SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks still having problems scoring in 3-2 OT loss to Manchester

The Worcester Sharks threw away a pretty good effort by netminder Harri Sateri by giving up two shorthanded goals and failing to convert on another two man advantage in dropping a 3-2 overtime contest to the Manchester Monarchs Friday night at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire in front of an announced crowd of 6,192.

After Saturday’s nights fight filled contest fans were feeling it wouldn’t take long for tempers to flare again, and it certainly didn’t as the teams got together during warm-ups after Monarchs enforcer Justin Johnson bumped WorSharks tough guy Jimmy Bonneau at center ice. All 40 players on the sheet pushed and shoved at center ice, but within a minute or so cooler heads prevailed and the rest of warm-ups passed without incident. It took just 2:46 for Johnson and Bonneau to get together officially in a heavyweight bout that had no clear winner.

The teams would be scoreless in the opening 20 minutes but it certainly wasn’t due to a lack of chances. The WorSharks best bid came early in the first after a Nick Petrecki/Jordan Nolan scrum in the Worcester zone earned the Monarchs a power play. Mike Connolly had a multi-zone breakaway, but Manchester goaltender Martin Jones was just able to get his right pad on Connolly’s backhander and no Worcester player was following to poke the loose puck into the net. The Monarchs had two great chances in the period, but Justin Azevedo missed a yawning net from just in front and Sateri made a great blocker save on David Meckler’s bid in the closing seconds.

Early in the second period a string of alternating minors on the teams gave the WorSharks a rare four on three power play, and Worcester capitalized when Matt Irwin took a Sena Acolatse feed and blasted a shot from the high slot just under the crossbar to beat Jones at 5:05. Benn Ferriero had the second assist on the tally. The WorSharks would have two more great chances in the period to extend their lead, but another failed five on three chance where they passed around the puck far too much and a great save by Jones on a John McCarthy shorthanded bid kept the score 1-0.

Everyone knows the unwritten rule about not giving up goals in the last minute of a period, but the WorSharks one upped that by giving up a last minute goal while shorthanded when Nolan collected a Meckler drop pass at the circle to the left of Sateri and beating the netminder to the blocker side at 19:36. Manchester carried that momentum into the third period but couldn’t convert as their best chance, a Ray Kaunisto’s blast from the circle to the left of Sateri, rang off the far post about four and a half minutes into the period. The play looked offside, but the linesman was on the far side and screened by a pile of players.

The WorSharks grabbed the lead back at 5:56 on another blast by Irwin from the high slot. Brandon Mashinter had a chance down low but couldn’t jam the puck home, so the winger wheeled the net and threw a pass out to Irwin. Mashinter then headed to the front of the net where Irwin’s blast deflected off him and past Jones. Tony Lucia grabbed the second assist.

Nolan would again tie the game for Manchester, and again it was a shorthanded goal. As the WorSharks power play was struggling to set up in the Monarchs zone Nolan stole the puck from McCarthy and headed up ice, blasting a shot through the five hole from the left circle at 10:10. The Monarchs had all the great chances after that, with Azevedo ringing one off the post in a power play bid and Marc-Andre Cliche having a goal stolen from him on an incredible pad save by Sateri. Irwin also got into the act by saving a goal when he swept a loose puck off the goal line after Mecker’s shot rang off the near post and headed across the crease. Manchester would eventually get the game winner when some tic-tac-toe passing gave Andrew Campbell an open shooting lane into an open net at 3:44 of overtime.

GAME NOTES
Scratches for Worcester were Ryan Del Monte (thigh), Ben Guite (foot), Brodie Reid (healthy), Nathan Moon (healthy), Mike Moore (head), and Brodie Reid (healthy). Tyson Sexsmith was the back-up netminder. It looks like Sean Sullivan may be added to the injury list after not playing in the third period While no specific information was given about his injury word is he’s just “day to day”.

Worcester went 7-7 on the penalty kill but their power play was far less successful in allowing the first two shorthanded goals against this season, failing to get a good scoring chance with a two man advantage for the second time this season, and connecting on just one of eight power play chances.

The streaking WorSharks are Matt Irwin with a two game goal streak; Benn Ferriero with a three game point steak (g,3a); Sena Acolatse has a two game streak (g,2a).

The life of a blogger: After Matt Irwin’s 6th power play goal of the season–in just 13 games–I dug through some notes to see who had the most in a season for a defenseman in a season for Worcester. It’s nine by Garret Stafford in 2006-07, and I jotted that down in my game notes to add to this posting. Seconds later Worcester broadcaster Eric Lindquist mentions the information and indicates it came from T&G beat reporter Bill Ballou. So I go back through the notes and see Derek Joslin is the all time leader with 16 power play goals. Ballou, being the completest he is, mentions both records in his notes column this morning. Foiled again.

The three stars of the game were
1. MCH – Nolan (2shg,a+3)
2. MCH – Campbell (gwg)
3. WOR – Matt Irwin (g,a)

The Sharkspage player of the game is Matt Irwin.

BOXSCORE

Worcester 0 1 1 0 – 2
Manchester 0 1 1 1 – 3

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Bonneau Wor (fighting), 2:46; Johnson Mch (fighting), 2:46; Petrecki Wor (roughing), 6:40; Wingels Wor (roughing), 6:40; Nolan Mch (roughing), 6:40; Campbell Mch (cross-checking), 9:17; Petrecki Wor (slashing), 16:15; Ferriero Wor (slashing), 19:45.

2nd Period-1, Worcester, Irwin 6 (Acolatse, Ferriero), 5:03 (PP). 2, Manchester, Nolan 3 (Meckler, Kolomatis), 19:36 (SH). Penalties-Johnson Mch (high-sticking), 3:35; Connolly Wor (hooking), 3:45; Mullen Mch (tripping), 4:23; Doherty Wor (high-sticking), 6:29; Muzzin Mch (interference), 9:45; served by Kaunisto Mch (bench minor – unsportsmanlike conduct), 10:11; Wingels Wor (goaltender interference), 12:26; McLaren Wor (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:07; served by Azevedo Mch (bench minor – too many men), 17:48.

3rd Period-3, Worcester, Mashinter 2 (Irwin, Lucia), 5:55. 4, Manchester, Nolan 4 10:10 (SH). Penalties-Deslauriers Mch (roughing), 9:06; Pelech Wor (elbowing), 14:32.

OT Period-5, Manchester, Campbell 1 (Muzzin, Nolan), 3:44. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Worcester 11-13-9-3-36. Manchester 13-8-11-3-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 1 / 8; Manchester 0 / 7.
Goalies-Worcester, Sateri 3-3-0 (35 shots-32 saves). Manchester, Jones 5-7-0 (36 shots-34 saves).
A-6,192
Referees-Mark Lemelin (41).
Linesmen-Joe Andrews (32), Jeremy Lovett (78).