Game Preview: Checkers vs Syracuse (March 19, 2019)

The Checkers’ tough schedule rolls on as they host the AHL’s second-ranked team for a second consecutive series, this time welcoming the Syracuse Crunch to town. Here’s everything you need to know before puck drop.

1. NO DOWN TIME

The Checkers are coming off a pair of convincing victories over the Rochester Americans, who were nipping at their heels as the AHL’s second-ranked team, but they won’t have much time to celebrate those wins. Instead they’ll welcome to town the Syracuse Crunch, who have usurped the Amerks to take the North Division lead.

Playing two of the league’s top teams over the span of less than a week is a tall order, especially with Rochester and Syracuse posing many of the same strengths as a team.

“They’re both very fast, skilled teams and they’re older teams,” said head coach Mike Vellucci. “They have a lot of experience. But they’re highly offensive and they have a lot of skill.”

This series – Charlotte’s first weekday series since the start of February – is part of a whirlwind schedule for the Checkers down the stretch. The tilts against Syracuse are the middle leg of a six-games-in-10-days gauntlet and part of a 13-game stretch in which the team has no more than two days between games.

2. DOWN THE STRETCH

With the regular season schedule dwindling down, the playoff picture is becoming clearer by the day. The Checkers enter Tuesday’s game with a Magic Number of six, meaning they could punch their ticket to the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs as early as Wednesday if they beat the Crunch twice and Hershey beats Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Tuesday.

Being able to lock down not only a playoff spot but a top seed would be huge for the Checkers, a fact that is not lost on them.

“We know what’s at stake,” said Vellucci. “We’re trying to win first overall and get home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Our guys know, I don’t have to tell them. I heard them talking in the locker room this morning.”

The coaching staff has been preaching the importance of playing games with a playoff-like intensity, and the Checkers will now get right into their second consecutive such series.

“Those last two games were big but they know that all of them from here on out are playoff atmosphere games,” said Vellucci. “That’s going to get us tested for when we make the playoffs.”

3. SYRACUSE'S SCORING MACHINE

The Checkers have excelled at locking down opponents as of late, surrendering one or fewer goals in each of their last three contests and two or fewer in 10 of their last 12. Tied for the third fewest goals allowed per game in the AHL, Charlotte will face a challenge with the Crunch, who boast the third-ranked offensive attack in the league.

“We’re going to be above everybody, especially in the neutral zone,” said Vellucci. “Slow them down as much as we possibly can and then play five tight in the D zone, make sure we just give them the outside and don’t let them get to the middle at all, make them pay a price if they want to get there.”

Despite coming in lower in the ranks offensively, the Checkers themselves have plenty of fire power and they plan to use that strength as a counter measure for the Crunch’s pressure as well.

“We need to continue to move the puck,” said Vellucci. “When we’re in our own end, make sure we’re making good passes and executing to get going on offense.”

4. DEPTH VS. DEPTH

Much like Rochester, the Crunch have a well-balanced team, ranking in the top five in goals for, goals against, power play and penalty kill. With no glaring weaknesses at first glance, the Checkers will have to account for everything that Syracuse brings to the table.

“They’re a well-coached team, they do everything really well,” said Vellucci. “We have to make sure we match that and increase our intensity.”

One of the Checkers’ biggest positives all season has been their depth across the roster, a trait that should help combat Syracuse’s similar build.

“We have to match those strengths and be better,” said Vellucci. “We’re good defensively and we have a lot of offense and our special teams are good too. We have to do all the things that we talk about all year long like competing and putting pucks in the right area and things like that.”

5. LINEUP FLEXIBILITY

The Checkers have experimented with lineups consisting of 11 forwards and seven defensemen (as opposed to the typical 12 and six) several times throughout this season, including in Saturday’s win over Rochester when they scratched forward Steven Lorentz in favor of blue liner Dennis Robertson.

“Defensively we thought our D were a little slow in the game before so we wanted to get seven in there,” said Vellucci of the thought process behind the move. “Robo is a great penalty killer so thank God we got him in that game where we had to kill off nine. So that helped us from that aspect, giving our D some energy.”

Rolling with an extra defensemen not only lets the Checkers flex their abundance of capable blue liners, but it gives them the chance to showcase some of the more skilled forwards.

“I wanted to get some of our guys more ice time up front,” said Vellucci. “Jurco, Marty, some of those guys I just wanted to give more ice time. Playing 11 forwards is a way I can do that.”

6. JURCO JUMPS OUT

Charlotte made a big splash at the deadline by adding Tomas Jurco and the talented forward has not disappointed. After logging 10 points (4g, 6a) in 14 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds earlier this season, Jurco has broken out with six (3g, 3a) in his first six games as a Checker.

“He’s always had the skill level, now he’s getting into better shape coming off a pretty big injury and missing most of the start of the year,” said Vellucci. “When I say game shape, the way we like to play is fast, so I think from that aspect he’s been catching up.”

The forward seems to have found a home alongside Patrick Brown and Martin Necas, as the trio have been on a tear as of late.

“That line has been great,” said Vellucci. “Brownie does what he does, gets to the net front, wins faceoffs, hunts down pucks, and then Marty and Jurcs complement him with their skill sets.”

7. MISSING SAARELA

The Checkers’ attack will be missing a key piece for both tilts with Syracuse as the AHL handed Aleksi Saarela a two-game suspension on Monday as the result of a high-sticking incident in Saturday’s win over Rochester.

The team’s leading goal scorer, Saarela has found the score sheet in each of the last four games – including tallying four goals over that stretch – and has six points in his last six games since returning from injury.

8. CARRICK KEEPS SCORING

After a seven-game drought Trevor Carrick has caught fire offensively, racking up 12 points (1g, 11a) over his last nine games. The blue liner is currently on a six-game assist streak – the longest by a Checker this season and the longest of his career – and has six helpers over his last three contests.

Carrick’s hot hand has now pushed him into the top 10 among league blue liner in both points and assists, and he is on the verge of setting new career highs in both categories, needing three more helpers and six more points.

9. NED'S ON A ROLL

Alex Nedeljkovic posted the sixth-longest shutout streak in team history and second longest of his career with a run of 142:01 that ended in the final minutes of last night’s game. He did improve to 29-7-4 on the season, giving him at least four more wins than any other goaltender and putting him two shy of his career high that tied for the league lead last season. Nedeljkovic, who is a combined 60-19-7 in his last two seasons, now ranks fifth in the AHL with a 2.34 goals-against average and is tied for seventh with three shutouts.

10. TUNE IN

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!