Game Preview: Checkers at Grand Rapids (Jan. 9, 2015)

As they continue on their grueling road trip through the Midwest, the Checkers are aiming to extend their point streak to three games and earn a win this time around.

While it wasn't the ideal result, the Checkers were able to salvage a point in the standings from Wednesday's tilt against the surging Grand Rapids Griffins. After a day to practice, the two teams will face off once again tonight in their fourth matchup of the season.

Following tonight's game, the Checkers will quickly travel to Milwaukee for a contest Saturday against the Admirals.

Charlotte

There were plenty of times that Wednesday's contest in Grand Rapids could have gotten out of hand in the home team's favor, but the Checkers held their own and came away with one point. The Griffins would dominate possession for long stretches of time throughout the game, stretches that saw the Checkers struggling to control the puck past center ice. But despite that disparity, Charlotte did not fold, keeping the high-flying Griffins' attack, which entered the game ranked sixth in the AHL in terms of goals per game, to just two goals in regulation.

On the offensive side, the Checkers followed up a lackluster first period with a much improved second that saw the team come out firing and put up two goals to take a (brief) lead. Alex Aleardi, playing in his second game since being recalled from Florida, impressed again, netting a goal and an assist and creating several chances with his explosive speed, while Chad LaRose continued to produce, lighting the lamp to give himself eight points in his last 10 games and secure sole possesion of the team scoring lead.

Luckily for the Checkers, they will be recieving some much needed reinforcements for tonight's game. Zach Boychuk and Michal Jordan cleared waivers yesterday and have joined Charlotte after NHL stints with the Hurricanes. Boychuk, the reigning AHL goal-scoring champ, will undoubtedly provide some offensive firepower to a team struggling mightily to put points on the board, ranking near the bottom of the AHL in terms of goals per game for the majority of this season. With the addition of Jordan, the Checkers not only regain a top defenseman who will log a high number of minutes, but will also get their captain back.

The Checkers will also enjoy the help of forward Andrej Nestrasil, who the Hurricanes assigned to Charlotte on a conditioning stint soon after activating him from injured reserve. The fourth-year forward out of the Czech Republic was a third-round pick of Detroit and spent three seasons with the Griffins before beginning this campaign with the Red Wings. After joining the Hurricanes on a waiver claim, Nestrasil scored three points in eight games prior to the injury that kept him out since Dec. 8.

Grand Rapids

After a slow start to the season, the Griffins have found their groove, earning a point in eight of their last 10 contests to propel themselves into sixth place in the Western Conference standings.

The Griffins' top-10 ranked offensive attack was grounded for most of Wednesday's game, only producing two goals in regulation before adding the game-winner in the extra frame. Despite being held off score sheet for much of the game, the Griffins were buzzing around the Checkers' zone for long stretches of time and dominated possession.

The good news for the Checkers is that the Griffins' will be without their scoring leader, Teemu Pulkkinen, who the Red Wings recalled yesterday. Pulkkinen, whose tally on Wednesday extended his goal streak to eight games and put him atop the AHL list with 20 in 33 games this season, has haunted the Checkers by coring a goal in each of the three matchups between the two squads this season. Even without Pulkkinen, the Griffins still boast some lethal offensive weapons in Andy Miele, who has 30 points in 30 games, and Landon Ferraro, who leads the current roster with 13 goals.

In goal, Tom McCollum made 25 saves and earned the win on Sunday to improve to 9-8-3 on the season. The other goalie on the Griffins' roster, rookie Jared Coreau, has shone in his short stint in the AHL, going 6-1-1 in eight starts and recording a goals against average of 1.80 and a save percentage of .940.

Checkers Notes

Against Grand Rapids

Tonight marks the fourth of eight meetings between the Checkers and Grand Rapids this season, with the Griffins winning each of the first three contests. Two of those came in regulation at Time Warner Cable Arena on Oct. 17 and 18 and another in overtime this past Wednesday in Grand Rapids. In 15 all-time contests between the two clubs, the Checkers hold an 8-6-1 record, including a 4-2-1 mark in Grand Rapids.

Alex Aleardi, who the Checkers recalled from the ECHL's Florida Everblades on Jan. 4, is the only Checker with multiple points against Grand Rapids this season (1g, 2a). Andy Miele leads all Griffins skaters with four points (1g, 3a) in two games against Charlotte. Teemu Pulkkinen, who joined the NHL's Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, has accounted for three of the Griffins' nine goals against the Checkers this season, with no other skater scoring more than one.

In goal, Charlotte's Drew MacIntyre played the entirety of all three meetings this season to post a 2.99 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. For the Griffins, Tom McCollum is 2-0-0 with a 1.49 GAA and .939 save percentage in two starts. Jared Coreau has yet to face the Checkers in his career.

The Griffins' six goals on 22 chances (27.3 percent) mark the most power-play goals the Checkers have given up against any opponent this season.

LaRose Takes Over

Chad LaRose's power-play goal in Grand Rapids on Jan. 7 gave him sole possession of the team's points lead this season (18), breaking what had been a three-way tie with Ryan Murphy and Justin Shugg. He also leads the team in shorthanded points (three - t-2nd AHL), is tied for second in power-play points (four) and leads the team in shots on goal (83). Six of his eight goals on the season have come in his last 13 games.

LaRose, a 32-year-old veteran of 508 NHL games with Carolina, is playing in the AHL for the first time since 2005-06 after taking last year away from hockey. He now has 101 points (49g, 52a) in 159 career AHL games with Lowell and Charlotte.

MacIntyre's Wins

Since becoming the 12th goaltender in the AHL's 78-year history to reach 200 wins on Dec. 13, Checkers goalie Drew MacIntyre, who has picked up 10 of the Checkers' 12 wins this season, has picked up two more victories to move into a tie with Jean-Francois Labbe for 11th on the league's all-time list. His next victory will tie him with Neil Little for 10th.

MacIntyre, a 31-year-old veteran now playing his 12th professional season with his eighth AHL club, is just 30 wins away from tying Frederic Cassivi for fifth on the all-time wins list. He has a 202-126-24 record, 2.44 goals-against average, .936 save percentage and 16 shutouts in 375 career AHL games dating back to the 2004-05 season. He currently ranks fifth in the league with 632 saves this season.

Shugg Leading The Way

Checkers forward Justin Shugg extended his team lead with his 12th goal of the season against Texas on Jan. 4. In just 24 games this season, the fourth-year forward is now just four shy of his career high set in 75 games last season. He is currently tied for 16th in AHL goal scoring and ranks 15th with a 20.3 shooting percentage. In terms of points, his 17 on the season trail Chad LaRose by one for the team lead.

Shugg, the Carolina Hurricanes' fourth-round pick in 2010, averaged 40 goals in each of his last two junior seasons with Windsor and Mississauga of the OHL. He won back-to-back Memorial Cups in 2009 and 2010 and, after losing in the 2011 Memorial Cup final, captured an ECHL Kelly Cup with the Florida Everblades in 2012.

Road Woes

The Checkers are 3-11-3 on the road this season, including losses in 12 of their last 13 games (1-9-3) dating back to Oct. 25. That stretch also includes an active four-game winless streak dating back to Dec. 27 (0-2-2, tied for second-longest active streak in the league) and a franchise-record, eight-game road winless streak (0-7-1 - second longest in league this season) from Oct. 25-Dec. 12. The team's nine points earned on the road this season are tied with Norfolk for the second-fewest in the league next to Rochester's five.

Charlotte has scored two goals or fewer of 12 of 17 road games this season yet have been within one goal heading into the third period in 11 of 17 games.

Power Up

Chad LaRose's goal in Grand Rapids on Jan. 7 snapped an 0-for-24 drought on the power play lasting parts of seven games dating back to Dec. 21. It marked their second-longest drought in terms of consecutive opportunities this season (0-for-25 from Nov. 29-Dec. 12) and was their the longest of the season in terms of consecutive games played without scoring a power-play goal (six).

Charlotte is just 5-for-77 on the power play (6.5 percent) over its last 20 games dating back to Nov. 22. Over the course of that time, it has fallen to 30th in the league with a season-long percentage of 9.1. With Ryan Murphy (seven points, all assists) in the NHL, no active Checker has more than four points on the power play this season (Chad LaRose, Brock McGinn and Justin Shugg).

In their previous four AHL seasons, the Checkers never finished lower than fifth in the league in terms of power-play percentage. Their lowest-ever percentage to finish a season was 19.8 percent. The lowest recorded power-play percentage for a season in AHL history is 10.4, set by the Rochester Americans in 2001-02.

Killing Success

Before allowing two goals on seven opportunities against Grand Rapids on Jan. 7, the Checkers were a perfect 25-for-25 on the penalty kill over parts of eight games dating back to Dec. 19. That marked their longest streak of the season in terms of consecutive games played without allowing a power-play goal (seven) and in terms of consecutive penalties killed. During that stretch, the Checkers have cracked the league's top 10 with an 85.4 percent success rate over the course of the entire season.

Charlotte has also been able to produce offense while shorthanded, with their six shorthanded goals tying them for second in the league and already putting them three ahead of their league-low total from all of last season. Chad LaRose leads the league in shorthanded assists and is tied for second in shorthanded points (3), while Greg Nemisz and Brendan Woods find themselves in a 13-way tie for second in the league with two shorthanded goals apiece.

We Meet Again

The Checkers have faced the same opponent in consecutive games 14 times this season. They are a combined 3-8-4 in the first halves of those series and a combined 7-6-1 in the second, including one instance where they won both games (against Milwaukee on Nov. 29 and 30) and three where they lost both (Grand Rapids on Oct. 17-18, San Antonio on Nov. 14-15 and Oklahoma City on Nov. 21-22).

Quick Hits

• The Checkers have lost each of their last four overtime games dating back to Dec. 2 (three OTL, one SOL). They are now 2-5 in overtime games this season.
• Kyle Hagel is tied for the AHL lead in major penalties (12)

Streaks

• The Checkers have earned points in each of Drew MacIntyre's last four starts (Dec. 19-Jan. 7: 2-0-2)
• Alex Aleardi has goals and points in each of his last two games (Jan. 4-7: 2g, 1a)
• Trevor Carrick has points in each of his last two games (Jan. 4-7: 1g, 1a)
• Patrick Brown has points in each of his last two games (Jan. 4-7: 1g, 1a)

Injuries

• Gabriel Desjardins - missed two games starting 1/4
• Beau Schmitz - missed 13 games starting 12/10
• Greg Nemisz - missed 14 games starting 12/8 (out for season)
• Brody Sutter - missed 23 games starting 11/15

Milestones

• Chad LaRose is one shy of 50 AHL goals
• Justin Shugg is one shy of 50 AHL assists
• Zach Boychuk is two shy of tying Chris Terry for the franchise's all-time goals lead (104)
• Andrew Rowe is two shy of 100 pro assists

Transactions

Incoming

• Jan. 8 - (C) Andrej Nestrasil assigned to Charlotte on conditioning stint from Carolina (NHL)
• Jan. 8 - (LW) Zach Boychuk assigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)
• Jan. 8 - (D) Michal Jordan assigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)
• Jan. 4 - (LW) Alex Aleardi recalled to Charlotte from Florida (ECHL)

Outgoing

• Jan. 2 - (C) A.J. Jenks released from professoinal tryout contract to Toledo (ECHL)
• Jan. 2 - (G) Daniel Altshuller assigned from Charlotte to Florida (ECHL)