Charlotte opens up a six-game homestand at Bojangles Coliseum with a battle against the first-place Providence Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
THE MATCHUP
- Record/Standings
- CLT - 25-12-3-0 (3rd, Atlantic Division)
- PRO - 30-8-1-0 (1st, Atlantic Division)
- Power Play / Penalty Kill
- CLT - 17.8% / 85.2%
- PRO - 22.7% / 83.8%
- Offense / Defense
- CLT - 3.53 GF/Game / 2.78 GA/Game
- PRO - 3.36 GF/Game / 2.10 GA/Game
- Head-To-Head
- 0-2-0-0
THE STORYLINES
OFFENSIVELY MINDED
Charlotte tops the American Hockey League in goals per game (3.53), heading into Saturday’s game against Providence. The Checkers have scored 48 times over their previous eight games, a stretch in which they’ve gone 7-0-1, creeping closer and closer to the second-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The club currently sits third in the Atlantic Division, trailing the Penguins by five points with three games in hand.Over the last two weeks, Charlotte has scored seven or more goals in a single game four times. Sixteen skaters have double-digit points in the 2025-26 season, and six have recorded 20-plus points. Topping the group are rookie forward Jack Devine and second-year pro Ben Steeves with 29 points. Devine currently ranks seventh in goals (12), tied for fifth in assists (17) and fifth in points among AHL rookies. Steeves has already surpassed his point total from the 2024-25 campaign, in which he amassed ten goals and 18 assists in 60 games.
TO BE THE BEST …
Saturday marks the third meeting of the season between the Bruins and the Checkers, including the first time at Bojangles Coliseum in 2025-26. Both previous matchups came at Amica Mutual Pavilion, where Providence outscored Charlotte 11-5 in the first month of the regular season. The Bruins have been one of the most consistent clubs in the AHL this year, winning 16 of their first 19 games off the hop and remaining dominant since. In fact, they have not lost consecutive games all season through 33 outings. They enter Saturday’s contest on a five-game winning streak.Goaltender Michael DiPietro ranks first in the AHL with a 1.76 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage. He’s 2-0 against Charlotte this season, sporting a GAA of 2.50 and a .917 SV%. Fabian Lysell’s four-goal outburst on October 12 propelled the Bruins to a 6-3 win. Riley Tufte’s two-goal performance helps Providence pull away in a 5-2 victory on November 2. Riese Gaber (two goals) and Nolan Foote (one goal, one assist) are tied with two points against the P-Bruins in the season series.
RIESE’S FOUR-PIECE
Speaking of Gaber, the Gilbert Plains, MB, native had a career night on Wednesday against the Wolf Pack, posting a goal and three assists. The performance marked the first time he’d ever posted a four-point performance in a single AHL game. Gaber filled in for Devine, who was ruled out due to injury following the morning skate in Hartford. "I think I just stayed ready," Gaber said. "You never know when your name is going to be called. In this league, when you get an opportunity, you have to be ready to take it. Luckily, I got the call and I was ready to go."Gaber, 26, had his rookie season cut short after tearing his ACL in December of 2025, only appearing in 14 games for Charlotte. In 25 games this season, he’s logged 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) along with a plus-seven rating. His shooting percentage has also improved, rising to 22.6 percent, ranking third on the Checkers roster.
THE PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Charlotte
- Robert Mastrosimone - 10 points in last 7 games
- Ben Steeves - 13 points in last 9 games
- Wilmer Skoog - 9 points in last 7 games
- PROVIDENCE
- Patrick Brown - 6 points in last 5 games
- Fabian Lysell - 5 points in last 5 games
- Riley Tufte - 5 points in last 5 games
THE INFO
Saturday afternoon's game - as well as every game this season - is available to stream via AHLTV on FloHockey! Click here to watch.The game can also be found locally on WCCB. Fans can also listen to the radio broadcast on the Checkers App or online.
