Charlotte Checkers Check-In (March 8)
Photo: wbtv.com
Happy Friday Checkers fans! This morning I’m happy to bring you the good news, which is the Checkers are on a four game winning streak! Last Friday when I checked in, the team was preparing for a two-game slate with the Binghamton Devils. After a weekend sweep of Lehigh Valley the previous weekend, the team was able to do the same against Binghamton, outscoring them 12-3 throughout the weekend. After struggling in late January through mid-February, it seems the Checkers are back on track with a record of 6-1 over the last three weekends.
Last Friday Charlotte jumped on the board early with a goal from Trevor Carrick, before the Devils would answer back eight minutes later. The 2nd period belonged to the Checkers with Patrick Brown and Julien Gauthier both tallying a goal. The Devils scored once more in the final period, but goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic held off a late push and the victory was secured with an empty-net goal from Aleksi Saarela. Nedeljkovic finished with 23 saves and yet another win on the season.
Looking to complete the weekend sweep on the Devils in front of R-Truth on “wrestling night,” the Checkers once again jumped on board first with a Tomas Jurco goal. Brandon Gignac would sneak one past Charlotte goaltender Dustin Tokarski to answer, but Charlotte would end the 1st with a 2-1 advantage. From there on out, it was all Checkers. They hit the Devils with a few Stone Cold Stunners and pinned them with an 8-1 victory. The Checkers have scored seven goals twice this season, but eight is the new season high. Andrew Poturalski and Tomas Jurco (his 2nd game with the Checkers) led the way with two goals apiece. Tokarski allowed one goal on the night while making just 17 saves, which tells you how good the defense was.
It’s great to see the Checkers rolling right along again and hopefully they can keep it going for a while. After back to back weekends in Charlotte, the team will hit the road this weekend with games tonight and Sunday in Lehigh Valley. The Phantoms will be looking for payback from the weekend sweep in Charlotte two weeks ago. Currently the Phantoms are 5th in the Atlantic Division with 64 points on the season, while the Checkers still lead the division, and the AHL, with 83 points. After this quick roadtrip, the Checkers will come back to Charlotte for a six-game homestand beginning next Friday. If you can’t wait until then, make sure to log into AHLtv to catch the action this weekend. To go ahead and get your tickets for next Friday, click HERE. Like always, go Checkers!
Garett