Charlotte Checkers Report (Dec. 12)

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Coming to you a day earlier than usual, it’s time for the Charlotte Checkers weekly report. At the last report, our Checkers were coming off a big 5-1 road win in Syracuse against the Crunch. Eager to see how they built on that performance, I kept tabs on the team as they traveled to Rochester, NY to take on the red hot Americans last weekend. The results, like they have been most of the season, were mixed.

On Friday night the Checkers started Alex Nedeljkovic in net against the hottest team in the AHL. After giving up one goal to Americans’ Sean Malone in the first, the Rochester squad piled on three more goals in the second period to ultimately put the Checkers away. It turned out, however, those three added on goals didn’t make a difference as the Charlotte offense failed to get on the board. Recording 26 shots on the night, Americans’ goaltender Jonas Johansson turned them all aside, recording the shutout. It was the second time Charlotte has been shutout this season.

The two teams faced off again the next night and fortunately for Charlotte, things turned out a little differently. Anton Forsberg would get the nod in the net and he did not disappoint. Facing 33 shots on the night, he allowed just one goal in the Checkers’ 3-1 victory. The good guys would get on the board for the first time on the weekend with Julien Gauthier’s power play goal seven minutes into the first period. The Checkers took advantage of another power play late in the period when Morgan Geekie found the back of the net, giving Charlotte an early 2-0 lead. The lead would not be relinquished and Max McCormick took advantage of an empty net late in the game, giving the Checkers its third goal on the night.

It continues to be an up and down season for the Checkers. But in all honesty with the way the season has gone, Checkers fans must be satisfied coming away with two points against the Americans, who had their 12-game point streak snapped. Now the Checkers come back home for their next six games, beginning with a series this weekend against the Syracuse Crunch. After Friday and Saturday night games, they will have a mid-week series against the Atlantic Division-leading Wolf Pack, before next weekend’s series against the Phantoms.

This homestand will be big for Charlotte as they desperately try to move out of that 7th (of 8th) place in the Atlantic Division they’ve been stuck in for so long. At 23 points on the season, they are still just one point ahead of the last place Sound Tigers, while 14 points behind the Hartford Wolf Pack. Only once this season have the Checkers won back to back games, so it is imperative they get on a roll before too much longer. If you don’t already have any plans this weekend, come out to support the team at Bojangles Coliseum this Friday and Saturday night and give them the important home crowd advantage. Tickets can be found on the team’s website at www.gocheckers.com. Go Checkers!

Garett