Checkers Earn Hard-Fought 5-3 Win against Iowa

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Charlotte Checkers

Checkers Earn Hard-Fought 5-3 Win against Iowa

November 29, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release


The Checkers gave a raucous holiday crowd a show Friday night, surging in the third period to down the Wild 5-3.

The two sides spent 40 minutes trading tallies and entered the final frame deadlocked at two. Rasmus Asplund pushed the Checkers ahead for the first time early on in the third, circling the net for a slick wraparound goal, then Marek Alscher doubled that advantage minutes later when he was sprung on a breakaway and buried a wrist shot.

The Wild would push back down the stretch, cutting into Charlotte's lead in the back half of the period, but Asplund launched a full-ice shot into the vacated net in the final seconds of play to clinch a homecoming win for the Checkers.

QUOTES

Coach Geordie Kinnear on the game

I think it started in the second period. In the first period I didn't really see our identity very much. I didn't have everybody going, but give the guys a lot of credit. They started skating in the second period and we got to our game and made some plays in the third period to win the hockey game. A hard-fought game.

Kinnear on bouncing back in this game

You need that, right? We're all kidding ourselves saying that you're going to have your identity all the time and roll 60 minutes for 70-something games. It's important that you be able to go from a low to a high and be able to find it and know you can do it. I liked that part of the growth tonight.

Kinnear on what allowed the team to bounce back

They just stuck with it. Again, the first period was kind of stagnant and I didn't really like it, but they started getting in the sync a little bit and getting to where how we want to play. You can't rely on the power play all the time and there were no power plays to be had tonight, so we had to win it five-on-five.

Kinnear on players like Ben Steeves and Riese Gaber becoming regulars in the lineup

You look at the whole program, they went down at the start of the year and were working with (Jared Staal down in ECHL Savannah), had great attitudes, worked hard and got their chances up here. They've been in the lineup and they've had positive impact. Steeves on the power play and Gabes is killing penalty now. Credit to them and credit to the whole group. I said it last year and I'll say it again - you need depth to win and we're going to have to have a lot of depth. You look at the game tonight, I lost a lot of forwards so there had to be some dig-in from a lot of guys. I'm proud of the guys.

Rasmus Asplund on the game

I think we found our game in the second. I think we came out a little slow in the first or they came out hard and we were not really ready for it. I think we found our game in the second and we controlled the game pretty good from there.

Asplund on the team's ability to bounce back from a slow start

We know we're a good team and we know we need to play that way every single shift. I still think we have a little bit of work to get to the full 60 and we've been struggling a little bit with that all year. We really need to be able to be a 60-minute team to go on a playoff run this spring.

Asplund on team depth

I think you just see what kind of group we are and how deep we are on roster. Every player just does what they can to help the team win, and I think that shows in a game like this.

Asplund on the key to tomorrow's rematch

Just stick to our game plan and stick to our game. It's a good test for us again. It was a playoff-type game, physical, and you need to win every shift to be able to come out on top. I think it's going to be a good game tomorrow again.

NOTES

Following a four-game winless streak, the Checkers have won two straight. They are 5-2-0 at home this season ... This was the first meeting between the Checkers and Iowa since March 22, 2017 ... Asplund's goals ended a seven-game point drought. With an assist on his first goal, Sandis Vilmanis ended an eight-game drought ... Criscuolo is now tied for fifth in the AHL in scoring with 19 points ... John Leonard has a three-game point streak (1g, 3a) ... Alscher recorded his first multi-point game as a professional (1g, 1a). He has five points in eight games this season ... The game featured just three total power plays ... Following the game, Kinnear said Aidan McDonough's injury suffered tonight was "longer term." He added that McAllister, who also left with an injury, was day-to-day and that defenseman Mike Benning was out week-to-week ... Checkers scratches included forwards Zac Dalpe, Will Lockwood and Justin Sourdif, defensemen Benning and Mikulas Hovorka, and goaltender Cooper Black.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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