Game Preview: Checkers at Norfolk (Nov. 26, 2014)

After a string of strong performances with nothing to show for it in the standings, the Checkers are aiming for a better result tonight against the Norfolk Admirals.

The team is currently riding a five-game road winless streak as they head to Norfolk for the first time this season. It’s the longest skid that the team has seen since it dropped the final five games of last season and is one short of the franchise record set in the 2011-12 campaign. On the other side, the Admirals haven’t had much success of late either, losing three of their last four on home ice and five of their last six overall.

Following tonight’s contest, the Checkers will see a five-game home stand, beginning with Saturday’s Hornets Night against the Milwaukee Admirals.

Charlotte

It has been a tough stretch as of late for the Checkers. Over the last five games, they are 1-3-1 despite only being out-scored 14-17 and outshooting their opponents 157-139. In each of the four losses, the Checkers have been within one goal in the third period, but could not come through with the clutch goal.

The one bright spot during that run was last Tuesday when they hosted the Admirals for the teams' first meeting of the year and ran them out of the building, crushing them 6-2. It marked the most dominating win of the year for the Checkers and the only win in that five-game stretch. But despite the markedly better outcome, the effort level remained the same it has been all along.

“Really not much different from what we’ve been doing,” said head coach Jeff Daniels, comparing that victory with other recent results. “We capitalized on some of our chances, and that was difference from that game to the games on the weekend. We played the same way and got the same type of chances, and that night they went in and other nights they haven’t.”

The Checkers will have a welcome addition for Wednesday’s game as the Carolina Hurricanes assigned Chris Terry to Charlotte for a conditioning stint. The franchise’s all-time leader in goals, assists and points will make his first appearance in the AHL this season after tallying seven points in 17 games with the Hurricanes, including five in his first five games. His offensive prowess will hopefully spark some of the Checkers’ young talent who have been struggling to put the puck in the net.

Going up against the same team that they buried just a week ago should be a good opportunity for the Checkers to get back on track on the road, but Daniels warns that they can’t take them lightly.

“We’re going to see a stronger team tomorrow with a couple of additions down from Anaheim and we’ve got to be on top of our game.”

After Drew MacIntyre started 11 of the first 13 games in goal for the Checkers, the team has alternated between him and John Muse for the last four games. Should that trend continue, it would be MacIntyre’s turn between the pipes tonight. The veteran’s last start saw him allow five goals in a loss at OKC, while Muse’s last start featured him giving up two goals in a losing effort as well.

The Checkers' four injured forwards - Patrick Brown, Ben Holmstrom, Jared Staal and Brody Sutter - will remain out tonight, though Daniels believes Holmstrom has a chance to return at home this weekend.

Norfolk

The Admirals share many of the same woes as the Checkers as of late. They are one of only two teams with a worse goals per game average than Charlotte and rank dead last in goals against per game. In their last five games, Norfolk is just 1-4-0 and has been outscored 22-9.

They will receive some help for Wednesday’s game, however. Emerson Etem and William Karlsson were both assigned to Norfolk from Anaheim earlier in the week, and both players bring some offensive firepower with them. Etem, a first-round pick in 2010, racked up 54 points in 50 games last season with the Admirals, and Karlsson is entering his rookie season after leading his Swedish team in scoring a year ago.

Norfolk also got back Chris Wagner, as he was returned after a stint with the Ducks. Wagner’s seven goals and 10 points both lead the Admirals, despite him only appearing in 10 games so far this season. Wagner, Brad Winchester and Nic Kerdiles have accounted for 28 of Norfolk’s 38 total goals in 2014-15.

The Admirals’ biggest struggle has been between the pipes, as the duo of Igor Bobkov and Yann Danis have combined to go just 2-7 so far this season. Both netminders sport goals-against averages well above three and save percentages below .900. In fact, Bobkov ranks last in the AHL in both categories.

Checkers Notes

Against Norfolk

Tonight marks the second of eight meetings against Norfolk - the only Eastern Conference team the Checkers play this season. Including a 6-2 victory in Charlotte on Nov. 18 that marked their best offensive showing of the season and most recent win, the Checkers have an all-time record of 20-14-3 against their former East Division rival. Charlotte has won the season series in three of their four AHL seasons, with the exception coming in Norfolk's Calder Cup campaign in 2011-12. The Checkers have an all-time record of 8-7-2 in Norfolk, including regulation losses in three of their last four visits.

Greg Nemisz led the Checkers with three points (2g, 1a) in the first meeting with Norfolk, with A.J. Jenks and Chad LaRose also enjoying multi-point efforts with two assists apiece. John Muse stopped 26 of 28 shots to earn his first and only victory of the season. Chris Terry, who is expected to play his first AHL game of the season tonight, led the Checkers with eight points (4g, 4a) in eight games against the Admirals last season.

Norfolk's John Kurtz and Antoine Laganiere scored in the previous meeting agains the Checkers, while Yann Danis allowed six goals on 27 shots to take the loss.

Road Weary

Saturday's loss at Oklahoma City runs the Checkers' current road-winless streak to five games. Their last win away from Time Warner Cable Arena occured at Iowa on Oct. 24. During this drought, opponents have out-scored the Checkers 19-9.

The five-game skid is tied for the second longest current road-winless streak in the AHL. It is also the team's longest since finishing last season with five consecutive regulation losses away from home. The Checkers could tonight tie the longest in franchise history set from Feb. 18-March 25, 2012 (0-2-4).

The Return Of Shugg

After missing eight games following an injury at Chicago on Oct. 12, forward Justin Shugg recorded goals and points in each of his first four games back in the lineup (4g, 1a). He now ranks second on the team with five goals despite playing just eight games.

Shugg's four-game goal streak was the longest by a Checkers skater since Chris Terry scored in five straight from March 12-21 of last season (6g, 1a). It is tied for the longest streak posted by an AHL player at any point this season. It was the longest streak of Shugg's career, while his point streak was one shy of his career long set from Jan. 12-20, 2013 (1g, 4a).

Nemisz On Fire

After recording one point, an assist, in his first five games, Checkers forward Greg Nemisz has posted 12 (8g, 4a) in his last 11 games, including two game-winning goals. He now leads the Checkers in points (13) and goals (eight).

Since the Hurricanes acquired Nemisz from the Calgary Flames organization last season, the 24-year-old, first-round draft choice in 2008 now has 24 points (11g, 13a) in 30 games with Charlotte, giving him more points than he scored in his previous 87 games with the Abbotsford Heat (19).

Offensive Struggles

The Checkers, who average 2.37 goals per game thus far (28th AHL), have been held to a single goal or less in seven of their 16 games this season, all resulting in a loss, and have scored more than two goals six times. In their most recent game at Oklahoma City on Nov. 22, they suffered their first shutout of the season despite firing a season-high 36 shots on goal.

Two of the four lowest shot totals seen in the AHL this season belong to the Checkers, who took a franchise-record 15 against Chicago on Oct. 11. Their single shot in the first period of that game also set a franchise record and is tied for the lowest single-period total seen in the league this season. The Checkers also rank 25th in the AHL with an average of 27.5 shots per contest.

Emptyhanded Improvements

Including their shutout loss to Oklahoma City in their most recent game on Nov. 22, the Checkers scored 13 goals in their last four games but only came away with one victory. The Checkers have out-shot their opponents in seven of their last 10 contests but are just 3-6-1 in that span.

McGinn Breaks Through

After posting just one assist in seven games from Oct. 25-Nov. 18 despite numerous scoring chances, rookie forward Brock McGinn posted career highs with two goals and three points against Oklahoma City on Saturday. Those totals tied Greg Nemisz for the highest posted by a Checkers skater this season.

McGinn, a 43-goal scorer for the OHL's Guelph Storm last season, now leads the Checkers with 40 shots on goal. He has taken four or more shots in four of his last five games.

Quick Hits

• Charlotte's 36 shots on goal in their last game at Oklahoma City on Nov. 22 marked their highest total of the season
• The Checkers' 16 games played and seven home games played are tied for the second-fewest in the league.
• Forward Chad LaRose leads the league in shorthanded assists (3) and is tied for the lead in shorthanded points (3)
• Forward Greg Nemisz ranks fifth in the AHL in shooting percentage (32.0%)
• Forward Kyle Hagel is tied for the AHL lead in major penalties (6)
• Defenseman Rasmus Rissanen is tied for second among AHL defensemen in minor penalties (12)
• Defenseman Trevor Carrick is tied for third in major penalties among rookies (3)
• Forward Carter Sandlak is ranked fifth in penalty minutes among AHL rookies (35)

Injuries

• Ben Holmstrom - missed eight games starting 11/2
• Patrick Brown - missed six game starting 11/10
• Brody Sutter - missed four game starting 11/15
• Jared Staal - missed three games starting 11/18

Milestones

• Greg Nemisz played his 250th professional game on 11/21
• Keegan Lowe recorded his 100th AHL/professional penalty minute on 11/21
• Kyle Hagel recorded his 900th professional penalty minute against Norfolk on 11/18

Transactions

Incoming

• Nov. 25 - (LW) Chris Terry assigned to Charlotte on a conditioning loan from Carolina (NHL)
• Nov. 18 - (LW) Gabriel Desjardins signed to professional tryout contract from Florida (ECHL)

Outgoing

• Nov. 25 - (RW) Alex Aleardi assigned to Florida (ECHL) from Charlotte
• Nov. 25 - (D) Michal Jordan recalled to Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte