REILLY’S HAT-TRICK AND FIVE POINT NIGHT HELPS P-BRUINS TO OVERTIME WIN
Feb 24, 2023Providence, RI - Mike Reilly netted his first career professional hat-trick, adding two assists as well, helping the Providence Bruins to a 6-5 overtime win over the Charlotte Checkers on Friday night at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Jakub Lauko scored the overtime winning goal, while John Beecher tallied four points on a goal and three assists.
How It Happened
- Creeping down from the point, Lucas Carlsson caught a pass at the top of the circles and fired a wrist shot on the blocker side to give the Checkers a 1-0 lead 3:19 into the first period
- Eight seconds after the Charlotte tally, the puck was flung around the boards and into the zone and as the goaltender attempted to play it, it bounced off of his stick and to the left of the cage, where Beecher raced to flip it into the net to tie the game at 1-1. Dan Renouf and Joona Koppanen were credited with assists on the goal.
- 1:01 into the second period, Koppanen took the puck across the blueline and fed Reilly who had just entered the zone for a one-timer that was blasted past the goaltender on the glove side to give the P-Bruins a 2-1 lead. Renouf was credited with the secondary assist.
- Henry Bowlby protected the puck around a defender in the slot and fired a backhanded shot from between the hash marks above the glove of the goaltender to tie the game at 2-2 with 17:38 to play in the second period.
- Holding the puck in the corner, Calle Sjalin found Carlsson above the crease, who redirected the puck into the net to give the Checkers a 3-2 lead with 17:07 remaining in the second period.
- While on the power play, Reilly slid the puck from the right circle to left circle and on to the stick of Fabian Lysell, who quickly zipped it to Georgii Merkulov at the right post, where he tucked across the line to tie the game at 3-3 with 11:35 left in the second period.
- While playing 4-on-4, Reilly’s one-timer from the point snuck through the arm of the goaltender to give Providence a 4-3 lead with 5:11 left in the second period. Oskar Steen and Beecher received assists on the goal.
- Riley Nash deflected a shot from the point that fluttered over the goaltender to tie the game at 4-4 with 9:02 remaining in the third period.
- Reilly scored his third goal of the game after one-timing a feed from Marc McLaughlin as he crossed the blue line that beat the goaltender low to the glove side to give Providence a 5-4 lead with 4:51 to play in the third period. Beecher was credited with the secondary assist.
- With the extra attacker on the ice, Matt Kiersted’s one-timer from the right circle rocketed into the upper left-hand corner of the net and tied the game with 47 seconds left in the third period.
- With 2:02 left in overtime, Beecher skated the puck up the left wing and into the zone, beat his defender, and dropped a pass back to Lauko in the slot, who fired a shot past the glove of the goaltender to win the game. Reilly was not credited with an assist in the box score yet, but will receive one after review.
Stats
- Reilly’s hat-trick was the first of his professional career.
- Beecher’s four points were a career high.
- Brandon Bussi made 27 saves. Providence totaled 37 shots in the contest.
- The P-Bruins power play went 1-for-7, and the penalty kill was 2-for-2.
Next Game
The P-Bruins host the Rochester Americans on Sunday, February 26 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Puck drop is set for 3:05 p.m. ET.
#02/24/23#