All of a sudden, the Charlotte Checkers see their season on the brink. <\/p>\n
Charlotte, the Florida Panthers\u2019 AHL team, opened up the Calder Cup playoffs with a rousing blowout of the Springfield Thunderbirds on Wednesday. <\/p>\n
Yet Friday night, the Thunderbirds turned the series on its ear with a 5-2 win at Bojangles Coliseum.<\/p>\n
The series comes to a close one way or another tonight at 7 in Charlotte with Game 3. <\/p>\n
The winner moves on in the playoffs, the loser goes home. <\/p>\n
\u201dWe knew they were going to be better,\u2019\u2019 coach Geordie Kinnear said. \u201cIn the third, I thought we finally got the playoff-type intensity you need. It was a little too late, but it is something to build on.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Springfield was thumped 8-1 in Game 1 and trailed early when Trevor Carrick scored at 3:52. <\/p>\n
The Thunderbirds, the AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, tied it in the second before Ludvig Jansson gave the Checkers the lead right back. <\/p>\n
But a pair of goals from Zach Dean and Chris Wagner just 49 seconds apart gave Springfield the lead for good in the second.<\/p>\n
Cooper Black made 18 saves in the loss. With Game 3 tonight, Louis Domingue may get the start for Charlotte. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
ON DECK: FLORIDA PANTHERS\u00a0OFFSEASON<\/p>\n
Charlotte Checkers Calder Cup Playoffs (Round 1 vs. Springfield Thunderbirds) \u2014\u00a0Game 1:\u00a0Checkers 8, Springfield 1<\/a>;\u00a0Game 2:\u00a0Springfield 5, Checkers 2;\u00a0Game 3:\u00a0Saturday 7<\/p>\n NHL Draft Lottery:\u00a0May 5; Secaucus, NJ<\/a><\/p>\n