January 04, 2012 7:00 AM
Playing their second game in as many nights as part of a crowded portion of their schedule, the Checkers will hand John Muse his first AHL start of the season against San Antonio tonight.
Muse, a 23-year-old rookie who won two NCAA national championships at Boston College, will be making his second appearance in a Checkers uniform, having relieved Mike Murphy in the first period of an eventual comeback win over Chicago on Dec. 16. That improved his all all-time AHL record to 2-0-0, as he backstopped the Portland Pirates to a 3-2 shootout victory on a tryout basis last season.
 Muse, who has dressed as the Checkers’ backup goalie for 14 games this season, stopped all 24 shots he faced during his one appearance, making him one of just two AHL goaltenders to see game action without allowing a goal.
“(Muse) deserves to play,” said Checkers coach Jeff Daniels. “Murphy is our No. 1 goaltender, but he can’t play every game.”
To that point, Murphy will see his regular-season, career-best run of seven consecutive starts come to an end, as he had done so in every game since returning from NHL recall on Dec. 15. Excluding his run of 14 straight starts during last season’s playoffs, Murphy’s streak tied for the second-longest in team history behind Justin Pogge’s string of eight in a row during March and April of last season.
The Checkers signed Muse, who had a 5-3-2 record with ECHL Florida this season, to a two-way AHL/ECHL contract as an undrafted free agent over the summer. Though he has not played enough minutes to qualify among the ECHL’s goaltending leaders, his 2.28 goals-against average and .928 save percentage would rank him fourth in the league in both categories.
Charlotte held an optional morning skate today, with injured forwards Chris Durno and Justin Shugg not among the group of 13 players who took the ice. The remaining group was rested for what Daniels hopes will be a bounce-back effort from the previous night’s 2-0 loss.
“I hope they’re upset,” said Daniels of his players. “You want them to come out and prove a point.” |
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