Asplund Plays Hero in Game 2 Overtime Win
May 17, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
CHARLOTTE, NC- Game Two between Charlotte and Hershey was a battle, but the Checkers kept pushing and eventually came away with an electric overtime victory to go ahead 2-0 in the series.
It was a wild play in overtime that brought the game to an end. The Checkers forced a turnover in the neutral zone and John Leonard swooped in on a rush. His shot was denied, but the loose puck was thrown back to him now on the other side of the goal and he fired another shot that went wide. Rasmus Asplund was there on the left side of the net to collect the ricochet off the end boards, though, and he quickly dunked the puck into the vacated goal to send the Coliseum crowd into a frenzy.
Along with ending it, Asplund was the one to force the contest into overtime. With his team down 1-0 in the third period, he gathered the puck off a blocked shot and fired it from the left circle past Hershey netminder Hunter Shepard - sending the game on course for extra hockey.
Prior to that, the only mark on the scoresheet was from the Hershey side, as Luke Philp put the visitors on the board less than three minutes into the game. That would be the only puck to get behind Kaapo Kahkonen, who played over 60 more minutes of perfect hockey between the pipes and earned the win.
Quotes
Coach Geordie Kinnear on the win
If you look at the game as a whole, they were the much better team in the first period. I didn't really love our start, to be honest. Probably halfway through the second period, we started to come a little bit and then I thought the third period we played a good hockey game. For me it was just a back-to-back, playoff-type game that could go either way. We made a play at the end to win a hockey game.
Kinnear on Asplund becoming a father and then having a huge game tonight
He must be well-rested, right? He's an elite athlete and looks after himself on and off the ice. You love stories like that where someone has their first baby and then they can come and have a positive impact on the game. It speaks volumes of the leader that he is. I'm not surprised because he just comes to work every single day and goes about his business.
Kinnear on his team's play in overtime
I think it carried in from the third period. I didn't really love the first half, but we made a couple of changes and then the guys started getting connected as a group and we started getting connected to our game. I think when you get that you play over and over with four lines like that, good things are happening. When we're going we can make plays, and I thought we made some plays there at the end.
Kinnear on Kaapo Kahkonen
He's been really good, obviously. It's a younger back end, so to have that experience is huge for those guys. Another elite athlete that takes care of himself so he can play those back to backs.
Rasmus Asplund on his week
It's been a crazy week, but a lot of positives and a life-changing moment. Two big wins here with the team, so it's been fun.
Asplund on his team's success so far
We're sticking to the game plan we agreed to play, and we're just doing it over and over again. We haven't won the series yet and it's the first to three wins, so we just need to keep doing that.
Asplund on close games
It's playoff hockey. It's going to be tight games and different games every night, because teams try to adjust to you and find ways to score on you. It's just playoff hockey and it's a lot of fun to be a part of.
Asplund on the mentality for the rest of the series
You stay humble, and I think everyone in that room knows we haven't won the series yet. Two big wins, but we need one more to win the series.
Notes
The Checkers are 1-1 in overtime games these playoffs This was Asplund's first-ever game winner in the playoffs Charlotte out-shot Hershey 16-6 in the third period and overtime The Checkers posted a 3-0-1 record in Hershey during the regular season Checkers scratches included forwards Riley Bezeau, Zac Dalpe, Jack Devine, MacKenzie Entwistle, Riese Gaber, Riley Hughes, Ryan McAllister, Aidan McDonough, Liam McLinskey, Kai Schwindt and Nicholas Zabaneh; defensemen Colton Huard, Matt Kiersted, Eamon Powell and Mitch Vande Sompel; and goaltender Cooper Black.
American Hockey League Stories from May 17, 2025
- Bears Fall 2-1 in Overtime to Checkers in Game 2 - Hershey Bears
- Asplund Plays Hero in Game 2 Overtime Win - Charlotte Checkers
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