Ludovik Gauvin wasted no time putting the Danbury Hat Tricks on the board, scoring just 1:03 into the opening period, and that early goal proved to be the difference as Danbury edged the Maine Nordiques 1–0 on Saturday night.
The goal came with the Hat Tricks applying sustained pressure in the offensive zone. The puck worked its way behind the Maine net, where Tanner Terranova collected it along the near-side half wall. Terranova sent a pass back to Gauvin at the point, and the defenseman stepped into a low shot that slipped through traffic and past Nordiques goaltender Matthew Wood. The tally was Gauvin’s fifth goal of the season and the lone marker of the contest.
From there, Jon Dukaric took over. The Hat Tricks netminder was flawless, turning aside all 28 shots he faced to earn his third shutout of the season. At the other end, Wood was equally sharp for Maine, stopping 17 of 18 shots to keep the game tight throughout.
With the victory, Dukaric capped an outstanding weekend, finishing with a 1-0-1-0 record, a 1.45 goals-against average, a .958 save percentage, and one shutout. The win also allowed the Hat Tricks to secure three of four points in the weekend series against Maine. Click HERE for the complete box score.
Danbury’s six-game road swing now comes to an end, as the Hat Tricks return home next weekend to host a two-game set against the New Hampshire Mountain Kings.