The DHS boys’ hockey team got off to a slow start in its first two games, controlling play in the offensive end but squandering chance after chance, especially after outshooting Hanover 44 -16 and registering just one goal in a 1-1 tie.

That bad luck seemed to change on Wednesday night at the Hobomock Arena when the Dragons exploded for three first-period goals while on their way to a 7-1 win over Scituate in Patriot League action.

The game started much like the previous two, as Scituate goaltender Joe Spinella kept the Dragons off the board for the first 12 minutes, killing a power-play at the 5:11 mark and immediately forced to face another one with much less success.

With a man-advantage with three minutes left in the period, Coach John Blake sent out his first line to try and get his offense untracked. The strategy seemed to work, as junior forward Nick Marrocco picked up a loose puck behind the net and came out to Spinella’s right, firing a shot that Spinella stopped, leaving the rebound for senior captain Bobby O’Brien who gave the Dragons a 1-0 lead with 2:28 to go.

The goal seemed to open the floodgates for the Dragons, who took just 30 seconds to make it 2-0 when junior defenseman Tyler Powers took a shot from the left point that found its way between Spinella and the right post with Marrocco and junior forward Matt Saia assisting.

It was the biggest lead the Dragons have had this season, but they were determined to add on more when junior Mike Doyle came cruising through the slot and took a pass from junior Trevor O’Brien before drilling his shot into the top left corner for a 3-0 lead with 58 seconds left in the opening period.

Duxbury goaltender Chris Johnson did all he could to stay awake in the first 15 minutes, as he faced just one shot while watching his teammates dominate the other end.

The second period was a different story for Johnson, as he faced a two-man Scituate advantage at the 11-minute mark and stifled the Sailors for a minute with several outstanding saves.

A minute after he shutdown the Sailor power-play, he turned aside a Scituate break-away and a minute later was back facing another Sailor power-play which proved fruitless. The Sailors were so hopeless on their power play attempts that Duxbury sophomore Luke Stevens broke up ice with senior captain James Marcello when the Dragons were a man short and took a pass from his captain before placing it perfectly in the top left corner for a 4-0 lead.

Duxbury managed to kill off one more penalty at the 5:12 mark and Stevens notched his second with 50 seconds left in the middle stanza with assists to Marrocco and Marcello.

The Dragons were now in complete control, having out-shot the Sailors by a 27-4 margin after two periods.

It didn’t take long for Saia to score the prettiest goal of the night in the final period. Just two minutes after the face-off, Saia came flying down the right wing and lifted a shot up and under the cross-bar from close in to give Duxbury a 6-0 lead.

Johnson would lose his shutout with 3:54 remaining, but sophomore Evan Burns would match the Scituate tally with 23 seconds left in the game.

“We made it a point to come out in that first period and set the tone for the night,” said Coach Blake. “We came out and worked hard. We moved the puck well in the first period and it set the tone for the rest of the game.”

The team has a big game on Thursday afternoon when they take on Bay State League entry Norwood HS at The Bog at 1 p.m.