Game Preview: Checkers at Providence (March 2, 2018)

The Checkers are hitting the road once again, this time visiting three different divisional opponents in three consecutive nights.

1. SCORING DROUGHT

Despite ranking near the top of the AHL all season, the Checkers’ offense has hit a rough patch as of late.

The team has been shut out in two of their last three contests and have totaled just five goals in their last five games, logging a 2-3-0 record across that stretch. In fact, since averaging over five goals a game over six contests earlier this month, the Checkers are averaging 1.33 goals per game over the last eight and have registered more than two tallies just once over that stretch.

But as the coaching staff notes, that’s not for lack of chances.

“We got pucks to the net and we had a lot of chances,” said head coach Mike Vellucci of last weekend’s series. “I think in [Sunday’s] game we had 20 grade-A’s to their 10. What we worked on this week was staying on pucks, making sure we get those second and third chances. “We have to stay on pucks all over the ice and not give up on plays. That’s what has to happen. That’s playoff hockey. We’ve got to get better at that.”

2. ON THE ROAD AGAIN

After a quick week to regroup in Charlotte, the Checkers are back on the road this weekend for their second consecutive three-in-three series.

The Checkers will be looking to reverse their fortunes away from home, where they have had far more struggles this season. While logging one of the conference’s top records on home ice, the Checkers are 13-14-0-2 on the road, making them the only team currently in an Eastern Conference playoff spot to log a road record below .500.

Charlotte has been a different team on both sides of the puck on the road. Offensively, the team has boasted a top-five attack overall all year and has been even better at home, averaging 3.71 goals per game, but they have put up just 2.90 goals per game on the road. Defensively, the Checkers have allowed just 2.61 goals per game on home ice, an average that would place them in the top five league-wide, while surrendering 3.10 goals per game away from home. Even their special teams have sagged on the road, with the power-play operating at a 25.2 percent clip at home and a 14.3 mark away.

With nine of their final 19 games coming on the road, the Checkers are searching for a way to shake those struggles away from home.

“I think about that all the time,” said Vellucci of his team’s struggles on the road. “We’re one of the youngest teams in the league, then you go on the road and play in front of 10 or 11 thousand people, we’re playing in some big buildings against some old, experienced teams, it’s difficult. But we’re getting our chances and we’re playing extremely hard.”

3. THREE-IN-THREE

This weekend marks the fourth and final three-games-in-three-days stretch for the Checkers this season, though the first in which they will play three different teams on consecutive nights. The team is 4-4-1 overall in those scenarios thus far, coming off their poorest showing last weekend when they went 1-2-0.

Charlotte has had the most success in the third games, going 2-1-0, while they have struggled the most in the openers, logging a 1-2-0 record.

4. AWARD WINNER

After a red-hot February, Janne Kuokkanen was named AHL Rookie of the Month. The 19-year-old tied for the scoring lead among both league rookies and the Checkers for the month, racking up 12 points (3g, 9a) in 13 games.

Kuokkanen, the second player in franchise history to earn Rookie of the Month honors, has found chemistry as of late playing alongside Nicolas Roy and Julien Gauthier, enough so that the coaching staff is looking to continue riding that grouping.

“That line – Goat, Kooks and Roy – has been together for two weeks now and they were one of our best lines over the weekend,” said Vellucci. “That’s why we’re keeping them together again this coming weekend.”

5. BRICK WALL NED

With another victory last Saturday in Bridgeport, Alex Nedeljkovic to turn in a strong sophomore campaign. The netminder leads the league in wins with 24 – just three shy of the franchise single-season record – as well as ranking second in shutouts, third in minutes played and 11th in goals-against average.

Nedeljkovic enters this weekend on one of his best stretches of the season, allowing a total of six goals in his last six games – including three shutouts – while winning six of his last seven appearances.

6. LOOKING AHEAD

The Checkers will be squaring off with three different divisional opponents over the weekend, two of which are currently on the outside of the playoff picture. The good news for the Checkers is that they aren’t the only ones with a busy schedule over the weekend, as Charlotte, Providence, Springfield and Hartford are all playing three games in three nights.

Charlotte’s first opponent, Providence, sits one spot ahead of the Checkers in the Atlantic Division, holding a three-point lead with a game in hand. The Bruins head into the weekend having gone 6-3-0-1 over their last 10 contests, most recently splitting a home-and-home set with the Hartford Wolf Pack. With an offense that ranks in the bottom third of the AHL, Providence has had some troubles putting the puck in the net as of late, recording two or fewer goals in five of their last seven games. The Bruins’ specialty, however, has been on the other side of the puck. They currently rank second in the AHL in terms of goals-allowed per game and boast two of the AHL’s top netminders. Jordan Binnington sports the third-best goals-against average in the league and the number four save percentage, while Zane McIntyre leads the AHL with six shutouts.

Charlotte’s other two opponents, Hartford and Springfield, enter the weekend with 5-5-0-0 and 5-4-0-1 records over their last 10 games, respectively.

7. GET THE APP

The Checkers app got a fresh new set of paint during the offseason but functions just the same. Follow along with scoring updates as well as play the Top Line interactive game.

You will also be able to listen to the radio broadcast via the app or this link. Jason Shaya’s pregame show starts 15 minutes prior to puck drop, tune in and tweet Jason to let him know you’re listening.