Timing was everything in the 3-1 victory that improved Charlotte’s record to 4-2-0 on the young season, with newcomer Derek Ryan scoring his fourth of the season to win it with just 1:38 remaining in regulation. The goal came on a power play that the Checkers had earned just moments after killing a two-man advantage for the Griffins that lasted nearly a minute and a half.
The win reversed Charlotte’s two-game losing streak that came on the heels of three straight wins to start the season. All six games have come on the road, as will the next four as construction nears completion at Bojangles’ Coliseum.Goaltender Drew MacIntyre, who entered the game with a 3.95 goals-against average and .855 save percentage, finished with 28 saves to earn his third victory. Brody Sutter scored on a slap shot from the left circle to make it 1-0 in the first period, with David Wohlberg adding an empty-netter with 41 seconds remaining to ice the victory.
In a game that otherwise lacked the high-quality scoring chances and goals of their previous contests, most of the drama in this affair was saved for the final six minutes. The intrigue began when Ryan took a high-sticking penalty with 5:34 remaining in a tie game, followed by Wohlberg being found guilty of closing his hand on the puck as he attempted to kill time in the offensive zone 39 seconds later.
After MacIntyre and the penalty-killing trio of Sutter, Rasmus Rissanen and Keegan Lowe held the fort to nullify the two-man advantage, officials caught Grand Rapids with too many men on the ice with 3:03 to play. From there, Ryan tipped Zach Boychuk’s shot past Griffins goaltender Tom McCollum to secure the late victory.
Wohlberg, a professional tryout signing who netted his first of the season in the Checkers’ previous game, a 4-3 loss to the Griffins on Wednesday, completed the cycle of poetic justice by becoming the second player who took a late penalty to score a goal before the game was over.
The Checkers now head to Chicago, the site of a 9-5 loss exactly one week earlier, on Sunday to continue a road trip that will see them play every other day until Halloween.
