Prowlers Can't Finish Hat Tricks

The Danbury Hat Tricks staved off elimination as they defeated the Port Huron Prowlers 4-2 in a back-and-forth Game 2 at Danbury Ice Arena. It sets up a winner-take-all Game 3 on Easter Sunday in Danbury.

The Prowlers got the only goal of the first period as Jamie Bucell won a faceoff clean back that Tucker Scantlebury was able to rip home. 

That held up until the second when Port Huron got into penalty trouble. Josh Labelle converted a five-on-three goal 1:17 before Noah Robinson gave the Hat Tricks the lead with a five-on-four man advantage marker.

"Definitely some things to address with the penalty kill," said Prowlers assistant coach Chris Paulin. "You have to have guys sell out to block shots this time of year. Like [head coach Matt Graham] said [in the locker room], shot lanes are the most important thing. The guys who sell out and block shots are the guys who are going to be in thaty situation."

Midway through the frame, Austin Fetterly floated a shot to the net that Matt Graham deflected in. The goal is currently listed as Fetterly’s, his first career playoff goal. 

"They're leaving the front on the power play and Graham has been tipping pucks in all year," Fetterly said. "Just tried to play to his strengths and floated one in."

A few minutes later, a four-on-three opportunity for Port Huron saw Fetterly hit the back of the net again. This time though, the goal was called back for goaltender interference and the Prowlers wouldn’t score again.

"The referee at center ice saw contact with the goalie," Fetterly, the Prowlers captain, said. "They reviewed it to make sucre [Connor] McCollum was in his crease and he was. Even though he was the one that initiated contact, it's up to the ref's discretion so we have to bounce back and keep going after that."

The 2-2 tie was broken early in the third one second after a Danbury power play ended. Aleksandr Vasilyev found a lane and ripped a long-range shot through to make it 3-2. His linemate, Gleb Bandurkin, sealed the deal with the empty netter.

Valtteri Nousiainen made 29 saves in his first start in over a month for the Prowlers.

Bandurkin had a goal and an assist while Kyle Gonzalez dished out a pair of helpers. McCollum bounced back with 26 saves.

The winner-take-all Game 3 is set for 5 P.M. on Easter Sunday, April 20 and will be available live on the PHP Network YouTube channel. The winner will advance to take on the Binghamton Black Bears in round two.