Pickering came out slow in this one, allowing Milton to build a 3-0 lead just six minutes into the game. A goaltending change and a Jake Mallory power-play goal gave the Panthers some life, but Milton still held a 4-1 advantage at the first intermission.
For the second straight night, special teams played a major role for Pickering, this time in a positive way. The Panthers scored four unanswered goals in the second period. Mallory struck again on the power play and then completed his hat trick with a shorthanded goal. Charlie Key added a power-play marker, and Evan Elliott stripped the puck at the Pickering blue line before finishing off a breakaway, sending the Panthers into the second intermission with a 5-4 lead.
Pickering protected the one-goal advantage throughout the third and sealed the comeback when Ty Robar scored an empty-net insurance goal, his fifth of the season. Daniel Giusti earned the win in relief, making 34 saves after taking over from Anthony Sciere in the first period.
Pickering finished the night 3-for-4 on the power play, while the penalty kill turned aside all five Milton opportunities. Mallory now has 15 goals and 10 assists in 18 games since joining the Panthers in early November, including two hat tricks.
