The Checkers are back in the friendly confines of Bojangles Coliseum and kicking off the home stretch of the regular season with a two-game set against the Islanders.
THE MATCHUP
- Record/Standings
- CLT - 33-18-5-0 (3rd Atlantic)
- BRI - 24-25-3-5 (5th Atlantic)
- Power Play / Penalty Kill
- CLT - 15.5% (26th) / 83.5% (7th)
- BRI - 17.0% (23rd) / 80.5% (22nd)
- Offense / Defense
- CLT - 3.36 GF/Game (6th) / 2.80 GA/Game (9th)
- BRI - 2.98 GF/Game (19th) / 3.12 GA/Game (t-16th)
- Head-To-Head
- 0-0-1-0
THE STORYLINES
COMING HOME
With a grueling, three-week road trip behind them, the Checkers have returned to the Coliseum for six consecutive home games. The team was mired in a tough stretch during their most recent stint in the Queen City, holding a 2-4-0-0 record over their last six home games, but they seemed to have righted the ship on the road, going 6-2-2-0 over that trek.They’ll look to keep those winning ways rolling against an Islanders squad that is 3-4-0-2 in their last nine games but enter the weekend on a two-game winning streak - including a 4-1 win over the division-leading Bruins.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
The final stretch of the regular season is here, with 16 contests remaining on the Charlotte slate. The Checkers are firmly entrenched in third place in the Atlantic Division, holding an 11-point cushion over the fourth-place Bears. They still have their eyes set on the top two seeds - which come with a first-round bye - though, as the Checkers find themselves eight points behind the second-place Penguins with one game in hand.Heading into the weekend, Charlotte’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth is 12 - that number can be brought down by the Checkers earning points in the standings and the first team out of the playoff picture failing to collect points.
WELCOME BACK
The last few months have been a whirlwind for Sandis Vilmanis. The 22-year-old made his NHL debut with Florida on Jan. 10 and carved out a role for himself on the Panthers’ roster - appearing in 19 games during his NHL stint. Vilmanis also represented his home country of Latvia at the Winter Olympics in Italy, making him the first active Checkers player to play in the Olympics.In his first game back in a Checkers sweater Vilmanis picked things right back up - scoring two goals, including the overtime winner against Lehigh Valley.
THE PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Charlotte
- Nolan Foote - 5 points in last 4 games
- Nate Smith - 13 points in last 11 games
- Sandis Vilmanis - 7 points in last 6 games
- Bridgeport
- Adam Beckman - 6 points in last 6 games
- Liam Foudy - 4 points in last 2 games
- Matt Luff - 6 points in last 6 games
THE INFO
Friday is Bankers Night presented by First National Bank!Fans can take advantage of a buy three, get one free offer for Friday's game.
On Saturday we're celebrating St. Patrick's Day courtesy of Renewal By Andersen! Fans can get a ticket to the game and a special-edition St. Pat's shirt for just $55!
If you can't make it to the Coliseum, both games are available to stream via AHLTV on FloHockey! Click here to watch.
Fans can also listen to the radio broadcast on the Checkers App or online.
