The Danbury Hat Tricks were edged 1–0 on Tuesday afternoon, as Philadelphia Rebels’ goaltender Ilja Nikitins turned aside all 31 shots he faced to halt the Rabbits’ two-game winning streak. The shutout marks the first time this season the Hat Tricks have been held off the scoresheet.
After an evenly played opening period, the Rebels tilted the ice in the second, outshooting Danbury 17–6. Philadelphia broke through with 5:38 remaining in the frame when Jordan Brothers buried a rebound for the game’s lone goal. Off an offensive-zone draw, the puck was worked back to Dylan Moran at the far-side circle. Moran cut to his right and fired a low shot while falling to one knee. Hat Tricks netminder Luke Brassil made the initial save, but the rebound caromed off a Danbury defender and in, giving the Rebels a 1–0 lead they would not relinquish.
Danbury pushed back hard in the third, flipping the script with a 14–2 shot advantage and generating several high-danger looks, including a breakaway chance from Matt Dabrowski. But Nikitins stood tall throughout the final frame to preserve the shutout.
Brassil, making his first appearance since November 15, was sharp between the pipes, stopping 28 of 29 shots in the loss. Click HERE for the complete box score.
The Hat Tricks close out their five-game homestand this Friday and Saturday when they welcome the Elmira Aviators to the Danbury Ice Arena for the first time this season.