Game Preview: Checkers vs. Norfolk (Feb. 16, 2015)

The Checkers could hardly wait to return from an unusual weekend off as they prepare to host an early 4 p.m. game against the Norfolk Admirals this evening.

Following the only week that saw the team inactive on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the first time this season, today’s start has been pushed up three hours due to the threat of inclement weather in the Charlotte area. Despite the break, the Checkers will be looking to keep up some recently improved play that saw them pick up a win in Lake Erie last week, while the Admirals will attempt to pick up their third straight victory.

Today’s game begins a stretch of three home games in four days for the Checkers, who host the Iowa Wild on Wednesday and Thursday.

Charlotte

Having been less than impressed with his team’s play following longer breaks between games – the Checkers struggled out of the gate from the late-December holiday hiatus and again from the All-Star break last month – coach Jeff Daniels felt his team took a turn in the right direction in Lake Erie last week.

“I thought we played real well on Tuesday night – one of our better games,” said Daniels of a 2-1 victory that halted a season-long streak of four straight regulation losses. “We were skating, moving the puck, making plays and got a win.

“The next night (Thursday’s 3-2 loss), I thought we were good for the first half of the game but kind of got sloppy and couldn’t get that third goal. They kept coming and got us back on our heels and we couldn’t recover.”

Thursday’s loss prevented the team from winning consecutive games for just the second time this season. With the playoff race heating up, they know they’ll have to win many more than two in a row, with this week’s home stand against teams also near the bottom of the conference standings a good place to start.

“We’re getting better every day,” said forward Alex Aleardi. “The last two games were our best since the break, so if we get on a run here anything can happen. I’ve seen crazier things for sure.”

With nine points in 12 games since returning from an ECHL stint with the Florida Everblades on Jan. 4, Aleardi has been a pleasant surprise for the Checkers. He recorded a point on three of the four goals the Checkers scored in Lake Erie, providing a rare spark for a team that still ranks last in the AHL in goals (103) and goals per game (2.10).

“It’s good to have a guy that can provide that, but we need a few more guys going like him,” said Daniels of Aleardi.

It’s possible that Brendan Woods, the team’s third-highest scorer with 18 points, could be one of those guys. The second-year forward may return to action this week after missing the last six contests with an injury suffered just prior to the All-Star break. He has been practicing fully with the team of late, with the team’s release of tryout signing Jason Bast suggesting that Woods may be ready to take that spot at center.

Norfolk

If there’s a team that sympathizes with the Checkers’ struggles on offense, it’s their regional rival from Norfolk.

The Admirals occupy the 29th spot in terms of goals per game at 2.16, just a hair above Charlotte, and were able to win their last two games despite scoring just twice in each. Of AHL scoring leaders, Norfolk’s Nic Kerdilies (26 points), is the only player fewer than the Checkers’ top gun, Chad LaRose (27).

As a result, the teams also find themselves in similar situations in the standings. They both occupy the 14 seed in the respective conferences, though Norfolk’s gap (10 points) is considerably narrower than that of the Checkers (17).

Former ECHL Checker Jason Labarbera earned each of the Admirals’ last two wins, stopping 38 of 39 shots over two games as his team stifled the Syracuse offense in both. He’s likely to be in goal again tonight as Norfolk, which has seen excellent goaltenders rotate in and out of their lineup in the last few seasons, has utilized the 35-year-old veteran ahead of rookie Ryan Faragher for each of its last three games.

William Karlsson was the hero of the Admirals most recent game, a home win over Syracuse, as he tied the game in the second period and then sent it to overtime. No other Norfolk skater can claim to have any kind of momentum going, including former NHL All-Star Dany Heatley, who has five points (2g, 3a) in 20 AHL games as he attempts to come back from a groin injury.

Checkers Notes

Against Norfolk

Tonight marks the fifth of eight meetings against Norfolk - the only Eastern Conference team the Checkers play this season. Including a 1-2-2 record this season, the Checkers have an all-time mark of 21-15-5 against their former East Division rival, including an 11-7-2 mark at home.

Of active Checkers, Chad LaRose and Brendan Woods lead the team with three points (2g, 1a) each against Norfolk this season. John Muse has started three games, going 1-1-1 with a 2.57 goals-against average and .922 save percentage, while Drew MacIntyre is 0-1-1 with a 2.86 GAA and .921 SV%.

Nic Kerdiles leads the Admirals in scoring against the Checkers this season with six points (3g, 3a) in five games. Neither Jason LaBarbera, who played 48 games for the ECHL Checkers from 2000-02, nor Ryan Faragher have faced the Checkers this season.

Welcome Back Alex

Since returning from the ECHL's Florida Everblades on Jan. 4, forward Alex Aleardi has posted nine points (5g, 4a) in 12 games, including three in his last two (2g, 1a). Even though Aleardi did not dress for four games since that recall, he ranks second on the Checkers in scoring during that time, trailing Chad LaRose (16 games) by one point.

Aleardi, an undrafted forward who the Checkers signed to an AHL contract during the offseason, has 32 points (15g, 17a) in 69 career AHL contests with Springfield and Charlotte. He scored 19 points (8g, 11a) in 16 ECHL games with the Everblades this season.

MacIntyre's Workload

Checkers goalie Drew MacIntyre, who has started six of the Checkers' last seven games, ranks fifth in the AHL in minutes played (1,935) and third in saves (940). With 34 games played, he would only have to appear in 14 of the Checkers' last 27 to tie the single-season club record set by Justin Pogge in the inaugural 2010-11 campaign.

MacIntyre, a 31-year-old veteran now playing his 12th professional season with his eighth AHL club, ranks 10th on the league's all-time wins list with 205 and is just 27 wins away from tying Frederic Cassivi for fifth. He has a 205-134-25 record, 2.45 goals-against average, .936 save percentage and 16 shutouts in 387 career AHL games dating back to the 2004-05 season.

LaRose Takes Over

During a current stretch that has seen him score 16 points (10g, 6a) in his last 22 games, Chad LaRose has taken sole possession of the team's scoring lead with 27 points (14g, 13a). In addition to being the team's overall points leader, he also leads the team in power-play points (eight), shorthanded points (three - t-4th AHL) and shots on goal (131).

LaRose's six-game point streak from Jan. 15-30 marked the Checkers' longest of the season, eclipsing his own previous five-game run and another by Murphy, both of which occurred in December. It also tied the longest of his professional career set during his previous AHL season (4g, 7a for Lowell between Nov. 18-26, 2005).

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 season away from hockey. He now has 111 points (55g, 56a) in 175 career AHL games with Lowell and Charlotte.

Lack Of Firepower

After totaling just eight goals in their last six games, the Checkers have fallen back to the AHL cellar in terms of total goals (103) and goals per game (2.10). The Checkers, who have scored two goals or less in each of their last six games dating back to Jan. 30, are the only team in the AHL with two or fewer 20-point scorers on their roster (Chad LaRose and Justin Shugg). LaRose's 27 points are tied for the second-lowest for a team leader in the AHL.

The Checkers also rank last in the league on the power play with a season-long percentage of 9.9, including a 2-for-23 mark (8.7 percent) in six games since returning from the All-Star break.The lowest recorded power-play percentage for a season in AHL history is 10.4, set by the Rochester Americans in 2001-02.

Quick Hits

• Only two Checkers players (Chad LaRose with six, Justin Shugg with four) have scored more than one power-play goal this season.
• The Checkers are 11-11-1-1 at home this season.
• Charlotte is 1-5 in games decided during the seven-minute overtime period this season, tying them with Texas (2-10) for the lowest winning percentage in the league. Two of the Checkers' losses were against Norfolk.
• The Checkers' 29 first-period goals are the lowest total by any team in any period. Their 33 third-period goals are the lowest of any team in that period.
• Dennis Robertston has recorded a penalty in five straight games, tying him for the second-longest active streak in the AHL.
• John Muse has stopped 120 of the last 125 shots he's faced (.960 save percentage) over his last four appearances.
• Kyle Hagel is tied for second in the AHL in major penalties (16)
• Chad LaRose is tied for the AHL lead in shorthanded assists (3) and is tied for fourth in shorthanded points (3)
• The Checkers are the only AHL team that has yet to record a shutout.

Streaks

• Alex Aleardi has goals and points in each of his last two games (Feb. 10-12: 2g, 1a)

Injuries

• Brendan Woods - missed six games starting 1/30
• Gabriel Desjardins - missed 16 game starting 1/4
• Greg Nemisz - missed 28 games starting 12/8 (out for season)

Milestones

• Zach Boychuk is one shy of 150 AHL assists
• Rasmus Rissanen is one shy of 300 AHL/professional penalty minutes

Transactions

Incoming

• None

Outgoing

• Feb. 13 - (D) Michal Jordan recalled to Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte
• Feb. 13 - (C) Jason Bast released from PTO to Idaho (ECHL)