Charlotte Checkers: FIRST Ever Calder Cup Final Win in Game 2

The Charlotte Checkers get their first franchise victory in their first franchise Calder Cup Finals appearance against the Chicago Wolves in Game 2. Shades of Game 1 of the Wolves comeback appeared, but Charlotte prevailed.

The way this series was going to go was questionable after Game 1, with the Charlotte Checkers seeing a 3-1 lead vanish and the Chicago Wolves taking the game in overtime to set the tone. It is often difficult to recover from a comeback loss like that early in a series. Just ask the Toronto Marlies in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Wolves have been spectacular in their Game 1s to start playoff series. They defeated the Iowa Wild in Game 1 overtime, they defeated the San Diego Gulls in Game 1 overtime, and they defeated our Charlotte Checkers in Game 1 overtime. The Checkers did drop Game 1 in the series against the Marlies and they still won that series, the Checkers can do it again.

Like in the takeaways from Game 1, the idea of Dustin Tokarski was actually the approach that was taken. In his three playoff starts, he had three wins. In the first period, it was a deadlocked stalemate with tallies from Nick Schilkey with a shorthanded goal for the Checkers and a goal from Keegan Kolesar shortly after.

Nicolas Roy and Stelio Mattheos put the Checkers ahead 3-1, similar to Game 1. The crowd stopped when Gage Quinney scored twice to tie the game up for the Chicago Wolves, just like where the Wolves came back from 1-3 down to a 3-3 tie game. Trade deadline acquisition, Tomas Jurco would end the coincidence with a minute left in the second period, to put the Checkers up 4-3.

In the third period, the Charlotte Checkers forechecked the Chicago Wolves into oblivion, limiting the Wolves to only four shots, despite the Wolves needing the push to get back into the game. The Checkers would ultimately get rewarded, as Andrew Poturalski scored for the dagger to secure Game 2, thus the series being tied.

The Charlotte Checkers are three wins away from raising their first ever Calder Cup, in their first ever Calder Cup Finals appearance. The difficult part is just beginning, as the Checkers will be going on a long road trip with three games in Chicago. They’ll see Game 3 in Chicago at 08:00 P.M. Eastern Time on Wednesday.

A good topic to consider is if Dustin Tokarski will see a start in Game 3 or if Alex Nedeljkovic will get the nod, after resting Game 2. The Checkers are going to need to take at least one road game in this series in the path to the remaining three needed wins.

Question for Cardiac Cane Readers: Should Dustin Tokarski or Alex Nedeljkovic start in Game 3?