Game Preview: Checkers at Binghamton (Nov. 9, 2018)

The Checkers head back on the road looking to remain perfect away from home starting with a Friday matchup against the Binghamton Devils.

1. BUSY WEEKEND

This weekend sees the Checkers kicking off their first three-in-three road trip of the season. The grueling stretch of games presents a whole new set of challenges that the coaching staff will have to navigate.

“The key for me as a coach is to make sure I manage the ice time well,” said head coach Mike Vellucci. “With our team, we can play four lines and six D and make sure we’re managing the ice time as far as keeping it equal, which is really helpful. We need to keep the energy up, make sure they’re getting enough rest and that’s the best you can do.”

Starting with Friday’s contest in Binghamton, the Checkers will face three different opponents on three consecutive nights, a unique twist on the typical three-in-three.

“In terms of pre-scouting it’s not a big deal, we watch enough tape that we know what we’re going against,” said Vellucci of preparing for three separate opponents. “If anything it’s the travel between the games that’s tough, but that’s what everybody does. It’s part of being a pro, working through what you’re dealt with.”

Last season the Checkers went 6-5-0-1 over four sets of three-in-threes.

2. SHUT IT DOWN

One of Charlotte’s biggest catalysts this season has been a stifling defense. The Checkers boast the second-best goals-against average in the league and have yet to surrendered more than three goals in a single game.

“We’re playing a 200-foot game,” said Vellucci. “We had a lot of first-year guys who know what to expect now instead of having to think about it. The other thing is that our D is more mobile and more physical than they were. And then of course Ned is playing stellar.”

The Checkers will look to keep that suffocating defense rolling this weekend against a trio of teams with offenses that cover the entire spectrum. On Friday they’ll face a Binghamton team that ranks 27th in the league in terms of goals-per-game, Saturday they’ll square off with a Lehigh Valley offense that is tied for fourth in the AHL but has totaled just seven goals over its last three games, then Sunday they’ll go head-to-head with Bridgeport, who rank in the middle of the league in terms of offense but have put up a staggering 20 goals over their last three.

3. POWERING UP

The Checkers have been able to create a sizeable chunk of offense on the man advantage this season, ranking fifth in the AHL with a 25.9 power-play percentage. When Trevor Carrick scored a power-play tally in the first period of last Saturday’s win, it marked the eighth goal in Charlotte’s last 16 opportunities.

The power play went cold after that, however, failing to score on any of the following six man advantages the rest of the game, though the coaching staff is ready to get the units back on track.

“When we had eight or nine power plays, the ice gets chewed up, guys get tired and they make mistakes,” said Vellucci. “When we’re on top of our game we’re moving the puck quick, we know where everyone is and where our plays are. We get in a rhythm. I feel confident in it, we worked on it again this week, we made some changes with McKegg being out most likely and Nicky Roy being back.”

4. ROY RETURNS

The Checkers lost a pair of forwards to NHL recall earlier this week in Clark Bishop and Phil Di Giuseppe, but gained a significant piece in Nicolas Roy. The second-year forward returns to the Checkers after a stint with Carolina and will look to jump back into action in Charlotte, where he’s racked up seven points in six games and has already earned some AHL Player of the Week hardware.

“He’s a big body down the middle that has hands,” said Vellucci of the biggest boost Roy’s addition gives his team. “He’s net front on our power play, he wins faceoffs, does all the little things and plays a 200-foot game. We love having him back. He played well up there so now he has to do the same while he’s back down here.”

5. MISSING MCKEGG

The Checkers were without a big piece of the offense during last Saturday’s victory as Greg McKegg was forced to sit out with an injury. The forward was in and out of practice over this week but remains a question mark for the weekend’s road swing.

“He might be available but he’s a bit nicked up,” said Vellucci. “If it were later in the season he’d probably be in but I’d rather be more cautious in game 12.”

Should veteran remain sidelined, the Checkers will likely feel his absence.

“We’re a very young team and he’s a great leader,” said Vellucci. “His calming influence is something we’ll miss and so is his play down the middle. We’ll move Brownie there if he can’t go.”

6. HOT START

At 10-1-0 this season, the Checkers are continuing on the best start in franchise history. They currently sit atop the AHL standings in terms of both points (20) and points percentage (.909).

The Checkers, who are in the midst of their second five-game winning streak of the season, are the fastest team to reach 10 wins since Wilkes-Barre/Scranton started the 2015-16 season with a 10-1-0 record. That Penguins team would go 12-1-0 before suffering their second loss.

7. SHORTHANDED SUCCESS

With a shorthanded strike in each of last weekend’s wins over the Bruins, the Checkers now have five through the first 11 games of the season, a total that leads the league.

Charlotte finished last season with 10 shorthanded goals, tying them for seventh in the league.

8. TUNE IN

You can tune in to tonight's broadcast with a subscription to the league’s new streaming platform AHLTV. Sign up here and catch the action on the road.

As always, the radio broadcast will be available via the Checkers app or this link, so tune in and tweet Jason Shaya to let him know you’re listening!