Weekly Report: Pack It Up

The Checkers put together a solid weekend against the Wolf Pack, stringing a pair of wins together to sweep Hartford and bank some points in the standings.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Checkers 4, Wolf Pack 0

The Checkers returned home and turned in a convincing effort in their first contest of the weekend. Ken Appleby was up to the task on all 18 shots he faced, and after a scoreless opening frame Wilmer Skoog lit the lamp to break the ice. Justin Sourdif gave Charlotte some cushion with a pair of tallies after that, and a long-distance empty netter from the stick of Rasmus Asplund in the waning minutes of regulation sealed the deal.

Checkers 4, Wolf Pack 3 (OT)

The rematch was more of a battle for Charlotte. The home team fell into a 2-0 hole quickly after puck drop, but back-to-back strikes from Mike Benning knotted the score before the first intermission. That deadlock would hold until midway through the third when Hartford would push back ahead to reclaim the lead as the game headed into the final stretch. After earning a late man advantage, the Checkers came through in the clutch, though, as John Leonard poked in a loose puck with 30 seconds remaining to force overtime. Kyle Criscuolo capped off the thriller for Charlotte in the extra frame, forcing a turnover before knocking home a C.J. Smith feed to pick up a critical two points for the home side.

QUICK HITS

PESKY CHECKERS

With their dramatic victory on Sunday, the Checkers are now 7-4-2-0 this season when tied through two periods - a win total that only three other teams have eclipsed in that scenario this season. The win also moved them to 4-3 this season in games that have ended in overtime.

BRICK WALLS

The Checkers have pushed their way into the number eight spot on the AHL’s defensive rankings, giving up 2.72 goals per game. With a three-pronged attack in the crease with Ken Appleby and Chris Driedger, Cooper Black has taken on a bigger workload as of late - starting five of the team’s last 10 contests. Over that stretch he is 5-0-0 with a 1.40 goals-against average, a .939 save percentage and two shutouts. While he doesn’t have quite enough minutes to be considered “qualified”, Black has the best goals-against average of any rookie goalie with more than 60 minutes played and leads all rookies with three shutouts.

He’s not the only Charlotte netminder racking up shutouts, as Ken Appleby picked up his fifth over the weekend, a mark that leads the league and is one shy of matching Justin Peters’ franchise single-season record of six from the 2012-13 season. He also ranks second in the AHL in goals-against average.

JUSTIN'S SOARING

Since coming back into the lineup in mid-December, Justin Sourdif has been one of Charlotte’s most dangerous offensive weapons, and he’s turned things up a notch as of late. Since Jan. 10, Sourdif has piled up 15 points (9g, 6a) in 14 games and has registered more multi-point efforts (3) than scoreless games (2).

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

John Leonard ties the game with 30 seconds left, then Kyle Criscuolo calls game in overtime!

A late goal to tie it and then a win overtime! You love to see it 😍 pic.twitter.com/lxUh5JfxVP

— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) February 17, 2025

Transactions

Incoming

• Feb. 10 - Jesse Puljujarvi signed to PTO

Outgoing

• Feb. 10 - Riley Hughes assigned to Savannah (ECHL)
• Feb. 10 - Josh Davies assigned to Savannah (ECHL)

RANKINGS

• Ken Appleby leads the league in shutouts (5)
• Ken Appleby ranks second in the AHL in goals-against average (2.05)
• John Leonard leads the league in shorthanded points (6)
• John Leonard ranks second in the AHL in shorthanded goals (4)
• John Leonard is tied for second in the AHL in shots on goal (153)
• John Leonard is tied for seventh in the AHL in goals (20)
• John Leonard is tied for ninth among AHL forwards in plus-minus (+14)
• Cooper Black leads AHL rookies in shutouts (3)
• Trevor Carrick is tied for the lead among AHL defensemen in power-play assists (15)
• Trevor Carrick ranks second in the AHL in power-play points (21)
• Trevor Carrick ranks second among AHL defensemen in points (36)
• Trevor Carrick ranks second among AHL defensemen in power-play points (21)
• Trevor Carrick is tied for second in the AHL in power-play assists (15)
• Trevor Carrick is tied for second among AHL defensemen in assists (29)
• Trevor Carrick is tied for fourth among AHL defensemen in power-play goals (6)
• Trevor Carrick is tied for fifth in the AHL in assists (29)
• Rasmus Asplund is tied for second in the AHL in shorthanded points (5)
• Rasmus Asplund is tied for third in the AHL in shorthanded goals (3)
• Matt Kiersted ranks sixth in the AHL in plus-minus (+20)
• Jaycob Megna ranks eighth in the AHL in plus-minus (+18)
• Patrick Giles is tied for third in the AHL in shorthanded goals (3)

By the Numbers

CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK
Power play	23.7%	2nd
Penalty kill	86.5%	1st
Goals per game	3.33	8th
Shots per game	32.13	2nd
Goals allowed per game	2.72	8th
Shots allowed per game	23.35	1st
Penalty minutes per game	12.91	t-13th

LEADERS

CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	John Leonard (37), Trevor Carrick (36), Kyle Criscuolo (30)
Goals	John Leonard (20), Kyle Criscuolo (16), Rasmus Asplund (15)
Assists	Trevor Carrick (29), Mike Benning (18), John Leonard (17)
Power play goals	Kyle Criscuolo (7), Trevor Carrick (6), John Leonard (5)
Shorthanded goals	John Leonard (4), Patrick Giles, Rasmus Asplund (3)
Game-winning goals	John Leonard, Kyle Criscuolo (4), Aidan McDonough, Justin Sourdif (3)
Shots on goal	John Leonard (153), Wilmer Skoog (106), Trevor Carrick (102)
Penalty minutes	Oliver Okuliar (77), Justin Sourdif (50), Wilmer Skoog (49)
Plus/minus	Matt Kiersted (+20), Jaycob Megna (+18), John Leonard (+14)
Wins	Ken Appleby (11)
Goals-against average	Ken Appleby (2.05)
Save percentage	Ken Appleby (.905)