Game Preview: Checkers at Bakersfield (Dec. 2, 2016)

The Checkers' California trip rolls on as they look to shake their road struggles with their first ever visit to Bakersfield.

Here are 9 things to watch for in tonight’s game.

1. SCORING DROUGHT

After a small uptick last week, the Checkers offense has again disappeared. Wednesday marked the seventh time in the last nine games that the team failed to score more than two goals. Not coincidentally, it was the Checkers seventh loss in nine games as well.

Charlotte is now 1-9-1 in games where it scores two or fewer goals, while standing at a perfect 8-0-0 when landing above that mark.

2. TROUBLES ON THE ROAD

The loss to Stockton pushed the Checkers’ winless streak to five games, the team’s longest since 2014-15, when they ran off a franchise-record eight-game winless streak. It stands as the longest active in the AHL and tied for the longest overall this season.

Overall the Checkers are 3-7-1 away from home, with those seven road losses standing as the most in the AHL. All three of Charlotte’s wins on the road this season have come against the Iowa Wild.

3. OFF THE WALL-MARK

With the need for secondary scoring increasing as the team loses more high-end scorers to injuries and recalls, Lucas Wallmark’s recent play has been a bright spot.

With his goal last night, the rookie forward has put up four points in his last five games, pulling him into a tie with Valentin Zykov for second in scoring on the active roster.

4. BANGED UP BLUE LINE

With Haydn Fleury and Trevor Carrick currently out with injuries, the Checkers have had to piece together their blue line as they embark on a long road trip.

With Ryan Murphy still on his conditioning stint, there was only the need for one new face in Wednesday’s game, and Josh Wesley stepped up. Looking solid through most of the game, the rookie broke out in the waning moments of regulation to mark his first AHL goal, a slick forehand-to-backhand move rushing in during a 4-on-4 stretch.

Waiting in the wings is Kevin Raine, who was also recalled from Florida prior to the trip. The third-year pro served as a healthy extra Wednesday, but has the AHL experience to be an option at any point, and will certainly be put to use if no one is back from injury when Murphy’s conditioning stint is ended.

5. NEW FACES UP FRONT

Similarly, the Checkers trotted out two new forwards on Wednesday for their team debuts. With Connor Brickley and Patrick Dwyer joining Brendan Woods on Charlotte’s ever-growing injury list, the Checkers utilized PTO signees Cason Hohmann and Kris Newbury to start the trip. The duo flanked Erik Karlsson on the third line for most of the night, and Hohmann notched his first AHL point, sending a pristine pass across the ice to set up Wesley’s late tally.

6. POWER OUTAGE

With just two goals in their last 34 man advantages, the Checkers’ power-play percentage has dipped to 29th in the AHL, just .01% ahead of the cellar dwelling Monsters.

Immediately following a stretch of scoring a power-play goal in five of six games, the Checkers now have two in their last nine games, a stretch that has seen them go 2-6-1.

7. PACIFIC DIVISION

The Pacific Division has not been kind to the Checkers this season. They currently hold a 0-5-0 record against those teams, and dating back to last season, the Checkers are on a 1-8-2 skid against the newly formed Pacific Division.

The Pacific Division has been even stronger to start this season, as they hold six of the top nine spots in the Western Conference standings. The Checkers, who sit in a playoff position at fourth in the Central Division, would be seventh if they played in the Pacific.

8. SCOUTING THE CONDORS

Tonight marks the first meeting ever between the Checkers and the Condors, who are in their second AHL season. The last time the Checkers faced an Edmonton affiliate was 2014-15, the last year that their division rival Oklahoma City Barons were in action.

There are still some familiar faces on the Condors from the Barons years, including Anton Lander, who torched the Checkers for seven points in six games that season, Mitch Moroz and Jordan Oesterle. The Condors have also used Laurent Brossoit in goal after the netminder put up a 1.74 goals-against average in 10 games against Charlotte in 2014-15.

The Condors have struggled a bit out of the gate, finding themselves in the basement of the mighty Pacific Division. Bakersfield has lost four of its last six games at home, totaling nine goals along the way.

9. TUNE IN!

It's going to be a late one tonight, so throw on some coffee and follow along! Follow @CheckersInGame on Twitter for updates and head here to listen to Jason Shaya's call of the game!