Game Preview: Checkers at Norfolk (Nov. 27, 2013)

The Checkers play their only road game for the next month as they visit Norfolk for their first meeting against the Admirals this season.

Tonight's game continues the GEICO Challenge Cup competition between the two regional rivals, one that saw Norfolk claim the inaugural prize in 2011-12 before the Checkers returned the favor last season. The cup is awarded to the team with the most head-to-head points at the conclusion of the eight-game season series.

Following tonight's game, the Checkers begin a 10-game home stand at Time Warner Cable Arena on Saturday, one that features two games against these same Admirals on Dec. 15 and 19.

Charlotte

Though the Checkers could very well turn to John Muse, who has started nine of a possible 14 games since rejoining the team on a professional tryout contract on Oct. 23, goaltending was the story of the days leading up to tonight’s match-up.

On Tuesday, the team parted ways with Rick DiPietro, an NHL veteran who had joined the team on a comeback attempt last month. With Mike Murphy still coping with an injury, the Checkers signed Rob Madore, their playoff starter from last season, to a tryout deal, reuniting the three-headed tandem from last spring’s playoff roster.

As was the case last season, the three could very well enter a competition for the team’s No. 1 role, one that is likely to remain up for grabs for as long as the Carolina Hurricanes hang on to Justin Peters. For now, whoever is in net will aim to help the team build some forward momentum after it ended its franchise-record losing streak on Saturday only to fall to Rockford in Sunday’s rematch.

“I like the way we practiced today, and I thought we played two good games last weekend and just have to stick with the positives and build off that,” said coach Jeff Daniels on Tuesday, adding that he felt his team played better in Sunday’s loss than it did in Saturday’s win. “We’re a different team than the team that was on the streak just by adding Chris Terry and (Philippe) Cornet. They bring us a lot of confidence and ability up front.”

Upon his return from Carolina last week, Terry immediately became a featured player in all situations, which should continue to be the case as long as he doesn’t let something of a prolonged scoring drought – three AHL games and seven NHL games combined dating back to the end of a nine-game streak with the Checkers on Oct. 31 – get to his head.

“He wants to be a guy that produces but he can’t press when things aren’t going in for him right now,” said Daniels following Sunday’s game. “He’ll settle in and produce for us, but it’s just got to happen without him pressing.”

Meanwhile, Cornet, who had been playing with Madore in ECHL Cincinnati before coming over in a trade with San Antonio last week, had three points (1g, 2a) in his first two games with Charlotte.

“He’s not going to be a flashy player out there. He’s the guy that wins the battles in the corners,” said Daniels of Cornet. “He’s told us that all of his goals come from in front of the net on rebounds and deflections, and that’s what we’re looking for.”

The Checkers will be without center Sean Dolan, who has returned to his home in St. Louis to attend to a family matter. All-Star defenseman Michal Jordan, who has missed the last three games due to injury, was originally thought to have a chance of returning this week but has not yet skated, with Daniels saying that he will be out for an indefinite amount of time.

“He’s our go-to guy in all situations,” said Daniels of Jordan. “He started the year on our top power-play unit and is the first guy over the boards killing penalties against top lines. He plays the most minutes probably of anyone, so it’s a huge loss for us. Other guys have to step up and take advantage.”

Norfolk

Though the Checkers have not met Norfolk in the regular season, the two teams did clash for two exhibition games in September, with each team winning the home leg of a back-to-back set. That’s more or less how the rest of the season has gone for the Admirals, who enter tonight’s game with a 9-6-4 record that is good for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

No AHL team can claim to have a wider discrepancy between its offensive (26th) and defensive rankings (t-2nd), both of which check in at an identical 2.42. Norfolk’s top scorer is defenseman Alex Grant, who has 12 points in 18 games, including five in his last three. Center Peter Holland previously held that honor with nine points in 10 games but has since joined the Toronto Maple Leafs via trade.

“They’re a bit like us where they’re a little bit young up front,” said Daniels of Norfolk, which has a whopping eight rookie forwards on its active roster. “Their goaltending has been good all year long, they’ve got veteran guys on the back end. They’re always a hard-working, physical team and we expect the same thing (tonight).”

Few AHL teams could have boasted the kind of goaltending depth that Norfolk started out with, with former Carolina Hurricanes prospect Frederik Anderson starting off as the No. 1 option before joining Anaheim, where he has gone 6-1-0 with a 1.66 goals-against average and .943 save percentage. Though his loss could have been a blow for Norfolk, it has resulted in highly-touted prospect John Gibson taking the reins.

Playing in all but one of Norfolk’s 16 games since Andersen’s departure, Gibson, a 20-year-old, second-round pick in 2011 who led the United States to the gold medal at the most recent World Junior Championship. He leads the AHL with a .937 save percentage and ranks fifth with a 2.03 goals-against average, and his two shutouts are tied with Muse and Albany’s Keith Kinkaid for the league lead.

Forward Zack Stortini, a former NHL enforcer who was active after the whistles in the exhibition game in Charlotte, ranks second in the league with 89 penalty minutes and first with 11 majors. His 257 NHL games rank third on the team behind 32-year-old defenseman Garnet Exelby and 31-year-old center Dave Steckel, who played 419 with Washington, New Jersey, Toronto and Anaheim.

Checkers Notes

Floodgates Open

After scoring five goals in his first six games this season, defenseman Mark Flood broke a 10-game drought with goals in back-to-back games against Rockford over the weekend. That gave him a team-leading seven goals, good for second among all AHL defensemen, while his four power-play goals are tied for second in that category. Flood scored a total of four points (2g, 2a) in the two weekend games, more than any other Checkers player during that time.

Flood, who scored one goal in 52 games in the Russian KHL last season, is already closing in on his AHL career high of 11 set in 63 games with Manitoba in the 2010-11 campaign.

Goalies Galore

Should Rob Madore, who signed a professional tryout contract with the Checkers on Friday, get into the lineup, he would become the seventh goaltender used by the Checkers this season. The team's current total of six, which was achieved in just eight games, is already a franchise record and is at least one more than any other AHL team (Oklahoma City has used five).

Goaltenders to play at least one game for the Checkers this season are Justin Peters, Mike Murphy, Jesse Deckert, John Muse, Allen York and Rick DiPietro.

Welcome to the Club

Forward Philippe Cornet, a former AHL All-Star acquried via trade with San Antonio on Friday, recorded three points (1g, 2a) in his first two games as a Checker over the weekend, tying him with Zach Boychuk (1g, 2a) and Justin Shugg (2g, 1a) for second-most on the team behind Mark Flood (2g, 2a) during that time.

Cornet, who was playing with ECHL Cincinnati at the time of the trade, now has 97 points (47g, 50a) in 183 career AHL games with Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Charlotte - all members of the current West Division.

Offense Comes to Life

After scoring nine total goals in a six-game span from Nov. 7-19, the Checkers scored a total of eight goals in two games against Rockford over the weekend. That tied the most the team has scored in any two-game set this season, with Charlotte scoring five times against Rockford on Oct. 31 and three times against San Antonio on Nov. 2. The Checkers have scored a season-high five goals on four separate occasions this season.

Power Surge

Charlotte's four power-play goals on Saturday were a season high and fell just one short of the team record of five, set in Milwaukee on Feb. 16 of last season. It marked the third time this season that the Checkers have scored three or more power-play goals in a single game.

The Checkers have now scored at least one power-play goal in five of their last six games (9-for-31 - 29 percent), pulling them into fifth place in the AHL with a a 22.3 percent success rate for the season.

Against Norfolk

In 28 previous meetings between Charlotte and Norfolk, the Checkers have a record of 14-11-3, including a mark of 5-3-0 last season. The teams were formerly East Division rivals in the Checkers' inaugural AHL season in 2010-11, with Norfolk just one of two Eastern Conference teams (Hershey) that the Checkers have played since moving to the Western Conference the following season.

Divided Division

In 18 games, the Checkers have played against their own division, the West, just three times (2-1-0) and will not play another game against a West team until hosting San Antonio on Dec. 10. No other AHL team has played fewer games within its own division.

Quick Hits

• Charlotte's active three-game regulation losing streak on the road is the longest in franchise history
• The Checkers' penalty kill held Rockford off the board in five total chances over the weekend, marking just the third time it has prevented a power-play goal in consecutive games this season
• Charlotte has both scored (19) and allowed (23) more goals in the third period than in any other period
• Prior to this season (eight losses), the Checkers had not lost more than three games during the month of November in any of their three previous AHL seasons
• The Checkers' one overtime game is tied with Iowa for the fewest in the league
• Charlotte is one of three teams that have yet to score a shorthanded goal

Player Streaks

• Mark Flood has goals, assists and points in each of his last two games (Nov. 23-24: 2g, 2a)
• Justin Shugg has points in each of his last two games (Nov. 23-24: 2g, 1a)
• Philippe Cornet has points in each of his last two games (Nov. 23-24: 1g, 2a)

Milestones

• Philippe Cornet recorded his first point as a Checker on Nov. 23 and his first goal as a Checker on Nov. 24.
• Nicolas Blanchard is 2 goals away from 25 Checkers goals

Transactions

Incoming

• Nov. 26 - (G) Rob Madore signed to professional tryout contract
• Nov. 22 - (LW) Chris Terry assigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)
• Nov. 22 - (LW) Philippe Cornet acquired from San Antonio

Outgoing

• Nov. 26 - (G) Rick DiPietro released from professional tryout contract
• Nov. 22 - (C) Elias Lindholm recalled to Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte
• Nov. 22 - (RW) Adam Brace traded to San Antonio