Checkers Drop 5-1 Contest to Penguins
AHL Charlotte Checkers

Checkers Drop 5-1 Contest to Penguins

Published on January 9, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release


The Checkers started the 2026 portion of their home schedule on the wrong foot, falling to the Penguins 5-1 on Friday.

SCORES

A physical battle from start to finish, the contest was a tightly contested one for 40 minutes - the Penguins opened the scoring early in the first and tacked on another late in the second to carry a 2-0 advantage into the third.

The visitors separated themselves in that final frame, however, tacking on two more tallies across a span of 3:11 to blow the game open. Ben Steeves lit the lamp just after the midway point of the frame to put Charlotte on the board, but it was too little, too late, and one more strike from the Penguins was the final nail in the lopsided final.

QUOTES

Coach Geordie Kinnear on bouncing back from three straight losses

I don't go back that far to be honest with you. I'll look at this game. Coming off a tough road trip, good practice yesterday, and then today it felt like the mindset was good. Too many men on the ice penalty, not OK because now you allow a very skilled hockey team some important touches to allow them to feel good, and then we never regained it after that period. In the second period we came out with a little more intent, but for me that is on the coach, that is on the bench. That too many men on the ice penalty to start of a game against that hockey team cannot happen.

Kinnear on the ongoing matchup with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Focus on our group, and if you look at the last couple of games, probably not the Charlotte way with how we want to play as a group and our agenda. Individually and collectively, we have to be better and we have to get to our game and the track meet is not our game. For me, I really didn't like the too many men on the ice penalty to start a game against a really skilled group. A good lesson. It can't happen at this time of year.

Kinnear on a previous injury to Gracyn Sawchyn

He'll be long-term. It's too bad, because he was playing well. It's unfortunate because he's such a good player with how we want to play and was having a good rookie season. He'll be long term.

NOTES

The Checkers are 3-2-1-0 against the Penguins this season ... The Checkers have lost three straight games for the first time this season ... This is Charlotte's longest losing streak since January of the 2023-24 season ... Steeves skated in his 100th AHL game ... Liam McLinskey, MacKenzie Entwistle, Gracyn Sawchyn, Sandis Vilmanis, Ludvig Jansson, Mitch Vande Sompel and Kirill Gerasimyuk were the extras for Charlotte

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American Hockey League Stories from January 9, 2026


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