Checkers drop series final to Florida 4-3 in a shootout
January 10, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
(Fort Myers, Florida - Tuesday, January 9) For a second straight game the Checkers couldn't hold a lead against the Florida Everblades. Leading 3-1 after two periods, the Checkers (17-14-3 for 37 points) yielded two goals to Florida in the final period and then lost in a shootout 4-3 Tuesday night at Germain Arena in Fort Myers, Florida.
The Everblades' Chris Lee scored the only goal in the shootout, as Florida netminder David Shantz blanked all five Charlotte attempts by Nathan Gillies, Blake Bellefeuille, Hugh Jessiman, Dan Murphy and Zdenek Bahensky.
In regulation the Checkers got a pair of goals from Bahensky and a single tally from Jessiman, while Florida's scores came from Jonathan Lehun, Brad Zancanaro and Reggie Berg. Charlotte goalie Chris Holt took the loss while facing 21 shots and making 18 saves. Charlotte outshot the Everblades 41-22 for the game.
The Checkers were swept by Florida (23-10-0 for 46 points) in the three-game series that began last Friday. Charlotte did earn two of a possible six points by getting one point each for their overtime loss Saturday and shootout defeat Tuesday.
Once again the Checkers recent nemesis, giving up short-handed goals, showed up Tuesday to haunt them. Two of Florida's three goals were scored when Charlotte was on the power play. In their last five games the Checkers have given up ten short-handed goals. They now lead the ECHL with 14 short-handed goals allowed. The total in 34 games this season is more than Charlotte gave up in all 72 games last season.
"I'm very frustrated again tonight," lamented Charlotte coach Derek Wilkinson. "For a second straight game we dominate most of the contest only to make a mistake, lose concentration or do something else that causes us to lose. Goaltending was a big difference tonight. Their goalie kept them in the game and stopped us in the shootout. I'm happy with our effort and passion, but the bottom line is we're not getting results and that's what we need."
After giving up a first-period, short-handed goal to Lehun at 7 minutes, 9 seconds, the Checkers tied the game at 1-1 on Bahensky's flick that eluded Shantz. Charlotte outshot the Everblades 12-6 through one period.
In the second period the Checkers took a 3-1 advantage while outshooting the Everblades 15-5. Bahensky took a feed from Mike Ouellette at 9:28 of the stanza and scored his sixth goal of the season. The Checkers increased their lead to two goals on Jessiman's backhander three minutes later.
In the third period Zancanaro's power-play goal from the slot at 2:35 brought Florida to within a goal at 3-2. Five minutes later and with Charlotte on the power play, Florida scored its second short-handed goal of the contest and sixth of the three-game series. Berg broke down the right wing and from the circle fired a shot that surprised Holt and the game was tied at 3-3.
After a scoreless, sudden-death overtime session, the Everblades prevailed in the shootout to send the Checkers down to their second shootout loss in as many tries.
CHECKERS TUESDAY NIGHT SCRATCHES: Dusty Jamieson and John Donnelly.
FOR BOXSCORE CLICK: http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1307
Charlotte's next home game is Thursday, January 11 at 7:00 p.m. when it will host the Columbia Inferno at Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The Checkers will also be at home the following night, Friday, January 12 to entertain the Pensacola Ice Pilots at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for all Checkers home games can be purchased on the official team web site at www.gocheckers.com, on the telephone by using a credit card and calling 1-800-495-2295, or by visiting the Charlotte Bobcats Arena box office.
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