The Wilkes-Barre Scanton Knights have the North American Hockey League’s worst penalty kill, and the Maine Nordiques took advantage Friday afternoon, scoring two power play goals in the first period en route to a 5-2 junior hockey win at the Revolution Ice Centre in Pittston, Pennsylvania.

Maine finished 2-for-3 on the power play.

“We saw a couple of weaknesses that we wanted to attack,” Nordiques coach Nolan Howe said. “Our second goal was indicative of that — we attacked off the half-wall, we were driving pucks and bodies to the net.

“At the end of the day, our power play when executed, it’s effective. Not much changed (from previous weeks), we just executed it properly.”

The Nordiques were led by Isaiah Fox, who had two goals and an assist, while his linemates Noah Kane added a goal and an assist and Cannon Green had two assists.

Maine’s Kevin Pitts scored an unassisted marker seven-and-a-half minutes into the game. Two-plus minutes later, Isaiah Fox found the back of the net off an assist from Cole Ouellette. It was Ouellette’s first point since Oct. 26 after missing last week’s games against the Jamestown Rebels.

Maine was poised to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room after killing a Jacob Crespo penalty with five seconds remaining, but Liam Haslam scored with one second left to put the Knights on the board.

“When we gave that goal late, it just beat the buzzer, but we felt like we were complete control of the game,” Howe said. “Our message was to stick with it. For the coaching staff, we had it as was one of our best games of the season. It was an important game for us … to get the first one on the road is always a good thing. I felt our whole lineup bought into the game plan.”

The three goals scored in the first period were each player’s sixth of the season.

The Nordiques made sure the momentum didn’t turn after the Knights’ buzzer-beating goal. Noah Kane scored two minutes into the second period and Filip Lofdahl stretched the lead to 4-1 midway through the frame.

“I think that was Filip Lofdahl’s best game of the season,” Howe said. “He was great defensively, he was great all over the ice. I thought we had depth throughout all four of our lines. Every line contributed. When we do that, we are a scary hockey team.”

Zak Currie scored on the power play to cut the Knights deficit in half in the second period.

The Knights were 1-for-3 on the man advantage.

Fox added his second goal of the game in the third period.

Goalie Connor Androlewicz made 35 saves for the Nordiques, while Zach Stejskal turned aside 23 shots for the Knights

The two teams meet again Saturday night in Danbury, Connecticut, in conjunction with the North American Prospect Hockey League’s Eastern Showcase. The NAPHL is the NAHL’s midget league.

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

Jay’s Alex Bessey having a field day with UMF field hockey team

Next »

Junior hockey notes: Twin City Thunder enjoy life on the road