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The Checkers continue to look for the first win of their team-record, 10-game home stand, as back-to-back losses to Rockford over the weekend extended the team's first losing streak of the season.

The two defeats to the IceHogs on Saturday and Sunday, along with two previous setbacks against Oklahoma City last week, have the Checkers winless in their last four games, dropping their record to 12-7-2 on the season. Thanks to the team's strong start on the road, they retain a one-point lead for first in the South Division while ranking second in the Western Conference.

The current home stand wraps up with six games in 10 days starting with a back-to-back set against Lake Erie on Thursday and Friday. The Checkers then host Milwaukee and Houston for two games apiece before hitting the road once again.

Week in Review

Rockford 5, Checkers 2

After Brett Bellemore and Zach Boychuk scored in the first period to give the Checkers a 2-0 lead, the visiting Rockford IceHogs scored five unanswered goals in a 5-2 win in Charlotte on Monday. Justin Peters made 33 saves for the Checkers, who began their home stand with losses in its first three games. Full recap

Rockford 4, Checkers 1

The Checkers' home losing streak hit four games as the IceHogs won for the second consecutive night in Charlotte, this time by a 4-1 score on Sunday. Brett Sutter scored a third-period goal to make the score 2-1, but Brandon Pirri's insurance goal against Dan Ellis (23 saves) ended the comeback attempt. With the win, Rockford captured the four-game season series between the two teams with a record of 3-1-0. Full recap

Notables

Trouble at Home

Dating back to last season, the Checkers are 3-9-0 in their last 12 games at Time Warner Cable Arena, having been out-scored 40-13 in their nine losses, including an 8-2 loss to Abbotsford on April 8 and a 7-2 defeat to Oklahoma City on Nov. 25 that marked the team's most lopsided losses in each season. Prior to an 0-4-0 start to their current 10-game home stand, the Checkers had points in six consecutive games (5-0-1) and had not lost a game by more than one goal this season, something they've done in each of their last four games.

The Checkers' current home stand marks the longest in the team's three-year history, eclipsing a seven-game run in November of 2010. They are 9-2-2 on the road this season, as their 13 games played on the road are tied for second most in the league.

Losing Streak

The Checkers' current four-game slide ties three previous streaks for the longest in the team's three-year AHL history. The streak, which began with the first back-to-back losses the Checkers had suffered all season, is the longest active losing streak in the league. With all four losses coming at home, the streak also ties an 0-4-0 run from April 3-8 for the team's longest-ever home losing streak.

Boychuk Boost

Although his streaks of goals in three consecutive games, goals in five consecutive home games and points in five consecutive games were snapped on Sunday, Checkers forward Zach Boychuk ranks second in the AHL with 13 goals, trailing Syracuse's Tyler Johnson by two. Boychuk is also tied for the league lead in power-play goals (six), is tied for fourth in power-play points (11) and has sole possession of the league lead in game-winning goals (four).

Boychuk's goal-scoring streak at home tied the longest in the league this season, with Grand Rapids' Francis Pare having scored in five straight games between Oct. 13 and Nov. 9. After just 20 games played, Boychuk is already closing in on his AHL career high of 22 goals set in the 2010-11 season. In Boychuk and Drayson Bowman (11 goals, t-5th AHL), the Checkers have two players on pace to break Chris Terry's team record of 34 goals set during the 2010-11 season.

Helping Hand

In his first game since suffering a lower-body injury on Nov. 8, defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani recorded an asisst on Zach Boychuk's power play goal against Rockford on Saturday. Despite missing a total of eight games due to an illness and a lower-body injury, the 2011 AHL defenseman of the year is tied for third in the league with eight power-play assists. With Gragnani in their lineup, the Checkers have scored on 27.9 percent of their opportunities. Without him, they've scored on 16.1 percent of their chances. Gragnani now has 10 points, all assists, in 13 games played this season.

Good Behavior

The Checkers average 13.3 penalty minutes per game, which is the second-lowest total in the AHL. Prior to Nicolas Blanchard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Saturday, the Checkers were one of three teams (Grand Rapids, Springfield) that had yet to commit a 10-minute or game misconduct. Only three teams have fewer major penalties than the Checkers' 12.

Player Streaks

• None

Injuries

• None

Coming Up

By the Numbers

Team Statistics
CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK	LAST WEEK
Power play	23.9%	1st	24.7% (t-1st)
Penalty kill	85.4%	t-6th	87.7% (5th)
Goals per game	3.33	t-5th	3.53 (4th)
Shots per game	32.3	8th	31.2 (7th)
Goals allowed per game	2.90	t-11th	2.74 (7th)
Shots allowed per game	32.0	23rd	32.0 (21st)
Penalty minutes per game	13.3	2nd (fewest)	12.8 (2nd)

Team Leaders
CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	Zach Boychuk (19), Justin Faulk (17), Drayson Bowman, Zac Dalpe (15)
Goals	Zach Boychuk (13), Drayson Bowman (11), Chris Terry (8)
Assists	Justin Faulk (14), Marc-Andre Gragnani, Bobby Sanguinetti (10)
Power play goals	Zach Boychuk (6), Drayson Bowman (5), Zac Dalpe (3)
Shorthanded goals	Nicolas Blanchard, Chris Terry (1)
Game-winning goals	Zach Boychuk (4), Drayson Bowman, Chris Terry (3)
Shots on goal	Drayson Bowman (68), Zac Dalpe (66), Zach Boychuk (64)
Penalty minutes	Nicolas Blanchard (49), Rasmus Rissanen (30), Tim Wallace (25)
Plus/minus	Brett Bellemore, Michal Jordan (+6), Zac Dalpe (+4)
Wins	Justin Peters (7), Dan Ellis (5)
Goals-against average	Dan Ellis (2.32), Justin Peters (3.04)
Save percentage	Dan Ellis (.930), Justin Peters (.899)

Checkers in the ECHL

Florida Everblades
Player	POS	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-	NOTES
Matt Beca	F	19	7	12	19	12	-5	4 PTS in last two GP
Tommi Kivisto	D	19	3	7	10	17	-8
David Rutherford	C	15	7	9	6	24	-3	4 PTS in last two GP
Beau Schmitz	D	19	0	2	2	21	-8
Justin Shugg	F	16	6	10	16	16	-6
Brody Sutter	F	15	2	3	5	9	-6

Goaltender	GP	RECORD	GAA	SV%	SO	NOTES
John Muse	10	3-3-4	4.31	.871	0

San Francisco Bulls
Player	POS	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-	NOTES
Joe Sova	D	12	0	0	0	9	-9	On loan

Evansville IceMen
Goaltender	GP	RECORD	GAA	SV%	SO	NOTES
Rob Madore	12	4-7-0	3.11	.905	0	On loan