The Checkers are back home and welcoming a Western Conference foe to town as the Iowa Wild come calling.
THE MATCHUP
- Record/Standings
- CLT - 8-4-1-2 (3rd Atlantic)
- IA - 6-9-1-0 (5th Central)
- Power Play / Penalty Kill
- CLT - 35.8% (1st) / 80.6% (t-20th)
- IA - 15.9% (21st) / 72.6% (31st)
- Offense / Defense
- CLT - 3.93 GF/Game (1st) / 3.27 GA/Game (t-20th)
- IA - 3.19 GF/Game (12th) / 4.06 GA/Game (32nd)
- Head-To-Head
- 0-0-0-0
THE STORYLINES
WELCOME HOME
The Checkers are coming off of their toughest road swing yet, in which they went 1-2-1-1 over the five-game stretch. They now return to the friendly confines of Bojangles Coliseum, where they have a 4-2-0-0 record this season.LONG TIME NO SEE
This weekend marks the first time that the Checkers and Wild have squared off since the 2016-17 season, when Charlotte went 6-2-0-0 against Iowa. The two sides’ most recent meeting took place on March 22, 2017, when Tom McCollum was between the pipes for Charlotte and Connor Brickley scored the overtime winner in a 3-2 Checkers victory.FREE HOCKEY
The Checkers have gone beyond regulation five times already this season - all of which have come over the last eight games, including each of the last three. Two of those games have ended in overtime - with the Checkers taking one win and one loss - and three have gone to a shootout -where the Checkers are 1-2.Charlotte has only had one conversion in the shootout thus far through 10 tries, while Chris Driedger has denied six of the seven shots he has faced across two different shootouts (Cooper Black stopped two of three in the other instance).
Last season the Checkers were 9-7 in games that ended in overtime and only had one game go to a shootout, which they won.
HIGHS AND LOWS
The Checkers continue to reign atop the AHL’s offensive rankings, averaging 3.93 goals per game to hold a slight edge over Texas for the number one spot. They have scored at least four goals on seven different occasions this season and are 6-0-0-1 when hitting that threshold, while posting a 2-4-1-1 record when falling below that.On the flip side, the Checkers rank in the bottom half of the league, surrendering 3.27 goals per game. They have given up at least four goals on nine different occasions this season - including seven of the last eight contests.
THE INFO
Saturday is our annual Teddy Bear Toss, presented by Novant Health! Fans are encouraged to bring new stuffed animals to the game and throw them on the ice when the Checkers score their first goal. The toys will then be donated to a variety of local nonprofit organizations. For more info and to buy tickets, click here.If you can't make it to the Coliseum this weekend, both games - along with every game this season - are available via the new AHLTV on FloHockey! Click here to get a subscription.
You can also listen live on the Charlotte Checkers App for iOS and Android!
For the full list of broadcast options, click here!
