Game Preview: Checkers vs. Texas (Jan. 18, 2014)

The Checkers hope that the shortest possible gap between games will help them quickly get over a disappointing loss when they host the Texas Stars at noon today.

Today’s game is a rematch of Friday’s 7-1 loss at the hands of the Stars, with all scoring coming through just two periods. It fell just short of franchise records for most goals allowed and largest margin of defeat, both of was were set or tied in an 8-1 loss to Hershey in November. That came also came at home, as did a 7-2 defeat to Iowa in October.

With their three-game winning streak halted in abrupt fashion, the Checkers now hope to start a new one as their current three-in-three set continues with a game against Norfolk on Sunday. Their five-game home stand then carries them through a pair of games against Oklahoma City next week.

Charlotte

Well aware of how good the Stars are from playing them twice just two weeks earlier, coach Jeff Daniels was of the opinion that such sentiments may have actually worked against his team after it allowed a goal to Mike Hedden on an odd-man rush he created immediately upon leaving the penalty box and a power-play goal to Colton Sceviour soon after.

“We gave them too much respect, and you can’t play that way against that team,” he said. “They’re too good, but we’ve got to understand that we’re a good team too, and we’ve got to show it tomorrow.”

Until Texas got the ball rolling, Charlotte had arguably been the better team, out-shooting the Stars by a 14-6 margin as it appeared bolstered by the returns of Zach Boychuk and Brett Sutter from Carolina and Danny Biega and Greg Nemisz from injury.

“I loved the start of our game,” said Daniels. “I thought we came out and had a lot of good looks and a couple of good chances and (Cristopher) Nilstorp made some good saves. Then we gave up the one, then the two, and then we showed them too much respect. We stopped moving, and when you stop skating against a team like that, it’s bad news.”

The roughly 14 hours between coming off and getting back on the ice, surely grueling for both teams, may actually work to the Checkers’ advantage in this case.

“We all want to show that we’ve got a lot better than that,” said Aaron Palushaj immediately following the game. “I wish we could play the game right now. The quicker we (can) get back on the ice and show that was the fluky game.”

“Guys are frustrated now and we’ll take an hour or two to think about this game and after that it’s got to go behind us,” said captain Brett Sutter. “We know things we can do better and we know what we did wrong. We need to make sure we come mad tomorrow and make sure we’re ready to go. It’s the same team right away, so we’ve got to come a little pissed off.”

Palushaj, the team’s scoring leader, bagged the Checkers’ lone goal in the second period to continue his hot streak, one that has produced 19 points in his last 14 games (5g, 14a) and five points in his last three (2g, 3a). Nemisz has the primary helper, giving him two points in two games since joining the team via a Carolina trade with Calgary.

The Checkers used both of their goalies on Friday, with starter Mike Murphy allowing six goals on 22 shots before giving way to John Muse late in the second period. Muse promptly allowed a goal to Sceviour, whose two goals moved him one ahead of teammate Travis Morin for the league lead, but was a perfect four-for-four from that point on. Given the quick turnaround, the Checkers were likely planning to use Muse on Saturday all along, a plan that has no reason to change now.

Charlotte will be unable to make a further lineup change at forward, with an injury to Brendan Woods preventing the team from having a healthy extra at the position since Nov. 30. Defenseman Beau Schmitz, who sat as a healthy extra on Friday, is available if Daniels feels a change is needed there.

Texas

A team that is quickly becoming a dominant force in the AHL, Texas again showed what it’s capable of on Friday.

League scoring leader Travis Morin’s five points (1g, 4a) tied the most by an AHL player in a single game this season, giving him 55 (24g, 31a) in just 31 games – at least 11 more than any other player. Thanks to Sceviour’s three points (2g, 1a), Chris Mueller’s two goals and Curtis McKenzie’s four assists, the Stars now have four players among the AHL’s top seven overall scorers. Easily the league's most prolific offensive team with an average of 3.73 goals per game, the Stars have four or more in each of their last four games, all wins.

Texas has now won seven of eight, with the only loss in that span coming against Charlotte on Jan. 3.

“They’re going to score on every chance they’ve got,” said Sutter. “That’s the way they are and that’s the way they’ve been for the last couple of years.”

With that kind of firepower up top, it’s no wonder that the Stars have the league’s best power play, one that again pushed over 30 percent by scoring on three of its six chances on Friday.

An interference penalty on A.J. Jenks that led to the Stars’ first goal was innocent enough, but a double-minor to Matt Corrente that the Checkers actually killed before allowing the fourth goal 19 seconds later and a roughing penalty to Chris Terry that effectively made it 5-1 soon after Palushaj’s goal were more costly.

“When it’s 4-1, all of the sudden frustration creeps into your game,” said Daniels. “It’s no different than turning the puck over at the blue line. You can’t take penalties against that team because you can’t give them opportunities.”

“A couple of penalties hurt us,” said Palushaj. “Obviously you can tell how good their power play is, and we’ve got to stay out of the box. We shot ourselves in the foot there.”

The Stars may elect to use backup Josh Robinson for today’s game, handing him a rare appearance to rest their workhorse in Nilstorp. However, the circumstances of Friday’s game allowed them to rest Nilstorp for most of the third period until one of Robinson’s skates broke in the final minutes.

Checkers Notes

Tough Night

The Checkers' 7-1 defeat to Texas on Friday fell just short of franchise marks for most goals allowed (eight) and largest margin of defeat (seven goals). Both of those marks were either set or tied in an 8-1 loss to Hershey on Nov. 14.

The Checkers have now had three home games in which they have allowed seven or more goals and lost by five or more, including the two aforementioned games and a 7-2 loss to Iowa on Oct. 20. No other AHL team has lost more than one home game by five or more goals.

Charlotte is one of just two AHL teams (Iowa) to have a losing record at home (8-13-0) and a winning record on the road (9-6-1).

Palushaj Picks up the Pace

Checkers forward Aaron Palushaj has 19 points (5g, 14a) in his last 14 AHL games. During that time period, he has at least one point in 12 of those games and has posted six multi-point outings, allowing him to overtake Zach Boychuk for the team's scoring lead with 33 points. He is now tied for 13th in the AHL in scoring.

Palushaj also leads the Checkers with 22 assists, which are tied for 13th in the AHL and are at least eight more than any other Charlotte skater, and ranks second on the team with 97 shots on goal. He has points in each of his last seven road games, tying the longest active streak in the league, while his seven-game road assist streak ties the longest posted in the league at any point this season.

Power Players

The Checkers, who rank third in the AHL with a 22.8 percent success rate on the power play, have scored 37.6 percent of their goals on the man advantage (38 of 101), which is the highest percentage of any AHL team. However, that percentage has been dropping steadily of late, with 21 of the team's last 26 goals scored at even strength or shorthanded.

For the season, Charlotte's 63 even-strength goals are tied for the second-fewest in the league.

Meet the Division

In 37 games, the Checkers have played against their own division, the West, just 10 times, marking the fewest games that any AHL team has played within its own division. The West is the only division the Checkers have a winning record against at 7-3-0.

Three of the Checkers' next four games will be played against divisional opponents, continuing with today's game against Texas and two games against Oklahoma City on Jan. 23 and 24.

Three in Threes

The Checkers are in the midst of their third three-in-three set of the season and the second played entirely at home, having dropped a 7-1 decision to Texas in the first game on Friday. The team is 3-3-1 in games that are part of a three-in-three this season, including a 2-1-0 record in game one, an 0-1-1 record in game two and a 1-1-0 record in game three.

All-time, the Checkers are 15-8-3 in game one, 15-5-5 in game two and 12-12-1 in game three over the course of their four AHL seasons.

Quick Hits

• Prior to scoring three total goals in their last two games, the Checkers had scored three or more in six consecutive games, tying a team record
• Zach Boychuk is in a three-way tie with Texas forwards Chris Mueller and Colton Sceviour for first in the AHL with 10 power-play goals.
• The Checkers are 9-2-0 in their last 11 one-goal games. Nine of their last 10 victories have been by one goal.
• The Checkers are 15-6-0 when scoring three or more goals and 2-13-1 when scoring fewer than three.
• Charlotte's three overtime games are the fewest in the league, as is its lone shootout appearance.
• Matt Corrente's plus-7 rating since Dec. 1 leads all Checkers skaters.
• Despite not scoring a goal since Dec. 7 (14 games) Mark Flood is tied for third among AHL defensemen with eight goals and five power-play goals.
• Charlotte has both scored (35) and allowed (43) more goals in the third period than in any other period.
• The first period is the only period in which the Checkers do not have a negative goal differential (33 for, 33 against).

Player Streaks

• Aaron Palushaj has points in each of his last three games (Jan. 10-17: 2g, 3a)
• Greg Nemisz has assists and points in each of his last two games (Jan. 3-17: 0g, 2a)

Milestones

• Rasmus Rissanen played his 150 AHL/Checkers game on Jan. 17
• Matt Corrente is one game shy of 200 AHL games
• Philippe Cornet is two games shy of 200 AHL games
• Greg Nemisz is two assists shy of 50 AHL assists
• Zach Boychuk is five goals shy of 100 AHL goals

Injuries

• Sean Dolan - missed 17 games starting Dec. 1
• Jared Staal - missed four games starting Jan. 3
• Nicolas Blanchard - missed one game starting Jan. 17
• Brendan Woods - missed one game starting Jan. 17

Transactions

Incoming

• Jan. 11 - (LW) Zach Boychuk reassigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)
• Jan. 11 - (C) Brett Sutter reassigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)

Outgoing

• Jan. 16 - (D) Austin Levi - reassigned to Florida (ECHL) from Charlotte
• Jan. 13 - (LW) Kyle Bonis - reassigned to Florida (ECHL) from Charlotte