Game Preview: Danbury Hat Tricks host Watertown Wolves | Feb. 7

Last time out

The Danbury Hat Tricks dropped their first game of February, falling 6-4 to the Watertown Wolves in Game 1 on Friday night. Now, only three points separate these two teams in the Empire Division standings.

Danbury forward Eli Rivers kicked off the scoring in the first period at 8:34 when he put a net-front rebound past Watertown goaltender Breandan Colgan for the 1-0 lead.

At 4:59, the Wolves evened the score when forward Marquis Grant-Mentis found an open lane to the Hat Tricks’ net for the 1-1 tie.

Watertown earned its first lead of the night late in the first frame when forward Quinn Chevers’ breakaway goal with 2.6 seconds left made it 2-1.

In the second period, Danbury’s inconsistent power play had some success when forward Joshua Tomasi beat Colgan with a high wrist shot at 5:03 to tie the game 2-2.

The Wolves found power play success, too, when forward Egor Filippov tipped in a point shot past Hat Tricks goaltender Kyle Penton on the man advantage to regain the lead 3-2. On an ensuing man advantage chance for Watertown, Filippov struck again, this time with nine seconds left in the period, to make it 4-2.

In the third period, the Hat Tricks opened the scoring and cut the Wolves’ lead to 4-3 at 13:27 when forward Anton Rubtsov scored for the second straight game.

Watertown closed out the game with back-to-back goals in the final period. At 13:04, forward Steven Klinck scored on a breakaway, then forward Yefim Mishkin beat Penton in tight to make it 6-3.

Rubtsov’s second goal of the night at 2:43 wasn’t enough to rally the Hat Tricks, as the final score read 6-4.

Here are observations from Danbury’s Game 1 loss:

Costly turnovers at the blue line

The Hat Tricks’ first game of their 20-game stretch to close out the regular season got off to a rough start Friday night. They only led once, in the first period, up 1-0, and couldn’t establish control for much of the game.

Aside from their opportunistic offense, what drove the Wolves’ victory was Danbury’s handling of the puck at the defensive blue line. Through all three periods, the Hat Tricks once again struggled to break out and skate through the neutral zone.

Instead of carrying the puck with control, many times Danbury players simply flipped the puck up or threw it away to the regrouping Wolves, who came right back into the Hat Tricks’ zone.

If Danbury continues to rely on offense off the rush and is unable to establish zone control at even strength, it’ll be a challenge to grab the last playoff spot in the division.

Rebound control creates second-chance looks

Part of what fueled Watertown’s extended offensive zone time on Friday was Penton’s rebound control, or lack thereof. The Wolves tested him with 43 shots, and multiple times Penton had trouble securing the rebound, giving Watertown more opportunities to crash the net.

None of the second-chance looks turned into goals right away, but Penton needs to clean up his play between the pipes if Danbury hopes to compete for a playoff spot. He gets another opportunity against the Wolves in Game 2 of the weekend series tonight.

Head-to-head

The Hat Tricks and Watertown meet again with no shortage of familiarity between the two division rivals. Tonight marks the 13th meeting between the teams this season, with Danbury holding a 7-5 edge in the series after another high-scoring game Friday.

The matchup has produced a wide range of outcomes. Six of the 12 meetings have been decided by at least three goals, while five have been settled by a single goal, highlighting the volatility of a series that has swung between tight contests and wide-open affairs.

About the Wolves

In their last 10 games, the Wolves are 2-5-3. As the sixth seed, they sit only three points behind the fifth-seeded Hat Tricks in the standings with 39 points and a 10-19-5-2 record. 

Klinck continues to lead Watertown with 23 goals and 47 points for a 1.6 points-per-game pace. He’s also added 24 assists, second on the team. After Game 1, Filippov and Mishkin both improved their point-per-game averages, now standing at 1.4 and 1.1, respectively.

Filippov leads the team in assists with 27 and has also tallied 19 goals for a total of 46 points. Mishkin has 18 goals and 15 assists for 33 points through 31 games.

Hat Tricks headlines

Hat Tricks face chance of being caught

Friday’s loss tightened the Empire Division standings, trimming Danbury’s cushion over Watertown to three points. The Wolves’ 6-4 win in Game 1 pulled them within striking distance as the teams meet for the 13th time this season tonight.

A regulation loss tonight would allow Watertown to draw even with the Hat Tricks in the standings, raising the stakes for a Danbury group on a 20-game stretch to close the regular season. With five of the first 12 meetings decided by one goal, small margins and situational execution could again play a decisive role.

The Danbury Hat Tricks continue their sixth season in the Federal Prospects Hockey League on Saturday, Feb. 7 (7:00 p.m.) at the Danbury Ice Arena, to take on the Watertown Wolves. Single-game tickets and partial season ticket packages are on sale and can be purchased in person at the Hat Tricks office located inside the Danbury Ice Arena at 1 Independence Way in Danbury, by calling (973-713-7547) or emailing (herm@danburyhattricks.com) the office, or online through Tixr. For the latest Hat Tricks news, visit www.danburyhattricks.com, follow the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/danburyhattricks), Instagram (@danburyhattricks), X (@DanburyHatTrick), TikTok (@danburyhattricks), and YouTube (@DanburyHatTricks), and subscribe to the Hat Tricks' newsletter.

ABOUT DANBURY HAT TRICKS:

The Danbury Hat Tricks are a professional hockey team based in Danbury, CT, and compete in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). Since their founding in 2019, the 2023 Commissioner's Cup Champions have brought thrilling, fast-paced, and hard-hitting hockey to the Danbury Ice Arena, earning a reputation for their competitive spirit, electric atmosphere, and strong community ties. The team is dedicated to providing an unforgettable game-day experience for fans of all ages while proudly representing the city of Danbury.