Charles Panchisin scored 1:10 into overtime to give the Rebels a 4 – 3 win over the visiting Danbury Hat Tricks to complete a three-game sweep between the teams. It was the Rebels fourth straight win. Brayton Frick, Jared Coccimiglio and Luke Minard scored in regulation.
Three straight wins. Three straight “extra innings.” Two straight free sessions. And all three games were back and forth.
Josh Galizia was called for charging at 6:50 into the game to give the Hat Tricks the man advantage. As time was about to expire on the powerplay, Danbury’s Logan Nickerson gave the visitors a 1 – 0 lead. The Tricks’ Ivan Korodiuk took a shot from the apex of the point that was blocked by Ryan Bunting but the puck bounced high and came down directly to Korodiuk who skated towards the slot and took a wrist shot that was blocked out front and the rebound came out to Nickerson in the crease and Nickerson put the biscuit past Owen Crudale and into the back of the net to open the scoring.
Frick tied the game with 4:12 remaining in the first. With the Trick’s trying to breakout of their own zone, Galizia was relentless with his forechecking and was able to strip the puck off a Danbury player in the near side corner. Galizia passed the biscuit to Luke Minard in the faceoff circle who made a backhanded pass through the goalmouth to Frick who one-timed it pass Hat Tricks goalie Lukas Fursten for Frick’s first goal as a Rebel.
Danbury took a 2 – 1 with 5:23 left in the middle stanza. Sonny DNubile sent a bounce pass off the near side boards intended for Jett Otwell but the puck was intercepted by the Tricks’ Anthony White at the top of his own slot. White made a long stretch pass to Josh Erickson who gained the offensive line and took a wrist shot from far side faceoff circle that beat Crudale short side for Erickson’s first goal of the season.
Coccimiglio tied the contest against with 1:20 remaining in the second. Playing 4 on 4 hockey in the Rebels zone, Danbury’s Noah Ziskie took a slot from the far side point that went off the stick of Paddy Fortune and right to Coccimiglio in the high slot. Coccimiglio went through center ice and into the Tricks end. As he gained the line, Coccimiglio skated towards the near side faceoff circle and took a wrist shot that beat Fursten long side for Coccimiglio’s fifteenth goal of the season.
The Tricks took a 3 – 2 lead midway through the third. White picked up the loose puck at the top of the Rebels zone and took a shot that was blocked out front by Klaus Jogi but the biscuit went off his glove to Korodiuk at the far side point. Korodiuk skated up along the boards and cut towards the net and took a shot that beat Crudale short side for his second goal of the year.
Minard’s second point of the game tied the contest at three with 7:10 remaining in the third. Bryce Strand kept the puck in the offensive zone at the near side point and the puck went down to Frick in the corner. Frick made a centering pass out front to Galizia who took a shot that was blocked out front and went directly to Frick, who was to the right of Fursten. Frick made another centering pass out front to Minard who redirected the puck past Fursten for Minard’s first, two-point game this season.
After regulation ended tie at three, the teams were playing their second straight overtime game in four days. With Danbury looking to setup in the Rebels zone, the puck went to the Tricks’ Camden Charron at the top of the slot. He was muscled off the biscuit by Panchisin who rushed through center ice and walked in all alone on Fursten and Panchisin beat his former teammate short side to win the game.
Crudale stopped 32 of 35 shots while Fursten turned aside 25 of 29. Click HERE for the complete box score.
The Rebels are off the next two weekends but will be playing their fourth and fifth (and final) Tuesday night games against the New Jersey Titans on February 27 and March 5 at the Hollydell Ice Arena.