In an otherwise competitive game, the Manitoba Moose were able to capitalize by scoring multiple goals in three separate short bursts, one in each period, to ultimately emerge with a 7-2 victory over the Checkers. Charlotte had previously not lost by more than four goals.
Derek Ryan and Brendan Woods scored for Charlotte, which emerged from the game with a 33-28 advantage in shots on goal. Drew MacIntyre stopped nine of 13 shots before making way for Daniel Altshuller, who went on to stop 12 of 15, in the second period.
The beginning of the game could not have gone much worse for Charlotte, which trailed 2-0 after allowing two goals on the first three shots they faced in the first 4:01 of the first period. However, the Checkers rebounded nicely from the tough start, getting a goal from Ryan on their first power-play opportunity and closing the opening frame with a 16-5 lead in shots.
As was the case at the game’s outset, Manitoba again struck fast and furious in the near the end of the second, suddenly scoring twice in a span of 1:10 to claim a 4-1 lead. That prompted the Checkers to make their goaltending change, though Altshuller had no further success in the third, at one point allowing three Moose goals in just under three minutes.
Aside from a consolation goal by Woods, his eighth of the season, those five unanswered goals were more than enough to put the Checkers away and drop their record to 1-9-3 since Jan. 27.
Sunday’s rematch concludes a six-game road swing for the Checkers, who will play six games in 10 days at Bojangles’ Coliseum starting Friday, March 4.
