March 04, 2012 7:27 AM
Charlotte concludes its back-to-back set against the Lake Erie Monsters with a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday.
The Checkers will be looking for a split in their only visit to Lake Erie this season, with the Monsters prevailing by a 3-2 score in the shootout on Saturday. Nicolas Blanchard had tied the game with just 1:37 remaining in regulation, but the Monsters' Gerald Coleman stopped all four challengers in the shootout to give his team a 2-1 lead in the season series.
That point earned, combined with yet another regulation loss by second-place Chicago, increased the Checkers’ Midwest Division lead to four points. Following today’s game, Charlotte returns home to begin a six-game home stand that ties its longest of the season on March 10.
CHARLOTTE
Having held a 5-2 record in the shootout as recently as two weeks ago, Saturday’s loss, the team’s third in three attempts and second in as many games, dropped them to the .500 mark for the first time this season. Three of the Checkers’ last five games have resulted in shootout losses, with the team now tied for second in the AHL in total shootouts (10).
Though a repeat of Saturday’s tightly-played contest could very well result in another deadlock after 65 minutes (final shot totals were just 22-21 in favor of Charlotte, with the Checkers allowing the fewest shots they have all season), the Checkers hope a better showing on Sunday will help them avoid that fate.
“I thought the effort was OK, but it has to be a lot higher than what it was tonight against a team that shows up to work every night,” Charlotte coach Jeff Daniels said following Saturday's game. “For the most part they outworked us throughout the game, and we’ve got to be ready tomorrow to put the work boots on.”
Charlotte hopes to get a boost from two players returning to the lineup for Sunday’s game, namely Justin Peters and Zach Boychuk. Peters, who was the AHL’s reigning goalie of the month at the time of a just-completed, three-month NHL stint, is set for his first Checkers start since Dec. 11. In seven games with the Carolina Hurricanes, Peters went 2-3-2 with a 2.48 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and his first NHL shutout.
Should he make it to the game on time, Boychuk, the Checkers’ active-goal scoring leader with 14 on the season, would return after a scoreless three-game stint with the Hurricanes. The team’s first-round draft choice in 2008 started Carolina’s 4-3 overtime loss against Tampa Bay on a line with Eric Staal, but the return of Chad LaRose from injury made him the odd man out with the team choosing to keep previous recalls Drayson Bowman and Jerome Samson instead.
LAKE ERIE
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MONSTERS STATS |
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RECORD
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29-25-5 |
11th Western Conference
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GOALS / GAME
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2.47 |
28th AHL |
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GOALS ALLOWED / GAME
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2.83
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14th AHL |
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POWER PLAY |
17.1%
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18th AHL |
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PENALTY KILL
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81.9% |
19th AHL |
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PIM / GAME
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18.1 |
24th AHL |
The Monsters have had just as many shootouts as the Checkers of late, though they’ve fared a bit better after winning on back-to-back nights. Dating back to last Saturday’s game at Rochester, they’ve gone to three consecutive shootouts, posting a record of 2-1 to improve their overall season record to 4-3.
Though Coleman did an outstanding job against the Checkers in the shootout, the team is likely to go back to starter Cedrick Desjardins as they conclude a three-in-three set. Desjardins is no slouch himself, having stopped all five attempts in Friday’s shootout win in Hamilton to go along with his 2.10 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in 17 games played. Though injuries and recalls have limited his games this season, Desjardins would easily rank among the league leaders had he played enough minutes to officially qualify – a conundrum previously faced by the Checkers’ John Muse.
Low-scoring games like Saturday’s play right into the Monsters’ hands, as they rank 28th in goals scored. However, the return of forward David van der Gulik from the NHL (21 points in 24 games) helps in that department, as demonstrated by his first-period goal against the Checkers on Saturday.
Charlotte could perhaps count itself fortunate to earn a point after falling behind in the third period, as Lake Erie is 18-0-2 when leading after two.
CHECKERS NOTES
 • SHOOTOUTS: After a run of three in their last five games, the Checkers now rank tied for second in the AHL in total shootout appearances (10). They rank 13th in scoring (.328) and 18th in goaltending (.333 opponent shooting) and have lost each of their last three to fall to 5-5 on the season.
The Checkers have five players who have scored on more than half of their attempts this season, including Chris Terry (5-for-10), Drayson Bowman (3-for-5), A.J. Jenks (3-for-5), Justin Krueger (2-for-3), Nicolas Blanchard (1-for-1). They also have two players who are scoreless on more than three attempts in Zac Dalpe (0-for-7) and Zach Boychuk (0-for-4). In goal, Mike Murphy is the top option with a save percentage of .714 (20-for-28).
• SANGUINETTI ENDS DROUGHT: Though he had 6 goals on the season going into Saturday’s contest, defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti had not scored a goal at even strength since Nov. 19, 2010, prior to his first-period marker in Lake Erie. Sanguinetti, who went on to add an assist for his seventh multi-point game of the season, is tied for third among league defenseman with 6 power-play goals. Sanguinetti, whose earlier 11-game point streak this season was the longest by an AHL defenseman in three years, now has points in each of his last three games (1g, 3a).
• DADONOV FINDING GROOVE: After recording just 4 points (1g, 3a) in his first 12 games as a Checker following a January trade from San Antonio, winger Evgenii Dadonov has 5 assists during an active four-game point streak, making him the team’s top scorer during that span. Though he’s been piling on the helpers, he currently has a 13-game goal drought, with his only tally with Charlotte going into an empty net in Norfolk on Jan. 24.
• PENALTY KILL: The Checkers have allowed just one power play goal over their last 11 games, killing 41 of 42 penalties during that span (97.6 percent). For the season, the Checkers, who are 23-for-23 over their last seven contests, rank tied for second in the AHL with a 85.9 percent success rate. Discipline has been a factor, as they have faced the second-fewest shorthanded situations of any team this season (220). Charlotte ranks sixth on the power play (20.3 percent), making it the only AHL team to be in the top sox in both special teams categories.
STREAKS
• (LW) Evgenii Dadonov has assists and points in each of his last four games (Feb. 19-March 3; 5a)
• (D) Bobby Sanguinetti has assists and points in each of his last three games (Feb. 24-March 3; 1g, 3a)
• (C) Sean Dolan has points in each of his last two games (Feb. 25-March 3; 1g, 1a)
INJURIES
• (D) Chris Murray – missed one game, last played Feb. 25 vs. Oklahoma City
• (D) Rasmus Rissanen - missed two games, last played Feb. 24 vs. Oklahoma City
• (D) Justin Krueger - missed four games, last played Feb. 18 at Chicago
• (C) Riley Nash – missed eight games, last played Feb. 10 at Milwaukee
TRANSACTIONS
Charlotte
• March 3 – (LW) Zach Boychuk reassigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)
• March 2 – (D) Brandon Gentile signed to professional tryout contract
• March 2 – (G) John Muse reassigned to Florida (ECHL) from Charlotte
• March 2 – (G) Justin Peters reassigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)
• Feb. 27 – (LW) Zach Boychuk recalled to Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte
• Feb. 26 – (G) Dave Caruso released from professional tryout contract
Lake Erie
• March 1 – (D) Barry Goers signed to PTO
• Feb. 29 – (G) Gerald Coleman signed to standard player contract
• Feb. 27 – (F) Mike Connolly assigned to Lake Erie from Colorado (NHL) |
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