All of a sudden, the Charlotte Checkers see their season on the brink.

Charlotte, the Florida Panthers’ AHL team, opened up the Calder Cup playoffs with a rousing blowout of the Springfield Thunderbirds on Wednesday.

Yet Friday night, the Thunderbirds turned the series on its ear with a 5-2 win at Bojangles Coliseum.

The series comes to a close one way or another tonight at 7 in Charlotte with Game 3.

The winner moves on in the playoffs, the loser goes home.

”We knew they were going to be better,’’ coach Geordie Kinnear said. “In 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.’’

Springfield was thumped 8-1 in Game 1 and trailed early when Trevor Carrick scored at 3:52.

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.

But a pair of goals from Zach Dean and Chris Wagner just 49 seconds apart gave Springfield the lead for good in the second.

Cooper Black made 18 saves in the loss. With Game 3 tonight, Louis Domingue may get the start for Charlotte.

Charlotte Checkers Calder Cup Playoffs (Round 1 vs. Springfield Thunderbirds) — Game 1: Checkers 8, Springfield 1; Game 2: Springfield 5, Checkers 2; Game 3: Saturday 7

NHL Draft: June 26-27; KeyBank Center, Buffalo

Panthers Development Camp: Late June/Early July; IcePlex, Fort Lauderdale

Panthers Rookie Camp/Tournament: Late August/Early Sept.; Site TBA

Panthers Training Camp: Early/Mid September; Fort Lauderdale

2026-27 NHL Season Opens: Late September; Site, Opponent TBA

This article: Charlotte Checkers Lose, Win-Or-Go-Home Tonight in Game 3 originally appeared on Florida Hockey Now.