Checkers fighting for playoff lives

CHARLOTTE, NC – The Charlotte Checkers took another blow to their play-off

hopes when they lost to close rivals the Peoria Rivermen 5-2. The Checkers started brightly enough but they were caught on the break by Anthony Peluso who put the Rivermen a head 1-0 with 2:32 gone in the period.
 
Peoria kept the pressure on Charlotte and Justin Peters busy.   Two minutes after Peoria’s opening goal Zac Dalpe tied the game, then four minutes later a Bobby Sanguinetti shot was redirected by Zach Boychuk to put Charlotte a head. Things were looking good for the Checkers, they had the lead going in to the second period, and they had kept Jake Allen in the Peoria goal busy. On the night Allen made 42 saves.
 
Rivermen’s Patrick Sullivan scored an equalizer after just 50 seconds of the second period then Peluso scored his second goal of the night and Peoria’s third. The third period saw Peoria go away from Charlotte with two additional goals making the final score 5-2. Charlotte leads the series 3-2-0.
 
With 13 games left in the regular season Charlotte are battling for a playoff spot.
 
Unfortunately their current form 2-5-4 in the last eleven games is not playoff material. The team that started the game so well faded badly, it wasn’t as if they did not have chances, because they did. They did not capitalize on them.
 
Zac Dalpe was voted by the fans as the Roll Up Your Sleeves Player of the Game
 
Charlotte have the opportunity to return to winning ways tonight when they host the Peoria Rivermen at Time Warner Cable Arena, face-off 7pm.


 
EddieMitchell@ProHockeyNews.com
Photos by Tom.Nelson@prohockeynews.com