Bojangles Game Preview: March 6 & 7 at Lehigh Valley
Published on March 5, 2026 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!
Charlotte's beast of a road trip is finally reaching its conclusion, with a pair of matchups against Lehigh Valley remaining on the slate.
THE MATCHUP
Record/Standings
CLT - 31-18-5-0 (3rd Atlantic)
LV - 24-24-2-3 (5th Atlantic)
Power Play / Penalty Kill
CLT - 15.7% (26th) / 84.5% (t-5th)
LV - 18.4% (t-17th) / 76.2% (30th)
Offense / Defense
CLT - 3.30 GF/Game (9th) / 2.78 GA/Game (8th)
LV - 2.92 GF/Game (21st) / 3.26 GA/Game (t-24th)
Head-To-Head
2-0-0-0
THE STORYLINES
END OF THE ROAD
This two-game set against the Phantoms spells the end of what has been a stretch of three weeks on the road for Charlotte. The Checkers are 4-2-2-0 so far on this trip, and despite coming into the weekend with points in their last two contests, they have not earned consecutive wins during this stretch.
PHAMILIAR PHOE
The Checkers and Phantoms have only squared off twice so far this season. The first meeting in PA saw Charlotte surrender two goals in the final 32 seconds of regulation to force overtime, only to snag the win courtesy of a Nolan Foote OT winner. The second meeting was a wild, back-and-forth affair in which the Checkers ultimately prevailed 8-5.
The two teams were neck-and-neck in the Atlantic Division standings on Jan. 10 (19-12-2-0, 40 points for Charlotte, 19-11-2-2, 42 points for Lehigh Valley), but have since separated. The Checkers are 12-6-3-0 from that point on and sit as the third seed in the division - a solid seven points clear of the fourth-place Bears - while the Phantoms have gone 5-13-0-1 and rank fifth in the Atlantic.
The Checkers will now face the Phantoms six times over their final 18 games of the regular season.
SEARCHING FOR POWER
The Charlotte power play has yet to convert during this current road trip - mired in an 0-for-19 drought over the last six games. They'll look to bring that unit to life against a Phantoms squad that ranks as the third-worst penalty kill in the AHL.
On the flip side, the Checkers snapped a tough stretch for their own PK by shutting down the Bears across their two tilts earlier this week.
THE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Charlotte
Mitch Vande Sompel - 5 points in last 5 games
Nate Smith - 8 points in last 6 games
MacKenzie Entwistle - 3 points in last 2 games
Lehigh Valley
Christian Kyrou - 6 points in last 6 games
Alex Bump - 6 points in last 6 games
Phil Tomasino - 7 points in last 6 games
THE INFO
Both of this weekend's games are available to stream via AHLTV on FloHockey!
Fans can also listen to the radio broadcast on the Checkers App or online.
American Hockey League Stories from March 5, 2026
- Preview: Condors vs Roadrunners, 7 p.m. - Bakersfield Condors
- Bojangles Game Preview: March 6 & 7 at Lehigh Valley - Charlotte Checkers
- Series Preview- Tucson Roadrunners at Bakersfield Condors - Tucson Roadrunners
- Forward Jared Wright Recalled by LA Kings - Ontario Reign
- Abbotsford Canucks Sign Felton to AHL Contract - Abbotsford Canucks
- Dallas Stars Loan Forward Arttu Hyry to Texas Stars - Texas Stars
- Sebastian Cossa Returns to Grand Rapids - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Garrett Wilson Signs NHL Deal - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Carter Gylander Returns to Toledo - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Griffins to Host Purple Community Game and Star Wars Night - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Emil Pieniniemi Reassigned to Penguins - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
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- Providence Bruins Medical Update on Dans Locmelis - Providence Bruins
- Blues Place Mathieu Joseph on Unconditional Waivers for Purpose of Contract Termination - Springfield Thunderbirds
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- Barracuda Hold off Gulls to Earn 3-2 Win - San Jose Barracuda
- Reign Strike Early in Third to Beat Roadrunners 4-1 - Tucson Roadrunners
- San Jose Stops Gulls - San Diego Gulls
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- Penguins Fail to Sweep T-Birds, Lose 5-4 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
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