Mike Benning, Noah Gregor and Wilmer Skoog scored the game’s only goals within a 1:17 span early the middle frame, while Cooper Black made 27 saves to earn his first shutout of the season and fourth of his career.
One week after playing in an empty house due to winter weather in the Charlotte area, the Checkers used the momentum from a packed building to jump out to a quick start that saw them generate numerous scoring chances in the first period.
They were yet unable to solve Griffins goalie Michal Postava, who came up big on breakaways, odd-man rushes and goalmouth scrambles alike as the teams headed into the intermission tied 0-0. At the other end, Black was his equal, helping fend off a Griffins five-on-three advantage that lasted nearly the full two minutes.
Charlotte got the breakthrough it needed rather quickly in the second, however, with Benning firing a wrister from just inside the blue line that went in through traffic at the three-minute mark. Just 40 seconds later, Gregor benefited from quick passing by Trevor Carrick and Jack Studnicka to earn a partial breakaway that he converted to put his team up two, and Skoog capitalized on a Griffins turnover to complete the barrage shortly thereafter.
That sequence would account for all the scoring in this contest, as referees waved off Studnicka’s apparent goal with approximately five minutes remaining in regulation due to a high stick.
These teams meet for a rematch at Bojangles Coliseum Saturday night that will conclude their season series.
Can't get up ice much faster than this! pic.twitter.com/yvCxZ4tDJ7
— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) February 7, 2026
QUOTES
Coach Geordie Kinnear on the winI thought early we were kind of feeling it out a little bit and then we took some penalties, and then I thought the penalty kill stepped up and we got a couple of chances off of that and then we settled into it. A really good second period, and again, we wanted to learn some lessons from the Providence (games) and move the needle. I thought the guys as a group and individually moved the needle today.
Kinnear on Cooper Black
He played great. I thought he really controlled the game and the guys in front of him did a great job. They’re one of the elite teams at getting pucks to the net with tips and rebounds, and I thought the guys did a good job of building trust with Cooper, and he did his part and they did theirs. Definitely a team effort.
Kinnear on Mikulas Hovorka returning the lineup
It’s what we do down here. You look at the travel, our group does it all the time. Obviously a very memorable game for him last night playing in his first NHL game and got a real education as part of his development, and now he came down here and had a good game today. We’re super proud of him, and I know the ups and downs that he’s gone through over the course of a year and a half now. Very important for his development. A really important night for him last night and then more important today, he came down with the right attitude and continued to play the right way.
Cooper Black on going 2-0 against his hometown Griffins this season
It’s definitely an extra little bit of motivation, that’s for sure. The boys played great in front of me tonight. Quite frankly, we deserved to win, so it made my job pretty easy back there. Really in the third we didn’t have much until the last shift. It was good defense by them and I think they made my life pretty easy. It definitely helps when you’ve got a good team in front of you.
Black adjusting to a starter’s role this season
I think a lot of it is team success rewards individual success. We’re such a close group here, and I feel super comfortable playing here. I know that every night when I go into that net, the boys have my back. Sometimes they’re scoring eight goals and I don’t have to do much when they’re scoring eight goals, so as a goalie it’s pretty relaxing when you know you can go into a game and count on your team to put up some goals and know that you’re not going to have to pitch a shutout every night.
