Hometown Weekly Report: October 30

Back in Charlotte for their second home stand of the season, the Checkers couldn’t pick up the sweep, splitting a two-game set with the visiting Utica Comets. The team now prepares to head out on a three-week long road trip that kicks off this Friday in Belleville.

Week in Review

Checkers 5, Utica 1

In the two clubs’ first meeting ever, the Checkers used a burst of offense to bury the Utica Comets 5-1. After a first period void of goals for either side, Andrew Miller broke things open with a tap-in goal off a Phil Di Giuseppe feed right off the bat, then the duo combined again just minutes later to double Charlotte’s lead. The scoring didn’t slow down for the Checkers from there, as Sergey Tolchinsky and Philip Samuelsson each joined in the scoring to double the advantage once again through 40 minutes, followed by a fifth goal on the night from the captain Patrick Brown early in the third. The Comets finally broke up Charlotte’s shutout bid midway through the final frame, but there would be no rally as the Checkers clamped down and rode out their lopsided victory. Alex Nedeljkovic stayed perfect on the young season, picking up his fifth win of the year thanks to a solid 25 saves. Full recap

Utica 6, Checkers 3

The Comets flipped the script on Charlotte in the following afternoon’s rematch, sailing to a 6-3 victory over the home squad. Mike Ferrantino notched his first AHL goal early on in the first to negate a quick strike from the visitors, but the comets would log the next five goals unanswered to build a substantial lead heading down the stretch. Andrew Poturalski and Julien Gauthier each lit the lamp in the waning moments of regulation, but it wouldn’t be enough of a spark as the Checkers split their second consecutive home series. Full recap

Three Stars Of The Week

Notables

EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE

The Checkers’ biggest weapon this season continues to be their prolific offense. Charlotte is averaging 3.89 goals per game thus far this season, with the 35 total tallies trailing only three teams across the league – Laval, Rockford and Lehigh Valley. In nine games played this season, the Checkers have reached the five-goal mark in five of them, more than any other team in the AHL.

NED STAYS PERFECT

Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic continued his perfect record to start the season, improving to 5-0-0 with 25 saves Saturday night to beat the Utica Comets. By comparison, the second-year pro earned eight victories in 25 outings last season, not earning his fifth victory until Jan. 14.

SOLID OCTOBER

Despite the split at home to end the month, the Checkers finished October with 12 of a possible 18 points. That .667 points percentage is the second-highest through the month of October in franchise history, only trailing the 2012-13 campaign, in which the team finished the regular season tied for third in the Western Conference.

TOUGH CROWD

As solid of a start that the Checkers have had, the rest of the Atlantic Division has been right there as well. Charlotte currently sits in fourth place in the division, trailing Providence, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Lehigh Valley, all of whom hold a .750 points percentage. By comparison, the Checkers would be tied for first place in the North Division of the Eastern Conference. Last season the Bridgeport Sound Tigers recorded 92 points and a .605 points percentage but missed the playoff cut in the Atlantic Division.

RACKING UP THE PENALTY MINUTES

The Checkers set a season high with 36 penalty minutes in Sunday’s loss to the Comets. That total was bolstered by both Patrick Brown and Zack Stortini receiving five-minute fighting majors plus game misconducts for fighting at the faceoff. They marked the first two game misconducts that have been handed down this season for the Checkers, who were assessed six game misconducts during their inaugural AHL season of 2010-11, a franchise record that still stands.

Ranks

• Lucas Wallmark is tied for fourth in the league lead in scoring and tied for third in assists
• Warren Foegele is tied for the league lead in shorthanded goals and points, tied for third among rookies in assists and tied for the rookie lead in game-winning goals
• Valentin Zykov ranks second in the AHL in shooting percentage
• Alex Nedeljkovic is tied for the league lead in wins

INJURIES

• Trevor Carrick missed 2 games starting Oct. 28
• Warren Foegele missed 2 games starting Oct. 28 (illness)
• Sergey Tolchinsky missed 1 game starting Oct. 29

Transactions

Incoming

• Oct. 30: (C) Janne Kuokkanen assigned to Charlotte (AHL)

Outgoing

• None

Coming Up

By the Numbers

CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK	LAST WEEK
Power play	18.2%	13th	13th
Penalty kill	82.2%	t-20th	13th
Goals per game	3.89	t-3rd	8th
Shots per game	28.11	t-23rd	19th
Goals allowed per game	3.33	19th	18th
Shots allowed per game	31.22	t-25th	18th
Penalty minutes per game	15.00	t-17th	9th

CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	Lucas Wallmark (12), Valentin Zykov, Andrew Miller (9)
Goals	Warren Foegele, Valentin Zykov (5), Lucas Wallmark, Andrew Miller (3)
Assists	Lucas Wallmark (9), Andrew Miller (6), Phil Di Giuseppe (5)
Power play goals	Valentin Zykov (3), Nick Schilkey (2), Three tied (1)
Shorthanded goals	Warren Foegele (2)
Game-winning goals	Warren Foegele (2)
Shots on goal	Lucas Wallmark (21), Phil Di Giuseppe (19), Warren Foegele, Andrew Poturalski (17)
Penalty minutes	Patrick Brown (25), Zack Stortini (23), Philip Samuelsson (11)
Plus/minus	Philip Samuelsson (+6), Patrick Brown, Trevor Carrick (+5)
Wins	Alex Nedeljkovic (5)
Goals-against average	Alex Nedeljkovic (2.63)
Save percentage	Alex Nedeljkovic (.905)