SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks Power Themselves To Victory Over Manchester, 3-2

The Worcester Sharks scored three power play goals and got a solid goaltending performance from Alex Stalock in route to a 3-2 win over the Manchester Monarchs Saturday night at the DCU center in Worcester, Massachusetts in front of 3,419 fans. The two teams meet again Friday night in Manchester to complete the divisional home-and-home series.

After a scoreless opening period that saw the WorSharks out shoot Manchester 12-8, Worcester would jump out to a 2-0 lead with a couple of early second period power play goals. The first came at 2:55 after James Marcou threw a nifty backhand pass from behind the goal line to Jonathan Cheechoo standing at the top of the crease. The Monarchs learned the hard way you can’t leave a former Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy winner standing all alone in front of the net when Cheechoo banged the puck past Manchester netminder Jeff Zatkoff for the 1-0 lead. Sean Sullivan’s wide blast on net that was gathered in by Marcou earned him the second assist on the goal.

Brandon Mashinter had the second goal for Worcester when his booming one-timer beat Zatkoff at 4:50. After the WorSharks cycled the puck around the Monarchs zone Steven Zalewski found himself at the left wing half boards with a wide open passing lane to Mashinter, and he threw a perfect pass that Mashinter just crushed on net. Dan DaSilva was credited with the second assist on the goal.

But Worcester has had trouble holding leads this season, and unfortunately for Team Teal that happened again Saturday as Manchester was able to escape the period tied 2-2. Their first goal came at 8:02 on a breakaway chance by Ray Kaunisto after a missed open ice check at the WorSharks blue line sent him in all alone on Stalock. Monarchs defenseman Jake Muzzin carried the puck through the neutral zone and to the blue line when WorSharks defenseman Mike Moore saw an opening and attempted to throw a huge open ice hit on Muzzin. Moore effectively missed and ended up blocking Nick Petrecki from grabbing the loose puck. Kaunisto was there to grab it and after Stalock bit on his deke he skated around the downed netminder and threw a backhand into the yawning net.

Oscar Moller would get the tying goal after deflecting a Dwight King shot past Stalock at 14:41. Stalock immediately jumped to his feet to complain to referee Tim Mayer that Moller had interfered with his attempt to make the save on King’s shot, but Referee Mayer was not swayed by the goaltender’s argument.

The WorSharks would grab the game winner with six minutes remaining in the contest after a couple of players had cycled out of position. With center Zalewski at the point and defenseman Sullivan deep in the Manchester zone, Mike Moore fed Zalewski a pass along the blue line. Zatkoff made a pad save on Zalewski’s shot that looked to be going wide, and the puck bounced right to Sullivan. Sullivan held the puck as he moved toward the back of the net, and as Zatkoff scrambled to get back to the post Sullivan banked the puck off the netminder and into the net.

Worcester then had to hold on for dear life in the final 2:16 of the game after Andrew Desjardins was sent off for a very questionable kneeing minor, but Stalock and the WorSharks penalty killers kept Manchester from scoring. And after Desjardins won a last season face-off Worcester could add two to the points column.

GAME NOTES
Worcester’s healthy scratch was Joe Loprieno. Cam MacIntyre and Tony Lucia remain on the WorSharks injury list. Carter Hutton was the back-up netminder.

Twice in the contest WorSharks head coach Roy Sommer sent out his fourth line after Manchester had iced the puck, and the second time it directly lead to a Manchester goal. One has to wonder why he would not automatically put his best available line on the ice to take advantage of the Monarchs not being able to change lines.

It was another pretty good weekend for Nick Petrecki. The former first round draft pick played very physical but was smart about it, and twice Saturday night he was ready to go with Monarchs forward Jordan Nolan and Nolan wanted no part of him. He still needs to work a little with the puck, but the last couple of weeks he’s been far better than he had been. Petrecki did have a spurt like this last season and then it all fell apart, but this has a different look to it than last season and it really appears like he’s turned a corner since his record setting (-5) in Norfolk in October 16.

Referee Tim Mayer worked his first Worcester game Saturday night, and had a couple of head scratching calls. Cory Quirk’s hooking minor in the first was an odd call as Quirk had just pushed a loose puck to a line mate after fighting off a Manchester defenseman, and Andrew Desjardins kneeing penalty looked like a legal stick check that resulted in both players colliding with each other. Referee Mayer did get one odd play ruled correctly after rookie Tommy Wingles was called for tripping. You don’t see too many penalties for a forward tripping a goaltender, but that’s exactly what Wingles did to Manchester netminder Jeff Zatkoff behind the Monarchs net. There was no room to argue the call as Wingles’ stick got caught in Zatkoff’s skate.

WorSharks wore their 5th anniversary jerseys, which are San Jose’s road jerseys with Worcester’s anniversary “V” logo on them, and are this writer’s vote for the best Worcester jersey to date. The WorSharks should look into keeping the teal jerseys as their road jerseys next season.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 37 Sean Sullivan (gwg,a)
2. MCH – 24 Ray Kaunisto (g,a)
3. WOR – 15 Steven Zalewski (2a)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Alex Stalock.

Even strength lines
Trevelyan/Zalewski/Cheechoo
Henderson/Desjardins/DaSilva
Mashinter/Wingles/Marcou
(everyone)/Quirk/Hunt

Moore/Schaus
Braun/Leach
Petrecki/Sullivan
Irwin/(everyone)

Penalty Kill Lines
Desjardins/Henderson
Quirk/Hunt
Wingles was a 5th penalty killer, teaming with all four others at points in the game.

Moore/Schaus
Braun/Leach

Power Play Lines
Trevelyan/Cheechoo/Marcou
Mashinter/Zalewski/DaSilva

Braun/Sullivan
Moore/Schaus(Irwin)

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

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Wingels Wor (tripping), 4:25; Quirk Wor (hooking), 14:26.

2nd Period-1, Worcester, Cheechoo 5 (Marcou, Sullivan), 2:55 (PP). 2, Worcester, Mashinter 4 (Zalewski, DaSilva), 4:50 (PP). 3, Manchester, Kaunisto 2 (Muzzin), 8:02. 4, Manchester, Moller 1 (King, Kaunisto), 14:41. Penalties-Muzzin Mch (interference), 2:17; Kaunisto Mch (elbowing), 3:32; Nolan Mch (roughing, roughing), 4:56; DaSilva Wor (roughing, roughing), 4:56; Mashinter Wor (slashing), 8:59; Zeiler Mch (boarding), 17:29; Irwin Wor (hooking), 19:48.

3rd Period-5, Worcester, Sullivan 2 (Zalewski, Moore), 14:00 (PP). Penalties-Moller Mch (hooking), 0:39; King Mch (boarding), 12:22; Desjardins Wor (kneeing), 17:44.

Shots on Goal-Manchester 8-6-6-20. Worcester 12-3-13-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Manchester 0/5; Worcester 3/5.
Goalies-Manchester, Zatkoff 4-4-1 (28 shots-25 saves). Worcester, Stalock 4-4-1 (20 shots-18 saves).
A-3,419
Referee-Tim Mayer (19). Linesmen-Brian MacDonald (72), Joe Ross (92).