Charlotte Checkers are suffering through a Calder Cup hangover

History says it’s a Calder Cup finals hangover.

Charlotte Checkers’ coach Ryan Warsofsky says his team’s slow start this American Hockey League season is due to something else.

“Self-inflicted wounds,” Warsofsky said Tuesday night, shortly after the defending AHL champion Checkers dropped a 3-1 decision at Bojangles Coliseum to the Cleveland Monsters.

It was the start of a four-game homestand on this holiday week, which includes another game against Cleveland on Wednesday night.

“That’s what’s costing us games,” Warsofsky said. “It’s self-inflicted.”

A year after dominating the league, Charlotte is 7-11 this season, with three of the losses coming in overtime, but such a slow start after a big year is not unusual.

The Toronto Marlies, who won the Calder Cup 2017-18, opened the next season by winning just five of their first 15 games. The Chicago Wolves, who reached the AHL finals before losing to Charlotte, are sitting in seventh place — just like the Checkers — in their division.

The good news for Charlotte, if history can provide any hope, is that the Marlies recovered and reached the Eastern Conference finals before they were knocked off by the Checkers.

Warsofsky said the team’s repeated first-period problems have to end.

“There are some young players in there that have to learn how to be a pro,” the Checkers’ first-year coach said. “They have to start at 7 when the game’s at 7, start at 6 when the game’s at 6, and start at 1 when the game’s at 1.”

Here is a look at the Checkers’ past week, and what lies ahead:

Last Wednesday: Charlotte dropped a 3-2 decision at Lehigh Valley. The Checkers went scoreless in the first period for the sixth straight game. Down 2-0, the Checkers rallied with second-period goals by Casey Bailey and Hunter Shinkaruk, but the Phantoms scored the game-winner with 2:40 to play.

Friday: The Checkers lost 5-4 in overtime at Lehigh Valley. Charlotte led 4-2 after a goal by Max McCormick with 19:19 remaining in the game, but the Phantoms scored twice in a two-minute span, tying the game at 4-4 with 13:43 left. They got the game-winner at the 1:23 mark of overtime.

Saturday: Charlotte blanked Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 1-0, with Alex Nedeljkovic getting the shutout in goal. Chase Priskie scored for the Checkers with 4:23 left to play. It was Charlotte’s first meeting this season with the Penguins, whose coach, Mike Vellucci, guided the Checkers to the Calder Cup last season. What’s more, the Penguins’ goalkeeper is veteran Dustin Tokarski, who was unbeaten last season for Charlotte in a backup role to Nedeljkovic.

The week ahead: The Checkers face Cleveland at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Bojangles Coliseum. Charlotte then hosts the Providence Bruins for games at 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle