Weekly Report: Feb. 9, 2015

The Checkers' post-break slump hit a new low this week, with the team's losing streak running to a season-high four games.

Following a winless road trip to Texas after the All-Star break, the Checkers again dropped both parts of a back-to-back, getting swept at home by the Chicago Wolves. Those losses have mired the Checkers in their worst four-game stretch of the season, being outscored by a score of 17-4.

The team will now look to regroup before hiting the road for a pair of contests in Lake Erie against the Monsters.

Week in Review

Chicago 4, Checkers 1

The Checkers kicked off their ninth annual Pink In The Weekend by squaring off with the Chicago Wolves for the first time since opening weekend. The Wolves quickly jumped out front, with Shane Harper lighting the lamp just over three minutes in to put Chicago ahead 1-0. The Wolves poured it on in the second, racking up three goals in the middle frame to build a sizeable 4-0 lead. Brody Sutter broke up Chicago goalie Jordan Binnington's shutout late in the third, but it wasn't enough to spark a rally, and the Checkers dropped their third consecutive game. Full recap

Chicago 4, Checkers 1

In a rematch the next night, the Checkers could not bounce back and fell into the same result. The Wolves again got on the board first, with Shane Harper netting the first of two goals on the night, extending his point streak to an AHL-leading nine-games. Chad LaRose knotted things up early in the second, deflecting in a cross-ice pass from Jason Bast on the power play, but the tie was short-lived. The Wolves chipped in two more tallies in the second and an empty netter in the third to seal another 4-1 victory. The result marked the Checkers' fourth-straight loss, the longest losing streak that they have seen this season. Full recap

Notables

We Meet Again

This past weekend’s series against Chicago marked the 18th time the Checkers have faced the same opponent in two consecutive games this season. They are a combined 3-11-4 in the first halves of those series and 10-7-1 in the second.

In those two-game series, the Checkers have won both games once (against Milwaukee on Nov. 29 and 30) and have suffered four sweeps (vs. Grand Rapids on Oct. 17-18, at San Antonio on Nov. 14-15, at Oklahoma City on Nov. 21-22 and vs. Chicago on Feb. 6-7).

Tough Break

The Checkers' 4-1 loss to Chicago on Feb. 7 marked their fourth consecutive regulation loss since returning from the AHL's All-Star break, marking their longest losing-streak of the season and giving them the longest active losing-streak in the AHL currently. Over the course of their current streak, opponents have out-scored them by a cumulative 17-4 score, marking the largest differential, positive or negative, of any four-game stretch this season. Prior to the All-Star break, the Checkers had earned points in seven of their last 10 games (5-3-2).

Coming off the similary long holiday break from Dec. 22-26, the Checkers posted a four-game winless streak at 0-3-1. They had earned points in four of their previous five games (3-1-1).

The last time that the Checkers suffered four consecutive regulation losses since a franchise-record, seven-game skid from Nov. 2-19 of last season.

LaRose Takes Over

While recording a six-game point streak (3g, 3a) that came to an end on Jan. 31, Chad LaRose took sole posession of the team scoring lead with 26 points (13g, 13a). The alternate captain has put up 15 of those points in his last 20 games (9g, 6a). In addition to being the team's overall points leader, he also leads the team in shorthanded points (three - t-4th AHL) and power-play points (six). He also leads the team in shots on goal (125), having topped the seven-shot mark twice in his last four outings.

LaRose's point streak marked the Checkers' longest of the season, eclipsing his own previous five-game run and another by Ryan Murphy, both of which occurred in December. It also tied the longest of his professional career set during his previous AHL season (4g, 7a for Lowell between Nov. 18-26, 2005).

LaRose, a 32-year-old veteran of 508 NHL games with Carolina, is playing in the AHL for the first time since 2005-06 after taking last season away from hockey. He now has 110 points (54g, 56a) in 173 career AHL games with Lowell and Charlotte.

Killing It

The Checkers have negated 33 of their opponents' last 37 power plays (89 percent) over their last eight games dating back to Jan. 16. During that time, they have risen to 10th in the AHL with a season-long percentage of 85.1.

The Checkers have also been able to produce offense while shorthanded, as evidenced by their six shorthanded goals that rank tied for sixth in the league and are two more than their league-low total from all of last season. Chad LaRose has been their most productive shorthanded player with a team-leading three points while shorthanded (t-4th AHL).

Lack Of Firepower

After totaling just four goals in their last four games, the Checkers have fallen back to the AHL cellar in terms of total goals (99) and goals per game (2.11). The Checkers are the only team in the AHL with two or fewer 20-point scorers on their roster (Chad LaRose and Justin Shugg). LaRose's 26 points are the third lowest for a team-leader in the AHL. The Checkers haven't been getting any help from their top-end scorers during this losing streak, as their three highest-scoring available skaters (LaRose, Shugg and Di Giuseppe) have combined for two points in their last four games.

The Checkers also rank last in the league on the power play with a season-long percentage of 9.7, including a 1-for-16 slide in three games since returning from the All-Star break.The lowest recorded power-play percentage for a season in AHL history is 10.4, set by the Rochester Americans in 2001-02.

Ranks

• Kyle Hagel is tied for second in the AHL in major penalties (15)
• Chad LaRose is tied for the AHL lead in shorthanded assists (3) and is tied for fourth in shorthanded points (3)
• Greg Nemisz ranks second in the league in shooting percentage (25.0%)
• Drew MacIntyre ranks third in the AHL in saves (910) and third in minutes (1877)

Injuries

• Brendan Woods - missed four games starting 1/30
• Gabriel Desjardins - missed 14 game starting 1/4
• Greg Nemisz - missed 26 games starting 12/8 (out for season)

Milestones

• Drew MacIntyre played his 450th pro game on 2/7
• Phil Di Giuseppe played his 50th pro/AHL game on 2/7
• Jason Bast recorded his first AHL point with an assist on 2/7
• Ben Holmstrom played his 300th pro game on 2/6

Transactions

Incoming

• Feb. 6 - (C) Jason Bast signed to PTO from Idaho (ECHL)

Outgoing

• None

Coming Up

By the Numbers

Team Statistics
CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK	LAST WEEK
Power play	9.7%	30th	30th
Penalty kill	85.1%	10th	t-8th
Goals per game	2.11	30th	30th
Shots per game	28.68	24th	25th
Goals allowed per game	3.02	22nd	t-21st
Shots allowed per game	32.28	26th	26th
Penalty minutes per game	18.74	23rd	23rd

Team Leaders
CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	Chad LaRose (26), Justin Shugg (21), Brendan Woods (18)
Goals	Justin Shugg, Chad LaRose (13), Brendan Woods, Greg Nemisz (8)
Assists	Chad LaRose (13), Brendan Woods, Danny Biega (10)
Power play goals	Chad LaRose (5)
Shorthanded goals	Greg Nemisz, Brendan Woods (2)
Game-winning goals	Brendan Woods, Greg Nemisz, Chad LaRose (2)
Shots on goal	Chad LaRose (125), Phil Di Giuseppe (108), Brock McGinn, Justin Shugg (94)
Penalty minutes	Kyle Hagel (111), Keegan Lowe (102), Brendan Woods (76)
Plus/minus	Dennis Robertson (+4), Beau Schmitz (+2), Greg Nemisz (+1)
Wins	Drew MacIntyre (13)
Goals-against average	Drew MacIntyre (2.68)
Save percentage	Drew MacIntyre (.915)