Ruslan Jamaldinov score a hat trick to lead the visiting Rebels to a 6 – 3 win over Danbury to split the weekend home and home series between the teams. Ryan Bunting, Ryan Vaites and Bryce Strand also hit the back of the net for Philadelphia. Jamaldinov had four points in all in the game. The Rebels went 3 for 6 on the powerplay.
The three goals in the game give Jamaldinov 24 on the season which ties him for fifth place in Rebels history for most goals in a season. The win keeps the Rebels within striking distance of the New Hampshire Mountain Kings for the sixth and final playoff spot.
Similar to Friday night’s game, Danbury’s Niko Tournas gave the Hat Tricks a 1 – 0 lead with 8:28 remaining in the opening period. With Caesar Björk’s cross-checking set to expire, Danbury’s Isaac Mitchell had the puck behind the Rebels net and sent it back to Salvatore Cerrato at the near side point. Cerrato made a cross-ice pass to Tournas at the far side faceoff circle and Tournas took a wrist shot that beat Rebels goaltender Anthony Sciere long side for Tournas’ first goal of the game.
Jamaldinov scored his first of the game two minutes later to even the score at one. Brock Jones picked up the loose puck at the top of his own near side faceoff circle and skated through center ice and into the offensive zone. As he gained the line, Jones he made a drop pass to Björk who sent a pass through the slot to a wide-open Jamaldinov who took a one-timer that beat Danbury’s netminder John Reburn.
Tournas scored his second goal of the game. Jones was called for hooking with 3:22 remaining in the period and a minute later Danbury regained the lead. The Tricks’ Austin Michaud had the puck down low and sent it back to Tournas at the far side point. As Tournas started to walk the line towards his right, Tournas took a shot that found its way through a screen and past Sciere for Tournas’ sixth goal against the Rebels this season – which accounts for almost half of Danbury’s goals this year against Philadelphia.
Vaites evened the score just twenty-six seconds later. With the Rebels on the delayed penalty, Charlie Spencer brought the puck up through center ice and into the offensive zone along the near side boards. As he reached the goal line, Spencer rimmed the puck behind the Tricks net where it was picked up by birthday boy Abzal Alibek. Alibek passed it back to the far side point to Vaites who had just entered the zone, and Vaites stepped up and took a wrist shot that beat Reburn high, blocker side for Vaites sixth goal of the season.
Bunting gave the Rebels a 3 – 2 lead just thirty-five seconds into the middle stanza. Playing 5 on 3 hockey, Björk sent the puck from the goal line back to Charles Panchisin at the top of the point. Panchisin skated to the near side faceoff circle and took a shot that was saved by Reburn but the rebound came right out to Bunting on the doorstep and Bunting put the puck through Reburn’s five hole for Bunting’s twentieth goal of the season. Bunting is one of six Rebels to have scored double digit goals this season.
Strand doubled the Rebels lead fifty seconds later. With the Rebels man advantage about to expire, Danbury dumped the puck into the Rebels zone where it was retrived by Sciere who head manned the puck up to Jones at just outside the offensive zone. As Jones gained the line, he made a tap pass to a breaking Strand in the slot and Strand redirected the puck past Reburn for Strand’s first goal of the season.
Danbury made it 4 – 3 with three minutes remaining in the second when Sciere went to retrieve the puck behind his net but the wrap around hit the Zamboni door and shot right out to Brendan Boring in the slot and Boring deposited into the empty net for his fifth goal of the season.
Jamaldinov scored two consecutive goals starting with four remaining in the game to make it 5 – 3 and then he completed the hat trick two and a half minutes remaining to close out the scoring to make it 6 – 3.
Sciere stopped 32 of 35 shots while Reburn turned aside 27 of 33. Click HERE for the complete box score. The teams will meet again next weekend for their second home and home series to close out the season.
