ECHL Charlotte Checkers

Checkers beat Texas in old-fashioned shootout

November 18, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release


CHARLOTTE, NC – After tonight's hard-fought game, the Charlotte Checkers might want to rename themselves the "Cardiac" Checkers. The team came back from two separate deficits, some goaltending mistakes, and a stalling power play to win in a shootout over the Texas Wildcatters.

When Checkers goalie Alex Westlund got turned around in goal as the puck slid behind his net, Wildcatters winger John Snowden seemed to drop a pass to an oncoming teammate racing in. The result was a 2-0 Checkers deficit, as the puck bounced off Westlund's back into the net at 15:23 into the first period.

Checkers Head Coach may have noticed, and he pulled Westlund in favor of Kelly Guard to start the second period. Guard was quickly initiated into the game, as Texas' wing Lou Dickenson took an Andrew Ianiero pass out on a breakaway, who found the back of the net only 2:04 into the second period. The Checkers were down three goals for a second straight night, but came roaring back behind the offensive onslaught of Kenton Smith, Rory Rawlyk and Chris Ferguson.

First, Kenton Smith took a pass from Ryan Lang and fired from an impossible angle. He somehow put it past Wildcatters goalie Davis Parley for his third goal of the season. Then it was Lang's turn, who came speeding down the ice on a 2-on-1 break to receive a beautiful pass from Checkers defenseman Rory Rawlyk to rifle a shot home with 8:14 left in the second period. Rawlyk wanted a piece of the action as well, and didn't waste much time, scoring an even strength goal at 17:33 off the assist from Mike Harder and Derek Crimin.

The third period provided much of the same, with Texas going up 5-3 on a power play goal from right wing Jason Kostadine. Guard seemed to make a similar mistake as Westlund when he got out behind his own net and couldn't come back to save an easy tap by Kostadine. The goal was Kostadine's second of the evening and gave the Checkers their second hill to climb.

"Tonight they [Texas] didn't earn their goals," said Wilkinson. "We need to get better with the goaltender communicating with the defense."

On top of the 5-3 deficit, the Checkers power play was stalling at the rate of 0-5, but you wouldn't have thought it when Smith rang the bell for the second time, off of the assist from Mike Harder, his second of the game, and Jason Dawe. Dwight Helminen followed suit off the assist from Ryan glenn and Chris Belanger at 15:14 into the third.

As the game went into overtime, then a shootout, the Checkers were riding the momentum. Dan Preston went top shelf, and Mike Harder finished a beautiful move with a backhander that Parley couldn't handle, winning the contest for the Checkers.

The Checkers finished the night going 2-7 in power plays and upped their record to 8-2-1 for 17 points. Goalies Alex Westlund had three saves off five shots, while Kelly Guard stopped 17 of 20. The attendance for the night was 3,165.

The Checkers take their record into Gwinnett to face the Gladiators on Friday, November 19th.

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ECHL Stories from November 18, 2004


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