Weekly Report: April 4, 2016

In the heat of a tight playoff race, the Checkers emerged from their weekend series with Texas with three of a possible four points. That success, combined with some help around the league, puts Charlotte back in control of a playoff spot.

The Checkers will wrap up their final home stand of the season with a busy four-game slate this week, including visits from Rockford and Milwaukee.

Week in Review

Checkers 6, Texas 3

Returning for their final home stand of the season, the Checkers welcomed the Texas Stars for the first time this year with a lopsided 6-3 victory. The home team jumped out to a two-goal lead through one period, but the Stars battled back to knot the game at two late in the middle frame. Charlotte would respond with three unanswered strikes, however, and despite a comeback attempt from the visitors, the Checkers potted one last empty netter to put the nail in the coffin, sealing their fifth straight home win, a franchise record. Brock McGinn led the way, scoring twice in his return to game action after being sidelined by an injury. Full recap

Texas 4, Checkers 3 (SO)

The next night’s contest proved to be much tighter, with Charlotte erasing three different Texas leads. Sergey Tolchinsky sent the game to overtime with a snipe in the third period, his second goal of the game and sixth in the last five games. Overtime came and went and the game proceeded to a shootout, where Stars goalie Jack Campbell stopped all three Charlotte shooters he faced. On the other side, Matej Stransky put one behind Daniel Altshuller to clinch the two points in the standings for Texas. Full recap

Three Stars Of The Week

Notables

Playoff Picture

The Checkers’ three-point weekend, combined with a pair of losses by the San Jose Barracuda, puts them in the fourth Pacific Division playoff spot with five games to go.

With the Barracuda idle, Charlotte will continue to hold its spot regardless of Tuesday’s result. However, it will have a big impact toward what’s on the line when both teams return to action Wednesday, when the Checkers host Rockford again and San Jose continues a six-game road trip in San Antonio. With a win tonight, Charlotte would move up to .563 percent, while a regulation loss would drop them to .549 and give the Barracuda a chance to move ahead on Wednesday.

There's No Place Like Home

After a long road trip to wrap up the month of March, the Checkers returned to Charlotte for their final home stand of the season on Friday and have continued to be red hot on home ice.

Friday’s throttling of Texas was the Checkers’ fifth consecutive win at home, setting a new franchise record. Though they dropped the next night’s rematch in a shootout, the team has still earned at least a point in six straight games, one shy of tying another franchise record, last set during the 2012-13 campaign.

Tolchinsky Takes Off

Spurred on by his recent NHL debut, Sergey Tolchinsky lit up Texas for four points in two games this past weekend, giving him six goals in his last five games and eight points in his last six. With 36 points on the season, the 21-year-old Russian is now the third highest scoring rookie in franchise history and has moved into a tie for 19th among all AHL rookies in scoring.

The Captain Stays Hot

Derek Ryan has been the driving force behind the Checkers’ recent charge. The team’s leading scorer, Ryan has hit another hot streak, setting a new season-best with his current seven-game point streak. Over that stretch, which began on March 19 against Milwaukee, no one in the AHL has put up more points than Ryan’s 12 (5g, 7a).

Offense Springs To Life

The Checkers, who have seen their offensive production fluctuate up and down through most of the second half of the season, are on an upswing. Charlotte has recorded at least three goals in four of their last five contests, including the six-goal mark three of those times.

When their offense is clicking, the Checkers have thrived, with 30 of their 35 wins this season coming in games where they scored three or more goals. Charlotte is 30-5-4 in those situations.

Special Teams Struggles

Though it spent most of the season near the top of the league rankings, the Checkers’ power play has gone ice cold over this last stretch. The Checkers have gone scoreless in the eight man advantages they’ve gotten over the last four contests and are now 4-for-57 (7%) over their last 15 games. The other side of special teams hasn’t served them much better, as the Checkers have allowed a power-play goal in six of their last nine contests, including one in each of the last four contests. They have killed 27 of their last 33 man advantages (81.8%).

Start Strong, Finish Strong

The Checkers have been particularly stingy early on in contests as of late. They have not allowed a first period goal in their last four games and have only given up one in their last nine games.

On the opposite end, the Checkers have totaled 10 goals in the third periods of their last five games. They are outscoring their opponents 83-68 in the final frame, the third-highest third period goal differential in the AHL.

Ranks

• Derek Ryan is tied for 11th in the AHL in scoring (55)
• Kyle Hagel ranks second in the AHL in major penalties (17) and fifth in penalty minutes (153) and ranks fifth in penalty minutes (153)
• John Muse ranks 17th in the AHL in goals-against average (2.53)
• Sergey Tolchinsky is tied for 19th among AHL rookies in scoring
• Trevor Carrick is tied for 10th among AHL defensemen in scoring (38), tied for fourth in power-play assists (18) and tied for second in power-play points (22)
• Mike Cornell leads all AHL defensemen and is tied for fourth in the league overall in major penalties and ranks fifth among league defensemen in penalty minutes (125)

Injuries

• Danny Biega missed 38 games starting 1/8
• Dane Fox missed 11 games starting 3/12
• Andrew Miller missed four games starting 3/26
• Rasmus Rissanen missed four games starting 3/26

Transactions

Incoming

• April 2 - (C) Patrick Brown assigned by Carolina (NHL)
• April 2 - (LW) Brendan Woods assigned by Carolina (NHL)
• April 2 - (C) Brody Sutter assigned by Carolina (NHL)
• April 2 - (C) Derek Ryan assigned by Carolina (NHL)
• April 2 - (LW) Sergey Tolchinsky assigned by Carolina (NHL)

Outgoing

• None

Coming Up

By the Numbers

Team Statistics
CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK	LAST WEEK
Power play	19.7%	t-6th	6th
Penalty kill	83.8%	12th	t-10th
Goals per game	2.90	10th	t-12th
Shots per game	30.17	13th	13th
Goals allowed per game	2.97	t-18th	17th
Shots allowed per game	29.07	8th	8th
Penalty minutes per game	14.59	16th	16th

Team Leaders
CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	Derek Ryan (55), Andrew Miller (44), Trevor Carrick (39)
Goals	Derek Ryan (23), Andrew Miller (18), Brock McGinn (17)
Assists	Derek Ryan (32), Trevor Carrick (30), Andrew Miller (26)
Power play goals	Brock McGinn, Derek Ryan (7), Andrew Miller (6)
Shorthanded goals	David Wohlberg (2)
Game-winning goals	Andrew Miller (5), Derek Ryan (4)
Shots on goal	Derek Ryan (154), Trevor Carrick (140), Andrew Miller (117)
Penalty minutes	Kyle Hagel (153), Mike Cornell (125), Keegan Lowe (69)
Plus/minus	Dennis Robertson (+16), Ethan Werek, Valentin Zykov (+7)
Wins	John Muse (17)
Goals-against average	John Muse (2.53)
Save percentage	John Muse (.912)