FIVE STORYLINES
STRINGING THEM TOGETHER
For just the second time this season, the Checkers find themselves in a position to extend their winning streak to three games. The previous time they had recorded back-to-back wins, the Checkers followed it up by securing a point but losing in overtime to the Hershey Bears.They’ll look to keep that streak alive against a Phantoms squad that sits in the cellar of the Atlantic Division and has the second-lowest points percentage in the AHL. The last time these two sides met earlier in November was a weekend split, however, with the Phantoms taking the series finale by a 5-3 score. That was the start of a stretch that has seen Lehigh Valley post a 2-1-1 record over its last four games heading into tonight’s contest.
BETWEEN THE PIPES
With Antoine Bibeau’s recent assignment to the ECHL’s Allen Americans, the Checkers are rolling with a goalie tandem of Christopher Gibson and Joey Daccord. The former has now registered at least 30 saves in each of his last four appearances and is coming off his best outing - a 30-save shutout of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday. Daccord is similarly coming off a strong performance - registering 29 saves in a big win over the Hershey Bears on Sunday - and is currently sitting with a team-best 2.38 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage in his five appearances.On the other side of the ice, Felix Sandstrom has been the workhorse for Lehigh Valley, having logged 10 games this season and appearing in each of the team’s last seven contests. The netminder has seen five periods of action against the Checkers this season and surrendered 10 goals over that stretch.
WELCOME TO THE SCHWINDT SHOW
Cole Schwindt’s red-hot run continued into the weekend, culminating with a natural hat trick in Saturday’s victory over the Penguins. He kicked off the scoring with a shorthanded strike late in the first period, then tallied a pair in the middle frame to notch the fourth hat trick by a rookie in franchise history. Schwindt now has eight points on the season, all of which have come in the last seven games.KILLING IT
After surrendering nine power-play goals through the first nine games of the season, the Checkers have buttoned up their PK as of late. Charlotte has been perfect on the power play for each of the last three games, successfully killing each of the last 13 times it has been shorthanded. That includes a staggering 7-for-7 performance on the PK against the Penguins in Saturday’s win, the fourth-highest number of times shorthanded in team history.They’ll be going up against a Lehigh Valley power play that ranks 30th in the AHL this season and followed up a three-game power-play goal streak by going 0-for-7 on the man advantage over its last two games.
STARTING STRONG
The Checkers have scored a first-period goal in 10 of their 12 games so far this season - including in each of the last eight. That hasn’t had too much of an impact on the final outcome of the game - Charlotte is 5-5-0 in those situations - but one thing that has been beneficial for the Checkers has been scoring multiple first period goals: Charlotte has done that five times this season and posted a 4-1-0 record in those instances.The Phantoms have surrendered a first-period goal in four of their last five contests, and multiple goals in two of those.
COMING IN
CLT: 3-2-0-0 in last five gamesLHV: 2-2-1-0 in last five games
WHO TO WATCH
CLT
Cole Schwindt - 8 points in last 7 gamesGrigori Denisenko - 6 points in last 5 games
Carsen Twarynski – 4 points in last 5 games
LHV
Adam Clendening – 5 points in last 4 gamesMax Willman – 6 points in last 5 games
Morgan Frost – 9 points in last 7 games
TUNE IN
Tonight's contest starts at 7:05 p.m. in Lehigh Valley, and as always you can listen to the game for free via the Checkers app on iPhone or Android. You can also watch via the league’s AHLTV service.And new for this season, our friends over at Ed's Tavern on 2200 Park Road are going to be showing the game on their TVs!
