Checkers vs. Lynx: 4/1/07

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Here's the link from today's Checkers post-game news conference.Checkers April 1 Post-Game News Conference (http://www.prosportsmedia.com/admin/../checkers/mm/video/clip/4-1-07.wmv)

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Checkers Press Release

CHECKERS CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH WITH 3-2 SHOOTOUT VICTORY SUNDAY AGAINST AUGUSTA


The Charlotte Checkers are in the playoffs. In one of the most exciting games of the season, Charlotte edged the Augusta Lynx 3-2 in a shootout Sunday afternoon at Charlotte Bobcats Arena to officially lock up a playoff spot in the ECHL South. The Checkers have qualified for the playoffs three straight seasons.

The Checkers won the shootout with two goals by Dan Murphy and Mark Lee, while goalie Chris Holt stopped four of the five Lynx shooters to gain the win. It was Holt’s first game back after a nearly two-week stint with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.

The victory was Charlotte’s fifth straight, and sixth in its last seven games. The Checkers have gone 8-2 in their last ten games and swept the week-long, four-game homestand.

In regulation, the Checkers (40-25-1-2) got goals from Kirk DeWaele and Murphy, with Augusta getting scores from Greg Watson and Garrett Bembridge. Lynx goalie Nathan Marsters was superb making 40 saves in regulation plus overtime, as Charlotte outshot Augusta 42.24 for the game.

“Today was a little more suspenseful than we would have liked but it was a good week,” remarked Charlotte Coach Derek Wilkinson. “To win four in a row at home after coming off a good road win in South Carolina last Sunday, and to win five in a row in a week is great.”

The Lynx 39-27-1-3) scored twice in the first period, sandwiched around a Charlotte score to take a 2-1 advantage after the first 20 minutes. The Checkers turned up the heat and dominated the second period, outshooting Augusta 18-5. The pressure finally paid off as Murphy’s power-play goal midway through the frame tied the game at 2-2.

Both teams had chances in the third period and overtime, but both goalies hunkered down to keep the game knotted as the contest headed to a shootout.

The Checkers have four games left in the regular season, beginning Tuesday when they travel to Gwinnett to meet the Gladiators at 7:00 p.m.

CHECKERS SUNDAY SCRATCHES: Rick Kozak and Niko Tuomi

ON RECALL TO (AHL) HARTFORD: Hannu Pikkarainen, Alex Westlund, Corey Potter and Hugh Jessiman

ON LOAN TO (AHL) PROVIDENCE: Ryan Glenn

FOR BOX SCORE CLICK: http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1756

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CHECKERS 3, LYNX 2 (SO)

Charlotte joins playoff teams with victory (http://www.charlotte.com/323/story/71247.html)
Murphy helps Checkers rally in regulation play for South Division spot

KEITH CANNON
Special Correspondent

The Charlotte Checkers earned a place in the ECHL playoffs Sunday with a 3-2 shoot-out victory against the Augusta Lynx at Bobcats Arena.

There's still plenty to play for.

"It's been a good week for us, and some of the pressure is off now," coach Derek Wilkinson said after Charlotte's fifth straight victory nailed down one of the final two berths in the South Division. "But we've still got a chance at third place (in the division). And we're fighting for home-ice (advantage), which has been very important against Augusta -- if that's who we end up playing."

The Lynx (39-27-1-3, 81 points) and South Carolina will battle for the final playoff spot.

This one had playoff-style intensity.

The Checkers (40-25-1-2, 83 points) battled back from a 2-1 deficit, tying the score on Dan Murphy's power-play goal from the bottom of the left circle about 9 minutes into the second period.

From that point, Charlotte's league-leading penalty kill and goaltender Chris Holt, just back from the American Hockey League, took over. The Checkers killed three Augusta power plays in the third period and one in overtime.

"Special teams were a place where we felt like we could get in some trouble today because we've been playing so many games this week," Wilkinson said. "But the (penalty) killers did a great job, and Holt made some big stops."

He stuffed four of the five Lynx shots in the shoot-out. Murphy and Mark Lee scored in the shoot-out for Charlotte, which won in a shoot-out for the ninth time.


Augusta 2 0 0 0 0 -- 2
Charlotte 1 1 0 0 1 -- 3

First Period: 1, Augusta, Watson 13 (Saunders, Petz), 12:30. 2, Charlotte, DeWaele 3 (Murphy, Lee), 14:24. 3, Augusta, Bembridge 19 (Slattengren), 17:02. Penalty: Goulet, A (hooking), 6:56.

Second Period: 4, Charlotte, Murphy 20 (Lee, Kenton Smith), 9:06 (pp). Penalties: Marakhovski, A (interference), 8:12; Lundberg, A (holding), 14:16; Saunders, A (unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:16; Vodrazka, C (unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:16.

Third Period: None. Penalties: Kenton Smith, Chr (slashing), 0:56; Lee, C (elbowing), 7:36;p Vodrazka, C (tripping), 12:47.

Overtime: None. Penalty: Bahensky, C (holding, misconduct), 1:42.

Shoot-out: Charlotte.

Shots on goal: Augusta 11-5-6-2-0--24. Charlotte 10-18-11-2-1--42. Goaltenders: Augusta, Marsters 7-4-0-2 (41 shots-39 saves); Charlotte, Holt 22-18-0-2 (24-22). Att.: 5,788 (at Charlotte).

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Lynx Press Release

CHECKERS SNEAK PAST LYNX IN SHOOTOUT (http://www.augustalynx.com/gameday/news/?id=7446)

The Augusta Lynx are within one point of claiming a playoff berth in the ECHL’s South Division after a 3-2 shootout point earned against the Checkers in Charlotte Sunday afternoon.

A pair of deflections led to Augusta’s first two goals and a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes of play. At 12:30 Greg Watson tipped home a Nathan Saunders point shot to make it 1-0, and then Garett Bembridge deflected Aaron Slattengren’s wrister in front of Chris Holt to break a deadlocked game and give Augusta its second lead of the night.

Dan Murphy picked up his second point of the night with a power play goal at 9:06 of the second period from Blake Bellefeuille and Mark Lee, beating Nathan Marsters low on the stick side with a wrist shot from the slot.

The game would remain tied through overtime and head to a shootout, where Dan Murphy and Mark Lee put the game on ice for the Checkers, who prevailed and clinched a playoff spot in the ECHL’s South Division.

The Lynx can clinch a playoff berth with one point from either a shootout or overtime tie, or South Carolina failing to win either of its two remaining games.