Kraken Heroes for Charlotte

Postseason hockey never fails to deliver unexpected heroes. The truism played out in a dramatic fashion for the Kraken's American Hockey League affiliate Charlotte Checkers in their opening game of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Charlotte started their postseason run Tuesday night in Bridgeport, CT, against the New York Islanders AHL affiliate. Bridgeport, which finished sixth in the Atlantic Division to the Checkers' first-place achievement, won a first-round series to meet Charlotte, holders of a first-round bye who last played a game April 23.
With the game tied in Game 1's waning minutes, Kraken developing pro and defenseman Gustav Olofsson scored the game-winning goal on a wrist shot and primary assist by fellow Kraken developing pro Cale Fleury. The score completed a three-goal comeback for Charlotte, up 1-0 in the series with a Thursday night Game 2 in Bridgeport.

Olofsson scored just two goals in 41 regular-season games. He was playing his first professional playoff game. In 244 career AHL regular-season games, he has just 15 goals. He's played 59 NHL games with Minnesota and Montreal with 11 assists but no goals. He has proved a defensive stalwart for Charlotte this season.

There were more Kraken developing pros who starred in the game but perhaps more predictably. Alexander True scored twice with fellow Kraken reserve player Max McCormick providing the primary assists and defenseman Dennis Cholowski (back with Charlotte after four Kraken appearances at season's end) notching an assist on the first goal.
"[True and McCormick] have always enjoyed playing with each other," Charlotte head coach Geordie Kinnear told Checkers.com reporter Paul Branecky after the game. "They've killed penalties together and they've been on power plays together. They've been great players all year for us, and they stepped up tonight."
Bridgeport, possibly a bit more in game shape than Charlotte, jumped off to a 2-0 lead after the first period, both scored, coincidentally by former Kraken waivers pickup Austin Czarnik (later reclaimed by NYI when SEA placed him on waivers). Charlotte halved the lead when Kraken developing pro McCormick found True with a cross-ice pass, which True converted. True was Seattle's expansion draft choice from the San Jose Sharks and led the Checkers in scoring during the regular season.
Soon after, Olofsson and McCormick were whistled for penalties six seconds apart, creating a mammoth 5-on-3 opportunity for Bridgeport to make 3-1 or even 4-1. But yet another Kraken developing pro, goaltender Joey Daccord, took matters into his hands, gloves, feet, pads, you name it.

Daccord made a full handful of big stops on Grade-A scoring chances to keep the one-goal margin. Just 19 seconds after the penalties were killed, McCormick intercepted a clearing play by Islanders goalie Corey Schneider and fed True for his second goal of the night before Schneider could recover. For his part, Daccord finished with 25 saves and his 13th time in his last 16 Checkers appearances in which he surrendered two goals or less.
"Joey was our best player," said Kinnear. "For a penalty kill to be successful everyone has to be in sync with the goaltender and I thought they did a good job."
True said he and his Charlotte teammates are confident about making a playoff run, but won't look past Bridgeport.
"I think it was just to keep building our game," said True post-game. "I don't think there was really any worries in our game. We knew we had three weeks off and it was just getting the first-game jitters out of the legs and out of the mind. We were fine as a group after the first period.
"We had some time to look at [Bridgeport on video], but it really comes down our own game and the way we play. I still think we've got room for improvement, but we'll focus on our game mostly."