The Florida Panthers hold a full team skate at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Dec. 18. Coming off their latest brutal road trip, the Charlotte Checkers welcomed the Bridgeport Islanders to the Queen City for a two-game weekend set. Charlotte had just completed a four-game-in-six-day road trip in which they came away with a solid 2-1-1 record, but just two days later faced the back-to-back with Bridgeport. There was a festive mood in the are at Bojangles Colesium during the weekend thanks to Charlotte wearing special Christmas-sweater uniforms for both games. The weekend started on a high note, with Spencer Knight logging an impressive 23-save shutout, his second of the season, in a 3-0 Checkers victory on Friday. Rookie Ryan McAllister’s sixth goal of the season would prove to be the game winner. He’s up to 10 points in 15 games with Charlotte. Knight would get the start on the second night of the back-to-back as well, but this time the Islanders peppered him with 37 shots in a 4-3 overtime defeat. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] Justin Sourdif scored twice in the loss, and fellow rookie Mackie Samoskevich logged a pair of assist for the second night in a row. He’s up to 5 goals and 12 points in 17 AHL games. “Just ultra-competitive,” Checkers Head Coach Geordie Kinnear said of Sourdif to the Charlotte media. “Him and Samo (Samoskevich) have a little bit of chemistry, but just playing the right way. All that stuff is a byproduct of how he plays. As long as he’s doing the right things. He has physicality, skating. He’s a pretty dangerous player. With and without the puck he’s dangerous.” Defenseman Michael Benning, another rookie, scored his fourth goal of the year for Charlotte. Samoskevich, meanwhile, has 7 points over his past four games and is up to 17 points through 21 AHL games this season. Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis, who was loaned back to Charlotte last week, picked up a pair of assists in Saturday’s overtime loss. He’s got a goal and the two assists in two games with the Checkers. As for Knight, his record stands at 8-4-2 with Charlotte while carrying a 2.51 goals against average and .904 save percentage. He stopped 56 of the 60 Islanders shots he faced. The Checkers are now 3-1-2 over their past six games and six in sixth place in the AHL’s tightly packed Atlantic Division with a 13-10-2 record, three points pack of third place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Overall, Kinnear said he was pleased with the way his team showed up for a tough couple of games. “Really with a 3-1 lead you don’t want to leave it to overtime to be honest, but I’m proud of the guys,” Kinnear said. “If you look at the schedule it’s been super tough. Super tough travel, we played three-in-three last weekend, we played Wednesday in Lehigh and then back here and played them back-to-back. The group has done a real good job and played to our identity, we just fell a little flat in the third period after we gave up that goal. Good point and move on.” Charlotte will next be in action on Thursday and Friday when they host the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Three takeaways: Even strength excellence can't rescue power play issues as Panthers road trip ends in disappointment [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/features/three-takeaways-even-strength-excellence-cant-rescue-power-play-issues-as-panthers-road-trip-ends-in-disappointment] Florida shut down by Markstrom, Flames in 3-1 defeat [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-shut-down-by-markstrom-flames-in-3-1-defeat] Panthers place Anton Lundell on IR, recall Justin Sourdif from Charlotte [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-place-anton-lundell-on-ir-recall-justin-sourdif-from-charlotte] Former Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar thriving in Calgary following blockbuster trade [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/features/former-panthers-defenseman-mackenzie-weegar-thriving-in-calgary-following-blockbuster-trade] Panthers in Calgary looking to wrap up road trip on high note [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-in-calgary-looking-to-wrap-up-road-trip-on-high-note] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
