– Charlotte Checkers Sports Information Dept.

The Checkers kept their winning ways rolling into Toronto, walloping the Marlies 5-1 to take Game 3 and build a 2-1 series lead.

Building off of the four-goal avalanche in the third period of Game 2, the Checkers silenced the home crowd with a pair of tallies in the opening frame, with Trevor Carrick cranking a shot home from the blue line followed by Tomas Jurco redirecting Patrick Brown laser from the slot.

Charlotte wouldn’t let off the gas from there, rattling off three more unanswered tallies to secure a sturdy 5-0 advantage. The Captain Brown led the way, adding a third-period one-timer goal to his pair of helpers in the first to set a single-game career high.

The Marlies would finally break through with just over two minutes left in regulation to spoil the shutout bid, but that doesn’t sully a stellar performance for Alex Nedeljkovic between the pipes. The netminder stopped 33 of the 34 shots he faced, his highest save total of the postseason.

While the offense paved the way to victory, Charlotte’s penalty kill was a driving force as well. The Marlies’ highly regarded power play got seven opportunities on the night, including a big two-man advantage in the second, but the Checkers shut down all of them until the Marlies’ lone goal in the waning minutes.

Charlotte Checkers 5, Toronto Marlies 1
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Coca-Cola Coliseum

Charlotte 2 1 2 – 5
Toronto 0 0 1 – 1

1st Period-1, Charlotte, Carrick 1 (Brown, Jurco), 8:28. 2, Charlotte, Jurco 6 (Brown), 13:54. Penalties-served by Timashov Tor (bench minor – too many men), 1:45; Fleury Cha (hooking), 5:31; LoVerde Tor (tripping), 9:08; served by Jurco Cha (bench minor – too many men), 16:28; Borgman Tor (high-sticking), 19:06.

2nd Period-3, Charlotte, Poturalski 7 (Saarela, Bean), 18:30. Penalties-Marchment Tor (interference), 2:52; Bishop Cha (delay of game), 14:20; Brown Cha (high-sticking), 15:16.

3rd Period-4, Charlotte, Brown 2 (Necas, Carrick), 8:57. 5, Charlotte, Geekie 6 (Saarela), 15:23. 6, Toronto, Marchment 4 (Engvall, Carcone), 17:50 (PP). Penalties-Geekie Cha (interference), 2:15; Fleury Cha (interference), 5:00; Roy Cha (tripping), 17:00; Renouf Cha (roughing, misconduct – continuing altercation), 17:50; Marchment Tor (roughing, misconduct – continuing altercation), 17:50.

Shots on Goal-Charlotte 13-9-5-27. Toronto 9-10-15-34.
Power Play Opportunities-Charlotte 0 / 4; Toronto 1 / 7.
Goalies-Charlotte, Nedeljkovic 7-2 (34 shots-33 saves). Toronto, Kaskisuo 8-2 (22 shots-19 saves); Hutchinson 0-0 (5 shots-3 saves).
A-6,259
Referees-Michael Markovic (47), Corey Syvret (42).
Linesmen-Julien Fournier (73), Kevin Hastings (61).