI (10/11)
• Dennis Robertson recorded his first two professional assists and points at MIL (10/10)
• Trevor Carrick recorded his first professional assist and point at MIL (10/10)
• Phil Di Giuseppe scored his first professional goal at MIL (10/10)
• Carter Sandak and Trevor Carrick made their professional debuts at MIL (10/10)
• Kyle Hagel, Ben Holmstrom, Chad LaRose and Drew MacIntyre made their Checkers debuts at MIL (10/10)
  

Injuries

• (D) Dennis Robertson - missed one game starting 10/11
• (LW) Carter Sandlak - missed one game starting 10/11

Transactions

Incoming

• Oct. 6 - (LW) Zach Boychuk assigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)
• Oct. 6 - (RW) Chad LaRose assigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)

Outgoing

• Oct. 6 - (C) Patrick Brown recalled to Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte
• Oct. 6 - (G) Daniel Altshuller assigned to Florida (ECHL) from Charlotte