Game Preview: Checkers vs Laval (Nov. 24, 2018)

The Checkers are back at Bonjangles’ Coliseum for one more series to wrap up this homestand. Here are nine things to know before tonight’s puck drop.

1. BOUNCING BACK

Riding high off an impressive stretch of road games, the Checkers started this week with a disappointing loss to the Belleville Senators on Tuesday. The Checkers were able to shake off that lackluster performance, however, with an impressive come-from-behind victory in the next night’s rematch, returning to their high level of play.

“Like I said after the game on Tuesday, you have to play every game as hard as you can,” said head coach Mike Vellucci. “You can’t just turn it on and off. We tried to turn it back on, it took us a while to get going in that second game – their goalie played really well – but we stuck with it, which was great. We were down 2-1 in the third, we pull the goalie and we score. Then we kill a big penalty in the overtime and score the winner. We have to stay with it and keep it on all the time.”

2. CARDIAC CHECKERS

The Checkers have shown a flair for the dramatic as of late, with three of their last five games having been decided in overtime. All three of those contests featured the Checkers erasing a lead and scoring in the back half of the third period.

“It’s a great mindset to have, that we’re never out of it,” said Vellucci. “They’re very confident but I don’t want them to be cocky, that’s the thing. But they are confident. We know we can score goals if we pay the price and do the right things and stay with it and stay positive. That’s always been my thing, stay positive. I can’t stand any negativity. No matter how the game is going you have to be a good teammate and a positive teammate.”

Overall Charlotte is 3-1 in games decided in overtime, tying them for the most overtime wins in the AHL. The Checkers also won their lone shootout game this season, giving them a .800 win percentage in games that go beyond regulation, the second-highest mark in the league.

3. NECAS HEATS UP

Rookie Martin Necas enters this weekend coming off his best performance as a pro, notching two goals against the Belleville Senators including the overtime winner. The teenager seems to have found his scoring touch in the AHL as of late, having recorded eight points in his last nine games and three goals in his last three games.

Part of getting the young forward going has been moving him from center to the wing, something he first did in Wednesday’s overtime win.

“I explained it to him earlier on the ice and he agrees, which is great,” said Vellucci. “If you’re going to play in the National Hockey League as an 18 or 19-year-old and you go to the coach and he asks you what position you play and you say “I’m a playmaking and scoring center,” there’s only three spots for that and most NHL teams have those full. If you go to the coach and say “I can play right wing, I can play left wing, I can play any position, I can penalty kill, I can score goals on the power play,” now you have a lot more openings to make the team. I coached Tyler Seguin in junior and I moved him from center to wing his rookie year just to get him used to it and then he started in the NHL as a winger before he moved to center. You have to be able to play all three positions.”

4. NEW LOOK BLUE LINE

Some recent happenings have shaken up the Checkers’ D corps heading into the weekend. Charlotte will be without Josiah Didier for a month or two after the blue liner broke his hand blocking a shot on the road, then the team lost alternate captain Trevor Carrick to an NHL recall last night. Josh Wesley is making the journey from Florida to Charlotte to fill that spot in the lineup, giving the Checkers six healthy options at D, but the coaching staff is feeling good about where their blue line stands.

“I’ve always felt confident in our D as far as how many we have and whoever’s in is going to do a good job,” said Vellucci. “We’ve had Robo [Dennis Robertson] here forever and he’s been in and out of the lineup but when he’s in he’s really good. Sometimes earlier in the year he was out of the lineup and he didn’t deserve to be. I feel confident in all our D. When they jump in they do the job.”

5. SCOUTING THE ROCKET

Laval comes to Charlotte stuck in last place in the North Division and with the third-lowest point total in the league. They are currently mired in a three-game winless streak overall and have dropped each of their last three road contests.

The Rocket are without several key offensive pieces this weekend, including former league MVP Kenny Agostino, goals leader Michael Chaput and top-scoring defenseman Brett Kulak, all of whom are currently in the NHL with Montreal. Their top two weapons remain on the roster, however, in the forms of veteran Alex Belzile and rookie Jake Evans.

Laval’s biggest strength this season has been on the other side of the puck, as it has surrendered the fourth-fewest goals-per-game in the AHL. Charlie Lindgren has handled the bulk of the work between the pipes and is tied for the seventh-best goals-against average in the AHL, while second-year pro Michael McNiven has handled the back-up role.

The Rocket have stifled opponents, giving up the fewest shots in the league by a significant margin, and will now face a high-octane Checkers offense looking to break through.

“We’re going to have to move the puck and take a lot more shots with a lot more traffic,” said Vellucci. “They have good goaltenders, that’s the difference from last year to this year, they’re playing better defensively and their goaltending has gotten stronger. We need to move the puck, play fast and get to the tough areas.”

6. HOME SWEET HOME

While they’ve spent the vast majority of their season on the road so far, the Checkers have turned in some strong performances on home ice, winning four of their six games at Bojangles’ Coliseum this season. Dating back to last season, the Checkers haven’t lost consecutive games at home since Jan. 12 and 13 of last year when they were swept by the eventual Calder Cup champion Toronto Marlies.

7. START FAST

The Checkers have enjoyed their most success when getting the scoring started early. Eight of the team’s 14 wins this season have come when the team has held a lead through 20 minutes. Additionally, there have only been three games this season in which the Checkers have failed to score a goal in the opening frame.

8. PENALTY TROUBLE

The Checkers currently stand as the most penalized team in the AHL, averaging nearly another minute-per-game over the second-ranked team. In fact, Charlotte has been assessed at least 14 penalty minutes in each of its last nine games.

The good news for the Checkers is that their penalty kill has been one of their most improved areas this season. They currently boast the fourth-best PK percentage and have successfully killed 18 of their last 21 times shorthanded.

The Checkers have also been able to turn those situations into offense this season, sitting tied for the league lead with five shorthanded goals thus far.

9. TUNE IN

If you can't make it to Bojangles' Coliseum, 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!