Charlotte Checkers Report (Nov. 1)
Photo: wbtv.com
Good afternoon Checkers fans! I’m happy to announce that just like last season, I will be reporting on the Charlotte Checkers on a weekly basis, with previews of upcoming games. This will be my first report of the young season, since I was out of the country for the beginning of it. The Checkers have a tall task ahead of them this season, defending the Calder Cup. I’m excited to get back to Bojangles Coliseum this season and watch another fun, successful season of hockey!
If there’s one word that describes the Checkers’ season so far, it’s inconsistency. Through the team’s first eight games, they have a 4-4-0 record and are in 7th place in the Atlantic division. They lost their season opener on the road in Hartford, before winning a game, losing a game, winning a game, losing a game, and winning another. It wasn’t until last Friday the Checkers were able to win back to back games. The good news, however, is they haven’t lost back to back games. They followed last Friday’s shootout win at home against the Phantoms with a 3-2 loss to them the very next day. Consistency is what the Charlotte Checkers are looking for right now and I feel confident they’ll find it. With several new team changes, including a new head coach, inconsistency at the beginning of the season is not surprising.
Charlotte’s 4-4-0 record thus far gives them 8 points for the season. Division-leading Hartford Wolf Pack currently has 17 points, as they have stormed out of the gate with an impressive 8-1-0 record. The Bruins are 2nd in the division with 14, then the Thunderbirds (12), Bears (10), Phantoms (9), Penguins (9), and the Sound Tigers in last place with 5 points.
Through the first eight games, center Morgan Geekie leads the team with 9 points, followed by left wing Brian Gibbons and defenseman Chase Priskie with 8 points each. Geekie, along with Eetu Luostarinen and Julien Gauthier lead the team in goals with four apiece. And in a surprising twist, goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic is 0-4 on the season with 14 goals allowed through four games. Ned was rock-solid for the team all season long last year, and was monumental in the team’s quest to the Cup. Hopefully he figures things out soon and can get back into the form we all became so accustomed to seeing him in last year. Anton Forsberg, meanwhile, has a 4-0 record this season through five games played. He’s allowed 13 goals from 143 shot attempts, giving him a .909 save percentage.
The Checkers have two games this weekend, beginning with a match-up with the Cleveland Monsters tonight in Cleveland. After getting Saturday off, the two teams will have a rematch on Sunday at 1 p.m. Then the Checkers will return home the following weekend for Friday and Saturday games against the Thunderbirds. Checkers fans will be keeping an especially close watch on the team over the next month or so as they hope to find their new identity and get settled into the championship-defending season. It should be fun. Go Checkers!
Garett