October 17, 2011 1:41 PM
Paul Branecky
Overall record: 2-1-1 (Home 2-0-0 | Away 0-1-1)
Last week’s record: 2-0-0
Standings: 3rd Midwest Division | 7th Western Conference
After winning both of its home games against Peoria over the weekend to improve to 2-1-1, Charlotte ranks third in the Midwest Division, one point behind both Milwaukee and Rockford. The team’s five-game home stand will continue this weekend, with the team hosting Houston for two games (Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m.) and Norfolk once (Sunday, 5 p.m.). Following that stretch, the team will depart for a nine-game road stretch that will not see them play another home game until Nov. 18.
Charlotte 3, Peoria 1 - Recap
The Checkers broke a 1-1 tie in the third period when center Jon Matsumoto’s slap shot on an odd-man rush beat Rivermen goaltender Ben Bishop for the eventual game winner. Drayson Bowman would add an insurance tally on the Checkers’ second two-man advantage of the game, his third goal of the season, to secure the weekend sweep of Charlotte’s new Midwest Division rival. Riley Nash opened the scoring with his first goal of the season in the second period, while goaltender Mike Murphy made 31 saves for his first victory of the season.
Charlotte 4, Peoria 3 (SO) - Recap
Matt Pistilli scored the winning goal in the seventh round of the shootout to give the Checkers the victory in their home opener at Time Warner Cable Arena. Charlotte entered the third period with a 3-0 lead after goals from Nicolas Blanchard, Jerome Samson and Zach Boychuk, but let Peoria back into the game with three goals in the span of 3:08 near the beginning of the third period. Goaltender Justin Peters made 22 saves and stopped six of seven in the shootout for his first win of the campaign.
 • Center Jon Matsumoto has finished each of the season’s first two weeks with at least a share of the AHL’s scoring lead. He began the season in Norfolk with back-to-back three-point efforts, a career first, before notching three points (1g, 2a) in the Checkers’ series with Peoria for a total of nine points (3g, 6a), which ties him with Springfield’s Nick Drazenovich. His goal against the Rivermen on Sunday held up as the game-winner, the 15th such marker of his AHL career, while his six assists are tied for second in the league. He is the only Checkers player to record points in all four games this season.
• Right wing Jerome Samson, who led the AHL in shots on goal at the time of his recall to Carolina last season, currently ranks fourth in the league with 18, 12 behind Hershey’s Chris Bourque for the league lead. Samson, who took 245 shots in 53 AHL games last season (an average of 4.62 per game) is averaging 4.5 shots per season, having taken at least four in each game played. Samson’s three goals are tied with Matsumoto and Drayson Bowman for the team lead.
• Defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti finds himself in an eight-way tie for third among AHL defensemen in scoring with four assists in the team’s first four games, three of which have come on the power play. Sanguinetti has recorded an assist in all but one of Charlotte’s games, beginning the season with a two-assist effort at Norfolk on Oct. 7. He trails Norfolk’s Mark Barberio and Rockford’s Brian Connoly by one assist for the league lead.
• After recording a league-leading 49 penalty minutes in the season-opening, two-game series in Norfolk, the Checkers now find themselves in 14th place after recording just 22 in back-to-back games against Peoria. Over the weekend, Charlotte earned seven more power-play opportunities than Peoria, scoring two power play goals in 13 chances (15.4 percent) while killing all six Peoria power plays.
• Charlotte allowed 57 total shots against Peoria, including a season-low 25 in the first match-up on Oct. 15. Its weekend average of 28.5 presents an improvement over the team’s initial weekend, which saw the Checkers allow 44 shots in both of their games against Norfolk to finish the season’s first week with the most shots faced in the AHL.
Oct. 17: Center Brett Sutter recalled by Carolina (NHL) on an emergency basis
| CATEGORY |
RECORD |
AHL RANK |
| Power play: |
5-25 (20%) |
14th |
| Penalty kill: |
15-19 (78.9%) |
19th |
| Goals per game: |
3.75 |
8th |
| Shots per game: |
32.75 |
6th |
| Goals allowed per game: |
3.50 |
20th |
| Shots allowed per game: |
36.25 |
29th |
| Penalty minutes per game: |
17.75 |
18th |
| CATEGORY |
LEADER(S) |
| Points: |
Jon Matsumoto (9) |
| Goals: |
Drayson Bowman, Jon Matsumoto, Jerome Samson (3) |
| Assists: |
Jon Matsumoto (6) |
| Power play goals: |
Drayson Bowman (2) |
| Game-winning goals: |
Jon Matsumoto (1) |
| Shots on goal: |
Jerome Samson (18) |
| Penalty minutes: |
Mathieu Roy (11) |
| Plus/minus: |
Drayson Bowman, Jon Matsumoto, Jerome Samson (+3) |
| Wins: |
Mike Murphy, Justin Peters (1) |
| Goals-against average: |
Mike Murphy (2.52) |
| Save percentage: |
Mike Murphy (.934) |
Friday, Oct. 21 vs. Houston (7 p.m.)
• Black Friday presented by Amtrak: Players to wear third logo specialty black jerseys. Wear black to the game to support your Checkers.
• Broadcast: WFNZ 610 / AHL Live
Saturday, Oct. 22 vs. Houston (7 p.m.)
• Checkers Travel Mug Giveaway: To first 2,000 fans courtesy of team dentist Dr. Larry Seitlin.
• Hemby Cup Charity Game: Come watch the Suits vs. Geeks in a charitable hockey game at 1 p.m. at Time Warner Cable Arena to raise money for the Presbyterian Hemby Children’s Hospital. Stick around after the game for the Hemby Cup jersey auction.
• Faith Night: Come out for exciting Checkers hockey, fellowship and fun! Following the game, stick around for a postgame concert by Seventh Vessel and a speaking appearance by Ryan Carson from Forest Hills Church. Group discounts are available by calling Natalie Jetton at (704) 940-4084 or emailing njetton@gocheckers.com.
• Broadcast: WFNZ 610 / AHL Live
Sunday, Oct. 23 vs. Norfolk (5 p.m.)
• Coke Family Four Pack: 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 Cokes and a two-liter Coke coupon for $60. Click here to buy online.
• Halloween Game: Kids dress up for trick-or-treating.
• Family Day Presented by North Carolina Zoo Asheboro: Zoo coupons will be handed out following each Sunday home game.
• Broadcast: WBCN 1660 / AHL Live |
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