Call-ups fuel Charlotte's dominant Game 1 victory, with multiple Panthers prospects exploding offensively. Prospects gain invaluable experience on their playoff journey.
The Florida Panthers’ AHL affiliate kicked off their Calder Cup Playoff run with a bang.
Hosting the Springfield Thunderbirds in their best-of-three first-round series, Charlotte started out strong and never let up, skating to a resounding 8-1 victory in Game 1.
While it was a great way for the Checkers to begin what they hope is a second straight trip to the Calder Cup Final, Charlotte Head Coach Geordie Kinnear knows they need to finish just as strong as they started.
“I thought within the game, we lost the emotion a little bit to a playoff game,” Kinnear said to local Charlotte media. “Halfway through the game the score is a little bit lopsided, so that tends to happen. Obviously, the start (is important), but the team that improves the most over the course of the series is usually the team that comes out on top. We want to make sure we’re that team.”
The Checkers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period off goals by Marek Alscher, Nolan Foote and a pair by Noah Gregor while holding Springfield to just two shots on goal.
Charlotte kept their foot on the gas during the middle frame, expanding their lead to seven within the first 7:47 of the period.
After 40 minutes, the Checkers were up 7-0 and outshooting Springfield 28-10.
Joining in the goal-scoring fun was Jack Studnicka, who added a second goal during the third period, Sandis Vilmanis and Tobias Bjornfot.
When the dust settled, Studnicka finished the game with four points and a plus-5 on-ice rating while four other Checkers – Gregor, Foote, Michael Benning and Ben Steeves – logged multi-point evenings as well.
Benning also finished plus-5 while Bjornfot was a plus-4.
If these names sound familiar, they should.
At some point during this season, all except for Steeves were called up to help out at the NHL level, with some spending more time with the Panthers than others, but all contributing.
For players like Vilmanis, Alscher and Benning, who are just starting their pro careers, that NHL experience will prove invaluable as they continue on their postseason journey.
“It for sure gives some guys some confidence,” said Gregor. “You get a lot of touches, you get some points, and that always makes everyone feel good.”
We’ll be keeping an eye on how Florida’s top prospects and NHL hopefuls are doing during Charlotte’s playoff run.
Game 2 between the Checkers and Thunderbirds is set for Friday night at 7 p.m. ET from Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte.
LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA