CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theahl.com) … Mike Benning scored 4:02 into extra time to offer the Charlotte Checkers a crucial 3-2 win over the Abbotsford Canucks in Recreation 2 of the 2025 Calder Cup Finals on Sunday afternoon.
Tied at one recreation apiece, the best-of-seven sequence now shifts to Abbotsford for Recreation 3 on Tuesday night (10 ET/7 PT, AHLTV on FloHockey).
Late on a Checkers energy play, Justin Sourdif stored the puck in on the blue line and despatched a cross-ice tempo to Benning, who stepped into the left-wing circle and snapped a shot previous Artūrs Šilovs to offer Charlotte its second win in 4 journeys to OT this postseason.
The remainder of the scoring in Recreation 2 all got here within the opening interval. John Leonard knocked in a back-door cross from Rasmus Asplund to place the Checkers on the board first at 3:13, however the Canucks responded with a aim from Sammy Blais at 4:15.
Wilmer Skoog gave Charlotte the lead again at 11:14 earlier than Abbotsford’s Linus Karlsson scored his league-leading tenth playoff aim at 17:38.
The remainder of regulation was scoreless, though Charlotte owned a 23-6 benefit in pictures on aim throughout the second and third intervals. Remaining pictures within the recreation have been 42-13 in favor of the Checkers.
Šilovs (13-6) made 39 saves on the night time following his 51-save efficiency in Recreation 1. Kaapo Kähkönen (11-3) stopped 11 pictures to earn the victory.
NOTES: Attendance for Recreation 2 was 8,689, setting an all-time document for an AHL contest at Bojangles Coliseum for the second consecutive recreation… That is the primary Calder Cup Finals sequence since 2015 (Manchester vs. Utica) to see the primary two video games each go to extra time… Charlotte was 2-for-5 on the facility play in Recreation 2 after going scoreless in 5 probabilities on Friday night time… Abbotsford was 1-for-3, bettering to 3-for-10 within the sequence… Photographs on aim by means of the primary two video games are 96-43 for Charlotte… Of the 20 extra time video games performed throughout the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, eight have been determined inside the first 5 minutes.
Picture: Ian Yount
(Collection tied, 1-1)Recreation 1 – Fri., June 13 – Abbotsford 4, CHARLOTTE 3 (2OT)Recreation 2 – Solar., June 15 – CHARLOTTE 3, Abbotsford 2 (OT)Recreation 3 – Tue., June 17 – Charlotte at Abbotsford, 10:00Game 4 – Thu., June 19 – Charlotte at Abbotsford, 10:00Game 5 – Sat., June 21 – Charlotte at Abbotsford, 9:00*Recreation 6 – Mon., June 23 – Abbotsford at Charlotte, 7:00*Recreation 7 – Wed., June 25 – Abbotsford at Charlotte, 7:00*if vital… All instances Japanese
