Game Preview: Checkers at Lehigh Valley (Nov. 14, 2018)

The Checkers’ road trip rolls on with a rematch in Lehigh Valley. Here are 10 things to know before puck drops tonight.

1. BUMP IN THE ROAD

Charlotte’s historically strong start hit its first snag over the weekend as the team dropped two of three contests on the road. Despite that rough patch, the Checkers remain first in the AHL standings.

The Checkers, who are coming off a 4-2 loss to Bridgeport on Sunday, have not lost consecutive regular season games since Feb. 25 and March 2 of last season.

2. REMATCH

The Checkers and Phantoms square off tonight for the second time this season and the second time in the last five days. Their tilt on Saturday was a wild one, with the two sides exchanging goals until Charlotte took control in the third and skated away with a 7-4 victory.

That fireworks-laden game featured five total goals in the first period and nine through 40 minutes of play, pitting two of the AHL’s top-six offensive against each other. In fact, the Checkers and Phantoms combined have five of this season’s top 17 scorers.

The first matchup also turned chippy as it went on, with the teams combining for 56 penalty minutes, including fighting majors, misconducts and a match penalty for Tyrell Goulbourne for slew-footing.

3. MISSING BODIES

The aforementioned Goulbourne will miss tonight’s rematch after being handed a two-game suspension for his actions during the teams’ last meeting. With his team down by three, the fourth-year pro slew-footed Patrick Brown in the final minute of regulation then mixed it up with Spencer Smallman, who took exception to the play, injuring both Checkers in the process.

As a result of the play the Checkers will be without Smallman and their captain Brown, both of whom could be out long term according to head coach Mike Vellucci. The team could also be without Greg McKegg for a fifth straight game, as they don’t want to rush the veteran forward back from the lower-body injury that has been ailing him since the last home stand.

4. THE RETURN OF Z

The Checkers received a significant boost up front earlier this week with the addition of Valentin Zykov on a conditioning stint from Carolina. The 23-year-old was dominant for the Checkers a season ago, capturing the Willie Marshall Award as the AHL’s leading goal scorer. Zykov has been in and out of the lineup for the Canes this season since making the team out of camp, logging four and six minutes of ice time in his last two games before serving as a healthy extra in each of the team’s last three. Joining the Checkers gives the Russian-born forward the opportunity to kick start his game by likely logging heavy minutes for an offensive-leaning Charlotte team.

In four regular-season contests against the Phantoms last season, Zykov logged three goals.

5. BATTLE BETWEEN THE PIPES

Charlotte and Lehigh Valley’s meeting over the weekend featured a rematch of the playoff battle between Alex Nedeljkovic and Alex Lyon in which Alex Lyon frustrated the Checkers and pulled the series win out for his squad. On Saturday it was Nedeljkovic who got the better of the two, stopping 21 of the 22 shots he faced through the final 40 minutes of play to earn the victory.

Overall this season Lyon has gone 2-2-0 with a goals-against average north of 3.50, while highly touted rookie Carter Hart has gotten the bulk of the action for the Phantoms. Hart, the 2017-18 CHL Goaltender of the Year boasts a save percentage of just .883 but has earned his team at least a point in each of his last three appearances. Over their last 10 games the Phantoms – who also have Anthony Stolarz on their roster – have not had a goalie make consecutive starts.

For the Checkers, Nedeljkovic continues to handle the majority of the workload, having played in all but three of the team’s games thus far and holding the league lead in wins. Rookie Callum Booth has logged two starts this season for Charlotte, including Sunday’s three-in-three finale in Bridgeport.

6. KUOKKANEN KICKS IT UP A NOTCH

After a strong rookie showing as a teenager last year, Janne Kuokkanen has ramped up his production early on in year two. The 20-year-old has recorded at least one point in all but three games this season and is in the midst of a seven-game point streak, the longest by a Checkers this season and tied for the fifth-longest in the AHL.

With a team-leading 16 points, Kuokkanen has factored in to 30 percent of Charlotte’s goals so far this season.

7. NECAS FINDS HIS TOUCH

After notching points in just one of his first six games with the Checkers, Martin Necas seems to have found his scoring touch. The youngest player on Charlotte’s roster has notched at least one assist in each of his last four games to help push his total to seven points (1g, 6a) in his last six contests.

8. ROY'S BIG NIGHTS

With two goals and an assist in last weekend’s win over Lehigh Valley, Nicolas Roy recorded his third three-point performance in just nine games this season. The franchise record for the most games in a season with at least three points is eight, a feat accomplished by Zach Boychuk in 2013-14 and 2010-11.

Dating back to last season, Roy has racked up 10 points (5g, 5a) in nine regular season games against the Phantoms.

9. POTTING POINTS

Andrew Poturalski has carried more than his fair share of the offensive load for Charlotte this season. The forward has racked up 15 points in 14 games this season and leads the team with 11 helpers. After a quick two-game skid with no points, Poturalski has found the scoresheet in each of his last four games, his second streak of at least that length this season.

10. 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!