Black Blanks Iowa, Checkers Run Wild in 4-0 Win
January 22, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
DES MOINES, IA- The Checkers kicked off their Midwest road swing in dominant fashion, walloping the Wild 4-0 behind a stellar shutout performance from Cooper Black.
The rookie netminder fended off all 32 shots he faced Wednesday night in Des Moines to notch his second shutout of the season - the first of which came the last time he faced this Wild team, giving him six straight periods of perfect hockey against Iowa.
The Checkers wouldn't let that strong showing between the pipes go to waste as the offense came through with plenty of run support. John Leonard and Sandis Vilmanis each found the back of the net early in the first as the visitors came out flying and controlled the majority of the opening frame.
The Wild would tilt the ice in their favor for the second but came up empty handed, and a beautiful play from Justin Sourdif late in the frame would extend Charlotte's advantage. The Checkers settled things back down in the third and rode out the remainder of regulation from there, with a late deposit from Mikulas Hovorka serving as the final nail in the coffin for Iowa and helping push Charlotte back into the win column.
Notes
The Checkers are 3-0-0-0 against the Wild this season This was Charlotte's first game in Iowa since Nov. 11, 2016 Cooper Black is tied for the lead among AHL rookies in shutouts with two Tonight snapped a two-game winless skid for Charlotte This was the sixth shutout for Charlotte this season Leonard's goal moved him into a tie for seventh in the AHL Eleven different skaters registered a point for Charlotte Sourdif has goals in four of his last six games Josh Davies, MacKenzie Entwistle, Zac Dalpe, Ryan McAllister, Aidan McDonough, Riley Bezeau, Riese Gaber, Mitch Vande Sompel, Evan Nause, Marek Alscher and Chris Driedger were the extras for Charlotte
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