Weekly Report: March 20, 2023

The Checkers traveled across the border and took down the first-place Marlies in back-to-back decisive victories over the weekend.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Checkers 5, Marlies 0

Checkers 4, Marlies 1

Three Stars Of The Week

QUICK HITS

PLAYOFF RACE

The Checkers took care of business over the weekend, claiming all four possible points in Toronto. Unfortunately for them, the teams above them in the Atlantic Division did as well. Providence and Hershey both earned a pair of wins over the weekend to keep their eight and five-point leads over the third-place Checkers, respectively.

The Checkers - who opened up a five-point gap between themselves and the fourth-place Thunderbirds behind them - continue to gun for one of the top two spots in the Atlantic, which would earn them a bye past the opening round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

In terms of clinching a berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs, Charlotte’s magic number is nine. That represents the number of points needed to officially clinch, either by the Checkers earning points in the standings themselves or by the first team on the outside of the playoff picture - currently the Hartford Wolf Pack - failing to earn points.

STRONG STARTS, STRONG FINISHES

Charlotte opened the scoring in both of their meetings with Toronto over the weekend and clung to those leads until the final buzzer. Those wins were indicative of how the Checkers have fared all year - they are 22-3-2-0 when scoring first this season. That gives them an .852 points percentage in those scenarios thus far, the highest such mark in the AHL by at least .034 percentage points.

On the flip side, the Checkers have scored 79 goals in third periods this season - tied for the highest total in the league. Over the last 20 games, the Checkers have scored at least twice in the third period 12 times and have scored at least three goals on eight different occasions.

CARLSSON KEEPS SCORING

With a four-point weekend in Toronto, Lucas Carlsson continues to find the scoresheet at an astonishing clip. He remains the AHL’s goals leader among defensemen with a franchise-record 16 tallies, and he has pushed his way into a tie for fourth among league blue liners with 43 points.

In the 26 games since Jan. 14, Carlsson has amassed more points (29) than any other defenseman (Brogan Rafferty clocks in at second with 23) and is tied for fourth in scoring overall in the AHL over that stretch.

The franchise single-season record for points by a defenseman is 50, set by current Checkers assistant coach Bobby Sanguinetti. With 11 games remaining on the schedule, Carlsson needs seven points to tie that mark.

MAYHEW LIGHTS THE LAMP

Gerry Mayhew has also found himself on a bit of a heater over the past few months. Since Jan. 11, no one in the AHL has scored more goals than Mayhew - his 17 markers in 27 games tie him with Springfield’s Martin Frk atop the leaderboard. That red-hot run comes after the veteran forward totaled four goals through his first 32 games of the season.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Gerry Mayhew opened the scoring Friday in Toronto and set the Checkers on a course for the perfect weekend!

Mayhew sticks with it and we're on the board! pic.twitter.com/1A7QULnlS7

— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) March 17, 2023

RANKS

• Lucas Carlsson leads all AHL defensemen in goals (16)
• Lucas Carlsson ranks third in the AHL in plus-minus (+25)
• Lucas Carlsson ranks third among AHL defensemen in shots on goal (151)
• Lucas Carlsson is tied for fourth among AHL defensemen in points (43)
• Lucas Carlsson is tied for eighth among AHL defensemen in power-play goals (3)
• Lucas Carlsson is tied for eighth among AHL defensemen in game-winning goals (2)
• Connor Bunnaman is tied for sixth in the AHL in shorthanded goals (2)
• Riley Nash is tied for fifth in the AHL in shorthanded assists (2)
• Riley Nash is tied for fifth in the AHL in shorthanded points (4)
• Riley Nash is tied for sixth in the AHL in shorthanded goals (2)
• Johnny Ludvig ranks sixth among AHL rookies in plus-minus (+14)
• Johnny Ludvig is tied for 10th among AHL rookies in penalty minutes (60)
• Anthony Bitetto is tied for fourth among AHL defensemen in shorthanded goals (1)
• Anthony Bitetto is tied for 10th among AHL defensemen in penalty minutes (75)
• Matt Kiersted is tied for fourth among AHL defensemen in shorthanded goals (1)
• Riley Bezeau ranks fourth among AHL rookies in penalty minutes (73)
• Justin Sourdif is tied for eighth among AHL rookies in shorthanded goals (1)
• Justin Sourdif is tied for sixth among AHL rookies in shorthanded assists (1)
• Justin Sourdif is tied for third among AHL rookies in shorthanded points (2)
• Patrick Giles is tied for eighth among AHL rookies in shorthanded goals (1)
• Patrick Giles is tied for sixth among AHL rookies in shorthanded assists (1)
• Patrick Giles is tied for third among AHL rookies in shorthanded points (2)
• Alex Lyon is tied for seventh in the AHL in goals-against average (2.43)
• Mack Guzda ranks ninth among AHL rookies in goals-against average (2.85)
• Mack Guzda is tied for eighth among AHL rookies in wins (14)
• Mack Guzda is tied for ninth among AHL rookies in save percentage (.900)

Transactions

Incoming

• March 19 - Mack Guzda - Assigned from Florida (NHL)
• March 15 - Evan Fitzpatrick - Recalled from Florida (ECHL)

Outgoing

• March 19 - Alex Lyon - Recalled by Florida (NHL)

By the Numbers

CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK
Power play	18.7%	t-16th
Penalty kill	84.2%	t-4th
Goals per game	3.25	t-10th
Shots per game	31.72	5th
Goals allowed per game	2.90	8th
Shots allowed per game	28.08	3rd
Penalty minutes per game	13.18	15th

LEADERS

CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	Riley Nash (50), Lucas Carlsson (43), Aleksi Heponiemi (40)
Goals	Riley Nash (22), Gerry Mayhew (21), Zac Dalpe (17)
Assists	Aleksi Heponiemi (29), Riley Nash (28), Lucas Carlsson (27)
Power play goals	Gerry Mayhew, Riley Nash (6), Zac Dalpe (5)
Shorthanded goals	Riley Nash, Connor Bunnaman (2), Four tied (1)
Game-winning goals	Grigori Denisenko (4), Four tied (3)
Shots on goal	Lucas Carlsson (151), Riley Nash (134), Santtu Kinnunen, Gerry Mayhew (130)
Penalty minutes	Anthony Bitetto (75), Riley Bezeau (73), Gerry Mayhew (62)
Plus/minus	Lucas Carlsson (+25), Riley Nash (+16), Johhny Ludvig (+14)
Wins	Mack Guzda (14)
Goals-against average	Alex Lyon (2.43)
Save percentage	Alex Lyon (.910)