Former Checkers forward Riley Bezeau notched the game’s first goal for Cleveland, scoring at 16:22 of the first period. Brian Pinho evened the scoring at 19:28 as Charlotte’s top line continued its red-hot stretch. Pinho’s fifth goal of the season extended his personal point streak to three games. Nolan Foote and Nate Smith recorded assists on the tally.Cleveland outshot Charlotte 14-6 in the first period.
The second period contained five goals as the teams went back and forth. Tate Singleton, Roman Ahcan and Luca Del Bel Belluz struck for Cleveland. Pinho added his second of the game, and Smith provided a highlight-reel tally. The Monsters controlled the shot totals after 40 minutes, leading the category 28-15.
Hunter McKown buried a shorthanded goal at 4:22, swinging momentum firmly in Cleveland’s direction, increasing their lead to 5-3. James Malatesta capped off the night with an empty-netter in the game’s final seconds.
With the victory, Cleveland is 2-1 against the Checkers in the 2025-26 season series. The teams will battle again on Monday, January 5, at Rocket Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET. Coverage of the game can be found on FloHockey and Mixlr. Charlotte went 0-for-1 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
