Checkers Again Dump Comets 5-2

The Charlotte Checkers again got the better of the Utica Comets on Friday night at the Adirondack Bank Center, skating to a 5-2 win and improving 10-3-0-0 on the season.

The Checkers (who also beat Utica by a 5-2 final on Wednesday night) opened the scoring at 16:31 of the first period with a shorthanded goal as Aleksi Saarela took advantage of a Comet turnover at center ice and led a two-on-none fast break, setting up Nickolas Roy's second goal of the season.

Clark Bishop scored his first of two goals on the night (11:46) in the second period to make it 2-0 Charlotte. With 17 seconds remaining in the second, Jayson Megna scored to put Utica on the board and cut the deficit in half.

But, Charlotte quickly took control again in the third as Andrew Poturalski scored just 33 seconds in. Janne Kuokkanen made it 4-1 just four minutes later.

The Comets' Michael Chaput scored on the power play just a minute and a half later but Utica was unable to rally from there. Nikolay Goldobin and Philip Holm each assited on Chaput's goal, giving them each eight assists for the season.

Richard Bachman stopped 26 of 31 shots for Utica. Charlotte's Alex Nedeljkovic save 24 of 26.

The Comets (5-6-0-1) visit the Laval Rocket on Wednesday night before returning home again next weekend.

Prior to Friday's game, the Vancouver Canucks announced Reid Boucher and Thatcher Demko had been reassigned to the Comets - neither was available for the game.