CHECKERS TAKE EARLY LEAD, HANG ON TO TAME SOUND TIGERS 

VERSUS    

Hot streak continues; one regulation loss in last 10 games

For the second straight night, the Charlotte Checkers’ offense exploded for six goals as they knocked off the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 6-5, in front of more than 7,400 fans at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Oskar Osala led the way with four points (1g, 3a), including the game-winning goal at the 2:28 mark of the third period. Jacob Micflikier notched three assists, bringing his point total over the two-game set with Bridgeport to six (3g 3a). Zac Dalpe scored twice to extend his goal-scoring streak to a league-leading five games, while Mike Murphy made 34 saves in the Charlotte net for his fourth win of the season.

With the win, the Checkers are now 6-1-3 in their last 10 games.

Dalpe opened the scoring for the Checkers, 55 seconds into the first period. He received a pass from Micflikier in the neutral zone, stepped over the line and snapped a shot from the high slot that eluded Bridgeport goaltender Kevin Poulin.

Nicolas Blanchard would make it 2-0 Charlotte, at the 12:31 mark of the first period, with his first goal of the season. Zack FitzGerald took a shot from the left point and Blanchard tipped it through the legs of Poulin. Riley Nash picked up the second assist.

Dalpe made it 3-0 Checkers with his second goal of the game, 1:19 later. Osala gained control of the puck behind Bridgeport’s net and made a nifty pass to Dalpe, who buried it from the side of the crease. Micflikier recorded the secondary assist, his second of the game.

Bridgeport scored back-to-back goals at the end of the first and the beginning of the second period to make it 3-2. Tony Romano redirected a pass from Rhett Rakhshani past Murphy before Robin Figren found the back of the net with a wrist shot from the left wing circle.

Jerome Samson then notched his 11th goal of the season, while on the power play, to extend the Charlotte lead to 4-2 at the 12:32 mark of the second period. Samson received a pass from Osala, spun, and fired a shot short-side that beat Poulin cleanly off the post and in.

Riley Nash scored his third of the season to give the Checkers a three-goal lead before Rakhshani replied for Bridgeport, with less than 10 seconds left in the period, to make it 5-3.

The teams traded goals again, early in the third period. Osala scored first as he tipped a Casey Borer point shot by Poulin to give Charlotte a 6-3 lead. Five minutes later, Brandon Svendson swatted home a second-chance opportunity to pull the Sound Tigers back within two. Jeremy Colliton brought Bridgeport within one goal, late in the contest, but it was not enough as the Checkers won, 6-5.

The Checkers (8-7-3) are back in action on Wednesday, Nov. 17 when they host the Adirondack Phantoms at 7 p.m.

NOTES:

Zac Dalpe extended his goal-scoring streak to an AHL season-high five games (6g)…Jerome Samson ranks tied for second in the league in goals (11), tied for first in the league in power play goals (5) and first in the league in shots (92)…Zack FitzGerald leads the league in penalty minutes (75)…The Checkers are 6-1-3 in their last ten games.

Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5 at Charlotte Checkers 6 – Status: Final
Friday, November 12, 2010 – Time Warner Cable Arena

Bridgeport 1 2 2 – 5
Charlotte 3 2 1 – 6

1st Period-1, Charlotte, Dalpe 5 (Micflikier, Osala), 0:55. 2, Charlotte, Blanchard 1 (Nash, FitzGerald), 12:31. 3, Charlotte, Dalpe 6 (Osala, Micflikier), 13:50. 4, Bridgeport, Romano 3 (Rakhshani, Reese), 19:07. Penalties-Borer Cha (hooking), 10:07; Haley Bri (roughing), 15:16.

2nd Period-5, Bridgeport, Figren 4 (Wotton), 2:06. 6, Charlotte, Samson 11 (Osala), 12:32 (PP). 7, Charlotte, Nash 3 (Kennedy, Rodney), 14:22. 8, Bridgeport, Rakhshani 4 (Reese), 19:50. Penalties-Bowman Cha (hooking), 4:41; Kohn Bri (tripping), 10:35; Romano Bri (holding), 16:13; Boychuk Cha (tripping), 17:23; Kohn Bri (slashing), 20:00; Terry Cha (slashing), 20:00.

3rd Period-9, Charlotte, Osala 3 (Borer, Micflikier), 2:28. 10, Bridgeport, Svendsen 1 (Yablonski, Figren), 6:56. 11, Bridgeport, Colliton 1 (Reese), 18:31 (PP). Penalties-Romano Bri (high-sticking), 10:31; Carson Cha (holding), 18:25.

Shots on Goal-Bridgeport 16-9-14-39. Charlotte 8-8-14-30.
Power Play Opportunities-Bridgeport 1 / 4; Charlotte 1 / 4.
Goalies-Bridgeport, Poulin 3-2-0 (30 shots-24 saves); Koskinen 1-4-0 (0 shots-0 saves). Charlotte, Murphy 4-4-2 (39 shots-34 saves).
A-7,454
Referees-Marcus Vinnerborg (45), Geno Binda (22).
Linesmen-Mark Hamlett (81), Alex Stagnone (7).