Bojangles Game Preview: April 4 at Providence
Published on April 4, 2025 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
Before the Checkers take the ice this season, we're breaking down everything fans need to know with the Bojangles Game Preview!
As the Atlantic Division race tightens, the Checkers are heading out on the road for a jam-packed three-in-three weekend through New England.
THE MATCHUP
Record/Standings
CLT - 38-20-3-3 (2nd Atlantic)
PRO - 36-22-4-3 (4th Atlantic)
Power Play / Penalty Kill
CLT - 22.5% (2nd) / 86.9% (1st)
PRO - 20.9% (t-6th) / 85.1% (4th)
Offense / Defense
CLT - 3.23 GF/Game (9th) / 2.61 GA/Game (4th)
PRO - 3.29 GF/Game (8th) / 2.62 GA/Game (5th)
Head-To-Head
2-0-0-0
THE STORYLINES
BUSY WEEKEND
The Checkers are embarking on their first and only three-games-in-three-nights scenario of the season - starting Friday in Providence, facing Bridgeport on Saturday and returning to Providence to close things out on Sunday.
This is only the second season in franchise history that the Checkers have faced just a single three-in-three stretch - with 2016-17 standing as the other. Overall Charlotte is 78-61-14 all time in three-in-three situations.
BATTLE FOR THE ATLANTIC
The Atlantic Division remains one of the tightest races in the league. The Checkers sit in second place with 82 points and eight games remaining, holding a slight edge over the Penguins - who have an identical record but have one fewer regulation win than Charlotte, which serves as the tiebreaker. Charlotte has gained ground on Hershey as well, trailing the first-place Bears by three points with an equal number of games played.
On the other side, the fourth-place Bruins have 79 points with seven games left on their slate, while Lehigh Valley (73 points) and Springfield (72) hold fifth and sixth place - respectively - with six games left each. Seventh-place Hartford is still mathematically in the hunt but running out of real estate to make the jump in the playoff picture.
The top two teams in the Atlantic Division will earn a bye past the opening round of the playoffs, while the third and fourth seeds will secure home-ice advantage over the fifth and sixth seeds in that first round.
RUNNING HOT
The Checkers are firing on all cylinders at the moment, holding a 17-8-0-1 record since Jan. 25 - the third-highest mark in the Eastern Conference over that stretch. The offense has been clicking, especially as of late with 19 goals across the last four contests, while the Checkers continue to stifle opponents - surrendering the fewest shots per game in the AHL and the fourth-fewest goals.
NEW GUY IN GOAL
A big addition at the trade deadline, Kaapo Kahkonen has jumped right into action for Charlotte and produced positive results. The veteran netminder has appeared in seven of the Checkers' last 10 games and picked up five wins, along with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
THE MILESTONES
John Leonard is five away from breaking the franchise single-season goals record (Zach Boychuk's 36 in 2013-14)
John Leonard is two away from breaking the franchise single-season game-winning goals record (Aleksi Saarela's nine in 2018-19 and Warren Foegele's nine in 2017-18)
Trevor Carrick is two shy of becoming the third defenseman in franchise history with 50 points in a season
Trevor Carrick is seven away from breaking the franchise single-season points by a defenseman record (Lucas Carlsson's 54 in 2022-23)
Trevor Carrick is eight away from breaking the franchise single-season assists by a defenseman record (Lucas Carlsson's 54 in 2022-23)
Trevor Carrick is five away from breaking the franchise single-season power-play points by a defenseman record (Bobby Sanguinetti's 30 in 2011-12)
Trevor Carrick is one shy of setting the franchise single-season power-play goals by a defenseman record
John Leonard and Rasmus Asplund are both one shy of setting single-season franchise records for shorthanded goals and shorthanded points
Rasmus Asplund is two shy of 150 AHL points
Trevor Carrick is two shy of 100 pro goals
John Leonard is two shy of 100 pro assists
THE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Charlotte
Jesse Puljujarvi - 3 points (2g, 1a) in two games this season against Providence
Matt Kiersted - four points (1g, 3a) in last four games
Justin Sourdif - Nine points (4g, 5a) in last six games
Providence
Jaxon Nelson - Two points (1g, 1a) in two games this season against the Checkers
Georgii Merkulov - Eight points (1g, 7a) in last nine games
Matthew Poitras - 11 points (5g, 6a) in last nine games
THE INFO
This weekend's games - along with every game this season - are available via the new AHLTV on FloHockey!
American Hockey League Stories from April 4, 2025
- Barracuda Down First-Place Eagles, 6-3 - San Jose Barracuda
- Iowa Rides Three-Goal First To 4-2 Win Over San Diego - Iowa Wild
- Gulls Downed by Wild - San Diego Gulls
- San Jose Scores Four Unanswered to Top Eagles, 6-3 - Colorado Eagles
- Griffins Erupt For Season-High Eight Goals Against Rockford - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Merilainen Masterful in Shutout Performance to Lead Sens Past Amerks - Belleville Senators
- Ahcan's Hat Trick Leads Pierogies to 7-1 Win Over Penguins - Cleveland Monsters
- Bears Open Weekend With 2-1 Win Over Phantoms - Hershey Bears
- Amerks Blanked in Belleville, 5-0 - Rochester Americans
- Penguins Drubbed in Cleveland, 7-1 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Crunch Topple Marlies, 4-1 - Syracuse Crunch
- IceHogs Outmatched by Griffins, Lose 8-3 - Rockford IceHogs
- Charlotte Falls 4-0 Against Providence - Charlotte Checkers
- Bussi, P-Bruins Blank Checkers - Providence Bruins
- T-Birds' Sticks Run Cold in Utica - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Comets Clip Thunderbirds, Win 5-2 - Utica Comets
- Getting to Know Jett Luchanko - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Marlies Acquire Forward Brandon Baddock - Toronto Marlies
- Chrona Signs Contract Extension - Milwaukee Admirals
- Preview: Phantoms vs. Bears, Game #67 - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Anaheim Ducks Announce Roster Moves - San Diego Gulls
- Eagles Sign Defensemen Kelley, Kempf to AHL Contracts - Colorado Eagles
- Dominik Shine Returns to Grand Rapids - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Eamon Powell Inks One-Year AHL Deal for Next Season, Joins Checkers on ATO - Charlotte Checkers
- Belleville's Hodgson Suspended Two Games by the American Hockey League - Belleville Senators
- Senators' Hodgson Suspended for Two Games - AHL
- Moose Sign Patrick Guzzo to Tryout - Manitoba Moose
- Game Preview: Bears at Phantoms, 7:05 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Capitals Recall Hunter Shepard from Hershey - Hershey Bears
- IceHogs Visit Grand Rapids as the Playoff Push Continues - Rockford IceHogs
- Bojangles Game Preview: April 4 at Providence - Charlotte Checkers
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