Game Preview: Checkers vs. Texas (Jan. 2, 2014)

After winning two of three games on their recent road trip, the Checkers return home to face the Texas Stars, their main rival in last season's South Division race, for the first time this season.

The first of back-to-back games tonight kicks off the eight-game West Division series between the clubs, with the Stars returning for two more meetings in just two weeks. Texas, which beat Charlotte for the divisional crown last season, is again in contention for the top spot this year while Charlotte is only now starting to get back in the running following a November slide.

While the Checkers have played a league-low five divisional games this season, tonight's game starts a run in which they will play eight of their next nine against West Division teams, including a two-game trip to Oklahoma City next weekend.

Charlotte

Upon their return from what should be considered a succesful road trip to end 2013, a trio of transactions since the Checkers' last game will give them a different look.

Goaltender Anton Khudobin, who started each of the Checkers' last two games on a conditioning stint and turned in 41 saves as part of a first-star effort in Monday's win in Rockford, has returned to the Carolina Hurricanes. That leaves the Checkers with John Muse and Mike Murphy, restoring the tandem they've had for the last month. It's possible that they could split the upcoming games against Texas, though a relatively rested Muse, who has played just once since Christmas, could potentially get both as the Checkers have six full days off following Friday's game.

While Khudobin has gone, center Greg Nemisz, who the Carolina Hurricanes acquired in a trade with Calgary just prior to the Checkers' last game, should be in line for his debut with Charlotte. The 23-year-old, first-round pick of the Flames (25th overall) in 2008 started this season with the Abbotsford Heat, where he scored nine points (5g, 4a) in 32 games.

Nemisz's arrival ended up being quite timely, with the Hurricanes recalling Charlotte captain Brett Sutter on Thursday morning due to an injury suffered by Riley Nash. Sutter began the season as Carolina's fourth-line center until Manny Malhotra joined the team and is likely to fill that role tonight, but had been a mainstay on the Checkers' first line for several weeks along with Zach Boychuk, who has played in Carolina's last three games, earning an assist, and Chris Terry, who remains with the Checkers.

The acquisition of Nemisz gave the Checkers one more healthy player than necessary for the first time in several weeks, a luxury that Sutter's recall has eliminated. Forwards Sean Dolan and Jared Staal and defensemen Danny Biega and Rasmus Rissanen are expected to remain out due to injury.

Update: Nemisz is unavailable due to his ongoing immigration process and Staal will replace Sutter in the lineup. Read more

Texas

The Stars have played more recently than the Checkers, having picked up a 6-5 overtime win over Oklahoma City on New Year's Eve. They were trailing 5-1 midway through the second period of that game before netting five unanswered goals, including Chris Mueller's hat trick marker with 1:17 left in regulation and Colton Sceviour's league-leading 21st goal of the season that sealed the victory.

Sceviour, a one-time junior hockey teammate of Zach Boychuk, also ranks second in the AHL in total points (34 in 28 games) has four points (3g, 1a) in two games since returning from an NHL stint with Dallas. The only AHL skater with more points is teammate Travis Morin, who has 41 (16g, 25a) in 28 games. Mueller, a former Milwaukee Admiral, makes it three Stars among the league's top-six scorers with 32 points in 32 games and rookie Curtis McKenzie (29 points) makes it four of the top 12.

With that many players on the league's overall scoring chart, it's no surprise that the Stars rank second in the AHL in scoring with an average of 3.53 goals per game and are the league's deadliest power-play team at 29.4 percent. As their offensive explosion on Tuesday showed, their offense is capable of winning games for them even when their defense is not as sound as they would like it to be, helping them record the league's fifth-best record to date at 20-9-5.

In goal, Cristopher Nilstorp (9-9-2, 2.95 goals-against average, .903 save percentage) has played in 21 of the team's 34 games, including Tuesday's, when he gave up five goals on 18 shots before giving way to ECHL callup Josh Robinson, who saved seven of seven. Jack Campbell, a first-round draft pick in 2010, is dealing with an injury and has not played since Dec. 18.

Checkers Notes

Goalies Galore

On Dec. 29, Anton Khudobin became the eighth goaltender to play for the Checkers this season (Justin Peters, Mike Murphy, Jesse Deckert, John Muse, Allen York, Rick DiPietro, Rob Madore), extending a team record that previously stood at five. That number ties Oklahoma City for the most goalies used by a single AHL team this season.

In his second start on Dec. 30, Khudobin became the first Checkers goalie other than Muse to win a game since Murphy on Oct. 5. Muse, who has accounted for 11 of the team's 14 victories this season, is 11-7-0 with a 2.46 goals-against average and .918 save percentage and two shutouts, while the other seven goalies are a combined 3-10-1 with a 3.60 goals-against average, .890 save percentage and no shutouts.

Palushaj Picks up the Pace

Forward Aaron Palushaj has scored 13 points (3g, 10a) in his last nine games, including seven during an active four-game point streak, marking his most productive stretch of the season. He tied his season high with three points (2g, 1a) on Dec. 29 and now has seven multi-point games on the season, four of which have come since Dec. 10.

Palushaj is now tied with Zach Boychuk for first on the team in scoring with 27 points in 32 games and is the team's leader with 18 assists, at least five more than any other player.

Shooting Gallery

The Checkers have allowed 40 or more shots in each of their last two games (40 at Chicago on Sunday and 43 in an overtime win in Rockford on Monday), marking the first time they have done so in consecutive games since facing Texas on April 11 and 12 of last season. Prior to that stretch, the Checkers had allowed 40 shots on only one other occasion this season (at San Antonio on Nov. 2).

With the Checkers tying a season high with 40 shots on Monday, that game marked just the third time in Checkers history that each team had taken 40 or more shots, with the most recent occurence coming during a 2-1 win over San Antonio on Jan. 4, 2012.

Close Calls

Nine of the Checkers' last 12 games have been decided by one goal, including each of their last three. The team has a record of 7-2-0 in those nine one-goal games played since Dec. 1.

In their first 20 games prior to Dec. 1, the Checkers played just six one-goal games, posting a record of 2-4-1.

Power Players

The Checkers, who rank fourth in the AHL with a 23.0 percent success rate on the power play, have scored 39.5 percent of their goals on the power play (34 of 86), which is the highest percentage of any AHL team. However, that percentage has been dropping lately, with eight of the team's last nine goals scored at even strength.

For the season, Charlotte's 52 even-strength goals are the fourth-fewest in the league

Divided Division

In 32 games, the Checkers have played against their own division, the West, just five times (4-1-0), marking the fewest games that any AHL team has played within its own division. However, tonight's game against Texas marks the start of a stretch in which they will play eight of nine against divisional opponents. The West Division is the only division that the Checkers have a winning record against.

Quick Hits

• Anton Khudobin's 41 saves in the 3-2 win over Rockford marked the highest single-game total by a Checkers goalie since Rob Madore made 43 against Texas on April 12.
• The Checkers have scored three goals in each of their last three games, marking the only time they have hit that mark in three consecutive games this season
• Charlotte's three overtime games are the fewest in the league, as is its lone shootout appearance.
• Charlotte is one of three teams that have yet to score a shorthanded goal.
• Despite not scoring a goal since Dec. 7 (nine games) Mark Flood is tied for third among all AHL defensemen with eight goals and ranks third with five power-play goals.
• Charlotte has both scored (32) and allowed (37) more goals in the third period than in any other period.

Player Streaks

• Aaron Palushaj has assists and points in each of his last four games (Dec. 21-30: 2g, 5a)
• Brody Sutter has assists and points in each of his last three games (Dec. 27-30: 0g, 3a)
• Nicolas Blanchard has points in each of his last two games (Dec. 29-30: 1g, 2a)

Milestones

• Austin Levi scored his first professional goal against Rockford on Dec. 30

Injuries

• Sean Dolan - missed 12 games starting Dec. 1
• Rasmus Rissanen - missed nine games starting Dec. 10
• Danny Biega - missed seven games starting Dec. 15

Transactions

Incoming

• Dec. 30 - (C) Greg Nemisz acquired by Carolina (NHL) and assigned to Charlotte
• Dec. 27 - (RW) Matthew Pistilli signed to professional tryout contract from Florida (ECHL)

Outgoing

• Jan. 2 - (C) Brett Sutter recalled to Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte
• Dec. 31 - (G) Anton Khudobin recalled to Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte