By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
For a span of just over five minutes on Friday night, Sean Malone had the hottest set of hands in hockey.
The sixth-year veteran forward scored his first pro hat trick, and did so in a span of just 5 minutes and 7 seconds of the first period.
The natural hat trick gave the Rochester Americans a 3-1 lead, and while the Bridgeport Sound Tigers battled back to force overtime, the Amerks still won their third straight when Brett Murray scored 2:01 into the extra period for a 6-5 victory.
And then the Amerks (10-5-1-1) boarded the bus for Allentown, Pa., where they play the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Saturday night.
All except Malone. With his battered body still recovering from what seems to be a string of never-ending injuries throughout his career, the Amerks brain trust has decided playing on consecutive nights isn’t a good idea, at least not right now.
So on a night of his first career hat trick – and first four-point game – Malone will be looking ahead to next week’s Thursday-Saturday set at Cleveland.
“I think I can play,” Malone said “but it is what it is and I have to take the opinions of up top. “The ones I do get in I need to perform my best and I think soon I’ll be able to get back into back-to-backs and help the team out as best I can.”
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM JOE TERRITO HERE.
Just last week in the Nov. 18 home game against Utica, Malone hopped to the ice in the third period without being touched and needed to be helped off the ice. The team said he suffered a cramp.
“My leg locked up, I couldn’t really get off the ice,” he said. “Sometimes that happens when you don’t get your game reps all the time.”
He didn’t play the following night in Utica but returned for both home games this week, Wednesday’s 4-3 OT win over Providence and then Friday’s extra-time victory over Bridgeport (10-3-4-0).
The Amerks are willing to give Malone time off to fully heal in hopes it will mean more games in the long run. With 6 goals, 5 assists and 11 points in the nine games he has played this year, his value is obvious, and that doesn’t include the veteran leadership he provides.
“Right now we’re doing everything we can to get him as healthy as we possibly can, because we know what a special player he is,” Amerks coach Seth Appert said. “He’s an elite, elite American Hockey League player and he’s knocking on the door to getting more callups to the National Hockey League.”
His first goal on Friday came at 8:58 of the first period when he fired home the rebound of a Kale Clague point shot. He gave the Amerks a 2-1 lead at 11:46 when he shoveled home a pass from Michael Mersch.
Then his hat trick goal came just 2:19 later when Mersch and Brett Murray worked the puck from behind the net to the right edge of the crease and Malone was free to fire it home.
“It felt like (I was scoring) on every shift, shift after shift,” he said with a smile.
Malone later played passer, making the perfect pass to set up Clague’s first goal of the season at 8:31 of the second period to give the Amerks a 5-3 lead.
“I’ve always been one to look to pass first but I’m trying to shoot more,” Malone said. “I wouldn’t say I have the greatest shot but when I’m able to get it off I think I have good hands around the net.”
The Sound Tigers, however, rallied as Andy Andreyoff scored a power-play goal at 12:35 before an extra-attacker goal by Arnaud Durandeau with 49 seconds left forced overtime.
In reality, the typing goal never should have been allowed. Bridgeport’s Otto Kolvula executed the perfect can-opener play, positioning his stick between the legs of Matt Bartkowski to trip the Amerks defenseman at the Rochester blue line.
That allowed the Sound Tigers to continue the fast break, get the puck to the net and tie the score.
“Let’s not kid ourselves, they hauled Bartkowski down on the tying goal,” Appert said. “But it is what it is.”
Murray won the game in overtime with his team-leading eighth goal. After Isak Rosen curled out of the slot, he gave the puck to Murray, who angled through the left circle, away from former Amerk Hudson Fasching, and then fired a shot past goalie Jakub Skarek to the far side.
That Murray was even on the ice in overtime proves just how far his skating has developed, and how much trust he has from the coaching staff.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever used Brett Murray in three-on-three until this year,” Appert said. “He’s played really good hockey so normally you’re going with the hot hand and you think about how many goals he’s scored over the years. He has worked so hard in the weight room and on his skating, and leaning his body out so he can maximize his skating ability at that size.
An OT thriller tonight in #BRIvsROC ended in favor of @AmerksHockey, thanks to a goal from Brett Murray. pic.twitter.com/ugv3L66Eoq
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) November 26, 2022
Because he’s skating so well right now, he’s been one of the first six guys over the wall in both games in overtime this week. That’s a credit to him. What a great goal, but the work that he’s done to earn the right to be out there is probably the most important thing.”
While Murray celebrated with about half the team at one end, the other half greeted goalie Malcolm Subban to celebrate his first victory since April 21, 2021, when he was with the Chicago Blackhawks. He made 28 saves on Friday.
“He deserves it, he’s an unbelievable teammate and he’s got an unbelievable work ethic,” Appert said. “Obviously he’s not near the goaltender that he knows he can be, and how could you be when he’s been out as long (as he has). But I’m happy for him.”
This team seems to be teetering on disaster on most nights. They should have put Bridgeport away in the 2nd period but let them back in. Seems they are always allowing last minute goals, etc. They need more games like with Providence and put them away soundly. Such a young team. Hopefully they pick it up after the new year.