Game Preview: Checkers vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (November 23, 2021)

After an extensive road trip, the Checkers are back on home ice and looking to get back on the winning track as they host the Penguins for a midweek, two-game set.

FOUR STORYLINES

HOME SWEET HOME

Out of the 15 games they’ve played this season, the Checkers have only played four home games so far – the fewest of any team in the AHL. They have fared well in their small collection of home contests, boasting a 2-1-1-0 record while averaging four goals per game. On the other side, the Penguins are 3-2-0-2 on the road this season, but have just one regulation win in their last four contests away from home - their most recent clash with Providence on Saturday.

VETS COME THROUGH

A sizeable chunk of Charlotte’s offensive production as of late has come from a trio of experienced forwards in Alex True, Zac Dalpe and Max McCormick. After a three-game scoreless drought, True is back to his scoring ways as of late. The forward has posted four points over the last four games to retain his team scoring lead – currently sitting with 14 points in 15 games this season. Dalpe has found a groove distributing the puck over this last stretch of games, picking up three assists in the last three contests and four in the last five, while McCormick has made a big impact since returning from his NHL stint in Seattle, lighting the lamp in three straight games during the road trip. McCormick has found the scoresheet in six of the nine games he has appeared in for Charlotte and ranks second on the team in points-per-game.

HEAD TO HEAD

This two-game series will mark the fourth and fifth times that the Checkers and Penguins have squared off this season, with Charlotte winning two of those three previous contests. The Checkers have outscored the Pens 9-3 over the series, notching four goals in each of their victories while being held to just one in the lone defeat.

POWERING UP

The Checkers head into tonight’s contest having found success on the man advantage as of late. They have recorded a power-play goal in three of their last four games, converting six times over their last 17 opportunities. They’ll look to keep that momentum rolling against a Penguins squad that ranks in the middle of the pack when it comes to the penalty kill, but has killed off 15 of their last 16 penalties over the last four games.

QUOTES

Head coach Geordie Kinnear on coming off a long road trip
"We want to get right back into action and make sure that we’re playing the right way. Travel day yesterday and then right back at it today. Coming off a long road trip, but we don’t look behind us, we look ahead and we’ve got a big one tonight."

On finally playing on home ice again
"It’s always always good to be in this building, this is home. We want to make sure that we’re hard to play against here."

On sparking the offense
"We need to score more goals five-on-five that’s for sure. One five-on-five goal to win on the road isn’t always going to cut it, so we want to focus on getting more to the blue paint, taking away the goalie’s eyes and getting those five-on-five goals early so instead of being a 1-0 lead coming out of the first, we’re up a couple."

On building off the road trip and stringing wins together
"It could have easily been a different outcome than .500. It is what it is, that’s the team we are right now, but I saw a lot of positive things with team identity, guys playing the right way. We know we have to build this thing."

COMING IN

CLT: 3-2-0-0 in last five games this season

WBS: 2-2-0-1 in last five games this season

WHO TO WATCH

CLT

Alex True - 4 points in last 4 games

Zac Dalpe - 3 points in last 2 games

Cale Fleury – 3 points in last 4 games

WBS

Drew O'Connor – 3 points in last 2 games

Filip Hallander – 3 points in last 2 games

Radim Zohorna – 3 points in last 4 games

PROMOS

TUNE IN

Tonight's game starts at 6 p.m. If you can't be at the Coliseum, you can tune in to every broadcast this season with a subscription to the league’s streaming platform AHLTV.

As always, the radio broadcast will be available via the Checkers app on iPhone or Android.