Similar to Friday’s contest, the Checkers snatched the lead in the first - this time off a heavy wrister from Johnny Ludvig streaking into the zone - and never let it go.
Things tightened up in the middle frame, with both sides logging nine shots on goal, but no one was able to break through. Charlotte pulled the game back in its favor in the third, however, as Grigori Denisenko found the back of the net less than three minutes into the frame to double the lead and Connor Bunnaman capitalized on a man advantage moments later to push the visitors further ahead.
Bunnaman's back and he's making sure everyone knows it! pic.twitter.com/hjoAkWPnX3
— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) March 18, 2023
In his second straight start, Alex Lyon continued to frustrate the home squad much as he had the day before – turning away all of Toronto’s chances until the Marlies were finally able to break through halfway into the third. That wouldn’t rattle Lyon, though, and the veteran netminder locked back in from that point to throw water on any hopes of a Toronto comeback. Cam Morrison hit the empty net in the waning moments of the contest and that would put a cap on Charlotte’s second consecutive beatdown of the Marlies.
