Charlotte Checkers Check-In (February 22)
Welcome back Checkers fans! We have another week of hockey in the books and head into this homestand after a solid weekend of play. After a bit of a slide, I stated last Friday that I hoped the Checkers could escape last weekend’s “3 games in 3 cities” with four more points on the season. And that’s exactly what they did. Charlotte won the first two games of the weekend and dropped the finale on Sunday. It was great to see them take two out of three games before coming back to Charlotte for the next two weekends.
Last Friday the Checkers met up with the Thunderbirds in Springfield where they scored the first three goals of the game, courtesy of Nick Schilkey, Zach Nastasiuk, and Julien Gauthier. Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was brilliant, as he’s been all season, allowing just one goal in the game while recording 25 saves. Every time Nedeljkovic is in the net, I feel very confident in Charlotte’s chance to win the game. After getting on the board once more in the 3rd, the Checkers went on to win 4-1.
Photo: charlottesgotalot.com
The team hit the road from Springfield and headed to Providence, an hour and a half ride away. After losing their last two games against the Bruins in overtime, the Checkers were looking for revenge. That is exactly what they got. Nedeljkovic started in the net once again, this time registering 26 saves and two goals allowed. Credit goes to the goalie, as that was his third consecutive start. He knows he was much needed after the team’s rough stretch, and has been an ironman. Nastasiuk and Gauthier both scored goals in consecutive days, and the Checkers held off a late rally from Providence to win 3-2.
With the Checkers getting the four points I wanted, the team left for their third city in as many days. A little fatigued, they took on the Sound Tigers in Bridgeport. After getting on the board first, it was the 2nd period that saw the Checkers collapse, as goaltender Callum Booth gave up four goals. It wasn’t his most impressive outing of the season, giving up two more in the 3rd. The six unanswered goals for the Sound Tigers were too much for Charlotte, leading to a 7-3 loss. Nick Schilkey, Aleksi Saarela, and defenseman Dan Renouf all tallied goals for the Checkers.
The Checkers had the middle of the week off, and will begin a two-weekend homestand tonight. They take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms tonight and tomorrow, before turning their attention to the Binghamton Devils next weekend. Currently the Checkers have 75 points on the season, leading the division by eight points over a surging Sound Tigers team. It was nice to see Charlotte get off to quicker starts last weekend and I’m hoping that will turn into a trend. Make sure to escape the rain this weekend by coming out to Bojangles Coliseum and supporting the Checkers. Tonight’s game is at 7:00 p.m. and will honor the Miracle on Ice USA hockey team. The Checkers will wear USA-themed jerseys with “CLT” on the front, and you can also purchase special merchandise. Tomorrow’s game will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be “Godzilla night” with special shirts for sale. Both games should draw packed crowds, so be sure that you are part of the fun. Go Checkers!
Garett