The Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks capitalized on special teams and beat the Maine Nordiques on Saturday.
The Hat Tricks scored three times on power plays in a 6-3 victory in an NAHL East Division game at the Danbury Ice Arena in Danbury, Connecticut.
“Special teams played a huge factor,” Maine Nordiques coach Matt Pinchevsky said. “You forget how valuable guys like (defensemen) Matt Connor and Evan Orloff are on your penalty kill because upfront (at the forward position), we pretty much had the same personnel. (Danbury) had a really good day on the (power play).”
Since the Nordiques were playing the second of three games in three days, Pinchevsky opted to rest Orloff and Connor. Both are expected to play Sunday against the Northeast Generals at 5 p.m. in Attleboro, Massachusetts.
The Nordiques (19-25-10, 48 points), which is out of playoff contention, went a young lineup in Saturday’s game that included six players who are either affiliate players or tender signees for next season: starting goalie Ewan McDevitt, forwards Jackson Foddrill, Oliver Genest and Laurent Trepanier, and defensemen Seth Murch and David Helledy.
Pinchevsky said Saturday’s roster offered a glimpse of the Nordiques’ future.
“We went with a hybrid lineup, to get a look at in-game, in-season evaluations on how things could shape up moving forward,” Pinchevsky said. “Some guys made some great cases for themselves, and other guys, there was more to be desired. We have more work to do this season to continue to develop and grow through our game play and earn our success.”
The Hat Tricks (12-39-3, 27 points) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first period when Robert Hyde scored a power-play goal at the 12:31 mark.
Hyde then had an assist on Andrew Eberling’s power-play goal early that gave Danbury a 2-0 lead in the second period.
The Hat Tricks’ lone goal-scorer in Friday’s 3-1 loss to the Nordiques, Peter Lychnikoff, assisted on Danbury’s first two goals Saturday. He finished the game with three assists.
Ignat Belov potted his 19th goal of the season nearly seven minutes into the second period to cut the Nordiques’ deficit to 2-1. Filip Wiberg and Genest had the assists.
Maine’s Jonny Meiers tied the game at 2-2 midway through the second period with his 10th goal of the season. Aidan Connolly and Murch had the assists.
Pinchevsky said the Nordiques need to make more plays like the ones that led to their second-period goals.
“One of our goals was a center lane drive by Jonny Meiers and a beautiful pass by Aidan Connolly — I was very happy with that goal,” Pinchevsky said. “We had a very good flurry of shots occupying the net front and continuing to make plays off deliveries and sticking around the Grade-A (area in front of the net), that led to Ignat Belov’s goal. I definitely like those plays, I think we can do them more consistently.”
Danbury scored three goals in a 3-minute, 31-second span, starting with Luka Sukovic giving the Hat Tricks a 3-2 lead at the 11:37 mark. Boris Skolas stretched the lead to 4-2 with a power-play goal, then Hyde scored his second goal of the game at the 15:08 mark.
Gus Holt replaced McDevitt (14 saves) in the Nordiques’ net before the the third period. Holt stopped all nine shots he saw.
Murch scored for the Nordiques around the midway point of the third period to make the score 5-3. Forwards Liam Walsh and Jack Parker had the assists.
“Seth Murch’s goal, a carbon copy of what he did against Maryland (last Saturday),” Pinchevsky said. “Some guys are consistently showing why they will belong moving forward, and then some guys, 50 games in, and you are still hoping for certain things out of them. You have to make sure you have to hit those details.”
Danbury’s Richard Davis scored an empty-net goal with under a minute to play to make it 6-3.
Hat Tricks goalie Adam Johnson made 45 saves in the victory.
Maine was 0-for-1 on the power play.
The Nordiques will face Danbury one more time on April 13, a make-up game from Feb. 18 when there was an ice issue at Danbury Ice Arena.
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