Game Preview: Checkers at Cleveland (April 11, 2019)

There are only two games left on the Checkers’ regular season schedule – a pair of tilts in Cleveland against a Monsters team that’s clawing for a final playoff spot. Here's everything you need to know before puck drop.

1. FINISHING IT OFF

The Checkers will close out their regular season with this two-game set in Cleveland. Charlotte has already wrapped up the AHL’s regular season title, locking in home-ice advantage for the entirety of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Currently sitting at 49 wins, the Checkers could become the sixth team in the last seven seasons to hit 50 wins, while a sweep of the Monsters would push them to match the franchise record with 25 road wins on the season.

2. DOWN TO THE WIRE IN CLEVELAND

While the Checkers don’t have much of anything riding on these last two games, the Monsters are playing for the postseason lives. Cleveland currently sits in the North’s fourth and final playoff spot with 81 points and three games remaining, but the Belleville Senators are lurking right behind with 80 points and two games remaining. The Monsters face Charlotte twice before wrapping things up Sunday on the road in Toronto, while the Sens visit the Marlies on Saturday and close out with a home game against Rochester on Sunday.

3. SCOUTING THE MONSTERS

Cleveland’s offensive attack slots in at the middle of the league rankings, but they’ve been led all season by the outstanding play of former Checkers Zac Dalpe, who has racked up 53 points in 52 games. Along with Dalpe, the Monsters have been mostly propelled by a corps of veteran scorers like Mark Letestu, Tommy Cross and former Hurricane Nathan Gerbe.

The Monsters have fared slightly worse on the other side of things, relying on a trio of netminders in veterans Brad Thiessen and J-F Berube and prospect Matiss Kivlenieks. Berube has made the most appearances of the three, logging 43 games compared to Thiessen’s 23 and Kivlenieks’ 14, but Thiessen is the lone goaltender to post a goals-against average below three. Thiessen has been the workhorse as of late, starting each of Cleveland’s last eight contests with Kivlenieks serving as the backup.

4. LAST TIME

The Checkers and Monsters have faced one another twice already this season, both in Charlotte in early February. Charlotte used three straight goals to roll out to a 3-1 win in the first meeting, but Cleveland got revenge the next night with a lopsided 5-1 victory. The goalies took center stage in each team’s win, with Nedeljkovic stopping 32 in his winning effort and Berube making a staggering 40 saves in his victory.

5. REINFORCEMENTS COMING

With a handful of injuries piling up at the end of a grueling regular season, the Checkers added a pair of skaters to the roster ahead of this weekend in an effort to flesh out some depth. Quinnipiac forward Scott Davidson and Northeastern defenseman Eric Williams both inked tryout deals with Charlotte as their college careers recently came to an end. With nothing of note to play for in Cleveland, the young duo could see action as the coaching staff works to get the right players rest.

6. CARRICK'S BIG YEAR

Currently in the midst of a five-game point streak, Trevor Carrick continues to tack on points to his career year. The blue liner has now set career highs in assists (38) and points (47), both categories in which he ranks among the league’s best blue liners.

With two games remaining, Carrick needs just three points to become the second defenseman in franchise history to hit the 50-point mark. Bobby Sanguinetti set the current record of 50 points during the 2011-12 campaign.

7. SAARELA STAYS SCORING

Aleksi Saarela’s already lethal scoring touch has been ratcheted up as of late. The forward has lit the lamp 13 times over the last 16 contests – including four goals in the last four games – and now leads the team with 29 tallies this season.

With one more goal Saarela could become the fourth player in franchise history to reach 30 goals in a season, following Valentin Zykov’s 33-goal effort a season ago.

8. GAUTHIER'S GOALS

The only Checker rivaling Saarela’s red-hot goal output is Julien Gauthier. The forward has goals in five of the last six games to bring his season total to 25, far eclipsing his rookie total from last season of 16.

Gauthier also appears to have found a home as the net-front presence on the power play, knocking home goals in each of Charlotte’s last two games in a nearly identical fashion.

9. BETWEEN THE PIPES

The Checkers boast one of the most formidable goaltending tandems in the league. Taking the bulk of the workload is Alex Nedeljkovic, who enters the Cleveland series with the best goals-against average in the AHL and the most wins. Prior to a rare loss against Springfield last weekend, Nedeljkovic had gone eight straight games without allowing more than two goals.

Backing up Nedeljkovic is veteran Dustin Tokarski, who was added at the AHL trade deadline. Tokarski brings a wealth of experience and leadership with him, but that’s not all, as his play in the crease has been stellar thus far. The netminder has won each of his six starts in a Charlotte sweater and given up a total of seven goals, never surrendering more than two in a single game. Tokarski’s last outing saw him pitch a 20-save shutout against the Thunderbirds.

10. TUNE IN

You can tune in to tonight's broadcast with a subscription to the league’s 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!