Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Niclas Wallin and 5th round draft pick traded to San Jose for 2010 2nd, NHL Olympic trade freeze looms February 12-28th

CAROLINA HURRICANES DEFENSEMAN #7 NICLAS WALLIN (47GP, 0G, 5A, 26PIM)

UPDATE: According to the News Observer blog, Hurricanes defenseman Niclas Wallin was traded to the Sharks along with a 5th round draft selection in 2010 for the San Jose Sharks 2nd round draft pick in 2010 (acquired from Buffalo). Confirmed via San Jose Sharks official twitter account.

"Niclas is a playoff-hardened, veteran player with lots of postseason experience and a Stanley Cup ring. Good, solid character players are hard to come by and we think he will complement our existing group very well. He has a history of playing his best when the games mean the most," San Jose Sharks EVP and general manager Doug Wilson told NHL.com.

After trade talks were recent rumored to be called off, reports were surfacing earlier today that San Jose Sharks EVP/GM Doug Wilson was still interested in trading for the services of 34-year old Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Niclas Wallin. San Jose Mercury News beat writer David Pollak noted on his blog last night after a 4-3 win over Nashville that the Sharks were still interested in Wallin. "Those conversations that would bring Niclas Wallin from Carolina to San Jose are back on again, according to a source familiar with the situation," Pollak said.

After TSN's James Duthie and Darren Dreger broke the news via twitter Wednesday night that the Sharks were interested in Wallin, trade talks apparently broke down with multiple sources in Carolina reporting Friday that the pending trade was "no longer pending". Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford told Chip Alexander of the News Observer that, "There is no trade." According to Alexander, the apparent 24-hour window for the trade fell through when Wallin did not waive his no-trade clause. Wallin was scratched in a 4-3 win over Buffalo on Friday, and in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Islanders.

Bob Harwood Waeghe at the Canes Country blog noted Thursday that the sticking point in the talks might be the length of the contract extension San Jose is willing to sign. Canes Country cited a radio interview with Hurricanes radio play-by-play announcer Chuck Kaiton, where Kaiton believed the Sharks wanted to sign the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Wallin to a 2-year deal where the defenseman and his agent Paul Theofanous only wanted 1. Kaiton believed a good return for Wallin would be a second round draft pick (in a good, but not great draft).

ESPN insider Pierre LeBrun blogged today that, "Wallin has a no-trade clause, and it's believed he was seeking a contract extension to waive it." The Swedish-born Wallin is playing in the final year of a four-year, $6.9 million contract he signed with the Hurricanes in 2006.

For their part, the Sharks put up results earning 11 out of a possible 12 points in Boyle's 6-game absence due to a lower body injury, but scrambly losses to Chicago and Detroit highlighted possible weaknesses on the blueline. Minute eating defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic was also injured in the first period against Chicago, and the Sharks were forced to mix up all three D pairs with the addition of Worcester Sharks callups Jason Demers and Derek Joslin. Rookie Demers put forth his worst performance in the NHL to date against Chicago, with mistakes directly and indirectly leading to Blackhawks goals and scoring chances. He rebounded with his first 2 goal performance of the season against Minnesota, but management in San Jose has to be eyeing Demers with a focus on the postseason.

The Sharks were blessed with a puck moving element on each defensive pair last season (Boyle, Blake/Vlasic, Ehrhoff), and the result was 4 defenseman registering 30 or more assists for only the 4th time in NHL history. The Sharks needed to clear salary for Dany Heatley, and a significant portion of the blueline was turned over with the loss of Ehrhoff, Lukowich and Semenov. San Jose moved hulking Douglas Murray up to the top pair with Dan Boyle with great results, but Rob Blake and Marc-Edouard Vlasic have struggled to maintain their production from last season on the second pairing. Kent Huskins, who signed a 2-year, $3.4 million dollar contract with San Jose in the offseason, started on the third pair with rookie offensive-defenseman Jason Demers.

Demers registered a goal and 12 assists in his first two months of play, but a lack of intensity in his own zone and inconsistent play have been problems. Derek Joslin, whom this blog labeled a polished depth defenseman in the past, has taken a half a step back in his development this season. A fleet of foot skater with adequate size, positioning and defensive zone coverage have been problems for Joslin as well. Enter veteran defenseman Jay Leach, who was claimed off waivers from Montreal on December 1st. With Montreal responsible for half of his $475,000 cap hit, Leach quickly developed chemistry on the third pairing with Huskins.

The Sharks are tight against the NHL's $56.8 million cap for 2009-10, with a pair of websites placing them with roughly a million plus in space (prorated for season in progress). Not taken into account by either website are San Jose's near daily transaction wire manipulations. According to an excellent article by David Pollak, on January 16th the Sharks registered 76 seperate transactions, "three times the league average and 28 more than the next busiest team." The Sharks made 9 more transactions from January 16th to February 1st. San Jose has rotated in AHL forwards Frazer McLaren, Benn Ferriero, Ryan Vesce, Logan Couture, John McCarthy, Steve Zalewski and defenseman Jason Demers, Derek Joslin and Joe Callahan to make incremental improvements on the bottom line and provide enough cap room for a deadline trade or an emergency maneuver.

The acquisition of Niclas Wallin helps the Sharks blueline short and long term. In the near term, Wallin can buttress the defense in Marc-Edouard Vlasic's absence. Down the stretch run and in the postseason, Wallin could create a 3-person battle for playing time on the third pair with veterans Kent Huskins and Jay Leach. According to Hockey Forecaster, Wallin is described as a defenseman who "plays a smart game in the defensive zone and makes few mistakes with the puck."

A depth move by San Jose, the Sharks are looking for simple, sound fundamental play from Wallin early. Short chips off the wall and out of the zone, gauging how much time he has to play the puck, use of the body and stick to prevent a clear path to the crease. With the NHL Olympic trade freeze from February 12-28th, that leaves precious little time for GM Doug Wilson and the rest of the NHL to make a move before the March 3rd NHL trade deadline. Whether this is the last, or just the latest, tweak by Wilson remains to be seen.

[Update] San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson ready for annual trade dance - Mark Purdy for the San Jose Mercury News.

[Update2] Wilson Brings Blueliner From CarolinaSharks Add Cup Winning Defenseman - SJsharks.com.

This year is an odd year for the NHL’s annual trade deadline as there is a hiatus during the Olympics and then there are only three days for trades following the break. "It's important to have time to integrate someone into the team," said Wilson. "He understands how to play with good players."

A strong part of the trade is the Sharks were able to acquire a player with Wallin's qualities without having to deplete their roster. "It worked out, we wanted to add to our team and not subtract from it," said Wilson.

[Update3] San Jose Sharks acquire defenseman Niclas Wallin from Carolina Hurricanes - San Jose Mercury News. Pollak noted via his blog that Wallin is expected to be in the lineup tomorrow night when the Sharks visit Toronto.

Dan Boyle returns to lineup, 3-point night by Dany Heatley helps Sharks outlast Nashville 4-3 on the road

#20 EVGENI NABOKOV STONES #19 JASON ARNOTT WITH PIVOTAL SAVE IN 2ND - CSNCA

Dan Boyle returned after missing 6-games with a lower body injury and Dany Heatley registered 2 goals and an assist en route to a sloppy Sharks 4-3 win over Nashville. One day after longtime Predators head coach Barry Trotz called out forward J.P. Dumont's 2-way game and lack of play in front of the net, Dupont responded with 2 goals in the first 2 periods against San Jose. "We win and lose as a team, it's a big loss but we played well," Dupont told Tennessean.com after the game.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Dumont is known as a scoring winger, but in his first 3 seasons after signing with Nashville he has yet to eclipse 30 goals. This season Dupont is on pace to match his lackluster 16 goal total from 2008-09. Early Saturday night at the Sommet Center, Dumont showed excellent coordination kicking a rebound off his skates and burying a point blank shot to open the scoring against the Western Conference leading Sharks. The Sharks answered with 4th-liner Brad Staubitz snapping a 16 game goal scoring drought. On a mixed-and-matched line with Pavelski and Mitchell, Staubitz took a clean faceoff win by Pavelski and drove to the left faceoff circle. After passing back to Huskins on the point, Staubitz drove the net and wedged the rebound of Huskins shot up and over Pekke Rinne to tie the game at 1-1.

Dumont scored his second goal of the game on a power play. About 10 feet farther out in the slot than his first goal, Dumont slid to an open area and buried a 1-timer as Heatley and Thornton scrambled for position on the penalty kill. Nashville was carrying much of the action in the second period, and they ended up outshooting San Jose 38-29 for the game. Factoring in shots that missed the net and blocked shots (CORSI number), that figure was 64-40. Despite allowing 1 power play goal on 3 opportunities against, the Sharks capitalized on 2 of their own 4 power plays, and finished a solid 63% from the faceoff circle (43-25). "They're No. 1 in the league and there's a reason why, they have a lot of experience there and some size. They do a good job in the face-off circle. Faceoffs haven't been a strength for us this year," Barry Trotz said.

The Sharks have a reputation at times of scoring their way out of problems, and Saturday night it was Dany Heatley who would lead that comeback. It would begin with spectacular goaltending by Evgeni Nabokov. After Brad Staubitz took a boarding penalty in the second, Joe Pavelski blocked a point shot on the PK but Patrick Marleau could not clear. Defesneman Shea Weber instantly fed captain Jason Arnott in front of the net to the left of Nabokov. Rob Blake had released up ice thinking Marleau would clear the blue line, so Arnott had an open lane to pass across the goal mouth to an unchecked Patric Hornqvist. Nabokov sealed the right post, forcing Hornqvist to pass back across the crease to Arnott. Jason Arnott fired a shot towards the center of the net, but Nabokov reversed direction and kicked the puck off the goal line with a pivotal skate save.

The Sharks would capitalize on Nabokov's performance minutes later when sniper Dany Heatley scored his 31st goal of the season on the power play. Heatley took a pass on the point from Devin Setoguchi, took 2 strides and wristed a shot that beat Rinne cleanly from 43-feet out. Marleau and 3 Predators provided a screen in front of the 6-foot-5, 206-pound Rinne on the play. After Joel Ward scored on a breakaway to give Nashville their third and final 1-goal lead of the game, goaltender Evgeni Nabokov came up with another explosive pad save to keep the game manageable. Ryane Clowe turned the puck over to Hornqvist in his own zone, creating a 2-on-0 odd man rush for Hornqvist and Arnott in front of the net. Hornqvist tried a hesitation forehand to backhand move, but Nabokov ate his lunch snapping his right pad out to close down the short side.

While the game realistically should have been 5-2 Nashville, it was 3-2 with an opportunity for the Sharks to pull off a patented late game comeback. A 3-on-2 rush for San Jose saw Patrick Marleau snap a shot wide off the end boards. The rebound came directly to Dany Heatley on the opposite side of the crease. Heatley wristed a quick shot, which was deflected off the goal line by a reverse facing Pekka Rinne. Rinne made a backhanded glove save after first trying to locate the puck behind the net, then diving to his left to cover the lower portion of the goal. Defenseman Rob Blake gained position at the top of the paint, then slid a quick backhand under Rinne to tie the game at 3-3.

"They played tight. They have good goaltending, some guys offensively that are quick and can make plays, I thought Nabby made some real huge saves and the right times for us tonight," Dany Heatley said after the game.

Dirk Hoag at ontheforecheck.com notes that after two periods the teams were tied with 22 shots apiece, and that Nabokov's 16 saves on 16 third period Nashville shots was the deciding factor in the game. After withstanding an early Preds barrage, defenseman Dan Hamhuis took a boarding penalty at 11:32. The Team Canada + USA/Russia power play unit was on for the Sharks as 6 Olympians took the ice (Marleau/Heatley/Thornton, Boyle, Pavelski and Nabokov). To say the door was open to win the game would be putting it mildly. Thornton and Marleau used a give-and-go to create room along the half boards. Dany Heatley gained stick and body position on defenseman Francis Bouillon, and he hammered home a hard pass from Patrick Marleau to give the Sharks their first lead of the game at 4-3.

"It wasn't a real good game. Between the second and third we were actually commenting that it felt like a September game, an exhibition game... It was sloppy, with turnovers, it was a little all over the map," San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan told the media. "I thought we settled down in the third, and we were good enough at that point to get the win."

More game notes:

With an undisclosed lower body injury suffered by center Manny Malhotra in the last game against St. Louis, the Sharks dressed 7 defenseman and 11 forwards for Nashville. Defenseman Dan Boyle skated 21 shifts for 19:10 of ice time after returning from a 6-game absence. He registered 2 shots on goal, and 2 blocked shots. Defenseman Kent Huskins played in his 200th NHL game. Jody Shelley dropped the gloves twice with right wing Wade Belak for his 8th and 9th fights of the season according to David Singer of Hockeyfights.com. Tampa Bay center Zenon Konopka and recently traded Brandon Prust (NYR) lead the NHL with 21 total fights. Former Shark Marcel Goc was an injury scratch for Nashville. He is day-to-day with an upper body injury but is expected to return against the Islanders on Tuesday. Goc signed a 1-year, $775,000 contract extension with the Predators last week, and will join current and former San Jose Sharks backup goaltenders Thomas Greiss and Dimitri Pätzold, as well as former Sharks Christian Ehrhoff and Marco Sturm on the roster for Team Germany at the 2010 Olympics.

[Update] San Jose Sharks Coach and Players Comments after the Sharks 4-3 Win over the Nashville Predators - Youtube video by Buddy Oakes.

[Update2] Stop me if you think you've heard this one before, Sharks' fans - Jim Adams for TheUnion.com.

There is a certain snarl in San Jose these days. Excuse the discontent and general air of skepticism. The natives, indeed, are restless, and their wait-and-see attitude through these dog days of hockey's winter would leave the casual fan of the San Jose Sharks wondering if this were a first or last place team.

You see, not even a season full of sellouts, the best record in the Western Conference, the league's leading goal scorer, or the best penalty killing unit in the National Hockey League provides comfort.

Stop, I have heard it before.

Darryl Hunt: Shorthanded WorSharks Drop Game to Providence, 5-3

The Worcester Sharks overcame several mental mistakes early in the game to take a late second period lead, only to lose that lead in the third period while playing half the period shorthanded in a 5-3 loss to the Providence Bruins Saturday night at the DCU Center in front of 6,319 fans.

Worcester defenseman Mike Moore would have the first costly mental error when six seconds into killing Joe Loprieno's interference minor his clearing attempt went into the crowd for an automatic delay of game minor. Providence would connect just nine seconds into their two man advantage when Trent Whitfield fired his own rebound over WorSharks goaltender Alex Stalock's right shoulder and just inside the far post for the 1-0 lead at 7:19 of the first period.

The WorSharks would even the score while skating with a two man advantage of their own early in the second period with Providence's Mikko Lehtonen in the box and referee Jamie Koharski ready to call a delayed minor on the Baby-Bs, allowing for Stalock to get to the bench for an extra attacker. Steven Zalewski threw an easy pass to Benn Ferriero, and Ferriero skated to some open ice and fired a seeing eye wrist shot through traffic that beat Providence netminder Dany Sabourin at 1:21. Danny Groulx had the second assist on the play.

WorSharks rookie defenseman Will Colbert, whose play has been very solid despite his limited duty in the AHL, had the second mental error when he lost control of the puck in the faceoff circle to the left of Stalock. P-Bruins' winger Craig Weller pounced on the loose puck and blasted a laser past Stalock to make it 2-1 at 9:08.

Worcester would again draw even with some hard work around the Providence net. After an initial Sabourin save Brandon Mashinter and TJ Trevelyan would both have whacks at the puck, with Trevelyan finally lighting the lamp at 17:37. Moore would also grab an assist on the tying goal.

It would take the WorSharks just 69 seconds to grab their first lead of the game when Jamie McGinn sent an easy backhand pass from the halfboards to Zalewski in the slot. The second year center skated in a couple of strides and threw a wrist shot to the stick side to beat Sabourin for the 3-2 lead at 18:46 of the second period.

Once the third period started the wheels were kicked off the wagon by referee Koharski, who called the WorSharks for six consecutive minors--mostly all terrible calls--resulting in the WorSharks being forced to play nearly half the pivotal period shorthanded. And because Worcester ranks near the bottom in penalty killing in the American Hockey League it was only a matter of time before Providence broke through.

With John McCarthy off for interference--the only truly legitimate penalty against the WorSharks in the period--Lehtonen connected at 6:05 with a one-timer from the circle to the right of Stalock to get Providence even.

The Baby-Bs would get the game winner at 12:05 when Brad Marchand's blast off a face-off rang off the far post and rolled along the goal line behind Stalock and on to the stick of Whitfield, who buried it for the 4-3 Providence lead.

After Lehtonen's empty net goal at 18:51--a goal scored with Koharski's arm up to call what was surely another phantom minor against Worcester--Groulx apparently had enough of the antics of the referee and lit into Koharski, earning himself a minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. After the final horn Groulx continued to show Koharski all the respect he deserved and earned himself a game misconduct for his efforts.

Worcester gets a quick chance to even the score with a game against Providence this afternoon in a pre-Super Bowl tilt in the Ocean State.

GAME NOTES
The WorSharks went with the same line-up as Friday night, and there were no updates to Worcester's injury list.

There were two fights in the contest, with Brandon Mashinter taking on Lane MacDermid in the first period and Dennis McCauley going with Drew Fata in the second period. Both Mashinter and MacDermid landed some clean shots, but Mashinter's finish with a flurry of several clean shots earned him the win. McCauley and Fata was a total mismatch, with McCauley landing an incredible amount of unanswered shots for the easy victory. Andrew Desjardins and Brad Marchand were in an altercation late in the third period that was everything a fight is without actually being called a fight. Both earned ten minute misconducts for their troubles.

With both goaltenders making great saves on the night, the biggest save on the evening may have been Danny Groulx scooping the puck off the goal line behind Stalock and flipping it harmlessly away in the third period while Worcester was killing Kevin Henderson's two minute minor for throwing a clean open ice check, called "roughing" by referee Jamie Koharski as he apparently forgot the hockey was a contact sport.

An update from last Sunday's Lowell game where a pane of the new glass was shattered during warm-ups. In a brief conversation about some of the building upgrades DCU Center General Manager Sandy Dunn was asked by Sharkspage how much one of those new panes of glass cost. Dunn wasn't specific with an amount, simply saying "it's up there", and then added with a smile "we'd prefer that no more get broken".

In the "why can't we get players like that?" department, last night playing against the ECHL affiliate of the San Jose and WorSharks Sharks Kalamazoo K-Wings former WorSharks forward T.J. Fox had a career night scoring two goals and adding five assists to set a single game scoring record for the Wheeling Nailers in their 10-1 over the K-Wings. Fox is averaging just over a point per game for the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh/Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins.

The three stars of the game were
1. Whitfield (2g)
2. Zalewski (g,a)
3. Marchand (2a)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Brandon Mashinter

Even Strength Lines
McGinn/Zalewski/Ferriero
Mashinter/Quirk(Henderson)/Trevelyan
McCarthy/Desjardins/McCauley
McLaren/Henderson(Quirk)/Helminen

Moore/Groulx
Loprieno/Petrecki
Colbert/Liotti

Penalty Kill Lines
Ferriero/McGinn
Henderson/McLaren
Desjardins/McCarthy

Moore/Groulx
Loprieno/Petrecki

Power Play Lines
McGinn/Zalewski/Trevelyan
Mashinter/Desjardins/McCarthy

Groulx/Ferriero
Moore(Loprieno)/Petrecki

BOXSCORE

Providence 1 1 3 - 5
Worcester 0 3 0 - 3

1st Period-1, Providence, Whitfield 12 (Marchand, Arniel), 7:19 (pp). Penalties-Loprieno Wor (interference), 7:04; Moore Wor (delay of game), 7:10; MacDermid Pro (fighting), 10:27; Mashinter Wor (fighting), 10:27; Moore Wor (delay of game), 12:51.

2nd Period-2, Worcester, Ferriero 15 (Groulx, Zalewski), 1:21 (pp). 3, Providence, Weller 2 9:08. 4, Worcester, Trevelyan 10 (Mashinter, Moore), 17:37. 5, Worcester, Zalewski 18 (McGinn), 18:46. Penalties-Lehtonen Pro (interference), 0:44; Marchand Pro (slashing), 1:21; Fata Pro (fighting), 6:22; McCauley Wor (fighting), 6:22; Bodnarchuk Pro (roughing), 10:33; McGinn Wor (roughing), 10:33; Lehtonen Pro (high-sticking), 12:41.

3rd Period-6, Providence, Lehtonen 15 (Penner, Wozniewski), 6:05 (pp). 7, Providence, Whitfield 13 (Marchand), 12:45. 8, Providence, Lehtonen 16 (Weller), 18:51 (en). Penalties-Loprieno Wor (tripping), 1:31; McCarthy Wor (interference), 5:59; Henderson Wor (roughing), 7:26; Petrecki Wor (slashing), 9:15; Henderson Wor (high-sticking), 13:39; Groulx Wor (unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:51; Marchand Pro (misconduct), 19:25; Desjardins Wor (misconduct), 19:25; Groulx Wor (game misconduct), 20:00.

Shots on Goal
Providence 12-5-10-27
Worcester 4-17-11-32.

Power Play Opportunities
Providence 2 of 9
Worcester 1 of 3.

Goalies
Providence, Sabourin 20-17-0 (32 shots-29 saves)
Worcester, Stalock 27-12-1 (26 shots-22 saves).

A-6,319. Referee-Jamie Koharski (84). Linesmen-Ed Boyle (81), Chris Millea (33).

Darryl Hunt: Sexsmith, WorSharks Shutout Devils, 3-0

The Worcester Sharks used great team defense to help rookie goaltender Tyson Sexsmith to his first professional shutout in defeating the Lowell Devils 3-0 Friday night at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts in front of 3,012 fans. The win, coupled with the Manchester Monarchs loss, put the WorSharks in first place in the Atlantic division with three games in hand.

With Lowell's Olivier Magnan serving the second of a two game suspension for boarding Logan Couture Sunday afternoon, all thoughts were on the WorSharks looking to possibly settle the score. And Worcester showed exactly how they were going to do that right after the opening faceoff when Dennis McCauley leveled Lowell winger Patrick Davis in the center ice circle with a huge shoulder hit.

Referee Jean Hebert was obviously aware of the potential for the game to get out of hand and laid down the law early, calling McCauley for two borderline minors in the period and Lowell's Cory Murphy for a borderline minor of his own. Once it was clear that Worcester wasn't interested in anything but playing a physical game Hebert went back to his normal style of letting the boys play, and play they did.

Worcester held a 14-4 shots advantage in the scoreless first period by playing very sound hockey in their own end, keeping Lowell from getting any good scoring chances on Sexsmith while not being afraid to break out when the chance presented itself.

The WorSharks would grab the game's first goal at 1:37 of the second period right after Lowell netminder Jeff Frazee had made a couple of nice saves on a Worcester power play that straddled the first intermission. After a clear that put the puck in the Worcester end and a line change McCauley, playing in place of an injured Dan DaSilva, flipped the puck down the right wing boards and chased it into the corner, fighting off a check by Lowell defender Murphy along the end boards. The loose puck bounced to John McCarthy behind the net, and it was an easy bang-bang play to Andrew Desjardins in the slot that lit the lamp for Worcester.

Worcester would continue its great play on both ends of the ice, and nice saves by both Sexsmith and Frazee kept the score 1-0 deep into the third period when Lowell finally pulled Frazee in favor of an extra attacker. Lowell put their best pressure of the game on Worcester with the sixth skater on the ice, but several blocked shots and blasts going wide kept the puck away from Sexsmith. The one save he had to make turned into an assist for the rookie.

After Sexsmith made a nice left pad save Danny Groulx decided to relieve the pressure by icing the puck to give the Worcester defenders a breather. But McCauley had other ideas, and for the second time this season outraced an opponent--this time it was Lowell's Murphy--and after fighting off being checked managed to bang the puck into the wide open net for an empty net tally at 19:01.

All that was left for Worcester was to preserve the shutout, and the WorSharks went into full defensive mode to keep the puck away from Sexsmith. After another flurry in front of the net that resulted in no shots on goal, T.J. Trevelyan flipped a loose puck out of the slot to the left sideboards, where again Danny Groulx sent it the length of the ice to relieve the pressure, only this time the puck slid into the empty net for the 3-0 final.

With the shutout in his 10th professional start, Sexsmith becomes the second quickest to get his first pro shutout in franchise history. Alex Stalock was the quickest, getting his first professional shutout in just his fifth pro game.

GAME NOTES
Worcester's injury list is staring to get a little longer. Dan DaSilva was injured in Wednesday's 8-4 win at Springfield, although neither he nor the WorSharks think this will be a longer term type injury. And as usual, neither would actually say what the injury was. DaSilva joins Logan Couture, Joe Callahan, Ryan Vesce, and Michael Wilson on the injured list. With all of the injures Worcester recalled Matt Jones from Kalamazoo(ECHL), and he was a healthy scratch.

And that injury list may have gotten a little longer as Mike Moore didn't play during the third period Friday night. Moore took on Lowell's Louis Robitaille at 7:32 of the second period, with Moore winning the decision. Moore did play after serving his major, but didn't come out of the locker room for the third period.

With the potential for the game getting out of hand, for the first time in recent memory the referee and linesmen were at the Zamboni entrance watching warm-ups. Linesman Brian MacDonald was the first to venture out to watch, and he was eventually joined by linesman Chris Libett and referee Jean Hebert. Press row was also unusually full while both teams were on the ice, and in another unusual move WCTR Charter TV3, who was televising the game locally, had cameras rolling during warm-ups. It was all for naught as neither team showed any real interest in the other during warm-ups.

After the game as Dennis McCauley was being interviewed by Kevin Shea of WCTR, Frazer McLaren snuck up behind the pair and stuffed a towel full of shaving cream into the face of his teammate. McCauley took it in stride, wondering aloud when he started playing for the New York Yankees.

The three stars of the game were
1. Sexsmith (21 save shutout)
2. Frazee (34 saves)
3. Desjardins (gwg)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Dennis McCauley.

Even Strength Lines
McGinn/Zalewski/Ferriero
Mashinter/Quirk/Trevelyan
McCarthy/Desjardins/McCauley
McLaren/Henderson/Helminen

Moore/Groulx
Loprieno/Petrecki
Colbert/Liotti

Penalty Kill Lines
Ferriero/McGinn
Henderson/McLaren
Desjardins/McCarthy

Moore/Groulx
Loprieno/Petrecki

Power Play Lines
McGinn/Zalewski/Trevelyan
Mashinter/Desjardins/McCarthy

Groulx/Ferriero
Moore(Loprieno)/Petrecki

BOXSCORE

Lowell 0 0 0 - 0
Worcester 0 1 2 - 3

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-McCauley Wor (tripping), 0:43; Murphy Low (hooking), 7:13; McCauley Wor (roughing), 12:52; Corrente Low (hooking), 19:13.

2nd Period-1, Worcester, Desjardins 13 (McCarthy, McCauley), 1:37. Penalties-Robitaille Low (fighting), 7:32; Moore Wor (fighting), 7:32.

3rd Period-2, Worcester, McCauley 7 (Groulx, Sexsmith), 19:01 (en). 3, Worcester, Groulx 8 (Trevelyan), 19:49 (en). Penalties-Petrecki Wor (roughing), 4:57; Taormina Low (slashing), 14:14.

Shots on Goal
Lowell 4-12-5-21
Worcester 14-16-7-37.

Power Play Opportunities
Lowell 0 of 3
Worcester 0 of 3.

Goalies
Lowell, Frazee 12-11-0 (35 shots-34 saves)
Worcester, Sexsmith 4-5-1 (21 shots-21 saves).

A-3,012. Referee-Jean Hebert (87). Linesmen-Brian MacDonald (72), Chris Libett (19).

San Jose Sharks fail tests against Chicago and Detroit, questions remain unanswered until playoffs

#12 PATRICK MARLEAU TRIES TO SHOOT 5-HOLE ON #35 JIMMY HOWARD IN 1ST

RIGHT WING #17 PATRICK EAVES FORCED WIDE OF #20 EVGENI NABOKOV IN 3RD

Notes and critical reactions from recent San Jose losses to Detroit and Chicago will be posted soon. A recap of Detroit's 4-2 win and a photo gallery from the game are available.

Toronto GM Brian Burke pulls trigger on a pair of 'Monster' multi-player deals Sunday, lands defenseman Dion Phaneuf and goaltender J.S. Giguere

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS TRADED G TOSKALA & LW BLAKE FOR G J.S. GIGUERE

PAIR OF MULTI-PLAYER TORONTO TRADES SUNDAY WITH CALGARY AND ANAHEIM

Mired in last place in the Eastern Conference with a league-worst 197 goals allowed, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke pulled the trigger on a pair of multi-player trades Sunday that could shake up both conferences. Burke traded a quartet of starters in forwards Niklas Hagman, Matt Stajan, Jamal Mayers and defenseman Ian White to Calgary for former Calder and Norris Trophy finalist Dion Phaneuf, left wing Fredrik Sjostrom and defensive prospect Keith Aullie.

Burke also appears to have landed the Holy Grail from Anaheim in Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup winning goaltender J.S. Giguere for struggling Vesa Toskala and right wing Jason Blake. On the surface, it is hard not to acknowledge the fact that 57 goals and 39% of the Maple Leafs total offense is gone, according to Globe and Mail beat writer James Mirtle.

Hagman and Stajan are pieces of an offensive puzzle, and Ian White is garnering praise as one of the more underrated defenseman in the NHL, but the Leafs have been struggling mightly to receive even adequate goaltending from the trio of Gustavsson (9-12-8, 3.03GAA, .899SV%), Toskala (7-12-3, 3.66GAA, .874SV%) and MacDonald (1-4-0, 3.20GAA, .892SV%). A phalanx of highly paid defenseman never congealed as a unit, struggled to put up offensive numbers and provided a porous front in their own zone. The back end lacked an identity.

Both Burke, a former GM in Anaheim and Vancouver, and head coach Ron Wilson, a former bench boss in San Jose, have experience with Californian teams who emerged from transition years by rebuilding from the goal out. While GM of Anaheim, Burke was forced to waive Ilya Bryzgalov in favor of J.S. Giguere and Jonas Hiller. In San Jose, Ron Wilson watched as Miikka Kiprusoff and Vesa Toskala were moved out to make room for Evgeni Nabokov to take the reigns. Each situation offered a stability in goal, with the next priority falling on the defensive compliment in front of them.

In one day, Burke was able to add anchors in goal and on the blueline. The offensive numbers were down on the season for Phaneuf (55GP, 10G, 12A) and Bouwmeester (56GP, 2G, 18A) in Calgary, but in Toronto Phaneuf will play an oversized role. No other GM in the league can maximize what Phaneuf will bring to the table, a player about whom this blog once said, "The NHL's hacking and obstruction laws appear to be adjudicated differently for Phaneuf." That came in the regular season, before a bitterly contested playoff series where a Phaneuf hit to the head would later lead off an NHL officiating instructional video trying to crack down on hits to the head.

Phaneuf's $6.5 million cap hit leads a corps teeming with 7 defenseman earning more than $2.9 million a year (including an injured Mike van Ryan, not including a trade demanding Garnet Exelby). In the Globe and Mail roundtable podcast held this week to discuss the trade, it was noted that defenseman Jeff Finger could move up to forward, but it would be a stopgap move. Other notes from the podcast, Phaneuf could line up alongside Tomas Kaberle, Ron Wilson said that Giguere might get a majority of starts down the stretch, and that Finger was the player Toronto tried to send to Anaheim instead of Blake.

Goaltending was the largest problem facing the Leafs, the next largest problem is moving a defenseman prior to the March 3rd NHL trade deadline to add scoring punch to the forward lines. The most recent Yahoo Sports team report for Toronto lists 3 to-be-determined's for tonights game against New Jersey.

Defenseman Tomas Kaberle has famously declined to waive his no-trade clause in the past, but according to ESPN's Pierre Lebrun GM Brian Burke will not ask him to waive it prior to March 3rd. "I'm not going to ask Tomas Kaberle to waive his no-trade. It's not going to happen," Burke told ESPN. Burke directed questions about the defenseman to his agent Rick Curran. For his part, Curran said, "It's actually quite simple, Tomas Kaberle has been a Maple Leaf since the day he was drafted and would prefer to remain in Toronto to help turn things around there, rather than try to win somewhere else."

That appears to be a large 'No' on the most obvious trade candidate for Toronto, but it was an exceptionally diplomatic way for Brian Burke to handle the question. Off-season acquisitions Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin fit into the Burke philosphy, which he espoused en route to a Stanley Cup in Anaheim. He mentioned that he wanted to create an element of fear on the ice for his opponents. Along with Phaneuf, Komisarek and Beauchemin can deliver on that dictate and then some.

The cliche bottom line analysis of each trade, the team that gets the best player wins, would appear to favor Toronto in each move. After locking up Jonas Hiller to a long term deal, the Anaheim Ducks get out of an untenable contract that apparently only the Maple Leafs could absorb. They also get a quality if oft-maligned winger in Jason Blake (56GP, 10G, 16A) to help fill in on an Anaheim second line wracked with injuries. Teemu Selanne just returned from a broken jaw, Joffrey Lupul is out indefinitely after back surgery, and Saku Koivu recently returned from a sprained knee.

Calgary media and fans were in panic mode after a recent 9-game losing streak. Hagman may not be a top-line offensive threat on many top NHL teams, but his work ethic could help a lineup in desperate need for inspiration. Matt Stajan might be an option to center Iginla, and Ian White compliments an already deep blueline that includes Regehr, Bouwmeester and Giordano. In a recent Calgary game in San Jose, CBC highlighted several rushes up ice by Bouwmeester and Phaneuf. While Bouwmeester had his head up, looking for options to make a strong first pass, Phaneuf had his head down, looking to gather the puck while trying to gain speed. Another note of caution for Toronto, Ian White was also singled out as an "unknown solider" yet "key contributor" in the February 1st issue of The Hockey News. Noted for moving the puck up ice with his head up, "You see a small defenseman out there and you think he gets overwhelmed, but he's a lot stronger than he looks and he plays bigger than he is," Toronto head coach Ron Wilson told THN. "It's his quickness that gets him out of danger and really adds to our offense."

The Leafs may have received the best player in each trade, but the departure of Dion Phaneuf and Chris Pronger out of the Western Conference will have a bigger impact than any addition made to date.

[Update] Flames deal Jokinen, Prust to Rangers - Toronto Star.

One day after sending defenceman Dion Phaneuf to Toronto in a seven-player deal, the Flames general manager dealt centre Olli Jokinen to the New York Rangers as part of a four-player trade.

Also heading to Broadway is rugged fourth-liner Brandon Prust. In return, the Flames pick up centre Christopher Higgins and right-winger Ales Kotalik.

[Update2] Komisarek admits season might be over - Globe and Mail.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Mike Komisarek is facing the possibility of having his season come to a premature end, with his immediate future hinging on another meeting with medical personnel Wednesday.

The 28-year-old has been sidelined since Jan. 2 with an undisclosed upper-body injury, which has been widely reported as a shoulder. His spot on the U.S. Olympic team is also hanging in the balance.

[Update3] Numbers Game: Maple Leafs double dealing - Scott Cullen for TSN.

San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan interviewed by Greg Papa on CSNBA's Chronicle Live

Prior to the drop of the puck against Chicago last Thursday, second year San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan sat down with CSNBA's Greg Papa for an extended interview on Chronicle Live. McLellan talked about the differences in the makeup of the Blackhawks and the Sharks, how he planned to match up lines with Marleau-Thornton-Heatley against the top Patrick Kane line, how the 7-2 loss with 3 shorthanded goals against by Chicago earlier in the season was the worst performance of the year, how the Sharks were not the better team in each of the 3 previous SJ-CHI meetings, how Marleau responded to the offseason rumors and that he hopes "Marleau will be a Shark for life", and how the team will run a mini-training camp upon the players return from the Olympics to prepare for the second half of the NHL season among several other topics.

"I would like to think (Team Canada) will start with (Marleau-Thornton-Heatley). I haven't spoke directly to Mike (Babcock) directly about what his plans are, his lines and pairs or anything like that. In fact I probably spend more time talking to (GM) Steve Yzerman than I do Mike. Mike Babcock and his staff are the coaches of that group once they get them, they can use them any way he feels fit. I certainly know he will push their buttons and try to get the most out of them every night. In turn I think our players will respond appropriately. It is one of those situations where I as a coach will get to put my feet up, watch our players play, and not have to worry about the pressure of wins and losses." - Todd McLellan

Demers and Marleau each double up in 5-2 win over Minnesota, teams combine for 6 straight power play goals

SHARKS LW #12 PATRICK MARLEAU STICK CHECKS DEFENSEMAN #8 BRENT BURNS

#21 SCOTT NICHOL FLATTENS MINNESOTA DEFENSEMAN #5 KIM JOHNSSON

SJ DEFENSEMAN #3 DOUGLAS MURRAY CARRIES THE PUCK UP ICE IN THE 3RD

The San Jose Sharks rebounded from an OT loss to Chicago by powering to a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild Saturday night at HP Pavilion. Defenseman Jason Demers and NHL leading goal scorer Patrick Marleau each add a pair of power play goals, and Evgeni Nabokov stopped 36 of 38 shots against to bolster San Jose's position atop the league.

Longtime former Sharks captain Owen Nolan opened the scoring for Minnesota. As center Eric Belanger and former Hab Guillaume Latendresse broke into the offensive zone, Nolan beat Jay Leach to the front of the net and tipped a shot short side. It was the first in a string of 6 straight power play goals by both teams. The Sharks answered with seconds ticking down on the man advantage. Rookie defenseman Jason Demers took a feed from Ryane Clowe on the point and uncorked a rising slapshot that beat Josh Harding up high.

Reigning NHL hit leader Cal Clutterbuck, who would send Jed Ortmeyer cartwheeling over the boards and onto the bench later in the game, added a second power play goal. After leach blocked a shot by Brodziak behind the net, Brunette gathered the rebound and banked a pass of the end boards back to him. Brodziak snapped a hard pass to Clutterback at the top of the crease, and he punched it home for a 2-1 lead. A large contingent of Minnesota Wild season ticket holders who made the trip to San Jose for the game cheered loudly, and in response were boo'd heavily by the partisan San Jose crowd. With several of their own chants, flags and songs, they looked more like a soccer supporter's group.

Backup goaltender Josh Harding has been carrying the load with starging goalie Nicklas Backstrom out, but Harding injured his hip 2 days earlier in a 29 save shutout over the Avalanche (he did not leave the game as late callup Wade Dubielewicz arrived shortly before the drop of the puck). On the long skate to the opposite crease, Harding was heavily favoring his injured side. It was even more noticeable in the brief warmup before the second period. Holding off waves of San Jose Sharks scoring chances would be a difficult proposition healthy, injured and having to fend off 5 more power plays would prove insurmountable.

Wild defenseman Kim Johnsson was checked hard on the penalty kill, and pressured into a pass up center ice. Defenseman Jason Demers held the puck in, took 2 strides to his right to open a shooting lane, and wristed a hard shot by Harding for his second goal of the game. Game tied 2-2. As Harding pushed across the crease to his left, Demers shot across the grain and through traffic to beat him on the opposite side.

Nabokov held off a furious Wild assault in the second period, as Minnesota outshot San Jose 18-12. Captain Mikko Koivu nearly doubled the next highest shot total of the game with 9. Minnesota was caught on a shorthanded line change, Joe Pavelski accelerated uncontested down the left wing and snapped a shot just under the crossbar blocker side. He hopped over a sliding Brent Burns and dropped to one knee to give an Alexander Ovechkin fist pump, one that many Americans hope he can replicate as a member of Team USA in the Olympics.

The Sharks kept pressing, and the Wild kept affording them power plays in the third period. Patrick Marleau scored his first goal of the game at 13:14 on a shot that the radio broadcast thought went off the face of Dany Heatley on the doorstep. Instead it was an errant stick by defenseman Marek Zidlicky that went up high. Marleau's league leading 36th goal of the season was followed just over 2 minutes later by his 37th. Dany Heatley picked the puck of the boards on another power play, and drove down the right wing. Marleu made a b-line down the left side, and a pass through the slot was deflected into the air by the stick of defenseman Zdlicky. Marleau punched home the goal with a baseball swing out of mid-air as the sellout crowd of 17,562 celebrated. "I just hoped for the best. It was just at the right height and I happened to get a stick on it," Marleau told reporters after the game.

A photo gallery from the game is available here, video highlights are available here.

[Update] San Jose Sharks 5, Wild 2; Wild gives up franchise-record four power-play goals - Russo's Rants.

So obviously, like the loss here in October, it's a frustrating defeat because the score looks one-sided and it wasn't. The Wild skated right with San Jose, took 38 shots, had great chances. In fact, this was one of the most exciting hockey games I've covered this year. It was fast, up-and-down, great puck movement, lots of turnovers, which in my opinion, always makes for fun hockey because that leads to a lot of chances.

Just a fun game for the always passionate soldout Sharks faithful, but a painful loss for the Wild because everybody right above the Wild who played tonight won -- Calgary, LA , Phoenix, Nashville. So the Wild fell four points behind now eighth-place Calgary and heads to Dallas, where it hasn't won at in almost seven years.

Darryl Hunt: WorSharks Drop Overtime Game To Lowell 4-3

The Worcester Sharks suffered what appeared to be two losses Sunday afternoon at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, a 4-3 overtime hockey game to the Lowell Devils, and Rookie of the Year candidate and leading scorer Logan Couture to what looked like a left shoulder injury.

Lowell would open the scoring at 2:38 of the first period when Alexander Vasyunov saw WorSharks defenseman Nick Petrecki giving far too much room to Stephen Gionta in front of the Worcester net, and Vasyunov wasted no time in getting the puck to the Devils captain. Worcester goaltender Alex Stalock had no chance, and it was 1-0 Lowell.

The Devils would make it 2-0 with a power play tally at 8:06 of the second period when defenseman Tyler Eckford fired a booming shot from the point beat Stalock cleanly.

Benn Ferriero would get Worcester within a goal at 10:32 of the second just after the WorSharks had killed off a minor to Danny Groulx. While shorthanded and just a handful of seconds left in the penalty, the WorSharks cleared the puck into the Devils zone. Ferriero was offside by five feet or more when the puck was dumped in, but neither linesman made the call and play continued. With Worcester forechecking for several seconds a clearing attempt by Lowell was picked off by Ferriero, who blasted a shot past the blocker of Lowell netminder Jeff Frazee to make it 2-1.

The WorSharks would get the equalizer with a power play tally of their own at 15:58 when Danny Groulx blasted a slap shot from the point that Frazee had come out so far to cut off the angle of that Couture was standing behind. The blast found an opening to light the lamp, with Steven Zalewski and Jamie McGinn getting the assists.

Worcester has gotten into the bad habit of giving up goals late in periods, and they did it again at 19:12 when Brad Mills flipped a lose puck over Stalock to give Lowell a 3-2 lead heading into the second intermission.

Ferriero's second of the game would knot the game at 3-3 at 7:00 of the third period. Steven Zalewski pounced on a loose puck deep in the Lowell zone when Devils defenseman Matthew Corrente fell down and fed Couture at the halfboards, and Couture found Ferriero alone in the slot for the game tying tally.

Worcester was rolling along looking for the potential leading goal when Couture was checked from behind into the boards by the visitors exit by defenseman Olivier Magnan. Couture appeared to injure his left shoulder, and as he left the ice through the visitors exit he was bent over and didn't straighten up as he was led down the tunnel. Referee Ghislain Hebert, in a move that this writer will unapologetically call "gutless", sent Magnan to the box for just a minor.

Couture did not return to the game, and the extent of his injury is unknown.

Lowell center Michael Swift would get the game winner at 1:55 of overtime when Petecki backed off Devils center Ben Walter so far that Walter had an open lane to pass the puck to Swift uncovered in the slot.

GAME NOTES
Worcester scratches were Ryan Vesce, Joe Callahan, Michael Wilson, Cory Quirk and Dennis McCauley. With Wilson being injured Worcester recalled defenseman Louis Liotti from the K-Wings. Tyson Sexsmith was the back-up goaltender.

The start of the game was delayed about 15 minutes due to a broken pane of glass in the Lowell zone. The glass was broken when a shot during warm-ups missed the net, and it's the first broken pane since the boards and glass were replaced over the summer during phase one of the DCU Center's renovation project.

At the end of regulation Worcester's rookie netminder Alex Stalock made a very veteran move that won't appear in the boxscore. After Lowell broke into the WorSharks zone as time was winding down Stalock made a routine glove save, and as the 5,147 fans in attendance were counting down the last few ticks of the period Stalock chose to toss the puck into the empty far corner to keep the clock running instead of giving Lowell a late faceoff deep in the Worcester zone.

Bryan Marchment joined head coach Roy Sommer and assistant head coach David Cunniff behind the Worcester bench.

The three stars of the game were
1. Ferriero (2g)
2. Gionta (g,a)
3. Swift (gwg)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Steven Zalewski.

BOXSCORE

Lowell 1 2 0 1 - 4
Worcester 0 2 1 0 - 3

1st Period-1, Lowell, Gionta 10 (Vasyunov, Taormina), 2:38. Penalties-Corrente Low (instigating, fighting, misconduct - instigating), 11:47; Desjardins Wor (boarding, fighting), 11:47.

2nd Period-2, Lowell, Eckford 8 (Walter, Swift), 8:06 (pp). 3, Worcester, Ferriero 12 10:32. 4, Worcester, Groulx 5 (Zalewski, McGinn), 15:58 (pp). 5, Lowell, Mills 8 (Gionta), 19:12. Penalties-Petrecki Wor (tripping), 1:37; Ferriero Wor (goaltender interference), 7:48; Groulx Wor (delay of game), 8:19; Desjardins Wor (kneeing), 11:17; Davison Low (hooking), 14:25; Eckford Low (high-sticking), 16:56; Davison Low (roughing), 19:12; Ferriero Wor (roughing), 19:12.

3rd Period-6, Worcester, Ferriero 13 (Zalewski, Couture), 7:00. Penalties-Magnan Low (boarding), 13:42; Davison Low (roughing), 15:48; Petrecki Wor (roughing), 15:48.

OT Period-7, Lowell, Swift 12 (Walter, Murphy), 1:55. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal
Lowell 9-9-11-2-31
Worcester 10-9-15-0-34.

Power Play Opportunities
Lowell 1 of 4
Worcester 1 of 3.

Goalies
Lowell, Frazee 12-10-0 (34 shots-31 saves)
Worcester, Stalock 26-11-1 (31 shots-27 saves).

A-5,147. Referee-Ghislain Hebert (49). Linesmen-Todd Whittemore (70), John Costello (24).

Darryl Hunt: WorSharks Survive Late Penalty Shot To Defeat Manitoba 5-3

The Worcester Sharks used goals from five different players and survived a third period onslaught and a late penalty shot to defeat the Manitoba Moose 5-3 on "Guarantee Win Night" Friday night at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The old saying is it's a cardinal sin to give up a goal in the first or last minute of a period, and unfortunately for Worcester they did both during period number one Friday night. The first goal came just 53 seconds into the first period when Guillaume Desbiens and Mario Bliznak broke in against rookie Joe Loprieno, with Loprieno's defensive partner Nick Petrecki no where to be found. The rookie played it decently, but Desbiens was still able to get a pass over to Bliznak who fired it past WorSharks goaltender Alex Stalock for a 1-0 Moose lead.

The second "sin" goal happened with 25 seconds left in the period when Desbiens skated in against four Worcester players down the left side as the Moose were changing lines. Defenseman Michael Wilson played it just about perfectly, forcing Desbiens to stay wide. Desbiens' incredible laser from a bad angle found just a small opening over Stalock's left shoulder and snuck into the far corner to light the lamp.

Worcester would have a goal of their own between they two bookend Moose tallies at 13:21 of the period. Dan DaSilva fed Mike Moore at the point, and Moore's attempted pass to Dwight Helminen at the far post was deflected away by the Moose defense. Brandon Mashinter jumped on the loose puck in the right circle and whistled a backhander past Moose netminder Cory Schneider for the rookie's 14th of the season.

Despite giving up that late first period goal, the young WorSharks squad came out like lightning in the middle stanza, and drew the game even at 1:13 of the second period with some hard work from the fourth line when a wide open Frazer McLaren ripped a wrist shot from the slot past the blocker of Schneider after a nice centering feed from Mashinter.

The WorSharks would have a golden chance to take the lead with 43 seconds of five on three play during the middle of the period, but twice the Moose were able to get control and clear the puck. Worcester's head coach Roy Sommer was clearly upset about his team's inability to even keep the puck in the zone with a two man advantage, kicking the boards behind the bench area in anger. Jamie McGinn would put a smile back on Sommer's face just a handful of seconds later when Worcester was able to convert with just a single man advantage.

With Worcester's power play hardly firing on all cylinders, McGinn fixed the problem when he grabbed a loose puck at the Moose blueline and skated with the puck in the blue paint. He found Benn Ferriero at the right halfboards and played give-and-go with his line mate as he skated into the slot. McGinn's shot whizzed past past the blocker of Schneider for a 3-2 WorSharks lead at 10:42 of the second. Steven Zalewski had the second assist on the goal.

Worcester would get a much needed insurance goal at 15:26 of the third period when a lucky bounce landed right at the feet of John McCarthy. Worcester had just broken into the Manitoba zone on a three on two, and after their scoring chance went wide McCarthy was knocked to the ice just outside the far post. The puck went around to Wilson, whose blast from the left point was deflected away from the net by Moose defenseman Lawrence Nycholat. A great bounce for the WorSharks put the pick right at the feet of McCarthy, who had just regained his skates from being knocked down in the original break in. McCarthy buried the biscuit for the 4-2 lead. Andrew Desjardins notched an assist on the play for his feed to Wilson at the point.

The WorSharks would need that insurance marker as Manitoba would get a goal of their own at 16:52 when Brian Salcido fired a booming slapshot off a clean face-off win past the glove of Stalock to make it 4-3.

The Moose would have their best chance to get the equalizer at 17:22 when referee Ghislain Hebert ruled that Desbiens was hauled down from behind on a breakaway chance by Loprieno, a call that looked "iffy" at best and was argued by alternate captain Moore to no avail. Stalock wouldn't need to come up with a big save as Desbiens fired his chance right into the chest of the rookie netminder.

Worcester would ice the game with a very late empty net goal by Helminen, with assists to Cory Quirk and Danny Groulx, for the 5-3 final.

GAME NOTES
The Worcester shuttle made another stop in the Bay State yesterday, dropping off Logan Couture and picking up Derek Joslin. Jason Demers, who had been reassigned to Worcester, either did not return to Worcester or was turned around at some point in his journey back east. With Joslin being recalled to San Jose the WorSharks recalled defenseman Will Colbert from the K-Wings.

WorSharks scratches were Joe Callahan (neck; out long term), Logan Couture (healthy; didn't arrive until after game time), Dennis McCauley (healthy), Ryan Vesce (groin; officially "day to day") . Tyson Sexsmith was the backup netminder.

There was one fight in the contest, with Andrew Desjardins taking on the Moose's Taylor Ellington. Desjardins gets the knock out victory by landing several unanswered blows that knocked Ellington to the ice.

The WorSharks much maligned penalty kill, ranked 26 out of 29 American Hockey League teams at just 79.3%, killed all 11 Manitoba power plays in the two games this week.

Friday's contest was a "Guaranteed Win" night for Worcester, and had they lost fans would have received a free ticket to next Friday's home game against Lowell. With the win, the WorSharks have chosen to "let it ride" and guaranteed a win next Friday.

During both intermissions the WorSharks held a fundraising contest on the concourse behind press row to raise money for the Haitian relief efforts. WorSharks captain Ryan Vesce sat behind one table and veteran defenseman Joe Callahan sat behind another, each urging fans to donate into the player's bucket to see which player could raise the most funds. Vesce was just able to squeak out a small victory over Callahan as the players raised over $700 in total.

The three stars of the game were
1. Mashinter (g,a)
2. Desbiens (g,a)
3. McCarthy (gwg)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Alex Stalock.

Even Strength Lines
McGinn/Zalewski/Ferriero
Helminen/Quirk/Trevelyan
McCarthy/Desjardins/DaSilva
Mashinter/Henderson/McLaren

Moore/Colbert
Groulx/Wilson
Loprieno/Petrecki

Penalty Kill Lines
McGinn/Ferriero
Desjardins(Helminen)/McCarthy
Henderson/McLaren

Groulx/Moore(Loprieno)
Petrecki/Wilson

Power Play Lines
McGinn/Zalewski/Trevelyan
Mashinter/DaSilva/Helminen

Groulx(Loprieno)/Ferriero
Moore(Groulx)(Mashinter)/Wilson

BOXSCORE

Manitoba 2 0 1 - 3
Worcester 1 2 2 - 5

1st Period-1, Manitoba, Bliznak 6 (Desbiens, Keane), 0:53. 2, Worcester, Mashinter 14 (Moore, DaSilva), 13:21. 3, Manitoba, Desbiens 10 (Keane), 19:35. Penalties-served by Zalewski Wor (bench minor - too many men), 6:27; Grabner Mtb (hooking), 11:08; Moore Wor (interference), 14:33; Trevelyan Wor (high-sticking), 17:01.

2nd Period-4, Worcester, McLaren 2 (Mashinter), 1:13. 5, Worcester, McGinn 6 (Ferriero, Zalewski), 10:42 (pp). Penalties-Trevelyan Wor (tripping), 3:10; Salcido Mtb (slashing), 8:03; Desbiens Mtb (roughing), 9:10; Pettinger Mtb (goaltender interference), 9:10; Groulx Wor (roughing), 9:10; Ellington Mtb (fighting), 17:54; Murray Mtb (roughing), 17:54; Desjardins Wor (goaltender interference, fighting), 17:54; Moore Wor (delay of game), 18:06.

3rd Period-6, Worcester, McCarthy 8 (Wilson, Desjardins), 15:26. 7, Manitoba, Salcido 7 (Galvin, Bliznak), 16:52. 8, Worcester, Helminen 8 (Quirk, Groulx), 19:58 (en). Penalties-No Penalties

Missed Penalty Shot
Desbiens Mtb, 17:22 of 3rd Period (rule 57.3)

Shots on Goal
Manitoba 14-7-11-32
Worcester 13-10-10-33.

Power Play Opportunities
Manitoba 0 of 5
Worcester 1 of 3

Goalies
Manitoba, Schneider 19-14-1 (32 shots-28 saves)
Worcester, Stalock 26-10-1 (32 shots-29 saves).

A-3,717. Referee-Ghislain Hebert (49). Linesmen-Tim Low (68), Todd Whittemore (70).