CarolinaHurricanes.com took a road trip to Charlotte for the first two games of the Checkers' first round Calder Cup Playoff series against the Chicago Wolves. It was my first time experiencing a game at Bojangles' Coliseum, and I had a lot of fun. If you haven't been, go! The Checkers did a nice job renovating a barn built in the mid-50s. The atmosphere is entertaining, the sightlines are great and the quality of play is high. Plus, you get a glimpse of the Canes of tomorrow, so let's talk about that.
Rookie forward Lucas Wallmark was a stand-out for much of the regular season, and he was rewarded for that with a handful of games up with the big club this year. He continued his strong play in the two games I saw and now leads all AHL skaters in playoff scoring with six points (3g, 3a) in four games. He will be one to watch heading into training camp later this year. Forward Aleksi Saarela, who joined the Checkers have his season concluded in Europe, is an exciting, young talent. He has yet to find the scoresheet in the playoffs, but he's a very capable scorer. On the back end, the defensive pairing of Trevor Carrick and Jake Chelios was steady and reliable. The two were each plus-4 in the Checkers' Game 1 victory and remain plus players through four games now. Finally, the play of goaltender Tom McCollum was also something to note. He's not property of the Hurricanes, so I won't dwell on him too much, but he was a big reason for the Checkers' sustained success down the stretch of the season.
A winner-take-all Game 5 between the Checkers and Wolves is set for tonight.