Game Preview: Checkers at Lake Erie (April 14, 2016)

The Checkers look to wrap up a playoff spot in their final two regular-season games of the season in Lake Erie starting tonight.

Here are 10 Things to Know about the matchup, including what the Checkers need to do to make the postseason.

1. PLAYOFF PICTURE

Heading into the final two games of the regular season, the Checkers control their own destiny of making the playoffs.

To guarantee its place in the postseason, Charlotte needs to win its final two games at Lake Erie tonight and tomorrow. Doing so would make whatever San Jose accomplishes in its final two games against Stockton on Saturday and Sunday irrelevant.
The other scenario calls for the Checkers to not allow San Jose to earn more points than they do in the final week of the season. Should Charlotte drop even one point against Lake Erie, it would need San Jose to do the same against Stockton this weekend to book a trip to the playoffs.

2. DOWN TO THE WIRE

This will mark the third instance in the Checkers’ six-year AHL history that the team’s playoff hopes will be decided in the final two games of the regular season. The most recent occurrence was in the 2013-14 campaign when the Checkers traveled to Milwaukee for the second-to-last game of the season. They would fall to the Admirals 5-1 which, combined with Oklahoma City earning a point on the same night, eliminated Charlotte for playoff contention. Two seasons prior, a nearly identical situation happened, with the Checkers heading to Milwaukee on the last day of the regular season needing just one point but losing 6-1 to fall short.

3. INJURY BUG

The Checkers’ lineup has been banged up much of the last chunk of the season, and this final series is no different.

Perhaps the biggest loss for the team is their captain, Derek Ryan. Ryan was injured in a game last week with the Hurricanes and has yet to be assigned back to Charlotte, meaning he likely won’t be ready to return to game action.

The good news for Charlotte is that it could be getting a few big additions to tonight’s lineup, as both Andrew Miller and Valentin Zykov are on the trip with the team.

Miller has been sidelined since leaving the Checkers’ tilt with Chicago on March 23. Acquired at the AHL trade deadline in exchange for Zach Boychuk, Miller is an established offensive force at this level and, should he be able to play in Lake Erie, would provide a big weapon for a Checkers team that has struggled to consistently put pucks in the net as of late.

Zykov, who joined the Hurricanes organization from Los Angeles as a part of the Kris Versteeg deal at the deadline, has not appeared in a game for the Checkers yet and hasn’t suited up at all since February 20. The rookie notched 14 points with the Ontario Reign before his injury and possesses some offensive flair to go along with a big frame. Zykov, who has been skating with the team over the last week or so, could be another spark if he is able to make his return in Lake Erie.

4. MURPHY'S BACK

The Checkers’ blue line got a significant boost when Ryan Murphy was assigned to Charlotte on Tuesday. The third-year-pro has been a consistently strong performer in the AHL, where he has racked up 63 points in 80 games, including 22 in 30 this season.

5. STRUGGLES BETWEEN THE PIPES

Since joining the team at the AHL trade deadline, John Muse has taken over the goaltending reins for Charlotte, starting 16 of the last 18 contests. Muse started his stint strong but hit a bump in production last week. He started all four games but after earning a 21-save, 2-1 win in the first game, Muse surrendered eight goals on 55 shots over the next three, good for a .855 save percentage.

Daniel Altshuller entered Saturday’s game in the second period to relieve Muse but didn’t fare much better. Getting thrown in against a lethal Milwaukee club, the rookie let in each of the Admirals’ first two shots and finished with three goals allowed on eight shots.

"We’ve seen each of these guys do well for us at certain times this season,” said head coach Mark Morris after Tuesday’s practice. “But as of late they maybe haven’t been quite as strong as they need to be at this stage of the year. But hopefully they pick it up this weekend. John Muse is experienced and he’s known as a winner and we’re hopeful that he brings his A-game. If he’s not in there then Altshuller has shown that he can step up to the plate too.”

6. AGAINST THE MONSTERS

The Checkers have split their season series with the Monsters so far, going 3-3-0 against Lake Erie. The series has been a tight one, as four of the six matchups so far have been decided by one goal, though each side was able to secure a 4-1 victory at one point. The Monsters earned a two-game sweep the last times the squads met.

Of the players currently on Charlotte’s roster, Brody Sutter, Trevor Carrick and Jake Chelios all lead the way with four points apiece against the Monsters this season. Daniel Altshuller has faced Lake Erie four times this year, going 2-2-0 with a solid 1.99 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage.

On the other side, Kerby Rychel has been a thorn in the Checkers’ side, putting up five points (2g, 3a) in three games this season. Michael Chaput has also produced five points against the Checkers, albeit in six games, and rookie Sonny Milano is performing at a point-per-game average over his four contests.

The Monsters boast a trio of formidable goaltenders in Anton Forsberg, Joonas Korpisalo and Brad Thiessen. The Checkers have experienced success against two of those netminders, though, lighting up Forsberg for nine goals over three games and pumping in five goals in their one meeting with Korpisalo. Thiessen has given Charlotte fits, however, posting a ridiculous 0.40 goals-against average and a .983 save percentage in three matchups with the Checkers.

7. POWER OUTAGE

Despite spending most of the season as one of the top performers in the league, the Checkers’ power-play unit has gone ice cold down the stretch. Charlotte has scored a power-play goal in just four of its last 19 contests, going 5-for-72 over that stretch (6.9 percent). The good news for the Checkers is that the addition of Murphy could help provide a spark for the unit, as 14 of his 22 points this season have come on the man advantage.

The Checkers haven’t fared much better on the flip side of special teams either. They have surrendered a power-play goal in five of their last seven contests, killing 15-of-20 man advantages over that stretch (75 percent). By comparison, the Springfield Falcons rank last in the AHL with a 75.4 percent PK over the season.

They will be looking to break those slumps against a Lake Erie team that boasts a top-5 penalty kill but a sub-par power play.

8. MILESTONES IN SIGHT

With two games remaining on the regular season schedule, several players have a chance to land their names on the Checkers' record book.

Leading the team for the second straight season, Kyle Hagel needs one more penalty minute to take over sole possession of the second-highest single-season total in franchise history. He is currently tied with Justin Soryal’s 2011-12, though he trails Zack Fitzgerald’s 2010-11 total by 65 minutes.

David Wohlberg is the ninth player in franchise history with two shorthanded goals in a single season, and one more would tie him with Zac Dalpe for the most.

Trevor Carrick needs one more goal to tie Bobby Sanguinetti’s 2011-12 campaign for second-most in a single season by a defenseman (10). The record is held by Mark Flood, who potted 13 in 2013-14.

Mike Cornell is six away from matching Matt Corrente’s 136 penalty minutes in 2013-14, the second-most by a blue liner in franchise history behind Fitzgerald.

Sergey Tolchinsky needs three points to move into a tie with Victor Rask for the second-most points in a season by a rookie.

9. SMILE FOR THE CAMARA

Since joining the Checkers in a deadline-day trade with the Boston Bruins involving John-Michael Liles, Anthony Camara has posted eight points in 13 games. Camara’s three goals as a Checker equal what he posted in the last season and a half with Providence, where he registered 13 points (3g, 10a) in his last 92 contests.

10. SHUGGERNAUT

Last season’s leading scorer, Justin Shugg put up three points in last week’s four games, giving him seven points in his last eight contests since returning from injury.