Checkers get blown away by Toledo Storm 5-2
February 23, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
(Charlotte, NC - Thursday, February 22) This past Sunday the short-handed Charlotte Checkers were able to scrap together an impressive 3-2 victory at Gwinnett. Thursday the Checkers were even more short-handed, and this time the result was different. After leading 2-1 after one period, the Toledo Storm scored four unanswered goals en route to a 5-2 win Thursday night at Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The loss was the Checkers third in a row at home, and stymied their efforts to gain points on their Southern division rivals, most of which were idle Thursday. Chris Blight had two goals and an assist for Toledo (26-21-0-1 for 53 points), but the big hero was Storm goalie Dominic Vicari who was a wall most of the night. His 29 saves frustrated the Checkers, especially in the final two periods as he won his third straight in net for Toledo.
Daymen Rycroft and Blake Bellefeuille tallied the Charlotte goals, with goalie Chris Holt suffering his 15th loss of the season making 24 saves.
Tuesday's game was the lone meeting between the two teams this season. Both the Checkers and the Storm had key players out of the lineup due to injuries and callups. Wednesday Hugh Jessiman was reassigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack from the New York Rangers, and Lee Falardeau was unable to go for a second straight game. Charlotte captain, Jan Vodrazka, was also an injury scratch for the Checkers Thursday night.
Toledo's three-goal second period put Charlotte (27-20-1-2 for 57 points) in a hole they could not dig out of. The loss dropped the Checkers record to 0-18-1 when trailing after two periods, while Toledo improved to 16-0-0 when leading after two periods.
"The lack of intensity in the second period really killed us tonight and we haven't had that in a long time," remarked Charlotte Coach Derek Wilkinson. "We played well in the first and third periods but in the second period we just didn't play well as a group. When you give up five goals you're not going to win, and somehow they've got to get the fire going where they can keep it for 60 minutes."
The Checkers had a lot of jump in the first 20 minutes of the contest when they took a 2-1 first period advantage. Rycroft put in a rebound of a Nathan Gillies shot at 10 minutes, seven seconds of the first. Toledo's Gerry Burke tied the game a minute later at 1-1 with his 5th goal of the campaign. The Checkers regained the lead at 2-1 late in the first at 17:14 when Bellefeuille took a pretty pass from Mark Lee and rifled the puck past Vicari.
In the second period the Storm racked up three tallies while keeping Charlotte off the board. Blight scored his first of two goals on the night as he tipped in P.J. Martin's shot from the point at 4:53 to tie the game at 2-2. At 12:40 Blight took a pass from Bruce Mulherin and beat Holt on a breakaway for the Storm's first lead of the night at 3-2. Three minutes later Tim Songin was open in the slot, scoring his 2nd goal of the season for a 4-2 Toledo advantage after two periods.
With a two-goal lead, the Toledo defense tightened enough in the final period to thwart a Charlotte comeback. The Storm sealed the win with a goal with a minute and a half left by Mike Walsh for the 5-2 final.
CHECKERS THURSDAY NIGHTSCRATCHES: Dusty Jamieson, Rick Kozak, Lee Falardeau and Jan Vodrazka.
ON RECALL TO (AHL) HARTFORD: Alex Westlund, Corey Potter, and Zdenek Bahensky
REASSIGNED FROM CHARLOTTE TO HARTFORD BY NEW YORK: Hugh Jessiman
FOR BOX SCORE CLICK: http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1534
The Checkers go back on the road for three straight games beginning Friday, when they'll travel to Charleston, South Carolina to face the Stingrays at 7:00 p.m. The Checkers next home game is Sunday, March 4 at 4:00 p.m. when the Florida Everblades come to Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The March 4 Checkers home game is "Pucks for Patrick" day, where the Checkers and their fans will help raise funds for "A Second Breath Foundation."
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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