One of the biggest hurdles that the Checkers faced at the beginning of this season was the sheer lack of experience on their roster. Rookies and second-year pros made up the bulk of their team, and while there were certainly some growing pains, those young players have made some of the biggest strides thus far.
“They’ve improved, and that’s what you’re looking for,” said head coach Jeff Daniels. “Keep going forward.”
With the absence of some of their most important leaders and producers for much of the first half of the season, those younger players have been given chances they would not normally have been called upon for. Getting thrown into the fire, so to speak, has played a major role in how they have grown up to this point.
“I think that part of the reason is that they’re getting a chance to play and play a lot and play in different situations,” said Daniels. “If we were an older team, they might not get some of these situations where they’re playing power play and killing penalties and are out on the ice late in games. It’s part of their development. I think in the long run they’ll be better players for it.”
As a team, the Checkers’ most glaring flaw through half a season has been their lack of a scoring punch. They find themselves last in the AHL in terms of goals per game and have scored two goals or fewer in 25 of their 40 games this season. The addition of reigning AHL goals champ Zach Boychuk should give the team a boost in that department, but Daniels still stressed scoring goals as one of the aspects that the team must improve in order to keep climbing upward in the second half.
“We need more desperation and hunger around the net and have the ability to finish off plays. We have to bear down in front of the net and score some goals.”
The bright spot in that stat is that the Checkers have tightened up defensively and thrived in those low scoring, tight games. They have played 11 games this season that have ended with a score of 2-1 or 3-2, and of those 11 games, the Checkers have earned at least one point in the standings in nine of them, including eight of their last such instances.
“We have to be comfortable in those 2-1 or 3-2 type of games,” said Daniels. “Obviously we’ve had a lot of those games and I think we’re more comfortable now. There’s less panic.”
Overall, while the first half of the season hasn’t been the kindest in terms of the standings, the Checkers have shown a steady improvement and flashes of the ability to make a run here in the final stretch.
“It’s confidence,” said Daniels. “The young guys are understanding what the pro game’s about. You have to bring it every night and I think we’ve been a lot more consistent with our game. We’re battling hard for 60 minutes and the work’s been there. I think we’re trending in the right direction.”
Some other news and notes from this week:
MURPHY RETURN
While being sent down is always a tough pill to swallow for a young player, Daniels has no doubts that Murphy will show the same attitude and work ethic that earned him his last recall.
“He was obviously disappointed when he came down the first time, but he bought in right away and worked on his game to the point where we had him killing penalties and on the ice late when we were defending a lead,” said Daniels. “You’re down here to develop in those types of situations.
“He kept it simple. He learned that he doesn’t have to do it all himself. He can move the puck and use his ability to see the ice so well. Less is more sometimes.”
That improvement was apparent to others, as the AHL selected Murphy to the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic in Utica, NY. The 21-year-old is the first Checkers player to be named an All Star since Michal Jordan and Justin Peters played in the 2013 game. Murphy will also be the third Checkers defenseman to play in the AHL All-Star Game, joining Michal Jordan and Bryan Rodney.
While the addition of the dynamic blueliner is undoubtedly an enhancement for the Checkers as they head into a tough three-in-three where they will host the division-leading Barons twice, they will still need to fight for every point they can get.
“As much as you’re excited to get guys in the lineup, it doesn’t mean we can relax,” said Daniels. “You have to keep working and keep playing your game.”
POWER PLAY LOOKING FOR SPARK
Both strikes in that game came via getting traffic in front and putting pucks on net, two things that the Checkers have had problems doing thus far.
“You look at a lot of the power play goals, it’s not a lot of tic-tac-toe goals,” said Daniels. “If we have the shot we have to take it. Get bodies in front. Shuggy [Justin Shugg] did a great job finding Rosey [Chad LaRose] back door, but the first goal was a point shot from [Trevor] Carrick with Homer [Ben Holmstrom] in front of the net. That’s been the message all year.”
The power play unit has been a rag-tag group for much of the year, with Daniels shuffling around players and inserting new ones in hopes of sparking some production. While none of those moves seemed to take off, the success on Friday can, at least partially, be attributed to the additions of Boychuk, who has thrived on the power play in previous years, and Jordan, as well as the decision to shift Shugg to the point.
Both units were able to move the puck much more effectively against the Marlies and take advantage of their chances, which had been missing all season. That success gives a glimmer of hope, but is not surprising to Daniels, who has liked the power play at points throughout the season, pointing to an inability to finish as the problem. If the Checkers are to continue to improve on the power play, it will be by sticking to the plan and capitalizing.
“I think our power play has looked good in spurts,” said Daniels. “Hasn’t scored, but hopefully we can build off last game.”
CANES KEEPING AN EYE ON CHECKERS
Stillman, along with Carolina’s Director of Defensemen Development Glen Wesley and Carolina’s Goaltending Coach David Marcoux, has taken the ice at Checkers’ practice at various points during the season. The inclusion of those faces provides many benefits for the young squad.
“They have a lot of experience and it’s a different voice,” said Daniels. “They’re able to meet more one-on-one. They watch the games when they’re not here, so they have a feel for what’s going on and they might see something that we miss.”
Aside from getting taught by a group that has a combined 36 seasons worth of NHL experience, their presence shows the players that they are of value to an organization that wants to see them succeed and move to the next level.
“As much as you tell them that they’re watching and they know what’s going on, they get a little more excited when they come down or when Ronnie [Carolina GM Ron Francis] comes down,” said Daniels. “It’s good to know that they’re being seen and watched and that they’re not forgotten. They’re a part of the Carolina Hurricanes organization and they are the players that are hopefully the future.”
