Game Preview: Checkers vs. Rockford (April 5, 2016)

The Checkers have an opportunity to build on their narrow lead in the race for a playoff spot as they host the first of back-to-back games against the Rockford IceHogs tonight at 7.

Here are 11 things to know about the game:

1. PLAYOFF PICTURE

The Checkers’ three-point weekend, combined with a pair of losses by the San Jose Barracuda, puts them in the fourth Pacific Division playoff spot with five games to go.

With the Barracuda idle, Charlotte will continue to hold its spot regardless of tonight’s result. However, it will have a big impact toward what’s on the line when both teams return to action Wednesday, when the Checkers host Rockford again and San Jose continues a six-game road trip in San Antonio. With a win tonight, Charlotte would move up to .563 percent, while a regulation loss would drop them to .549 and give the Barracuda a chance to move ahead on Wednesday.

2. THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

After a long road trip to wrap up the month of March, the Checkers returned to Charlotte for their final home stand of the season on Friday and have continued to be red hot on home ice.

Friday’s 6-3 throttling of Texas was the Checkers’ fifth consecutive win at home, setting a new franchise record. Though they dropped the next night’s rematch in a shootout, the team has still earned at least a point in six straight games, one shy of tying another franchise record last set during the 2012-13 campaign.

3. MUSICAL RECALLS

Carolina’s recent rotation of forward recalls, which is necessitated by injuries and departures since the NHL trade deadline that has left the team in need of bodies to fill out its lineup each night, saw Patrick Brown and Sergey Tolchinsky join the team in Boston last night.

Tolchinsky is the Checkers’ hottest goal scorer with six in his last five games, including two in the team’s most recent game on Saturday that gave him 14 for the season. Brown, who recorded his first two NHL points with the Hurricanes last Thursday, checks in right behind Tolchinsky with 13 AHL goals this season.

4. FILLING THE VOID

Despite the losses of Brown and Tolchinsky, the Checkers may still have six of their top seven scorers in tonight’s lineup, including Derek Ryan, Trevor Carrick and Brock McGinn – all of whom have played NHL games this season. Additionally, Andrew Miller has been practicing with the team after missing each of the last four games due to injury. If Miller is able to return, the Checkers could have as many as three healthy extras on the roster.

5. ROCKFORD RETURNS

With this week’s games, the Checkers and IceHogs will wrap up a busy series that will see the teams play each other six times in less than a month. Rockford, which held the top spot in the Central Division not long ago, has fallen to fourth by going just 3-6-2 over its last 11 games.

The Checkers still have a chance of catching the IceHogs in the standings and qualifying in their own bracket as opposed to in the Pacific Division on the crossover rule, but it’s an uphill battle that would likely require the Checkers to win both of this week’s match-ups in regulation. Heading into tonight, the maximum number of points the Checkers can earn is 90, while Rockford currently sits at 85 with seven games remaining.

6. MAC IS BACK

Rockford goaltender Drew MacIntyre returns to his old stomping grounds and could potentially face his former team for the third time this season. Since the trade that brought Dennis Robertson back to Charlotte, MacIntyre has stopped 48 of 49 Checkers shots over two appearances – one in relief of Michael Leighton and another that marked his first shutout in two seasons.

MacIntyre, who has been splitting time with Mac Carruth in the Rockford net of late, is 2-2-2 with a 2.71 goals-against average and .906 save percentage with the IceHogs this season. Meanwhile, Robertson has chipped in three assists and a plus-6 rating for the Checkers.

7. THE CAPTAIN STAYS HOT

Ryan has been the driving force behind the Checkers’ recent charge. The team’s leading scorer, Ryan’s current seven-game point streak is the longest by any Checkers skater this season. Over that stretch, which began on March 19 against Milwaukee, no one in the AHL has put up more points than Ryan’s 12 (5g, 7a). An AHL All-Star this season, he is now tied for 11th in the league in scoring.

8. OFFENSE SPRINGS TO LIFE

The Checkers, who have seen their offensive production fluctuate through most of the second half of the season, are on an upswing. Charlotte has recorded at least three goals in four of their last five contests, including three six-goal performances.

When their offense is clicking, the Checkers have thrived, with 30 of their 35 wins this season coming in games where they scored three or more goals. Charlotte is 30-5-4 in those situations.

9. SPECIAL TEAMS STRUGGLES

Though it spent most of the season near the top of the league rankings, the Checkers’ power play has gone cold over this last stretch. The Checkers have gone scoreless in the eight man advantages over the last four contests and are now 4-for-57 (7%) over their last 15 games. The other side of special teams hasn’t served them much better, as the Checkers have allowed a power-play goal in six of their last nine contests, including one in each of the last four contests. They have killed 27 of their last 33 man advantages (81.8%).

10. START STRONG, FINISH STRONG

The Checkers have been particularly stingy early on in contests as of late. They have not allowed a first period goal in their last four games and have only given up one in their last nine games.

On the opposite end, the Checkers have totaled 10 goals in the third periods of their last five games. They are outscoring their opponents 83-68 in the final frame, the third-highest third period goal differential in the AHL.

11. RANDOM FACTS

Kyle Hagel ranks second in the AHL in major penalties (17) and fifth in penalty minutes (153) … John Muse ranks 17th in the AHL in goals-against average (2.53) … Tolchinsky is tied for 19th among AHL rookies in scoring … Carrick is tied for 10th among AHL defensemen in scoring (38), tied for fourth in power-play assists (18) and tied for second in power-play points (22) … Mike Cornell leads all AHL defensemen and is tied for fourth in the league overall in major penalties and ranks fifth among league defensemen in penalty minutes (125).