NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – Game three started with t he South Carolina Stingrays playing a repeat of the same mistake-filled games they played on the road at Charlotte in period one. However, they suddenly caught momentum dominating the second two periods and grabbing a 4-2 win over the Checkers before a crowd of 2,131. Despite the loss Charlotte still has a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 opening playoff round.
The Stingrays must have been happy to come home to the North Charleston Coliseum for their third playoff game in the first round. The ‘Rays have not won a road playoff game since April 15, 2005 and after losing twice in Charlotte trailed in the series two games to none. It was a good homecoming if you rooted for the home team.
Charlotte came into the game hoping they had the Stingrays on the ropes. The short-term answer came quickly as the Stingrays’ committed two major errors and the Checkers capitalized by scoring on both. It was a great first period for the Checkers and was all the club had wished for as Charlotte coach Derek Wilkinson wanted his team to put pressure on the Stingrays.
The plan got off to a good start when South Carolina starting goaltender Jonathan Boutin was surprised when a puck in his zone was cleared towards the middle of the ice when he apparently expected it to be cleared up the boards. Charlotte defenseman Ethan Graham intercepted the clearing attempt and got his third goal of the series on a low shot along the ice as the startled Boutin missed it and the puck slid under his stick. The goal was unassisted.
The second error occurred when ‘Rays defenseman Sasha Pokoluk telegraphed a cross-ice pass in front of his own net. Charlotte mistake number two also ended up in the net as forward Matt Schepke intercepted the pass intended for Pokoluk’s defense partner and skated in all alone using a quick wrist shot from about ten feet out to give the Checkers a 2-0 lead. It was also unassisted. Meanwhile, Jeff Jakaitis was in goal for the Checkers and he made 12 first period saves three of which were outstanding.
The ‘Rays however, showed immediate life in the second period as they scored two goals in the first 1:49 of the stanza. The first came 15 seconds into the period off the stick of Spencer Carbery. Nikita Kashirsky and Mick Berge provided the setup passes. The second goal came during a Stingray power plays when Maxime Lacroix, in front of the net, redirected a Zack Takir slap shot from just inside the blue line past Jakaitis. Travis Morin also got an assist on the score.
The Stingrays continued to have second period momentum but their shot and territorial advantage dissipated when their series long problem of unnecessary penalties resurfaced. The ‘Rays took two penalties in the last six minutes of the period. In doing so they effectively choked off their own momentum in what was a very good period for them during the first fourteen minutes. Unfortunately for the Checkers, the ‘Rays were able to kill off both of the visitor’s late period power play opportunities and the second intermission began with the game tied at two apiece.
The Stingrays were immediately called for their fourth straight penalty 21 seconds into period three but as they had done five previous times killed it off. A little later Keith Johnson put the Stingrays in the lead with the unassisted game-winning goal at 3:48 on a bullet shot from the left circle. Twenty four seconds later South Carolina struck again. Lacroix got his second goal of the game as the puck leaked through Jakaitis on a point blank shot. Morin and Johnson got the assists.
The keys to the game was the Checkers failure to convert on the power play as they went scoreless on all eight power plays. In addition the domination of South Carolina in the second and third periods and the play of the Stingrays most productive line of Morin, Lacroix and Johnson proved fatal to Charlotte. The Stingrays top line got untracked accounting for three of the team’s four goals in this game.
The ‘Rays defensive effort was also good as Charlotte only got ten shots in the second two periods including just three shots in the third. Jakaitis took the loss allowing four goals on 40 shots while Jonathan Boutin stopped 18 of the 20 shots he faced in the win.
“Tonight it had to be discipline over emotion. Trailing 0-2 in the series we are simply playing to win one game not two or three,” said Stingrays coach Jared Bednar.
“It was a great mental effort in coming back from a 2-0 deficit in the game and facing a possible 3-0 deficit in the series,” said South Carolina assistant coach Cail MacLean.
Games four and five of the series are scheduled for the North Charleston Coliseum on Thursday and Friday with 7:05 PM game starts.
Contact the author at Phil.Brand@prohockeynews.com
