During the season, Checkers broadcaster TJ Chillot checks in with a weekly blog highlighting everything Checkers hockey, presented by Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates!
The Checkers are riding their best win-streak of the season having won not only five games in a row, but seven straight on the road. This is a team that has found its stride in a very competitive Atlantic Division with some tough customers coming up. So what’s been the key to success? What’s noteworthy? I’ve got you covered, it’s another edition of In the Trapezoid with TJ!
Four-Plus W's
With the Checkers’ first win over the Syracuse Crunch this past weekend, it marked the fourth time the team has won four consecutive games this season. After starting the year off going 4-0, the Checkers earned four-straight in November with wins over Hartford, Bridgeport, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. They followed that up with another winning foursome in December by taking down Providence twice and Cleveland twice. In total, the Checkers current five-game win streak is their longest of the season and ties their high-water mark from 2021-22.
Clean Sweep Upstate
The Checkers completed a perfect road-trip in New York with their five wins. It started against Utica all the way back on January 25 and continued through Rochester and Syracuse. The Checkers logged four or more goals in each of their wins, outscoring their North Division foes 23-12.
Northern Lights
The Checkers have had some great success this season against the North Division going 10-4-1-0 in their first fifteen games. Charlotte won their season series against Syracuse 3-1, split with Rochester 2-2, and have points in all three of their games against Utica going 2-0-1. Up next however, a Toronto Marlies team that the Checkers have yet to play this season - a club that is not only the best in their division but one of the best in the conference. Charlotte has four games scheduled against the Marlies yet to come - two at home and two across the border - with a solo contest remaining against the Utica Comets. Those five games will round out the Checkers out-of-division schedule this season.
Bunny's In The Clutch
Connor Bunnaman is having one of the best seasons in his professional career. What’s more, in Charlotte’s last five games Bunnaman has three game-winning goals, which pulls him into a tie with Nash and Dalpe for most on the team. With five goals in his last seven games, Bunnman is showing no signs of slowing as he blazes through the 2022-23 season as one of the top depth scorers on this Checkers roster.
Scouting The Marlies
Toronto rolls into town as one of the best teams in the AHL this season with 62 standings points. They’re one of the youngest teams in the league with an average age of 24.3 years and with that youth movement, it brings speed, durability, and play-making ability. Toronto is one of the best goal scoring teams in the league ranking sixth in goals-for-per-game averaging 3.57, second best in the Eastern Conference behind only Syracuse. Charlotte, for comparison, is dead-center in the AHL at 16th with an average of 3.09 goals-for-per-game. The Marlies are a team that loves to get the early lead and punish their opponents from then on. Toronto is 17-0-1-1 this season in games when leading after one period and what’s more, they’re incredibly good on the road with an 18-5-1-0 record away from home. Boosting this team’s scoring is their power-play which is tops in the AHL, converting at a gaudy 26.3 percent this season.
The Streaks
With their success on the most recent road trip, the Checkers have a number of players enjoying scoring streaks. Logan Hutsko has a two-game goal streak, Aleksi Heponiemi is riding a three-game assist streak, and several players are rolling with point streaks including Hutsko (5), Matt Kiersted (3), Heponiemi (3), Justin Sourdif (3), and Lucas Carlsson (2). With a point on Friday, Hutsko can tie the Checkers’ season-high point streak of six straight set by Riley Nash, Anton Levtchi, and Carlsson earlier this year.
Up Next: The Homestand
Finally back at Bojangles Coliseum, the Checkers have some incredible events coming up. The next slate of games includes NASCAR Night on 2/10, Military Appreciation Night on 2/11, Valentine’s Day on 2/14, Winning Wednesday/$1 Beer Night/College Night on 2/15, Autism Awareness/Charlotte Family Housing Night on 2/18 and Stick it to Cancer on 2/19. These are some of the most popular promotional nights of the season, including giveaways like the Rally Towel promotion on 2/18 thanks to our friends at Open door, a game-worn speciality jersey auction on 2/11, and so much more. Check out the promo schedule on charlottecheckers.com to see the full scope because there’s too much to list!
