Rookie Carl Klingberg scored three time, including the St. John's IceCaps' first-ever home goal, as the IceCaps downed the Hamilton Bulldogs 6-2 in American Hockey League action Saturday night at Mile One Centre.
It was the first win at Mile One for the IceCaps, who were blanked 4-0 by the Bulldogs in their home-opener Friday night.
Riley Holzapfel, Corner Brook native Jason King and Marco Rosa also scored for St. John's (3-1), while first-year forward John Albert had three assists.
IceCaps goalie Peter Mannino made 20 saves in front of another full house of 6,247.
Gabriel Dumont and Danny Masse scored for the Bulldogs (2-1), while Hamilton goalie Nathan Lawson faced 42 shots.
It was the second busy night for Lawson, who faced 40 shots Friday. It was a different story Saturday, with Klingberg scoring at 3:24 of the first, zippiing a rebound of an Albert shot alongside the ice and inside the post.
Klingberg's second came late in the opening frame, a shorthanded tally that put the IceCaps ahead for good.
The one bugaboo for St. John's Saturday was the power-play, which went zero-for-seven, meaning the IceCaps were scoreless in 15 man-advantage opportunities in the two games against Hamilton.
Hamilton had one power play Saturday and just three in the series.
Next action for the IceCaps is Friday, when they host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the farm team of the New York Islanders, in the third game of what will be a six-game home stand for St. John's.
Saturday's three stars, from first to third, were Klingberg, Albert and Jason King. Defenceman Paul Postma was the IceCaps hardest-working player.
bmcc@thetelegram.com
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