After a scoreless first period that saw the Checkers out-shoot the Monsters 11-5, the home team was finally able to break the deadlock when captain and leading scorer Derek Ryan punched in a power-play goal nearly nine minutes into the second. The Checkers then pounced on the reeling Monsters, with Brody Sutter intercepting a pass in the defensive zone and sniping one in just 24 seconds later. Just 53 seconds after that, Keegan Lowe fired a puck home from the point to give the Checkers a 3-0 lead in the span of 77 seconds. That barrage was enough to chase Anton Forsberg, who entered tonight ranked 10th in the AHL in goals-against average, from the game.
The Monsters attempted to spark a comeback, breaking through late in the second, but the Checkers buckled down and squashed the rally before it began. Trevor Carrick found the empty net from his own blue line late in regulation to put the nail in the coffin and clinch the 4-1 victory for Charlotte.
“When you’re playing against a team that has the horsepower that they do, he was tested and he did some great things out there,” said head coach Mark Morris of Altshuller. “To have two successive wins in your first two starts has to do wonders for his confidence.”
The young netminder was quick to credit the players in front of him for helping him fend off the Lake Erie attack so well. “For me it’s just trust,” said Altshuller. “I just trust that if I make the first stop that the D are going to box out and give me time to get back in position or just clear the rebound. That’s what we did tonight. They had only a couple of rebound chances and everything else they boxed out and got the puck away.”
Altshuller got a big boost in the second period, when the Checkers exploded for three goals to build up what would end up being an insurmountable lead. The Monsters weren’t giving them any room for the first half of the game, so they made sure to keep things rolling once they got that first goal.
“Those goals were huge and it kind of set them back on their heels and proved to us that they’re a team that’s beatable,” said Morris. “When you have goals that happen in succession it certainly changes your mindset as a group, and we were fortunate tonight that things went our way and we didn’t look back.”
The Checkers have seen a few two-goal leads evaporate this season, including this week’s shootout loss to Iowa. Tonight was different, however, as the home team made sure not to let Lake Erie creep back into the game.
“The biggest thing is just continuing to go out and play aggressive,” said Sutter. “You can’t sit back and go into a shell because a lot of teams in this league will eat that up. Everyone in this league can play with each other, so if you’re sitting back and letting them bring the pressure to you it’s only a matter of time before they put the puck in the back of the net. Tonight we really focused on being aggressive and trying to lock it down instead of giving them the opportunity to bring it back.”
Morris saw that ability to hold onto the lead as a big step in the right direction.
“That’s a learning experience – you’ve got to go through it,” said Morris. “Guys have to learn to believe in one another and consistently do the right things in order for that to happen. Confidence is a big part of this game and learning from your shortcomings is part of the process too. In a strange way, what is a sore spot you hope to correct and make it a strength. I thought we showed signs of being able to do that tonight, so I’m going to count that as progress.”
The Checkers have now earned at least one point in the standings in each of their last five games, with that shootout loss to Iowa the only blemish. That marks the longest such streak for the team since April 2013 and the kind of stretch makes for a happy locker room.
“We’re a confident group,” said Sutter. “We’re hoping to continue it, make it a six-game streak and then head home for Christmas.”
Standing between the Checkers and their holiday break is a rematch with a likely frustrated Lake Erie team tomorrow afternoon.
“They’re not going to be real happy and we’re not going to walk into it lightly or think that it’s going to be easy,” said Morris. “They’re going to make a big push and we’ve got to be ready for it.”