The Checkers were looking for revenge in Springfield Saturday night but came up empty, dropping a lopsided 6-1 contest to the Thunderbirds.
The game followed a similar script to last night’s matchup, with the Thunderbirds breaking through with the opening frame’s lone goal and then the Checkers striking quickly in the second to tie things up - this time courtesy of Patrick Khodorenko jamming in a loose puck out front.
Once again the deadlock did not last long, as Springfield snatched back the lead with a response just 32 seconds later. Unlike last night’s tight contest, though, things got out of hand from there.
The Thunderbirds collected a pair of goals in the back half of the second to extend their lead, then poured it on with another pair to start the third to blow things open. The Checkers had no answer offensively, and Springfield coasted on to a blowout of Charlotte.
NOTES
The Checkers have lost four straight games, their longest such streak of the season … Six goals is the most the Checkers have given up this season and five goals is their largest losing margin … Charlotte is 1-7-0-1 in Springfield over the last three seasons … Patrick Giles has points in two straight games and in four of his last five … Khodorenko’s goal was his first since Dec. 21 … The Checkers have scored one goal in each of their last three games and have scored a total of five goals over their last four … After going scoreless on three opportunities tonight, the Checkers have not scored a power-play goal in their last five games, going 0 for 18 on the man advantage over that stretch … The seven power plays Springfield got tied the most by a Checkers opponent this season … The Checkers have allowed a power-play goal in three of their last four games … Alexander True, Mark Senden, Uvis Balinskis, Dennis Cesana and Mack Guzda were the scratches for Charlotte
