Mike Benning scored a power-play goal at 4:02 of overtime to give the Charlotte Checkers a 3-2 win against the Abbotsford Canucks in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sunday.
Benning took a pass from Justin Sourdif at the left point, skated to the top of the circle, and beat Arturs Silovs glove side with a wrist shot.
The best-of-7 series, which will decide the champion of the American Hockey League, is tied 1-1. Charlotte lost 4-3 in double overtime in Game 1 on Friday.
Game 3 will be in Abbotsford on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET).
John Leonard and Wilmer Skoog scored for Charlotte, which is the affiliate of the Florida Panthers. Kaapo Kahkonen made 11 saves.
Sammy Blais had a goal and an assist, and Silovs made 39 saves for Abbotsford, which is the affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks.
Leonard gave Charlotte a 1-0 lead at 3:13 of the first period. He dropped to a knee and tapped in a backdoor pass from Rasmus Asplund, who had stolen the puck from Linus Karlsson at the right point.
Blais responded 62 seconds later to tie it 1-1. He crashed the net and knocked in the rebound of Jujhar Khaira's shot.
Skoog put the Checkers back in front 2-1 with a power-play goal at 11:14. He skated through the neutral zone and faked a slap shot in the high slot before moving into the left circle and roofing a shot over the glove of Silovs.
Karlsson answered back with his own power-play goal to tie it 2-2 at 17:38 of the first. It was his 10th goal this postseason, which leads the AHL.
