The Checkers fell prey to the Monsters Sunday afternoon, dropping the contest by a 5-1 score.

The home team was all over the Checkers to start the game, lighting the lamp twice in the opening frame and putting Charlotte in a hole by the time the first intermission came around. Steven Lorentz gave the visitors some life early in the second when he cut that lead in half, swooping up the left side and depositing the rebound from his own shot into the top shelf, but Cleveland would fight back.

The Monsters jumped on a shorthanded breakaway opportunity later in that frame to push their lead back to two, then broke things open in the third. Cleveland scored back-to-back goals less than two minutes apart within the first seven minutes of the third and that would be more than enough to secure the home side a lopsided victory.

NOTES

The Checkers are winless in three straight games, their longest such streak of the season … Tonight was Anton Forsberg’s first loss as a Checker … Tonight was Charlotte’s first regulation loss in Cleveland since Dec. 22, 2016 … Eetu Luostarinen’s point streak came to an end at six games … The Checkers went perfect on the penalty for the second straight game … The Checkers have allowed three shorthanded goals this season, tied for the most in the AHL … Spencer Smallman and Fredrik Claesson missed the game due to injury … Hunter Shinkaruk, Anthony Louis and Derek Sheppard were healthy extras

UP NEXT

After a week of practice, the Checkers will return to Bojangles’ Coliseum and host the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday and Saturday.