Recap: Checkers Complete Comeback to Win Game 1 in OT

CHARLOTTE - The Charlotte Checkers took Game 1 of their first-round Calder Cup Playoff series in dramatic fashion with a comeback 3-2 overtime win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Lucas Wallmark netted the game-winning goal just over three minutes into overtime, while Aleksi Saarela and Valentin Zykov scored to tie the game in the third period.
Here are five takeaways from tonight's playoff opener in Charlotte.

1. Welcome to Wallmark
"Every shot matters," Checkers head coach Mike Vellucci preached.
Sure enough, a simple shot from the point off the stick of Brenden Kichton was redirected in front by Wallmark to whip Bojangles' Coliseum into a frenzy, as the Checkers scored three unanswered goals to claim victory in Game 1.

"It was a long shift there with good pressure. We had a lot of shots and good rotation. Kich got the puck on the blue line, and I tried to go to the net," Wallmark said. "It was a good shot, and it was really fun to see the puck go in the net."
"That was a battle. The whole game was a battle. You have to win the wall battles, and every shot matters," Vellucci said. "You have to score those kinds of goals."
Wallmark dropped to a knee and pumped his fist after scoring the game-winner, an emphatic cap on the Checkers' comeback.
"It's always fun to score goals. It was a big goal for us and a big win," he said. "It's always good to start with a win, especially at home."

2. Comeback Kids
Down 2-0 heading into the third period and facing a stout Tristan Jarry in net, the Checkers felt as though if they got one goal, more would follow.
Saarela got the Checkers on the board first, as he took a pass from Trevor Carrick - who took a hit to make a play - and stepped up, fired and scored.

"We talked about just getting one. Get that first one and the next couple will come," Vellucci said. "It was a big one. It was a great shot."
"It was a big goal, the first one," Wallmark said. "After that we played with more confidence."
Just over five minutes later, the Checkers tied the game, finally breaking through on their sixth power play of the game. Greg McKegg sent the puck to the net, and Zykov was there on the doorstep to tap in the rebound.
"We never give up. We've always fought back, no matter what the score was," Vellucci said. "The guys don't give up. They compete and stay positive."
3. Power Play and Offense Break Through
The Checkers scored a league-best 70 goals on the power play in the regular season, but they came up empty on their first five man advantages of the night in Game 1. Though, that was more a credit to Jarry and the Penguins' penalty kill than it is a knock on the Checkers' power play.
"I thought we were fine on the power play," Vellucci said. "Their goalie made a lot of big saves early on. He was really stellar."

Really, the offense as a whole was sputtering early - and that's an offense that paced the league with an average of 3.45 goals per game in the regular season. But to the Checkers credit, they stuck with their game, and it paid off in the third period.
"I thought we were a little tight early on. The inexperience showed a little bit," Vellucci said. "Once we relaxed and just talked about having fun, we played much better."
"I think we played a good game from the start. We just didn't get the puck in," Saarela said. "That was a huge comeback for us. It showed a lot for us that we can come back from a 2-0 [deficit]. I think we played good."
4. The Rough Stuff
After the morning skate, Vellucci cautioned against the Checkers getting caught up in the extra curriculars of the game, as he stressed to his team the importance of playing "between the whistles."
Though the Pens tried to goad the Checkers a few times, Charlotte remained disciplined. The game got a smidge out of hand following Charlotte's second goal, when Zykov threw his arms in the air in celebration right in the face of Penguins defender Chris Summers. He didn't appreciate that, and chaos ensued though cooler heads would prevail.

"We knew they were going to come out, compete, battle and take runs at us," Vellucci said. "For the most part we stayed calm, stayed away from it and played between the whistles."
5. Follow It Up on Saturday
While sweet, the Checkers can't savory this victory for too long. Game 2 is slated for Saturday at 6 p.m., and a 2-0 advantage as the series shifts to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would be much more preferable to a 1-1 split.
"In a five-game series, every game is important," Vellucci said. "No matter if we win that game today or lose tonight, it's a big game tomorrow. Get the proper rest and make sure you eat right. Do the little things because every little thing adds up to a big thing."