Photo: Vitor Munhoz/l’Arena du Rocket Inc.
The Charlotte Checkers opened the Eastern Conference Finals with a convincing 5-1 win over the Laval Rocket at Place Bell on Wednesday evening.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday in Laval.
Five different Checkers scored and Kaapo Kähkönen made 30 saves in the victory, Charlotte’s ninth straight win on the road and fifth in a row overall.
Sandis Vilmanis opened the scoring 1:44 into the game and later added an assist. Justin Sourdif and Oliver Okuliar gave the Checkers a 3-0 lead, and John Leonard scored Charlotte’s fourth shorthanded goal of the playoffs in the opening minute of the third period to thwart Laval’s comeback bid.
Matt Kiersted returned to the Checkers lineup after missing the previous five games and recorded two assists. In addition to their shorthanded goal, Charlotte was 6-for-6 on the penalty kill.
Oliver Kapanen scored the lone goal for the Rocket, and Cayden Primeau stopped 15 of 19 shots.
(Charlotte leads series, 1-0)
Game 1 – Wed., May 28 – Charlotte 5, LAVAL 1
Game 2 – Thu., May 29 – Charlotte at Laval, 7:00
Game 3 – Sun., June 1 – Laval at Charlotte, 4:00
Game 4 – Tue., June 3 – Laval at Charlotte, 7:00
*Game 5 – Thu., June 5 – Laval at Charlotte, 7:00
*Game 6 – Sat., June 7 – Charlotte at Laval, 3:00
*Game 7 – Sun., June 8 – Charlotte at Laval, 3:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
