Series Preview: Prowlers Visit Defending Champs

The Port Huron Prowlers visit the defending champion Danbury Hat Tricks for a two-game set on Dec. 22 and 23. It will be the first of two series between these teams this season in Danbury.

The Prowlers played once last weekend, hosting teddy bear toss night against the Carolina Thunderbirds. Dalton Jay scored the teddy bear toss goal for the second year in a row, but Carolina came away with a 3-1 win thanks to two power-play goals and a shorthanded empty netter. The Prowlers fell back to fourth in the Continental Division at 7-7-2 with 22 points, two points back of third-place Mississippi with three games in hand.

The Hat Tricks were in upstate New York for road games against the Binghamton Black Bears and Elmira River Sharks. It took until the third period for Danbury to find the back of the net in Binghamton as the Bears took a 4-2 win behind three power-play strikes. The next night in Elmira, the Hat Tricks held leads of 1-0 in the first and 2-1 in the third but the Sharks came back both times en route to a 4-2 final score. Danbury is 8-9-2 with 24 points, third in the Empire Division.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Prowlers - Phil Bushbacher (F) - Reports are that Bushbacher will rejoin the Prowlers for this trip to Danbury. He’s played three games this season, the first three of the year, and scored twice.

Hat Tricks - Jonny Ruiz (F) - The Danbury offense has run through the captain this year as he leads the team in assists (12) and points (20) and is tied for the team lead in goals (8).

STAT CENTRAL

The Prowlers haven’t won in Danbury since Oct. 26, 2019 (0-5-2 at Danbury Arena since then)…The Prowlers have the best goal differential (-4) among FPHL teams with fewer wins than losses. The Hat Tricks are next-best (-5)…The Prowlers have the FPHL’s last-ranked penalty kill (70.0%) while the Hat Tricks have the leagues bottom-ranked power play (10.6%)

SERIES SCHEDULE

Dec. 22, 7:30 P.M. at Danbury Arena (Danbury, CT)

Dec. 23, 7:00 P.M. at Danbury Arena (Danbury, CT)

Both games will be broadcast live on the PHP Network YouTube channel.