Spending the week in Tucson while the Arizona Coyotes are on a mandatory bye week, Brendan Perlini scored his first professional hat trick with the Roadrunners.
Arizona Coyotes rookie Brendan Perlini continues to put the puck in the net.
Back in Tucson for the week while the Yotes are on an NHL mandated bye week, Perlini picked up right where he left off by scoring a hat trick against the Manitoba Moose.
The three goals regained him the Roadrunners’ team lead despite the fact that he’s spent 15 games in Glendale with the Coyotes.
He’s scoring those goals in a variety of ways.
Perlini continued that trend on Tuesday night.
Off the draw, y'all pic.twitter.com/pKFDr19RHa
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) January 11, 2017
His first tally was off a face-off win by Chris Mueller. He immediately fired the shot off the draw and put it in the back of the net high glove side.
What a snipe.
Perlini’s second goal displayed his poacher’s mentality.
Waiting out back. pic.twitter.com/gjAd1XWHIA
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) January 11, 2017
Mueller caught the attention of the Moose defense and allowed Christian Fischer and Brendan Perlini to set up on the doorstep. Mueller placed a gorgeous little pass right on Perlini’s stick on the back door and he slammed it home for an easy goal.
That second goal might have been even easier than the empty net goal he scored late in the third period.
Roadrunners head coach Mark Lamb was impressed with Perlini’s display.
He told reporters, “I’d just like to kidnap him. You watch him out there, you look at the confidence, he’s just oozing with it right now. I think he really enjoys playing the game; he looks like he’s having fun out there. He comes down and he scores three goals; and he doesn’t just do that, the impact he has when he has the puck, killing penalties, and he really fills out a first line.
Lamb also agreed that Perlini seemed a half-step faster after his time in the NHL, and his adjustment to the speed of the NHL game served him well in his return to Tucson.
First-career pro Hat-Trick! 🙌🏻🎩👍🏻🚨 pic.twitter.com/o37kECAHBl
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) January 11, 2017
Look at that smile.
He wasn’t on the list to start the season, but it’s hard to argue that Brendan Perlini isn’t the most surprising Arizona Coyotes prospect through the first half of the season.
Perlini has tallied 14 goals in Tucson and four with the Coyotes in just 32 total games.
That’s insane.
Next: Is Duclair Finally Breaking Out Of His Season Long Slump?
Sorry, Tucson!
We love you, but we’re gonna need you to return our Perl.