Weekly Report: March 30, 2015

The Checkers wrapped up their longest road trip of the season earlier this week on a high note, but then proceeded to kick off their longest home stand of the season with two dissapointing losses to Lake Erie.

Despite the way it ended, the Checkers finished March with a 7-6 record, making it their best month of the season and the first one in which they finished with a winning record.

The Checkers will continue this six-game stretch with back-to-back tilts against their West Division foes the Oklahoma City Barons.

Week in Review

Checkers 3, Norfolk 2

In the finale of their longest road trip of the season, the Checkers rattled off their third consecutive victory behind a pair of goals from Brody Sutter. After heading into the third period tied at one, the Checkers netted two goals to jump ahead midway through the final frame. The Admirals got back within one with under two mintues to go in regulation, but the Checkers and Drew MacIntyre stood strong and held on for the one-goal win. It marked the first time all season that the Checkers won three consecutive games in regulation.Full recap

Lake Erie 3, Checkers 2

The Checkers then kicked off their longest and final home stand of the season, welcoming the Lake Erie Monsters to town for the first time this season. The two squads entered the third period tied at one, then the Monsters notched two rapid-fire strikes to jump ahead early in the final frame. The Checkers rallied back to cut the lead down to one late in the third with an extra attacker. Then, with less than a minute to go in regulation, the Checkers appeared to net the tying goal, with Brody Sutter tapping a loose puck in front just over the line. But after confering with each other, the refs ruled that the whistle had been blown prior to the puck crossing the line, and ruled it no goal. The Checkers attempted to launch one last attack but time ran out and they fell 3-2.Full recap

Lake Eire 5, Checkers 1

Two nights later in a rematch, the Checkers could not continue that momentum. The Monsters racked up three goals in the first period and two more in the second to head into the third period up 5-0. Rookie Dennis Robertson broke up Calvin Pickard's shutout bid early in the third, but it was too little, too late, and the Checkers found themselves on the wrong end of a 5-1 final.Full recap

Notables

Slow Starts

When the Monsters notched three goals in Sunday's first period, it marked the ninth time this season that the Checkers have allowed three or more goals in the opening frame of a game. It was also the third time in the last seven games that has happened.

On the other side, the Checkers have only scored more than two goals in the opening frame once this season, while they have been held to one or fewer goals in the first period in 60 of their 69 games.

Sutter Strikes

With five in his last five games, center Brody Sutter has doubled his goal output from the first 36 games of the season. He has seven total points during his recent four-game run, including two multi-goal games that are his only such games in the AHL aside from a two-goal effort in his first professional playoff game at Oklahoma City on April 26, 2013.

Sutter's four-game point streak (5g, 2a), which came to an end when he was held of the score sheet Sunday against Lake Erie, was the longest of his career, eclipsing a three-game run (0g, 3a) set from Dec. 27-30 of last season.

Sutter, who has been limited to just 4a games this season due to injury, has set a new career high of 10 goals, eclipsing the eight he scored in 69 games last season. He finished the month of March with 12 points (5g, 7a). He had four multi-point games in the month, including a career-high, three-point effort (2g, 1a) at Iowa on March 21.

MacIntyre's Workload

Checkers goalie Drew MacIntyre, who has played in nine of the team's last 11 games, ranks third in the AHL with 2,690 minutes played and is second with 1,336 saves. He would only need to appear in one of the team's last eight games to tie the franchise record for games played by a goaltender in a single season (48 by Justin Pogge in 2010-11).

His most recent victory in Norfolk was the 211th of his career, moving him into a tie with Nick Damore for ninth in AHL history. He is now just 21 away from tying Frederic Cassivi for fifth. MacIntyre, a 31-year-old veteran now playing his 12th professional season with his eighth AHL club, has a 211-141-25 record, 2.49 goals-against average, .934 save percentage and 16 shutouts in 400 career AHL games dating back to the 2004-05 season.

Though he has yet to record a shutout, MacIntyre has won five games by a 2-1 score. He owns a .933 save percentage in overtime games this season (42 saves on 45 shots) and has stopped 21 of 23 in the shootout. He is tied for the league lead in shootout victories this season (4-1 record).

Carrick Lights It Up

With 13 points in his last 14 games, Trevor Carrick currently leads all Charlotte defensemen in goals (six), assists (21) and points (27), all of which are new records for a Checkers roookie defenseman. Of his five multi-point outings this season, four have occurred during the month of March, including a trio of two-assist efforts in his last seven games.

Carrick currently ranks tied for third on the team in points and is tied for third among AHL rookie defensemen. His 21 assists also lead the Checkers. Eleven of his assists have come on the power play, a total that leads the Checkers, is tied for fourth among all AHL rookies and is first among AHL rookie defensemen.
A fourth-round pick in 2012, the 20-year-old Carrick put up 51 points in his final season of junior last year, split between Mississauga and Sudbury, and ranked second among OHL defensemen in goals (22).

Shugg Takes Over

By scoring 17 points (6g, 11a) in his last 21 outings, Justin Shugg has taken over the Checkers' leads in goals (19, a new career high) and points (38). He ranks second on the team in assists with 19, two behind rookie defenseman Trevor Carrick.

With a helper in Sunday's contest against the Monsters, Shugg, 23, now ranks fifth on the franchise's all-time points list with 110 points (47g, 63a) in 205 games played.

Ranks

• Kyle Hagel ranks second in the AHL in major penalties (22)
• Chad LaRose is tied for the AHL lead in shorthanded assists (3) and tied for third in shorthanded points (4)
• Greg Nemisz leads the AHL in shooting percentage (25.0%)
• Drew MacIntyre ranks second in the AHL in saves (1,336), third in minutes (2,690), and is tied for the AHL lead in shootout wins (4)
• Phil Di Giuseppe ranks fourth among AHL rookies in shots (154)
• Trevor Carrick is tied for third among rookie defensemen in scoring (27) and is tied for fourth among AHL rookies in power-play assists (11)

Injuries

• Greg Nemisz - missed 48 games starting 12/8 (out for season)

Milestones

• Drew MacIntyre played in his 400th AHL game on 3/30
• Justin Shugg moved into fifth on the Checkers all-time scoring list on 3/29
• Mike Cornell recorded his 200th AHL penalty minute on 3/25
• Drew MacIntyre moved into a tie for ninth place on the AHL's all-time wins list on 3/25

Transactions

Incoming

• March 29 - (LW) Carter Sandlak recalled from Florida (ECHL)
• March 28 - (G) Rasmus Tirronen signed to amateur tryout contract

Outgoing

• March 30 - (D) Jordan Henry released from PTO

Coming Up

By the Numbers

Team Statistics
CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK	LAST WEEK
Power play	13.4%	28th	27th
Penalty kill	84.6%	t-12th	12th
Goals per game	2.25	28th	29th
Shots per game	29.06	23rd	23rd
Goals allowed per game	3.07	23rd	24th
Shots allowed per game	33.06	28th	28th
Penalty minutes per game	18.03	23rd	22nd

Team Leaders
CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	Justin Shugg (38), Chad LaRose (33), Brendan Woods, Trevor Carrick (27)
Goals	Justin Shugg (19), Chad LaRose (17), Brendan Woods, Brock McGinn (13)
Assists	Trevor Carrick (21), Justin Shugg (19), Chad LaRose (16)
Power play goals	Zach Boychuk, Chad LaRose, Justin Shugg (6)
Shorthanded goals	Greg Nemisz, Brendan Woods (2)
Game-winning goals	Chad LaRose, Justin Shugg (3)
Shots on goal	Phil Di Giuseppe (154), Justin Shugg, Chad LaRose (149)
Penalty minutes	Kyle Hagel (154), Mike Cornell (139), Keegan Lowe (106)
Plus/minus	Greg Nemisz, Dennis Robertson (+1), Sean Dolan (-1)
Wins	Drew MacIntyre (19)
Goals-against average	John Muse (2.65)
Save percentage	John Muse (.917)