In another low-scoring contest, the Checkers were able to escape with a point in the standings but fell to the Hershey Bears 3-2 in a shootout.

Charlotte’s struggling power-play found a spark and converted twice of five attempts on the night, including a point snipe by Jake Bean late in the third to give the visitors a 2-1 advantage. That lead wouldn’t survive to the end of regulation, however, as the Bears snuck a pinballing puck through a mass of bodies in front and into the back of the net to tie things up with less than two minutes to go, forcing overtime. The extra frame featured several grade-A chances for both sides, but nothing connected and the contest proceeded to a shootout.

The goalies took center stage in the shootout, with each netminder turning aside their opponent’s first four attempts. Nathan Walker finally broke the ice with a conversion in the fifth round and, with the game on his stick, Janne Kuokkanen was turned aside, clinching a victory for the red-hot Bears.

NOTES

Tonight was Charlotte’s second shootout of the season, with the first also coming against Hershey … This marked the team’s first shootout loss of the season and their first since Feb. 3 of last season, also in Hershey … Hershey extended its point streak to 11 games … Jake Bean is now tied for the third-most goals in a single season by a defensemen in franchise history … The Checkers snapped a three-game, nine power-play drought with Patrick Brown’s tally in the first … Tonight was Charlotte’s first game with multiple power-play goals since Dec. 22 … The Checkers have allowed two or fewer goals in four of the last five games … The Checkers are 1-1-2-1 in their last five games ... Alex Nedeljkovic extended his point streak to seven straight games and has just one regulation loss since Dec. 2 … Spencer Smallman missed the game due to injury … Zack Stortini and Dennis Robertson served as healthy extras

UP NEXT

The two squads will face each other once again tomorrow in Hershey for a 5:00 p.m. puck drop.