Hometown Weekly Report: March 12

The Checkers returned home last weekend and kept their winning ways rolling by sweeping the Hartford Wolf Pack in their last meetings of the season.

Week in Review

Checkers 4, Hartford 3

Returning home for the first time this month, the Checkers rallied back to top the Hartford Wolf Pack. After falling into a 2-0 hole in the first, Valentin Zykov pulled Charlotte back into the contest with a pair of power-play goals to tie the game through 40 minutes of play. The visitors jumped back on top early on in the third, but the Checkers again pushed back. After Janne Kuokkanen ripped a one-timer from the right circle to even the score, Andrew Poturalski picked up the rebound of a Trevor Carrick-shot off the post and banged it home for what would stand as the eventual game winner. Full recap

Checkers 7, Hartford 3

In their final meeting of the season, the Checkers again got the best of the Hartford Wolf Pack. Charlotte roared out to a three-goal lead through one period of play, but a two-goal frame from the visitors tightened the contest heading into the second intermission. Warren Foegele opened the third with his franchise-best 25th goal as a rookie before Patrick Brown converted a shorthanded breakaway to push the Checkers back ahead by two. The Wolf Pack netted one more shortly after and then pulled their goalie for an extra attacker for one last rally attempt. That would backfire, however, as Nicolas Roy hit the empty net to extend the lead, then Alex Nedeljkovic became the 13th goalie in AHL history to score a goal and sealed Charlotte’s 7-3 win. Full recap

Three Stars Of The Week

Notables

SNIPER BETWEEN THE PIPES

With the Checkers ahead by three and an empty net for Hartford in the waning minutes of Saturday’s game, netminder Alex Nedeljkovic collected a loose puck to the side of the cage and flung it all the way down the ice and into the visitors net. That made Nedeljkovic the 13th goalie in AHL history to score a goal and just the 8th to do so with a shot.

That tally was actually Nedeljkovic’s second pro goal, as the netminder scored for the ECHL’s Florida Everblades last season as a rookie.

FRESHMAN PHENOM

Warren Foegele earned his spot atop the record books on Saturday as well. A slick wrap-around conversion in the third period brought Foegele’s total to 25, breaking Lucas Wallmark’s franchise record for goals by a rookie.

The 21-year-old leads all AHL rookies in goals this season, boasting a three-goal lead over the second place skater, and is tied for fourth in the league overall.

CARRICK PITCHES IN

Last weekend’s series against Hartford saw Trevor Carrick deliver a big boost to the Checkers’ production. The blue liner set a career high with three helpers in Friday’s win, then pinched in to collect a rebound goal in Saturday’s rematch.

Carrick now has 33 points on the year, putting him into a tie for eighth among all AHL defensemen. The fourth-year pro has especially excelled on the man advantage, as his 19 power-play assists are the second-most by blue liner in the league.

SOLID ADDITION

Carolina’s trade deadline acquisition Greg McKegg has made a big splash during his short time with the Checkers. The forward has picked up a point in four of the five games he’s played for Charlotte, including his first goal with his new club in Saturday’s win.

KUOKKANEN STAYS HOT

The reigning AHL Rookie of the Month continued his hot streak over the weekend, notching three points in the two-game series against Hartford. Kuokkanen’s 25 helpers this season, which put him in a tie for fifth among all AHL rookies, are tied for the third-most in a single-season by a Checkers rookie, nine shy of the franchise record set by Zac Dalpe in 2010-11.

Ranks

• Valentin Zykov leads the lead in goals (30), power-play goals (16) and shooting percentage (29.4), is tied for second in game-winning goals and is tied for 14th in the AHL in scoring (48)
• Andrew Miller is tied for seventh in the AHL in scoring (51) and sixth in assists (36) despite missing the last nine games
• Warren Foegele leads all rookies and is tied for fourth overall in goals (25), is tied for second in the AHL in shorthanded goals (4), is tied for the league lead in shorthanded points (6), is tied for second in the AHL in game-winning goals (7), ranks fourth among league rookies in plus-minus (+18), ranks second among rookies in shooting percentage (18.7) and ranks seventh among league rookies in scoring (41)
• Trevor Carrick ranks second in the AHL in power-play assists, tied for eighth among league defensemen in scoring (33) and ranks fifth among blue liners in power-play points (21)
• Philip Samuelsson ranks second in the AHL in plus-minus (+31)
• Roland McKeown is tied for third in the AHL in plus-minus (+30)
• Alex Nedeljkovic leads the AHL in wins (27), ranks second in shutouts (5) and ranks third in minutes played (2,368)
• Aleksi Saarela ranks fifth in among league rookies in goals (20) and is tied for second in power-play goals (9)
• Janne Kuokkanen is tied for fifth among league rookies in assists (25)

INJURIES

• Andrew Miller missed nine games starting 2/18
• Jake Chelios missed seven games starting 2/24
• Marcus Kruger missed five games starting 3/2

Transactions

Incoming

• Mar. 11: (G) Callum Booth recalled from Florida (ECHL)
• Mar. 8: (C) Lucas Wallmark assigned from Carolina (NHL)

Outgoing

• Mar. 11L (RW) Valentin Zykov recalled by Carolina (NHL)

Coming Up

By the Numbers

CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK	LAST WEEK
Power play	20.6%	4th	4th
Penalty kill	82.2%	t-21st	t-19th
Goals per game	3.37	3rd	4th
Shots per game	29.65	20th	t-18th
Goals allowed per game	2.90	t-16th	t-14th
Shots allowed per game	27.06	3rd	3rd
Penalty minutes per game	11.97	8th	8th

LEADERS

CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	Andrew Miller (51), Valentin Zykov (48), Warren Foegele (41)
Goals	Valentin Zykov (30), Warren Foegele (25), Aleksi Saarela (20)
Assists	Andrew Miller (36), Lucas Wallmark (27), Trevor Carrick (26)
Power play goals	Valentin Zykov (16), Aleksi Saarela (9), Andrew Poturalski (6)
Shorthanded goals	Warren Foegele (4), Nicolas Roy, Clark Bishop (2)
Game-winning goals	Valentin Zykov, Warren Foegele (7), Andew Poturalski (6)
Shots on goal	Warren Foegele (134), Trevor Carrick (126), Aleksi Saarela (120)
Penalty minutes	Trevor Carrick (81), Josiah Didier (60), Zack Stortini (55)
Plus/minus	Philip Samuelsson (+31), Roland McKeown (+30), Warren Foegele (+18)
Wins	Alex Nedeljkovic (27)
Goals-against average	Alex Nedeljkovic (2.53)
Save percentage	Alex Nedeljkovic (.904)