Charlotte held serve on home ice, and now the pressure is on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to do the same.
Josiah Didier broke a 1-1 tie with 5:42 to go in regulation and Alex Nedeljkovic finished with 27 saves as the Checkers defeated the Penguins, 4-1, to take a 2-0 series lead in their best-of-five Atlantic Division semifinal series.
Game 3 is Thursday night in Wilkes-Barre.
Joseph Cramarossa gave the Penguins a lead 22 seconds into the contest, but Nedeljkovic (2-0) shut the door the rest of the way.
Haydn Fleury tied things up at 13:47 of the first period, and that score held until Didier’s wrist shot from the right point beat Tristan Jarry for the eventual game-winner.
Clark Bishop scored an empty-net goal at 18:38, and Fleury added his second goal of the night 14 seconds later.
Jarry (0-2) finished with 24 saves on 26 shots in defeat.
Atlantic Division Semifinals – Series “B” (best-of-5)
A2-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. A3-Charlotte Checkers
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 20 – CHARLOTTE 3, W-B/Scranton 2 (OT) | Recap
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 21 – CHARLOTTE 4, W-B/Scranton 1
Game 3 – Thu., Apr. 26 – Charlotte at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
*Game 4 – Sat., Apr. 28 – Charlotte at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
*Game 5 – Sun., Apr. 29 – Charlotte at W-B/Scranton, 3:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern
