Game 3 Preview: Checkers at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (April 26, 2018)

After taking Games 1 and 2, the Checkers are one win away from advancing to the second round as the series shifts over to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for tonight’s Game 3.

1. ON THE CUSP

Through the first two games of their opening-round series against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Checkers find themselves just one win away from advancing to the Atlantic Division Finals. This marks the first time that the Checkers have won the first two games of a series, while a win would mark the team’s second ever trip to the second round and their first since the inaugural 2010-11 season.

“We want to get it done on Thursday,” said head coach Mike Vellucci. “You go in there and play the way you’re supposed to, good things will happen. Our mindset is that we held serve here, now we have to go get one there. Let’s start with the first one.”

With the momentum of Games 1 and 2 behind them, the Checkers will be looking to carry that into Thursday’s contest.

“I think we just have to stick to what we’ve been doing,” said Warren Foegele. “There’s a reason we won those two games. We just have to play the same way that we have been.”

“We have to go win one game,” said team captain Patrick Brown. “We have three shots at it but that’s not our mindset. We want to go win that first one. Wilkes-Barre is a good team and you have to respect your opponent but we’re coming to win.”

2. BACKS AGAINST THE WALL

The Penguins finished the season with the fifth-best record in the AHL and qualified for the postseason for the 16th consecutive year, but are now on the verge of a first-round exit.

“They’re going to be a desperate hockey club,” said Foegele. “They’re down two games and playing for their lives. We’re all expecting that but we just need to focus on ourselves and our gameplan.”

Thursday will mark the first home game for the Penguins this postseason, an event that is likely to bring out the best of the home team.

“I think they’re going to come out really hard in their own building,” said Vellucci. “The first 10 minutes are going to be very important for us. In their building they have great crowds, usually sold out. So they’re going to be energized. So for us, we need to make sure we’re ready to go and be ready for anything. We like to play with speed and skill but if the game goes the other way we have to get away from it and play hard between the whistles. If the refs do their job and make those calls, we have a very good power play.”

Game 3 will bring pressure to both sides – the Checkers to close the series out and the Penguins to extend it – but that’s not on the forefront of the Checkers’ minds.

“We try not to think about that,” said Brown. “There’s always pressure in playoff hockey. You can tell in the first couple minutes of both of those games we weren’t playing our best hockey but we were able to finish the game strong. We try not to think about the pressure.”

3. NAILBITERS

The first two games of this series have been true to playoff hockey form, providing highly competitive play and dramatic endings. The Checkers have found themselves chasing the lead or tied for the majority of the series. In fact, they have led for less than six minutes through the entirety of the first two games combined.

Entering the third period of both games with the result still up in the air, the Checkers have yet to fold under the pressure.

“We kept positive and we stayed calm,” said Greg McKegg. “We were playing good hockey. We had a lot of chances and the puck just wasn’t going in. I think we just want to keep doing the same things and keep putting pucks on net and playing with pace. Eventually they’ll go in.”

The Checkers excelled in close contests during the regular season, going 13-4-1-3 in one-goal games and 24-10-1-3 in games decided by two or fewer goals. That pedigree is coming in handy now that the playoffs have rolled around.

“All year we talked about how those tight games were like playoff hockey,” said Vellucci. “Every time we won one of those games, we talked about how that is what is going to happen in the playoffs. We’ve had practice with close games a lot this year and we learned how to win those. I expect the same thing Thursday. It’s going to be a tight game, it’s going to be a one-goal game, and you have to learn how to win that game. If you get up you have to protect it, if you’re down you have to find a way to tie it up.”

“We’ve always been a tight group,” said Foegele. “We never get down on each other. We’ve been down many times this year and we find a way back. We believe in each other.”

They’ve done it twice to start this postseason, but the message remains simple for the Checkers.

“You’ve got to be able to win tight games,” said Brown. “That’s just playoff hockey.”

4. CHIPPING IN

The AHL’s best offense during the regular season has seen its production come from a variety of sources so far this postseason. Aleksi Saarela, Valentin Zykov and Lucas Wallmark have all lit the lamp through the first two games, while McKegg has put up a trio of helpers thus far. Then there’s Haydn Fleury. The blue liner spent the entirety of his second pro season in the NHL with the Canes before joining the Checkers for the playoffs and has notched three points through Games 1 and 2, including a team-best two goals.

“Haydn didn’t score in the NHL and everyone has been kidding him but he comes here and gets a couple goals,” said Vellucci after Saturday’s win. “He can join the rush, he's a great skater, he has offensive ability. We encourage him to jump in the play and get involved and do the things that make him a better player.”

Overall 14 different skaters have recorded a point for the Checkers through the first two games of the postseason, a welcome stat for Charlotte.

“Any team that you look at that goes for a long run, they get contributions from up and down the lineup from any guy on any given night,” said McKegg. “We have a lot of depth on this team and I think we can use that to our advantage.”

The volume of talent that the Checkers possess can provide an impact beyond the scoresheet as well.

“We have a lot of depth on our team,” said Foegele. “There’s a lot of guys who can contribute, and not just scoring.”

5. BETWEEN THE PIPES

Alex Nedeljkovic hasn’t shown any signs of rust after missing the last seven games of the regular season with injury. The second-year pro enters tonight with the best goals-against average among playoff netminders, surrendering a total of three goals in his first two wins of the series. Nedeljkovic also boasts the third-highest save percentage in the league, having stopped 52 of the 55 shots he’s been faced with, and comes into Game 3 with 59 straight minutes of blemish-free hockey under his belt.

“That’s playoff hockey, lots of one-goal games and tight games,” said Nedeljkovic after Game 2. “You’re not going to see a lot of blowouts. That’s just playoff hockey. We’ll have a good week of practice here, a couple days off maybe, and then go into Game 3 with the same mentality as these last two.”

6. WATCH PARTY

The Burger Company, located at 1500 W. Morehead Street, will be hosting the official watch party for tonight’s Game 3. Fans attending will be able to take advantage of specials including $2 domestic beer bottles and 25 percent off appetizers. Additionally, Chubby and the CheckMates will make an appearance and prizes will be raffled off.

7. GET THE APP

If you’re not able to make it to the watch party, you can purchase the game on AHL Live.

You will also be able to listen to the radio broadcast via the Checkers app or this link. Jason Shaya’s pregame show starts 15 minutes prior to puck drop, tune in and tweet Jason to let him know you’re listening.