GAME RECAP: Hat Tricks rout Sentinels 7-0
DANBURY, CT — The Hat Tricks picked up a Valentine’s Day win, defeating the Indiana Sentinels 7-0 in a physical matchup where little love was lost between the two teams. Goaltender Kyle Penton recorded his first professional shutout, and forwards Eli Rivers, Kaiden Kandereka, and Anton Rubtsov each recorded three points in the dominant Game 2 victory.
The first period was physical, featuring big hits from Danbury forwards Jordon Kromm and Joshua Tomasi, injuries to multiple Indiana players and a brief scuffle by Hat Tricks defenseman Austin Pickford and Sentinels forward Ethan Esposito.
Just like Game 1, Danbury scored first, when an illegal procedure penalty on the Sentinels’ bench at 6:08 sent the Hat Tricks to their second power play of the game. Five seconds into the man advantage, Kandereka found Rivers backdoor for a 1-0 lead. The goal was Rivers’ second of the weekend series and extended his point streak to seven games.
In the second period, Danbury’s power play unit stayed hot with two more power play goals. Following a hooking call on Bohdan Zinchenko, Rivers found Anton Rubtsov, who slammed a one-timer past Sentinels goaltender John Werber at 15:01 to extend the Hat Tricks’ lead to 2-0.
Danbury netted its third power play goal of the night at 6:54, when Kandereka found a loose puck in front of Indiana’s net and wristed it past Werber for the 3-0 lead.
Thirty seconds into the third period, the Hat Tricks added another special teams goal — this time shorthanded. After Kandereka turned a loose puck in the defensive zone into a breakaway, Josh Newberg scored on the rebound to extend the lead to 4-0.
Up 4-0, Danbury wasn’t finished. At 13:07, just after the Hat Tricks’ sixth power play ended, Maxim Maziarchuk found Austan Bellefeuille’s point shot rebound backdoor and put it past Werber for the Hat Tricks first even-strength goal of the game to make it 5-0.
Danbury put the Sentinels away with two goals in the final five minutes. With 3:18 remaining, defenseman Greg Susinski scored on a point shot that Werber never saw to make it 6-0. 18 seconds later at 3:00, Bellefeuille scored on a two-on-one rush to make it 7-0, which would stand as the final.
The Hat Tricks travel to Indiana on Friday, Feb. 20 for the second half of their four-game stretch against the Sentinels. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Danbury Hat Tricks continue their sixth season in the Federal Prospects Hockey League on Friday, Feb. 20 (7:30 p.m.) and Saturday, Feb. 21 (7:30 p.m.) at the Hamilton Community Ice Arena, to take on the Indiana Sentinels. 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.