CHARLOTTE, NC – Winning on the road is always difficult for any sports team, yet the Checkers are making a habit of it. Charlotte is now 3-0 on the season ending road trip with one game to go at Milwaukee Admirals on Sunday afternoon.
Charlotte has a 6-6 record in shootouts this season; this was one they needed to win. With one game to go in the regular season Charlotte need one point against Milwaukee or hope that close rivals Houston lose against Texas.
This was a close game with the action going back and forth. Rockford went ahead through Peter LeBlanc with Nicolas Blanchard tying the game for the Checkers. Blanchard was playing only his second game after returning from injury.
In the second period again Rockford went ahead, this time Jeremy Morin scored on a power play. Zach Boychuk scored his 21st goal of the season for Charlotte to make the score 2-2. Bobby Sanguinetti provided the assist.
Charlotte took the lead in the third period with Evgenii Dadonov hitting a snap shot that beat goalie Kent Simpson. Boychuk and Brett Sutter assisted with the goal. Goalie Kent Simpson, was playing his first ever professional game, he made 38 saves, was then pulled by Rockford who then tied the game with Brendan Svendsen scoring.
In the shootout Bowman missed the initial attempt but Shugg, Terry and Pistilli all scored for Charlotte. Justin Peters saved three of the Ice Hogs efforts, overall he made 34 saves in the game. Peters has now gone three games in a row on the winning team.
Charlotte now travel to Milwaukee to face the Admirals in the final regular season game. The Admirals defeated Charlotte at the Time Warner Cable Arena twice last week. A win for Charlotte could see them finishing fifth place in the Western Division.
EddieMitchell@ProHockeyNews.com
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