The Checkers kicked off their tour of the North Division last week with glowing results, beating the Utica Comets and the Syracuse Crunch on back-to-back nights.
Week in Review
Team Statistics
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Overall record
21-15-2-0
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Home record
10-8-2-0
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Road record
11-7-0-0
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Last week's record
2-0-0-0
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Last 10 games
7-3-0-0
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Division Standings
5th
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Conference Standings
8th
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League Standings
15th
Checkers 4, Utica 3 (OT)
The Checkers went into Utica and knocked off the AHL’s top team, earning a win thanks to a pair of goals from Cole Schwindt and an overtime winner off the stick of Zac Dalpe.
Full recap
Checkers 6, Syracuse 1
Charlotte wouldn’t need extra time to pull off a victory the following night in Syracuse, throttling the Crunch 6-1. Scott Wilson dominated things offensively with a hat trick, while Spencer Knight earned his first AHL win by denying 37 of the 38 shots he faced.
Full recap
Three Stars Of The Week
3rd Star
Henry Bowlby
1g, 3a
2nd Star
Scott Wilson
3g, 1a
1st Star
Aleksi Heponiemi
1g, 4a
QUICK HITS
ROAD WARRIORS
The Checkers rattled off two more road wins last week to give them four straight victories away from home, their longest such streak this season. Charlotte has 11 road wins this season - the most in the Atlantic Division and tied for the most in the Eastern Conference.
THROW THOSE HATS
Scott Wilson lit the lamp three times in Saturday’s win over Syracuse, marking his first career AHL hat trick. It was the third hat trick by a Checkers skater this season, which is tied for the highest total hat tricks in a season in franchise history.
PARADE OF GOALIES
Spencer Knight stood tall in his second career appearance for the Checkers on Saturday, making 37 saves and earning his first AHL victory. The Checkers have now had seven different goalies record a win for them this season - Knight, Antoine Bibeau, Billy Christopoulos, Joey Daccord, Devan Dubnyk, Evan Fitzpatrick and Christopher Gibson - the most of any team in the AHL.
OFFENSE ON A ROLL
When the Checkers hung six goals on the Crunch on Saturday, it was the fourth time this season that they have scored at least six goals in a single game. Charlotte has now scored at least four goals in six of its last eight contests and now rank fourth in the AHL in goals per game.
HEPONIEMI'S HOT STREAK
Aleksi Heponiemi departed for the NHL earlier this month on a high note, and he has kept things rolling since his recent return. The forward has nine points in his last four games and has put up three consecutive multi-point games for Charlotte. Going back even further, Heponiemi has 11 points in his last six games and has record more than one point in seven of the 26 games he has logged for the Checkers this season.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
With this tally in the third period of the win over Syracuse, Scott Wilson became the third Checker this season to record a hat trick!
RANKS
- Cole Schwindt leads all rookies and ranks third in the AHL overall in plus-minus (+18)
- Kole Lind is tied for eighth in the AHL in penalty minutes (68)
- Zac Dalpe and Kole Lind are both tied for eighth in the AHL in power-play goals (6)
- Cole Schwindt is tied for fifth in the AHL in shorthanded goals (2)
- Cole Schwindt is tied for fifth among AHL rookies in goals (11)
- Logan Hutsko is tied for 10th among AHL rookies in assists (17)
- Henry Bowlby is tied for ninth among AHL rookies in plus-minus (+8)
- Connor Carrick and Cale Fleury are both tied for eighth among AHL defensemen in goals (5)
- Connor Carrick and Clae Fleury are both tied for the league lead among defensemen in power-play goals (3)
- Connor Carrick is tied for second among AHL defensemen in shorthanded goals (1)
- Connor Carrick is tied for third among AHL defensemen in shots on goal (84)
- Cale Fleury is tied for the league lead in shorthanded assists (3)
- Christopher Gibson is tied for fourth in the AHL in shorthanded assists (2)
- Joey Daccord ranks fourth in the AHL in goals-against average (2.18) and save percentage (.925)
INJURIES
- Ryan Lohin - Out since 1/22
- Grigori Denisenko - Out since 1/15
- Gustav Olofsson - Out since 1/12
- Max Gildon - Out since 12/19
- Chris Gibson - Out since 12/3
- John Ludvig - Out since 11/12
Transactions
Incoming
- Jan. 28 - Aleksi Heponiemi - Assigned from Florida (NHL)
- Jan. 28 - Matt Kiersted - Assigned from Florida (NHL)
- Jan. 25 - Jordan Sambrook - Signed to PTO
- Jan. 25 - Jacob Friend - Signed to PTO
- Jan. 24 - Antoine Bibeau - Assigned from Seattle (NHL)
Outgoing
- Jan. 30 - Spencer Knight - Recalled by Florida (NHL)
- Jan. 26 - Craig Martin - Released from PTO
- Jan. 26 - Spencer Asuchak - Released from PTO
- Jan. 26 - Evan Fitzpatrick - Assigned to Greenville (ECHL
- Jan. 24 - Cale Fleury - Recalled by Seattle (NHL)
Coming Up
By the Numbers
| CATEGORY |
RECORD |
AHL RANK |
| Power play |
21.2% |
8th |
| Penalty kill |
82.8% |
9th |
| Goals per game |
3.47 |
4th |
| Shots per game |
28.74 |
22nd |
| Goals allowed per game |
2.95 |
11th |
| Shots allowed per game |
28.95 |
10th |
| Penalty minutes per game |
10.84 |
29th |
LEADERS
| CATEGORY |
LEADER(S) |
| Points |
Logan Hutsko, Kole Lind, Cole Schwindt, Scott Wilson (24) |
| Goals |
Zac Dalpe, Scott Wilson (14), Kole Lind (12) |
| Assists |
Logan Hutsko (17), Aleksi Heponiemi (16), Chase Priskie, Connor Carrick (14) |
| Power play goals |
Zac Dalpe, Kole Lind (6), Three tied (3) |
| Shorthanded goals |
Cole Schwindt (2), Six tied (1) |
| Game-winning goals |
Max McCormick, Grigori Denisenko, Scott Wilson (3) |
| Shots on goal |
Zac Dalpe (101), Connor Carrick (84), Scott Wilson (76) |
| Penalty minutes |
Kole Lind (68), Connor Carrick (39), Max McCormick, Matt Kiersted (26) |
| Plus/minus |
Cole Schwindt (+18), Lucas Carlsson, Chase Priskie (+9) |
| Wins |
Joey Daccord (8) |
| Goals-against average |
Joey Daccord (2.18) |
| Save percentage |
Joey Daccord (.925) |
