Preview for the Charlotte Checkers Atlantic Division Semifinal series against the Providence Bruins
charlottecheckers.com
After securing a first-round bye, the Checkers are set to begin their postseason journey with a second-round matchup against the Providence Bruins.
REGULAR SEASON STATS
- Record/Standings
- CLT - 44-22-3-3 (2nd Atlantic)
- PRO - 41-23-5-3 (3rd Atlantic)
- Power Play / Penalty Kill
- CLT - 21.2% (5th) / 86.6% (1st)
- PRO - 21.4% (3rd) / 85.7% (2nd)
- Offense / Defense
- CLT - 3.25 GF/Game (t-8th) / 2.57 GA/Game (t-4th)
- PRO - 3.33 GF/Game (t-5th) / 2.61 GA/Game (6th)
HEAD TO HEAD
- April 6 - CLT 3 @ PRO 2 (OT)April 4 - CLT 0 @ PRO 4March 26 - PRO 2 @ CLT 5March 25 - PRO 3 @ CLT 6CLT TOP PERFORMERS
- John Leonard - Four points (2g, 2a) in four games
- Jesse Puljujavi - Three points (2g, 1a) in three games
- Kaapo Kahkonen - 3-1-0, 2.73 GAA, .896 SV%
- PRO TOP PEFORMERS
- Riley Tufte - Four points (2g, 2a) in four games
- Tyler Pitlick - Three points (1g, 2a) in two games
- Brandon Bussi - 1-2-1, 3.00 GAA, .904 SV%
- Michael DiPietro - 0-0-0, 3.00 GAA, .889 SV%
NOTABLES
RECENT MEMORY
The Checkers played every Atlantic Division opponent eight times this season except for two - Lehigh Valley and Providence, who they played four times each. Those matchups against the Bruins are fresh for Charlotte, though, as they all came within the final 12 games of the season.
CARDIAC CHECKERS
During the regular season the Checkers had seven wins in which they trailed after two periods - a total that was tied for second in the AHL - and two of them came against the Bruins. The first instance was in the second meeting at Bojangles Coliseum, when the Checkers erased a 2-1 deficit through 40 by scoring two power-play goals within the first five minutes of the third and tacking on a pair of empty netters en route to a 5-2 victory. The other came in the final matchup of the season, in which John Leonard and Mike Benning scored less than three minutes apart in the third to force overtime and Brett Chorske's first pro goal lifted Charlotte to a 3-2 win.
ROAD WARRIORS
In accordance with the AHL’s playoff format, this series will begin in Providence for the first two games before heading to Charlotte for the remaining contests. Those tilts in Rhode Island will pit two strengths against each other - the Checkers finished the season tied for the second-best road record in the AHL, while the Bruins posted the league’s second-best record on home ice. On the flip side, the Checkers had the third-best home record in the Atlantic Division and the Bruins were tied for the third-best road record.
BALANCED ATTACK
The Checkers saw success in an array of areas during the regular season, finishing in the top 10 in offense, defense, power play and penalty kill. They were one of three teams to do that in all four categories, but they’ll go head-to-head in round two with one of those squads in Providence.
CHARLOTTE PLAYERS TO WATCH
JOHN LEONARD
Charlotte’s leading scorer put up a historic goal total this season, tying the franchise record and ranking second in the AHL, and was on a tear down the stretch - in fact, no one in the league scored more goals from Feb. 16 on than Leonard.
OLIVER OKULIAR
The final AHL Player of the Week award winner, Okuliar racked up 11 points (5g, 6a) over the last seven games of the regular season and enters the postseason having recorded multiple points in four straight games.
KAAPO KAHKONEN
Since being acquired at the deadline, Kahkonen handled the bulk of the workload for Charlotte - starting 11 of the team’s last 18 games - and earned eight wins. The veteran netminder won seven of his last nine appearances and has allowed two or fewer goals in each of his last four starts.