Weekly Report: Nov. 3

The Checkers spent the last week on a three-game swing through the Atlantic Division, finishing up with mixed results.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Wolf Pack 4, Checkers 1

The Checkers started off on the right foot in the first tilt of their trip, as Tobias Bjornfot sprung Jack Devine for a breakaway goal midway through the first to open the scoring. That would be all the offense the visitors could muster, though. The Wolf Pack tied the game with a power-play goal in the waning minutes of the first period, then took the lead 30 seconds into the middle frame and never looked back. Hartford added two more before the next intermission - including Justin Dowling’s second of the night - and that would be enough to claim the 4-1 win over the Checkers.

Checkers 5, Thunderbirds 3

The Checkers got back on track in the next leg of the trip. After Matt Luff put the home side on the board early on in regulation, the Checkers rattled off four consecutive goals to build a 4-1 lead less than two minutes into the third frame. Springfield punched back, though, as two power-play tallies from Matthew Peca three minutes apart pulled the home team within one goal with over half a period of hockey to play. The Checkers regained control, however, as Sandis Vilmanis broke in for his second goal of the night to give Charlotte some breathing room later in the period. A season-high 32 saves from Cooper Black helped stymie any other Springfield push, and the Checkers successfully snapped their skid.

Bruins 5, Checkers 2

The up-and-down weekend ended on a down note for the Checkers. Following Providence’s quick strike to start the game, Charlotte snatched back the lead thanks to goals from Nolan Foote and Riese Gaber just 15 seconds apart, but it was short-lived for the Checkers. Bruins captain Patrick Brown evened the score less than three minutes later to swing momentum back in the home team’s favor, and Providence would net the game’s next three goals - one near the end of the second, one midway through the third and an empty netter late. The Checkers couldn’t quite put anything else together, and ultimately fell by a 5-2 score.

QUICK HITS

BETWEEN THE PIPES

When Cooper Black got the nod for Wednesday’s game in Hartford, he became the first netminder in franchise history to start the first seven games of a season. As it stands he leads the league in minutes played by a goalie and is nearly 30 minutes clear of the second-place player.

The other half of the goalie tandem - Kirill Gerasimyuk - made his AHL debut in Wednesday’s game, entering the game in relief and stopping six of the seven shots he faced over a period and a half. The Russian rookie then made his first AHL start on Sunday, making 30 saves in the loss to Providence.

WELCOME BACK CAP

Following a four-game absence due to injury, Trevor Carrick returned to the lineup over the weekend and made an immediate impact - lighting the lamp in the win over Springfield and adding an assist in the next day’s contest against Providence.

Charlotte’s captain is now on the precipice of a pair of milestones, sitting at 699 career AHL games and 99 career AHL goals.

POWER OUTAGE

After starting the season on a red-hot run, the Checkers have seen their power play fall into a bit of a rut. Charlotte has not registered a power-play goal in four straight games, going scoreless on 14 consecutive man advantages.

As far as the penalty kill goes, the Checkers snapped a streak of three straight games allowing a power-play goal by blanking the Bruins on each of their two opportunities Sunday. Charlotte, which ranks 16th in the AHL in penalty minutes per game, is tied for seventh across the league in minor penalties assessed against them.

YOUTH MOVEMENT

Some fresh faces have been propelling the Checkers’ offense early on this season. Of Charlotte’s top five scorers two are rookies - Jack Devine (2nd) and Gracyn Sawchyn (t-4th) - and two are second-year pros - Ben Steeves (3rd) and Sandis Vilmanis (t-4th).

On the other end of things, the Checkers are the only team in the AHL to exclusively use rookie netminders so far this season (Cooper Black and Kirill Gerasimyuk).

Transactions

Incoming

• Oct. 27 - Tobias Bjornfot - Assigned from Florida (NHL)

Outgoing

• None

RANKINGS

• Cooper Black leads the league in minutes played (448:19)
• Jack Devine is tied for second among AHL rookies in game-winning goals (1)
• Brett Chorske is tied for second among AHL rookies in game-winning goals (1)
• Sandis Vilmanis is tied for third in the AHL in shorthanded goals (1)
• Cooper Black ranks fourth in the AHL in saves (179)
• Cooper Black is tied for fifth in the AHL in wins (4)
• Jack Devine is tied for sixth among AHL rookies in points (7)
• Jack Devine is tied for eighth among AHL rookies in goals (3)
• Jack Devine is tied for eighth among AHL rookies in assists (4)
• Gracyn Sawchyn is tied for eighth among AHL rookies in assists (4)
• Jack Devine ranks ninth among AHL rookies in shots on goal (22)

By the Numbers

CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK
Power play	16.1%	22nd
Penalty kill	80.5%	17th
Goals per game	3.00	t-13th
Shots per game	30.22	8th
Goals allowed per game	3.44	25th
Shots allowed per game	27.33	13th
Penalty minutes per game	13.22	16th

LEADERS

CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	Wilmer Skoog (8), Jack Devine (7), Ben Steeves (6)
Goals	Ben Steeves (4), Wilmer Skoog, Jack Devine (3)
Assists	Wilmer Skoog (5), Jack Devine, Gracyn Sawchyn (4)
Power play goals	Ben Steeves (2), Ryan McAllister, Tyler Motte, Jack Devine (1)
Shorthanded goals	Sandis Vilmanis (1)
Game-winning goals	Jack Devine, Nolan Foote, Wilmer Skoog, Brett Chorske (1)
Shots on goal	Nolan Foote (24), Jack Devine (22), Ben Steeves (20)
Penalty minutes	Riese Gaber (12), MacKenzie Entwistle, Jack Devine (11)
Plus/minus	Mikulas Hovorka (+5), Sandis Vilmanis (+4), Wilmer Skoog (+3)
Wins	Cooper Black (4)
Goals-against average	Cooper Black (3.21)
Save percentage	Cooper Black (.882)