Checkers vs. Augusta: Playoffs Round 1 Game 1 - 4/9/07

[Tiny44]

Click on the link below to hear the Coaches comments on tonights game.

http://www.prosportsmedia.com/admin/../checkers/mm/video/clip/4-9-2007.wmv

[babs<3checkers]

Checkers Press Release

CHECKERS TAKE GAME 1 OF OPENING ROUND PLAYOFF SERIES WITH 2-1 VICTORY IN OT

The Charlotte Checkers found a way to win Monday night in their first playoff game of the season. Still feeling some signs of fatigue from a game-filled, late-season schedule, the Checkers were outshot 41-28 but managed a 2-1 win over the Augusta Lynx in sudden-death overtime at Bobcats Arena.

Daymen Rycroft’s score with nine minutes remaining in the first sudden-death overtime session gave Charlotte the win to go up 1-0 in the best-of-three, mini-playoff series. The Checkers held a one-goal advantage until late in the third period, when the Lynx scored to send the game to overtime.

The Checkers can close out the series Tuesday night with a win when Game # 2 shifts to Augusta for a 7:35 p.m. face-off. If the Lynx win Tuesday, a third and deciding game would be back in Charlotte Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. at the Checkers practice facility, The Extreme Ice Center, in Indian Trail.

Charlotte goalie Chris Holt was superb in goal, stopping 40 Lynx shots including 14 in the second period. Nathan Gillies scored the other Charlotte goal with Brian Passmore netting the lone Augusta tally.

“Chris Holt was just phenomenal,” commented Charlotte Coach Derek Wilkinson. “He’s been dialed in since he’s come back from Hartford. He did this in Hartford last year in their playoffs too when he got a chance to play. It seems like the more pressure, the more single-game focus there is, the better he is.”

The Checkers overcame five minor penalties and scored a power-play goal of their own for a 1-0 first-period advantage. Two minutes after Charlotte killed off an Augusta, one minute, forty second two-man advantage, the Checkers scored with the Lynx two men down. Gillies took a pass and beat McKee from between the circles for the period's lone goal.

In the second period Augusta dominated with a big territorial advantage, while outshooting the Checkers 14-5. The Lynx also has their second two-man advantage power play, this time for a minute and two seconds. Holt and the Checkers penalty killing unit weathered the storm and somehow kept Augusta off the scoreboard, taking a 1-0 lead to the locker room through two periods.

In the third period Charlotte tightened things up considerably, but the Lynx were finally able to tie the game. With eight minutes left in regulation, Augusta used some crisp passing to set up Passmore for a tap in right in front of Holt to tie the game at 1-1. The shots in the third period were even at 9-9, with the Lynx holding a 34-21 shot advantage through three periods.

In the overtime each team had a chance to win with a power-play opportunity. But it was the Checkers who would capitalize. Rycroft rammed home Kirk DeWaele’s rebound from in close to end the game and give Charlotte the first game of the series.

Special teams were a big factor in the Checkers victory. Charlotte went 2-4 on the power play and blanked Augusta on its eight tries, including two, two-man advantages. “They were critical," said Wilkinson. "We have the number one penalty kill in the league for a reason and it showed tonight. In this game when you don’t have a whole lot of jump and you get a chance to get them down odd man, you have to capitalize and we did.”

SERIES SCHEDULE:

Monday, April 9 – Augusta 1 @ Charlotte 2 OT

Tuesday, April 10 – Charlotte @ Augusta – 7:35 p.m. (TEAMLINE & B2)

Wednesday, April 11 – Augusta @ Charlotte – 7:00 p.m. (If Necessary) **At Extreme Ice Center (TEAMLINE)

*** Fans may purchase tickets in advance for Game 3 (to be held at the Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail) for $ 5.00 through Tuesday. Tickets purchased at the door Wednesday will be $ 10.00. (If Game 3 is not played, there will be no refunds for tickets purchased in advance. Funds from those sales will be donated to Checkmate Charities.)

CHECKERS MONDAY NIGHT SCRATCHES: Rick Kozak, Dusty Jamieson and Niko Tuomi..

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

FOR BOX SCORE CLICK: http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1804

NEXT GAME: The Checkers travel to Augusta Tuesday, April 10 at 7:35 p.m. for Game 2 of the best-of-three playoff series with the Lynx.

[babs<3checkers]

ECHL DIVISION QUARTERFINALS, GAME 1 | CHECKERS 2, LYNX 1 (OT)
Checkers seize opening-round win (http://www.charlotte.com/323/story/79943.html)
Rycroft converts rebound to give Charlotte leg up
CLIFF MEHRTENS
cmehrtens@charlotteobserver.com

Daymen Rycroft had a brief thought as he skated out to begin a power play in overtime.

"Here's our chance," he said. "They're down one guy, it's late and they're tired."

Rycroft ended it 33 seconds later when he poked in a rebound goal 11 minutes, 1 second into overtime to give the Charlotte Checkers a 2-1 victory against Augusta in Game 1 of the ECHL South Division quarterfinal Monday at Bobcats Arena.

Game 2 in the best-of-3 series will be at 7:30 p.m. today in Augusta, Ga. A third game, if necessary, will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail.

Charlotte's goals came on power plays. Conversely, it stymied each of Augusta's eight power plays. The winner came after defenseman Kenton Smith sent a slapshot that goalie Dave McKee deflected to Rycroft, a few feet to his left.

"I got a couple of whacks at it," Rycroft said. "Purely a reaction play."

The last thing the weary Checkers needed was extra work after finishing the regular season with six games in eight days. But Augusta's Brian Passmore tied it at 1 as he skated down the slot with seven minutes left in regulation.

Charlotte, on Nathan Gillies' goal on a blistering slapshot six minutes in, nursed a 1-0 lead most of the first two periods.

The game settled into a battle between goalies, as Charlotte's Chris Holt (40 saves) and McKee (26 saves) were sharp.

The closeness of the opener -- and likely the series -- shouldn't be a surprise as the teams split 10 games during the regular season. Each was 4-1 at home.

"I liked our approach on the (overtime) power play," coach Derek Wilkinson said. "We came out aggressive, like here's our chance. The guys went right out, had a chance and banged in the rebound. They had the mentality to go for it and not sit back."

The Checkers killed off five penalties during the first period, after leading the ECHL in penalty killing during the regular season. Holt was stout during 100 seconds of a two-man disadvantage three minutes in.

Charlotte withstood another 5-on-3 disadvantage midway through the second period. Holt stopped Aaron Slattengren's wrister on a breakaway with five minutes left in the period. Charlotte got a break three minutes into overtime when Sean Blanchard's power-play slapshot ticked off Holt's glove and careened off the crossbar.

"Chris was just phenomenal," Wilkinson said. "He's been dialed in since he came back from Hartford (of the American Hockey League). It seems like the more single-game pressure there is, the better he plays. He didn't dive around making saves."


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

First Period: 1, Charlotte, Gillies 1 (Lee, Kenton Smith), 6:31 (pp). Penalties: Vodrazka, C (interference), 1:22; DeWaele, C (cross-checking), 3:27; Vodrazka, C (tripping), 3:47; Bittner, A (tripping), 5:24; Hynes, A (tripping), 6:18; Graham, C (tripping), 12:23; DeWaele, C (interference), 18:08.

Second Period: None. Penalties: Vodrazka, C (slashing), 9:49; Kenton Smith, C (boarding), 10:48; Bembridge, A (holding), 19:36.

Third Period: 2, Augusta, Passmore 1 (Erickson, Blanchard), 12:14. Penalties: None.

Overtime: 3, Charlotte, Rycroft 1 (Kenton Smith, DeWaele), 11:01 (pp). Penalties: DeWaele, C (tripping), 3:24; Lundberg, A (cross-checking), 10:28.

Shots on goal: 11-14-9-7--41. Charlotte 7-5-9-7--28. Goaltenders: Augusta, McKee 0-0-1-0 (28 shots-26 saves). Charlotte, Holt 1-0-0-0 (41-40). Att.: 2,032 (at Charlotte).

Checkers vs. Lynx

ECHL best-of-3 South Division quarterfinal

GAME 2: 7:30 p.m. today, at Augusta

GAME 3(if necessary): 7 p.m. Wednesday, at Extreme Ice Center, in Indian Trail.

[babs<3checkers]

Lynx Press Release

CHECKERS EDGE LYNX IN OT TO CLAIM GAME ONE (http://www.augustalynx.com/gameday/news/?id=7460)

April 9, 2007 - Charlotte, SC – Game One of the South Division Mini Series goes to the Charlotte Checkers as they downed the Augusta Lynx 2-1 in overtime Monday night at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

The Checkers’ second power play goal of the night, Damen Rycroft fired home a rebound in front of Lynx netminder Dave McKee at 11:01 of the first overtime period for the game winner.

Charlotte converted on a first period five-on-three power play to take a 1-0 lead. Nathan Gillies scored at 6:31, driving a shot between the pads on Dave McKee from Mark Lee and Kenton Smith for the only goal of the frame.

The Lynx would finally tie the game in the third period when Brian Passmore converted a three-way passing play from Mike Erickson and Sean Blanchard at 12:14, beating Chris Holt with a shot stick side and forcing overtime.

Augusta finished the game 0-for-8 on the power play while the Checkers went 2-for-4. Augusta out-shot the Checkers 41-31 on the evening.

The same two teams will battle each other tomorrow night at 7:35 pm at the James Brown Arena in Augusta, with tickets on sale for $10 each regardless of seating level at 10 am.