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 Charlotte Checkers’ tour of New York rolls on, with two games on the docket this weekend against the Syracuse Crunch. So far, the team has enjoyed great success, knocking off Utica and Rochester. It’s another edition of In The Trapezoid, and there are plenty of storylines that have come out of the most recent road trip. Let’s jump in!
Five For The Road
The Checkers have won their last five games on the road, proving that they can win in any building. Both Utica and Rochester had 11-8 records at home before taking on the Checkers, who are now 11-9 when playing away from Bojangles’ Coliseum. It really speaks to how well this team is coached and led on the ice. They’re able to strap in and get down to business in even the most hostile environments. I think specifically of Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, that can be a VERY difficult place to play. The fans are rowdy, they’re loud, and they love their team. So for Charlotte to roll into that game last Wednesday and take the win, that does a great deal for a team’s momentum going into a long road trip.
No Signs Of Slowing Down
To say that Gerry Mayhew and Connor Bunnaman have been hot lately might be an understatement. Going back to Jan. 11, the two forwards have combined for 17 points in eight games. For Bunnaman, he’s riding a five-game point streak, complete with a three-game goal streak, while Mayhew has four points in his last three games played. The chemistry is there, to say the least, as they’re often on the scoresheet assisting one another. Also, the return of their linemate Logan Hutsko has helped move the needle. Hutsko has five assists in five games since returning from injury and most of those assists came on goals in which Mayhew or Bunnaman found the back of the net.
Goalie In, Goalie Out
The Checkers had a league-leading nine goaltenders start games for them last season, and it seems that the goalie carousel has continued this year, albeit not quite as chaotically. Even still, the Checkers have had five different goaltenders start, and win, games for them this season. Alex Lyon, Mack Guzda, J-F Berube, Spencer Knight, and most recently, Cam Johnson. With the injuries at the NHL level to Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight, Alex Lyon is still on recall with the Panthers, leaving the Checkers to turn to the rookie Guzda and the veteran Berube. It shows, in another manner, how well this team handles adversity and comes ready to play. No matter the goalie, no matter the location, the Checkers come prepared to play. That’s not to take away from the stellar performances we’ve seen in the blue paint this season either. I think back to Guzda’s first professional shutout just a few games ago, a contest in which he was called upon and he answered that bell. Same thing with Berube, who’s been in a spot-start situation all season long and never felt like a liability to his team when between the pipes. That’s saying something for a goalie who, at times, has gone an entire calendar month between starts.
Three Or More
The Checkers have earned points in six of their last seven games with five wins during that time. The only regulation loss in that stretch was a 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Monsters. One of the keys to winning/earning points in those games? Score more than three goals. It’s interesting to note that in total, the team has only lost two games in regulation this year when scoring three goals. Simply put, score more than three and the Checkers have increasingly improved odds to earn at least a point.
Penalty Kill Prowess
The Checkers maintain one of the best penalty kill units in all of the American Hockey League converting on 85% of their chances this season. Though they’ve given up a couple of goals during this road trip through NY, at the time of this writing, the Checkers are ranked second in the division and third in the AHL. They sit a percentage point behind the league-leading Calgary Wranglers and only a half percentage point back of the Springfield Thunderbirds for the top penalty-killing team in the league.
Military Appreciation
One of the most anticipated nights on the Charlotte Checkers schedule is coming, Military Appreciation Night. As always, the opportunity to honor our servicemen and women shouldn’t be limited to one day, but this year’s Checkers game will be filled with new wrinkles making it even more exciting. For starters, the Checkers have a West Point grad on their roster, Dominic Franco. The Rhode Island native is the first Army athlete to sign a professional contract in the sport of hockey. In addition, the Checkers will host the United States Army who’ll conduct future-soldier swear-ins on the ice during the first intermission. As if that weren’t enough, thanks to our friends at The Independence Fund, a deserving veteran will be honored in front of our fans and awarded with a motorized mobility device. Recently announced, fans can get a ticket package including a Checkers military-inspired hoodie for only $45! Head to charlottecheckers.com to get the package or single game tickets for Military Appreciation Night on February 11.
Sourdif Soars
Let’s all welcome back Justin Sourdif, who returned to the lineup last week after rehabbing an injury. Sourdif made an immediate impact in his first game back netting his fifth goal of the season, and he’d add his sixth later in the weekend. In total, the rookie has two goals in his last three games since coming back to action.
Workhorse
Across the entire lineup, no one has played in more games this season than Patrick Giles. The Boston College product has slotted into the lineup for every Checkers game so far this season, showing a great deal of resiliency. It’s one thing to be chosen by the coaching staff to play in every game, it’s an entirely different thing to avoid injury and stay healthy. Availability is most definitely a skill.
