Game Preview: Checkers at Grand Rapids (Oct. 23, 2015)

After roaring out to their best start in franchise history, the Checkers have hit a rough patch as of late, dropping two consecutive contests to division rivals. Wednesday's loss in Grand Rapids saw early penalty trouble come back to haunt the Checkers, who dominated the pressure in the third period but couldn't put one in to complete the rally, while the Griffins broke their skid with their first win on the young season. Following tonight's rematch, the Checkers will head back to Chicago looking to get revenge on the Chicago Wolves

Here are nine things to watch for in tonight's contest.

1. AGAINST THE GRIFFINS

The Checkers and Griffins will face each other tonight for the 22nd. The Checkers hold a slight edge with an 11-9-1-0 mark against the Griffins and have a 6-4-1-0 mark in Grand Rapids. The two clubs last met Wednesday night, when the Griffins earned their first win of the season by a score of 4-3.

2. DI GIUSEPPE ON FIRE

Phil Di Giuseppe has come roaring out of the gate this season, racking up a team-leading seven points through the first five games. He has also recorded a point in every game this season, giving him the longest current streak in the AHL. The longest point streak by a Checker last season was six-games, set by Chad LaRose, and the longest streak to start a season is nine game, marked by Chris Terry in the 2013-14 campaign.

3. STUCK IN THE MIDDLE

Despite having an overall goal differential of plus-four, the Checkers have struggled in the second period of games so far this season. Through five games, Charlotte has only scored in the middle frame twice, sporting a goal differential of minus-four.

Their saving grace has been their strong finishes. The Checkers have scored 14 goals in the third period this season, the most total goals in one period in the league, and boast a goal differential of plus-seven.

4. CHELIOS' BIG IMPRESSION

After serving as a healthy extra in the first two games of the season, defenseman Jake Chelios has broken out in the last three games, netting five points (1g, 4a) in that span.

A former forward, Chelios has proved to be a strong puck-mover for the Checkers, an offensive minded defenseman who isn't afraid to carry the puck deep into the zone. With the Hurricanes short on bodies and currently relying on recalls to fill their roster, Chelios looks to be a mainstay in the lineup, for the time being at least.

5. ROOKIES GETTING IT DONE

Early in their first pro seasons Sergey Tolchinsky and Jaccob Slavin are adapting well to the pro game. Both rookies are averaging a point-per-game through the first five games this season, putting them in a deadlock for fifth overall in scoring among AHL rookies. Slavin, who already has a three-helper game under his belt, is tied for the assists lead among AHL rookies and is tied for second in plus/minus.

6. ALL THAT POWER

The Checkers have started this season with a power-play goal in every game so far, including netting two in one game twice. By comparison, the Checkers didn't reach their current 7-goal total until 15 games into last season and didn't notch a multi-power-play goal until mid-January. Di Giuseppe and Trevor Carrick have led the way so far with three points each on the man advantage.

7. HIGH-FLYING OFFENSE

The Checkers scored at least four goals 15 times and at least five goals five times throughout last season's 76-game slate. So far this season, the Checkers have put up four or more goals in four of their first five contests and five or more in three of them.

Individually, six different skaters have four or more points thus far, with Trevor Carrick leading the way with six, and 16 skaters have more than one point. By comparison, through four games last season only six players had more than one point and Brendan Woods led the team with three.

That firepower hasn't made the Checkers invulnerable, however. Saturday's 9-5 loss to the Wolves marked the fourth time in the team's six years that Charlotte lost a game in which they scored at least five goals, and just the third time in regulation.

8. LINEUP SHUFFLE

The Checkers will again field a new-look lineup for tonight's matchup. The Hurricanes continue to rotate through several different players to fill the extra spot on their roster left by James Wisniewski's absence. Danny Biega and Rasmus Rissanen have each gotten a call up to serve as a healthy extra, but it is Brett Pesce currently filling the void after earning his second recall of the season yesterday. Rissanen will draw in to take the place of Pesce on the Charlotte blue line, and there continues to be an open spot for Jake Chelios, who has been red hot so far, notching five points in his three appearances this season. Tyler Ganly, who has been a healthy extra for each of the last four games, is also an option to take that final spot in the lineup.

As for the forwards, Justin Shugg missed his second straight game Wednesday night in Grand Rapids with an upper-body injury and it's unclear whether he will be ready to go for tonight's game. Since Brock McGinn is in Carolina, if Shugg is unable to play that means Carter Sandlak and rookie Erik Karlsson, who have both been healthy extras at points this season, would find themselves in the lineup.

9. CHASING HISTORY

Already the franchise goals leader, Zach Boychuk needs just two points to surpass Chris Terry and become the Checkers’ all-time points leader. He is also 15 shy of becoming the team’s all-time leader in games played, is 12 shy in assists, is one shy in power-play points and is one game-winner away from becoming the franchise leader in those categories.

Mark Morris earned his 341st AHL win on last week, giving him sole possession of ninth place all time. Morris now sits 12 shy of seventh place, though the coach currently in eight, Randy Cunneyworth, is also active behind the Rochester Americans' bench.