Game Preview: Checkers at Lake Erie (March 27, 2015)

Fresh off their longest road swing of the season, the Checkers return home to begin their longest home stand starting with tonight’s game against the Lake Erie Monsters.

Between now and April 12, the Checkers conclude their home schedule and their tenure at Time Warner Cable Arena with six straight home games. They begin that stretch with some momentum, having turned around some tough luck on the road with three straight victories, a streak that ties their longest of the season.

Tonight’s game, which is the first Domestic Violence Prevention Night ever hosted by an AHL team (wear purple!) is the first of a two-game set with the Monsters that resumes with the Checkers’ 10th annual Salute to Heroes game on Sunday afternoon.

Charlotte

Though it had a few tough games in the beginning, namely a 6-1 loss in Oklahoma City and a 9-3 setback in San Antonio, the Checkers’ recently-completed road swing can be considered an overall success. Having entered that stretch with only seven road victories in 29 tries this season, the team won its last three to go 4-2-0.

Should the Checkers be able to muster another victory against Lake Erie tonight, it would mark their longest winning streak in over one year. They enter tonight’s game with six wins in their last eight home games.

No player was more productive during the road stretch than center Brody Sutter, who took advantage of a prime scoring position between Zach Boychuk and a now-healthy Chad LaRose and some power-play time to post an eye-popping five goals in his last three games – double what he scored in his first 36 games of the season. The third-year center now has 11 points (5g, 6a) in 11 games this month.

LaRose, who missed 11 games with an upper-body concern, has provided a spark with goals in two of three games since his return. Defensman Trevor Carrick, thrust into a starring role on defense due to NHL recalls (though the return of Keegan Lowe from injury on Wednesday will relieve some pressure) has risen to the occasion, joining Sutter (2g, 9a) with 11 points in March.

In goal, Drew MacIntyre has resume the lion’s share of the starts, having appeared in seven of the team’s last nine games. Since he and John Muse combined to allow nine goals to San Antonio on March 17, MacIntyre has stopped 66 of 70 total shots (.943 save percentage) to win two starts against Iowa and Norfolk, while Muse blocked 29 of 31 to win in Iowa on Sunday.

With everyone except Greg Nemisz, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in early December, now thought to be healthy, the Checkers should have a healthy extra at each position. Center Sean Dolan and defenseman Austin Levi sat out Wednesday’s game in Norfolk.

Lake Erie

The Monsters come to Charlotte clinging to a faint hope of making the playoffs. They currently find themselves six points out of the eighth and final playoff spot, though they do have games in hand on several teams sitting precariously above the cutoff line.

Unfortunately for Lake Erie, they enter tonight’s tilt on a bit of a cold streak, having dropped four of their last five games. They have kept things close, however, with each of their last four games being decided by one goal, including two that needed overtime.

A big part of that can be attributed to netminder Calvin Pickard. Pickard has taken full control of the Lake Erie crease, playing 20 of the last 25 contests and allowing two or fewer goals in five of the last seven games. But despite his strong numbers, Pickard has lost nine of his last 11 appearances. Sami Aittokallio has been backing him up, going 7-5-1 in 15 appearances this season. Despite his solid record, Aittokallio’s numbers have been less than stellar, including a goals against average of 3.24 and a save percentage of .899.

On the offensive side of the puck, Andrew Agozzino has paced the Monsters this season, leading the team in goals (19), assists (25) and points (44). The third-year forward is also riding a nine-game point streak, which is tied for the longest active such streak in the AHL. During that stretch, he has racked up 13 points (4g, 9a).

But some of the biggest contributions for the Monsters have come from the blue line. Stefan Elliott ranks second in scoring on the team with 32 points (15g, 17a), with those 15 tallies tied for fourth among AHL defensemen and putting him just one shy of the league lead. Maxim Noreau has also chipped in, with 30 points (8g, 22a) in 39 games this season, ranking third among Lake Erie’s current roster. 

Checkers Notes

Against Lake Erie

This weekend's games in Charlotte conlude the four-game season series between the Checkers and Lake Erie. The teams previously split a pair of games in Cleveland, with the Checkers winning 2-1 on Feb. 10 and the Monsters bouncing back to score the game-winner on a third-period penalty shot on Feb. 12. Including those games, the Checkers are 6-5-3 all-time against Lake Erie and 3-3-0 in Charlotte.

Alex Aleardi leads all Checkers with two goals and three points against the Monsters this season. Ben Street leads Lake Erie with three points, all assists.

In goal, John Muse earned the win by stopping 39 of 40 shots on Feb. 10 and Drew MacIntyre stopped 30 of 33 to take the next game's loss. Lake Erie's Calvin Pickard played both games against the Checkers, going 1-1-0 with a 2.03 goals-against average and .934 save percentage.

Winning Streak

The Checkers' current streak of three consecutive victories ties their longest of the season, a run from Feb. 16-19 that also contained two wins over Iowa and one against Norfolk. The last time the Checkers won four in a row was March 25-30 of last season, a streak that also contained two wins over Iowa.

After winning consecutive games just once before Feb. 16, the Checkers have accomplished that feat four times since.

Home And Road

Though their 11 road victories are still tied for the third-lowest total in the AHL, five of those wins have come in the Checkers' last seven road games. By going 4-2-0 on a season-long, six-game road swing that concluded Wednesday, Charlotte improved its record on the road to 11-20-4. Its active three-game road winning streak is its longest since a four-game stretch from March 1-7 of last season.

Meanwhile, the Checkers are 17-13-2 at home, including wins in six of their last eight games. The Checkers have a -47 goal differential on the road (69 goals for, 116 against) and a -5 goal differential at home (83 goals for, 88 against). All five shutouts the Checkers have suffered this season occurred on the road.

Sutter Strikes

With five in his last three games, center Brody Sutter has doubled his goal output from the first 36 games of the season. He has six total points during his recent run, including two multi-goal games that are his only such games in the AHL aside from a two-goal effort in his first professional playoff game at Oklahoma City on April 26, 2013.

Sutter's active three-game goal streak marks the longest of his career. It is tied for the second-longest active streak in the AHL and is one shy of the longest posted by a Checkers player this season (Justin Shugg, Brock McGinn).

Sutter, who has been limited to just 39 games this season due to injury, has set a new career high of 10 goals, eclipsing the eight he scored in 69 games last season. He now has 11 points (5g, 6a) during the month of March. He has four multi-point games this month, including a career-high, three-point effort (2g, 1a) at Iowa on March 21.

MacIntyre's Workload

Checkers goalie Drew MacIntyre, who has played in seven of the team's last nine games, ranks third in the AHL with 2,605 minutes played and is second with 1,299 saves. He would only need to appear in three of the team's last 10 games to tie the franchise record for games played by a goaltender in a single season (48 by Justin Pogge in 2010-11).

His most recent victory in Norfolk was the 211th of his career, moving him into a tie with Nick Damore for ninth in AHL history. He is now just 21 away from tying Frederic Cassivi for fifth. MacIntyre, a 31-year-old veteran now playing his 12th professional season with his eighth AHL club, has a 211-139-25 record, 2.47 goals-against average, .935 save percentage and 16 shutouts in 398 career AHL games dating back to the 2004-05 season.

Though he has yet to record a shutout, MacIntyre has won five games by a 2-1 score. He owns a .933 save percentage in overtime games this season (42 saves on 45 shots) and has stopped 21 of 23 in the shootout. He is tied for the league lead in shootout victories this season (4-1 record).

Carrick Lights It Up

With 12 points in his last 12 games, Trevor Carrick currently leads all Charlotte defensemen in goals (six), assists (20) and points (26), all of which are new records for a Checkers roookie defenseman. Of his five multi-point outings this season, four have occurred during the month of March, including a trio of two-assist efforts in his last six games.

Carrick currently ranks fourth on the team in points and his 20 assists lead the team. Eleven of his assists have come on the power play, a total that leads the Checkers, ranks fourth among all AHL rookies and first among AHL rookie defensemen.

A fourth-round pick in 2012, the 20-year-old Carrick put up 51 points in his final season of junior last year, split between Mississauga and Sudbury, and ranked second among OHL defensemen in goals (22).

Shugg Takes Over

By scoring 15 points (6g, 9a) in his last 19 outings, Justin Shugg has taken over the Checkers' leads in goals (19, a new career high) and points (36). He is also tied with Ryan Murphy for second on the team in assists with 17.

Shugg, 23, now ranks sixth on the franchise's all-time points list with 108 points (47g, 62a) in 203 games played. He needs two more to pass Jerome Samson and move into the top five.

Powering Up

The Checkers have scored a power-play goal in 11 of their last 15 games dating back to Feb. 22, going 14-for-54 (25.9 percent) during that time. As a result, their power play has risen out of the league's lowest-ranked spot it had occupied since Dec. 14 and now ranks 27th in the AHL at 13.8 percent.

The Checkers have scored multiple power-play goals in a single game six times this season, all of which have come since Jan. 16.

Quick Hits

• The Checkers have more wins in March (6-4-0) than in any other month. Their 12 points tie January (5-6-2) for the most of any month.
• Kyle Hagel ranks second in the AHL with 21 major penalties, all fights.
• Chad LaRose is tied for the AHL lead with three shorthanded assists.
• Charlotte has scored three or more goals in each of its last four games, tying its longest such streak of the season.
• The Checkers are the only AHL team that has yet to record a shutout.
• Phil Di Giuseppe leads all Checkers and ranks fourth among AHL rookies with 149 shots on goal.
• Charlotte is a perfect 10-for-10 on the penalty kill in their last three games.
• The Checkers' two shorthanded goals allowed tie Manchester for the fewest in the AHL.
• The Checkers have been out-shot in each of their last 11 games. They have taken fewer than 30 shots in each of their last six and allowed 30 or more in each of their last seven.

Streaks

• Brody Sutter has goals and points in each of his last three games (5g, 1a)
• Zach Boychuk has points in each of his last three games (1g, 3a)
• Chad LaRose has points in each of his last two games (1g, 1a)
• Brendan Woods has assists and points in each of his last two games (0g, 2a)

Injuries

• Greg Nemisz - missed 46 games starting 12/8 (out for season)

Milestones

• Jared Staal is one shy of 100 AHL penalty minutes
• Justin Shugg is three shy of 50 AHL goals
• Drew MacIntyre is two shy of 400 AHL games
• Mike Cornell recorded his 200th AHL penalty minute on 3/25

Transactions

Incoming

• March 21 - (D) Jordan Henry signed to professional tryout contract

Outgoing

• March 24 - (LW) Carter Sandlak assigned to Florida (ECHL)