Shugg's Shootout Winner Caps Comeback in Milwaukee
March 18, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
MILWAUKEE, WI - After their winning streak came to an end earlier this week, the Checkers got back on track as they battled back to secure a shootout win over the Milwaukee Admirals Friday night.
The half of the contest played out much like the Checkers' last game, as the two squads engaged in a tight battle that saw neither side yield any goals. The Admirals finally broke the ice near the midpoint of the second, with Pontus Aberg picking up a Charlotte giveaway and streaking in with a nifty move to put the home team ahead.
Things again locked up for both teams after the Milwaukee goal, and despite wave after wave of pressure, the Checkers reached the final minutes of regulation trailing 1-0 and were in danger of suffering back-to-back shutouts. But with just over five minutes remaining, Andrew Miller controlled the puck down low and found a creeping-in Jake Chelios, who fired a laser from the slot that zipped past Marek Mazanec, tying things up at one and forcing the contest into overtime.
The extra period saw both Charlotte and Milwaukee rack up some big chances, but no pucks found the back of the net, so the game proceeded to a shootout. John Muse continued his stellar play and shut down all four Admiral shooters he saw, while Mazanec stopped the first three Charlotte attempts. But it was Justin Shugg, with the game on his stick, who swooped in and slid the puck five hole to clinch a crucial two points in the standings for the Checkers.
Muse, the reigning AHL Player of the Week, notched his fifth consecutive win since re-joining the Checkers at the trade deadline and did his part to keep Milwaukee's big guns at bay. His biggest moment was undoubtedly in the shootout, where he silenced an Admirals team that entered the night with an undefeated 7-0 record in shootouts this year.
Charlotte's netminder also played a big part in the team's penalty kill, as the Checkers kept Milwaukee's fourth-ranked power play off the board on three attempts. On the other side of special teams, the Checkers' power play continued to come up short, going 0-for-3 with the man advantage, but it didn't matter, as the team was able to come up with a clutch five-on-five goal, something that they've struggled with over the last few months.
This win kicks off a busy three-in-three weekend for the Checkers, as they will turn around and face the Admirals again tomorrow night.
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