The Robertson Cup Playoffs are underway in the East Division, as the top teams begin their battle for the NAHL’s top prize, the Robertson Cup. With the East Division Play-In round over, the Maryland Black Bears have their opening round opponent, the Danbury Hat Tricks. The Hat Tricks finished sixth in the East Division with a 27-24-8 record and 62 points. Danbury qualified for the postseason for the first time in franchise history, sweeping the third-seeded New Jersey Titans in two straight games in the play-in round, outscoring them 8-1. Meanwhile, the Black Bears finished a historic season for the franchise with a 49-6-4 record and 102 points.
Season Overviews:
It has been a record-setting season in so many ways for the Maryland Black Bears. Their 49 wins are the most in a single season in franchise history, and their 102 points are the most in a single season in franchise history. Forward Harrison Smith led the league with 96 points, the most points in a single season in Maryland Black Bears’ history, while forward Ryan Franks set a franchise record for most goals in a single season with 31. Forward Logan Deuling made Black Bears history with the most penalty minutes in a single season with 171. Maryland’s 16-game win streak late in the season was the longest win streak in franchise history, and the team’s 26 home wins and +112 goal differential were the best in the NAHL in each category. The Black Bears were the second-highest scoring team in the NAHL, with 248 total goals for, trailing only the Minnesota Wilderness by one goal. Coupled with the fact that Maryland’s 136 goals against were the third fewest allowed in the league this season, they are a lethal blend of scoring power and defensive prowess. Special teams were also a strong point for the Black Bears, boasting the second-best power play (23.57%) and penalty kill (85.17%) in the division.
After finishing at or near the bottom of the East Division in each of their first five seasons, the Danbury Hat Tricks became one of the league’s brighter stories. Danbury’s 27 wins and 62 points were franchise bests in each category. After going 2-3-0 out of the gate, the Hat Tricks rattled off a stretch earning points in eight of nine games from September 26th through October 14th, going 5-1-3 in that time. Forward Kai Elkie set a franchise record for most assists in a single season (40), while forward Matthew Shpungin became just the fourth player in franchise history to eclipse the 20-goal mark (22). The Hat Tricks thrived at home ice, with an 18-7-4 record at home, the second-best in the East Division, only behind the Maryland Black Bears (26-2-2). Special teams were a mixed bag for the Hat Tricks. While their penalty kill ranked fourth in the East Division (80.87%), their power play ranked second-to-last in the division (17.13%). Danbury had a strong year offensively, with 182 goals, tying last year’s team with the most goals for in a single season in franchise history, being fourth best in the East Division. The Hat Tricks stunned the third-seeded New Jersey Titans in their first-ever playoff series, sweeping the Titans in the best-of-three play-in round series. Game one saw goaltender Jon Dukaric make 51 saves in a 3-0 Danbury win, while game two was highlighted by multi-goal performances from forwards Matt Shpungin and Brendan Boring, each scoring twice en route to a 5-1 series-clinching win.
Goaltending Success:
The Black Bears had two netminders who had incredible seasons. Ryan Denes set a franchise record for most wins in a season with 27, sporting a 27-2-3 record this season with a .909 save percentage and 2.07 goals against average. His seven shutouts are also a franchise best for a single season, beating out William Hakansson’s four he put up in the 2022-2023 season. Dom Gatto had an impressive year as well, with a 19-4-2 record, .886 save percentage, 2.402 goals against average, and two shutouts.
Dukaric has been the main goaltender for the Hat Tricks this season, and he has rewarded the coaching staff’s confidence in him. Appearing in 43 games, Dukaric put up a 22-15-4 record with a .913 save percentage, 2.782 goals against average, and four shutouts. He faced 88 shots in the two-game playoff series against New Jersey and stopped 87 of them.
Season Series:
Maryland won four of the six games played between them and Danbury. At Danbury Ice Arena, Maryland used a three goal third period to win the first game 5-4 before Danbury responded the next night with a 6-3 win of their own. When the two teams met at Piney Orchard Ice Arena, it was pure dominance by Maryland. The Black Bears decimated the Hat Tricks 9-2 on night one, the seven goal differential being tied for the largest margin of victory in a game in Maryland history. Night two was not much better for Danbury, with the Black Bears beating the Hat Tricks by the score of 8-4. The last weekend of the regular season saw these two teams meet for one last time, with Danbury winning game one by the score of 4-1 before Maryland got a 3-2 overtime win the next afternoon.
Players to Watch:
Harrison Smith (F, MYD): What else can you say about the NAHL’s leader in assists (72) and points (96)? Smith has been a game-changer all season long and a big driver of the Black Bears’ offense. In his last 20 games, he put up 14 multipoint efforts, including six games of three or more points. Last postseason saw Smith put up three assists in four games against the Maine Nordiques. Smith has suited up for four games this season against the Hat Tricks and put up two goals and six assists for eight points.
Matthew Shpungin (F, DAN): Shpungin led the Hat Tricks in goals (22) and finished second in points (39) this season. His final four games of the regular season translated into postseason success. After recording two goals and three points in his last four regular games, Shpungin erupted in game two with a two goal, three point performance to help Danbury clinch its spot in the East Division Semi-Final. In four games against Maryland this season, he has four assists.
Game one of the best-of-five series will start at Piney Orchard Ice Arena on Friday, April 17th, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. ET. All games can be streamed on NATV.