AHL Charlotte Checkers

Checkers Mark Best Start Ever with 7-2 Romp over Milwaukee

Published on October 17, 2015 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release


MILWAUKEE, WI - The Checkers marched into Milwaukee looking to get off to the best start in franchise history. Seven goals later they emerged with a 3-0 record for the first time

The Checkers' attack was firing on all cylinders from start to finish. Phil Di Giuseppe got the offense off the ground, feeding Derek Ryan in the first and then netting a goal of his own in the second to give the Checkers a 2-0 cushion. Patrick Brown kept things going with a pair of strikes, including one shorthanded tally, to stretch the Charlotte lead to 4 goals early in the third.

The Admirals found their way onto the score sheet shortly after when a bouncing puck found its way off a Charlotte defender and over the line. They added another goal late in the frame to pull themselves within striking distance, but the Checkers answered with empty-netters from Danny Biega and Brendan Woods to squash any hopes of a Milwaukee comeback. Erik Karlsson put home one more in the waning seconds for good measure, tipping in his first North American goal and sealing the lopsided 7-2 victory for Charlotte.

The win puts the Checkers at 3-0 for the first time in the franchise's six-year AHL history. Charlotte's offense has been the main catalyst behind the team's red-hot start, with tonight's seven-goal outburst giving the Checkers 15 goals through the first three games. By comparison, the team didn't reach that total until game number 8 last season.

Brown and Di Giuseppe led the way for the forwards, with the former recording his first career multi-goal game and the latter sitting at a team-leading four points through three games. But it was the Checkers' blue line that really poured it on, as three different defensemen led the team with three-point nights- Biega, Jaccob Slavin and Jake Chelios.

Drew MacIntyre rebounded from a tough last outing, one that saw him pulled, by turning aside 22 of the 24 shots fired at him. The two that got past both came on strange plays with bouncing pucks, but overall the veteran netminder was a rock in the crease. He was called upon to make several big stops against a talented Admirals attack, and was an integral part of the Checkers killing off all four power-play opportunities that Milwaukee had.

Tonight kicked off an 18-day, 8-game road trip that will see the Checkers making their way through the Midwest Division before returning home in early november. They will face the Chicago Wolves tomorrow night in a quest to keep the pristine start alive.

NOTES

Head coach Mark Morris now has sole possession of ninth place all time with 341 AHL victories ... The Checkers are 3-0 to start a season for the first time in the franchise's AHL history ... Sergey Tolchinsky and Phil Di Giuseppe are both currently on three-game point streaks ... Erik Karlsson made his North American debut and scored his first goal as a pro here ... Jake Chelios made his debut in a Checkers sweater, notching three assists ... The Checkers have scored a power-play goal in each of their first three games, including two in each of the last two ... Patrick Brown recorded his first career multi-goal game, equaling his goal total from all of last season

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American Hockey League Stories from October 17, 2015


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