Game Preview: Hat Tricks at Watertown Wolves | Feb. 23, 2025

LAST TIME OUT

The Hat Tricks prevailed in the seventh round of their third shootout win of the season and defeated the Port Huron Prowlers, 6-5 on Friday at the Danbury Ice Arena. Gleb Bandurkin beat Reid Cooper over the blocker for Danbury’s third goal in the shootout.

A three-goal deficit in the third period evaporated as the Hat Tricks posted three goals in the first 5 ½ minutes. Dylan Hullaby scored twice, tying the game on a deflection at 6-on-5 with 1:17 left in regulation.

Aleksandr Vasilyev and Jonny Ruiz each had a goal and two assists as the Hat Tricks won their second straight game, fourth against the Prowlers this season, and eighth in a row at home.

Danbury was outshot 50-35 on the night but led 4-1 in the five-minute overtime period and killed off five penalties while scoring twice on the man advantage.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Hat Tricks visit Watertown for the sixth time this season, facing off with the Wolves for the ninth time out of 11 total meetings. The two teams played on Friday in Watertown as Danbury won 4-2 for its first road win over the Wolves this season, improving to 3-1-4 in the season series.

Gleb Bandurkin scored three unanswered goals on Friday recording his second hat trick of the season. It was the third of the year for the Hat Tricks and their second in three games. Jacob Ratcliffe scored his fifth goal of the season series, potting Jonny Ruiz’s assist and 300th point as a Hat Trick.

The Hat Tricks have netted nine goals on the Wolves twice this season on Dec. 27 (9-6W) and Jan. 25 (9-3W).

Four of the first eight games between the Hat Tricks and the Wolves have gone past regulation. Watertown won each of those four with the first two decided in overtime on Nov. 1 (3-2) and Nov. 9 (5-4) and the other two in shootouts on Dec. 21 (4-3) and Jan. 24 (5-4).

Gleb Bandurkin has contributed seven goals and two assists while Ratcliffe has five goals and five assists. Conor McCollum holds a .896 save percentage and is 2-1-3-0 in seven outings against Watertown.

Trevor Lord paces the Wolves with six goals and six assists in eight head-to-heads. Trevor Neumann also has four goals and four helpers. Anton Borodkin is 2-3-0-2 with a .896 save percentage versus the Hat Tricks. Borodkin also helped lead the Wolves to a 6-0 shutout win in Danbury on Nov. 8.

The clubs will duel again on March 13 in Watertown before the season and series finale on April 12 in Danbury. 

ABOUT THE WOLVES

Watertown enters tonight’s matchup in third place in the Empire Division. With 65 points (18-13-1-4) and a 9-5 win at HC Venom on Saturday, the Wolves remain four points behind the Hat Tricks for second place and 39 back of Binghamton for the top spot. Watertown’s five-game win streak ended against Danbury on Friday (4-2L), but it has won six of its last seven contests averaging 5.9 goals per game during that stretch.

Davide Gaeta logged a career-high five points (3g, 2a) in the Wolves’ road win at HC Venom on Saturday. Gaeta tallied his second hat trick of the season and first since Watertown’s 9-4 home victory against Mississippi on Feb. 1.

The Wolves began the season 9-3-2-1 but struggled across their next 15 games, going just 4-9-0-2 before winning five straight contests to start the month of February. Watertown fired former coach Charlie Pens, Jr. on Dec. 19 and replaced him with two-time Commissioner’s Cup champion Justin Coachman.

On the power play, the Wolves are fourth in the FPHL (23.6%) and are tied with the Hat Tricks for the second-most goals (41). Watertown’s penalty kill (79.8%) has allowed the fifth-most goals (35) and ranks ninth.

Gaeta is the Wolves’ leader in points (61) and goals (25) and has 18 multi-point outings this season. Gaeta played 17 games with HC Venom to begin the year before debuting for the Wolves on Jan. 3. Forward Trevor Grasby paces Watertown in assists (41).

HAT TRICKS HEADLINES

Danbury has won nine of its last 10 games and has points in 12 of the last 13 outings. Sunday’s road game is the second in Watertown, N.Y., this weekend as the Hat Tricks look to finish their three-game stretch with eight of a possible nine points. They will return to Danbury on Friday to host Port Huron for a two-game set to start a five-game homestand.

Danbury has won back-to-back games and has averaged 5.1 goals in its last seven outings (5-1-0-1). The Hat Tricks also have a chance to win three straight games against Watertown for the first time this season.

The debut season of the Ruiz-Gonzalez coaching era has Danbury hot down the stretch of the second half, with 13 wins over its last 17 games toward a 19-11-6-3 record. The Hat Tricks hold a four-point lead for second place in the Empire Division and a regulation win would put them seven ahead entering the first weekend of March.

On the power play, Danbury has performed highly across the last nine games, scoring 15 combined goals including two on Saturday versus Port Huron. The Hat Tricks have the second-ranked power play in the FPHL (25.6%) and are tied with Watertown for the second-most power play goals (41).

Danbury’s penalty kill (77.9) is 10th and is tied with Port Huron for the third-most goals allowed (36) but is 30-for-31 (96.7%) over its previous seven games.

COMEBACK CREW STRIKES AGAIN

Saturday’s 6-5 shootout win over the Prowlers marked Danbury’s 11th come-from-behind victory of the season. Trailing 4-1 entering the third period, the Hat Tricks scored three unanswered goals to tie the game. Despite not leading during the third, the Hat Tricks battled into overtime thanks to Dylan Hullaby’s second goal of the game. Danbury went 3-for-4 in the shootout, while goaltender Conor McCollum stopped five of seven shots. The triumph marked Hat Tricks’ sixth comeback victory this February and improved their record to 0-11-1-2 when trailing after two periods.

BANDURKIN BRILLIANCE SHOOTOUT EDITION

Gleb Bandurkin scored the deciding goal of Saturday’s 6-5 shootout victory over Port Huron just one game after registering his second-career hat trick in Watertown. The 24-year-old rookie has four goals in his last two games and eight over a six-game span. Bandurkin is Danbury’s leader in goals with 25, finding the back of the net in eight of his previous 10 outings (13g).

VASILYEV’S VALUE

Aleksandr Vasilyev got the Hat Tricks on the board in the second period in Saturday’s win. The 35-year-old forward scored his sixth goal of the season and first since Danbury’s 4-3 shootout win against HC Venom. He also added two assists for his 11th multi-point performance of the season. Vasilyev has five multi-point outings across his past six games, totaling one goal and 11 assists. 

RED HOT RATCLIFFE

Jacob Ratcliffe recorded an assist on Saturday, marking the sixth in the forward’s last seven outings with a point. The Canterbury, New Zealand, native has 11 multi-point outputs this season, the latest coming with a goal and an assist in Friday’s win at Watertown. Ratcliffe has 39 points (11g, 28a) in 38 games and is two points away from 100 with the Hat Tricks. 

O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!

Co-head coach and captain Jonny Ruiz scored in the third period on Saturday, extending his point streak (5-8-13) to five games. The Hat Tricks’ all-time leader in goals (162), points (301), and games played (231) notched his fourth multi-point performance in his last five contests and 10th this season and has recorded goals in three of the past four games (5). Ruiz has 20 goals, three shorthanded, and 20 assists in 30 games played this season.

PENALTY KILL'S PROGRESS

The Hat Tricks penalty kill held clear on all five opportunities in Saturday’s home win versus Port Huron, remaining perfect for the sixth time in the last seven games (30-for-31). In its previous 10 contests, Danbury’s kill is 51 for its last 61 (83.6%), including a combined 8-for-10 mark in two games against the Wolves, the FPHL’s second-leading team on the power play this season (41). Last season, the Hat Tricks had the fifth-ranked PK (80.9%) in the league.

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.

Danbury Hat Tricks 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).