The Charlotte Checkers swept a road back-to-back against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at PPL Center.
On Friday, the Checkers skated to a 5-3 win over the Phantoms. Nolan Foote scored a goal and added an assist and Noah Gregor, Nate Smith, Brett Chorske and Mikulas Hovorka also lit the lamp for the Checkers. Luke Kunin set up the Gregor and Hovorka goals and Jack Studnicka and Mike Benning had the assists on Foote’s game-opener. Kirill Gerasimyuk got the start and stopped 33 shots to up his record to 7-6-1.
Sandis Vilmanis scored the game-opening goal and the overtime winner in Charlotte’s 5-4 victoy on Saturday. The Checkers blew the 4-0 lead they built in the first period, but got a full two points when Vilmanis lit the lamp 1:54 into the extra session with the lone assist going to Robert Mastrosimone. It was Vilmanis 10th goal of the AHL season. Jack Devine, Nate Smith and Mitchell Vande Sompel were the other goal-scorers. Ben Steeves, Brett Chorske, Jake Livingstone, Nolan Foote, Noah Gregor and Mike Benning were credited with assists. Cooper Black finished with 26 saves and posted his 22nd win.
The Checkers are now 33-18-5 and firmly in third place in the Atlantic Division. They will open a six-game homestand against the Bridgeport Islanders on Friday.