Weekly Report: Nov. 11, 2014

After a lopsided beating by Texas on Saturday, the Checkers responded with a 3-1 victory on Monday to earn their fourth win of the season.

The Checkers faced off in a two-game series with the Texas Stars this weekend, their fifth consecutive weekend facing the same twam in back-to-back games. For the fourth straight time, they split the series, getting steamrolled in the first, but overcoming that and nabbing a big win in the rematch.

The team will now look to build off that victory as they prepare for a weekend road trip to San Antonio, where the will take on the Rampage in back-to-back nights.

Week in Review

Texas 8, Checkers 2

The weekend started on a sour note, with the Checkers getting handed their worst loss of the season. The Stars scored five times in the first period, tying the Checkers franchise-high for goals allowed in a period. Starter Drew MacIntyre was chased from the game midway through the first after allowing four goals on nine shots, and was replaced by John Muse. Muse didn't fare any better, as Texas chippped in four more goals to roll to an 8-2 win, powered by a hat trick from forward Derek Hulak. Jared Staal and A.J. Jenks were the lone goal scorers for the Checkers, who narrowly avoided the worst loss in team history thanks to Jenks' tally with five minutes to go in the third. The eight goals allowed in the game also matched a franchise high.Full recap

Checkers 3, Hamilton 1

Just two day removed from an 8-2 drubbing, the Checkers avenged themselves against the defending champs with a hard-fought 3-1 victory. Brendan Woods notched a shorthanded goal in the first to put the home team in front, hammering home a loose puck left on the doorstep after a thwarted Danny Biega breakaway. The Stars knotted the game in the second with a strike from Travis Morin, but the deadlock was shortlived, as Greg Nemisz carried the puck out of the corner and stuffed it around the pad of Jack Campbell for what proved to be the game-winner. Brody Sutter then cashed in with an empty net goal to seal the Checkers' fourth win of the season.Full recap

Notables

Tough Loss

The Checkers' 8-2 loss to Texas on Nov. 8 tied the franchise record for most goals allowed, which was set three times previously and most recently in an 8-5 loss to Oklahoma City on Feb. 7, 2014. All four games in which the Checkers allowed eight goals took place at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Also on Nov. 8, Charlotte tied a franchise record for most goals allowed in a period by conceding five in the first. That record was also set three times previously and most recently in the Feb. 7, 2014 game against Oklahoma City.

The Checkers' narrowly avoided tying the franchise record for largest loss margin (seven goals) thanks to A.J. Jenks' tally with 5:25 remaining in the third period.

Series Splits

The Checkers have played five two-game sets so far this season where they have faced the same team in back-to-back games. Apart from being swept by Grand Rapids, the Checkers have split the other four series, winnign one game and losing the other. All four of the Checkers wins have come after a loss, and the team has yet to be able to string two wins together. The longest a Checkers team has taken to register consecutive wins is fifteen games, set during the inaugural 2010-11 season.

Worst Behavior

The Checkers currently average 23.45 penalty minutes per game, which is the fourth-highest total of all AHL teams. They are tied for fourth with 16 major penalties while also chipping in four 10-minute misconducts and one match penalty. In their four previous AHL seasons, the team never finished with an average higher than 16.5 penalty minutes per game.

Forward Kyle Hagel leads the Checkers with 39 penalty minutes, including five majors that tie him with three other players for most in the AHL. Carter Sandlak's 33 penalty minutes are tied for second among league rookies, while Trevor Carrick's three major penalties tie him for the most among first-year AHL players. Rasmus Rissanen is also tied for the lead in minor penalties among defensemen and tied for second overall in the AHL

Nemisz Heating Up

After recording one point, an assist, in his first five games, Checkers forward Greg Nemisz has posted seven (5g, 2a) in his last six games as well as recording points in each of his last three games. Since the Hurricanes acquired Nemisz from the Calgary Flames organization last season, the 24-year-old, first-round draft choice in 2008 now has 19 points (8g, 11a) in 25 games with Charlotte.

Offensive Struggles

The Checkers, who average 2.00 goals per game thus far (29th AHL), have been held to a single goal in five of their 11 games this season, all resulting in a loss, and have scored more than two goals just three times.

Two of the four lowest shot totals seen in the AHL this season belong to the Checkers, who took a franchise-record 15 against Chicago on Oct. 11. Their single shot in the first period of that game also set a franchise record and is tied for the lowest single-period total seen in the league this season. The Checkers also rank 29th in the AHL with an average of 25.73 shots per contest.

Depth Contributions

With his four assists thus far, Brendan Woods has already surpassed his total from 42 games last season and, with his shorthanded marker on Monday, is now halfway to his previous point total. He leads the team in assists, is tied for third in points (5) and ranks second in penalty minutes (35).

By scoring his third goal of the season on Nov. 8, Jared Staal is only one away from matching his career high set in the 2012-13 campaign. He currently ranks second on the team in goal scoring, one behind Greg Nemisz, and has as many goals as all of his brothers (NHLers Eric, Jordan and Marc) combined.

Ranks

• Forward Kyle Hagel is tied for the league lead in major penalties (5)
• Defenseman Rasmus Rissanen is tied for second in the AHL in minor penalties (10)
• Defenseman Trevor Carrick is tied for the lead in major penalties among rookies (3)
• Forward Carter Sandlak is tied for second in penalty minutes among AHL rookies

Injuries

• Justin Shugg - missed eight games starting 10/17
• Ben Holmstrom - missed three games starting 11/2
• Kyle Hagel missed one game on 11/8
• Patrick Brown - missed one game starting 11/10

Suspensions

• Carter Sandlak - missed one game due to suspension starting 11/10

Milestones

• Greg Nemisz recorded his 100th pro point on Nov. 8 and his 100th AHL point on Nov. 10

Transactions

Incoming

• Nov. 11 - (D) Michal Jordan assigned to Charlotte from Carolina (NHL)
• Nov. 10 - (LW) Kyle Jean signed to professional tryout contract from Greenville (ECHL)

Outgoing

• Nov. 10 - (D) Michal Jordan recalled by Carolina (NHL) from Charlotte

Coming Up

By the Numbers

Team Statistics
CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK	LAST WEEK
Power play	8.2%	28th	t-26th
Penalty kill	85.2%	13th	t-10th
Goals per game	2.00	29th	29th
Shots per game	25.73	29th	28th
Goals allowed per game	3.00	16th	12th
Shots allowed per game	31.45	20th	22nd
Penalty minutes per game	23.45	4th	5th

Team Leaders
CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	Greg Nemisz (8), Phil Di Giuseppe, Chad LaRose, Brendan Woods (5)
Goals	Greg Nemisz (5), Jared Staal (3), Phil Di Giuseppe, Chad LaRose, Brody Sutter (2)
Assists	Brendan Woods (4), Five tied (3)
Power play goals	Alex Aleardi, Phil Di Giuseppe, Chad LaRose, Greg Nemisz (1)
Shorthanded goals	Brendan Woods (1)
Game-winning goals	Greg Nemisz (2)
Shots on goal	Phil Di Diuseppe (30), Alex Aleardi (23), Trevor Carrick (22)
Penalty minutes	Kyle Hagel (39), Brendan Woods (35), Carter Sandlak (33)
Plus/minus	Phil Di Giuseppe (+5), Greg Nemisz, Rasmus Rissanen (+4)
Wins	Drew MacIntyre (4)
Goals-against average	Drew MacIntyre (2.57)
Save percentage	Drew MacIntyre (.919)