Game Preview: Checkers vs. Milwaukee (Nov. 30, 2014)

The Checkers hope to build on their recent home success and pick up consecutive victories for the first time this season as they host the second of two games against the Milwaukee Admirals at 1 p.m.

A back-and-forth game with a little bit of everything (a three goal comeback, penalty shot, line brawl and goalie fight, and a last-minute, game-winning goal, to be exact) saw the Checkers prevail 5-4 against the Admirals on Saturday, evening the season series between the two clubs at one win apiece. Charlotte has now won three straight on home ice, a stark contrast to their active six-game winless skid on the road.

Today’s game is the second of a five-game home stand will also see the Checkers play Norfolk (Dec. 2) and Iowa (Dec. 6 and 8).

Charlotte

The Checkers’ recent fluctuations in offensive success continued on Saturday as they hung five on the league’s best defensive team despite entering the matchup with one goal in their previous two games. Five different Checkers (Chris Terry, Justin Shugg, Ben Holmstrom, Brock McGinn and Phil Di Giuseppe) found the back of the net, with rookie defenseman Trevor Carrick chipping in three assists.

“No matter who we’re playing we needed to score goals and it was good for some guys to step up and get some big goals,” said Daniels following the game. “They [Milwaukee] are a team that doesn’t give up a whole lot, so we talked this morning about how when we get those chances we’ve got to capitalize. I thought for the most part we did.”

The Checkers now have eight goals in their two games against Milwaukee, which entered Saturday's game averaging just two allowed per contest. They scored three of their goals against Magnus Hellberg, who had a 0.96 goals-against average heading into this weekend’s series.

Aside from the offensive showing, Saturday’s game was an eventful one. Milwaukee scored three second-period, power-play goals to erase an early 3-0 deficit, with the teams again trading goals following a wild sequence in the third period that saw goalies Hellberg and John Muse ejected for fighting. Di Giuseppe provided the winner with 1:30 remaining.

“I think it’s the biggest win of the season so far especially with the last three games there,” said Carrick, whose team ended a three-game slide. “I thought the work ethic was there in the last three but we just weren’t getting the bounces we wanted. Tonight it paid off and the boys are pretty happy in the room right now.”

All eyes will also be on a potential continuation of Saturday’s rough stuff.

“The emotions were running pretty high there and (Sunday) is going to be a good test for us,” said Carrick. “I think the game today is going to carry on into tomorrow and it should be pretty physical and pretty heated. Those are the fun kind of games so I’m looking forward to it.”

With Muse starting the first game, Drew MacIntyre, who picked up the win despite allowing one goal on two shots in just 9:16 of playing time, could very well get the second today. Another potential lineup changes could involve defenseman Ryan Murphy, who sat out with an illness on Saturday. Forwards Kyle Jean and Carter Sandlak are available after sitting out as healthy extras.

Following Saturday’s game, Daniels said that he had no concerns over Holmstrom, who scored on a penalty shot and posted a game-high, plus-3 rating in his first game since Oct. 31, even though the alternate captain appeared to be in some pain during the third period.

Milwaukee

Always a tough team to crack defensively, the Admirals on Saturday showed why they own one of the league’s best records at 12-5-0 with an impressive display of skill up front.

Rookie Pontus Aberg notched a goal and two assists, including a pair of power-play strikes in the second period to tie the game, to total five points (3g, 2a) in two games against the Checkers this season. He is one of three first-year players among the Admirals’ top four scorers, with Brendan Leipsic (2a) and Viktor Arvidsson also making an impact on Saturday. Aberg is now tied for the lead among AHL rookies with eight goals.

Though they came out of the third period’s wild scrum with a power play, the Checkers will be hoping to show more discipline in terms of staying out of the penalty box in today’s rematch. Three of the Admirals’ four goals were on the man advantage.

“(Our) PK had an off night tonight, but at the same time you watch them out there and watch Milwaukee, they were moving the puck pretty good and making some nice plays,” said Daniels. “They’ve got a lot of skill up there and tonight was a night where they capitalized.”

Saturday’s showing improved the Admirals to 20.3 percent on the power play this season. It also dropped the Checkers from 13th to 22nd on the penalty kill.

Hellberg’s ejection on Saturday prevented him from suffering his first regulation loss of the season (6-0-1) while pushing his goals-against average to a still-league-leading 1.23. Mazanec, who stopped six of eight shots to take the loss in relief, is 6-5-0 with a 2.57 GAA and .910 save percentage.

Checkers Notes

Against Milwaukee

Tonight marks the third of four meetings between the Checkers and Milwaukee this season, including the Admirals' 6-3 victory on Oct. 10 and Charlotte's 5-4 triumph on Saturday. Charlotte now owns a 10-11-1 record against Milwaukee dating back to the 2011-12 season.

Rookie defenseman Trevor Carrick leads the Checkers with four points, all assists, against the Admirals this season, while Phil Di Giuseppe and Justin Shugg pace the team with two goals apiece. Pontus Aberg leads the Admirals with three goals and five points against Charlotte, with Brendan Leipsic (0g, 4a) following close behind.

Both teams have used two goaltenders thus far, with Charlotte's Drew MacIntyre (5.25 goals-against average, .786 save percentage against Milwaukee) and Milwaukee's Marek Mazanec (4.38 GAA, .857 SV%) picking up the victories for their respective squads.

Searching for Victories

The Checkers enter tonight's game looking to post consecutive victories for the first time this season and first time since sweeping a two-game set with Oklahoma City on March 29-30 of last season. Saturday's victory over Milwaukee ended a season-long, three-game regulation losing skid.

Charlotte's six victories tie the lowest total through 18 games in any of the team's five AHL seasons, a mark set when they posted an idential 6-11-1 mark one year ago.

Home and Road

Though the Checkers are winless in each of their last six road games (0-5-1) dating back to Oct. 25, tying a franchise record set from Feb. 18-March 25, 2012 (0-2-4), and marking the second-longest active streak in the AHL, they have wins in three straigt and four of their last five at Time Warner Cable Arena since Nov. 2.

Entering tonight's game, the second of a five-game home stand, Checkers eight home games were tied for the fewest in the AHL (Toronto).

Feast or Famine

In the Checkers' last five games, they have scored four or more goals three times and scored one or fewer twice. For the season, they rank 29th in the AHL with an average of 2.33 goals per outing.

Charlotte is the only AHL team to have just one player reach double digits in terms of points (Greg Nemisz - 14).

Shorthanded Firepower

The Checkers' four shorthanded goals are tied for the second-most in the league and are one more than their league-low total from all of last season.

Chad LaRose leads the league in shorthanded assists and is tied for the lead in shorthanded points (3). Greg Nemisz' two shorthanded goals are tied for the most in the league.

Penalty Shot

Ben Holmstrom's shorthanded goal on Saturday marked the Checkers' first penalty shot goal since Dec. 20, 2011, when Jon Matsumoto scored against Oklahoma City's David LeNeveu. Holmstrom's goal was just the team's second attempt since then, with Chris Terry missing an opportunity against Abbotsford's Joni Ortio on Feb. 16 of last season.

In their five AHL seasons, the Checkers have three goals in eight penalty-shot attempts.

Quick Hits

• After failing to out-shoot an opponent in each of their first six games, the Checkers have won the shots battle in eight of their last 12.
• Trevor Carrick's three assists on Saturday were the most by a Checker this season and marked his first career multi-point game
• Milwaukee's three power-play goals on Saturday were the most the Checkers have given up all season. They dropped Charlotte's penalty killing percentage from 83.3 percent (13th AHL) to 80.7 percent (22nd).
• Greg Nemisz ranks fifth in AHL shooting percentage at 29.6, while Justin Shugg ranks tied for 12th at 25.0.
• Brendan Woods' seven points (2g, 5a) in 18 games are just one shy from his total from 42 games last season.
• Keegan Lowe has 41 penalty minutes in his last four games, including two games misconducts
• Forward Kyle Hagel leads the AHL lead in major penalties (8)
• Rasmus Rissanen leads AHL defensemen and ranks third in the AHL overall with 15 minor penalties.
• Charlotte's two overtime games are tied for the fewest in the league.

Injuries

• Patrick Brown - missed eight games starting 11/10
• Brody Sutter - missed six games starting 11/15
• Jared Staal - missed five games starting 11/18

Streaks

• Phil Di Giuseppe has assists and points in each of his last two games (Nov. 26-29: 1g, 2a)

Milestones

• Justin Shugg is one shy of 50 professional goals
• Chad LaRose is one shy of 400 professional penalty minutes and three shy of 100 AHL penalty minutes
• Kyle Hagel is two shy of 300 professional games played
• Chris Terry recorded his 300th AHL point with a first-period goal on Nov. 29
• Beau Schmitz played his 50th AHL game on Nov. 29

Transactions

Incoming

• Nov. 25 - (LW) Chris Terry assigned to Charlotte on a conditioning loan from Carolina (NHL)

Outgoing

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