It was the second multi-goal game of the season for Gauthier, who now has 11 goals on the season. Playing for the 24th time in 28 games and for the second consecutive night, Alex Nedeljkovic made 21 saves for his league-leading 24th victory.
With the win, the Checkers are now nine points clear of Bridgeport for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. The teams meet again tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m.
After Bridgeport scored the game’s first goal on a two-on-one break just 2:16 into the first period, Gauthier provided the necessary response. First, he took advantage of a turnover forced by Janne Kuokkanen in the offensive zone and beat Bridgeport netminder Eamon McAdam, who was making his first AHL start of the season, on a breakaway late in the first period. Early in the second, he gave the Checkers the lead for good with the deflection of Brenden Kichton’s shot from the point.
Though unable to add to their lead, the Checkers did enough to preserve it in a tighly-played third period that featured just 12 total shots.
