Game Preview: Checkers at Manitoba (Dec. 30, 2016)

The Checkers return from their holiday break to begin a six-game road trip in Manitoba tonight. Here are 10 things to know about tonight’s game against the Moose:

1. ON THE SKIDS

Having suffered back-to-back, two-game sweeps against the Grand Rapid Griffins and Cleveland Monsters just prior to the break, Charlotte enters tonight’s game with four regulation losses in its last four games. That is one shy of tying the team’s longest such streak this season – a five-game slide that ran from Nov. 30-Dec. 7.

Since losing all three of Derek Ryan, Brock McGinn and Matt Tennyson to NHL recalls, the Checkers have won just four of 20 games (4-14-2) since Nov. 12.

2. AGAINST THE MOOSE

Two of those four wins came against Manitoba, who the Checkers swept at Bojangles’ Coliseum in their only two previous meetings of the season on Dec. 13-14. Those games marked the only time the Checkers have won consecutive games all season outside of a six-game win streak that ended Nov. 11. Charlotte has an all-time record of 7-3-0 against Manitoba since the Moose rejoined the league last season, including a 2-2-0 mark in Winnipeg.

3. ROAD WOES

The Checkers are winless in their last 12 road games (0-10-2) dating back to Nov. 12 – a streak that is a franchise record, topping the old mark of eight set in 2014-15, and the longest posted by any AHL team since Manitoba went winless in 13 straight road games starting in December of last season. Charlotte is 3-13-2 in their 18 road games this season that are tied with Chicago for the most played in the league to this point. Tonight’s game begins the team’s third six-game road trip of the season. After that, the team will play 26 of its last 40 games at Bojangles’ Coliseum, where it is 8-4-0 this season.

4. BACK FROM THE BREAK

Charlotte is coming off the longest break between games that it will enjoy all season – a seven-day hiatus since its 3-2 loss in Cleveland on Dec. 22. The Checkers had a similar holiday break of five days or more in all six of their previous AHL seasons and posted a combined 4-1-1 record in their first games back – all six of which took place on the road.

5. INJURED LIST

A benefit of the break is that some of the team’s injured players will have had a chance to heal. Heading into the break, the Checkers were without defenseman Trevor Carrick (12 games missed), Andrew Miller (four) and Kris Newbury (seven) – all former AHL All Star selections. Additionally, Brendan Woods has missed 24 games since Nov. 2.

6. LEIGHTON RETURNS

Speaking of AHL All-Stars, veteran goaltender Michael Leighton returned to the Checkers just before the break as Hurricanes netminder Eddie Lack was able to come off the injured list in Carolina. Leighton is 7-3-2 with the Checkers this season, posting a 1.90 goals-against average and .930 save percentage that both rank fourth in the AHL. Meanwhile, the team’s other goaltenders are a combined 4-14-0 with a 3.44 GAA and .878 SV%.

7. COMING IN HOT

Though the team suffered a pair of close losses in Cleveland, forwards Connor Brickley and Lucas Wallmark both accounted themselves well with a goal in each game. In doing so, they became the first Checkers to score in consecutive games since Valentin Zykov did so on Nov. 19 and 26.

8. ROOKIES AT THE TOP

Wallmark (15 points) now ranks second on the team in scoring behind fellow freshman Andrew Poturalski (19). That leaves the Checkers as the only AHL team with two rookies as their top two scorers. Poturalski, who is tied for 12th among first-year players in scoring, is one of six rookies to lead his team in points.

9. TOUGH STARTS

The first period has statistically been the Checkers’ sore spot this season, as the team owns a -22 differential in the frame as opposed to a -2 mark in the second and +6 mark in the third. Charlotte’s 42 goals allowed in first periods are the second-most allowed by any team in any period, behind Rochester’s 44 allowed in the second. In their last 13 games, the Checkers have scored two first period goals and allowed 22. Despite the large discrepancy in scoring, the Checkers actually own a +2 shot differential in their first periods.

10. ODDS AND ENDS

The Checkers are the only AHL team that has yet to go to a shootout … All 11 of the Checkers’ wins this season have come against fellow Central Division opponents (11-8-1). They are 0-9-1 against the Pacific Division, which is the only other division they will play … Charlotte is 10-0-0 when scoring three or more goals in a game this season and 1-17-2 when scoring two or fewer … The Checkers have five power-play goals in their last 15 games (7.9 percent), three of which came against Manitoba.