Checkers News

A fast-paced game of huge momentum swings saw the Checkers lose a 6-4 heartbreaker in Oklahoma City.

After giving up a two-goal lead in the first period and rallying back from a two-goal deficit in the third, the Checkers allowed a power-play goal with 1:46 remaining in regulation to fall behind for good in the first of back-to-back games against their West Division rivals. Rookie Brock McGinn broke out of his recent scoring funk with three points, including the game’s opening goal and the tying marker with 7:12 remaining in regulation, with Danny Biega and Justin Shugg providing the rest of the offense. Drew MacIntyre made 23 saves in the losing effort.

Though Curtis Hamilton’s goal early in the third period seemed to put the Checkers on their heels, the visitors seemed to be in a good place when Shugg put home the rebound from a McGinn shot and McGinn did the honors himself on the rebound from Ryan Murphy’s shot on the power play to tie the game. Shugg’s goal was his fourth in as many games since returning from injury, extending the longest goal streak of his four pro seasons, while McGinn set career highs for goals and points in a single outing.

After the Checkers missed a power-play opportunity of their own after McGinn tied the game, Oklahoma City, whose power play entered the game ranked first in the AHL at 29.7 percent, took advantage when Chad LaRose went to the box for tripping Oscar Klefbom in a battle along the boards. Tyler Pitlick would score the game-winning goal on the rebound, with Iiro Pakarinen adding the empty-net insurance.

The loss prevented the Checkers from winning consecutive games for the first time this season.

After two fights in the game’s first two minutes involving the Checkers’ Keegan Lowe and Brendan Woods, the Checkers started the game about as well as they could have hoped when McGinn netted his second of the campaign 3:14 into the contest on a shot from the slot and Biega added his first of the season on a wrister from the right circle after Rasmus Rissanen forced a turnover in the offensive zone.

Before the first period had ended, however, the Barons tied it up on goals from former ECHL Checker Matthew Ford and Ryan Hamilton. Pakarinen gave the Barons their first lead of the game on a shot from the top of the circles that beat MacIntyre through the legs before Curtis Hamilton made it four unanswered with his finish of a great cross-crease pass by Brad Hunt early in the third, setting the stage for Charlotte’s short-lived comeback.

The teams, who play each other a total of 12 times this season, continue their rivalry with a rematch at 8 p.m on Saturday.

NOTES

Shugg ranks second on the team with five goals in just seven games this season … McGinn had six shots on goal, leading the Checkers in that department for the third time in their last four games … Lowe and Kale Kessy each earned game misconducts for their second fight, against each other, just after the final buzzer … The last time the Checkers scored four goals and lost was also in a 6-4 loss against Oklahoma City on April 6 of last season … Forwards Patrick Brown, Ben Holmstrom, Jared Staal and Brody Sutter missed the game due to injury … Forward Carter Sandlak and defensemen Dennis Robertson and Beau Schmitz were healthy extras.