PEORIA, Ill – The Rivermen have lost their mojo…and it looks like the Charlotte
Photo by Todd Quinn
Peoria hasn’t won, since.
Charlotte came a-visiting on Saturday night in Peoria and the Rivermen were hoping to recapture that mojo and move back into the playoff picture. The Rivermen and 7845 fans were very disappointed.
Not only did the Rivermen lose 4-1, but a sloppy overall performance that may have moved them right out of the playoff picture.
The bad news started early. Team captain Adam Cracknell was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for intent to injure just 2:22 into the game. Not only did Peoria kill the ensuing penalty, but also a full two inutes of five-on three. The Rivermen played shorthanded the rest of the
Photo by Todd Quinn
Sloppy as it was, the Rivermen did find a little luck. As Charlotte was about to clear the zone, a loose puck popped to the middle of the ice. Jonathan Cheechoo jumped back into the attacking zone and fired a slap shot from near the blue line, above the slot. The move surprised the Checkers goalie, Mike Murphy, and rattled the net, giving the Rivermen a 1-0 lead at 9:11 of the second period.
At 16:26, it was Jake Allen’s turn to be surprised. Chris Terry skated into the zone. Meeting resistance, he spun, leaving a drop pass for Zac Dalpe. Dalpe snuck one between the post and Allen’s left leg pad to knot the score at one.
Less than a minute later, Brett Sutter fought Allen for a rebound and jammed it in, putting the Checkers ahead, 2-0. Jersome Samson and Michal Jordan were credited with assists.
Photo by Todd Quinn
Allen took the loss, stopping 29 of 32 shots. Murphy got the win, allowing only one of the 21 shots Peoria took to slip in. Neither team scored on the power play. Peoria only had two chances with the man advantage while Charlotte had six .
Contact the author: Shaun.Bill@ProHockeyNews.com
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