Game Preview: Checkers vs. San Antonio (April 5, 2017)

The Checkers continue their final home stand of the regular season with their playoff position once again on the line. Here are eight things to know about tonight's Winning Wednesday matchup with San Antonio.

1. PLAYOFF PICTURE

Last night’s win, coupled with Cleveland’s overtime loss to Iowa, puts the Checkers back in playoff position heading into tonight’s games. Though Charlotte trails Cleveland by one point in the standings, it has played one fewer game and thus has a better points percentage than the Monsters. The Checkers would need at least one point tonight to keep their playoff spot over the idle Monsters, who are off until Friday. Including tonight’s matchup, Charlotte has six games remaining in its regular season.

The Checkers, who ranked sixth in the Central Division on March 9, have gone 10-2-1 since that time to get into the top four. Since ranking eighth and last in the division on Jan. 10, they have gone 23-9-3.

2. FINN IT TO WIN IT

Including last night’s go-ahead goal with 9:55 remaining in regulation, Aleski Saarela now has five goals, two of which are game-winners, and seven points in his first five games in North America. The reigning AHL Player of the Week, who the Carolina Hurricanes acquired from the New York Rangers as part of a trade involving Eric Staal, has at least one point in each game played. He also has goals in each of his last three, putting him one shy of tying Connor Brickley for the longest goal streak by a Checkers skater this season.

3. MILLER’S TIME

Andrew Miller had two more points last night (1g, 1a), giving him nine (3g, 6a) over an active five-game point streak that marks his longest of the season. Since returning from a 16-game injury absence on Jan. 27, Miller leads the Checkers and is tied for fifth in the AHL with 29 points in 28 games.

4. FLEURY PICKS UP THE PACE

Including his goal last night, rookie defenseman Haydn Fleury has eight points (3g, 5a) in his last 11 games. He also has 16 (3g, 13a) in his last 31 games dating back to Jan. 18, which is the fourth-highest total among all Checkers skaters during that time. The seventh overall draft choice in 2014, Fleury, 20, is tied with Miller for the team lead with a plus-12 rating on the season.

5. MCCOLLUM RACKS UP THE WINS

Reigning AHL Goaltender of the Month Tom McCollum last night picked up his eighth victory in 11 games since joining the Checkers on a loan acquisition from Stockton in March. One of six goalies used by the team this season, McCollum is just three shy of tying Michael Leighton for the most wins by a Charlotte netminder this season.

McCollum, who had made just one relief appearance in the AHL for the entire season until joining Charlotte, now holds a 1.97 goals-against average and .930 save percentage on the season. The Checkers had allowed four or more goals in seven of the nine games immediately prior to McCollum’s acquisition.

6. AGAINST THE RAMPAGE

Tonight’s game concludes the four-game season series with San Antonio. Charlotte, which lost two games in San Antonio in November, has a chance to tie things up with a victory tonight over the Rampage, whose six-game losing streak marks the longest active losing streak in the AHL.

7. HOME COOKING

Charlotte is now 24-10-1 at Bojangles’ Coliseum this season, extending its franchise record for most home victories in a season. The team, which has won six of its last seven at home, has a .700 points percentage on home ice this season which ranks sixth of all AHL teams. Including tonight's game, the Checkers have three more regular-season home games remaining and will play their final three on the road.

8. WINNING WEDNESDAY

Enjoy $1 Bud Light draughts and, if the Checkers win, get a free ticket to the final home game of the regular season this Sunday at 1 p.m.