MONTREAL, QC.-–To say Max Pacioretty has picked things up as of late is a bit of an understatement.
The Hamilton Bulldogs forward now has six goals in the last eight periods of play, his latest two coming in a 3-2 win over the Adirondack Phantoms Wednesday night.
Pacioretty was the author of a birthday hat trick last Saturday night as he helped mount a Bulldogs’ comeback against the Toronto Marlies, having been down 2-0 in the early-goings of the second period. He even added a marker in the shootout, only to watch his team ultimately fail to come up with that win. However, it was allegedly the first hat trick of his hockey career.
Not a bad way to turn 22.
For an entry into the professional ranks that can probably best be described as topsy-turvy, the third year is starting to look like it’s the charm for Pacioretty, who now has ten goals on the season and sits fourth on the AHL points’ leaderboard.
Wednesday’s tilt with the Phantoms, aside from Pacioretty’s 2-goal performance, was highlighted by skirmishes aplenty, as Adirondack seemed to look every bit like their parent affiliate, the Philadelphia Flyers. Ryan Russell, Jimmy Bonneau, Gabriel Dumont and Ian Schultz all dropped the gloves for the Bulldogs, while captain Alex Henry picked up a roughing call late in the third period. Yet the Phantoms found other means to make their mark on the scoresheet, pelting Curtis Sanford with 41 shots through three periods compared to Hamilton’s 30. With 39 saves, Sanford received second star honours behind his teammate Pacioretty.
Andrew Conboy, returning to the lineup after having missed six games due to injury, was credited with the eventual game-winning goal after picking up a feed from Gabriel Dumont. Danny Syvret soon countered for Adirondack, but his team failed to produce a tying goal. Luke Pither scored the Phantoms’ other goal in the game.
Much like the Bulldogs entertained their parent affiliate’s crowd at Montreal’s Bell Centre, the Binghamton Senators will do the same at Scotiabank Place in the nation’s capital this Friday at 7:30 p.m. The B-Sens play the night before against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena before making the trip. This will be the 5th instalment of a 6 game roadtrip for the Bulldogs, who have gone 3-0-0-1 since last playing at Copps Coliseum. Fans can tune in to catch the action at 820 CHAM or AHL Live.