Game Preview: Checkers vs. Norfolk (Nov. 18, 2014)

The Checkers host the regional rival Norfolk Admirals for the first time this season as they look to get back in the win column at Time Warner Cable Arena tonight.

Charlotte returns home, the site of its most recent victory over Texas on Nov. 10, after dropping back-to-back games against San Antonio over the weekend – games in which they played reasonably well while receiving little in the way of results. Meanwhile, Norfolk is also looking to inch back to the .500 mark after splitting a pair of home games against Binghamton on Friday and Saturday.

Tonight's game is the first of eight meetings between Charlotte and Norfolk, its closest opponent in terms of actual physical distance. Four of those meetings take place between now and Dec. 10.

Charlotte

Even though a pair of one-goal losses to the Rampage has his team entering tonight’s game on a losing streak, coach Jeff Daniels thinks similar performances from his team will provide points in the standings sooner rather than later.

“This has probably been our best three-game stretch of the year and right now we’re just not getting rewarded for it,” said Daniels, referring to the two games in San Antonio and the 3-1 victory over Texas that preceded them.

Continuing a season-long theme, goal-scoring, or lack thereof, has been an issue. The Checkers held San Antonio to just 17 shots on Friday, tying a franchise record, but were unable to put more than one past one of their former players, Dan Ellis, despite numerous chances. Unlike some earlier games, the team can at least take some comfort in the fact that the chances were there. The next step is making them count.

One player who was able to do just that is forward Justin Shugg, who returned from an eight-game absence to score in both games, giving him three in just five outings this season. Along with scoring leader Greg Nemisz, who has nine points in his last eight games, and the ever-improving Chad LaRose, who has seven points during that same span, rookie Brock McGinn has been among the team’s most dangerous forwards but hasn’t had the same luck. McGinn has just one goal on 29 shots this season, giving him the lowest shooting percentage (3.4) of any Checker who has found the back of the net at least one time.

“It’s definitely in the back of your mind,” said McGinn, 20. “One of my friends said that you don’t get worried when you’re getting the chances – it’s when you’re not getting them. I’m going to keep playing the way I am right now because I’m getting the chances and the opportunities. Eventually they’ll go in.”

An area of recent concern in terms of lineup construction is the injuries to centers Patrick Brown, Ben Holmstrom and Brody Sutter, all of whom are expected to miss tonight’s game due to injury. In their stead, the Checkers plan to use Nemisz, Brendan Woods and newcomer Kyle Jean out of what Daniels considers to be their ideal positions on the wing. A.J. Jenks, one of three pro tryout signings on the roster, is the only natural center available.

The team will not have any extra forwards with Carter Sandlak finishing his four-game suspension tonight, though all eight defensemen are ready to go. In goal, Drew MacIntyre’s run of six consecutive starts may not be in jeopardy with the Checkers enjoying a two-day break on either side of tonight’s matchup. John Muse last started on Oct. 25.

Update: Jared Staal will miss the game due to injury, causing the Checkers to sign forward Gabriel Desjardins to a professional tryout contract. Muse will get the start in goal.

Norfolk

The Admirals prepared for their first matchup with the Checkers by signing a pair of former Checkers. Both Matthew Pistilli, who totaled 147 games with Charlotte over each of the last four seasons, and Casey Pierro-Zabotel, who had a brief five-game stint with the club two seasons ago, signed professional tryout contracts on Monday.

Pistilli will make his first AHL appearance of the season after scoring 13 points (5g, 8a) in 12 games with the ECHL's Fort Wayne Komets. Pierro-Zabotel, who has not played in the AHL since his last game with the Checkers on March 26, 2013, had 13 points (7g, 6a) in 11 games with the Gwinnett Gladiators, also of the ECHL.

Other notable transactions the Admirals have made of late include leading scorer Chris Wagner and forward Kyle Palmieri, the latter of whom was completing a short conditioning stint, returning to the NHL's Anaheim Ducks. Yann Danis, the AHL's goaltender of the year in 2011-12 who helped the Oklahoma City Barons defeat the Checkers in the first round of the 2013 playoffs, recently signed a PTO with the club and earned the win in his only game since by stopping 37 of 39 shots on Saturday.

With John Gibson and veteran Jason LaBarbera, a former ECHL Checker, both in the NHL, Danis and Igor Bobkov are the only goaltenders on the roster. Bobkov is 1-4-0 with a 4.41 goals-against average and .854 save percentage this season, both of which place him last in the league.

Further Norfolk names to watch include a forward group that includes an interesting mix of grizzled veterans (Brad Winchester, Dave Steckel and Brandon Yip have a combined 989 games of NHL experience) and young talent (Nic Kerdiles, a second-round pick in 2012, has nine points, while Louis Leblanc, a first-round pick in 2009, has eight, including five in in his last four games).

Most of the Admirals offensive stars from last year, a group that includes Emerson Etem, Rickard Rakell and Devante Smith-Pelly, now appear to be full-time NHL players with Anaheim.

Checkers Notes

Against Norfolk

Tonight marks the first of eight meetings between the Checkers and Norfolk, the only Eastern Conference team on their schedule, this season. Charlotte leads the all-time series with a record of 19-14-3 dating back to when the two were East Division rivals during the Checkers' inaugural 2010-11 campaign.

The Checkers' top returning scorer from last season's series is defenseman Michal Jordan, who posted five points (1g, 4a) in seven outings. For the Admirals, forwards Antoine Laganiere, Max Friberg (who has not played since this season's opening game) and Dave Steckel each posted seven points against the Checkers.

Checkers goalie John Muse went 4-2-0 with a 3.22 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage in last season's series. Neither Yann Danis nor Igor Bobkov faced Charlotte last season.

Nemisz Heating Up

After recording one point, an assist, in his first five games, Checkers forward Greg Nemisz has posted nine (6g, 3a) in his last eight games, including two game-winners. He now leads the Checkers in points (10) and goals (six).

Since the Hurricanes acquired Nemisz from the Calgary Flames organization last season, the 24-year-old, first-round draft choice in 2008 now has 21 points (9g, 12a) in 27 games with Charlotte, giving him more points than he scored in his previous 87 games with the Abbotsford Heat (19).

The Return Of Shugg

After missing eight games following an injury at Chicago on Oct. 12, forward Justin Shugg recorded a goal in each of the Checkers' two games in San Antonio last weekend. He now has three goals in five games for the season, tying him for third on the team.

One of the longest tenured Checkers players (he ranks 10th in team history with 152 games played), Shugg came through in clutch situations in both contests, with a third-period tally to force overtime on Friday and another third-period strike to spark a Checkers rally (that was ultimately unsuccessful) on Saturday.

Offensive Struggles

The Checkers, who average 2.00 goals per game thus far (29th AHL), have been held to a single goal in six of their 13 games this season, all resulting in a loss, and have scored more than two goals just four times.

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 27th in the AHL with an average of 26.46 shots per contest.

Depth Contributions

With his four assists thus far, sophomore Brendan Woods has already surpassed his total from 42 games last season and is now halfway to last season's point total. He is tied for second on the team in assists, is tied for third in points (5) and ranks second in penalty minutes (35).

By scoring his third goal of the season on Nov. 8, Jared Staal is only one away from matching his career high set in the 2012-13 campaign. He is currently tied for second on the team in goal scoring, and has as many goals as all of his brothers (NHLers Eric, Jordan and Marc) combined.

Quick Hits

• The Checkers' 17 shots allowed at San Antono on Nov. 14 tied a four-year-old franchise record (Oct. 10, 2010, at Springfield) for fewest in a single game
• Norfolk's single road victory (1-5-0) is tied for the fewest in the AHL
• Goalie Drew MacIntyre is tied for second in the league with 11 games played
• Forward Chad LaRose is tied for the league lead in shorthanded assists (2)
• Forward Kyle Hagel is tied for third in the AHL in major penalties (5)
• Defenseman Trevor Carrick is tied for the lead in major penalties among rookies (3)
• Forward Carter Sandlak is ranked fourth in penalty minutes among AHL rookies (33)

Streaks

• Drew MacIntyre has started each of the last six games (Oct. 31-Nov. 15: 2-3-1 record)
• Michal Jordan has assists and points in each of his last two games (Nov. 14-15: 1g, 2a)
• Justin Shugg has goals and points in each of his last two games (Nov. 14-15: 2g, 0a)
• Ryan Murphy has assists and points in each of his last two games (Nov. 14-15: 0g, 2a)

Injuries

• Ben Holmstrom - missed five games starting 11/2
• Patrick Brown - missed three games starting 11/10
• Brody Sutter - missed one game starting 11/15

Suspensions

• Carter Sandlak - missed three games due to suspension starting 11/10

Milestones

• Keegan Lowe is one shy of 100 AHL/professoinal penalty minutes
• Kyle Hagel is four shy of 900 professional penalty minutes
• Beau Schmitz is one shy of 50 AHL games
• Greg Nemisz is two shy of 250 professional games
• Rasmus Rissanen played in his 200th AHL/professional game on 11/14
• Kyle Jean played in his 150th pro game on 11/15

Transactions

Incoming

• None

Outgoing

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