For the second game in a row the Checkers and Islanders needed more than 60 minutes to determine a winner, and while Charlotte was able to claim a point in the standings it was Bridgeport that secured the victory this go-round.

The Islanders came out firing in Sunday’s rematch, breaking the ice early and then tacking on another to build a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

The Checkers flipped the script in the middle frame, though, cutting into the deficit early thanks to a quick strike from Wilmer Skoog. The momentum continued to tilt in their favor, and a fortuitous bounce off of Gerry Mayhew on an attempted breakout from below the goal line by Bridgeport ended up in the back of the net to pull the visitors out of the hole and deadlock the contest.



That surge proved to be the catalyst for free hockey, as neither team could pull back ahead in the third and the contest proceeded to overtime.

The Checkers were afforded an early man advantage but couldn’t quite find their footing, then the Islanders got a power play of their own and converted, pushing a loose puck across the line to claim the 3-2 win.

NOTES

The Checkers are now 4-0-2-0 this season against the Islanders … The Checkers are 4-4 in overtime this season and have gone beyond regulation in six of their last 11 games … This was the second time the Checkers have allowed more than one power-play goals in a game this season and the first since Oct. 27 … Mayhew now has three goals in the last two games … Skoog’s goal was his first in the AHL … Zac Dalpe has assists in back-to-back games … Ludovic Waeber started the game and stopped eight of 10 shots in the first before Spencer Knight took over to start the second … Ryan McAllister, Alexander True, Mark Senden, Dennis Cesana, Calle Sjalin and Mack Guzda were the scratches for Charlotte