The Checkers will add significant firepower ahead of a crucial game tonight.
Captain Derek Ryan, who has 10 points (5g, 5a) in his last five AHL games, and Sergey Tolchinsky, who has three goals in his last three outings, will both return from the parent Carolina Hurricanes in time to face the Texas Stars at Bojangles’ Coliseum tonight. Both played in Carolina’s 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday.
Ryan, who leads the Checkers in goals (23), assists (30) and points (53) in 66 games played this season, has two goals in his first five NHL games with Carolina this season. Meanwhile, Tolchinsky, a 21-year-old rookie, picked up an assist in his NHL debut.
With those two returning, winger Patrick Brown is the only recent call-up who remains with the Hurricanes for the time being. Brown picked up his first two NHL points on Thursday, including a first-period goal on Henrik Lundqvist that opened the scoring, to go along with a plus-3 rating in just over 12 minutes of ice time.
The additions will help round out a Checkers lineup that has been missing several players of late but could also receive some help on the injury front tonight. Of an injured group of seven that includes forwards Anthony Camara, Dane Fox, Brock McGinn, Andrew Miller and Valentin Zykov and defensemen Danny Biega and Rasmus Rissanen, only Fox, Zykov and Rissanen did not practice Thursday.
Charlotte, which currently sits just outside of the playoff bubble with eight games to go, could reclaim a spot tonight by earning at least one more point than the San Jose Barracuda, who face Bakersfield at 10 p.m.
