Checkers News

The Checkers seemed to be headed to their second overtime game in three days. Zach Boychuk had other ideas.

The AHL’s reigning goal-scoring champion continued his recent resurgence by finding the back of the net with 1.6 seconds left in regulation to lift the Checkers to a 2-1 victory in Oklahoma City on Saturday. Phil Di Giuseppe scored the other goal and John Muse had 29 saves for Charlotte, which began a season-long, six-game road swing by winning its second consecutive game.

The Checkers, who entered the game with the AHL’s worst road record, have now won consecutive games on the road for the first time since Oct. 12-24. Coupled with Thursday’s 2-1 win over Grand Rapids, they have defeated the Western Conference’s top two teams in each of their last two games.

Extra hockey seemed like a foregone conclusion in a game that featured relatively few scoring chances for either team, particularly in a third period that saw them combine for 15 shots.

A slashing penalty by Oklahoma City’s Curtis Hamilton with 27 seconds left in regulation opened the door for the Checkers, who took full advantage when Boychuk corralled the puck following an offensive-zone faceoff win by Brody Sutter and fired home from the slot to seal the victory.

The goal gave Boychuk 11 points (7g, 4a) in his last 13 games. Since being held off the score sheet in 10 of 13 games following his reassignment from Carolina on Jan. 8, he has scored at least one point 10 of his last 13.

Along with Di Giuseppe’s goal that tied the game at 1-1 in the second period when he gathered a loose puck in the slot and fired past Barons backstop Laurent Broissoit, both Charlotte strikes came on the power play. The Checkers, who ranked 30th in the AHL on the power play for most of the season, are now 9-for-39 (23.1 percent) over their last 10 games since Feb. 22.

Oklahoma City’s opening goal also came on the man advantage. With just under five minutes remaining in the first period, Checkers defenseman Austin Levi made a good read to block a cross-ice pass in front of Muse’s crease but could not find the puck in time to clear it, giving prolific Barons defenseman Brad Hunt an opportunity to fire home.

The result marked the Checkers’ first victory in Oklahoma City this season, improving their record at Cox Convention Center to 1-3-1. The teams will play their last-ever game there on Sunday evening, as the Barons plan to relocate to Bakersfield, California, next season.

NOTES

The Checkers improved to 3-5-1 against the Barons this season … Di Giuseppe’s goal was his second of 2015 and first since Feb. 10 … Trevor Carrick’s two assists give him 21 points on the season, putting him just one short of the Checkers’ record for a rookie defenseman (Ryan Murphy in 2013-14) … Sutter also had a pair of helpers … The Checkers have at least one power-play goal in eight of their last 10 games … Muse was playing for the first time since March 5, with Drew MacIntyre starting the previous three. It was his 150th professional game … The Checkers are the only AHL team that has yet to record a shutout, but they have won seven games by a 2-1 score … Dennis Robertson’s four-game point streak (1g, 3a) came to an end … Brendan Woods played his 100th professional game … Forwards Chad LaRose and Greg Nemisz and defenseman Keegan Lowe missed the game due to injury … Forward Carter Sandlak was a healthy extra.