Weekly Report: a Grueling Week, Daccord Stands Tall and More
November 29, 2021 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
The Checkers powered through a grueling stretch of the schedule over the week of Thanksgiving, splitting a series with the Penguins before dropping two tough contests to the red hot Comets.
Week in Review
Team Statistics
Overall record 8-9-2-0
Home record 3-3-2-0
Road record 5-6-0-0
Last week's record 1-2-1-0
Last 10 games 4-5-1-0
Division Standings 6th
Conference Standings 11th
League Standings 22nd
Checkers 2, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3 (OT)
The Checkers and Penguins came out firing in Tuesday's contest, with the two sides combining for 72 shots on goal, but it was the goalies who stole the show. Charlotte's late lead disappeared when the Penguins notched the tying goal in the final five minutes, then a fast-paced overtime period ended with the Penguins lighting the lamp with 20 seconds remaining to clinch the two points. Full recap
Checkers 4, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3
The Checkers got their revenge the following night, as a pair of tallies from Zac Dalpe and Max McCormick early in the third period gave Charlotte a lead that it would hold onto for the remainder of regulation. Full recap
Checkers 0, Utica 1
The Checkers found themselves in a tightly contested battle with the league's top team on Saturday, with neither side ceding many chances. The Comets snuck one through on a two-man advantage in the second period, and that would stand as the game's lone goal as Charlotte came up just short. Full recap
Checkers 2, Utica 5
The following night's rematch was a similarly even matchup, as a power-play goal from Alex True knotted the game at two. The first-place Comets would surge from there, however, recording three unanswered strikes to topple the Checkers. Full recap
Three Stars Of The Week
3rd Star
Chase Priskie
1g, 1a
2nd Star
Joey Daccord
0-1-1, 1.97 GAA, .926 SV%
1st Star
Aleksi Heponiemi
1g, 2a
NOTABLES
THE CAPTAIN COMES THROUGH
Zac Dalpe has been a consistent offensive force for the Checkers over the last month of play. The Checkers captain has posted five points in his last seven games and eight during the 11 games he played during November, tied for the second most on the team over that month.
STRINGING THEM TOGETHER
With an overtime loss on Tuesday and a win the next night, the Checkers were able to put together at least two consecutive games with a point in the standings for the third time this season. Both of those previous point streaks ran to three games, but the Checkers saw this one snapped with a loss on Saturday to Utica. In dropping Sunday's rematch with the Comets, the Checkers registered back-to-back regulation losses for the third time this season. In both of those previous instances, the losing streak came to an end in the third contest - once by a regulation win and once by an overtime loss.
THROUGH NOVEMBER
With this last home stand in the books, the Checkers finish the month of November with a .474 points percentage. That marks the first time since 2014-15 that the team will enter the month of December with a record under .500. The Checkers currently sit in sixth place in the Atlantic Division, though, an improvement over the 2019-20 season in which they sat in last place in the Atlantic Division before ending the season in third.
DACCORD STANDS TALL
Joey Daccord has put together a strong run between the pipes this season for Charlotte. Over his last five starts, the netminder has posted a save percentage of at least .930 in three of them and has combined for a 2.20 goals-against average over that five-game stretch. Of all AHL goalies with at least 240 minutes logged from Nov. 11 to today, Daccord ranks 7th in goals-against average over that period.
RANKS
Cole Schwindt is tied for 6th among all AHL forwards and tied for 11th overall in plus-minus (+9)
Kole Lind ranks 9th in the AHL in penalty minutes (42)
Cole Schwindt is tied for the league lead in shorthanded goals (2)
Connor Carrick is tied for 10th among AHL defensemen in shots on goal (35)
Max McCormick is tied for second in the AHL in game-winning goals (3)
Joey Daccord ranks 11th in the AHL in goals-against average
Christopher Gibson is tied for fifth in the AHL in shutouts (1)
INJURIES
John Ludvig has missed the last 10 games
Transactions
Incoming
Nov. 26 - Frank Hora - Signed to PTO
Outgoing
Nov. 29 - Matt Kiersted - Recalled by Florida (NHL)
Nov. 29 - Aleksi Heponiemi - Recalled by Florida (NHL)
Nov. 27 - Riley Sheahan - Recalled by Seattle (NHL)
Coming Up
Friday, December 3 at 7:05 pm - Checkers at Lehigh Valley
Saturday, December 4 at 6:05 pm - Checkers at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Sunday, December 5 at 3 pm - Checkers at Bridgeport
By the Numbers
CATEGORY RECORD AHL RANK LAST WEEK
Power play 20.9% 9th t-3rd
Penalty kill 83.1% 11th t-14th
Goals per game 2.95 16th 6th
Shots per game 27.74 23rd 29th
Goals allowed per game 3.00 t-11th t-8th
Shots allowed per game 28.95 11th 18th
Penalty minutes per game 13.00 18th 27th
LEADERS
CATEGORY LEADER(S)
Points Alex True (15), Aleksi Heponiemi, Logan Hutsko (11)
Goals Alex True, Cole Schwindt (7), Max McCormick (6)
Assists Alex True (8), Aleksi Heponiemi, Logan Hutsko (7)
Power play goals Zac Dalpe, Alex True (3), Kole Lind, Connor Carrick (2)
Shorthanded goals Cole Schwindt (2), Max McCormick, Scott Wilson, Alex True (1)
Game-winning goals Max McCormick (3), Five tied (1)
Shots on goal Zac Dalpe (41), Alex True (39), Grigori Denisenko (36)
Penalty minutes Kole Lind (42), Connor Carrick (35), Gustav Olofsson (20)
Plus/minus Cole Schwindt, Lucas Carlsson (+9), Max McCormick, Carsen Twarynski (+4)
Wins Christopher Gibson (4)
Goals-against average Joey Daccord (2.35)
Save percentage Joey Daccord (.915)
American Hockey League Stories from November 29, 2021
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- Triumph Through Tragedy: Mikey DiPietro and Hockey Fights Cancer - Abbotsford Canucks
- Red Wings Recall Kyle Criscuolo - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Kaut Reassigned to Eagles, Miner Headed to Utah - Colorado Eagles
- Dallas Stars Recall Yauheni Aksiantsiuk from Idaho to Texas - Texas Stars
- Abbotsford Canucks vs Ontario Reign Preview - Abbotsford Canucks
- Weekly Report: a Grueling Week, Daccord Stands Tall and More - Charlotte Checkers
- Hogs Weekly: IceHogs Hit the Road for Three-Game Trek to Start December - Rockford IceHogs
- Bunnaman and Willman Loaned to Phantoms - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- San Diego Gulls Forward Brayden Tracey Named AHL Player of the Week - San Diego Gulls
- San Diego's Brayden Tracey Named AHL Player of the Week - AHL
- Groulx Re-Joins Gulls - San Diego Gulls
- Wolf Pack Recall Taylor from Loan; Brassard Assigned to ECHL Jacksonville - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Forward Gabe Fortier from Syracuse Crunch - Syracuse Crunch
- Pittsburgh Recalls Drew O'connor - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Panthers Recall Aleksi Heponiemi and Matt Kiersted - Charlotte Checkers
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