VERSUS 
The Charlotte Checkers used a three goal third period, hard physical play and simply outworked the Johnstown Chiefs en route to a 7-4 victory in front of 5,899 at the Times Warner Cable Arena Friday night.
Matt Schepke was a force to be reckoned with especially in the third period when he netted two of his three goals for his first career hat trick. Left winger Kenny Roche, a New York Rangers third round pick in 2003 (75th overall), also gave General Manager and Head Coach Derek Wilkinson all he could ask for depositing two shots past Chiefs starter Kris Mayotte (30 saves, 1-4-2-0). Michel Leveille picked up a goal and two assists. Mike Taylor, Codey Burki and T.J. Reynolds all added a pair of helpers a piece.
“It was a frustrating game for us.” Wilkinson told Howlings. “We did not handle their trapping style of play very well through 2 periods but made some adjustments in the 3rd and found a way to win. Miika made some great saves in the 3rd to get us the win. He has been playing very well.”
In addition to the offensive surge where Charlotte scored in every scenario imaginable, the Checkers received magnificent netminding from Miika Wiikman. The Swedish goaltender, who has no business being in the ECHL at this point in his career but is caught as the odd man out with the Rangers current log jam of talent between the pipes, was incredible despite surrendering four goals. The four goals all came when the team played shorthanded and he had virtually no coverage in front of him. The Checkers surrendered four goals in six shorthanded tries.
Team Captain, and former Pack defenseman Jared Nightingale said, “I thought we came out a little sluggish and let them in the game with our penalty trouble. We let them have 4 pp goals. But then in the second period, we took the game over with a few fights and just wore them out in the third for 3 goals. Miika played excellent as usual.”
Johnstown took advantage of a “Too Many Men on the Ice” penalty charged to the Checkers just 1:50 into the contest. Winger Ryan Menei picked up a rebound in front of the net and put a rising shot on goal that just managed to elude Wiikman’s glove. But Charlotte came storming right back.
Less than two minutes later, at 3:35 the Checkers knotted the score.
Reynolds started the play with a teeth-loosening hit on one of the Johnstown defenseman who coughed up the puck and surprising not part of his lunch. Leveille grabbed the loose biscuit and Mayotte followed him to the left. The Checker forward then slid the puck back to the right and over to Roche who tapped it into the empty 4X6.
The Checkers struck pay dirt again just 3:08 later. This time Taylor and Schepke worked a shorthanded two-on-one odd man rush to perfection. Taylor faked a shot and fed Schepke who was completely alone and went five-hole on Mayotte. It was the first of three on the night for Schepke.
It took just 38 seconds for Charlotte’s lead to evaporate. Johnstown came back and tied the score at 7:21 with their second power play tally. Jim McKenzie saw traffic in front of Wiikman and beat the Checker defenseman to the glove side with for his fourth of the season.
But the Checkers just kept coming. Less than a minute later, Devin DiDiomete, rehabbing a broken arm in the bible belt after missing almost two months of action, rushed the puck up the left side. The Pack agitator came in alone and got Mayotte to bite on his fake and go down to the ice. The Stratford, Ontario native, trying to find a scorer’s touch, got the puck by Mayotte and on net, but just missed and hit the post. “It was a pretty tough angle and a half inch over and its in the net, the main thing is I’m getting the chances and my game is starting to come back to me”
DiDiomete picked up his first assist of the season on the next Checker tally. When he and linemates Andrew Carroll and Taylor put the screws to the Chiefs with hard forecheck pressure in the Johnstown end, DiDiomete recovered the puck and fed Taylor. Taylor in turn found Carroll in the right corner. The Checker winger skated virtually though the chief’s entire defense. cut across the crease and beat Mayotte for his sixth tally of the young season.
Charlotte almost scored again late, but a Schepke’s bid for a second goal was waved off and replays confirmed that the Checker forward clearly kicked the puck into the Chief net.
In the early part of the second period, with the Checkers down a man from a DiDiomete Unsportsmanlike Conduct infraction, the Checkers almost got their second short handed goal, but Nightingale was in the Chief’s crease and made contact with Mayotte and the goal was again waved off.
Johnstown was not about to quit. They tallied moments later when Connor Shields did his best Johan Franzen impression on a breakaway using a toe drag backhanded shot to flip the puck over a fallen Wiikman and knot the score at three.
Julien Brouillette was then denied a breakaway scoring attempt with a solid stop by Mayotte. That was followed seconds later by Nightingale mixing it up with Chiefs tough guy Michael Couch. Nightingale connected with a solid left and dropped the Chief defenseman right to the ice.
Roche picked up his second of the contest on a nice deflection of a point shot from Reynolds at 13:41.
But then all hell broke loose.
Just nine seconds later, Moises Gutierrez snow showered Wiikman for the second time and fed Reynolds nose the butt end of his stick. That did not sit well with DiDiomete who jumped the right wing and just pounded him like he was marinating a steak. A Chiefs player failed to hold back an incensed Reynolds who went completely berserk and just pummeled Gutierrez. Even after the Anchorage, Alaska native was clearly beaten and down, Reynolds would not let up. Based upon the beating Gutierrez took, you’d have thought the Right Winger told Reynolds to, “Go home and get your @&*%* shoebox.” Reynolds and DiDiomete gave him a beating that looked like a reenactment of the Tommy DeVito and Jimmy Conway beat down on Billy Batts in “Good Fellas.” The only difference was Gutierrez was able to be helped off the ice by the training staff and didn’t appear as if he would wind up in the trunk of a 1970 Chevy.
After DiDiomete and Reynolds were assessed their penalties, the Chiefs added their fourth power play score as Wiikman never saw Jarrett Konkle’s high shot that beat the goalie’s glove.
Schepke had another big scoring chance on a breakaway seconds later but was denied as Mayotte held his ground and kick saved the puck away.
The Checkers didn’t see their first man advantage until there were 54 seconds left in the second frame, but could do nothing with it.
The third period was the Schepke Show. At 5:38 he took advantage of a terrific play by Nightingale to keep the puck in the zone and beat Mayotte from the left doorstep. Then Leveille got his team leading ninth goal of the season off a great pass from Tyler Doig to make it 6-4.
Wiikman, who was able to stop all nine shots he faced in the third, should some nifty glove work snuffing out a Jim McKenzie breakaway.
A Johnstown minor for Too Many Men sent the Checker power play unit to the ice and Schepke completed his hat trick off a great set up pass from Burki from the left corner for what would be the game’s final score with just 1:41 to go.
For the Johnstown coverage you’ll find it at The Tribune-Democrat and for the Checkers, The Charlotte Observer has a brief blurb on the contest.
GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORER’S SHEET
NOTES:
After the game Howlings caught up with Devin DiDiomete and asked him how he felt he was coming along since being out of the game for a couple of months with the broken arm he suffered in training camp?
“The first couple of games were a bit of a battle, after being out that long its tough to just jump back into it. But I’ve felt like these last two games I’ve had real good legs and have been making smart plays with the puck and I’ve been getting some chances to score.”
You seem to be pushing yourself on the physical aspect of your game. You were challenging guys all over the ice tonight and then had quite the altercation with Gutierrez. You seem to relish the role of agitator. When you return to Hartford is that how you see yourself fitting in the lineup…
“Yeah, I mean that’s how I got to this level, so why would I stop doing that now, if I can get guys on the opposing team thinking about me it gives the skilled guys more room and there checkers don’t pay as much attention to them. I’m definitely not going to make any friends on the other team but if I can get in their heads and have them thinking about me, I’m doing my job”
Obviously the coaching staff is going to make the final determination when they feel you’re ready to come back to Hartford. What are your thoughts on how much more time you think you need?
“I’m starting to get back to where I was before my injury so hopefully “G” (Pack Head Coach Ken Gernander) and “Schoney” (General Manager Jim Schoenfeld) think I’m ready and I can be back as soon as possible”
* The Checkers start the day in second place four points behind the first place South Carolina Stingrays. However Charlotte has FOUR games in hand already this early in the season.
* The Checkers are on a run of 5 straight without a loss. (4-0-0-1).
* Miika Wiikman is sporting a 3-1-0-1 record since going to Charlotte and has a 1.98 GAA and .930 save percentage.
* Tyler Doig now has 10 points (1g, 9a) in his last five games
* Matt Schepke has eight goals in his last eight games
* Michel Leveille leads the team in scoring with 19 pts (9g, 10a) in 13 games
* Rookie left winger Andrew Carroll has a goal in each of his last five games
THREE STARS:
1. CHR – 24 Matt Schepke
2. CHR – 16 Kenny Roche
3. CHR – 11 Michel Leveille
ON ICE OFFICIALS:
Referee:
Steve Patafie (29)
Linesmen:
Mark Hamlett (81)
Rob Montepare (62)
NEXT GAME:
Charlotte hosts what should be a wild rematch Saturday night against the very same Johnstown Chiefs.
BOX-SCORE:
Johnstown 2 2 0 – 4
Charlotte 3 1 3 – 7
1st Period-1, Johnstown, Menei 2 (Konkle, Marshall), 1:50 (pp). 2, Charlotte, Roche 5 (Leveille, Reynolds), 3:35. 3, Charlotte, Schepke 6 (Taylor), 6:43 (sh). 4, Johnstown, McKenzie 4 (Shields, Schwab), 7:21 (pp). 5, Charlotte, Carroll 6 (Taylor, DiDiomete), 16:52. Penalties-served by Burki Chr (bench – too many men), 1:44; Leveille Chr (high-sticking), 5:58; DiDiomete Chr (unsportsmanlike conduct), 19:56.
2nd Period-6, Johnstown, Shields 7 (Hendrikx, Konkle), 5:16 (pp). 7, Charlotte, Roche 6 (Reynolds, Leveille), 13:41. 8, Johnstown, Konkle 2 (Schwab), 17:41 (pp). Penalties-Nightingale Chr (interference on the goalkeeper), 4:44; Couch Jhn (fighting – major), 11:36; Nightingale Chr (fighting – major), 11:36; Gutierrez Jhn (roughing), 13:50; Zarb Jhn (fighting – major), 13:50; DiDiomete Chr (fighting – major, misconduct – continuing altercation), 13:50; Reynolds Chr (fighting – major, game misconduct – aggressor), 13:50; Konkle Jhn (slashing ), 19:06.
3rd Period-9, Charlotte, Schepke 7 (Burki, Nightingale), 5:38. 10, Charlotte, Leveille 9 (Doig), 10:17. 11, Charlotte, Schepke 8 (Burki, Tkaczuk), 18:19 (pp). Penalties-Doig Chr (hooking), 7:07; Zarb Jhn (interference), 12:32; Berkstresser Jhn (bench – too many men), 17:59; Schulz Jhn (fighting – major), 19:11; Roche Chr (slashing , fighting – major), 19:11.
Shots on Goal-Johnstown 9-13-9-31. Charlotte 15-11-11-37.
Power Play Opportunities-Johnstown 4 of 8; Charlotte 1 of 3.
Goalies-Johnstown, Mayotte 1-4-2-0 (37 shots-30 saves). Charlotte, Wiikman 3-1-0-1 (31 shots-27 saves).
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