Checkers Suffer 3-2 Overtime Loss to Hartford

The Checkers dug in to secure a point late in regulation but couldn’t quite finish the job, falling to Hartford in overtime 3-2.

The two sides bookended the first period with goals, as Hartford struck just 68 seconds into play and Oliver Okuliar banged in a rebound with 72 seconds left.

It would be a stalemate for the next big chunk of regulation, as the two sides entered the third period still tied at one. Hartford would break that deadlock as Brandon Scanlin hammered in his second of the night before the period hit its midway point, but the Checkers would eventually find an answer. With five minutes remaining in the contest, Will Lockwood fed a pass to a crashing John Leonard, who beat the Hartford netminder and forced the game to overtime.

The extra frame featured plenty of end-to-end action, but after the Checkers rang a shot off the crossbar late in overtime the Wolf Pack swung the puck back up the ice and put an end to things with 36 ticks left.

QUOTES

Coach Geordie Kinnear on the game
A good hockey game. I thought we played well. They scored in overtime, but I felt it was the type of game that you’re not happy with the outcome but you’re happy with the effort from everybody.

Kinnear on generating scoring chances
I think we had enough chances. Their guy (Hartford goalie Louis Domingue) has been in the NHL for a long period of time and I thought he was really good tonight. Competitive, just like a playoff game. I thought it was tough to get into the blue paint, but I thought we did a good job and had enough chances to win the hockey game. We fell on the short end of the stick at three-on-three.

Kinnear on physicality
In the second period they came out physical. I didn’t love the first period – you’re not always going to love every period – but I liked the response in the second period. I wanted to execute a little better in the third period because I thought we left a lot on the table. Overall, a good hockey game.

Kinnear on the overtime
That’s just the way it is sometimes. You have a couple of chances and then they go down and score the goal. We’d like to end it with those chances there, I think Benning hit the post and Willy Lockwood had a couple of great chances, but that’s overtime.

NOTES

The Charlotte Clippers game-worn jersey auction raised $32,570 to support the Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Foundation's Food Insecurity Fund, which helps provide healthy food to families in the Charlotte region ... The Checkers fell to 2-3 in games decided during the three-on-three overtime period. Three of their last six games went to overtime, with the Checkers winning one of those … Leonard tied his season high and led all skaters with seven shots on goal … Prior to Okuliar’s goal, the Checkers had gone a season-long stretch of three straight games without a power-play tally. They went 1-for-3 tonight … Defenseman Dennis Cesana made his AHL season debut after joining via recall from the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates. Cesana, who played 78 total Checkers games over the last three seasons, picked up an assist on Leonard’s goal … Checkers scratches included forwards Riley Bezeau, Zac Dalpe, Mackenzie Entwistle, Riese Gaber, Ryan McAllister, Aidan McDonough and Nicholas Zabaneh, defensemen Marek Alscher, Evan Nause and Mitch Vande Sompel, and goaltender Cooper Black.