Game Preview: Checkers vs Iowa (March 21, 2017)

After a pair of huge wins over the weekend, the Checkers have put themselves into a position to move into a playoff spot with wins over Iowa. Here are 10 things to know for Tuesday’s critical contest.

1. MARQUEE MATCHUP

The two-game set between Iowa and Charlotte that kicks off tonight could represent the biggest games of both teams' seasons.

The Wild head into today with the final playoff spot in the Central Division, but the streaking Checkers have pulled within four points of Iowa, meaning a pair of wins by the home team would draw them even with one game in hand.

The impact that these two games could have on the standings is not lost on the players.

“Around the middle of the year you start to peek at it and now you really have to look at it,” said team captain Jake Chelios. “You have to have urgency this time of year, especially in the spot that we’re at. It is something you have to be aware of and get ready for every game knowing you’re in that spot.”

Though they haven’t squared off since playing six times in the first month of the season, the Checkers are familiar with their division rivals and what it will take to beat them.

“We’ve played them enough this year to know how they play,” said Chelios. “We just have to be ready to play this time of year. Every game is the same. It’s do or die for us. We have the mindset that we need to win every game, so we go in with that same attitude we had last weekend.”

2. WAVE OF MOMENTUM

The Checkers enter tonight’s contest riding a wave of momentum that has come from winning four straight games, including a big weekend sweep over the Ontario Reign.

“That was huge,” said Chelios of the sweep. “Right now we’re going into every game knowing we’ve got to win this one, which is a great mindset to have, but we needed those points. Every weekend is do or die for us now, so the chance to have momentum like that going into the Iowa series is good.”

As the regular season winds down to its conclusion, the schedule becomes more and more condensed. While playing for four games in six days can be a tough grind, the Checkers’ situation makes it almost ideal.

“Sometimes when we sit around for too long, especially this year, we’ve had trouble for the first couple periods back,” said Chelios. “So it’s nice that we can stay in rhythm. We’re ready to play.”

3. GOING STREAKING

Charlotte’s win last night was its fourth in a row, marking the fifth time the team has put together a streak of three or more wins this season – four of which have come since the calendar turned to 2017. Their only streak longer than three games was a six-game run from Oct. 28-Nov. 11.

The current run is the second-longest by the team this season, trailing only a six-game winning streak from Oct. 28-Nov. 11.

4. HOME COOKING

By beating the Reign on Saturday, the Checkers picked up their 20th home win of the season, marking the highest total since their inaugural 2010-11 campaign when they earned 22 home wins during the 80-game season. Charlotte is one of 10 teams in the AHL with at least 20 wins at home, one of five in the Western Conference, and the team’s .683 winning percentage on home ice is the fifth-best in the conference.

5. CLUTCH CONNOR

Connor Brickley’s offensive tear continues to roll on, as he is now currently riding a four-game goal streak, the longest by a Checker this season. In addition to the five goals he’s piled up during that streak, the forward has nine points in his last nine games and 13 of his 20 points this season have come exclusively during the months of February and March.

Brickley has also shown a knack for showing up in clutch situations. He leads the team with five game-winning goals this season and has the game winner in each of the Checkers last three games, which stands as a franchise record.

6. FRESHMAN PHENOM

The Checkers’ two top weapons this season have been the rookie duo of Andrew Poturalski and Lucas Wallmark, and this weekend was another shining example of that.

With five points in his last three games, Poturalski’s season total now sits at 47, putting him second among all AHL rookies. The first-year pro has recorded at least one point in 20 of his last 26 games and has also pushed his way past Valentin Zykov for second on the Checkers in goals. Having already clinched the second-highest rookie point total in franchise history, Poturalski is chasing Zac Dalpe for the all-time mark. To catch Dalpe’s 2010-11 total, he will need 10 points over the last 15 games.

As for Wallmark, the rookie didn’t miss a beat returning to Charlotte after making his NHL debut recently. The Swede has six points in his last four games, pulling himself into a tie for eighth among AHL rookies. But Wallmark’s calling card this season has been his goal scoring, as his 22 goals put him second among all league rookies. Friday’s empty-net tally moved Wallmark within one of tying Zac Dalpe’s franchise record for most goals by a rookie in a single season.

7. MILLER TIME

Andrew Miller’s offensive resurgence continued to roll on over the weekend, as his two-point effort on Saturday was his fourth in the last 11 games. The forward has erupted for 18 points in his last 17 games since returning from an injury that sidelined him for over a month.

8. MCCOLLUM STEPS IN

After turning in a 49-save debut with the Checkers, Tom McCollum has taken the reins in goal for Charlotte. The netminder has started each of the last three games for the Checkers and picked up a win in all of them. Including his one game with Stockton, McCollum is 4-0-0 this season with a 1.91 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage.

McCollum has shown a penchant for handling the puck outside of his crease during his short stint with the Checkers, something his new teammates have lauded him for.

"He's been great," said Chelios. "When you get a goalie who plays the puck like that, it makes our job so much easier. He’s been around for a long time, he’s a veteran and having someone like that helps a lot."

9. WILD STARTS

Haydn Fleury has become a steadying force on the blue line this season. The rookie defenseman leads the team with a plus-12 rating, which would be the third-highest by a Charlotte rookie if the season were to end today. The franchise record for plus/minus in a single season for both rookies and defenseman is plus-16.

Joining Fleury atop the team’s plus/minus rankings are Jake Chelios and Lucas Wallmark, who are plus-19 and plus-14 in 30 games since Jan. 1, respectively.

10. TUNE IN!

If you can't make it to the game tonight, you can still tune in to hear Jason Shaya's call live from Bojangles' Coliseum tonight! Pregame show kicks off at 6:45.

You can also download the new Checkers App, available for both iPhones and Androids, for score updates and to play the new Top Line game!