Game Preview: Checkers at Laval (Dec 27, 2018)

The Checkers are back in action this weekend, kicking off a six-game road trip through Canada that starts Friday in Laval. Here are seven things to know before tonight’s puck drop.

1. BACK AT IT

The Checkers travel to Laval for their first contest since enjoying a quick break for the holidays. Charlotte, which heads into Friday’s game on a 7-2-1 record over its last 10, is 5-2-1 all time in the first game following Christmas.

2. ON THE ROAD AGAIN

After an extended home stand that ran into the holiday break, the Checkers are returning to the road where they’ve played the majority of their games thus far this season. Charlotte is 13-4-1 away from home this year, giving them the most road wins in the AHL.

3. SAARELA'S STREAK

On a team loaded with offensive talent, Aleksi Saarela has jumped out as of late. The forward has recorded a point in each of his last eight contests, the longest such streak by a Checker this season and the third-longest active streak in the AHL. Through 30 games this season Saarela ranks third on the team 23 points and is on pace to eclipse the total from his rookie campaign.

4. LAST TIME

The Checkers and Rocket have faced off twice already this season, both taking place in Charlotte and both resulting in wins for the home side. The first matchup featured the Checkers surrendering their second fewest shots in a game and using a pair of second-period strikes from Jake Bean and Aleksi Saarela to earn a 4-2 win with Alex Nedeljkovic between the pipes.

The next day’s rematch was a tighter affair, heading into the third period deadlocked at one, but a Martin Necas strike midway through the final frame put the Checkers on top and a Roland McKeown empty netter iced the game for Charlotte and Callum Booth, who made 26 save in a winning effort.

5. SCOUTING THE ROCKET

Laval enters this weekend’s series in the cellar of the North Division with a 12-15-4 record overall. The Rocket have shown a bit of an uptick as of late, going 5-3-2 in their last 10 contests and recording a point in five straight games before dropping two consecutive heading into Friday, including a tilt last night against Belleville.

Goals have been hard to come by for the Rocket this season, as they place in the AHL’s bottom four for goals per game and sport the league’s worst power-play percentage. Veteran forwards Alex Belzile and Byron Froese have led the way offensively for Laval this season, while rookie Jake Evans and first-round pick Michael McCarron provide additional firepower.

The Rocket have fared much better on the other side of the ice, however, ranking just behind the Checkers as the fourth-best goals-against per game average in the AHL. A lot of that success comes from the strong play of the goaltending duo of Michael McNiven and Charlie Lindgren, both of whom rank in the AHL’s top 10 in terms of goals-against average.

6. BATTLE BETWEEN THE PIPES

Laval’s strong defensive play will be put to the test this weekend, however, as Lindgren is sidelined with an injury and McNiven was recalled by Montreal following an injury to Carey Price. That leaves the Rocket with Etienne Marcoux, a 25-year-old netminder in his second pro season with six AHL games under his belt, and a recently signed netminder as the new tandem (the Rocket enlisted a local Canadian college netminder to back up for Thursday night’s game in Belleville).

With Curtis McElhinney back with Carolina after recovering from an injury, the Checkers will return to their tandem of AHL wins leader Alex Nedeljkovic and Scott Darling.

7. 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!