A strong start and a strong finish earned the Checkers two points in the standings Wednesday night, as they defeated the Penguins 4-3 in front of a raucous crowd at the Coliseum.
Charlotte kicked things off with a pair of tallies in the opening frame to establish a lead, as Aleksi Heponiemi and Riley Sheahan both knocked home pucks from in tight. That lead would be gone come the second intermission, however, as an early second-period strike from the visitors pulled things even once again.
The Checkers’ scoring punch came back just in time for the final frame, though, as Zac Dalpe and Max McCormick both lit the lamp within the first two and a half minutes of the third to give the home side a two-goal lead for the first time.
The Penguins would tilt the ice their way down the stretch, outshooting Charlotte by a staggering 12-3 count and finding the back of the net early on to narrow the advantage once again. The Checkers found a way to hold on, though – aided by Christopher Gibson and his 22 saves – and they exit this two-game set against the Penguins with three of a possible four points in the standings.
Written by Nicholas Niedzielski
You must be logged in to post a comment.