The Charlotte Checkers are on the rise and making the most of their holiday break

The Charlotte Checkers entered the holiday break off a successful homestand and within reach of a playoff berth.

After a rocky start to the 2019-20 AHL season, coach Ryan Warsofsky said the Checkers are making the most of their time off.

He said he talked about that with the team last Saturday morning, prior to the Checkers’ final game before the break.

“It’s something we talked about a lot,” Warsofsky said before beating Lehigh Valley 4-2 at Bojangles Coliseum. “We can end this homestand on a really high note, going 4-2 … and go into the break with a reset, to get our heads away from the game a little bit and spend some time with family.”

“It’s super important, when you don’t get to see them very often, to see your family and enjoy life away from the game,” Warsofsky added. “It is a grind, and we’ve been grinding here for a hard three months.”

Charlotte has won five of its last seven games and climbed two notches out of the AHL Atlantic Division cellar and into sixth place. They are only three points out of the fourth and final playoff berth in the division, as they hope to defend their Calder Cup championship.

Defenseman Roland McKeown said entering the break with a victory was big.

“The last 10-to-12 games, we were trending all upward, and then I thought we came off the gas ... ” he said. “To get back on it today before the Christmas break, and establish the identity we’re always seeking, was really good.”

Here’s how the Checkers did heading into their Christmas break, and what’s ahead:

Dec. 20: Lehigh Valley jumped to a 3-0 lead and fought off a Charlotte rally, winning 3-2 before 6,788 fans at Bojangles Coliseum. Max McCormick and Clark Bishop scored for the Checkers.

Dec. 21: Lehigh Valley got a 1-0 lead, but Gustav Forsling and McKeown scored for Charlotte. Lehigh Valley tied the game early in the third period, but Chase Priskie got the go-ahead goal in a 4-2 victory before 5,804 in Charlotte.

The standings: The Checkers are sixth of eight teams in the AHL Atlantic division but have played three fewer games than fifth-place Springfield. They are three points behind Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Springfield.

What’s ahead: Charlotte has a tough stretch ahead, playing seven straight games on the road. The Checkers resume play Saturday night in Cleveland, then face the Monsters again in a Monday matinee. Charlotte doesn’t return home until Jan. 14 against Hershey.

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle