Kyle Maksimovich nets a pair as Panthers defeat Tigers 6-3

By Thomas Becker

The UPEI Panthers are back in the win column after doubling up the Dalhousie Tigers 6-3 Saturday night.

Kyle Maksimovich led the way with two goals and an assist, while teammates Drake Pilon and Troy Lajeunesse recorded a goal and an assist each. Danil Antropov and Leon Denny also scored in the win, and TJ Shea finished with three assists. 

Dalhousie's Christian Huntley responded with a goal and two assists, while Dillon Boucher notched a goal and an assist. Evan MacKinnon also found the back of the net in the loss.

"We usually get frustrated by these guys, so we knew we had to come out hard." Maksimovich said after the game. "On the offensive side we executed, but we need to clean some things up on the D side."

Following Friday night's shootout loss to the St. FX X-Men, the Panthers (11-4-1) were determined to end the weekend with a win, and it showed from the opening puck drop. 

A minute into the game, Logan Kelly-Murphy gathered the puck along the end boards and delivered a pass in front to Antropov, who beat goaltender Alexander MacDonald. Just 39 seconds later, Darian Pilon's cross-ice pass ricocheted off the side boards to Denny, who fired a slap shot by MacDonald for his first AUS goal.

After every game, Maksimovich said he talks to his grandmother about his play, and the message recently has been to shoot.

"She kind of gives me a pep talk on what I can work on and it's usually to shoot the puck more," said Maksimovich, who's been on an offensive tear lately with three goals and two assists in his last two games.

That sage insight paid off for the Panthers at 18:32 when Maksimovich took a pass off a faceoff draw and centred himself before wiring a wrist shot by the goalie to make it 3-0 after the first period.

Much like the Panthers' quick start to the game, the Tigers (1-14-1) responded with two quick goals to begin the second period. At 1:12, Boucher fired a harmless-looking wrist shot from the top of the right circle that beat Lucas Fitzpatrick glove side. Just 43 seconds later, Huntley took the puck from behind the net and passed it in front to MacKinnon, who flipped a backhand shot over Fitzpatrick's pad, trimming the deficit to 3-2.

UPEI made it a two-goal game again at 4:11 when Carson MacKinnon centred a pass from the right corner to the slot, where Maksimovich slung a wrist shot off the crossbar and in. 

The Panthers extended their lead to 5-2 at 13:37 on a lucky play from Drake Pilon. MacDonald gave away a long rebound off a Kelly-Murphy shot and Pilon, with his back toward the net, slid a backhand shot which bounced off a Tiger skate and made its way in the back of the net.

Dalhousie found a goal with 32 seconds to go in the frame when Huntley took the puck in the slot, where his slow shot deflected off a Panther defender and fooled Fitzpatrick to make it 5-3. 

Both teams looked tired throughout the third period, and the Tigers couldn't get any closer, as Lajeunesse put away the empty-netter late in the frame to close out the 6-3 win.

Both teams take to the ice again Wednesday night, with the Panthers scheduled to host the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus, while the Tigers host the Saint Mary's Huskies.

Photo Credit: Janessa Hogan