Game Preview: Hat Tricks at Motor City Rockers | Dec. 7, 2024

LAST TIME OUT

Eli Rivers and Adam Kuhn scored in the shootout, leading the Motor City Rockers to a 6-5 comeback victory over the Hat Tricks on Friday night at Big Boy Arena. The win marked the Rockers’ first at home this season and extended their streak to three games while snapping Danbury’s two-game winning streak.

Rivers clinched the shootout in the fourth round, while goaltender Ricardo Gonzalez anchored the Rockers with a stellar 52-save performance, including key stops in overtime to deny Danbury’s five shots in the extra frame. Gonzalez, who also secured a shootout win last week, rebounded after a 6-2 loss to Danbury the last time the teams played (Oct. 19).  

Down 2-0, the Hat Tricks rallied to score four unanswered goals, including Gleb Bandurkin’s wraparound tally late in the second period, giving them a 4-2 lead. Vadim Frolov and Connor Woolley struck just 11 seconds apart earlier in the opening minute of the middle frame, building on Jonny Ruiz’s first-period power-play goal with just 29 seconds to go in the period. 

But Motor City surged back with T.J. Sneath and Rivers scoring just under two minutes apart between the end of the second and the start of the third to level the game. Jameson Milam forced overtime with a clutch 6-on-4 power-play goal at 18:38 of the third, capitalizing on a rebound to tie it 5-5. Aleksandr Gamzatov had briefly put Danbury ahead 5-4 midway through the final frame, scoring off a rebound for his team-high seventh goal of the season.

Danbury goaltender Andrew LoRusso made a career-high 34 saves in his second professional start.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Hat Tricks and Rockers finish up their weekend series on Saturday at Big Boy Arena, their lone meeting in Fraser, Mich., this season. Friday night, the two teams went into a shootout for the first time in three games with each side overcoming two-goal deficits, before the game went to overtime.

The two teams opened the 2024-25 season against each other on Oct. 18 and 19, splitting the weekend set in Danbury. The Hat Tricks won their first game of the Ruiz-Gonzalez coaching era 6-2 on Oct. 19 after dropping the season opener the prior night, 4-2. Following two games in Michigan this weekend, the two Empire Division foes will face off three more times this season, all coming in Danbury.

The season series will resume on Dec. 20 in Connecticut for its fifth contest and then wrap up with two games in mid-January (Jan. 17 and 18). 

Last season, the Hat Tricks were eliminated from the playoffs by Motor City after losing the winner-take-all game of the opening round playoffs series. Danbury dropped its lone home game of the series, 3-2 in overtime (April 19) and despite grabbing a 4-2 win in Game 2 (April 20), fell 4-1 in the win-or-go-home contest to end the season (April 21). In Game 3, the Rockers snatched a three-goal lead late in the second period and Motor City netminder Trevor Babin stole the show, especially down the stretch, stopping 42 of 43 shots on goal. Scott Coash, Motor City’s leading goal scorer in the regular season, buried two for the Rockers. Danbury was 0-for-19 on the power play in the series while Motor City connected twice on the man advantage.

Danbury finished the regular season with a 22-19-6-9 record and 90 points, just seven back of the Rockers (97) for the second-best record in the division. In the regular campaign, the division opponents only met twice, a two-game series from Dec. 1-2 in Danbury. The sides split the set, with the Rockers taking the first game in overtime, 5-4, and the Hat Tricks responding the next night in regulation, 5-3.

ABOUT THE ROCKERS

Motor City is currently riding a season-high three-game win streak, scoring a combined 16 goals between its win last night and sweep over the Dashers last weekend. Through their first 15 games, the Rockers have 15 points (3-9-0-3) and sit six points behind the Hat Tricks for fourth in the Empire Division. Before their weekend sweep over the Dashers, the Rockers had just one win in the previous seven games. The Rockers have nine regulation losses this season, the third most in the FPHL behind the Dashers (11) and Mississippi (12). Before their win last night, the Rockers had yet to win at home, falling in their first four games at Big Boy Arena.

Motor City has the third-worst goal differential in the FPHL (-18), only trailing the Dashers and Mississippi (-44). Despite scoring on the power play on Friday night, the Rockers rank eighth in percentage (19.3%) and have scored the fourth-fewest goals (11) on the league’s fourth-fewest opportunities (57). Their three shorthanded goals, two against Danbury, are second-most in the league, only trailing the Hat Tricks (4). TJ Sneath is the team’s leading power play scorer for Motor City, with four. Last season, the Rockers gave up the third-fewest power play goals (39) in the league.

Defenseman Nick Magill-Diaz is the only Rocker with a positive plus-minus (+2). Eli Rivers is Motor City’s leader in both goals (10) and assists (7) and has scored in back-to-back games. In the Rockers’ shootout win, Rivers had a season-high three points (2g, 1a) and registered one goal in each of the Rockers’ first two games against the Hat Tricks.

Last season, Motor City was swept by Commissioner’s Cup champion Binghamton in the Empire Division Finals. Entering season three in the FPHL, the Rockers try for a third straight postseason berth and their first Cup championship.

HAT TRICKS HEADLINES

The Hat Tricks’ final stop of a five-game road trip is in Fraser against the Rockers following their first shootout loss of the season on Friday. Danbury looks to even the season series with Motor City at two games apiece before returning home to Connecticut for a rescheduled road game against Hudson Valley at the Danbury Ice Arena. 

With 36 combined goals scored away from their home barn, the Hat Tricks are 3-0-2-1-1 when scoring at least four goals on the road. They allowed five goals in regulation for just the second time this season and the first time since their home shutout loss against Watertown on Nov. 8.

Danbury has scored at least one power play goal in each of its past four contests, a revelation from its 2-for-44 mark over a seven-game stretch leading up to Vadim Frolov’s power play score on Nov. 27 at Binghamton. It has also given up one power play goal in five of the past six games, dating back to its home shutout loss to Binghamton on Nov. 16.

Despite Jonny Ruiz’s power play goal with 1:29 left in the first period last night, the Hat Tricks fell to 0-2-0-0-1 when trailing after the first period, and are now 5-0-2-1-1 when leading after the second.

The Hat Tricks lead the FPHL with four shorthanded goals this season, including two from Chase Harwell, after tying with Mississippi for the second most (13) last season.

Danbury has started the inaugural season of the Ruiz-Gonzalez coaching era with six wins in its first 15 contests. Four of the Hat Tricks’ six victories have been decided by three or more goals. Ruiz (5g, 10a) and Aleksandr Gamzatov (7g, 8a) co-lead Danbury with 15 points, and Jacob Ratcliffe leads in assists, with 12.

GOAL-SCORING BARRAGE

Scoring four unanswered goals to take a two-goal lead in the second period on Friday, the Hat Tricks netted the most consecutive goals in a game since they posted six straight in a 9-3 road win against Hudson Valley on Oct. 26. Similar to their first road victory of the season, the Hat Tricks’ consecutive scoring on Friday came from four different goalscorers. Danbury also potted three straight in its 7-4 win against Binghamton, its latest home win, on Nov. 23.

POWER PLAY SCORING TURNAROUND

Co-head coach Jonny Ruiz scored on the power play late in the first period on Friday, marking the fourth straight game the Hat Tricks have scored on the man advantage. Last season, Ruiz buried 12 power play goals to tie Watertown’s Trevor Lord for the league lead. Second-year forward Chase Harwell leads Danbury’s power play scoring with three goals.

CAPTAIN HEATS UP

For the second straight game, captain Jonny Ruiz scored to kickstart four unanswered Hat Tricks goals and extend his season-long point streak to three (2-4-6). The 30-year-old forward also notched three assists for the second time this season in Danbury’s 5-2 win at Port Huron on Nov. 30. Now in his fifth season with the Hat Tricks, Ruiz remains the franchise’s all-time leader in points (283), goals (152) and games played (216).

VETERANS APPROACHING MILESTONES

With points in three consecutive games, Jonny Ruiz is one away from 300 in his FPHL career. Ruiz has scored goals in back-to-back games for the first time this season and is on pace for approximately 60 points in the regular season. In 235 career games, Ruiz has 162 goals and 137 assists with 283 of his points coming with the Hat Tricks. Also, Cory Anderson’s next game will be his 100th in the FPHL. Returning to Danbury after a two-year hiatus from professional hockey, Anderson, 30, has produced seven points (4g, 3a) in his third season with the Hat Tricks. 

RUSSKIY LINE ON A SCORING TEAR

Russia natives Aleksandr Gamzatov, Gleb Bandurkin, and Vadim Frolov each scored in Danbury’s shootout loss on Friday. The three forwards have combined for 17 of the Hat Tricks’ 54 goals this year. Frolov has collected three goals in the past four games and is tied with Jonny Ruiz and Connor Woolley for the Hat Tricks’ third-most, with five. Bandurkin’s goal in the second period on Friday capped off four unanswered goals, marking his third in the last five games. A third-year skater, Gamzatov leads Danbury’s goal-scoring all together, with seven.

WOOLLEY STAYS HOT

Connor Woolley has netted goals in three straight games (4) for the longest Hat Tricks goal-scoring stretch this season. In his third FPHL season, the 26-year-old tallied a season-high two in Danbury’s 5-4 win at Port Huron on Nov. 29 and holds five goals and eight assists in 15 outings.

LABELLE CONTINUES POINT STREAK

Josh Labelle assisted on a goal on Friday, extending his point streak to a season-long four games. A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Labelle holds two multi-point outings this season, his latest coming in the Hat Tricks’ 5-2 win at Port Huron on Nov. 30. Labelle’s longest point streak last season lasted eight games, Feb. 16–March 2, resulting in 17 combined points.

BERRY MAKES RETURN

Forward Billy Berry made his season debut on Friday. The Redding, Conn., native returns for his second season with the Hat Tricks after totaling 12 points (6g, 6a) in his rookie year. Additionally, Berry added a goal and an assist in three playoff games against Motor City, last season. Last season, the 25-year-old got off to a hot start securing a seven-game point streak (6-4-10) from March 2–29.

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, Connecticut, competing in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). Since their founding in 2019, the Hat Tricks have brought thrilling, hard-hitting hockey to the Danbury Ice Arena, earning a reputation for their fierce competitive spirit and strong community presence. The team is dedicated to providing an exciting game-day experience for fans of all ages, with a focus on building long-lasting connections within the local community.

Proudly representing Danbury, the Hat Tricks are committed to excellence both on and off the ice. In addition to developing top-tier hockey talent, the team engages in numerous community outreach programs, fostering relationships with local schools, businesses, and charities. The Hat Tricks aim to continue growing the sport of hockey in the area and provide entertainment that brings the community together.

Whether you're a die-hard hockey fan or new to the sport, the Danbury Hat Tricks promise an unforgettable experience every time they take the ice.