Game Preview: Checkers vs Stockton (Feb. 10, 2017)

After a two-game split in Arizona last weekend, the Checkers are set to face another Pacific Division opponent tonight as the Stockton Heat come to town. Here are 9 things to know about tonight's game:

1. ON THE CLIMB

Boasting a 6-3-1 record over the last 10 games, the Checkers are continuing their effort to climb back into the playoff race. Last Saturday’s win, coupled with back-to-back losses by Manitoba, pushes the Checkers into the sixth spot in the Central Division, six points behind the fifth-place Cleveland Monsters.

With last season’s crossover rule no longer in effect, the fourth spot in the division represents the final playoff slot for the Central. Iowa currently sits there, 11 points ahead of Charlotte, but have played three more games than the Checkers.

2. AGAINST THE HEAT

Tonight marks the third meeting between the Heat and Checkers this season and the first in Charlotte. The Heat swept the Checkers in the two-game set in late November during what turned out to be seven-game winless streak and an 0-5-1 swing through California.

“That trip, we were really banged up and short on people,” said head coach Ulf Samuelsson. “We had a terrible trip out West. We’re looking forward to show these guys that we can play a lot better than we did out there.”

After a hot start, Stockton comes to Charlotte on the decline, mired in a six-game winless streak and 2-7-1 in their last 10 games. Narrowly outside of the Pacific Division playoff picture, the Heat are expected to come into tonight’s game with their eyes set on turning things around, something the Checkers are ready for.

“They were playing really well there for a while and they’ve slacked off a bit now,” said Samuelsson. “I’m sure that they’re going to refocus and look at these two games as very important for them. But they’re a good team. They forecheck hard and they’re not going to give you anything for free, so we’re going to really have to be charged up for a good weekend.”

3. BREAKING THROUGH IN THE PACIFIC

Saturday’s victory over Tucson marked the first time this season that the Checkers have beaten a Pacific Division opponent on the road, going 0-10-1 up until that point. After sweeping them in Charlotte, the Roadrunners remain the only team from the division that the Checkers have defeated at all thus far, though they’ll have several chances to improve that record over the next few months, welcoming five Pacific Division opponents to town starting with this weekend against Stockton.

4. KING LUCAS

After a dominant January, Lucas Wallmark earned himself CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month honors last week. The Swede paces the team with 15 goals, a total that ties him for fifth overall among league rookies, and has pulled within three of Charlotte’s point lead.

The 21-year-old Wallmark is the first rookie in franchise history to earn the award and is just the second player to win any of the AHL’s monthly honors. The 21-year-old is one goal away from matching Victor Rask for the most in a single season by a Checkers rookie and eight behind the franchise record, set by Zac Dalpe in 2010-11.

5. WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?

Patrick Brown enjoyed his weekend in the desert, lighting the lamp in both tilts against Tucson to pick up goals in consecutive games for the second time in his career. The third-year pro continues his growth as an offensive threat, picking up his eighth goal and 16th point of the season Saturday against the Roadrunners.

Coming a long way from his two goal, 10 point rookie season, Brown has a shot at eclipsing his sophomore point total this year. He has played in every game so far this season, and if that continues he is on pace for 26 points in 76 games, narrowly besting his previous high of 25 points in 70 games last season.

6. POWER-PLAY BREAKTHROUGH

Charlotte’s power play remains buried at the bottom of the league rankings, but saw a flash of positivity in Saturday’s win. Patrick Dwyer’s first period power-play strike snapped an 0-for-23 drought on the man advantage for the Checkers, one that lasted seven straight games.

The next step for the Checkers turning their special teams around is gaining consistency.

They have not recorded power-play goals in consecutive games since Dec. 13 and 14, and only have two other power-play streaks on the season – a three-game run in late October and a two-game stretch in early November.

“Our power play is key,” said Samuelsson. “We scored a goal on it last weekend and we worked on it a lot this week so hopefully we can get some momentum from that. We have to start being more of a threat there.”

Getting the power play going should help the team’s offense in other situations as well, as they have been ramping up production as of late.

“Five-on-five now, we’ve got four lines that I think are pretty balanced, especially the top three, with scoring on all of them,” said Samuelsson. “So we should be able to create more scoring chances.”

7. LEIGHTON THE LEGEND

Saturday’s win over Tucson marked the 230th in Michael Leighton’s career, pushing him past Bobby Perreault and into sole possession of sixth place on the AHL’s all-time list. The 35-year-old Leighton, who represented the Checkers last week in his fifth AHL All-Star Game, now needs just three wins to overtake Frederic Cassivi and move into the top five.

8. FREE STUFF

Tonight’s game is your first chance to get a free toolkit and a ticket to a future game by buying a Procter & Gamble product at Harris Teeter and bringing the receipt. Full details can be found here

9. TUNE IN!

If you can't make it out to the game tonight, you can still tune in to hear Jason Shaya's call live! Pregame show kicks off at 7.

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!