After a brief break back in the Queen City, the Checkers are setting out on the road once again - this time visiting the red-hot Griffins.
THE MATCHUP
- Record/Standings
- CLT - 8-4-1-0 (5th Atlantic)
- GR - 11-0-0-1 (1st Central)
- Power Play / Penalty Kill
- CLT - 15.9% / 82.3%
- GR - 25.6% / 87.8%
- Offense / Defense
- CLT - 3.08 GF/Game / 2.85 GA/Game
- GR - 4.17 GF/Game / 2.08 GA/Game
- Head-To-Head
- 0-0-0-0
THE STORYLINES
BEEN A WHILE
Friday will mark the first meeting between the Checkers and Griffins since 2016-17. That campaign was the last in which the two squads were division rivals, as the Checkers moved to the Eastern Conference the following season.Charlotte and Grand Rapids’ most recent matchup came on April 14, 2017, and saw Andrew Poturalski and Haydn Fleury light the lamp for the Checkers while Tom McCollum was between the pipes.
HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE
The Checkers are heading into this weekend on their hottest run of the season. They have won four straight contests - sweeping Syracuse on home ice, then sweeping Iowa on the road - while outscoring their opponents 13-6.They will be tested in Grand Rapids, as the Griffins have yet to lose a game in regulation this season - boasting an 11-0-0-1 record. Led by AHL goals leader (and former Checker) John Leonard and Sebastian Cossa between the pipes (along with the recently-signed former Checker Dustin Tokarski), the Griffins hold the widest positive goal differential in the AHL and have won four of their six home games by at least three goals.
BETWEEN THE PIPES
After releasing Kevin Mandolese from his PTO on Thursday, the Checkers are rolling with a tandem of Cooper Black and Kirill Gerasimyuk between the pipes.Black - who started all of Charlotte’s first eight games this season - has earned the win in each of his last three appearances, while Gerasimyuk earned his first AHL win by turning in a 17-save shutout in the team’s last outing against Iowa.
THE PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Charlotte
- Wilmer Skoog - 3 goals in last 2 games
- Mike Benning - 2 points in last 2 games
- Brian Pinho - 3 points in last 4 games
- Grand Rapids
- Shelden Dries - 6 points in last 5 games
- John Leonard - 5 points in last 2 games
- Austin Watson - 5 points in last 3 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.
