The offense was plentiful for the Maine Nordiques on Saturday night.
The Nordiques scored six first-period goals in an 8-2 victory over the Northeast Generals in a North American Hockey League East Division game at the New England Sports Village in Attleboro, Massachusetts.
“I think if we play smart and well, we will do that to a lot of teams this year,” Nordiques coach Nick Skerlick said.
Jake Bernadet scored twice, while Kellen Murphy and Arseni Vorobyov each had a goal and two assists. Eleven players recorded a point for the Nordiques (5-2-1, 11 points).
“If you think about the league is for scoring, our top scorers in the past, you don’t have anyone over a point-per-game,” Skerlick said. “The way we constructed the team is we will have six or seven guys that will put up 45, 55, 65 points.”
The scoring barrage started 39 seconds into the game when Bernadet lit the lamp.
Two minutes later, Murphy beat Generals starting goalie Toby Hopp with his seventh goal of the season. Murphy added both his assists in the period.
Vorobyov scored his first goal with the Nordiques six minutes into the game. Defenseman JP Steele ended Hopp’s night in goal to give Maine a 4-0 advantage.
Hopp only made two saves on six shots.
Forward Shane Kozlina welcomed Northeast’s backup goalie, Marks Slavinskis-Repe (39 saves), into the game by scoring 11 minutes into the opening frame.
Charles Tardiff extended the lead to 6-0 shortly after. Vorobyov had one of his assists on the play.
“I think Arseni Vorobyov is a pure offensive machine,” Skerlick said. “We have him playing with Charles Tardiff. I’d say those two guys led the charge. … I think those two will always lead the charge offensively.”
Ryan Remick stopped the bleeding for the Generals (7-3-0, 14 points) late in the period when the University of Maine commit beat Nordiques goalie Carter Richardson (37 saves).
Bernadet got things started again midway through the second period with his second tally.
Nick Romeo potted his seventh goal of the year late in the middle frame, giving Maine an 8-1 lead heading into the third.
“Nick Romeo continues to be at a goal a game as the 33rd youngest kid in the league,” Skerlick added. “Yes, I did look that up today.”
Remick scored for the Generals again in the third period.
The Nordiques return to The Colisee on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. to face the Philadelphia Rebels.
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