Checkers Sweep First-Round Series

The Charlotte Checkers completed the sweep of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs with a 7-3 win on the road in Game 3 on Thursday night.
The Checkers, who are now riding a 10-game winning streak that dates back to March 31, advance to the second round for the first time since 2011, where they await the winner of Lehigh Valley-Providence (series tied 1-1).

A common thread in the first round was the Checkers' ability to erase deficits. Down 2-0 heading into the third period of
Game 1
, they scored three unanswered goals to win 3-2 in overtime. In
Game 2
, Charlotte fell behind 1-0 on the first shift of the game, only to win 4-1.
In
Game 3
, the Checkers again found themselves in an early 2-0 hole. Lucas Wallmark and Greg McKegg scored 22 seconds apart late in the first period to tie it before intermission. The Checkers then scored three more goals to stretch their lead to 5-2 and sealed the series-clinching win with a pair of empty netters in the final minutes.

McKegg, a former Penguin acquired at the trade deadline by the Hurricanes, paced the Checkers with five points (1g, 4a) in three first-round games. Alex Nedeljkovic made 26 saves in Game 3 and finished the first round with 78 saves on 84 shots (.929 save percentage, 1.97 goals-against average).

Dates and times for second-round playoff games will be announced upon the conclusion of the Lehigh Valley-Providence series, which will conclude with either Game 4 on Saturday or Game 5 on Monday.