Game 70: Oklahoma City Barons at Charlotte Checkers

Puck Drop: Thursday, 7 p.m.

TV/Radio info: AHL Live / Online

Records: Checkers (28-35-5-1), Barons (37-23-5-3)

The Checkers kicked off their longest and last homestand of the season on a sour note this past weekend, dropping a pair of games to the Lake Erie Monsters. The loss Sunday eliminated the Checkers from American Hockey League playoff contention. They will look to finish the season on a high note starting with games Thursday and Friday against Oklahoma City.

Recent Transactions: none.

Notes: Charlotte finished March with a 7-6 record, making it the first month this season in which it finished with a winning record. … With five goals in his past five games, Checkers center Brody Sutter has doubled his output from the first 36 games of the season. He has seven points during his recent run. … Checkers goalie Drew MacIntyre ranks third in the AHL with 2,690 minutes played and is second with 1,336 saves. His next start for Charlotte will tie the franchise record for single-season games played by a goaltender (48 by Justin Pogge in 2010-11). … Defenseman Josh Wesley, son of Hurricanes legend Glen, has been skating with the Checkers since his season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Plymouth Whalers came to an end last week. It's unknown if Wesley, 18, will play against the Barons. The Hurricanes selected Wesley – a product of the Junior Hurricanes development program – in the fourth round (96th) in the 2014 NHL draft. ... The Barons enter Thursday winless in their last seven games. ... This is the 11th of 12 meetings between the two clubs this season. The Barons have taken seven of the first 10 matchups. ... The Checkers officially announced Kyle Hagel as their "Man of the Year" award winner on Thursday. The award recognizes the player from each team who makes the greatest commitment to charitable organizations and his community. In five full AHL seasons (with five different clubs), Hagel has won the award five times. That pretty much says all you need to know about the kind of guy he is off the ice...

Checkers lines: 

Zach Boychuk-Brody Sutter-Chad LaRose
Brock McGinn-Brendan Woods-Carter Sandlak
Phil Di Giuseppe-Ben Holmstrom-Justin Shugg
Kyle Hagel-Patrick Brown-Jared Staal

Trevor Carrick-Brett Pesce
Dennis Robertson-Keegan Lowe
Austin Levi-Beau Schmitz

Drew MacIntyre
John Muse
Rasmus Tirronen

Healthy scratches: Alex Aleardi, Sean Dolan, Mike Cornell, Josh Wesley

Injured/out: Greg Nemisz (knee) 

Game 69: Lake Erie Monsters at Charlotte Checkers

Puck Drop: Sunday, 1 p.m.

TV/Radio info: AHL Live / Online

Records: Checkers (28-34-5-1), Monsters (29-26-6-4)

After falling behind by two goals to the Lake Erie Monsters on Friday, the Checkers nearly rallied back late, but a controversial no-goal call in the final minute spoiled their comeback.

The Checkers, who fell 3-2 on Friday, will look to avenge that loss this afternoon in their final showdown with the Monsters this season. The Monsters have won each of their last two games against Charlotte. Sunday's game continues a six-game home stand for the Checkers that runs until April 12.

“We had our push; it was just a little too late there,” said Brock McGinn, who netted his 13th goal of the season in Friday's loss. “It’s not just a play at the end of the game there that (decides a game). We just need to focus on playing a full 60 minutes and not leaving it down to that last minute.”

*Immediately following today's game, a team of fire/medic personnel will face off against a police/sheriff team in a charity game that is free for all who were already in attendance.

Recent Transactions: The Checkers recalled rookie Carter Sandlak from the ECHL's Florida Everblades on Sunday.

*News broke on Friday that defenseman Josh Wesley, the son of former Canes' legend Glen, will join the Checkers sometime this week. Wesley, 19, became the first North Carolina-developed NHL draft pick when the Hurricanes took him in the fourth round in 2014. Rumor has it that he is already in Charlotte.

Notes: With five goals in his last four games, center Brody Sutter has doubled his goal output from the first 36 games of the season. He has seven total points during his recent four-game run. Sutter's current four-game point streak (5g, 2a) is the longest of his career, eclipsing a three-game run (0g, 3a) set from Dec. 27-30 of last season. ... With 13 points in his last 13 games, Trevor Carrick currently leads all Charlotte defensemen in goals (six), assists (21) and points (27), all of which are new records for a Checkers rookie defenseman. ... Dating back to Feb. 22, the Checkers have converted 14 of 57 power-play opportunities (24.6 percent). As a result, their power play has risen out of the league's lowest-ranked spot it had occupied since Dec. 14 and now ranks 28th in the AHL at 13.6 percent. ... The Checkers have more wins in March (6-4-0) than in any other month. Their 12 points tie January (5-6-2) for the most of any month. ... Drew MacIntyre enters Sunday one shy of 400-career AHL games.

Checkers lines: 

Zach Boychuk-Brody Sutter-Chad LaRose
Brock McGinn-Brendan Woods- Justin Shugg
Phil Di Giuseppe-Ben Holmstrom-Patrick Brown
Kyle Hagel-Sean Dolan-Jared Staal

Trevor Carrick-Beau Schmitz
Dennis Robertson-Mike Cornell
Jordan Henry-Keegan Lowe

Drew MacIntyre
John Muse
Rasmus Tirronen

Healthy scratches: Austin Levi, Alex Aleardi, Carter Sandlak.

Injured/out: Greg Nemisz (knee) 

Game 68: Lake Erie Monsters at Charlotte Checkers

Puck Drop: Friday, 7 p.m.

TV/Radio info: TWC 323 / AHL Live / Online

Records: Checkers (28-33-5-1), Monsters (28-26-6-4)

The Charlotte Checkers return home to take on Lake Erie riding a season-best three-game winning streak after a 3-2 victory over the Admirals in Norfolk, Va., on Wednesday. Brody Sutter scored twice in Wednesday’s win to extend his current goal streak to three games, putting him one shy of the longest by a Checkers player (Brock McGinn) this season. Drew MacIntyre made 34 saves to earn his 211th AHL win, tying him for ninth all-time.

Recent Transactions: The Checkers have been busy in this regard as of late...

Goaltender Rasmus Tirronen, an undrafted native of Finland, signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes last Sunday after finishing his collegiate career at Merrimack College. In his senior year with Merrimack, Tirronen set the program's single-season record for save percentage (.929) while posting a 2.30 goals-against average. He ended his career with the fourth-most all-time wins in school history. Tirronen is currently in Charlotte and participated in the Checkers morning skate.

Former University of New Hampshire defenseman Brett Pesce signed an entry-level deal with the Hurricanes on Friday and is expected to report to Charlotte later this week. A third-round pick in the 2013 draft, Pesce spent three seasons at UNH, totaling 43 points (11g, 32a) in 110 games. He finished second among the team's defenseman in scoring this past season with 16 points in 31 games.

Plymouth Whalers goalie Alex Nedeljkovic also signed an entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday and has been assigned to Charlotte for the remainder of the season. A second-round pick by Carolina in the 2014 draft, Nedeljkovic has played three seasons in the OHL with Plymouth, posting 65-57-16 record with a 2.88 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. Regardless of how well he plays, Nedeljkovic -- who is still just 19 years old -- does not meet the age-minimum for the AHL and won't be eligible to play for the Checkers next season.

News also broke on Friday that defenseman Josh Wesley, a teammate of Nedeljkovic's in Plymouth and son of former Canes' legend Glen Wesley, will also be making the trip to Charlotte. Wesley, 19, became the first North Carolina-developed NHL draft pick when the Hurricanes took him in the fourth round in 2014.

Notes: With 12 points in his last 12 games, Checkers rookie defenseman Trevor Carrick has emerged as an offensive threat. He currently leads all Charlotte blue-liners in goals (six) and assists (20), both records for a Checkers’ rookie defenseman. Of Carrick’s five multipoint games this season, four have occurred since March 1. … Friday’s game marks the first of six straight home contests for the Checkers, who are 17-13-1-1 at Time Warner Cable Arena this season. … Defenseman Keegan Lowe returned to the Charlotte lineup on Wednesday after missing 11 games with an injury. ... Chad LaRose, who turned 33 today, has one goal and one assist since making an unexpectedly early return from injury three games ago. ... The Checkers are offering an extra 10 percent off all merchandise (already 40-percent off) to fans who wear purple (to raise awareness for domestic violence prevention) to Friday’s game.

Checkers lines: 

Zach Boychuk-Brody Sutter-Chad LaRose
Brock McGinn-Brendan Woods- Justin Shugg
Phil Di Giuseppe-Ben Holmstrom-Patrick Brown
Kyle Hagel-Sean Dolan-Jared Staal

Trevor Carrick-Beau Schmitz
Dennis Robertson-Mike Cornell
Jordan Henry-Keegan Lowe

Drew MacIntyre
John Muse
Rasmus Tirronen

Healthy scratches: Austin Levi, Alex Aleardi

Injured/out: Greg Nemisz (knee)