The visitors built up a two-goal lead heading into the back half of the second, but the Checkers found a surge at that point that pushed them back into the contest. Mike Benning provided the spark with a rip from the point that found its way into the back of the net, then Skyler Brind’Amour put a shot through traffic and in minutes later to even the score and send the Checkers into the third with momentum on their side.
The Bruins quickly threw water on Charlotte’s rally, however, as former Checker Patrick Brown tapped in a shorthanded tally just 34 seconds into the third to reclaim the lead for Providence.
The visiting side never let that lead slip as time ticked away in the third, and the Bruins tacked on one more in the waning minutes to push the contest out of reach for the Checkers.
Battled back! pic.twitter.com/ktSjYHEvNh
— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) February 3, 2024
QUOTES
Coach Geordie Kinnear on the gameA good hockey game and lots of emotion. It was on the wrong end of the stick.
Kinnear on Providence pulling away in the third period
The goal against on the power play, the shorthanded goal, put us on our heels for a little bit. It took us a little bit to get going again. We don’t want it to take that long, but the game of hockey is momentum shifts. It gave them momentum and took a little bit of energy away from the bench. We got going there but not enough at the end of the day.
Kinnear on changing line combinations
We’re just getting guys back too. It was a good game in Hartford and some guys got banged up a little bit tonight. Dalps obviously got in the scuffle, so the lines changed a little bit at times. We need more guys going so then the coach doesn’t have to mix the lines up.
Kinnear on the feeling in the room during a tough stretch
If you look at it, in the Hartford game we got some bodies back, so that’s important. Today was a good hockey game and we ended up on the short end of the stick with lots of emotion. We’re not going to win them all, but nothing changes whether you win or lose. You just keep after it. I’m a strong believer that when you go through these tough times, you keep fighting, doing the right things and working hard, there’s more growth at the end of it. We want to make sure we grow at the end of this, so keep working hard and doing the right things. We just need everybody going more consistently.
Kinnear on Skyler Brind’Amour
It was one of his best games, and he has a unique skill to his faceoffs so he got some power play time. Again, the coach doesn’t have to do that if everybody’s going. If everyone’s maximizing their skillset, then the lines and the power plays usually stay the same. We got a power-play goal but that was at the end of it with a different group in there, and then we give up the shorthanded goal. We’ve got to be better in that area for sure.
