The Maine Nordiques are continuing to play well as the regular season enters its final month.

Officially eliminated from playoff contention, the Nordiques, sixth in the NAHL East Division, defeated the seventh-place Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks 3-1 Friday afternoon at Danbury Ice Arena in Danbury, Connecticut.

“I think our team, playing our game, happened for 20 minutes (in the first period) and then we played well enough to get the job done and finished (the game) tonight,” Maine Nordiques coach Matt Pinchevsky said. “But, the job is incomplete until we take care of business the full weekend. I thought we could play better, to be honest with you.”

The win extended the Nordiques’ point streak to six games (4-0-2).

Avery Sturtz made 27 saves for the Nordiques in the win.

“That game could have gone either way and Avery was the difference,” Pinchevsky said. “It wasn’t so much they played a 40-minute, competitive hockey game and we played so well in 20 minutes that we were able to carry that momentum. Avery was the difference, that’s why he’s a leader and he’s our starting goaltender.”

Tyler Gaulin, a Mercyhurst commit, scored his 13th goal of the season to put the Nordiques (19-24-10, 48 points) up 1-0 at the 14:34 mark of the first period. Theo Thrun and Brendan Kimball set the goal up.

Pinchevsky said the Nordiques carried themselves the right way in the first period.

“I thought we carried ourselves with some swagger in the right away — through discipline, sacrifice, through positive energy and being excited to hit the details and outcompete our opponents,” Pinchevsky said.

Ignat Belov extended Maine’s lead to 2-0 with his 18th goal of the year 61 seconds into the second period. Tristan Fasig and Caden Pattison had the assists.

Peter Lychnikoff scored for Danbury (11-39-3, 25 points) later in the second period to cut the Nordiques’ lead to 2-1.

Patrick Schmiedlin added the insurance goal for the Nordiques with three and half minutes to play in the third period. Belov and Brendan Kimball notched the assists.

“We got goals in the right places. A veteran, a power forward, and someone who has played plenty of junior hockey in Patty Schmiedlin, who’s a dynamic skill-set player,” Pinchevsky said.

Marino Ramirez stopped 36 shots in the loss for the Hat Tricks.

Maine was 0-for-1 on the man advantage, and Danbury went 0-for-2.

The teams meet again Saturday in Danbury at 12:30 p.m.

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Strong power play powers Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks past Maine Nordiques