The Charlotte Checkers advanced to the Atlantic Division Finals with a 5-2 win over the Providence Bruins on Sunday afternoon.
The victory was the first by a home team in the series, and sets up a meeting in the next round between the Checkers and the winner of Sunday’s Game 5 between Hershey and Lehigh Valley.
Charlotte held the Bruins to just eight shots on goal in Game 5, including one over the first 31 minutes of the contest. It was the fewest shots in any AHL game since Nov. 27, 2015, when the Albany Devils allowed six shots in a 4-0 win over the Binghamton Senators, and the fewest in a Calder Cup Playoff contest since Apr. 21, 2010, when the Hershey Bears allowed seven shots in a 4-1 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Tobias Bjornfot notched two goals, opening the scoring 7:18 into the first period and sealing the win with a 185-foot empty-netter with 1:08 remaining.
Wilmer Skoog scored at 8:38 of the second period to give the Checkers a 2-0 lead, and Oliver Okuliar made it 3-0 early in the third.
Vinni Lettieri scored twice to pull the Bruins to within 3-2 with just over four minutes remaining.
Kaapo Kähkönen (3-2) needed just six saves to earn the win for Charlotte, while Brandon Bussi (1-1) stopped 25 of 28 shots for Providence.
Photo: Jacob Kupferman
(Charlotte wins series, 3-2)
Game 1 – Fri., May 2 – Charlotte 5, PROVIDENCE 1
Game 2 – Sun., May 4 – Charlotte 2, PROVIDENCE 0
Game 3 – Wed., May 7 – Providence 3, CHARLOTTE 2
Game 4 – Fri., May 9 – Providence 3, CHARLOTTE 2 (OT)
Game 5 – Sun., May 11 – CHARLOTTE 5, Providence 2
