Weekly Report: A Grueling Week, Daccord Stands Tall and More

The Checkers powered through a grueling stretch of the schedule over the week of Thanksgiving, splitting a series with the Penguins before dropping two tough contests to the red hot Comets.

Week in Review

Checkers 2, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3 (OT)

The Checkers and Penguins came out firing in Tuesday’s contest, with the two sides combining for 72 shots on goal, but it was the goalies who stole the show. Charlotte’s late lead disappeared when the Penguins notched the tying goal in the final five minutes, then a fast-paced overtime period ended with the Penguins lighting the lamp with 20 seconds remaining to clinch the two points. Full recap

Checkers 4, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3

The Checkers got their revenge the following night, as a pair of tallies from Zac Dalpe and Max McCormick early in the third period gave Charlotte a lead that it would hold onto for the remainder of regulation. Full recap

Checkers 0, Utica 1

The Checkers found themselves in a tightly contested battle with the league’s top team on Saturday, with neither side ceding many chances. The Comets snuck one through on a two-man advantage in the second period, and that would stand as the game’s lone goal as Charlotte came up just short. Full recap

Checkers 2, Utica 5

The following night’s rematch was a similarly even matchup, as a power-play goal from Alex True knotted the game at two. The first-place Comets would surge from there, however, recording three unanswered strikes to topple the Checkers. Full recap

Three Stars Of The Week

NOTABLES

THE CAPTAIN COMES THROUGH

Zac Dalpe has been a consistent offensive force for the Checkers over the last month of play. The Checkers captain has posted five points in his last seven games and eight during the 11 games he played during November, tied for the second most on the team over that month.

STRINGING THEM TOGETHER

With an overtime loss on Tuesday and a win the next night, the Checkers were able to put together at least two consecutive games with a point in the standings for the third time this season. Both of those previous point streaks ran to three games, but the Checkers saw this one snapped with a loss on Saturday to Utica. In dropping Sunday’s rematch with the Comets, the Checkers registered back-to-back regulation losses for the third time this season. In both of those previous instances, the losing streak came to an end in the third contest - once by a regulation win and once by an overtime loss.

THROUGH NOVEMBER

With this last home stand in the books, the Checkers finish the month of November with a .474 points percentage. That marks the first time since 2014-15 that the team will enter the month of December with a record under .500. The Checkers currently sit in sixth place in the Atlantic Division, though, an improvement over the 2019-20 season in which they sat in last place in the Atlantic Division before ending the season in third.

DACCORD STANDS TALL

Joey Daccord has put together a strong run between the pipes this season for Charlotte. Over his last five starts, the netminder has posted a save percentage of at least .930 in three of them and has combined for a 2.20 goals-against average over that five-game stretch. Of all AHL goalies with at least 240 minutes logged from Nov. 11 to today, Daccord ranks 7th in goals-against average over that period.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Coach Kinnear harps on the need to score goals from the blue paint, and by the looks of this goal Aleksi Heponiemi has been taking that to heart!

Count it! ? pic.twitter.com/UMIutZ1bzh

— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) November 25, 2021

RANKS

• Cole Schwindt is tied for 6th among all AHL forwards and tied for 11th overall in plus-minus (+9)
• Kole Lind ranks 9th in the AHL in penalty minutes (42)
• Cole Schwindt is tied for the league lead in shorthanded goals (2)
• Connor Carrick is tied for 10th among AHL defensemen in shots on goal (35)
• Max McCormick is tied for second in the AHL in game-winning goals (3)
• Joey Daccord ranks 11th in the AHL in goals-against average
• Christopher Gibson is tied for fifth in the AHL in shutouts (1)

INJURIES

• John Ludvig has missed the last 10 games

Transactions

Incoming

• Nov. 26 - Frank Hora - Signed to PTO

Outgoing

• Nov. 29 - Matt Kiersted - Recalled by Florida (NHL)
• Nov. 29 - Aleksi Heponiemi - Recalled by Florida (NHL)
• Nov. 27 - Riley Sheahan - Recalled by Seattle (NHL)

Coming Up

By the Numbers

CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK	LAST WEEK
Power play	20.9%	9th	t-3rd
Penalty kill	83.1%	11th	t-14th
Goals per game	2.95	16th	6th
Shots per game	27.74	23rd	29th
Goals allowed per game	3.00	t-11th	t-8th
Shots allowed per game	28.95	11th	18th
Penalty minutes per game	13.00	18th	27th

LEADERS

CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	Alex True (15), Aleksi Heponiemi, Logan Hutsko (11)
Goals	Alex True, Cole Schwindt (7), Max McCormick (6)
Assists	Alex True (8), Aleksi Heponiemi, Logan Hutsko (7)
Power play goals	Zac Dalpe, Alex True (3), Kole Lind, Connor Carrick (2)
Shorthanded goals	Cole Schwindt (2), Max McCormick, Scott Wilson, Alex True (1)
Game-winning goals	Max McCormick (3), Five tied (1)
Shots on goal	Zac Dalpe (41), Alex True (39), Grigori Denisenko (36)
Penalty minutes	Kole Lind (42), Connor Carrick (35), Gustav Olofsson (20)
Plus/minus	Cole Schwindt, Lucas Carlsson (+9), Max McCormick, Carsen Twarynski (+4)
Wins	Christopher Gibson (4)
Goals-against average	Joey Daccord (2.35)
Save percentage	Joey Daccord (.915)