THREE STORYLINES
TRADING PLACES
The Hurricanes swung a trade earlier this week, acquiring rookie defenseman Joey Keane from the Rangers’ system. A third-round pick in 2018, Keane has been a standout on the Hartford blue line this season, registering 30 points through his first 49 games and earning a spot at the AHL All-Star Classic. He’ll look to keep his productive ways going as he joins a blue line that is stacked with skill, giving the Checkers plenty of lineup options over this grueling road trip. The other half of that trade saw Carolina ship Julien Gauthier to New York, leaving the Checkers without their leading goal scorer. The next three leading goals scorers – Morgan Geekie, Steven Lorentz and Max McCormick – will look to pick up that slack.DEVILS HEAT UP
Binghamton enters tonight’s as the AHL’s hottest team, having earned wins in four consecutive games. That hot streak has carried the Devils to within one point of Toronto for the North Division’s fourth and final playoff spot. The Devils have been getting it done on both sides during this streak, scoring at least four goals in each contest and allowing a total of 10 goals. They could be without two keys pieces from that run, however, as Corey Schneider (eight GA in his last four appearances) and Dakota Mermis (five points in last three games) were both recalled by New Jersey on Thursday.POWERING BACK UP
After a three-game drought, Charlotte’s power play has shown some signs of life as of late by registering a goal in each of the last two contests. The Checkers rank third overall in power-play percent and fared better on the road, operating at a 23.9 percent clip away from home. They’ll look to keep that success rolling against a Binghamton squad that ranks in the middle of the pack when it comes to the penalty kill, though they have surrendered four power-play goals over the last four games.COACH'S QUOTES
Head coach Ryan Warsofsky on facing the Devils"They're the hottest team in the league right now. They can score, they’ve gotten good goaltending and their back end has some experience on it. We have to make sure we’re prepared and ready to go for puck drop because they’re a really hot team right now."
On the importance of these games as the playoff race heats up
"They're desperate and so are we. We have to make sure our game is where it needs to be and our urgency and desperation levels are up way higher than they were these last two games. That’s something that we’ve discussed. We know they’re a hot team, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look at the past 10 and what they’ve done since the Christmas break, but at the same time we have to worry about ourselves and make sure we’re prepared. "
On this extended road trip
"I think we’ve embraced each challenge that we’ve had throughout the year, whether it’s a big home stand or a long road trip. This is another challenge for our group, another tough road trip where we’re going to see some really good teams. But we can’t focus on Hershey, we can’t even focus on Saturday. We just have to focus on our first shift and making sure our first period is really detailed and understanding that we have to play at a high level from here on out."
On adjusting the lineup after the Gauthier trade "We’re going to mix up the lines a little bit and try to find some more chemistry since we lost Gauthier. We may see seven defensemen one night just so we can keep everyone somewhat fresh. We have to find chemistry with our lines and get guys playing at their hardest level."
On starting the trip on the right note "I think the biggest thing is trying to get a win on Friday night. That’s the most positive thing we can do. That starts with our start, it starts with our preparation and making sure that we know how we need to play. I think Friday is one of the biggest games of the year."
PREVIOUS MATCHUPS
NoneCOMING IN
CHA: 2-game winless streak, 5-4-1 in last 10BNG: 4-game winning streak, 6-4-0 in last 10
WHO TO WATCH
CHA
Janne Kuokkanen - 7 points in last 7 gamesSteven Lorentz - 8 points in last 6 games
Gustav Forsling – 7 points in last 8 games
BNG
Marian Studenic – 6 points in last 4 gamesNathan Bastian – 5 points in last 4 games
Jesper Boqvist – 7 points in last 4 games
TUNE IN
Tonight's game starts at 7:05 p.m. You can tune in to every broadcast this season with a subscription to the league’s streaming platform AHLTV.As always, the radio broadcast will be available via the Checkers app on iPhone or Android, or this link, so tune in and tweet Jason Shaya to let him know you’re listening!
