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AHL Charlotte Checkers

Bojangles Game Preview: February 28 at Cleveland

February 28, 2025 - 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!

The Checkers are hitting the road for a two-game visit to Cleveland this weekend that kick starts a whirlwind stretch of the schedule.

THE MATCHUP

Record/Standings

CLT - 28-15-3-2 (4th Atlantic)

CLE - 26-15-5-5 (4th North)

Power Play / Penalty Kill

CLT - 22.7% (t-2nd) / 86.5% (1st)

CLE - 17.7% (20th) / 83.4% (10th)

Offense / Defense

CLT - 3.25 GF/Game (t-9th) / 2.67 GA/Game (5th)

CLE - 2.96 GF/Game (21st) / 3.08 GA/Game (16th)

Head-To-Head

1-1-0-0

THE STORYLINES

HEATING UP

The Checkers roll into this weekend with some momentum on their side, holding a 7-3-0-0 record over their last 10 games - the third-best mark in the Atlantic Division. Their most recent outing didn't go their way - a 2-0 loss to Hershey - but the Checkers have made a habit of quickly righting the ship as of late, with their most recent consecutive regulation losses coming on Jan. 11 and 14.

They'll face a Cleveland team that similarly sits in fourth place in their respective division but has hit a bit of a rough patch, going 4-4-4-2 over the last 14 games.

LOCKING IT UP

The defensive side of Charlotte's game has been thriving as of late. The Checkers - who rank fifth in the AHL in goals allowed per game - have surrendered six total goals over the last four games, going 3-1-0-0 over that stretch.

One pillar of that defensive surge has been the team's continued shot suppression. The Checkers are surrendering the fewest shots per game in the AHL by nearly three whole shots and are 25-12-2-2 when outshooting their opponents - compared to 3-3-1-0 when the totals are flipped.

BETWEEN THE PIPES

Another piece of Charlotte's defensive prowess has been the play between the pipes from the three-man goaltending unit.

Cooper Black has won each of his last five starts - including two shutouts - and has given up a total of seven goals over that stretch, Chris Driedger stopped 17 of 18 on Saturday to earn his second win in his last three starts and Ken Appleby currently leads the AHL with a 2.00 goals-against average.

The Checkers will face a test in Cleveland, as the Monsters' attack is led by the formidable trio of Trey Fix-Wolansky, Rocco Grimaldi and Luca Del Bel Belluz.

THE MILESTONES

Jesse Puljujarvi is one shy of 600 pro games

Rasmus Asplund is one shy of 100 AHL assists

Riley Bezeau is one shy of 100 AHL games

C.J. Smith is one shy of 100 pro goals

THE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Charlotte

Kyle Criscuolo - Four points (0g, 4a) in two games against CLE this season

Mike Benning - Four points (3g, 1a) in last four games

Justin Sourdif - 10 points (6g, 4a) in last 11 games

Cleveland

Owen Sillinger - Three points (1g, 2a) in two games against CLT this season

Trey Fix-Wolansky - Three points (2g, 1a) in last three games

Rocco Grimaldi - Seven points (1g, 6a) in last six games

THE INFO

Both games in Cleveland - along with every game this season - are available via the new AHLTV on FloHockey! Click here to get a subscription.

You can also listen live on the Charlotte Checkers App for iOS and Android!

Check out the Charlotte Checkers Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from February 28, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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