December 11, 2011 9:01 AM
The Checkers will look to finish their two-game Texas swing on a high note as they visit the San Antonio Rampage this evening.
The game will mark the second meeting of the season between the two clubs, with Charlotte (15-9-2, 3rd Western Conference) taking a 4-1 win in San Antonio (11-14-0, 12th Western Conference) on Oct. 29. The Checkers’ Chris Terry scored his first two goals of the season to help his team score four unanswered after facing an early deficit, with Brett Sutter and Drayson Bowman also finding the back of the net.
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GAME INFORMATION |
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WATCH: www.AHLLive.com |
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LISTEN: WBCN 1660 AM | www.AHLLIVE.com |
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TWITTER: @CheckersHockey | @CheckersInGame | @PaulBranecky |
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SEASON SERIES |
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Saturday, Oct. 29: Checkers 4, San Antonio 1
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Sunday, Dec. 11 at 4:30 p.m. (San Antonio)
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Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 7:00 p.m. (Charlotte) |
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Wedneday, Jan. 4 at 7:00 p.m. (Charlotte) |
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CHECKERS STATS |
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RECORD
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15-9-2 |
3rd Western Conference
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GOALS / GAME
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2.81 |
18th AHL |
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GOALS ALLOWED / GAME
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2.58
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6th AHL |
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POWER PLAY |
17.7%
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16th AHL |
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PENALTY KILL
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82.1% |
16th AHL |
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PIM / GAME
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14.9 |
7th AHL |
Anything other than a victory tonight would result in the Checkers’ worst three-game stretch of the season, as they have dropped two consecutive games (against Lake Erie Monday and at Texas on Friday) coming in.
CHARLOTTE
Update: The Hurricanes have recalled forward Drayson Bowman due to an injury to Jeff Skinner. The move will give the Checkers 12 healthy forwards, with Jared Staal re-entering the lineup.
It’s no coincidence that the Checkers’ losing streak coincides with their driest offensive stretch of the season, as they’ve score a total of one goal in their last two games. That goal came via Jerome Samson in the first period of their match-up with Lake Erie, with their subsequent shutout at Texas extending their drought to a season-long 104 minutes.
The Checkers are expected to get a boost in that department tonight, with offensive-minded defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti set to return from a broken foot. In addition to helping the Checkers generate more at even strength, the former first-round draft choice of the New York Rangers will see time on a man-advantage unit that has scored just three goals in its last 34 opportunities (8.8 percent) while allowing three shorthanded goals.
“When he comes back in the lineup, all of the sudden now we’ve got a guy that can help the power play that’s been struggling a bit and move the puck out of the zone by making that good first pass,” coach Jeff Daniels told the Checkers’ Jason Shaya on Friday. “He brings a lot to our team.”
Though his offensive pace was slightly lower than his three previous AHL seasons, Sanguinetti was tied for the team’s scoring lead among defensemen with 6 points, all assists, at the time of his Nov. 13 injury. The player he was tied with, Justin Faulk, was recalled to the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes just days after Sanguinetti left the lineup, illustrating the void the Checkers have since faced.
If Sanguinetti does indeed return, the team will likely make a healthy scratch on its defense, with rookies Justin Krueger and Rasmus Rissanen, who have sat out five and six games this season, respectively, and ECHL recall Chris Murray among the most likely candidates. Injured center Cedric McNicoll, the only known injury concern other than Sanguinetti, will miss his 19th consecutive game.
Justin Peters will likely get the start in goal for Charlotte, with rookie ECHL recall John Muse backing up.
SAN ANTONIO
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RAMPAGE STATS |
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RECORD
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11-14-0 |
12th Western Conference
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GOALS / GAME
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2.20 |
28th AHL |
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GOALS ALLOWED / GAME
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3.00
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t-17th AHL |
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POWER PLAY |
10.2%
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30th AHL |
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PENALTY KILL
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75.2% |
t-29th AHL |
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PIM / GAME
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16.6 |
15th AHL
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Tonight’s game will be the second of a four-game home stand for the Rampage that began with Saturday night’s 2-1 win over Peoria that improved the team to 5-5-0 in its last 10 contests. Though currently the No. 12 seed, they trail a group of teams, including current No. 8 Chicago, by just one point for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot.
San Antonio will field a strong lineup for tonight’s game, with several players who have seen time with the NHL’s Florida Panthers this season currently back on their roster. Most notably, that includes top goaltending prospect Jacob Markstrom, who will likely start against the Checkers tonight, and leading scorer Bracken Kearns (16 points in 20 games). Additionally, forward Evgenii Dadonov, who made the NHL’s contingent of YoungStars at the All-Star Game in January, rejoins the team following a 12-game stint with the Panthers.
Those additions could help the Rampage special teams units, each of which rank last in the AHL.
The presence of Markstrom, who owns a 2.91 goals-against average and .898 save percentage with the Rampage this season, will provide some stability to a team that has used a league-high six goaltenders this season. The Panthers’ second-round draft choice (31st overall) in 2008 actually has better numbers in six NHL games this season, posting a 2.59 goals-against average and .928 save percentage to go along with his first two victories.
Teammate Dov-Grumet Morris, who started the season playing in Norway, has been more than solid since joining the team, allowing just seven goals in five appearances, including the team’s only shutout. He stopped 20 shots against Peoria last night, improving his record to 4-1-1.
Other than Kearns, the Rampage’s biggest scoring threat has come from the blue line, with defenseman Coly Robak ranking tied for third among all AHL defenseman in goals (5).
CHECKERS NOTES
 • Friday marked the sixth time the Checkers have been shutout in their two-year history, with the previous instance coming courtesy of Yann Danis in Oklahoma City on Nov. 11. Four of those six shutouts have come on the road. The Checkers are one of nine teams that have yet to shut out an opponent this season.
• The Checkers have experienced a rare run of shorthanded goals of late, with two scored and three allowed over the course of their last four games. For the season, they now rank tied for second in the league with four shorthanded goals scored while tying for the second-most shorthanded goals allowed with four. Defenseman Mathieu Roy has factored in on three of the Checkers goals scored this season (1g, 2a), tying him for the league lead in shorthanded points.
• Though tied for the league lead in points earned at home this season (19), the Checkers loss on Friday dropped them to .500 on the road (6-6-1). However, both aspects of their special teams have been better outside of Time Warner Cable Arena, particularly the power play, which is 14.3 percent at home (22nd AHL) and 20.9 percent on the road (t-11th AHL).
• With nine points (4g, 5a) in his last nine games, Checkers forward Jon Matsumoto now ranks 13th in AHL scoring (24 points). The fifth-year pro is tied for the team lead in goals (10), is one shy of the team lead in assists (14) and is tied for second on the team in plus/minus (+5). He has recorded seven multi-point games this season, the most of any Checkers player.
• Charlotte forward Jerome Samson is the AHL’s leader in shots on goal once again with 114 – eight more than any other player. He has recorded five or more shots in 14 of his 25 games this season, including a season-high nine on Oct. 30. Samson broke a five-game goal drought that matched his season high during Monday’s loss to Lake Erie, tying him with Jon Matsumoto with 10 goals on the season. The fifth-year pro also leads the Checkers with five power-play goals.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Charlotte
• Dec. 8 – (F) Justin Shugg reassigned to Florida (ECHL) from Charlotte
• Dec. 7 – (F) Mike McKenzie mutually released from SPC by Charlotte
• Dec. 7 – (G) John Muse recalled by Charlotte from Florida (ECHL)
• Dec. 6 – (G) Mike Murphy recalled to Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte
San Antonio
• Dec. 10 – (LW) A.J. Jenks reassigned to Cincinnati (ECHL) from San Antonio
• Dec. 10 – (RW) Anthony Luciani recalled to San Antonio from Cincinnati (ECHL)
• Dec. 10 – (LW) Evgenii Dadonov reassigned to San Antonio from Florida (NHL)
• Dec. 9 – (C) Brian Sutherby released from PTO by San Antonio
• Dec. 8 – (LW) Joe Devin reassigned to Cincinnati (ECHL) by San Antonio
• Dec. 7 – (C) Bracken Kearns reassigned to San Antonio by Florida (NHL)
• Dec. 6 – (G) Jacob Markstrom reassigned to San Antonio by Florida (NHL)
• Dec. 6 – (RW) Jonathan Hazen reassigned to Cincinnati (ECHL) from San Antonio
• Dec. 5 – (G) Jacob Markstrom recalled to Florida (NHL) from San Antonio
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