Weekly Report: February 27, 2023
February 27, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
The Checkers completed the first of back-to-back three-in-three weekends on the road, finding an array of results and taking home three of six possible points.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Team Statistics
Overall record
30-18-3-2
Home record
16-10-1-1
Road record
14-8-2-1
Last week's record
1-1-1-0
Last 10 games
6-3-0-1
Division Standings
3rd
Conference Standings
4th
League Standings
8th
Checkers 5, Bruins 6 (OT)
Checkers 5, Islanders 2
Checkers 2, Thunderbirds 5
Three Stars Of The Week
3rd Star
J-F Berube
1-0-0, 1.80 GAA, .943 SV%
2nd Star
Aleksi Heponiemi
0g, 4a
1st Star
Lucas Carlsson
4g, 0a
QUICK HITS
BUSY WEEKEND
This weekend marked the second of three three-games-in-three-nights scenarios for the Checkers. They are now 2-3-1-0 in those games thus far, with both regulation wins coming in the middle leg. Charlotte is headed straight into their final three-in-three of the season this coming weekend - and the second consecutive one to feature three games in three different cities.
ROAD SUCCESS
By snagging a point in Friday's matchup with Providence and beating Bridgeport on Saturday, the Checkers ran their road points streak to nine games - matching a franchise record. That run came to an end on Sunday however, when Charlotte dropped a 5-2 final to Springfield.
Even so, the Checkers are 14-8-2-1 away from home this season and 10-2-1-0 on the road since Christmas.
CARLSSON MAKES HISTORY
Lucas Carlsson had himself a weekend. The blue liner lit the lamp twice in Friday's contest and kept his momentum rolling with a goal in each of the next two games as well. That four-goal weekend pushed Carlsson up to 14 on the season - setting a franchise record for most goals by a defenseman in a single season, previously shared by Jake Bean (2018-19) and Mark Flood (2013-14). That surge has also propelled Carlsson into the league lead among all AHL blue liners in goals.
Carlsson now sits at 31 points this season - having posted 17 points in his last 18 games and found the scoresheet in 14 of those contests. The single-season mark for points by a defenseman belongs to current assistant coach Bobby Sanguinetti, who racked up 50 points in 2011-12.
BOWLBY BURIES IT
After scoring five goals through his first 43 games this season, Henry Bowlby has caught fire over this last stretch. The forward has posted six goals in the last eight games, rattling off two separate three-game goal streaks over that run. Bowlby has also done most of his work at even strength, as his 10 five-on-five goals sit just two behind the team lead.
BERUBE COMES UP BIG
While J-F Berube's usage has been fairly sporadic this season, the veteran netminder has come up big when called upon as of late. He is 3-0-1 in his last four starts while allowing nine total goals and making at least 30 saves in three of those outings. Berube was also brought on in relief on Sunday and made 18 saves on the 19 shots he saw to finish the weekend with 50 saves on 53 shots.
RANKS
Lucas Carlsson leads all AHL defensemen in goals (14)
Riley Bezeau is tied for the lead among rookies and tied for second in the AHL in major penalties (8)
Riley Nash is tied for second in the AHL in shorthanded assists (2)
Riley Bezeau is tied for third among AHL rookies in penalty minutes (62)
Justin Sourdif is tied for third among AHL rookies in shorthanded points (2)
Matt Kiersted is tied for third among league defensemen in shorthanded goals (1)
Anthony Bitetto is tied for third among league defensemen in shorthanded goals (1)
Riley Nash is tied for fourth in the AHL in shorthanded points (4)
Justin Sourdif is tied for fifth among AHL rookies in shorthanded assists (1)
Lucas Carlsson is tied for fifth among league defensemen in game-winning goals (2)
Connor Bunnaman is tied for sixth in the AHL in shorthanded goals (2)
Riley Nash is tied for sixth in the AHL in shorthanded goals (2)
Santtu Kinnunen is tied for sixth among league defensemen in power-play goals (3)
Lucas Carlsson ranks sixth among league defensemen in shots on goal (129)
Mack Guzda is tied for seventh among rookie goalies in wins (13)
Justin Sourdif is tied for seventh among AHL rookies in shorthanded goals (1)
Patrick Giles is tied for seventh among AHL rookies in shorthanded goals (1)
Johnny Ludvig is tied for ninth among AHL rookies in plus-minus (+10)
Johnny Ludvig ranks ninth among AHL rookies in penalty minutes (54)
Lucas Carlsson is tied for ninth among league defensemen in plus-minus (+17)
Transactions
Incoming
Feb. 25 - Xavier Cormier - Recalled from Florida (ECHL)
Feb. 25 - Oliver Chau - Signed to PTO
Outgoing
Feb. 24 - Zac Dalpe - Recalled by Florida (NHL)
Feb. 24 - Grigori Denisenko - Recalled by Florida (NHL)
By the Numbers
CATEGORY RECORD AHL RANK
Power play 17.5% t-23rd
Penalty kill 83.4% 6th
Goals per game 3.17 t-14th
Shots per game 31.49 6th
Goals allowed per game 3.02 15th
Shots allowed per game 28.77 7th
Penalty minutes per game 13.34 t-12th
LEADERS
CATEGORY LEADER(S)
Points Riley Nash (42), Aleksi Heponiemi (34), Lucas Carlsson (31)
Goals Riley Nash (18), Gerry Mayhew (17), Lucas Carlsson, Zac Dalpe (14)
Assists Aleksi Heponiemi (25), Riley Nash (24), Santtu Kinnunen (18)
Power play goals Zac Dalpe, Gerry Mayhew (5), Riley Nash (4)
Shorthanded goals Riley Nash, Connor Bunnaman (2), Four tied (1)
Game-winning goals Five tied (3)
Shots on goal Lucas Carlsson (129), Santtu Kinnunen (111), Gerry Mayhew (110)
Penalty minutes Riley Bezeau (62), Anthony Bitetto (58), Gerry Mayhew (56)
Plus/minus Lucas Carlsson (+17), Connor Bunnaman, Riley Nash (+11)
Wins Mack Guzda (13)
Goals-against average Alex Lyon (2.62)
Save percentage Alex Lyon (.906)
American Hockey League Stories from February 27, 2023
- Gravel Reassigned to Milwaukee - Milwaukee Admirals
- Blue Jackets Assign Yegor Chinakhov, Carson Meyer to Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Hogs Trade for Bilek, Bring Wilson up from Indy - Rockford IceHogs
- Moose Trade Colin Bilek to Rockford IceHogs - Manitoba Moose
- 2023-24 Condors365 Memberships on Sale Now - Bakersfield Condors
- Amerks Forward Jiri Kulich Named Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week - Rochester Americans
- Rochester's Jiri Kulich Named Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week - AHL
- Weekly Report: February 27, 2023 - Charlotte Checkers
- Desnoyers Again Recalled to Flyers - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Colorado Avalanche Recall Hunt, Meyers, Johansson - Colorado Eagles
- Isaac Ratcliffe Traded to Nashville - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Blues Recall Nikita Alexandrov - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Roadrunners Home for Six Games at Tucson Arena in March - Tucson Roadrunners
- Penguins Sign Andrew Nielsen to PTO - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Karlstrom and Olofsson Recalled by Dallas - Texas Stars
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