Weekly Report: January 25, 2016

The Checkers wrapped up their final homestand before the All-Star break this past weekend, taking three of a possible four points from the Chicago Wolves and continuing to climb the standings.

The team will hit the road for three games in four nights this week before enjoying a week off.

Week in Review

Chicago 4, Checkers 3 (SO)

While severe weather caused the game to be closed to the public, the Checkers and Wolves squared off in Charlotte for the first time this season. It looked like the Checkers would run away with things, as they racked up a 3-0 lead heading into the final frame, but the Wolves had other ideas. Chicago got on the board in the first minute of third, then Danny Kristo took over, striking twice including the game-tying goal with five seconds remaining, to send the game to overtime. Despite both teams getting a man advantage in the extra frame, neither squad could capitalize and the game would be decided in the shootout. Wolves netminder Niklas Lundstrom, who replaced starter Pheonix Copley in the second period, stood tall and turned aside all three shots he faced, while Kristo again found the back of the net to secure the two points for Chicago.Full recap

Checkers 6, Chicago 5

The next night's rematch started off as bad as the previous game had ended for the Checkers, as the Wolves scored twice in the first 100 seconds. Charlotte bounced back, however, netting two later in the frame to head to the second tied at two. Chicago got the lead back early in the second but the Checkers quickly evened things up, and that pattern would continue until Brendan Woods made it 5-5 midway through the third period. Less than a minute after Woods' tally, it was Zach Boychuk who would pot the eventual game winner, capping a wild back-and-forth contest. Drew MacIntyre, in his first start since Dec. 15, made 20 saves and earned the win for the Checkers. Full recap

Three Stars Of The Week

Notables

Climbing The Standings

After a 5-1 loss to Ontario on Dec. 6, the Checkers sat outside of a playoff spot at sixth in the Central Division with an 11-11-0-0 record. Since that game, however, the Checkers have gone 14-1-3 and stormed their way to second in the division.

The Checkers will square off with the Rockford IceHogs Wednesday night in a battle of the top two teams in the Central. With a win in regulation, the Checkers would move into first place.

Winter Warriors

The Checkers have been on a roll over the last two months, holding a 14-3-1-2 (.775) record so far in December and January. The best record through those two months in franchise history is 14-8-0-0 (.636), set in 2013-14. That also stands as the last time that the Checkers finished consecutive months with records over .500, which they are poised to do with three games left in January.

Power Surge

The Checkers' lethal power play ran wild again Saturday, racking up a season-high four goals on the man advantage against the Wolves. It marked the 11th time this season that the Checkers have scored multiple power-play goals in a game and the fifth time in their last nine contests.

Charlotte is currently ranked second in the AHL with a power-play percentage of 23.7, just 0.1% behind the league-leading Providence Bruins. The Checkers' best power-play percentage in a season came in 2013-14 when they finished second in the AHL with 22.6%

Boychuk Lighting The Lamp

Zach Boychuk suffered through a tough start to his season, enduring the longest goal drought of his career, but has caught fire as of late. Of his nine goals this season, a total that is good for third on the team, six have come in the month of January.

Boychuk has been especially effective on the power play. Of his six goals this month, five have come on the man advantage.

Firing On The Blue Line

The Checkers have again been getting significant production from their back end. Trevor Carrick, named an AHL All-Star earlier this month, is second on the team in scoring and fourth among league defensemen, while Jake Chelios has quietly put together career highs in goals, assists and points and is tied for fourth on the team overall in scoring.

Saturday's barn-burning 6-5 win over Chicago was a shining example of the Charlotte blue line's offensive ability, as Carrick and Ryan Murphy each tied a franchise record with four points. It marked the second time Carrick has hit that mark this season and a career-best for Murphy.

Third Line Consistency

While there has been some shuffling of the lineup in recent weeks, the Checkers' third line has remained virtually untouched, and that consistency is starting to pay off on the score sheet.

Over the last five games, Brendan Woods (3-1-4), Brody Sutter (2-2-4) and Patrick Brown (1-1-2) have filled up the net and helped propel the Checkers' offense while remaining a key two-way unit for head coach Mark Morris. The three have also been used fairly frequently to kill penalties, and Sutter and Brown both hold a share of the team-lead in shorthanded goals with one each.

Breaking Things Down

The Checkers avoided a near-collapse against Chicago on Friday, earning a point in the overtime loss, and have yet to lose in regulation in a game in which they held a lead at either intermission (12-0-1-1 when leading after the first, 15-0-1-1 when leading after the second).

Charlotte has also been impeccable when allowing two or fewer goals (17-0-0) and have come through in tight games (12-3-1-2 in one-goal games), while their offense has been a big catalyst to their success (21-4-1-1 when scoring three or more goals).

Ranks

• Derek Ryan is tied for 10th in the AHL in scoring (34)
• Kyle Hagel is tied for fourth in the AHL in major penalties (9)
• Zach Boychuk ranks third in the AHL in shots on goal (120)
• Trevor Carrick ranks fourth among AHL defensemen in scoring (27), is tied for fifth in goals (8), tied for sixth (19) in assists and tied for third in power-play points (14)
• Jake Chelios is tied for 16th among AHL defensemen in scoring (22)
• Rasmus Rissanen is tied for second among AHL defensemen in minor penalties (22)
• Mike Cornell is tied for fourth among AHL defensemen in major penalties (8)

Injuries

• Danny Biega missed eight games starting 1/8

Suspensions

• Keegan Lowe served his one-game suspension on 1/22

Milestones

• Brock McGinn played his 100th AHL game and scored his 50th AHL point on 1/23
• Zach Boychuk scored his 150th pro goal on 1/23
• Brody Sutter recorded his 150th pro assist on 1/23
• Patrick Brown played his 100th AHL game on 1/23
• Mike Cornell played his 100th AHL game on 1/23

Transactions

Incoming

• January 19 - (D) Tyler Ganly recalled from Florida (ECHL)

Outgoing

January 20 - (G) Daniel Altshuller recalled by Carolina (NHL)
• January 18 - (LW) Phil Di Giuseppe recalled by Carolina (NHL)

Coming Up

By the Numbers

Team Statistics
CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK	LAST WEEK
Power play	23.7%	3rd	4th
Penalty kill	83.9%	t-13th	12th
Goals per game	3.23	4th	5th
Shots per game	30.65	9th	11th
Goals allowed per game	2.90	t-14th	t-13th
Shots allowed per game	28.83	9th	11th
Penalty minutes per game	14.85	18th	19th

Team Leaders
CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	Derek Ryan (34), Trevor Carrick (27), Brock McGinn (23)
Goals	Derek Ryan (13), Brock McGinn (11), Zach Boychuk (9)
Assists	Derek Ryan (21), Trevor Carrick (19), Jake Chelios (17)
Power play goals	Zach Boychuk (6), Three tied (4)
Shorthanded goals	Patrick Brown, David Wohlberg, Brody Sutter (1)
Game-winning goals	Derek Ryan, Zach Boychuk (3), Brock McGinn, Brody Sutter (2)
Shots on goal	Zach Boychuk (120), Trevor Carrick (90), Derek Ryan (87)
Penalty minutes	Kyle Hagel (81), Mike Cornell (66), Rasmus Rissanen (44)
Plus/minus	Brock McGinn (+7), Derek Ryan, Brendan Woods (+6)
Wins	Drew MacIntyre (10)
Goals-against average	Rasmus Tirronen (3.09)
Save percentage	Drew MacIntyre (.889)