SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks waste quick start, suffer 5-4 shootout loss to Manchester

For the second time in three weeks the Worcester Sharks set the franchise record for fastest goal to start a game, and like the last time wasted the quick strike by giving one up just seconds later and then made it worse by allowing another quick goal moments after. Two third period goals put the WorSharks back in the driver’s seat, but a late extra attacker strike by Manchester sent the contest into overtime and then on to the shootout where the Monarchs prevailed for a 5-4 victory over Worcester in a Boxing Day contest at the DCU Center.

Worcester Sharks forward Jeremy Langlois had two goals and an assist for the WorSharks
in their 5-4 shootout loss to the Manchester Monarchs. It was the second multi-goal
game of the season for Langlois. Photo courtesy of TEAMSHRED

For video highlights we’ll use the Worcester Sharks Youtube channel.

It was ‘all hands on deck’ again for the WorSharks as they had no healthy scratches. Taylor Doherty (hand), Eriah Hayes (left leg), and Petter Emanuelsson (shoulder) are all on the injury list, and earlier in the day San Jose recalled forward Micheal Haley to replace the suspended John Scott. Despite newcomer Willie Coetzee clearing AHL waivers and being eligible to play that left Worcester with 11 healthy forwards and seven defensemen. Word before the game was the WorSharks were going to bring in another forward and it appears it will be old friend Riley Brace, who was traded away last season in a deal that sent him and Curt Gogol to Iowa for Chad Rao. Brace has been with Wheeling (ECHL) this season.

After Worcester scored on its first shot of the game Manchester then scored on their first two shots, sending WorSharks starting netminder Troy Grosenick to the bench and back-up J.P. Anderson into the game. From this writer’s perch just in front of the press box it appeared the first shot Anderson saw went just wide off the post, but the radio call by home town announcer Eric Lundquist seemed to indicate something else may have happened. My view, from the redline, didn’t offer the best angle so I asked Sharkspage minion Tyler Lowell, who sits behind the goal Worcester shoots at twice what he saw of the play. His smile gave it away but he indicated he was unsure. A WorSharks fan who was sitting right behind Anderson, and who asked not to be identified, says the puck clearly beat Anderson and went through the net. A rarity indeed, but apparently what happened.

It’s been said numerous times by WorSharks head coach Roy Sommer that this team will only go as far as goaltender Grosenick can carry them. Right now Grosenick is carrying them to the basement of the AHL and he knows it. “I feel terrible,” Grosenick said to Bill Ballou of the Worcester Telegram. “Every player on our team deserved to win this game except for me. Even with a D-minus performance from me, we would have won, and I didn’t do that. There’s no hiding from it — I haven’t been myself lately, and this is as bad as it gets. It’s rock bottom. I’ve got to look inside myself and find a way to turn it around.” Grosenick made just 10 saves on 14 shots against Friday after going oh-for-two early in the first, being pulled, and then going back in to start the second period. It continued in the shootout where he looked like a practice goalie allowing two goals on three attempts.

Readers will notice there was no write-up for Sundays scheduled game for Worcester in Bridgeport. That’s because the game was postponed when the home team Sound Tigers were unable to make it back to Connecticut from Norfolk due to, they claim, their bus breaking down. Ballou has the specifics with Game postponed, but Sharks don’t believe Sound Tigers’ story that was published Sunday, and so far the AHL has been silent on the issue as to any investigation of the issue. It’s pretty clear Bridgeport didn’t want to play the game and made sure it wasn’t played, so now it’s up to AHL president Dave Andrews to make sure this situation is set right, which in this writer’s opinion means the Sound Tigers should be forced to forfeit the game.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 28 Jeremy Langlois (2g,a)
2. MCH – 22 Brian O’Neill (g,a)
3. WOR – 11 Bryan Lerg (g,a)

The Sharkspage player of the game is Nick Jones.

BOX SCORE

Manchester 2 1 1 0 – 5
Worcester 2 0 2 0 – 4

1st Period-1, Worcester, Lerg 3 (Langlois, Jones), 0:15. 2, Manchester, Shore 16 (O’Neill, Mersch), 0:50. 3, Manchester, Miller 7 (Gravel, Van der Gulik), 1:32. 4, Worcester, Langlois 6 (Fedun, Taormina), 11:08 (PP). Penalties-Horvat Mch (tripping), 2:15; Weal Mch (roughing), 5:07; Hanson Wor (roughing), 5:07; Dowd Mch (slashing), 10:55; Fedun Wor (interference), 14:55.

2nd Period-5, Manchester, Ebert 2 (Crescenzi, Horvat), 7:34. Penalties-O’Neill Mch (slashing), 9:31; Burish Wor (closing hand on puck), 12:55; Auger Mch (high-sticking), 15:37.

3rd Period-6, Worcester, Langlois 7 (Lerg), 4:53. 7, Worcester, Burish 3 (Hanson, Carpenter), 8:16. 8, Manchester, O’Neill 10 (Shore, Miller), 19:21. Penalties-Carpenter Wor (double minor – high-sticking), 13:08; Miller Mch (interference), 14:36.

OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Miller Mch (high-sticking, unsportsmanlike conduct), 6:00.

Shootout – Manchester 2 (Crescenzi G, O’Brien NG, Shore G), Worcester 1 (Lerg G, Trupp NG, Hamilton NG).
Shots on Goal-Manchester 8-6-5-1-1-21. Worcester 9-13-7-8-0-37.
Power Play Opportunities-Manchester 0 / 4; Worcester 1 / 5.
Goalies-Manchester, Berube 16-4-1 (37 shots-33 saves). Worcester, Grosenick 7-5-1 (14 shots-10 saves); Anderson 3-6-0 (6 shots-6 saves).
A-3,346
Referees-Mark Lemelin (41).
Linesmen-Todd Whittemore (70), Alex Stagnone (7).

Even strength lines
Tarasov/Oleksuk/Hamilton
Hanson/Burish/Carpenter
Lerg/Trupp/Langlois
Bonneau/(multiple)/Coetzee

Abeltshauser/DeMelo
Young/Fedun
Taormina/Jones
Blazek played sparingly with DeMelo