Game Preview: Checkers vs Texas (April 9, 2017)

The final home stand of the regular season wraps up with the second of back-to-back games against the Texas Stars tonight. Here are 11 things to watch heading into the matchup:

1. PLAYOFF PICTURE

A huge 9-3 win over Texas last night improved the Checkers’ record to 12-2-1 since March 9 and 25-9-3 since Jan. 10. As well as they’ve been playing during that time, every single point has been crucial in the race to keep their current playoff spot as the fourth-place team in the Central Division, with Cleveland going 10-1-1 in its last 12 games, including a 4-0 blanking of first-place Grand Rapids last night.

Both teams are in action once again today with fourth place up for grabs, as Cleveland will play for the third time in three days, a 5 p.m. rematch to conclude a home-and-home series with the Griffins. Once again, Charlotte, which has just three games remaining after today, needs to get as least as many points as Cleveland does today to keep its spot.

Last night’s win was the 35th regulation/overtime win (ROW) of Charlotte’s season, ensuring that the Checkers would have the primary tiebreaker over Cleveland should the teams finish the season with an equal amount of points.

2. HOME FINALE

Today’s game marks the final contest of the regular season at the friendly confines of Bojangles’ Coliseum, where the Checkers have amassed a stellar 26-10-1 record. They have already set a franchise record for home victories and rank fourth in the AHL with a .716 winning percentage at home. They enter today’s game with wins in eight of their last nine home games, including three straight.

Following today’s game, the Checkers will play their last three contests on the road – two at Grand Rapids, their potential first-round playoff opponent, on Wednesday and Friday of next week and the finale at Chicago on Saturday.

3. OFFENSIVE OUTBURST

Yesterday’s 9-3 victory marked season highs in several categories, most notably goals in a single game (one shy of tying a franchise record) and largest margin of victory. It was the second straight game that the Checkers have scored at least five goals and the 10th such outing of the season. It also tied the most goals scored by any AHL team this season, with Milwaukee and Providence also enjoying nine-goal games in December and January, respectively.

Eight different players scored for the Checkers and 10 different players recorded multi-point outings led by Dennis Robertson and Aleksi Saarela, who had three apiece.

4. SAARELA'S HOT START

Saarela enters today’s game having scored six goals and 10 points in his first seven AHL games, with last night marking his first three-point game. The reigning AHL Player of the Week, who the Carolina Hurricanes acquired in a trade involving Eric Staal last year, has been held off the score sheet just once since coming over from Finland, where he spent the last three seasons in that country’s top division.

Since Saarela’s debut on March 28, linemate Andrew Miller is the only AHL player with more points (11).

5. MILLER'S TIME

Forward Andrew Miller, who had been hampered by various injuries since first joining the Checkers at last year’s AHL trade deadline, picked up two more points last night (1g, 1a), to give him 11 (4g, 7a) in seven games since March 28. Since Miller returned from a 16-game absence on Jan. 27, he has 31 points (9g, 22a) in 30 games, which ranks tied for fourth among all AHL skaters during that time period. Miller, who now ranks third on the team in scoring behind rookie centers Andrew Poturalski and Lucas Wallmark, is tied with teammate Jake Chelios for third among all AHL skaters with a plus-18 rating since Jan. 27.

6. ROBERTSON RACKS UP THE GOALS

Now in his third full professional season, Robertson set career highs with two goals and three points in last night’s game. He now has six goals on the season, doubling his career high set in 2014-15, while his 16 points are one shy of his personal best set in that same season. All but one of those points have come since Dec. 30, including six (2g, 4a) in his last seven outings.

7. POTURALSKI MAKES A COMEBACK

Checkers scoring leader Andrew Poturalski picked up two points (1g, 1a) in his first back following a two-game NHL debut with the Hurricanes. Those pointed ended his season-long, six-game scoring drought at the AHL level. With 50 points on the season, Poturalski, who ranks third among AHL rookies in scoring, would need seven in four games to tie Zac Dalpe’s franchise record for most points by a rookie.

8. POWERING UP

Three of last night’s goals came on the power play, marking a new season high for the Checkers. Once in danger of setting a new AHL record for the lowest power-play percentage by a team at the end of the season (they were below that mark at 10.3 percent on March 17), the team has scored six man-advantage goals in its last four games (6-for-20: 30 percent) and 11 in its last 13 (11-for-50: 22 percent). Not including one game in which they did not receive a power-play opportunity, the Checkers have scored on the power play in eight of their last 12 games.

9. MCCOLLUM GETS IT DONE

Last night’s win improved Tom McCollum to 11-2-1 with a 2.05 goals-against average and .924 save percentage in the AHL this season. The veteran netminder, who made just one relief appearance with Stockton prior to his March 7 loan acquisition from Stockton, has played in 13 of a possible 14 games for Charlotte since that time.

McCollum, like the other five goalies the Checkers have used this season, does not have enough minutes played (the current threshold is 1,380) to qualify among the league’s statistical leaders. His 11 wins tie Michael Leighton for the team lead, while his GAA and SV% are tops among Charlotte goalies with more than two games played. Charlotte is the only AHL team without a “qualified goalie.”

10. SEEING STARS

The Checkers, who lost their two games in Texas, have a chance to tie the season series with the Stars that concludes with today’s matchup. So far the home team has won each game, with the winning team scoring at least four goals in each game and winning by four or more goals on two occasions.

Texas, which entered yesterday’s game with a slim chance of making the playoffs, ranks sixth in the Pacific Division, having roughly alternated wins and losses over its last 11 games. The Stars have allowed seven or more goals in two of their last three games.

11. LOCALS DAY

The Checkers are celebrating all things Charlotte at today’s game. As part of the event, which begins with a pregame party with live music on the plaza in front of Bojangles’ Coliseum at 11 a.m., local vendors will showcase their goods and services both before and during the 1 p.m. game against the Texas Stars. Local refreshments, including food from the Improper Pig’s food truck, the Oinker, will available throughout the day. The Red Line Club restaurant inside the coliseum will also be open for a brunch-only service.

Additionally, a limited amount of locally-designed Checkers T-shirts from 704 Shop will be for sale at the merchandise stand, and the first 1,500 fans will receive a custom poster from local artist Troy Johnson of Green Light Tattoo.