Eight different Charlotte skaters found the back of the net on the night, with Aleksi Saarela and Dennis Robertson leading the rush with a trio of points each. While the Checkers’ offense pumped in goals early and often, their defense kept the Stars from developing any kind of attack, holding them to just 16 shots. Tom McCollum returned to his usual spot between the pipes and picked up his 10th win during his time with the Checkers.
Charlotte kicked things off with a pair of point blasts to build a two-goal lead out of the gates, then quickly tacked on two more thanks to nifty plays in front by the red-hot Aleksi Saarela and Patrick Dwyer. The Stars were finally able to cut into the staggering deficit on an early power-play in the second, but that didn’t slow down the Checkers. Andrej Nestrasil fired one home shortly after, followed by another pair in the final minute of the frame for a whopping seven goals through 40 minutes of play.
The Checkers’ juggernaut of an offense continued its destruction in the third, with Andrew Miller lighting the lamp then Dennis Robertson ripping a slap shot off the crossbar and in for the team’s third power-play goal of the night. Former Checker Ethan Werek would put one more up for the visitors, but the game had already been decided, with Charlotte completing a 9-3 throttling of the Stars.
QUOTES
Head coach Ulf Samuelsson on the big offensive night:
“All of our chances paid off. We had some good screens and some really good shots. The guys made a lot of good decisions with the puck and we executed a lot of the tough plays.”
Samuelsson on their hot start:
“It was nice. You could feel the confidence growing on the bench and players were making quick, accurate decisions. We kept it smart. We didn’t get carried away and get into a lot of bad habits because we know we have these guys tomorrow and we tried to play the whole game.”
Samuelsson on the scoring depth:
“It’s good for a lot of reasons, especially if you’re a forward and you play a lot of good games and get no reward for it as far as goals and assists, you might start thinking about it a little bit. I think it’s certainly relief for a lot of players to get some points.”
Samuelsson on tomorrow’s rematch:
“We’re in the race for a playoff spot and every game is important. It doesn’t really matter what we did today unless we win tomorrow. It’s a short turnaround here, but we talked about getting plenty of food and finding some energy for tomorrow.”
Dennis Robertson on the power play:
“I think we were just making clean plays. Guys are playing with their head up and passing quick and accurate. We’ve been struggling a little bit in the past, so it’s nice to see it click.”
Robertson on the consistency of the defensive pairings:
“I think it’s huge. It allows you to develop chemistry with guys. Even if someone takes a penalty and we get mixed up, we’re still able to play well together. Playing with the same guy every night is a huge advantage.”
Robertson on his increased goal total:
“It helps to be on a good team. I think the last few years we’ve been on the cusp, and this is definitely the best team I’ve been on with the Checkers. Hopefully we can make a deep run and keep it going.”
Robertson on tomorrow’s rematch:
“Focus on the little things. It’s nice to put the puck in the net, but the reason we were able to do that is because we’re playing the right way, we’re playing hard and we didn’t give them any room out there. We’ve got to come back with the same effort tomorrow.”
Andrew Poturalski on his return to the Checkers:
“I came back yesterday at the end of the day, and it was good to get back here with the guys. It’s an exciting time right now with us making the playoff push, and hopefully we can make a little run. It’s all good vibes in the locker room and everyone’s happy right now.”
Poturalski on his first NHL stint:
“I came back yesterday at the end of the day, and it was good to get back here with the guys. It’s an exciting time right now with us making the playoff push, and hopefully we can make a little run. It’s all good vibes in the locker room and everyone’s happy right now.”
Poturalski on ending his scoring drought:
“For scorers, when we don’t score for a while that gets frustrating but if the team’s winning that’s most important. To get a couple of points tonight obviously felt good but the win is more important.”
