Game Preview: Checkers vs Providence (Nov. 2, 2018)

In the middle of the franchise’s best start ever, the Checkers return home to host the Providence Bruins for the first time this season.

1. HOT START

The Checkers head into tonight’s matchup with the most points in the Eastern Conference and the best points percentage in the AHL (Milwaukee leads by two points in the league standings but has played two more games).

Dating back to last season the Checkers are 17-1-1 in their last 19 regular season games and have not lost consecutive contests since Feb. 25 and March 2, 2018.

2. PROTECT THIS HOUSE

While they’ve been perfect on the road this season, the Checkers’ lone series at home thus far didn’t fare as well. The Checkers needed a shootout to beat the Hershey Bears in the home opener, then dropped the rematch in a tough, penalty-laden game in which they were shut out. That loss marks not only Charlotte’s lone blemish in the standings thus far, but the only game this season where the Checkers failed to score at least three goals.

3. SCOUTING THE BRUINS

Providence has had a bit of a rough start, currently sitting in the cellar of the Atlantic Division, but are on the upswing with points in three of their last four contests. Despite ranking in near the middle of the pack in terms of goals per game, the Bruins possess some strong offensive talent at the top of their roster, led by Colby Cave’s 10 points in eight games and rookie Cameron Hughes’ strong start.

The Bruins have split their crease duties between a pair of draft picks in Dan Vladar and Zane McIntyre. Both netminders have made five appearances so far, with the former posting the better stats but the latter coming away with one more win. The Checkers have never faced the third-year pro Vladar but saw McIntyre twice last season, splitting the two games but logging 11 goal along the way.

Providence’s biggest strength through this young season has been their penalty kill, which leads the league by virtue of allowing just two goals on 33 power plays.

4. REINFORCEMENTS

The Checkers and Bruins both received offensive talent from the NHL heading into this weekend’s series.

Phil Di Giuseppe joins the Checkers after appearing in just two games for Carolina so far this season. The forward has spent parts of the last three seasons in the NHL but has also made appearances for the Checkers in every campaign since his rookie year. In a quick 14-game stint last season Di Giuseppe notched 12 points (4g, 8a), while the season before saw him mark 28 points (12g, 16a) despite only playing in 40 games, solidifying his role as a strong scorer at this level.

On the other side, Boston assigned rookie forward Ryan Donato to Providence after the 22-year-old put up one goal in his first 11 NHL games of the season. The Harvard product burst onto the scene at the end of last season with Boston, racking up nine points in 12 games following the conclusion of his collegiate career. Donato, a second-round pick in 2014, also represented the US at the 2018 Olympics.

5. LOCK DOWN

Charlotte’s stingy defense has been on full display thus far, with the team averaging just 2.22 goals per game this season to rank second in the AHL. Through nine games, the Checkers have yet to surrender more than three goals.

The Checkers have suppressed their opponents’ attacks, giving up the fifth-fewest shots per game, and have been strong overall on the penalty kill, ranking 10th in the league despite having been shorthanded the second-most times.

6. BEAN BREAKS THROUGH

The Hurricanes’ 13th overall pick in 2016 notched his first pro goal Friday in Binghamton, sniping a shot past NHL veteran Corey Schneider in overtime. Bean scored again the next night in Syracuse as part of his three-point effort to run his total to five points in three games, tying him for second in the AHL last week.

Bean is now tied for third in scoring among rookie defensemen.

7. MCKEGG STANDS OUT

Greg McKegg tapped into his scoring prowess from a year ago over the last week, registering five points in three games to tie for second in the AHL over that span. The forward is now on a three-game point streak and has found the scoresheet in four of the last five games, including matching a career high with three helpers in the win over Binghamton on Saturday.

8. DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

Feliz Dia de los Muertos! There will be a very limited number of the exclusive Dia de los Muertos shirts available at the merch stand, stop by and grab one before they’re gone!

9. FOOD DRIVE

Donate four or more cans of food at tonight or tomorrow’s games and you’ll receive a free ticket to our game on Sunday, Nov. 25 courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance!

10. TUNE IN

Bojangles' Coliseum is the place to be tonight.

But if for some reason you can't be here, you can tune in to this weekend's broadcasts 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!