Checkers’ next playoff foe is ‘way more explosive’ than their 1st: 5 things to watch

The Charlotte Checkers, hottest team in the American Hockey League, open play Friday night in their second-round Calder Cup playoff series against Lehigh Valley.

The best-of-7 series begins in Allentown, Pa., for games Friday and Saturday evenings. Games 3 through 5 are scheduled for Bojangles’ Coliseum next week.

Here are five storylines to watch in this series:

Evenly matched teams

The Checkers and Phantoms met eight times this season and split the games. The even nature of the series extends to their records on home ice against one another – 3-1. Both coaches, Charlotte’s Mike Vellucci and Lehigh Valley’s Scott Gordon, say they expect a very closely played series.

Get ready for scoring

Lehigh Valley, which finished first in the AHL Atlantic Division, led the league in scoring this season. The Checkers, who finished third in the Atlantic, were second in scoring. Vellucci says the Phantoms are “way more explosive” than Charlotte’s first-round playoff foe, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

2 players to watch

Lehigh Valley’s T.J. Brennan is two-time AHL Defenseman of the Year and is a strong threat to score on slap shots. Greg Carey had six game-winning goals this season, finished fourth in the league in goals (31) and had three goals and three assists against Charlotte.

Phil Varone, the AHL’s Most Valuable Player, is the team’s biggest threat but was hurt in the Phantoms’ first-round series. He is expected to play against Charlotte.

Reinforcements

The Carolina Hurricanes sent several players to Charlotte before the start of the playoffs, but the Philadelphia Flyers have supplied Lehigh Valley with two standouts – winger Oskar Lindblom and defenseman Travis Sanheim. Both played with the Flyers in their first-round Stanley Cup series against Pittsburgh.

Will the schedule help?

If the Checkers are able to win one of the opening two games at PPL Center in Allentown, they might get a break by having the next three games on home ice. The final two games, if needed, will be at Lehigh Valley.

The Checkers’ home games will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, and at 6 p.m. May 12 (a Saturday). Games 6 and 7 are scheduled for May 14 and 15.

This story was originally published May 3, 2018 at 8:50 PM with the headline "Checkers’ next playoff foe is ‘way more explosive’ than their 1st: 5 things to watch."