HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack and Charlotte Checkers played an entertaining contest on Saturday night at PeoplesBank Arena in front of 6,977 fans. In the end, the Checkers were able to grab the extra point thanks to a 2-1 overtime victory.
Brian Pinho opened the scoring 8:17 into the game, striking shorthanded. MacKenzie Entwistle forced a turnover in the offensive zone, then cut to the net. Entwistle was denied by Callum Tung, but the rebound bounced right to Pinho. The puck went off Pinho and found the back of the net to make it 1-0.
The goal was the eleventh shorthanded goal allowed by the Wolf Pack this season.
Less than two minutes later, the Wolf Pack returned to the power play. This time, they struck to equalize the game 1-1.
Bryce McConnell-Barker snapped a shot from just inside the right-wing circle that beat Cooper Black at 10:58 for his tenth goal of the season. Brody Lamb picked up the primary assist on the goal, extending his point streak to five-games (2 g, 3 a).
Both goaltenders were perfect in the middle stanza, sending us to the final 20 minutes deadlocked 1-1. Tung made six saves in the net for the Wolf Pack, while Black turned aside seven Wolf Pack bids.
An entertaining third period also failed to produce a goal. The Wolf Pack outshot the Checkers 11-10 in the frame but were unable to solve Black.
In overtime, both sides created some chances, but it took until the final seconds to determine a winner. Pinho took a pass from Robert Mastrosimone in the right-wing circle and fired a shot that beat Tung at 4:41 to give the Checkers the second point.
