The Checkers won with a shutout by Ken Appleby as Aiden McDonough scored early in the second period and Rasmus Asplund rounded it out in the third with both a power-play and an empty-net goal.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- It was a slow start in the first 20 minutes as the game remained scoreless going into the second, even with each team getting a power-play opportunity.
- McDonough kept his hot start to the season going when he opened the scoring early in the second period just one second after time expired on the Checkers’ power play.
- In the third, Rasmus Asplund scored a power-play goal to make it a two-goal lead. Shortly following, Asplund scored an empty-net, shorthanded goal to push Charlotte's lead even further.
- That was enough for the Checkers as they locked up the Islanders across regulation, with Appleby earning a hard-fought shutout between the pipes.
NOTES
The Checkers killed seven power plays, one with a short-handed, empty-net goal, and scored on one out of their six power-play opportunities … Charlotte out-shot Bridgeport 38-21 … This was Appleby’s eighth AHL shutout … Appleby spent the last three seasons with Bridgeport … The Checkers have killed 12 of 13 penalties to start the season … The Checkers are 2-0-0-0 to start the season for the second time in the last three seasons … Making their Checkers debut was forward Matt Luff and goaltender Ken Appleby… Checkers scratches included forwards Riley Bezeau, Josh Davies, Zac Dalpe, Riley Hughes, Jamie Armstrong and Nicholas Zabaneh; defenseman Trevor Carrick; and goaltender Chris Driedger.
