Photo essay: Connecticut at Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC – A record crowd of 12,933 fans were entertained by a recent Connecticut Whale and hometown Checkers match.   The final score was a 1-0 win by the Checkers.  The game started with three fights in the first period and several more in the second and third.
 
This was really a great game to watch as they played as well as their big brothers in the NHL.
 
The offense of both teams was such that there was fierce play around the goal with no holding back on the attack of the goal. The Checkers were able to get the lead with what turned out to be the only goal of the game and they held off the Whale’s attempts to score. With less than one minute to score the Whale pulled their goalie but the extra man was no help to them and the Checkers held on to win.
 
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The way I shoot hockey is generally in line with the other sports events I shoot. I like to watch for a short time to see how the teams are set up and how they play the other team. I like to get the action pictures as well as the team members reactions to the play of the game. I will follow, as best as possible, a shot on goal but prefer to catch the reaction of the player who scores the goal rather than the puck going in but I do follow the puck if there is an assist and the puck goes in at an awkward angle or I catch the puck going in off a skate. I like catching the action of the face-off, that moment when the puck hits the ice.
 
In a lot of games I shoot by the seat of my pants because the action becomes so fast paced that there is no way to actually follow the puck because of all the passing and interceptions between the teams. It all boils down to paying attention to the game and getting those shots that I believe tells the story of the game.
 
Hockey is a tough game to shoot.
 
Contact John.Nelson@prohockeynews.com