“It’s encouraging to see the guys get an understanding of how we want them to play,” said Morris. “Heading into last weekend and not having any games under our belts, I think we have to be encouraged that this group is having fun and playing hard for each other.”
Fun is not necessarily a word that would have been used to describe last year’s team, but this version of the Checkers has a different feel to it all around, the most notable being the style of play. With the additions of several pieces, the team’s philosophy has shifted to better fit the new cast.
“We’re encouraged by our transition game and our puck pursuit’s been really good,” said Morris. “[Carolina head coach Bill] Peters wants a fast team and I think we play right into that mold. I think the key is that if you don’t have a lot of big bodies you have to do it with speed.”
Justin Shugg, who broke out last season with a team-leading 43 points, has fared well in this new outlook, netting three points in two games so far this season. As someone who endured the offensive struggles a season ago, Shugg has seen that difference first-hand.
“I think we’re staying within our systems,” said Shugg. “Our tracking has been great, the puck possession with our D has been awesome and I think that we’re showing that we’re a resilient bunch.”
While Saturday’s season-opening victory was a lopsided affair, the Checkers faced some adversity in the following night’s rematch, falling behind 4-1 in the third period.
Had that happened last year, the game would have essentially been over. That team’s inability to score made those kind of leads nearly impossible to overcome, a feeling that shrouded the bench.
But Sunday’s comeback signaled that this is a different team.
“Everyone sat a little taller when that goal crossed the line to make it 4-2,” said Morris. “We capitalized on some of their breakdowns and fate was on our side. It’s a funny game sometimes.”
Even down three goals, there was an overall sentiment on the bench that this team could erase that lead and come out with a win. And that’s just what they did.
“Positivity,” said Shugg of the feeling on the bench during Sunday’s third period comeback. “We want to make sure that when we come to the rink every day that we have positive attitudes. We all know that we can be accountable for each other.”
The Checkers may be sitting at 2-0, but they’re not without issues. Sloppy play led to the Wild jumping out to that lead, but the team has buckled down this week in practice to remedy those mistakes. While Saturday’s win was a decisive one, Sunday’s comeback showed the team that it will have to keep that same level of competitiveness all season.
“That doesn’t happen too many times,” said Morris of his team’s comeback. “I’m happy that it proved to these guys that we have to play a full 60 minutes.” Two games into the season is rather early to truly get a hold of how a team will look for a full 76-game season. Still, the Checkers are 2-0 for just the second time in the team’s six-year AHL history and have a shot and continuing their unbeaten start this weekend. It may be early, but it’s pretty safe to say that this team is certainly different than a season ago.
“One of the quotes we’ve been going off of is ‘Winning is fun,'” said Shugg.
“These guys are buying in and I think they’re having some fun,” said Morris. Some other news and notes from this week:
3-ON-3 MADNESS
The AHL has implemented a new overtime format for the 2015-16 campaign. Instead of last season’s combination of four-on-four and three-on-three, this season features a full five-minute overtime period played entirely at three-on-three. The Checkers got their first taste of the revamped overtime Sunday in Iowa and it certainly didn’t disappoint in terms of excitement.Neither the Checkers nor the Wild found the back of the net in the extra frame, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t chances. Both squads traded scoring opportunities for the entirety of the five minutes with both netminders staying cool under pressure and forcing the game on to a shootout.
Despite being so early on in the season, the Checkers did have a chance to prepare a game plan for the new overtime format, or as much of a game plan as you can have in that chaotic mess.
“We talked about it,” said Morris. “You don’t want to throw the puck away or miss the net. Having fresh bodies on the ice and guys that are in sync is key to winning in those scenarios. You really have to bear down when you get all those odd-man rushes.”
Tirronen, who entered the game in the third to relieve starter Drew MacIntyre, turned in several key stops, but also was an integral piece of the team’s strategy. The team essentially used him as a fourth skater at points, letting him handle the puck and even passing the puck back to him so they could get a line change, then having him pass it back up to the forwards.
“If you can utilize your goaltender effectively, it plays into your hands," said Morris. "Line changes are critical. We felt like Tirronen gave us the type of plays that we needed at the times when we needed fresh legs out there. He becomes a big part of it.”
"[Morris] said to keep a heads up," said Tirronen. "Like if it’s an icing, maybe play it before that. We talked a little bit that if we needed a change we might give the puck down low to the goalie and I think that happened once."
From a goalie’s perspective, the three-on-three format can’t be especially fun, but Tirronen felt that his work in practice had gotten him ready for what he saw on Sunday.
“We practice a lot of odd-man rushes and that’s really what it is,” said Tirronen.
Last season’s format was designed to reduce the number of shootouts around the league, though the Checkers still ended up settling several games in the breakaway contest. This new format should take that another step forward in terms of preventing shootouts, and with the Checkers’ new offensive punch, they should be one of the more dangerous teams in the league.
TIRRONEN STEPS IN
It’s probably not the way he expected it to happen, but rookie netminder Tirronen made his season debut in the third period of Sunday’s contest in Iowa.Despite going long stretches of time without even attempting a shot, the Wild put four goals past starter Drew MacIntyre. After Jordan Schroeder made it 4-1 three minutes into the final frame, Morris made the decision to bring in Tirronen.
“We made a goalie change just to change things up,” said Morris. “It seems like when we did that we got a good response from the guys in front.”
After Tirronen manned the crease, the Checkers comeback began, rallying back to knot the game at four and force overtime. For Tirronen, this dominant stretch meant that he was entering the extra frame having only seen one shot.
Even so, Tirronen stood strong, denying several chances in overtime and then shutting the door in the shootout to earn the win, his first of the year and second of his career.
“For some reason my legs didn’t feel too bad,” said Tirronen. “You’d think that after not seeing any shots for a couple of games there and sitting on the bench that you’d feel weird, but I felt surprisingly good. The way the guys were playing in front of me, I didn’t see anything too crazy. It was pretty much our game.”
Making his first appearance of the season by coming in cold to a lopsided effort could have ended poorly for the young goalie. But Tirronen showed the poise and talent that made him a key acquisition for Carolina.
“He played great,” said Morris. “Perhaps it’s a stroke of luck that since he didn’t have any notice, he didn’t have any time to get nervous. He just went in there and had good focus and came up huge when we needed him.”
It was a tough game for MacIntyre, one that was hard to really pin on him. He remains an established AHL power that will likely get the bulk of the workload for Charlotte. For Tirronen, it’s just a matter of being ready.
It’s part of the job description,” said Tirronen. “You never know what’s going to happen out there. You have to try to stay mentally in it.”
HITTING THE ROAD
After knocking out the first two games of their month-long road trip, the Checkers were able to return home for a week of practice. Now, starting with Friday’s tilt in Milwaukee, the team will hit the road for a sprawling eight-game swing, not returning to the Queen City until Nov. 1.Being on the road that long is a challenge, especially this early on in a season, but the outlook on the team is positive.
“I think this road trip will help us bond even more,” said Shugg. “18 days on the road is a long while with the same group of guys, so we’ll find some down time and get to know each other even more.”
For the team as a whole, this stretch will be hugely impactful on how their season shakes out. They showed glimpses in their first two wins, but how they carry that over into this trip will be telling.
“It’s a new day,” said Morris. “We have to bring that compete level that we’ve seen in spurts. We need to become a more consistent team and really instill the fundamentals and structure that are necessary for long-term success.”
