Game Preview: Hat Tricks at Blue Ridge Bobcats | Jan. 10, 2025

LAST TIME OUT

Three unanswered goals and two in a shootout lifted the Hat Tricks to a 4-3 home win over HC Venom on Saturday.

Danbury clawed back from a 2-0 deficit in the third period as Jonny Ruiz, Aleksander Gamzatov, and Aleksandr Vasilyev all scored within 5:29. Brett Jackson tied the game at three for HC Venom with 9:42 to go in regulation.

Connor Woolley and Chase Harwell notched the needed goals in the second shootout win of the season, the first since Nov. 2 at Binghamton.

HC Venom’s Clendenin Stewart and Jonas Leas scored the game’s first two goals in the second period at 4:03 and 19:07, respectively.

Conor McCollum made 49 saves in his eighth win of the season and allowed HC Venom to score only once in the shootout.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Hat Tricks visit the Blue Ridge Bobcats for the start of a two-game series on Friday, the teams’ only meetings this season. The Hat Tricks and Bobcats played twice last season during Blue Ridge’s inaugural season, with Danbury winning both games — 2-1 in overtime on March 22 and 5-2 in regulation on March 23. Jonny Ruiz had a goal and an assist in the overtime win, while defenseman Josh Labelle buried the game-winner in overtime. Forwards Jacob Ratcliffe and Billy Berry each tallied a goal and an assist in the second contest en route to the weekend sweep.

The Bobcats were one of three expansion franchises for the 2023-24 season, joining the Elmira River Sharks and Baton Rouge Zydeco.

ABOUT THE BOBCATS

Blue Ridge enters tonight’s matchup in sixth place in the Continental Division. With 38 points this season, the team has an 11-9-3-1 record after falling in overtime at Baton Rouge on Saturday. Blue Ridge is one point behind Athens for fifth place, four points behind Monroe for fourth, and trails Carolina by 11 points for the top spot.

The Bobcats finished their five-game road trip last week with two wins, one against Baton Rouge on Jan. 3 and another versus Columbus on Dec. 28. They are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games with four wins coming in their past eight contests.

Devin Sanders leads Blue Ridge’s scoring with a team-high nine goals and 19 points. Sanders is tied with Carson Andreoli for the team’s second-most assists, with 10. Sanders scored for the first time in six games on Saturday and logged an assist for the second straight outing.

Blue Ridge’s power play is tied for the second worst in the FPHL (14.1%), scoring only 13 goals — tied with the Dashers for the second-fewest in the league. Its penalty kill is tied with Danbury’s for the fifth-most goals allowed (24, 75.3%). Hunter Virostek, the Bobcats’ goaltender, is third in the league in wins with an 11-6-1 record.

HAT TRICKS HEADLINES

The Hat Tricks have won back-to-back games for the second time this season and three of their last four as they travel to Wytheville, Va., for their first cross-division matchup of the season. Danbury has secured points in five of its past six contests, including two shootout finishes, one loss, and one win.

Friday’s contest marks the beginning of a two-game road trip before Danbury returns home on Jan. 17 to face Motor City. The Hat Tricks are 9-8-5-2 with 36 points, seven behind Watertown for second place.

Danbury’s power play performed strongly in its weekend sweep of HC Venom, scoring five goals. The Hat Tricks have nine combined goals on the man advantage in their last four wins. Shorthanded scoring has also been a strength, with seven shorthanded goals this season — only two behind Binghamton for the FPHL lead.

Aleksandr Gamzatov leads the Hat Tricks with 25 points (11g, 14a) and is tied with Gleb Bandurkin for the team-high in goals, with 11. Jacob Ratcliffe is Danbury’s assists leader with 18.

RABBITS COME BACK LATE

The Hat Tricks scored three straight goals in less than six minutes during their second shootout win of the season on Saturday. This comeback was the second-fastest of the season, only slower than their rally at Port Huron on Nov. 29 (5-4), which spanned just 3:08. Danbury broke its three-game losing streak in games decided after regulation and improved to 1-8-0 when trailing after two periods.

HARWELL’S HEROICS

Chase Harwell scored the shootout-clinching goal to lead the Hat Tricks past HC Venom on Saturday. A native of Southbury, Conn., Harwell, 27, also collected assists on both the Hat Tricks’ first goal and the go-ahead tally in the third period, totaling three points (1g, 2a) for the second time in four games. Harwell has recorded eight multi-point outings this season and has totaled eight points in his last four games (2g, 6a).

CAPTAIN’S HOT AGAIN

Co-head coach and captain Jonny Ruiz scored his third shorthanded goal of the season on Saturday, spurring the Hat Tricks’ third-period scoring. The franchise’s all-time leader in points (289), goals (156), and games played (221) has now scored in back-to-back games for the second time this season. Ruiz has produced 14 points (8g, 6a) across his last 10 contests.

VASILYEV’S VOLT

Aleksandr Vasilyev scored the go-ahead goal in the third period on Saturday. Over the past seven games, The 35-year-old has recorded 12 points (4g, 8a), including two goals and two assists in a 6-5 home win over HC Venom on Jan. 3. The Elektrostal, Russia, native has played in 13 games for the Hat Tricks this season.

GAMZATOV’S GREATNESS

Aleksandr Gamzatov had another memorable weekend against HC Venom, scoring the game-winning goal on Friday and a power-play strike to tie Saturday’s game. The Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, native has scored in back-to-back games for the first time this season. The 22-year-old forward has five points (3g, 2a) in his last four games, a stretch that began with a goal and two assists in a 9-6 home win against Watertown on Dec. 27.

PENALTY KILL STRUGGLES

Danbury allowed a power-play goal on Saturday, continuing a stretch in which the penalty kill has struggled. The Hat Tricks have surrendered power-play goals in 11 of their past 12 games and 18 of 24 games this season. Danbury is tiedwith Blue Ridge for the fifth-most power-play goals allowed (24) in the FPHL (75.3%). Last season, the Hat Tricks allowed 42 power-play goals, the fifth-fewest in the league.

Single-game tickets and full/partial season membership plans are still available for purchase. If you are interested, email herm@danburyhattricks.com or go to Tixr.

To stay up to date on all things Danbury Hat Tricks hockey, go to danburyhattricks.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok (@DanburyHatTricks).

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.

Off the ice, the Hat Tricks are committed to fostering connections within the local community through outreach programs with schools, businesses and charities. By developing top-tier hockey talent and growing the sport in the region, the Hat Tricks aim to bring the community together and deliver entertainment that leaves a lasting impact.