The Checkers are looking to stay hot on the road as they visit Bridgeport with a chance to punch their ticket to the postseason.
THE MATCHUP
- Record/Standings
- CLT - 37-20-5-0 (3rd Atlantic)
- BRI - 26-27-3-5 (5th Atlantic)
- Power Play / Penalty Kill
- CLT - 14.2% (28th) / 84.4% (t-4th)
- BRI - 16.4% (23rd) / 81.6% (t-17th)
- Offense / Defense
- CLT - 3.35 GF/Game (t-5th) / 2.74 GA/Game (8th)
- BRI - 2.95 GF/Game (22nd) / 3.10 GA/Game (15th)
- Head-To-Head
- 2-0-1-0
THE STORYLINES
PLAYOFF PUSH
Tonight’s tilt has big implications for Charlotte, as there are two scenarios in which the Checkers can clinch a berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The first is if they collect a standings point against the Islanders (a win or an overtime/shootout loss). If that doesn’t happen, they can still clinch their spot if Springfield loses in any fashion to the Providence Bruins - that game will be running concurrently with the Checkers’ contest in Bridgeport.Additionally, if the Checkers beat the Islanders tonight in regulation it would secure them a top-four spot in the Atlantic Division, which would set up a pair of postseason scenarios. Either the Checkers finish in third or fourth place and host every game of the best-of-three opening round series, or they move into one of the top two seeds and earn a bye past the first round.
LOCKING IT DOWN
The last time that the Checkers and Islanders met was a few weeks ago, and it featured a pair of stellar defensive efforts from Charlotte. Louis Domingue (18 saves) and Kirill Gerasimyuk (28 saves) each pitched a shutout in their starts against Bridgeport, leading the Checkers to back-to-back victories on home ice.Charlotte’s most recent home stand was an up-and-down experience when it came to the defensive side of things. The team opened the set with those consecutive shutouts of Bridgeport, then closed it by surrendering just three total goals over two wins against Lehigh Valley. The two tilts in the middle bucked the trend, though, as the Checkers allowed five goals in back-to-back nights against the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The Checkers will look to replicate that stinginess against an Islanders team that has won their two games since facing Charlotte and put up 10 total goals along the way.
DYNAMIC DUO
After a bit of a bumpy patch, Charlotte’s top two scorers have caught fire in a big way as of late. The stretch from Feb. 18 to March 17 saw Jack Devine record one point in 12 games and Ben Steeves post four points (1g, 3a) in 13 games, but across the team’s last three games the former has notched three points (2g, 1a) and the latter four points (0g, 4a).Heading into this week Devine is four points from becoming the 12th rookie in franchise history to record 40 points in a season, while Steeves has already become the sixth player in franchise history to record 40 points and 80 penalty minutes in a season.
THE PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Charlotte
- Ben Steeves - 4 points in last 3 games
- Brian Pinho - 5 points in last 2 games
- Tobias Bjornfot - 3 points in last 2 games
- Bridgeport
- Pierrick Dube - 3 points in last game
- Liam Foudy - 3 points in last 2 games
- Ethan Bear - 3 points in last game
THE INFO
Tonight's game is 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.
