KALAMAZOO, MI -- The Charlotte Checkers managed to put four goals past one of the league’s hottest goaltenders, Ryan Nie, but it wasn’t enough as they were downed, 7-4, by the Kalamazoo Wings on Saturday night in Michigan.
Andrew Carroll added a pair of goals and now has a team-leading 15 tallies while Julien Brouilette recorded a goal, assist and fighting major for the Gordie Howe hat trick. Miika Wiikman made 24 saves and was handed his first regulation loss since Nov. 8, also against Kalamazoo, a span of 11 games.
Nie stopped 36 shots for his fourth win in a row while Matt Jones led the way offensively for Wings with three goals and, for the second consecutive game, scored the game-winner. The Wings have now won five straight.
Charlotte opened the scoring just under two minutes into the game when Jean-Philipp Chabot fed a nice pass to Carroll in the slot. Carroll cradled the pass and slid it past Nie to take the early 1-0 lead.
Kalamazoo would light the lamp three times before the end of the period. Jones directed a cross-crease pass from Andrew Fournier past Wiikman at 5:28 before adding another just over six minutes later. With under two minutes to play in the period, Sam Ftorek skated in alone on the Checkers’ netminder and beat him with a backhander to take a two-goal lead.
The Wings then took a three-goal lead just over five minutes into the second, on the power play, as Mathieu Curadeau took a point shot that made its way through traffic and into the back of the net.
The Checkers would capitalize on a power play of their own late in the period to cut Kalamazoo’s lead to two. On a 5-on-3 advantage, leading scorer Tyler Doig fed a pass to Brouillette who then rifled a slap shot over the glove of Nie for his seventh of the season.
Kalamazoo, however, would tally three quick goals in a span of 2:16 midway through the period, jumping to a 7-2 lead. On the power play, Jones recorded the hat trick when he redirected a pass from Ftorek past Wiikman. Just a minute and a half later, Rick Cleaver chased Wiikman from the Charlotte net when he blasted a one-timer into the top corner on a 4-on-3 man advantage. Ftorek, riding a wave of momentum, added a breakaway goal just 44 seconds later for the five-goal lead.
At the midway point of the third period, Charlotte showed signs of life as David Marshall beat Nie, making it a 7-3 game. Mike Taylor and Brouillette picked up assists on the play.
Carroll would add a late goal, his fifth in the last five games, however, it wasn’t enough as Kalamazoo hung on for the 7-4 victory.
The Checkers (18-12-4-0) will continue their northern swing in Toledo tomorrow before returning home to host the Gwinnett Gladiators on Wednesday. Game time is 7 p.m. and ticket information can be obtained by calling 704-342-4-ICE or visiting www.gocheckers.com.
