Checkers Stumble To 5-4 Overtime Loss In Iowa

The Checkers took another hit on the road, earning a point in the standings but stumbling to a 5-4 overtime loss in Iowa.

Coming off their first road loss in two months, the Checkers jumped on top late in the first courtesy of a Patrick Brown deflection, but saw their lead evaporate quickly in the second with Christoph Bertschy putting the home team on the board.

The game then fell into a back-and-forth pattern as Trevor Carrick and Ryan Murphy each lit the lamp within a minute of each other to put Charlotte back ahead by two, only to see the Wild erase it with two of their own and send the game into the third tied at three. Things slowed in the third period, with the Checkers struggling to put anything on net until a Brendan Woods snipe broke the tie with under two minutes to go. But the Wild stayed alive, as Bertschy threaded one in with an extra attacker in the final minute to force overtime.

The Checkers created several chances early on in the high-octane extra frame, but couldn’t put any through. The first whistle came two minutes in as it appeared the Checkers would be headed to the power play after Ryan Murphy was dragged down. But Murphy was also assessed a penalty for holding the stick, much to his displeasure. Play resumed at three-on-three and the Wild quickly netted the winner, with Grayson Downing tipping a shot past Daniel Altshuller to clinch two points for Iowa.

Bertschy was the driving force behind the Wild’s win, netting the first hat trick in Iowa’s franchise history. It also marked the first time this season that the Checkers have been on the receiving end of a three-goal effort. The Iowa offense, which entered the night ranked second-to-last in the league in goals per game, was shockingly potent, pumping in 44 shots on the Charlotte net, including a staggering 20 in the middle frame alone.

Altshuller was back between the pipes for the Checkers, making over 35 saves for the second consecutive contest, but couldn’t come away with the two points. In the other crease was Jeremy Smith, who didn’t see much action down the stretch, but kept his team in a position to come back and get the win.

So far this season Charlotte has been one of the most dominate teams away from home in the AHL, but, coupled with Wednesday night’s 3-1 loss in Rockford, the Checkers are now winless in two consecutive road games. It marks just the second time that has happened this season and the first since Oct. 21.

The Checkers have historically had success against the Wild, who entered tonight in the cellar of the AHL standings, but Iowa seems to have their number in overtime this season. Charlotte has only lost two games in overtime thus far, and both have been at the hands of the Wild.

The Checkers won’t have to wait long to get another shot at the Wild, as the two teams will face off tomorrow afternoon for a 1:30 p.m. puck drop.