Connor McMichael scores hat trick in Hershey’s 3-1 victory
It only took Connor McMichael five games with the Hershey Bears to register his first professional hat trick, scoring all of the Bears’ goals on Saturday afternoon to lead Hershey to a 3-1 victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
The 19-year-old has impressed in his first four-game games with the Bears, but number five was special. McMichael got on the board first, cleaning up a rebound in front of Wilkes-Barre’s goalie Max Lagace on the power play to tie the game a 1-1.
“I felt pretty good tonight, and then obviously scoring in the first period it helps you out a lot,” said McMichael. “You just feel a lot more comfortable throughout the game, and you just build off that. My line and our defense that I was out there with played really well, and [Fucale] had a great game as well. It’s great to build up the first one and get a couple more.”
His second goal of the afternoon came on a breakaway, going glove side on Lagace to give the Bears the lead at 2-1. “I saw that there was a little opening on the glove side, and it took advantage of it.”
McMichael almost had the hat trick before the end of the second period, scoring on a delayed penalty but having the play called dead by a whistle before the puck crossed the line. But he made up for it, with a 120-foot empty-net goal to seal the victory for Hershey and his first professional hat trick.
“The puck follows him around,” said head coach Spencer Carbery after the game. “Somehow, someway, he’s just in the right place, right time, and he sees the game that way. And that’s something as a coach – you can’t teach that.
“The thing I think we’re going to learn to appreciate about Connor is he is a very intelligent player. He is adapting on the fly to pro hockey and learning things. I’ve already had a couple conversations with him about small, little things he has to start to do at the pro level he could get away with in the OHL and now are going to be essential to being successful not only in the NHL but in pro hockey in general.”
“I talk to Carbs basically every single day,” said McMichael. “It’s just little things like in the D zone, being more aggressive, some faceoff work. The coaching staff and the guys have been great with me so far.”
