Bojangles Game Preview: March 19 at Utica

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Bojangles Game Preview: March 19 at Utica

March 19, 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 road trip rolls on as the Checkers visit Utica for their first matchup with the Comets this season.

THE MATCHUP

Record/Standings

CLT - 33-18-3-3 (4th Atlantic)

UTC - 23-28-4-2 (7th North)

Power Play / Penalty Kill

CLT - 22.6% (4th) / 87.0% (1st)

UTC - 19.5% (t-9th) / 77.2% (28th)

Offense / Defense

CLT - 3.16 GF/Game (15th) / 2.60 GA/Game (t-3rd)

UTC - 2.61 GF/Game (30th) / 3.14 GA/Game (20th)

Head-To-Head

0-0-0-0

THE STORYLINES

HEAD NORTH

The Checkers are at the midway point of their trek through the North Division, having gone 2-1-0-0 against Rochester and Toronto last week. They are in Utica tonight and Saturday for their first two tilts against the Comets this season, with a visit to Rochester sandwiched in between.

Thus far the Checkers are 6-4-0-1 against North Division opponents this season.

BATTLE FOR THE ATLANTIC

The second (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton), third (Providence) and fourth (Charlotte) place teams in the Atlantic Division are all in a bottle neck as they jockey for a first-round bye, and Wednesday night gives the Checkers a chance to make a move up the standings. They are the only team of the three in action, and a win would move them into a tie with the Penguins for second place with 74 points through 58 games.

The Checkers can also lower their magic number to clinch a playoff berth from eight to six with a win against the Comets.

LEONARD LIGHTS IT UP

With a power-play tally in Sunday's win over Toronto, John Leonard now has five goals in his last five games.

His tear goes beyond that as well, as only one player in the AHL has more goals than Leonard's nine since Feb. 16.

Leonard's goal total for the season now sits at 28, which ranks third in the AHL behind Texas' Matej Blumel and Toronto's Alex Steeves - who each have 33. With 15 games left on the slate, Leonard needs two more to become the sixth player in franchise history to hit the 30-goal mark in a season and eight more to match Zach Boychuk's franchise record of 36 from the 2013-14 campaign.

THE MILESTONES

John Leonard is two shy of becoming fifth player in franchise history to score 30 goals in a season

John Leonard and Rasmus Asplund are both one shy of setting single-season franchise records for shorthanded goals and shorthanded points

Trevor Carrick is one shy of tying franchise single-season record for power-play goals by a defenseman (Mark Flood - 8 in 2013-14)

THE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Charlotte

John Leonard - 11 points (9g, 2a) in last 12 games

Justin Sourdif - Five points (2g, 3a) in last three games

Jesse Puljujarvi - Four points (2g, 2a) in last four games

Utica

Joe Gambardella - Four points (2g, 2a) in last four games

Nolan Foote - Nine points (3g, 6a) in last 11 games

Nathan Legare - Seven points (4g, 3a) in last nine games

THE INFO

Tonight's game in Utica - along with every game this season - is available via the new AHLTV on FloHockey! Click here to get a subscription.

Check out the Charlotte Checkers Statistics

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