Since the last time the team practiced in Charlotte a solid three weeks ago, head coach Mark Morris now has 10 games to draw from when it comes to evaluating his team and where it currently stands.
“We’re making some progress I think,” said Morris. “It was a feel-out process for us but I think that a couple of the really close games that we had turned out in our favor. That does lots for your momentum and lots for your confidence as a group.”
The Checkers finished that grueling 10-game stretch, which including a whopping 18-consecutive days away from home, with a 6-4-0-0 record, marking the team’s best start since 2012-13.
“That’s a long period of time, and to finish up on the plus side for us was good,” said Morris.
“We’re really positive with the road trip,” said Brody Sutter. “Anytime you can take 12 out of 20 points on a 10-game swing is exciting.”
CARDIAC CHECKERS
The Checkers have had no shortage of clutch moments over that trip. Through those first 10 games, they have scored the game-tying or game-winning goal in the final two minutes of regulation three times, most recently in their comeback win on Halloween against the Lake Erie Monsters.While the mere fact that they have been able to rally late in games and not fall off is impressive in its own right, it is perhaps more impressive when compared to a season ago. Last year’s squad struggled offensively, especially in the final moments when they needed a clutch goal, and often felt the game was out of reach if they fell behind by two goals. This team, however, has shown strong resiliency multiple times this season and have ratcheted the intensity up in those high-pressure situations down the stretch.
“We learned that if we stick with it long enough, if we’re down by a goal or two or sometimes three, you can just keep chipping away,” said Morris. “If you’re doing good things and keeping your focus, good things will happen. That’s exactly what unfolded for us.”
“I think anytime you have the skill that we have, everyone knows the last couple minutes of games is a gong show where one team gets all the pressure,” said Sutter. “We’re comfortable in those situations.”
“It’s a skilled and very hard working group,” said Drayson Bowman, who joined the team midway through the trip on a PTO. “That shows with the comebacks and not quitting.”
While they have been able to produce clutch goals so far, the Checkers’ offense has seen its share of highs and lows overall. The team put up a staggering 21 goals through the first four games of the season, but followed it up with just 10 in their next five games before breaking out for six in the trip’s finale. They have found themselves in both lopsided blowouts and tightly-contested, one-goal games so far this season, but where their identity as a team falls is still up in the air.
“I think we have a lot more skill than we did last year, I think we’ve already shown that,” said Sutter. “I don’t think we’re going to be a team that scores four or five goals a night, but if we play the way we’re capable of and stick to the system, three should be enough. If we can put up three goals a night, we should have a lot of happy nights.”
LOOKING FORWARD
While starting the season with a long road trip isn’t the most ideal situation, that’s not to say there aren’t any positives that have come out of it.“Time on the road and eating out and time on the buses and the planes makes for good team bonding,” said Morris. “That’s true with any team, but to have it happen early on could be a blessing in disguise. We’re hopeful that we made the most of our time together there and we’ll continue to work to be a tighter team through every step of the season.”
“We have a lot of guys back from last year and we were a really close team then,” said Sutter. “I think we’ve done a good job of bringing the new guys in and making them feel welcome. They’ve been great with letting us get to know them and gelling on and off the ice.”
With that chunk of road contests behind them, the Checkers are spending this week preparing for their much-anticipated home opener at Bojangles’ Coliseum. They emerged from that stretch with a winning record, but there is plenty to be done in order for the team to reach their ultimate goal, and Morris is ready to have his team go to work.
“Our main focus is to get better every day, and I think it helps to win because it helps you to maintain enthusiasm,” said Morris. “Obviously we’d like to be a playoff team and there are a lot of good teams in our division, so it’ll be a test every night we’re out there. There are no sure things in this league. We’ll continue to try to get our guys believing in what we’re after, and that’s to play as a team and execute systems.”
BOWMAN RETURNS
With the team finally back in Charlotte, there has been a chance to shed some light on recent roster moves.After losing Brock McGinn to the NHL and Justin Shugg to injury early in the season, the Checkers turned to a familiar face to fill their roster. Bowman, a former Carolina draft pick who spent time in Charlotte from 2010-13, signed an ECHL contract with the Colorado Eagles this past offseason, and joined the Checkers on a professional tryout contract two weeks ago. He has appeared in each of the last four games for the Checkers and has certainly made an impact.
“He definitely has some offensive flair and he can help to soak up some of those valuable minutes and to beef up that line with T.J. Hensick and Sergey Tolchinsky,” said Morris. “I’ve seen flashes where he’s made some incredibly smart decisions. I would like to see him be a little grittier on pucks and to play with a little bit of swagger.”
The 26-year-old has established himself as a reliable offensive weapon at this level, and his NHL experience is obviously a plus as well. For Bowman, the key is getting back to his full potential as a player.
“I think the position that they put me in, they just want me to play like they know I can,” said Bowman. “I want to get back to that as quick as I can and I feel like it’s coming for sure. I haven’t produced like I maybe would have liked, but I’ve had chances. Our line could have had more than a few goals, so if we just stick to it, I think they’ll come.”
“I told him to just play and I’m sure over the course of time, some of the things that we’re preaching will sink in,” said Morris. “It’s important that he’s comfortable so that he can give us quality minutes in critical parts of the game and show a little polish by finishing some of the chances that we’re getting.”
One thing Bowman has in his corner is a familiarity with the organization. While Morris is obviously a new coach to him as well, Bowman has spent time in Charlotte with several members of this year’s team, such as assistant coach Geordie Kinnear, Zach Boychuk and Rasmus Rissanen, as well as last season in Hamilton with Hensick and in junior with Derek Ryan.
“It helped big time,” said Bowman. “I know this organization and a couple of the guys and that helped a lot so hopefully that makes the transition smooth and I can focus on just playing hockey. But it’s really good to be back. I’m glad to be here. I’m going to work hard and play well.”
As one of two players on the current roster signed to a PTO, along with David Wohlberg, Bowman’s status with the team is on a day-to-day basis. Even so, the two seem to have shown Morris enough to stick around for at least the time being.
“Those are decisions that are management decisions,” said Morris. “We’ll certainly have some input, but I don’t think anyone’s going anywhere to my knowledge. It’s nice to have that in-house competition, because in-house competition keeps everybody honest. If you take your foot off the accelerator, sometimes people pass you by. Competition is good.”
INJURY UPDATES
One of the reasons for bringing in Bowman was the aforementioned injury to Shugg. Last season’s leading-scorer has missed each of the last seven games, but was a full participant in the last two practices. Health-wise it appears he will be available for this weekend, though him finding himself back in the lineup may not be that simple.“Shugger obviously has a great head for the game and it’s hard to just move somebody out of the lineup for the sake of him being healthy again,” said Morris. “Other guys have made some progress in the time that he was down, so it’s up to him to get himself in the kind of shape and wait for an opportunity so he can get bumped up in the roster. I just can’t really plug him in and insert him right away without him proving to everybody that he’s ready to handle that role. We hope to give him that opportunity this weekend.”
In other news, Danny Biega did not skate in either of the team’s two practices at Bojangles’ Coliseum and his status for this weekend is unknown.
“He needed some rest,” said Morris. “He keeps himself in such great shape anyway that I don’t see that as being an issue. We’d rather have him healthy. I saw him running the stairs here so I’m sure that when he gets back on the ice he’ll be no worse for the wear.”
