Moose invade Charlotte to face Checkers
By: Manitoba Moose Staff | Published: December 13th 2016
The Manitoba Moose (11-9-1-2) pay a visit to Bonjangles’ Coliseum as they open a two-game set (Dec. 13, 14) at 6:00 p.m. CT against the Charlotte Checkers (9-13-2-0).
Last Game
Manitoba picked up a point on Saturday (Dec. 10) in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Cleveland Monsters. Kyle Connor scored his first AHL goal and was the only Moose player to find the back of the net in the shootout. The Shelby Township, MI product was named the game’s first star.
Flash Back
Looking back to the 2015-16 season, Manitoba had a 3-4-1-0 record against the Charlotte Checkers. The Moose managed to shutout the Checkers 3-0 on Nov. 7 in their first meeting of the season. Manitoba also broke out for seven goals on Feb. 27, beating Charlotte 7-2. Moose forward JC Lipon had a strong season series against the Checkers, scoring five goals in the five games he played versus the Carolina Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate.
Road Warriors
Heading into their five-game road trip, Manitoba is looking for their sixth win in seven road games. The Moose were a force away from MTS Centre during their last trip, grabbing wins in Milwaukee, Chicago and Rockford. So far this season the Moose have picked up at least a point in every road game against fellow Central Division opponents with their only blemish coming in a 3-2 shootout loss against the Iowa Wild on Oct. 15. The Moose will look to keep this streak alive on a road trip where they’ll see three different divisional foes.
Charlotte’s Story
The Checkers are winless in their last seven games, only gaining one point in a 3-2 overtime loss on Friday (Dec. 9) against Bakersfield. Charlotte’s skid puts them in seventh place in the Central Division with a .417 winning percentage. The Checker’s powerplay has struggled this year too, only scoring on a league low 9.7 per cent of its opportunities. Edmonton, AB product Levko Koper is coming off a two-goal performance on Dec. 10 vs. Ontario while Andrew Poturalski leads the team with 16 points (5G, 11A) in 24 games.
What’s Next?
The Moose and Checkers will hit the ice at Bojangles’ Coliseum tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. CT for the rematch. You can listen to all Manitoba Moose road games by logging onto moosehockey.com/listenlive. Be sure to tune into the pre-game show 15 minutes before puck drop for all the latest updates and analysis.
