Game Preview: Checkers vs. Texas (April 1, 2016)

Every point is crucial for the Checkers in the playoff race, including the two that are available in tonight’s game against the Texas Stars that kicks off the final home stand of the regular season.

Here are nine things to know about the game:

1. PLAYOFF RACE

Developments that started the week, namely the Checkers losing in Manitoba on Monday and San Jose winning in Ontario on Wednesday, give San Jose the current upper hand in the back-and-forth battle between the two clubs for the final spot in the Pacific Division bracket. Both clubs play tonight, making it possible for Charlotte to regain the upper hand by earning at least one more point than the Barracuda, who face Bakersfield at 10 p.m.

2. HELP FROM ABOVE

Checkers captain and scoring leader Derek Ryan, who has 10 points in his last five AHL games, and dynamic winger Sergey Tolchinsky, who has three goals in his last three, will both return from Carolina in time for tonight’s game. Both played in last night’s win over the New York Rangers in Raleigh that saw Tolchinsky pick up an assist in his NHL debut and winger Patrick Brown, who remains in Carolina, notching a goal and an assist for his first two NHL points. The Hurricanes are off tonight but return to action at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets tomorrow.

3. INJURED LIST

The Checkers were without seven injured players in Monday’s loss to Manitoba. Of that group that includes forwards Anthony Camara, Dane Fox, Brock McGinn, Andrew Miller and Valentin Zykov and defensemen Danny Biega and Rasmus Rissanen, only Fox, Zykov and Rissanen did not practice Thursday. According to coach Mark Morris after Friday morning’s skate, McGinn is most likely to return.

4. HOME AGAIN

Tonight’s game marks the Checkers’ first at home since March 13. That was the last of four consecutive wins at Bojangles’ Coliseum, which ties the franchise record set five times previously and is tied for the longest active streak in the AHL. In between home games, the Checkers went 3-3-1 on a seven-game road trip that ended Monday. Starting tonight, the Checkers will play six home games in 10 days ending April 10, with the regular season coming to a close with two road games in Lake Erie on April 14 and 15.

5. WE MEET AGAIN

Checkers goalie John Muse has the opportunity to face his former team for the first time since arriving in exchange for future considerations on Feb. 29. Since the trade, Muse has played in 11 of a possible 12 games for Charlotte, going 7-3-1 with a 1.85 goals-against average and .928 save percentage during that time. Prior to the trade, Muse, who picked up his third career AHL Player of the Week award since his return, did not see game action for his last two months with Stars.

6. KNOW YOUR FOE

The Stars enter tonight’s match-up on a three-game point streak (2-0-1), having most recently done the Checkers a small favor by defeating Bakersfield 5-1 on Tuesday, though they have not won consecutive games since Feb. 14-17. As the third-placed team in the Pacific Division, the Stars are on the cusp of clinching a playoff berth, yet San Jose remains just barely within striking distance.

One of the league’s most dangerous offensive teams with an average of 3.61 goals per game (second in the AHL), the Stars are led by Brendan Ranford, whose 58 points are tied for fourth most in the league, Jason Dickinson, whose 49 points are tied for sixth-most among AHL rookies, and former league MVP Travis Morin (48 points).

Since Muse’s departure, rookie Maxime Lagace has handled the majority of the workload for Texas, including a 48-save effort on Tuesday.

7. AGAINST THE STARS

Charlotte is 1-1-0 against its former division rival this season, having most recently won a 5-4 overtime decision in Texas on Dec. 11. Ryan and McGinn led the way with three points apiece in that contest, with McGinn scoring both the game-tying goal with 6:06 remaining in regulation and the winner on the power play in overtime. Ryan leads the Checkers with four points in the season series.

8. SPECIAL TEAMS

The Checkers’ once-potent power play has taken a slide of late, converting just twice in its last 25 opportunities (8 percent) over the last eight games. However, the penalty kill has helped offset that turn of events, nullifying 25 of 29 chances (86.2 percent) during that same time frame.

9. HERE AND THERE

Kyle Hagel is tied for first in the AHL in fighting majors (17) and ranks fifth in penalty minutes (153). Defenseman Mike Cornell ranks tied for fourth with 15 major penalties … Trevor Carrick is tied for eighth among AHL defensemen with 38 points and is tied for second with 22 power-play points … Charlotte holds a mostly even goal differential in first periods this season (-1) but is minus-22 in the second period and plus-12 in the third … Ryan (10 points in five games), Justin Shugg (two assists in two games) and Zack Miskovic (two assists in two games) all bring point streaks into tonight’s game.