The Checkers kicked off a three-game Canadian road trip Friday night in Belleville and knocked off the Senators by a final score of 4-1.

Charlotte had only 11 forwards available for the game, but their offense showed no signs of stalling. Captain Patrick Brown got the scoring going early in the first period off a slick feed from Nick Schilkey, then the Checkers continued it in the next frame when Julien Gauthier found the back of the net on the power play.

Belleville would get one back just 5 minutes later, though, and the score stayed at 2-1 until Aleksi Saarela finished off a pretty 2-on-1 feed from Andrew Poturalski past a sprawled Senator defender to double Charlotte’s lead with less than 2 minutes remaining in the middle frame. The Checkers would then put the game on ice when Nicolas Roy stuffed home a rebound just 1:15 into the final period, clinching a convincing 4-1 road victory.

Alex Nedeljkovic finished with 30 stops on 31 shots, including two impressive saves in the third period to keep the Senators’ offense at bay.

NOTES

Tonight extended the Checkers’ point streak to three games … The Checkers have now earned at least a point in six of their last seven road contests … Tonight was the third time this season that Nedeljkovic has made at least 30 saves and the first time since Oct. 13 … The Checkers exited the first period with a lead for the first time in their last four games … Patrick Brown notched his fourth multi-point game of the season and extended his point streak to three games … Jake Bean recorded his third multi-assist game of the season … Aleksi Saarela and Nicolas Roy both recorded points for the second consecutive game … Andrew Poturalski extended his scoring streak to three games and is now tied for eighth in the AHL in scoring … Nick Schilkey scored his 13th point of the season tonight in his 24th game, surpassing his 48-game total as a rookie last season … The Checkers only dressed 17 skaters (11 forwards, six defensemen) tonight … Haydn Fleury, Martin Necas and Bobby Sanguinetti, all of whom recently joined the team, were extras tonight … Janne Kuokkanen missed the game due to sickness … Spencer Smallman and Josiah Didier missed the game due to injury