DANBURY, CT – Five straight goals with only four men on the ice each time was the recipe for victory and three points Saturday night as the Danbury Whalers defeated the Danville Dashers 5-1 at the Danbury Ice Arena. Four of the goals were short-handed, the other was merely a four-on-four even strength situation.
Early in the season, the Dashers could have been considered a pushover. They lost 18 of their first 19 games but in the last two meetings with Danbury, the Whalers eked out a 4-3 shootout victory on December 30th and Danville earned its first and only regulation win by humiliating Danbury 6-1 on New Year’s Eve.
The Whalers felt they had something to prove but in the first period, they failed to get on the scoreboard with two power play opportunities. Late in the stanza, Corey Fulton was sent to the penalty box and twenty seconds into the kill, veteran Kelly Miller, who recently played in his 500th career pro game, scored the first of Danbury’s record short-handed tallies with assists going to Lynn Beedle and Matt Moffat. It was his fifth goal with his team a man down on the season – a new FHL record – and his 15th of the year.
The middle stanza was eventful. Through a series of penalties, the Whalers played more than half the period with just four skaters allowed on the ice. Somehow Danbury was able to turn it into a positive with three unanswered goals. Alec Kirschner started the scoring 2:04 into the period with his 15th of the season. Just over eleven minutes later during a four-on-four, Jay Meloff, playing in his first professional game, scored his very first goal as a pro at the 13:28 mark to bump the lead to three. Then with less than five minutes left before intermission, James Sanford notched a short-handed goal of his own.
The four goal Danbury lead at the second intermission could have been less that that. Danville’s Ky Moje broke in alone on Whalers goalie Peter Vetri, only to be hooked from behind by James Kirkwood. Moje was awarded a penalty shot but Vetri successfully turned the attempt away.
Danville did get on the board 2:18 into the final period when Dustin Skinner tallied an unassisted goal to break the shutout. The final goal of the game came off the stick of Danbury’s Matt Caranci, again while the Whalers were killing a penalty.
All four goalies saw action in the contest. Vetri stopped all 23 shots he faced to earn the win while teammate Matt Trusz mopped up by stopping 11 of the 12 shots taken on him in 24:35 of play. For the Dashers, starter Nick Wydock made 11 saves in 35:25 of play in taking the loss while Breton Lindoff stopped 15 after coming into the contest.
Danville%27s Dustin Skinner had the lone goal in the game for the Dashers.
Danville%27s Billy Hunt 7%2C left) decks Danbury%27s Kelly Miller in front of the Dashers%27 net.
Danville coach Matt McIlvaine yelling instructions to his troops.
Danbury%27s James Kirkwood (11%2C white) hooks Danville%27s Ky Moje%2C earning Moje a penalty shot.
Danville%27s Ky Moje takes a penalty shot against Danbury%27s Peter Vetri.
Danbury%27s Alec Kirschner (17%2C white) had a goal and two assists to lead the Whalers to the victory.
Danbury goalie Peter Vetri (left) and defenseman Lynn Beedle spent most of the night killing penalties.
Danbury%27s Anthony Pisano (33%2C right) tries to clear Danville%27s Dustin Skinner from in front of the crease.
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