Utica Scores Late, Defeats Checkers 3-1

A strong start was squandered by Charlotte, as the visiting Comets netted three goals in the third to skate away with a 3-1 win.

Tobias Bjornfot opened the scoring midway through the first frame by finishing off a slick passing play from Sandis Vilmanis and Oliver Okuliar, but the offense dried up from there for the home team. The Checkers would end up pumping 34 shots on Utica netminder Ian Poulter but that initial goal was the only blemish for the visiting goalie.

That 1-0 lead would hold strong into the second intermission, but a quick wrister from Brian Halonen found the back of the net less than two minutes into the third to draw the score even. The two sides would battle down the stretch from there - with the Checkers outshooting their opponent 12-5 in the period - but it was Halonen again who sniped a shot in with just under two to play to give the Comets their first lead of the night.

The Checkers’ last ditch effort came up short, and an empty-net dagger from the Comets sealed Charlotte’s fate and the 3-1 final.

QUOTES

Coach Geordie Kinnear on the game
Back and forth a little bit. I thought we had a really good start. The power play wasn’t going in the first and kind of brought the energy down when I thought we had a lot of energy to start. The second period, I thought we had a really good start to the period and then we had a little bit of a turnover and they got momentum a little bit. I thought we re-gathered a little bit, then they scored early in the third period. I thought they didn’t have a lot, and then obviously they scored a timely goal at the very end.

Kinnear on the power play
We have guys that are on the power play that are important guys, and when you don’t get any momentum then you have to go back and forth 200 feet. You’ve got to get credit to the other team. I thought they did a good job of denying entries and didn’t give us a lot, but that has to be better. That wears us down when we have to go 200 feet all the time on power-play breakouts when you don’t have the zone time.

Kinnear on tomorrow’s rematch
There were pockets of the game I really liked but we came up short. A lot of guys are getting quality time on ice and opportunity to feel what it’s like to play the pro game and learn what it takes to win in the end. We’ll learn from it, move on and be better tomorrow.

NOTES

Charlotte fell to 1-2-0 against Utica this season. The season series concludes tomorrow … Bjornfot’s goal was his first since Dec. 28 … The Checkers went 0-for-5 on the power play … Checkers scratches included forwards Riley Bezeau, Zac Dalpe, MacKenzie Entwistle, Riese Gaber, Ryan McAllister, Aidan McDonough and Justin Sourdif; defensemen Colton Huard, Eamon Powell and Mitch Vande Sompel, and goaltender Cooper Black.