Game Preview: Checkers vs. Rockford (Nov. 23, 2013)

The Checkers will attempt to halt their franchise-record losing streak at seven games as they begin a two-game set against the Rockford IceHogs tonight.

Games on Saturday and Sunday continue the eight-game season series between the two clubs that began with a shootout loss and a victory for Charlotte in Rockford on Oct. 26 and 31, respectively. Charlotte's 5-3 victory on Halloween marked its last victory of any kind, with its losing streak starting in San Antonio two days later.

Tonight's game begins a stretch in which the Checkers will play 12 of their next 13 games at Time Warner Cable Arena, including two more games against Rockford on Dec. 5 and 7.

Charlotte

In addition to trying to break their overall losing streak, the Checkers will also be aiming to snap a franchise record six-game slide at home. At 0-6-0, they, along with Utica, are one of only two AHL teams that have yet to earn a home victory this season.

“It’s a tough time right now as a group, but I think we’re turning the corner,” said coach Jeff Daniels, whose team gave up the winning goal with six minutes remaining in its most recent game, a 3-2 loss in Toronto on Tuesday. “We’re in games, but the mental part is a huge part of the game right now. We get down a goal and you can feel it on the bench. We’ve got to get rid of that part of our game.”

Charlotte could be bolstered by a pair of roster moves that took place Friday, the first of which brought former AHL All-Star Philippe Cornet to the team via a trade that sent rookie forward Adam Brace to San Antonio. All-time scoring leader Chris Terry followed soon after, coming back from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Elias Lindholm. Both Cornet and Terry will play against Rockford tonight.

“We’re looking for more experience, and he’s proven over the last couple of years that he’s capable of producing some points,” said Daniels of Cornet, who has 94 points in 177 career AHL games. “We’ll give him a chance to continue that.”

Before heading to Raleigh and swapping places with Lindholm on Nov. 6, Terry played 10 games with the Checkers while recording 10 points, including six goals that still lead the team. He recorded at least one point in each of his first nine AHL games this season, marking the longest point streak of his five professional seasons.

“We’re not happy and things aren’t working, and we need to find some different pieces that can get us over the hump,” said Daniels. “Chris coming down will add some excitement to our game and Philippe will be excited to get back here and play at this level. Some other guys will get pushed down in the lineup, and they’re going to have to push back to be where they want to be.”

The Checkers also now have three goalies on their roster with Carolina reassigning Mike Murphy on Monday, though Murphy is injured and will not be available this weekend. That leaves the Checkers to choose between John Muse, who has started each of the team's last three games, and Rick DiPietro.

All-Star defenseman Michal Jordan is doubtful to play after suffering an injury in Toronto on Nov. 16.

Rockford

The IceHogs are having losing woes of their own, dropping seven out of their last nine games beginning with their defeat to Charlotte. Having held the Western Conference's top seed heading into that Halloween match-up, the IceHogs have since slid down to 10th.

In the team's two recent victories, penalty minutes leader Brad Winchester, a veteran of 390 career NHL games, has scored the game-winning goal each time.

Rockford's roster will look quite different since the teams last met, with offensive threat Jeremy Morin (11 points in 10 games) and starting goaltender Antti Raanta both in the NHL with Chicago. The IceHogs were also affected by the Blackhawk's trade for Kris Versteeg on Nov. 14 that sent forward Jimmy Hayes and defenseman Dylan Olsen to the Florida Panthers organization.

In return for that trade, the IceHogs received forward Philippe Lefebvre, who has 18 points in 93 career AHL games, including one scorless outing with Rockford.

Helping fill the offensive void for the IceHogs are rookies Alex Broadhurst and Mark McNeill, who rank tied for eighth and tied for 14th in the AHL in rookie scoring, respectively. When the Checkers and IceHogs last met, Broadhurst, who ranks second on the team in scoring with 14 points in 19 games, was playing on a line with brother Terry Broadhurst, who ranks third with 13 points in 17 contests.

Adam Clendening is one of five AHL defensemen to lead his team in scoring with 17 points, placing him third among league blueliners. Teammate Klas Dahlbeck ranks tied for 13th with 11 points.

In the absence of Raanta, who posted a 2.83 goals-against average and .914 save percentage while playing in 14 games for Rockford, fellow rookie Kent Simpson, whose 49 saves on Oct. 5 were the most by an AHL goalie this season, is the team's top option.

Simpson, a junior hockey teammate of Checkers defenseman Rasmus Rissanen, is 2-5-0 with a 3.60 goals-against average and .898 save percentage this season, while Mac Carruth, who joined the team from ECHL Toledo on Sunday, has yet to make his AHL debut.

Checkers Notes

All-Star Influx

In the span of five minutes on Friday morning, the Checkers added two former AHL All-Stars in Philippe Cornet and Chris Terry, who were teammates on the 2012 Western Conference squad. The team acquired Cornet via an AHL trade with San Antonio and Terry via reassignment from the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes.

Terry (216 points) and Cornet (95) rank first and seventh on the team in all-time AHL points, respectively. They are two of four active Checkers (Zach Boychuk and Aaron Palushaj) to have ever recorded 20-goal seasons in the league.

Losing Skid

After starting the season with a record of 5-3-1, the Checkers have lost each of their last seven games, setting a new franchise record. The previous record was set last season when the team dropped five in a row, all at home, from Nov. 24-Dec. 6.

The current slide is the longest regulation losing streak than an AHL team has experienced since Manchester dropped seven in a row in January of 2012. The last streak of eight or more games came in the 2010-11 campaign, when three different teams lost nine in a row.

Trouble At Home

The Checkers are 0-6-0 at Time Warner Cable Arena, setting a new franchise record for longest home losing streak. They are also the first AHL team to suffer six consecutive regulation losses at home since Texas did the same in March of 2012. The last AHL team to suffer seven consecutive regulation losses at home was Grand Rapids in December and January of the 2009-10 campaign.

Dating back to last season's playoffs, when they lost their last two games to Oklahoma City, the Checkers have lost eight straight home games, four of which were decided by four or more goals. Along with Utica, the Checkers are one of two AHL teams that has yet to earn a home victory this season.

Scoring Slump

The Checkers have scored just nine goals in their last six games. Three of those came during a 5-3 loss to Hershey on Nov. 13, marking the only time they scored more than two during that span. The team has yet to record a victory when scoring fewer than three goals (0-7-1).

Charlotte ranks 25th in the AHL with an average of 2.44 goals per game.

Divided Division

In 16 games, the Checkers have played against their own division, the West, just three times (2-1-0) and will not play another game against a West team until hosting San Antonio on Dec. 10. No other AHL team has played fewer games within its own division.

Quick Hits

• The Checkers' 17 shots on goal on Tuesday marked a season low
• The Checkers have given up at least one power-play goal in all but four of their games this season, including each of their last five
• The Checkers' one overtime game is tied with Iowa for the fewest in the league
• Charlotte is one of three teams that have yet to score a shorthanded goal

Player Streaks

• none

Milestones

• Nicolas Blanchard is 2 goals away from 25 Checkers goals
• Michal Jordan is 3 assists away from 50 AHL/Checkers assists

Transactions

Incoming

• Nov. 22 - (LW) Chris Terry assigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)
• Nov. 22 - (LW) Philippe Cornet acquired from San Antonio
• Nov. 18 - (G) Mike Murphy assigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)

Outgoing

• Nov. 22 - (C) Elias Lindholm recalled to Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte
• Nov. 22 - (RW) Adam Brace traded to San Antonio