Game Preview: Checkers vs. Rockford (Dec. 5, 2013)

The Checkers resume their 10-game home stand against a team they hosted just last week – the Rockford IceHogs.

Games tonight and Saturday mark the fifth and sixth times that Charlotte and Rockford will play each other this season, with the Checkers holding a 2-1-1 advantage in the head-to-head series thus far. Those previous meetings include a two-game set at Time Warner Cable Arena on Nov. 23 and 24, with Charlotte snapping its franchise-record, seven-game losing streak with a 5-2 win before suffering a 4-3 setback the next day.

Charlotte is 1-1-0 to start its home stand, which runs through Dec. 21. Following that, they will play a four-game road trip that includes another game in Rockford.

Charlotte

The Checkers aren’t in as deep of a funk as they were during the aforementioned losing skid, winning two of their last five games. Still, given how fell they far in the standings during a 2-9-0 month of November, they know they still have work to do.

“It is what it is right now,” said coach Jeff Daniels. “The last five games we’ve been pretty consistent but we’re two and three, which is not where we want to be. We’re not finding a way to win right now, whether it’s not getting a clutch goal at the right time or a big save or a big kill. It’s just not happening right now.”

“It’s a frustrating thing, but at the same time it lights a fire under our (butts) to get going, come to the rink and keep working,” said defenseman Danny Biega. “I’ve been on other teams where things weren’t going well and spirits were lower, but we’re confident that we’re a good team and it’s just a matter of piecing it together.”

The Checkers have made a pair of transactions since their last game, a 2-1 loss to Milwaukee on Sunday, releasing Rob Madore, their starter from that game, from his professional tryout contract and bringing forward A.J. Jenks back on a PTO. Jenks, 23, spent parts of the last two seasons with the Checkers but started the current campaign with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, where his 16 points (7g, 9a) in 18 games ranked third on the team.

Though the team had enough healthy forwards at Wednesday’s practice prior to Jenks’ signing, Justin Shugg and Jared Staal had both been limited in recent days, making it possible that one of them will be unable to play. Center Sean Dolan, who suffered an injury on Saturday, will miss his second consecutive game.

There’s also good news on the injury front, however, with All-Star defenseman Michal Jordan having a good chance to return after missing the last six games..

““He’s a go-to guy back there in all situations and another guy that can play some minutes,” said Daniels of Jordan. “That cuts down on a little bit on (Rasmus) Rissanen and Biega, who are playing extremely well but probably playing too many minutes. He’s a guy that can handle more minutes and that slots other guys more into the position where they need to be right now.”

Mike Murphy is also ready to return to the lineup, prompting the decision to release Madore, though it’s unclear whether he will get the start tonight or if that honor will go to John Muse, who has a 2.41 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in 12 games since Murphy last played at any level way back on Oct. 20. Since that game in Charlotte, he spent nearly a month in the NHL before suffering the injury.

“He’s looked good in practice this week and even last week, and at some point you’ve got to get him into games,” said Daniels of Murphy. “He understands the situation, he wants to get in the net and we’ll give him that opportunity.”

Update: Muse will start, Jenks will replace Jared Staal at forward and Jordan will replace Beau Schmitz on defense.

Rockford

As the Checkers look to build some real forward momentum, they’ll look to continue some relative success against Rockford – a team they’ve overcome for two of their three wins since Oct. 31.

Both teams were struggling when the IceHogs last visited Charlotte, making the two-game split somewhat appropriate. Since then, Rockford has won two of its three games, including one-goal victories over Milwaukee and Chicago on either side of a blowout 7-1 defeat against the Wolves.

Goalie Kent Simpson, who was in net for the IceHogs’ most recent victory over Charlotte, started each of those games, turning in performances of 33 saves and 32 saves in the wins but exiting the first Chicago game after giving up three goals on six shots in the first 10 minutes. Mac Carruth, who allowed four Checkers goals in his first AHL game on Nov. 23, entered that game in relief, stopping 18 of 22.

Rockford has continued to see key players come and go, an early-season theme, with another big transaction taking place Wednesday. Forward Brandon Pirri, the reigning AHL scoring champion with 75 points in 76 games last season, is back on a conditioning stint with Chicago, with Jeremy Morin going the other way. Joakim Nordstrom, who scored both Rockford goals in the 5-2 loss to Charlotte, is also with the Blackhawks.

Mike Kostka, a veteran defenseman who was a part of Norfolk’s 2012 Calder Cup team and played 35 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, also joined the IceHogs on Wednesday and his set to make his team debut.

Checkers Notes

Boychuk Powers Up

Zach Boychuk scored his second power-play goal in as many games on Sunday, tying him for second in the AHL with six man-advantage goals on the season. Each of his last two goals came after just eight seconds had elapsed on those power plays.

All but one of Boychuk's seven goals, which tie him for second on the team, have come on the man advantage. He is the Checkers' all-time leader with 34 power-play goals, at least eight more than any other player.

Home Again

The Checkers' current 10-game home stand ties the longest in franchise history, a record originally set from Nov. 25-Dec. 15 of last season. The Checkers began that home stand with five consecutive losses, which stood as a franchise record for longest home and overall losing streaks until the team topped those marks with an overall losing streak of seven games and a home losing streak of six games this season.

Dating back to Nov. 7, the Checkers are in the midst of a stretch in which they play 16 of 19 games at Time Warner Cable Arena. After starting the season 0-6-0 on home ice, the Checkers have won two of four in their own building.

Floodgates Open

Mark Flood's seven goals are tied for second on the team and second among all AHL defensemen, while his four power-play goals are tied for second among league blueliners.

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.

Killers Turning Corner

Though the Checkers rank 25th in the AHL with a 78.7 percent success rate on the penalty kill, they have held opponents off the board in four of their last five games (16 for 18: 88.9 percent). Prior to that stretch, they had prevented power play goals in only four of their previous 16 games.

Divided Division

In 21 games, the Checkers have played against their own division, the West, just three times (2-1-0), marking the fewest games that any AHL team has played within its own division. Charlotte's next two games are against San Antonio, marking its first inter-divisional games since it last faced the Rampage on Nov. 2.

First Goals

All seven of the Checkers' victories this season have come when scoring the game's first goal, but their .500 winning percentage in that scenario (7-7-1) is the second-lowest in the AHL. The Checkers have scored first in 15 of their 21 games this season, tying them for the third-most opening goals in the AHL this season behind Texas (17) and Manchester (16).

Quick Hits

• The Checkers have scored three or more goals in all seven of their victories this season
• Charlotte has yet to earn a point when trailing at an intermission this season (0-6-0 when trailing after the first, 0-9-0 when trailing after the second)
• Matt Corrente ranks tied for third among all AHL defensemen with five major penalties
• Charlotte has both scored (21) and allowed (28) more goals in the third period than in any other period
• The Checkers have been tied early in the third period in each of their last four losses dating back to Nov. 19
• The Checkers' one overtime game is marks the fewest of any AHL team
• Charlotte is one of three teams that have yet to score a shorthanded goal

Player Streaks

• Chris Terry has points in each of his last three games (Nov. 27-Dec. 1: 2g, 2a)
• Zach Boychuk has goals and points in each of his last two games (Nov. 20-Dec. 1: 2g, 1a)

Milestones

• Philippe Cornet is two points away from 100 AHL points
• Chris Terry is three points away from 200 with the Checkers
• Nicolas Blanchard is 2 goals away from 25 Checkers goals

Transactions

Incoming

• Dec. 5 - (LW) A.J. Jenks signed to a professional tryout contract

Outgoing

• Dec. 4 - (G) Rob Madore released from professional tryout contract