Notebook: Tough Luck

The Checkers are currently riding a five-game road winless streak and have dropped four of their last six overall. But as rough as their record has been over that stretch, their level of play hasn’t reflected that.

“Obviously there’s disappointment because you’re not getting any points, but Saturday was probably one of our better games all year,” said head coach Jeff Daniels. “We’re just having a tough time scoring goals. It’s been a theme all season long. We just can’t capitalize right now.”

The last two road series have been trips to San Antonio and Oklahoma City, where the Checkers came away with just one point in the standings after four contests. But in each game, the team was tied or within one goal in the third period, they just couldn’t finish.

“We’re not getting that timely goal,” said Daniels. “The other team is getting that big goal. Right now that has been our downfall, but I’ve liked our last four games on the road. They’ve been four of our best all year.”

The two road trips were broken up by a Tuesday night game at home against the Norfolk Admirals. That tilt saw the Checkers most impressive offensive output, as they throttled the Admirals 6-2. The team then headed for Oklahoma City, where the offense shone again in the first contest. The Checkers battled hard, coming from behind and knotting the game at four late in the third. But the team once again could not finish, falling by a score of 6-4. Despite the strong effort, the style of play did not suit the Checkers game plan.

“We don’t want to play a game like we did Friday night, we were just too loose,” said Daniels. “Playing a team like OKC that has a lot of scoring up front, it doesn’t play into our favor. We don’t want to play that open game. It has to start with team defense. That can create offense going the other way, but we don’t want to cheat for it.”

Having a strong streak of play with nothing to show for it in the standings is undoubtedly tough on a team, especially one as young as the Checkers. But Daniels has shown nothing but encouragement for his group of guys and their performances.

“I’m sure there’s frustration, that’s normal,” said Daniels. “We’ve got to keep pushing and keep having them believe. If you keep doing good things, you’re eventually going to get rewarded for that. Keep working and giving yourself a chance every single night, keep playing the way we want them to play, keep putting pucks at the net, keep being hungry to score goals.”

Some news and notes heading into Wednesday's tilt against Norfolk.

Opportunity On The Blue Line

The Checkers have been carrying eight defensemen for the majority of the season, with Dennis Robertson and Beau Schmitz finding themselves as the healthy extras more often than not. But with today’s recall of Michal Jordan, an opportunity has arose.

“It’ll be more minutes for other guys because Michal plays in all situations,” said Daniels. “Other guys will have to step up and it’ll be a chance for Beau and Dennis to get into the lineup.”

Robertson, a 23-year-old rookie out of Brown University, has notched three points (0g, 3a) in four games, while Schmitz, a third-year pro who has spent the majority of his career in the ECHL, has suited up for five games and tallied one assist. While they haven’t gotten into many games this season, they have impressed Daniels in other ways.

“They’ve been working hard in practice and we’re very confident that, come tomorrow night, whichever way we go, they’ll be ready to play,” said Daniels.

With the option there to send the young blue-liners down to the ECHL to get playing time, the Checkers have kept the pair with the club for instances like this. And with the talent and effort that they have shown, they should be a welcome addition to the lineup.

"They were probably two of the best guys here in practice today,” said Daniels. “They’re ready.”

On The Bus

Wednesday marks the first of four trips to Norfolk this season. As the Checkers closest geographic rival, the Admirals are the only team from the Eastern Conference they play this season. With just over 300 miles between the cities, this trip is the only one that the Checkers will make via bus, a mode of transportation not unfamiliar to many of the first year players.

“The young guys are used to it,” said Daniels. “They bus all the time in juniors, so it’s just a normal trip for them.”

Bus trips are more common in the Eastern Conference, where the teams located closer together. But despite the difference in the means of travel, it’s just like any other road swing.

“We go in the day before, get there in time for dinner, then the guys can relax that evening, then it’s a normal gameday on the road,” said Daniels. “It’s not much of a change other than being on the bus a little longer than you would be throughout the season. But we’re there in plenty of time to be ready for the game.”

The game on Wednesday will be the 38th meeting all-time between the clubs, making Norfolk the most-played team in Checkers history.

Road To Recovery

The Checkers’ group of forwards has been ailing as of late, with four skaters missing Saturday’s contest in Oklahoma City. Jared Staal and Brody Sutter have yet to take the ice since getting hurt, and Patrick Brown is still wearing the yellow “no-contact” jersey while partaking in light practice.

But the one positive note health wise is that center Ben Holmstrom has begun fully participating in practice after missing the last eight games. While that is certainly a step in the right direction, he is not yet ready to get into a game.

“It’s always a positive sign when he gets out of the yellow and into a normal colored jersey, but he will not play Wednesday,” said Daniels.

Holmstrom, an alternate captain and one of the grittier players on the team, looked impressive at practice and didn’t seem to show any signs of rust. Despite that, his status for this weekend is still up in the air.

“This is his first day of actual practice and battles,” said Daniels. “A lot can change between now and this weekend.”

The addition of Holmstrom would be a welcome one for the Checkers, who have been without their top three centers as he, Brown and Sutter are all sidelined. The team will also be without forward Alex Aleardi, who was assigned to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL this afternoon.