Game Preview: Checkers vs. Texas (Nov. 10, 2014)

The Checkers look to avenge the most lopsided loss of their season when they host a rematch with the Texas Stars tonight.

Allowing five first-period goals, tying the franchise record for the most in any period, put Charlotte in a hole it could not recover from an in 8-2 loss in the first meeting between the teams at Time Warner Cable Arena on Saturday. It also tied the Checkers' record for most goals allowed in a single game and marked the largest loss margin seen in the AHL this season.

Tonight's game concludes the Checkers' four-game home stand (1-2-0 thus far). They next hit the road to play two games against the San Antonio Rampage before returning to Charlotte to face the Norfolk Admirals on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

Charlotte

After coming up well short in Saturday’s game against the defending Calder Cup champion Stars, a contest that was for all intents and purposes over by the midway point of the first period, the Checkers will emphasize a much stronger start to tonight’s contest.

“We missed the start of the game,” coach Jeff Daniels said later that night. “They’re the defending champs for a reason, and if we’re going to play straight-legged and afraid to make a mistake, they’ll make us look silly like they did in the first period.

“You’ve got to have a short term memory. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves and come out and play scared and on our heels.”

After that nightmare first period on Saturday, the Checkers would later find the back of the net twice through Jared Staal and A.J. Jenks and even out-shot the Stars 15-3 in the third period, though Daniels admitted the score line had something to do with the latter.

“They [Texas] took their foot off the gas a little bit,” he said. “At that point it doesn’t really matter. The game’s over.”

Drew MacIntyre, the Checkers’ stalwart in goal to start this season, exited the game after allowing four goals on nine shots in the game’s first 10:01. John Muse, playing just his third game of the season, stopped 22 of 26 shots in relief.

The Checkers will be without the services of defenseman Michal Jordan, who the Carolina Hurricanes recalled to face the Calgary Flames in Raleigh on Monday. Charlotte has had two healthy extras on defense, Beau Schmitz and Dennis Robertson, for each of their last three games, and may now need to use both depending on the circumstances surrounding four of the team's forwards.

Kyle Hagel, Ben Holmstrom and Justin Shugg missed Saturday's game due to injury, and the Checkers will be awaiting word on the status of rookie forward Carter Sandlak following an incident that took place in Saturday’s first period. With the Checkers already down 5-0, Sandlak earned a match penalty for throwing a punch at unsuspecting Stars forward Gemel Smith. According to AHL rules, those who earn match penalties are “automatically suspended from further competition until the President has ruled on the issue.”

If all of those players are unavailable, the Checkers, who already employ Jenks and Andrew Rowe on professional tryout contracts, could elect to find yet another player from the ECHL ranks.

Update: Patrick Brown will miss the game due to injury and Sandlak is likely to miss at least tonight's game pending the league's ongoing review, prompting Daniels to search for another tryout signing. Hagel will return to the lineup and MacIntyre will start in goal.

Texas

Though a Nov. 1 loss in Lake Erie marked their fourth in five games, the Stars have seemingly returned to their old selves by winning each of their last two. They now lead the West Division with a record of 6-2-2.

Thanks in no small part to Saturday's eight-goal outburst, the highest total seen in the league so far this season, the Stars occupy their usual place among the league's offensive leaders with an average of 3.70 per contest – nearly double that of Charlotte's 1.90. Reigning AHL MVP Travis Morin is once again a large part of that, with three assists on Saturday giving him 16 points (5g, 11a) in 10 games thus far.

Morin was one of four Stars with three points on Saturday, with John Klingberg (1g, 2a), Scott Glennie (1g, 2a) and Derek Hulak (3g) also joining the fun. While Glennie gives the team another veteran presence from last season's championship team, Klingberg and Hulak are each beginning their rookie seasons.

The Checkers will likely be able to avoid facing Klingberg, who the parent Dallas Stars recalled on Sunday. Klingberg, who ranks second among all AHL defensemen anad third among all rookies in scoring with 12 points in 10 games, joins reigning Rookie of the Year Curtis McKenzie as recent NHL recalls from Texas.

With the Stars utilizing a mostly even rotation in goal so far this season, the Checkers are likely to see 2010 first-round draft pick Jack Campbell tonight. Campbell is 2-1-1 with a 3.28 goals-against average and .884 save percentage this season. Meanwhile, Jussi Rynnas, who defeated the Checkers on Saturday, stopped 55 of 58 shots to pick up consecutive wins.

Checkers Notes

Against the Stars

Today marks the second of eight matchups of the season between the Checkers and the defending Calder Cup champion Stars. Texas took the first meeting by an 8-2 score on Nov. 8, with the Checkers tying franchise record for most total goals allowed and most goals allowed in one period (five in the first). Dating back to last season, seven of the last nine matchups between the teams have been decided by two or more goals, with the Checkers winning three.

Tough Night

The Checkers' 8-2 loss to Texas on Nov. 8 tied the franchise record for most goals allowed, which was set three times previously and most recently in an 8-5 loss to Oklahoma City on Feb. 7, 2014. All four games in which the Checkers allowed eight goals took place at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Also on Nov. 8, Charlotte tied a franchise record for most goals allowed in a period by conceding five in the first. That record was also set three times previously and most recently in the Feb. 7, 2014 game against Oklahoma City.

The Checkers' narrowly avoided tying the franchise record for largest loss margin (seven goals) thanks to A.J. Jenks' tally with 5:25 remaining in the third period.

The First 10

At 3-7-0, Checkers' six points earned in the standings marks the lowest first-10-game total in any of the team's five AHL seasons. They are just one point off the pace of the previous record set by the inaugural 2010-11 team, which began with a 3-6-1 record before going on to set franchise records for highest point total (97) and deepest run into the playoffs (Eastern Conference Final).

Bad Behavior

The Checkers currently average 24.6 penalty minutes per game, which is the fourth-highest total of all AHL teams. They are tied for fourth with 16 major penalties while also chipping in four 10-minute misconducts and one match penalty. In their four previous AHL seasons, the team never finished with an average higher than 16.5 penalty minutes per game.

Forward Kyle Hagel leads the Checkers with 39 penalty minutes, including five majors that tie him with three other players for most in the AHL. Carter Sandlak's 33 penalty minutes are second among league rookies, while Trevor Carrick's three major penalties tie him for the most among first-year AHL players.

Nemisz Heating Up

After recording one point, an assist, in his first five games, Checkers forward Greg Nemisz has posted six (4g, 2a) in his last five games to take sole possession of the team lead in goals and points. Since the Hurricanes acquired Nemisz from the Calgary Flames organization last season, the 24-year-old, first-round draft choice in 2008 now has 18 points (7g, 11a) in 24 games with Charlotte.

Offensive Struggles

The Checkers, who average 1.90 goals per game thus far (29th AHL), have been held to a single goal in five of their 10 games this season, all resulting in a loss, and have scored more than two goals just twice.

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 29th in the AHL with an average of 25.1 shots per contest.

Depth Contributions

With his four assists thus far, Brendan Woods has already surpassed his total from 42 games last season and is halfway to the eight points he scored in 42 games as a rookie last season. He leads the team in assists and is tied for third in scoring.

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 currently ranks second on the team in goal scoring, one behind Greg Nemisz, and has as many goals as all of his brothers (NHLers Eric, Jordan and Marc) combined.

Quick Hits

• The third period is the Checkers' best in terms of shots on goal (92) but their worst in terms of goal scored (five)
• The Checkers' home power-play percentage of 4.2 is the lowest of any AHL team
• Drew MacIntyre's eight starts are the most a Checkers goaltender has ever recorded in the first 10 games of a season
• Phil Di Giuseppe's 26 shots on goal are at least seven more than any other Checker

Streaks

• Greg Nemisz has points in each of his last two games (Nov. 2-8; 2g, 1a)

Injuries

• Justin Shugg - missed seven games starting 10/17
• Ben Holmstrom - missed two games starting 11/2
• Kyle Hagel - missed one game starting 11/8

Milestones

• Greg Nemisz recorded his 100th professional point on 11/8 and is and one shy of 100 AHL points
• Keegan Lowe is three shy of 100 AHL/professional penalty minutes

Transactions

Incoming

• Nov. 2 - (LW) Andrew Rowe signed to a PTO from South Carolina (ECHL)

Outgoing

• Nov. 10 - (D) Michal Jordan recalled to Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte