Game Preview: Checkers at Milwaukee (Jan. 10, 2015)

The Checkers hope to continue what has so far been a relatively successful road trip as they visit the Milwaukee Admirals tonight.

Charlotte, which earned points in each of a two game set in Grand Rapids (1-0-1), closes its four-game season series with Milwaukee tonight. Both teams are coming off Friday night road victories, with the Checkers defeating Grand Rapids 2-1 and Milwaukee besting Rockford by a 1-0 score in overtime.

Following tonight’s game, the Checkers enjoy a few days off before wrapping up their trip with a Tuesday night game in Rockford.

Charlotte

The Checkers still may not be lighting up the score sheet on a regular basis, but they got goals when they needed them on Friday.

Down 1-0 entering the third period against a Grand Rapids team that had defeated them in all three previous meetings this season, Charlotte got goals from Chad LaRose to tie the game early on and a late winner from Brendan Woods to extend its points streak to three games (2-0-1). Making his third straight start, Drew MacIntyre made 29 saves to move into a 10th-place tie with Neil Little on the AHL’s all-time wins list with 203.

With players who have been around for the majority of the season making the difference on Friday, the stage is set for the incoming NHL trio of Zach Boychuk, Michal Jordan and Andrej Nestrasil to provide a further boost tonight. Those three, who all joined from the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, went scoreless in a relatively quiet return to the AHL, with coach Jeff Daniels cautioning before the game that the sudden increase in playing time may require some adjustment. Nestrasil was playing his first game since suffering an injury on Dec. 8, while Boychuk and Jordan foudn their minutes dwindling and became healthy scratches as Carolina began to get players back from injury.

Now back in the AHL, Boychuk and Jordan will return to logging big minutes for a Checkers team that is hoping to reverse course and climb back up the standings. Boychuk automatically becomes the team's biggest offensive threat night in and night outand should certainly provide some help to a floundering Checkers attack. Aside from Boychuk, the team will need to keep seeing production out of their surprising leaders so far this season. Veteran Chad LaRose seems to have found his touch, with his tally last night giving him goals in back to back games and points in nine of his last 11 contests, while guys like Brendan Woods, who netted last night's game-winner, and Phil Di Giusppe continue to hone their game and put points on the board. The return of captain Michal Jordan helps solidify a defensive corps that was employing three rookies and two second-year players.

Drew MacIntyre's talents were on display once again last night and ,unlike several other tiems this season, the Checkers were able to find that extra goal and help MacIntyre pull his record up to 11-11-1. The victory also moved the veteran netminder into a tie for 10th all time on the AHL's career wins list. Earlier this season, MacIntyre became just the 12th goalie in league history to crack 200 wins. He has also earned his team at leasst a point in each of his five starts. With tonight's game being a tough back to back test, it wouldn't be surprising to see John Muse get the nod in goal, but MacIntyre's hot streak might force Daniels to keep going with him.

Despite the disparity in records, the Checkers have enjoyed success against the Admirals this season. Thanks to a two-game sweep in November, Milwaukee is now the only team that the Checkers have a winning record against. They could be catching them at a good time once again, as Charlotte is currently riding a three-game points streak.

Milwaukee

After a hot start that saw them win 11 of their first 14 games this season, Milwaukee has slowed down considerably, but still find themselves locked in 6th place in the Western Conference. The Admirals enter tonight's contest on a three-game winning streak, outscoring their oppnents by a total of 9-3 and sweeping the division-leading Rockford IceHogs.

Unlike the Checkers last oppnent, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee's biggest strength is their defense. The Admirals enter today ranked seventh in the AHL and boast a formidable goalie tandem in Marek Mazanec and Magnus Hellberg. Mazanec has taken more starts and holds an impressive 11-8-3 record, but Hellberg has been stellar in his appearances, logging a goals agaisnt average of 1.89, the third-best mark in the AHL. Hellberg also has a bit of history with the Checkers, as the last time he faced Charlotte, he was ejected from the game after skating the length of the ice to fight John Muse.

Offensively, the Admirals have been paced by a trio of rookies. Brendan Leipsic, Viktor Arvidsson and Pontus Aberg have enjoyed success this season, all recording over 20 points and ranking in the top 13 among AHL rookies in scoring, with Leipsic coming in fourth. Austin Watson has also played a key role for Milwaukee, leading the team with 14 goals, inluding one in each of his last two games.

To keep their winning-streak alive, the Admirals will also be looking for Zach Budish and Joe Pendenza to stay hot. Budish, fresh off a recall from the Cincinatti Cyclones of the ECHL, has recorded three poitns in as many games since returning to the AHL, while Pendenza, a rookie out of UMass-Lowell, has put up three points in his last four games.

Checkers Notes

Against Milwaukee

Tonight concludes the four-game season series between the Checkers and Milwaukee - the first season series the Checkers will completely finish this season. It is the only season series that Charlotte holds a winning record (2-1-0) in to date, having followed up a 6-3 loss in their first game of the season on Oct. 10 with back-to-back wins in Charlotte on Nov. 29 and 30 (5-4 regulation win and 3-2 shootout win, respectively). The last two meetings still mark Charlotte's only consecutive wins of the season. The Checkers own an all-time record of 11-11-1 record against the Admirals dating back to the 2011-12 season, including a 5-6-0 record in Milwaukee.

Rookie defenseman Trevor Carrick leads the Checkers with four points, all assists, against the Admirals this season, while Phil Di Giuseppe, Brock McGinn and Justin Shugg pace the team with two goals apiece. Pontus Aberg (3g, 2a) and Brendan Leipsic (5a) lead the Admirals in scoring against Charlotte.

Both teams have used two goaltenders thus far, with none able to claim a goals-against average under 3.00 or a save percentage above .900. Charlotte's Drew MacIntyre (3.54 GAA, .884 SV%) has both of Charlotte's victories in three appearances, including two starts. Milwaukee's Marek Mazanec is 1-1-1 with a 3.10 GAA and .883 SV%.

The Checkers' highest power-play percentage (25 percent, 2-for-8) and lowest penalty-killing percentage (61.5 percent, 8-for-13) againast any single opponent this season are both against Milwaukee.

Stringing Them Together

The Checkers have points in each of their last three games dating back to Jan. 4 (2-0-1), tying their second-longest streak of the season. A point earned tonight would tie their longest of the campaign, a 3-0-1 stretch from Nov. 29-Dec. 6.

Charlotte will tonight attempt to earn consecutive wins for just the second time this season and first since defeating tonight's opponent, Milwaukee, on Nov. 29 and 30.

LaRose Takes Over

Chad LaRose has goals in each of his last two games dating back to Jan. 7, which coincides with his taking sole possession of the team's scoring lead. He now has 19 points on the season, 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 (84).

Seven of LaRose's nine goals on the season have come in his last 14 games, including a three-game streak from Dec. 18-21 (3g, 1a). He has points in each of his last five road games dating back to Dec. 13 (3g, 2a), tying the second-longest active streak in the AHL.

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 102 points (50g, 52a) in 160 career AHL games with Lowell and Charlotte.

MacIntyre Cracks Top 10

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 11 of the Checkers' 13 wins this season, has picked up three more victories to move into a tie with Neil Little for 10th on the league's all-time list.

MacIntyre, a 31-year-old veteran now playing his 12th professional season with his eighth AHL club, is just 29 wins away from tying Frederic Cassivi for fifth on the all-time wins list. He has a 203-126-24 record, 2.44 goals-against average, .937 save percentage and 16 shutouts in 376 career AHL games dating back to the 2004-05 season. He currently ranks fifth in the league with 661 saves this season.

The Checkers have earned points in each of MacIntyre's last five starts dating back to Dec. 19 (3-0-2).

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 25 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 17th in AHL goal scoring and ranks tied for 14th with an even 20.0 shooting percentage. In terms of points, his 17 on the season trail Chad LaRose by two 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.

A Better Road?

Though still just 4-11-3 on the road this season, including losses in 12 of their last 14 games (2-9-3) dating back to Oct. 25, the Checkers have begun their current four-game trip with points in each of the first two games (1-0-1). It marks just the second time the team has earned points in consecutive road games this season (wins at Chicago and Iowa on Oct. 12 and 24, respectively). The team's 2-1 win in Grand Rapids on Jan. 9 snapped a four-game winless streak (0-2-2) dating back to Dec. 27 that marked the team's second longest of the season (a franchise-record, eight-game, 0-7-1 streak from Oct. 25-Dec. 12).

The team's 11 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 13 of 18 road games this season yet has been within one goal heading into the third period in 12 of those games.

Quick Hits

• The Checkers have scored two goals or less in six of their last seven games (2-2-3 record).
• Charotte's 2-1 win over Grand Rapids on Jan. 9 improved the team to 2-14-2 when trailing after two periods.
• Brendan Woods' 16 points (7g, 9a) in 34 games are double what he produced in 42 games last season.
• Since killing 25 consecutive penalties over parts of eight games, the Checkers have allowed a power-play goal in each of their last two (7-for-10, 70 percent).
• Charlotte's six shorthanded goals are tied for second in the league and are three more than its league-low total from all of last season.
• 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 five starts (Dec. 19-Jan. 9: 3-0-2)
• Chad LaRose has goals and points in each of his last two games (Jan. 7-9: 2g, 0a)
• Alex Aleardi has goals and points in each of his last two games (Jan. 4-7: 2g, 1a)

Injuries

• Gabriel Desjardins - missed three games starting 1/4
• Beau Schmitz - missed 14 games starting 12/10
• Greg Nemisz - missed 15 games starting 12/8 (out for season)
• Brody Sutter - missed 24 games starting 11/15

Milestones

• Zach Boychuk is one shy of 300 AHL games
• 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
• Jared Staal is two shy of 200 AHL games
• Alex Aleardi is three shy of 100 professional games
• Chad LaRose scored his 50th AHL goal on 1/9

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

• None