Checkers News

The Checkers visited Manitoba one last time Monday night looking for their third straight win, but the Moose had other ideas, topping Charlotte 2-1.

It didn’t take long for the Checkers’ offense, which was coming off back-to-back performances of six goals or more, to strike, as Derek Ryan redirected a Zach Miskovic shot just 90 seconds after the opening puck drop. That lead would hold until the back half of the second period, when Scott Kosmachuk ripped a wrist shot on an odd-man rush that beat John Muse low on the stick side to tie things up.

The Checkers stifled the Moose for much of the second part of the contest, surrendering just 11 shots in the second and third periods combined, but it was Kosmachuk again who would break the deadlock in the third, threading a shot from in close on the power play to give the home team a one-goal lead. The Checkers ramped up the pressure for the rest of the regulation, but couldn’t find a way behind Moose netminder Connor Hellebuyck. The visitors got one last crack at tying the game in the waning seconds, as Blair Jones jumped out on a breakaway, but his buzzer-beating attempt was shut down by Hellebuyck and the Moose escaped with a 2-1 victory.

Charlotte dominated extended stretches of the game, keeping near constant pressure in the Manitoba zone and hardly allowing the Moose to create much offensively. But the home team took advantage of those few and far between chances, with Kosmachuk continuing to be a thorn in the Checkers’ side. With tonight’s pair of markers, Manitoba’s leading goal scorer now has five goals and six points in eight matchups with Charlotte.

After turning in two big goal totals over their last two games, the Checkers’ offense fell back into old trends, only finding the back of the net once and going scoreless on four man advantages.

The positive takeaway on the offensive side of things is that the captain continues to have the hot hand. Ryan potted another goal tonight, extending his point streak to five games and giving him 10 points (5g, 5a) over that stretch.

Between the pipes, Muse wasn’t tested much other than the two goals he allowed, but Hellebuyck took center stage. The netminder haunted the Checkers, who sent several great chances his way only to see them frustratingly swallowed up. While his play has gone up and down accordingly with his team’s play, the Checkers ran into Hellebuyck on an upswing, as he has allowed just three goals over his last four starts.

A win would have gone a long way toward giving the Checkers some cushion in the playoff race, but they still hold onto the fourth Pacific Division spot by a slim margin over San Jose, who are back in action on Wednesday.

The Checkers will now return to Charlotte to regroup and hopefully get healthy before kicking off their last home stand of the regular season Friday against Texas.