Game Preview: Checkers vs. Iowa (Oct. 20, 2013)

The Checkers will look to earn a split on home-opening weekend as they host a rematch with the Iowa Wild this afternoon at 1:30 p.m.

The Wild took a 3-1 victory in the first game of the season at Time Warner Cable Arena, dropping Charlotte’s overall record to 2-1-0. With the Checkers unable to break through the Iowa defense and goalie Johan Gustafsson for much of the game, Chris Terry scored the lone goal for the Checkers, who lost their home opener for the first time in the last three seasons.

Following tonight’s game, the Checkers prepare to depart for a six-game road trip that will mark their longest of the season in terms of consecutive days away from home. They will not play another home contest until Nov. 7.

Charlotte

In a tightly-contested game against two disciplined teams, the Checkers were left disappointed that they were unable to capitalize on more of their scoring chances in Saturday’s loss.

“There were a couple of times where guys could have shot, especially that two-on-one I had in the third period,” said forward Zach Boychuk, referring specifically to a promising odd-man rush with Aaron Palushaj that did not produce a shot on goal. "We had our chances, we just weren't getting to the net for those rebounds and bearing down."

“We didn’t score enough, but I thought the effort was there,” said coach Jeff Daniels. “You also have to give (Iowa) credit. They played a real solid road game, not giving up a lot of shots and limiting those opportunities.”

Despite a handful of good chances either missing the net or getting blocked on their way through, the Checkers still threw 34 shots at goalie Johan Gustafsson, with Terry’s goal – a one-time blast from the right circle with six minutes remaining – the only one that went in. From that point, the Checkers and a crowd of just over 9,000 seemed to gain confidence from getting within one goal of the Wild, but an insurance goal from Zack Phillips sealed the 3-1 defeat.

“The fans were just waiting for something to cheer about,” said Terry, whose two goals are tied with defenseman Mark Flood for the team lead. “When I came back to the bench the boys were fired up and were all positive through everything. It gave the guys hope that he was beatable and we could score.”

The Checkers, who scored three goals in each of their previous two games, will hope that carries over into today’s rematch. That will be particularly true of the power play, which has started the season by converting just one of its first 13 opportunities.

Goalie Mike Murphy could very well make his third consecutive start, with Jesse Deckert, recalled from ECHL Florida earlier in the week to replace Justin Peters, awaiting his AHL debut. Forward Adam Brace and defenseman Beau Schmitz are also available after sitting out Saturday’s game as healthy extras.

Iowa

Thanks to timely shot blocking and timely saves, the Wild showed on Saturday why it’s one of the AHL’s stingiest teams to start the season. Including that victory, which improved its record to a 2-1-0 mark identical to that of the Checkers, it has given up just five goals in its first three games for a 1.67 goals-against average that ranks second in the league.

Last season’s version of the Wild, the since-relocated Houston Aeros that featured many of the same players, ranked in the AHL’s top 10 with a GAA of 2.62.

“Both teams are built the same way,” said Daniels following Saturday’s game. “Neither team gives up much.”

Gustafsson, a 21-year-old playing just his second career AHL game after spending the last two seasons in Sweden, started Saturday despite Darcy Kuemper coming back from the NHL’s version of the Wild in Minnesota. That game continued an excellent start to the 2010 sixth-round pick’s AHL career, as he picked up a shutout in Iowa’s first game of the season and has now stopped 60 of 61 shots against.

Kuemper, 23, got the start in Iowa’s second game, making 28 of 32 saves in a loss to Oklahoma City. He has also played one game for Minnesota, giving up three goals on just seven shots against Toronto before the team removed him from the game, which the Maple Leafs won by a 4-1 score despite being out-shot by a 37-14 margin.

The Wild will again be without top forward Jason Zucker, who will serve the second of a two-game suspension for checking to the head. Zucker had two assists in his first two games this season.

In his stead, player like Zack Phillips, a 2011 first-round draft pick who scored the impressive insurance goal on Saturday, will be entrusted to lead the offense.

Checkers Notes

Terry Strikes First

With his goal in the Checkers' 3-1 defeat to Iowa on Saturday, Chris Terry holds the distinction of having scored the team's first road and home goals of the 2013-14 season. Terry, who led the team in scoring in each of the last two seasons, scored on the team's first shot of the season less than one minute into the team's first game at Oklahoma City on Oct. 4. He is the only player on the team's roster to score at least one point in each of the team's first three games (2g, 1a).

Seldom Used

Thanks to a recently-completed, 14-day break that marked the longest in team history, the Checkers are one of just six AHL teams that have played three or fewer games. Only Worcester, which has played twice, has played less.

Major Plus

Checkers defenseman Rasmus Rissanen leads the Checkers with a plus-5 rating that is at least two points better than any of his teammates. That mark is also tied for ninth in the AHL and tied for fourth among league defensemen. He has yet to be on the ice for an even-strength goal against.

Late Goals

Of the seven total goals that the Checkers have allowed this season, five were scored in third periods. The third period is the only period in which the team has a negative goal differential thus far (three goals for, five against).

New Faces

Six players - forwards Adam Brace, Manny Malhotra, Aaron Palushaj and defensemen Matt Corrente, Mark Flood and Keegan Lowe - have made their Checkers debuts this season. Brace and Lowe also made their AHL debuts, while Lowe made his professional debut.

The Checkers have used five rookies - Brace, Lowe, forwards Victor Rask and Brendan Woods and defenseman Danny Biega.

Against the Wild

The Checkers lost their first-ever game against the Iowa Wild on Saturday, but they have a longer history against the since-relocated Houston franchise that had many of the same players. The Checkers went 6-5-1 against Houston over the last two campaigns, including a 5-2-1 mark last season when the two faced off eight times as South Division rivals.

Player Streaks

• Chris Terry has points in each of his last three games (Oct. 4-19; 2g, 1a)

Transactions

Incoming

• Oct. 16 - (G) Jesse Deckert recalled to Charlotte from Florida (ECHL)

Outgoing

• Oct. 14 - (G) Justin Peters recalled to Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte