An uneventful first period was capped off by a Viktor Arvidsson goal with just 16 ticks left on the clock. The Checkers were dealt another blow as the first period buzzer sounded as Andrej Nestrasil was called for butt-ending. He was issued a five-minute major and a game misconduct, ending his night after just 20 minutes.
The Checkers were tasked with a tough five-minute kill to start the second as a result of the Nestrasil penalty, and nearly came away unscathed, but Colton Sissons struck with 14 seconds left in the man advantage to put the Admirals on top 2-0 early in the middle frame.br />
The Checkers managed to register 31 shots on goal, but couldn’t seem to find a way to create any legitimate scoring chances. Tonight marked the third time they have been shut out this season, as well as being the second largest losing deficit the team has seen.
LaWhile the Checkers’ penalty kill has been a strong point for much of the season, repeatedly ranking in the top ten in the AHL, it has struggled as of late. With the two goals allowed on five opportunities tonight, Charlotte’s PK unit has given up five goals in 15 chances over their last three games. That is coming after a stretch that saw them go seven straight games and 24 opportunities without giving up a power play goal.
On the other end, the power play continued to be the team’s biggest sore spot. The Checkers were unable to cash in on any of the five chances they were given, including three huge power plays in the third period when they desperately needed some type of spark.
John Muse was in goal for Charlotte, making his first start since his four straight coming out of the holiday break. He was able to stop 30 of the 35 shots he was faced, and the two power play goals he allowed were tough to blame him on, but Muse was saddled with his fifth straight loss (four in regulation, one in overtime).
After finishing up this tough back-to-back on the road, the Checkers will enjoy a small break before visiting the Rockford IceHogs on Tuesday to wrap up the four-game trip. They will then have a quick turnaround, coming back to Charlotte for a weekend series against the Marlies.