AHL Charlotte Checkers

Checkers' Weekly Report

Published on October 22, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release


Despite suffering their first regulation loss of the season on Sunday, the Checkers finished the season's second week as South Division leaders. Having won Friday in Milwaukee and Saturday in Rockford, the Checkers went 2-1-0 over the weekend, narrowly missing a chance to win for three times in as many nights by losing 5-4 in Sunday's rematch with Rockford. They now enjoy a two-point lead in the South and occupy third place in the Western Conference.

Drayson Bowman led the way for the Checkers with four goals over the weekend, including two in Saturday's 2-1 victory, to take the teams' goal-scoring lead, while Zach Boychuk's power-play goal on Sunday gives him a team-best six points in five games.

The Checkers next play on Friday when they begin yet another three-in-three set that will take them through Grand Rapids and Peoria. They then visit Milwaukee next Wednesday to conclude their nine-game road swing, with the home opener in Charlotte coming four days later on Sunday, Nov. 4.

CHECKERS 4, MILWAUKEE 3

After surging ahead to a 4-1 lead early in the third period on goals by Victor Rask, Drayson Bowman, Sean Dolan and Zach Boychuk, the Checkers had to hang on and survive a late rally as Milwaukee score two power-play goals to make things interesting. Justin Peters made 23 saves for Charlotte, which played the second half of the game with five defensemen due to a minor injury to Justin Faulk. Full Recap

CHECKERS 2, ROCKFORD 1

Drayson Bowman scored both of his team's goals, including one on the power play, and Dan Ellis made 35 saves for his first AHL win since May 10, 2007, as the Checkers improved to 3-0-1 with a 2-1 win in Rockford on Saturday. Zac Dalpe had the primary assist on both of Bowman's goals as the Checkers claimed the victory despite failing to convert on almost three total minutes of time spent on five-on-three power plays. Full recap

ROCKFORD 5, CHECKERS 4

Despite erasing deficits of 2-0 and 3-2, the Checkers ultimately fell by a 5-4 score in Rockford on Sunday to suffer their first regulation loss of the season and miss winning for three times in three nights for the first time in franchise history. Chris Terry, Drayson Bowman, Zach Boychuk and Zac Dalpe scored for Charlotte, which got 36 saves from Justin Peters. In his return to action from a muscle strain, Justin Faulk earned two assists, with rookie Victor Rask also chipping in his first two AHL helpers. Full Recap

FAST START

The Checkers' 3-1-1 start (seven points) marks the best start in the team's AHL seasons, eclipsing the 2-2-1 record (five points) the team posted in its first five games last season. The Checkers currently lead the South Division by two points, giving them the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. League-wide, only four teams (Syracuse, Lake Erie, Chicago and Norfolk) have more points after five games.

BOWMAN'S GOALS

Forward Drayson Bowman scored in each of the Checkers' three games last weekend, including twice on Saturday, to give him sole possession of the team lead with four goals on the season. That has him tied for third in the AHL, with only two players, Rochester's Marcus Foligno and Syracuse's Tyler Johnson, having scored more with five apiece. Three of Bowman's goals have come on the power play, pulling him into a four-way tie for most in the AHL. Bowman has now scored in three consecutive games four times in his four-year professional career, including a career-high, four-game streak in 2010-11.

BOYCHUK BOOST

Checkers forward Zach Boychuk has scored points in four of the team's five games (3g, 3a) to become the team's early scoring leader. Though he did not find the score sheet in Rockford on Saturday, he took a game-high eight shots on goal that tied his career high set last season. Now in his fourth professional season, Boychuk is one of several players tied for 11th in the AHL in overall scoring.

FAULK'S HELPING HAND

Despite missing half of Friday's game and all of Saturday's with a muscle strain, sophomore defenseman Justin Faulk leads the Checkers with five assists this season, tying him with Zac Dalpe for second on the team in scoring with five points. Faulk, a member of the NHL's All-Rookie team last season, is tied four fourth in AHL assists, with only one defenseman, Houston's Marco Scandella, registering more (six).

SAMSON FIRING AWAY

Checkers forwards Jerome Samson has taken his familiar spot on top of the AHL's shots on goal rankings, as he's currently tied with three other players with 21 shots - an average of 4.2 per game. Samson finished the 2009-10 season as the league leader in shots, and ranked first at the time of lengthy NHL recalls in the second halves of his last two seasons.

ROAD SWING

The Checkers are now 3-1-1 through the first five games of their franchise-record-tying, nine-game road swing to start the season. Already the only AHL team that has yet to play a home game, they must wait a further 13 days before their home opener against Chicago on Sunday, Nov. 4. The Checkers have endured one other nine-game road swing in their history, going 5-4-0 in October and November of last season.

THREE-IN-THREES

Due to Sunday's loss in Rockford, the Checkers narrowly missed a chance to win all three games of a three-in-three set for the first time ever. Their record for the weekend was 2-1-0, which comes up one point shy of their best finish of 2-0-1 set three times during the 2010-11 season. The Checkers, who play six more three-in-three sets this season, including one this coming weekend, are 27-20-4 all-time in games that are part of a three-in-three set, with a record of 8-7-2 in Game One, 12- 3-2 in Game Two and 7-10-0 in Game Three.

STREAKS

- Drayson Bowman has goals and points in each of his last three games (Oct. 19-21; 4g)

- Zac Dalpe has assists and points in each of his last three games (Oct. 19-21; 1g, 4a)

- Marc-Andre Gragnani has assists and points in each of his last three games (Oct. 19-21; 4a)

- Victor Rask has points in each of his last two games (Oct. 19-21; 1g, 2a)

Check out the Charlotte Checkers Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from October 22, 2012


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