Weekly Report: Oct. 28, 2019

The Checkers turned in another split weekend, earning a hard-fought shootout win Friday before dropping the next night’s rematch.

Week in Review

Checkers 3, Lehigh Valley 2 (SO)

The Checkers were finally able to string some wins together, dropping the Lehigh Valley Phantoms thanks to a seventh-round walkoff goal in the shootout from Kyle Wood. Full recap

Lehigh Valley 3, Checkers 2

Charlotte couldn’t keep its streak alive in the following night’s rematch, however, surrendering a third-period lead and falling short in its rally attempt. Full recap

Three Stars Of The Week

FIVE NOTABLES

1) FOUR-SBERG

After helping the Checkers to defeat Lehigh Valley on Friday, Anton Forsberg improved to a perfect 4-0-0 this season. He is the sixth goalie in franchise history to win each of his first four starts on the season, with Daniel Altshuller starting 4-0-0 in 2015-16, John Muse and Alex Nedeljkovic starting 5-0-0 in 2011-12 and 2018-19 respectively, Michael Leighton starting 6-0-0 in 2016-17 and Dustin Tokarski starting 7-0-0 in 2018-19.

2) SHOOTOUT SUCCESS

The Checkers topped the Phantoms Friday night in a shootout, giving them as many shootout wins as they had all last season. In 2018-19 the Checkers only went to two shootouts, splitting the results.

3) GOING STREAKING

With an assist in each game this weekend, Eetu Luostarinen has now recorded a point in six consecutive games. That is tied for the longest active streak in the AHL and is one shy of the longest this season, a high mark set by Binghamton’s Brett Seney earlier this month.

The longest points streak last season was eight games, set by Aleksi Saarela, while the longest points streak in franchise history is 12 games, set by Ryan Murphy in 2014 and matched by Greg McKegg in 2018.

4) PENALTY SHOT

The Checkers were awarded their first penalty shot of the season in Friday’s game after Lehigh Valley goalie Alex Lyon threw his stick to break up a point-blank opportunity for Eetu Luostarinen. Janne Kuokkanen took the shot for Charlotte but his shot went wide.

The last time the Checkers converted a penalty shot was January of last season.

5) PK POWER

The Checkers surrendered their first power-play goal on home ice in the third period of game four. The Greg Carey strike came after the Checkers had killed off 11 consecutive power plays against the Phantoms this past weekend alone.

RANKS

• Morgan Geekie is tied for 11th in the AHL in points (9)
• Colin Markison leads the AHL in shorthanded assists (2) and is tied for the lead in shorthanded points (2)
• Kyle Wood is tied for the league lead in shootout percentage (100)
• Anton Forsberg is tied for fourth in the AHL in wins (4)
• Chase Priskie ranks third among all rookies and is tied for second among all defensemen in scoring (8), ranks second among rookies in assists (6), is tied for the rookie lead in shorthanded goals (1), power-play assists (4), and power-play points (4)
• Eetu Luostarinen is tied for sixth among rookies in scoring (6), tied for the rookie lead in goals (4), shorthanded goals (1) and shorthanded points (1) and ranks third among rookies in shots (23)

INJURIES

• Stelio Mattheos - Missed eight games starting 10/5
• Spencer Smallman - Missed eight games starting 10/5
• Fredrik Claesson - Missed two games starting 10/25

Transactions

Incoming

• 10/26 - Brian Gibbons assigned by Carolina (NHL)
• 10/22 - Jamie McGinn signed to PTO

Outgoing

• 10/28 - Brian Gibbons recalled by Carolina (NHL)
• 10/25 - Brian Gibbons recalled by Carolina (NHL)
• 10/22 - Jacob Pritchard assigned to Greenville (ECHL)

Coming Up

By the Numbers

CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK	LAST WEEK
Power play	22.9%	6th	3rd
Penalty kill	90.5%	4th	6th
Goals per game	3.38	9th	6th
Shots per game	33.50	6th	t-7th
Goals allowed per game	3.50	24th	t-27th
Shots allowed per game	28.33	11th	10th
Penalty minutes per game	29.75	13th	t-11th

LEADERS

CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	Morgan Geekie (9), Brian Gibbons, Chase Priskie (8)
Goals	Morgan Geekie, Julien Gauthier, Eetu Luostarinen (4)
Assists	Chase Priskie (6), Brian Gibbons, Morgan Geekie, Roland McKeown (5)
Power play goals	Morgan Geekie, Brian Gibbons (2), Four tied (1)
Shorthanded goals	Brian Gibbons, Eetu Luostarinen, Chase Priskie (1)
Game-winning goals	Anthony Louis, Morgan Geekie, Brian Gibbons (1)
Shots on goal	Julien Gauthier (25), Morgan Geekie (24), Eetu Luostarinen (23)
Penalty minutes	Jamie McGinn (15), Derek Sheppard (12), Four tied (10)
Plus/minus	Fredrik Claesson, Cavan Fitgerald (+3), Clark Bishop (+2)
Wins	Anton Forsberg (4)
Goals-against average	Anton Forsberg (2.69)
Save percentage	Anton Forsberg (.909)