Charlotte Checkers Check-In (February 8)
Photo: charlottesgotalot.com
Hello Checkers fans it is Friday and once again time to check in on our Charlotte Checkers. Since last Friday, the Checkers have struggled out of the all-star break gate. Two overtime losses left them winless on the weekend before splitting the mid-week series against the Monsters. Dating back to January 19th, the Checkers have a 2-3-3 record, which is something we’re unaccustomed to seeing this year. The last four overtime games have also not gone in the Checkers’ favor. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but our team is going through a struggling period right now. However, it is not something to worry about too much, as every team goes through these periods every season. It could be a lot worse also. Because the Checkers have been so successful this season, our expectations have been lifted. Hopefully they will work their way out of it soon, but for right now the Checkers still lead the AHL in points with 70 (9 over the next best team), so you have to feel good as a fan.
Both matches against the Providence Bruins last weekend needed the overtime period to decide the winner, but as I mentioned, the Checkers failed to capitalize in the extra frames. You have to credit the Bruins defense as they held Charlotte to just one goal all weekend. A redirection from Julien Gauthier with 27 seconds left in Friday’s game forced overtime, but ultimately was not enough for the Checkers as they fell 2-1. The offensive struggles continued the next night as Bruins’ goaltender Dan Vladar stopped all 37 shot attempts from the home team. While Scott Darling turned in an excellent performance as well shutting out the Bruins in regulation, they got the best of him with their 29th shot attempt in overtime, giving Providence a 1-0 win. That was a tough game because Darling has had some rough games this season, and it would’ve been nice to give him a win for his performance in that one.
Back at it on Tuesday in Bojangles Coliseum, the Checkers resorted back to their winning ways with a 3-1 win over the Cleveland Monsters. Aleksi Saarela, Josiah Didier, and Morgan Geekie all scored goals for Charlotte, while Alex Nedeljkovic turned in another spectacular night in the net, getting his league-leading 22nd win. The next day proved to be a forgettable game for Charlotte, as things went south quickly in the 3rd period. With two goals less than 30 seconds apart at the beginning of the period, the Checkers just couldn’t rebound and get back in it. They would give up a third goal in the same period, leading to a 5-1 loss.
The Checkers are off tonight, but they will be back in action tomorrow night for a 2-game series in Hershey taking on the Bears. Maybe a change of scenery will give Charlotte a refreshed start and they can get back to the team that has spoiled us throughout the first half of the season. The Checkers are 1-1 against the Bears this year. After Sunday’s game, the team will get the week off before traveling to Springfield, Massachusetts to take on the Thunderbirds next Friday. That will be the first game of a 3-game series where the Checkers play three different teams in three consecutive days. I’d like to see the team get out to quicker starts moving forward, as that is something they’ve struggled with throughout the season. When they do that, usually good things happen. I’m excited to see how they perform on the road for the next two weeks to see if the change of scenery can be beneficial after struggling at home in recent weeks. If you’re interested in coming to a game (and you should), the next home game will be on Friday, February 22 at 7:00 p.m. at Bojangles Coliseum. That will be “Miracle on the Ice” night where you can get a game ticket and a sweet USA-themed Charlotte toboggan for just $25. You can order your tickets online by clicking HERE. Go Checkers!
Garett