Game Preview: Checkers at San Diego (Jan. 8, 2016)

The Checkers continue their road trek out west with their first ever meeting with the San Diego Gulls late Friday night.

Here are 9 things to know about the game:

1. THE STREAK ROLLS ON

With last Sunday's win over Ontario, the Checkers have earned at least one point in the standings in each of their last 10 games, giving them the longest active point streak in the AHL. Several teams have registered 10-game point streaks this season, but only four (W-B/Scranton, Toronto, Milwaukee and Grand Rapids) have made it to 11, and of those only the Griffins have gone beyond that.

2. PLAYOFF PICTURE

Sitting even a .500 at the time of their last regulation loss on Dec. 6, the Checkers' have stormed their way up the standings with a winning percentage of .613. For the first time since Halloween, fourth-place Charlotte sits in a playoff spot in the ridiculously tough Central Division, as the new AHL format takes the top four in each division to the playoffs.

With the exception of second-place Ontario, Central Division teams currently occupy five of the top six spots in the Western Conference. Similarly, the Checkers sit eighth in the AHL's overall standings, despite being fourth in their division and fifth in their conference.

3. ROAD WARRIORS

On top of their overall streak, the Checkers have also put together a solid stretch away from home this season. They have earned at least one point in each of their last seven road games, one shy of the franchise record set during the 2010-11 season.

The 12 road wins the Checkers have this season is the second-most in the AHL, trailing only the league-leading Toronto Marlies.

4. CALIFORNIA DREAMING

With these two contests in San Diego, the Checkers will wrap up their inaugural California road trip. Charlotte has marched through their first two opponents from the Golden State, San Jose and Ontario, without losing in regulation (3-0-1).

5. LOCAL PRODUCT

Bryan Moore became the first Charlotte native to sign a professional hockey contract when he inked a one-year AHL deal with the San Diego Gulls. This weekend could mark the rookie's first appearance against his hometown team. Aside from a short four-game stint in the ECHL where he racked up nine points and earned Player of the Week honors, Moore has spent the majority of his season in San Diego, totaling three assists in 16 games. Moore has found himself in the lineup for three of the Gulls' last four games, including recording an assist in their most recent contest.

5. ALL IN ON ALTSHULLER

When the Checkers recalled him from Florida in mid-December, Daniel Altshuller was the hottest goalie in the ECHL, leading the league in goals-against average and save percentage and earning Goaltender of the Month honors. Still, it would have been tough to predict the monster start to his AHL career that Altshuller is currently having in Charlotte. The young netminder broke John Muse's record for the best six-game start in team history, going 5-0-1 out of the gates. Altshuller has been superb between the pipes, registering a 1.47 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage through six games, as well as recording the Checkers' first shutout since the 2013-14 campaign on Sunday.

6. TOLCHINSKY FINDING HIS GROOVE

After navigating through some rookie season ups and downs, it looks like Sergey Tolchinsky has started to find his scoring touch at this level. The 20-year-old has put up five points in his last three games, including a goal in each contest. Currently sitting at 14 points, Tolchinsky is on pace to become the seventh rookie in team history to record 30 points in a season, following the trio of Brock McGinn, Trevor Carrick and Phil Di Giuseppe, who all did it last year.

7. RYAN RACKING UP THE POINTS

Despite a mini-slump that saw him go scoreless in consecutive games for the first time this season, Derek Ryan has been the cornerstone of the Checkers' offense this season. His 30 points are the most by a Checker through the first 32 games of a season since the 2010-11 campaign when Jerome Samson and Zach Boychuk had 34 and 32, respectively. Ryan also joined Samson as the only players in franchise history to enter the new calendar year ranked in the top 10 in AHL scoring.

8. HOLIDAY HOT STREAK

The Checkers have historically struggled upon returning from the AHL's holiday break, but that isn't the case this season. They have come back 3-0-1 and are in position to achieve their best five-game stretch following the break in the team's AHL history, set in 2011-12 when they went 4-1-0.

9. HENSICK HEATING UP

It may have taken few games, but T.J. Hensick is back to his point-producing self. One of the Checkers' biggest offseason acquisitions, Hensick missed 11 games due to injury early on this season. He was scoreless in his first three contests after returning to game action, but has since recorded a point in six straight, matching Derek Ryan for the longest point streak on the team this season. He still has a ways to go to catch the franchise record, however, as Ryan Murphy scored in 12 straight games in 2013-14.