O’BRIEN’S HATTIE DOES IN CHECKERS

VERSUS 

O`BRIEN`S HATTIE LIFTS SENS OVER CHECKERS
Brust stops 37 for eighth straight win

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Binghamton Senators used five straight goals and a hat trick by Jim O’Brien to down the Charlotte Checkers, 6-2, on Friday evening in upstate New York.

Binghamton goalie Barry Brust made 37 saves on 39 shots to win his eighth straight start as the Senators pulled to within two points of Charlotte in the East Division standings.

Brett Sutter and Jacob Micflikier scored for the Checkers, while Justin Pogge made 36 saves in a losing effort.

Binghamton opened the scoring, just 26 seconds into the game, when O’Brien grabbed a rebound in the defensive zone and converted on the breakaway.

The Checkers, however, had an answer and pulled even, 7:03 later, when Brett Sutter took a centering feed from Jacob Micflikier and fired it past Brust.

The game remained tied 1-1 for just three minutes before Ryan Keller restored Binghamton’s one-goal advantage. Keller took a pass from AHL leading scorer Corey Locke and buried it past Pogge.

Binghamton then went ahead 3-1, four minutes into the second, when Locke’s centering pass attempt ricocheted off a Checkers defender and in.

O’Brien would score two more to put the Senators ahead, 5-1, after 40 minutes. He fired a wrist shot into the upper corner of the net from the left-wing circle before completing the hat trick three minutes later on a breakaway.

Binghamton defenseman Eric Gryba put the game away midway through the third when he fired a one-timer into the back of the net. Charlotte would add a goal by Micflikier but it wasn’t enough as the Senators won, 6-2.

The Checkers (30-20-6) will travel to Glens Falls, N.Y. tomorrow to face the Phantoms at 7 p.m. Watch or listen live at www.AHLLive.com. The Checkers’ next home game is Thursday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. For ticket information, call 704-342-4423 or visit www.GoCheckers.com.

Notes: Jacob Micflikier notched his ninth multi-point game this season…Michal Jordan leads the Checkers with a plus-12 rating… Charlotte is 15-9-1-0 on the road.

Charlotte Checkers 2 at Binghamton Senators 6 – Status: Final
Friday, February 18, 2011 – Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena

Charlotte 1 0 1 – 2
Binghamton 2 3 1 – 6

1st Period-1, Binghamton, O’Brien 14 (Daugavins, Brust), 0:26. 2, Charlotte, Sutter 8 (Micflikier, Terry), 7:29. 3, Binghamton, Keller 19 (Locke), 10:43. Penalties-Gryba Bng (tripping), 12:03; Osala Cha (slashing), 20:00.

2nd Period-4, Binghamton, Locke 18 (Smith, Keller), 4:32 (PP). 5, Binghamton, O’Brien 15 (Wiercioch, Daugavins), 16:39. 6, Binghamton, O’Brien 16 (Daugavins, Wiercioch), 19:43 (PP). Penalties-served by Hoffman Bng (bench minor – too many men), 1:22; Matsumoto Cha (slashing), 3:12; Jordan Cha (double minor – high-sticking), 19:25.

3rd Period-7, Binghamton, Gryba 1 (Sweetland, Hoffman), 8:45. 8, Charlotte, Micflikier 22 (Terry, Nash), 11:02. Penalties-Hoffman Bng (bench minor – too many men), 12:08; Blanchard Cha (tripping), 18:45.

Shots on Goal-Charlotte 14-11-14-39. Binghamton 10-18-14-42.
Power Play Opportunities-Charlotte 0 / 3; Binghamton 2 / 5.
Goalies-Charlotte, Pogge 15-12-2 (42 shots-36 saves). Binghamton, Brust 19-12-1 (39 shots-37 saves).
A-3,257
Referees-Chris Brown (86).
Linesmen-John Everett (82), Mike McDevitt (13).