The first-place Barons brought pressure early and often, getting on the board first thanks to Anton Lander, who put home a rebound just 88 seconds into the game. Despite peppering John Muse with 16 shots in the frame, Oklahoma City couldn’t put anything else past the Checkers netminder, who stood tall for most of the game, withstanding a barrage of pucks from the Barons’ potent offense to finish with 40 saves.
Rookie blue liner Dennis Robertson evened the score midway through the second, ripping a one-timer on a loose puck for his first professional goal. Oklahoma City responded late in the period after a mad scramble in front of the crease led to the puck finding its way over the goal line, giving the Barons a one-goal lead heading into the final 20 minutes of regulation.
The 44 shots that Oklahoma City put on goal is the second-most allowed by Charlotte this season and marks the second-straight game in which the team has allowed at least 40 shots. After surrendering the first goal early in regulation, Muse stepped up and kept the Checkers within striking distance until the third period. With the absence of Drew MacIntyre, whose team was eliminated from Spengler Cup play yesterday, Muse was making his third consecutive start, the first time this season that has happened. In fact, the goalie had not made any consecutive starts prior to this stretch.
The Checkers were shorthanded in other facets as well, as the recall of Ryan Murphy left them with only five healthy defensemen heading into the day, predicating the addition of Austin Levi from the ECHL, who played in just his 11th AHL game. The team also had a scare on the other side of the ice when Brock McGinn blocked a shot in the first period and struggled to limp his way off the ice. After not taking the ice with the team to begin the second, the rookie returned to the bench later in the frame and finished the game, much to the relief of the offense-starved team.
With tonight’s 0-for-3 performance on the power play, the Checkers’ cellar-dwelling special teams unit continues to struggle. During this current three-game skid, Charlotte has gone scoreless in 14 man advantages. On the bright side, their penalty-kill unit has continued to shine, keeping the Barons’ high-powered attack without a goal on three opportunities. The Checkers have gone five-straight games without allowing a power play goal.
The team will now return to Charlotte looking to bust their slump with a quick two-game series against the Texas Stars, beginning this Saturday with Star Wars Night.
