CHARLOTTE, NC – Against the Hershey Bears you have to be on top form, the Checkers were certainly that. Unfortunately that was just not good enough, even though Charlotte raced into a 2-0 lead in the first period. Goals from Matt Pistilli and Chris Terry put Charlotte in the driver’s seat however the veteran players from Hershey soon turned the game around.
On Wednesday evening Charlotte could only dress 19 players. For last nights game they had one more player available, then injuries kicked in with Drayson Bowman and Nicolas Blanchard leaving the game. Charlotte was already missing key players which made the task of overcoming Hershey even more difficult.
Bears player Ryan Potulny scored Hershey’s first then teammate and former Checker Jacob Micflikier tied the game after a wonderful feed from Keith Aucoin, AHL’s leading scorer. Both goals came on power plays, something that Hershey specializes in.
With the game tied at 2-2 the Bears began to turn the screws with Potulny getting his second goal of the evening and the Bears third. This gave both himself and Aucoin a 3 point game for Hershey. Aucoin has the AHL’s longest point streak this season, gaining points in 13 straight games.
Aucoin again did the damage to Charlotte, when a two on one break with Boyd Kane he fed his teammate with what would be the winning goal. Zach Boychuk scored Charlottes third goal on a power play late in the third period, this caused a frantic finish to the game that ended 4-3 Hershey.
Even though the Checkers started fast they had a season low 14 shots in the first two periods. Mike Murphy in the Charlotte goal made 24 saves and Nicolas Blanchard was the winner of the Roll up Your Sleeves Hardest Worker of the Game Award.
January 15 the Checkers are back in action at the Time Warner Cable Arena against Grand Rapid Griffins, face-off 3pm. Then on the 17th they host the Griffins again, face-off 7pm.
EddieMitchell@ProHockeyNews.com
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