Providence 3 - Sharks 2 (SO)
The Worcester Sharks continued their fall in the Atlantic Division yesterday afternoon as they blew a 2-1 lead going into the final period to lose to the Providence Bruins 3-2 in a shootout. The Sharks knew it wouldn’t be their night because just after the opening face-off was dropped, Riley Armstrong was whistled off for slashing just 13 seconds into the game. However, the Sharks penalty kill improved this weekend, killing 15 out of 17 man advantages, to move them up to 24th overall out of the 27 team AHL. The Sharks have yet to find balance yet this season. While the Sharks defense has picked up, their offense has slacked. They were 1 for 17 this weekend on the power play. The only goal came when Justin Kurtz got his first goal of the season when he chipped in a rebound that barely hit the inside net. Lukas Kaspar who worked hard behind the goal line to set up the goal and Michael Macho, who took a shot before Kurtz skated into the slot, were both credited with assists on the goal.
In the second period it was the “Tonight Show with Terry Koharski” and was nothing but a joke. The Sharks thought they had scored their second goal of the evening but referee Terry Koharski said that he had blown the play dead before the puck crossed the line. Sharks leading scorer Mathieu Darche thought otherwise--- and was correct, that the goal should have counted. He was then given a 2-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. That was the turning point in the game and the wheels just came off after that. After the penalty, Darche still had some choice words for Mr. Koharski and was then given a 10-minute misconduct. While in the box, Darche took his anger out on a water bottle and threw it against the glass, and then was given the gate. He was issued a game misconduct for abuse of an official and a gross misconduct (which carries a minimal one game suspension). He then proceeded across the ice cursing in another language (excuse his French… literally) and left the Sharks emotionally drained. For the next 5 minutes the Sharks flopped around their zone almost like they had already given up. Yan Stastny would skate into the Sharks zone drop it back to T.J. Trevelyan at circle who fired it over Nolan Schaeffer’s glove hand. Nolan would finish up the night stopping 31 shots and picked up the number 3 star of the night honor. With less than 4 minutes to play in the period, Assistant Captain Craig Valette, would put the Sharks back in the lead. It was his 9th goal of the season and was assisted by Grant Stevenson and Riley Armstrong.
The Bruins tied the game up 6 minutes into the period. Lashoff would send the puck up to Yan Stastny who carried it over the blue line and set a nice pick and pass to Ben Walter, who skated in off the left circle and found the 5-hole of Schaeffer. The Sharks would have an opportunity late in the third but the puck bounced off the ice and hit the left post of Hannu Toivonen. Toivonen and Bruin’s defensemen Mark Stuart were sent down from Boston earlier in the morning. The game would go into overtime and the Sharks had another opportunity to take home 2 points but were denied by the glove of the Bruins netminder. Toivonen had to go into the splits in order to make the save, and that was the save of the game. The 2 teams skated the rest of the extra session and then it was off to a shootout.
WORCESTER: Valette (Missed High), Mink (Glove Save), Stevenson (Missed High) 0
PROVIDENCE: Kerjci (Goal, Deke), Versteeg (Goal, Deke), Trevelyan (Goal, Deke) 3
NOTES:
The announced attendance was 5,985… Well that’s how many tickets were issued for the game… Although it was a decent crowd considering for Providence…
Although they are doing renovations to the Dunkin Donut’s Center, they seem to have a problem with the ice machine. Several times during the third period they had to fix holes near the Providence net, and the ice was even black in some spots.
Nolan Schaeffer went 0 for 3 in stopping the breakaways in the shootout. He came out to between the hash marks when the Bruins steamed forward. When a goalie comes out that far, it’s very easy to score a goal by using a deke. All 3 shooters for the Bruins were rookies and all 3 used dekes.
The Sharks still haven't figured out the shootout yet. They are 0-4 in their last 4 shootout games and their only victory in the event was on opening night in Portland, Maine. The Sharks had 22 opportunities on the break aways but only managed to get 2 in (both which were on opening night).
In the second period it was the “Tonight Show with Terry Koharski” and was nothing but a joke. The Sharks thought they had scored their second goal of the evening but referee Terry Koharski said that he had blown the play dead before the puck crossed the line. Sharks leading scorer Mathieu Darche thought otherwise--- and was correct, that the goal should have counted. He was then given a 2-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. That was the turning point in the game and the wheels just came off after that. After the penalty, Darche still had some choice words for Mr. Koharski and was then given a 10-minute misconduct. While in the box, Darche took his anger out on a water bottle and threw it against the glass, and then was given the gate. He was issued a game misconduct for abuse of an official and a gross misconduct (which carries a minimal one game suspension). He then proceeded across the ice cursing in another language (excuse his French… literally) and left the Sharks emotionally drained. For the next 5 minutes the Sharks flopped around their zone almost like they had already given up. Yan Stastny would skate into the Sharks zone drop it back to T.J. Trevelyan at circle who fired it over Nolan Schaeffer’s glove hand. Nolan would finish up the night stopping 31 shots and picked up the number 3 star of the night honor. With less than 4 minutes to play in the period, Assistant Captain Craig Valette, would put the Sharks back in the lead. It was his 9th goal of the season and was assisted by Grant Stevenson and Riley Armstrong.
The Bruins tied the game up 6 minutes into the period. Lashoff would send the puck up to Yan Stastny who carried it over the blue line and set a nice pick and pass to Ben Walter, who skated in off the left circle and found the 5-hole of Schaeffer. The Sharks would have an opportunity late in the third but the puck bounced off the ice and hit the left post of Hannu Toivonen. Toivonen and Bruin’s defensemen Mark Stuart were sent down from Boston earlier in the morning. The game would go into overtime and the Sharks had another opportunity to take home 2 points but were denied by the glove of the Bruins netminder. Toivonen had to go into the splits in order to make the save, and that was the save of the game. The 2 teams skated the rest of the extra session and then it was off to a shootout.
WORCESTER: Valette (Missed High), Mink (Glove Save), Stevenson (Missed High) 0
PROVIDENCE: Kerjci (Goal, Deke), Versteeg (Goal, Deke), Trevelyan (Goal, Deke) 3
NOTES:
The announced attendance was 5,985… Well that’s how many tickets were issued for the game… Although it was a decent crowd considering for Providence…
Although they are doing renovations to the Dunkin Donut’s Center, they seem to have a problem with the ice machine. Several times during the third period they had to fix holes near the Providence net, and the ice was even black in some spots.
Nolan Schaeffer went 0 for 3 in stopping the breakaways in the shootout. He came out to between the hash marks when the Bruins steamed forward. When a goalie comes out that far, it’s very easy to score a goal by using a deke. All 3 shooters for the Bruins were rookies and all 3 used dekes.
The Sharks still haven't figured out the shootout yet. They are 0-4 in their last 4 shootout games and their only victory in the event was on opening night in Portland, Maine. The Sharks had 22 opportunities on the break aways but only managed to get 2 in (both which were on opening night).
posted by WSUClubHockey at 3:15 AM
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