Oliver Okuliar scored twice and assisted on John Leonard’s game-opening goal as the Charlotte Checkers clinched a first-round bye in the Calder Cup playoffs with a 3-2 road win over the Hartford Wolf Pack. One of the Florida Panthers top prospects also had a big hand in the victory.
Jack Devine, a seventh-round pick in 2022, made his AHL debut a memorable one, drawing the primary assist on Charlotte’s first two tallies and registering one shot on goal. Devine inked his entry-level contract with the Panthers this past weekend and is playing the rest of the season for the Checkers on a PTO.
Ben Steeves also finished the game with a pair of helpers and veteran netminder Kaapo Kähkönen made 20 saves.
The Checkers still have an outside chance of winning the AHL’s Atlantic Division. They would need to sweep a back-to-back on the road against the Springfield Thunderbirds this weekend and have the Hershey Bears lose their final two games in regulation.
NHL
The upstart Montreal Canadiens finally punched a ticket to the postseason with a 4-2 win over the Chicago Wolves… I mean Carolina Hurricanes last night at a raucous Bell Center.
Montreal’s late entry puts five teams from the Atlantic Division into the playoffs, although Les Habitants will cross over and play in the Metropolitan Division, starting with the mighty Washington Capitals.