Next summer’s potential first overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft showed his talents tonight.
Andrei Svechnikov, the Colts top pick in the CHL Import Draft, scored three times including a pair less than 10 minutes apart in the opening frame as they defeated the Battalion 3-1 at the Barrie Molson Centre.
Svechnikov started the scoring by slipping a puck past starter Julian Sime on the right post less than three minutes into the game.
The Colts increased the lead as the sniper lifted a shot under the arm of Some which made it 2-0 at 12:22.
That goal sent SIme to the bench where he was replaced by Mat Woroniuk.
Early in the second period, Brady Lyle got the Troops on the board getting a puck into the mesh during a scramble in front of the Colts net which made it 2-1 at 2:25 of the middle frame. Adam McMaster and Luke Burghardt were credited with helpers on the lone Battalion tally.
The game stayed that way until the dying seconds when Svechnikov completed his hat trick with an empty net tally at 19:45.
It was a tough return for Battalion sniper Brett McKenzie who was kept off the scoresheet but finished the game a minus 2.
The Battalion outshot the Colts 35-26.
The loss drops the Battalion record to 3-1-1-0 on the season while the Colts move up into top spot in the Central Division with a 4-1-0-1 record.
The Troops are back at home on Monday, October 9th when they host the Peterborough Petes. Puck drop is set for 2 p.m.
