Four-Goal First Period Gives Penguins 6-3 Win Over Checkers
April 1, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - Behind a four-goal first period, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defeated the Charlotte Checkers, 6-3, on Friday night at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
For the first-place Penguins, their seventh win in the season series was their league-leading 54th win of the season and denied the Checkers (41-26-2-7) a chance to clinch a playoff berth.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's offense was paced by four different multi-point scorers, while Bryan Lerg's shorthanded goal at 17:08 of the first period proved to be the game-winning tally. With 22 saves on 25 shots, Brad Thiessen was the winning goaltender.
The Checkers got two goals from Jacob Micflikier and three assists from Zach Boychuk, but couldn't climb out of an early hole, despite outshooting the Penguins 13-7 in the third period. Boychuk now has 13 points (5g, 8a) on his current five-game point streak. With 26 saves, Justin Pogge took the loss in goal.
The Penguins came out of the gates strong and took a 1-0 lead when Jason DeSantis scored his first AHL goal of the season at 5:08 of the first period. While on the power play, Veilleux lofted a pass from the right-wing corner that DeSantis stepped into and blasted past Pogge from just inside the blue line.
Four minutes after DeSantis' game-opening score, rookie Nick Petersen made the score 2-0 Penguins by gaining possession of the puck at center ice, racing in on a breakaway and ripping a shot over Pogge's glove hand. At 13:27, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton went ahead 3-0 when Geoff Walker scored his ninth goal of the season with a wrist shot from the right-wing faceoff dot.
Shortly after falling behind 3-0, Micflikier got Charlotte on the board by scoring his first of two goals on the night. Assisted by Boychuk, Micflikier scored his goal by bursting past a Penguins defenseman along the left-wing boards and snapping a low shot that snuck through Thiessen's legs.
Lerg, however, restored the Penguins' three-goal advantage by potting a shorthanded goal at 17:08 of the first period that put the Checkers behind, 4-1, after the opening 20 minutes.
Corey Potter scored a slap-shot goal at 14:15 of the second period to enhance Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's lead to 5-1.
But, the Checkers refused to quit and narrowed the Penguins' lead to 5-2 when Micflikier scored his second goal of the game at 4:27 of the third period. The goal was scored off a rebound from point-blank range, and both Rodney and Boychuk recorded assists.
Dalpe then brought the Checkers to within two goals by scoring with a high wrist shot with 4:27 left in the third period, but Veilleux scored an empty-net goal with 1:44 left in the third period and the Penguins won 6-3.
The Checkers (41-26-2-7) get another chance to clinch a playoff spot when they play their final road game of the regular season against the Albany Devils tomorrow night at 7 p.m.
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from April 1, 2011
- Admirals Fly by Aeros 5-2 - Milwaukee Admirals
- Rivermen Start Weekend With OT Win - Peoria Rivermen
- Bulldogs Too Much For Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Stars Sneak By Wolves 3-2 In OT - Texas Stars
- Falcons Beat Tigers 3-2 - Atkinson Scores Game-Winner - York Earns First AHL Win - Springfield Falcons
- Phantoms Rout Devils - Adirondack Phantoms
- Bears Double Up Admirals - Norfolk Admirals
- Rampage Fooled By Rivermen In 3-2 Overtime Loss - San Antonio Rampage
- Rockford Rocked In Oklahoma City - Rockford IceHogs
- Wolves Can't Reach Stars In 3-2 Overtime Loss - Chicago Wolves
- Amerks Snap Winless Streak With 4-1 Surge Over Moose - Rochester Americans
- Crunch Bury Binghamton 6-4 in Front of Largest Crowd this Season - Syracuse Crunch
- Admirals win a 5-2 victory - Houston Aeros
- Devils Undone By Phantoms - Albany Devils
- Monarchs Get Nothin' Past Hutton - Manchester Monarchs
- Moose Shot Down By Americans 4-1 - Manitoba Moose
- Bruins beat Whale - Connecticut Whale
- Bulldogs Spook Monsters With 4-1 Win - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Falcons Come Back To Beat Sound Tigers 3-2 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Sharks Shutdown Monarchs in 2-0 win - Worcester Sharks
- Four-Goal First Period Gives Penguins 6-3 Win Over Checkers - Charlotte Checkers
- P-Bruins Prevail Over Whale 3-2 - Providence Bruins
- Senators Re-Assign Forward Colin Greening to Binghamton - Binghamton Senators
- Canucks Recall Yann Sauve - Manitoba Moose
- Super Secret Project Returns to Monarchs Country - Manchester Monarchs
- Rangers Return Mats Zuccarello to Whale - Connecticut Whale
- Oilers Sign Arcobello - Oklahoma City Barons
- Barons Bryan Helmer Wins AHL Fred T. Hunt Award - Oklahoma City Barons
- Bryan Helmer Named Winner of American Hockey League's Fred T. Hunt - AHL
- Checkers Hit Facebook Target, Offer Free Ticket Monday - Charlotte Checkers
- Antoine Roussel Shipped to Reading - Providence Bruins
- Zatkoff Named Reebok/AHL Goaltender of the Month - Manchester Monarchs
- Crunch Right Wing Kyle Palmieri Named Reebok/AHL Rookie of the Month - Syracuse Crunch
- Whitfield, Palmieri, Zatkoff Named American Hockey League Award Winners for March - AHL
- Crunch Name Jim Sarosy Chief Operating Officer - Syracuse Crunch
- Heat and RONA Raise $5000 for Kidsport - Abbotsford Heat
- Gameday Preview - Chicago at Texas - Texas Stars
- Blues Assign Ian Cole and Adam Cracknell to Peoria - Peoria Rivermen
- Stars Sign Schultz to ATO - Texas Stars
- Sound Tigers Release Svendsen, Sign O'Neil to ATO - Bridgeport Islanders
- AHL Quick Hits - AHL
- Blue Jackets Add Goaltender David Leneveu to Roster on Emergency Recall - Springfield Falcons
- Falcons Host Sound Tigers Tonight - Springfield Falcons
- Game Day: Amerks Host First-Place Moose Tonight at Blue Cross Arena - Rochester Americans
- Oklahoma City Barons Notes for April 1 - Oklahoma City Barons
- Playoff Tickets on Sale Today; Dates Set for Games a & B - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Preview: Aeros at Admirals Friday Night - Houston Aeros
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.
