The Checkers have headed up to Pennsylvania for a three-game swing through the state - starting in Hershey on Saturday night.
THE MATCHUP
- Record/Standings
- CLT - 12-7-2-0 (4th Atlantic)
- HER - 12-10-1-0 (5th Atlantic)
- Power Play / Penalty Kill
- CLT - 18.6% / 83.9%
- HER - 19.1% / 81.5%
- Offense / Defense
- CLT - 3.00 GF/Game / 2.76 GA/Game
- HER - 2.78 GF/Game / 2.96 GA/Game
- Head-To-Head
- 0-0-0-0
THE STORYLINES
HIGHS AND LOWS
Charlotte’s team defense has had its ups and downs as of late. Through the back half of November the Checkers had a run of four games in which they surrendered four total goals and no more than two in a single game. In the four games following that, though, they gave up 17 goals - including at least three in each contest. The good news for the Checkers is that they snapped that skid in their last outing when they blanked the Cleveland Monsters behind a 13-save shutout from Kirill Gerasimyuk.Over that stretch of their most recent nine games, the Checkers posted a 4-0-1-0 record when allowing fewer than three goals and a 1-3-0-0 record when passing that threshold.
HOT HANDS
Three skaters in particular have been driving the offense for Charlotte recently. Ben Steeves has six points (4g, 2a) in his last six games and has been especially dangerous in clutch situations - in fact, each of his last four goals have come in third periods. Gracyn Sawchyn also has six points (2g, 4a) in his last six games and is now tied for ninth among all AHL rookies in assists. Then there’s Sandis Vilmanis, who has racked up seven points (4g, 3a) over the last six games.SEARCHING FOR POWER
After a solid stretch in which they went 6-for-13 on the man advantage while recording a power-play goal in four straight games, the Checkers couldn’t put it together in their two-game set against Cleveland - going scoreless in 11 opportunities.ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Checkers are striking back out on the road for the first time since going 3-0-1-0 against Iowa and Grand Rapids in mid-November. Three of those games were decided by a single goal and the other was decided by two goals.THE PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Charlotte
- Sandis Vilmanis - 7 points in last 6 games
- Gracyn Sawchyn - 6 points in last 6 games
- Ben Steeves - 6 points in last 6 games
- Hershey
- Andrew Cristall - 7 points in last 5 games
- Brett Leason - 3 goals in last 3 games
- Ilya Protas - 2 points in last 2 games
THE INFO
Both games this weekend in Grand Rapids are available via AHLTV on FloHockey! Click here to watch.Fans can also listen to the radio broadcast on the Checkers App or online.
