March 19, 2012 6:57 AM
Overall record: 32-22-8 (Home: 17-11-4 | Road: 15-11-4)
Last week’s record: 0-2-0 | Last 10 games: 2-4-4
Standings: 3rd Midwest Division | 7th Western Conference
The Checkers became the latest team to succumb to the scorching Norfolk Admirals, as they dropped a pair of lopsided decisions over the weekend at Time Warner Cable Arena. With wins of 7-2 and 5-0, Norfolk finished the week with a new AHL record of 18 consecutive victories.
 Charlotte fell to 2-4-4 in its last 10 games – a run that has seen it lose hold of its Midwest Division lead and drop to 7th place in a competitive Western Conference playoff race. With 72 points, the Checkers trail third-place Chicago by three but are also just two points ahead of 10th-place San Antonio as of Monday morning. They do have games in hand on every team in the race, with no other AHL team playing fewer than their 62 games.
The Checkers begin their final 14 games of the season on Tuesday with a back-to-back set against the Peoria Rivermen, who lead Charlotte by one point in the Midwest. They then travel to Hershey for the only time this season to face the Bears, who rank 5th in the Eastern Conference, on Saturday and Sunday.
Norfolk 7, Charlotte 2 – Recap
Zach Boychuk recorded his fourth two-goal game of the season, but it wasn’t enough as the Checkers suffered the most lopsided loss in their two-year history against the Norfolk Admirals in Charlotte on Friday. Defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti had a pair of assists, but the duo of starter Mike Murphy (13 saves) and backup Justin Peters (12 saves) couldn’t stop the high-powered offense of Norfolk, which tied an AHL record with its 17th consecutive victory.
Norfolk 5, Charlotte 0 – Recap
The Norfolk Admirals set a new AHL record with their 18th consecutive victory by shutting out Charlotte by a 5-0 score on Sunday. Justin Peters made 22 saves for the Checkers, which fell to 2-2-4 in their last 10 games while registering 20 shots and failing to score a goal for the fifth time this season. With its win, Norfolk won the inaugural GEICO Challenge Cup by finishing with a three-point lead (5-3-0) in the eight-game season series with Charlotte.
 Hurricanes recall Sanguinetti
Defenseman joins Carolina for second time in week
Player vision with Mike Murphy
Checkers goalie dons helmet cam during practice
Samson, Sanguinetti return to Charlotte
Checkers' top goal scorers at their respective positions head back from Carolina
Checkers continue difficult schedule
Tough opponents are the norm in busy month of March
Nash ready to return
Checkers center set to go after missing month due to concussion
Charity game raises $6,700 for United Way
Game between employees of Wells Fargo and US Airways benefits the United Way of Central Carolinas
Sanguinetti gets the call
Hurricanes recall Checkers' highest-scoring defenseman for first time
Seventh annual Heroes Game a success
Event raised more than $23,000 raised for families of fallen public service workers
 LEAN STRETCH: The Checkers have just two regulation victories in their last 10 games (2-4-4), marking the fewest in any 10-game segment in the team’s two-year history. The current run falls one win short of the previous mark, which was set during the club’s inaugural 10 games from Oct. 9-30, 2010 (3-6-1). Last season’s stretch still represents the fewest points earned during any 10-game segment (7).
SHUTOUTS: Opposing teams have shut out the Checkers five times in 62 games this season, which is one more shutout than they encountered in 80 games last season. After finishing last season ranked tied for second in the AHL with an average 3.31 goals per game, the Checkers now rank 19th with an average of 2.74.
TOUGH LOSSES: Until suffering back-to-back 7-2 and 5-0 losses at the hands of the Norfolk Admirals on Friday and Sunday, the Checkers had not lost by more than four goals in the team’s two-year history. Charlotte had not lost by more than three goals at any time this season, with all of its four-goal losses coming during its inaugural campaign last season.
SANGUINETTI STARS: Defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti assisted on both Checkers goals on Friday, giving him five points (1g, 4a) in his last two games and nine points (2g, 7a) in his last seven. Sanguinetti made his Carolina Hurricanes debut against the New York Rangers on Tuesday and went on to play two more NHL games later in the week, causing him to miss Sunday’s Checkers game against Norfolk. Though he has missed 12 games, Sanguinetti ranks second on the Checkers in scoring with 37 points (8g, 29a) in 50 games and is on pace to set new AHL career highs in goals (10), assists (37) and points (47).
BOYCHUK IN BUNCHES: Charlotte’s Zach Boychuk recorded his fourth two-goal game of the season on Friday, tying him with Jerome Samson for the most multi-goal games of any Checkers player this season. Boychuk has now found the back of the net 16 times this season, with multi-goal games accounting for exactly half of that total. Boychuk has one career hat trick, one of two in team history, which was registered at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Jan. 23 of last season.
STREAKS
None
INJURIES
• (D) Mathieu Roy – missed two games, last played March 11 vs. Chicago
• (LW) Justin Soryal – missed two games, last played March 11 vs. Chicago (out for season)
• (D) Justin Krueger - missed nine games, last played Feb. 18 at Chicago
| CATEGORY |
RECORD |
AHL RANK |
LAST WEEK |
| Power play: |
20.0% |
t-7 |
t-7 |
| Penalty kill: |
85.0% |
2 |
2 |
| Goals per game: |
2.74 |
19 |
t-16 |
| Shots per game: |
31.8 |
8 |
8 |
| Goals allowed per game: |
2.74 |
11 |
5 |
| Shots allowed per game: |
30.7 |
17 |
16 |
| Penalty minutes per game: |
14.3 |
7 |
7 |
| CATEGORY |
LEADER(S) |
| Points: |
Chris Terry (48), Bobby Sanguinetti (37), Zach Boychuk (36) |
| Goals: |
Jerome Samson (18), Zach Boychuk (16), Zac Dalpe (15) |
| Assists: |
Chris Terry (36), Bobby Sanguinetti (29), Zach Boychuk (20) |
| Power play goals: |
Jerome Samson (8), Drayson Bowman, Bobby Sanguinetti (6) |
| Shorthanded goals: |
Zac Dalpe (2) |
| Game-winning goals: |
Zach Boychuk, Matthew Pistilli, Jerome Samson (3) |
| Shots on goal: |
Jerome Samson (175), Chris Terry (162), Zac Dalpe (142) |
| Penalty minutes: |
Justin Soryal (164), Nicolas Blanchard (92), Chris Terry (57) |
| Plus/minus: |
Justin Krueger (+13), Justin Shugg (+5) |
| Wins: |
Mike Murphy (16), John Muse (10), Justin Peters (6) |
| Goals-against average: |
John Muse (1.81), Mike Murphy (2.68), Justin Peters (2.73) |
| Save percentage: |
John Muse (.941), Mike Murphy (.909), Justin Peters (.909) |
• March 18 – (D) Ryan Donald recalled to Charlotte from Florida (ECHL)
• March 18 – (D) Bobby Sanguinetti recalled to Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte
• March 16 – (RW) Jerome Samson reassigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)
• March 16 – (D) Bobby Sanguinetti reassigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)
• March 12 – (D) Bobby Sanguinetti recalled to Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte
• March 12 – (D) Chris Murray reassigned to Florida (ECHL) from Charlotte
• Tuesday, March 20 vs. Peoria (7:00 p.m.)
- Wet Your Whistle Weekday
12 oz. Bud Lights for $3.50
• Wednesday, March 21 vs. Peoria (7:00 p.m.)
- Wet Your Whistle Weekday
12 oz. Bud Lights for $3.50
• Saturday, March 24 at Hershey (7:00 p.m.)
• Sunday, March 25 at Hershey (5:00 p.m.)
Start your week off with a cup of Magnolia Coffee, the official coffee of the Checkers. For more information, visit their website, call Magnolia Coffee at 704-654-5393 or email jay@magnoliacoffeeco.com. |
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