As they return to Charlotte for a long week of practice before their home opener against the Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday, they do so with the memory of Ben Holmstrom’s overtime goal in Chicago on Sunday as the freshest thing in their minds. Considering the difference between that and what would have been a franchise-worst 0-3-0 start following earlier losses in Milwaukee and Chicago, the relief is apparent.
“Without a doubt,” said coach Jeff Daniels.
“As I told the guys on Sunday, we had a lot of chances with pucks in and around the net but we were missing the net wide and all of the sudden it comes back the other way,” said Daniels, whose team was out-shot by a combined 72-31 margin over the course of its two games in Chicago and set a franchise record for fewest shots in a game (15) on Saturday. “We had no shots and no zone time, and that comes down to forcing a pass in the middle of the ice instead of putting the puck on the net.
“We have to have more confidence offensively because a lot of these guys have proven in the past in junior and in college that they’re capable of doing that. It’s just a matter of having that confidence at the next level.”
On the flip side of having scored just six goals, their lowest first-three-games total in five AHL seasons, defense and goaltending kept them in games. While Milwaukee pulled away from a 3-3 second-intermission tie in Friday’s opener, the next two games ended with 2-1 scores. John Muse made 27 saves to take the loss on Saturday, while Drew MacIntyre stopped 42 to earn the team’s first victory on Sunday.
“That’s what we need right now – for our goalies to give us a chance while we get our legs under us,” said Daniels.
Other news and notes from opening weekend:
BOYCHUK’S BRIEF STAY
After just two games, Carolina’s injury situation at the forward position worsened to the point where the NHL club was already in need of its first recall. That ended up being the AHL’s reigning goal scoring champion, who netted one in two Checkers games before getting the call.
His departure isn’t exactly good news for a Checkers club that is now missing each of its top five scorers from last season. Then again, it wasn’t necessarily planning to have Boychuk in the first place.
“He’s a difference maker at this level and he played well while he’s down here but he wants to be back up top,” said Daniels. “We’ve just got to move things around and look at different options.
“Going into the season it wasn’t going to be up to one or two guys to score. It was going to be all about committee and from that end of things it doesn’t change at all.”
To Daniels’ point, 13 different Checkers have recorded at least one point this season, but none have more than two (Holmstrom, Brendan Woods and Dennis Robertson).
The team’s depth at the position could have taken a further hit had the Hurricanes elected to recall another forward for Tuesday’s game against Buffalo. Instead, the parent club will dress seven defensemen.
LEVI TO FLORIDA
Levi, a 22-year-old now in his second professional season, scored 15 points (2g, 13a) in 53 games with the Everblades last season. One of Carolina’s third-round draft choices in 2010, he played 10 AHL games with Charlotte last season but is, for now, eighth on the team’s depth chart. The Checkers retain seven blueliners, including rookies Trevor Carrick and Dennis Robertson.
“We’ve got six games this month and seven healthy D, and Carolina’s got eight,” said Daniels. “It’s just a matter of getting him playing and that way if we do need him as a call-up he’s been playing and it’s an easy flight in here to get him back into the lineup.”
NEW OVERTIMES
In five total games (two preseason and three regular season), the Checkers have gone to overtime twice. While both offered a chance to get an early glimpse at the AHL’s new overtime rules (seven minute period, four-on-four until the first stoppage after three minutes of play, three-on-three until time expires, shootout), the Checkers won both games during the traditional four-on-four format.Still, the new three-on-three segment has been on Daniels’ mind.
“It’s going to be new to us and new to the players so we want to make sure we’re all on the same page,” he said. “We’re still trying to toy with it and see if we want to go two defensemen or two forwards. It might be based on how the game’s going, or maybe you want to put a defensive defenseman out with two offensive forwards in case there’s a breakdown. Once it opens up it’s just going to go back and forth so we’ve got to make sure we’re covered.”
On the AHL’s opening weekend, six games went to overtime. Three were decided at four-on-four and three were decided at three-on-three. None went to the shootout, suggesting that the rule change is having its intended effect – one that Daniels supports.
“As a fan of the game, I love sitting at home and watching the shootout when I have no ties to it, but as a coach it’s a tough way to lose,” he said.
“In a perfect world you’re playing five-on-five until someone wins but obviously in the regular season that’s tough with travel. You could be playing all night on a three-in-three. But without a doubt I think three-on-three will be just as exciting as the shootout, if not more.”
