SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks Special Teams Not So Special In 3-2 Loss

The Worcester Sharks twice over came one goal deficits but in the end their rag tag line-up again couldn’t get the job done in a 3-2 loss to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Friday afternoon at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut in front of 3,701 fans. The loss gives the Sound Tigers the sweep of their home and home series with Worcester and drops the WorSharks to fifth place in the AHL’s Atlantic division.

When teams are struggling bounces tend to not go their way, and that proved true again for Worcester early in the first period while on the penalty kill when Andrew Desjardins broke out of the WorSharks zone and fed a wide open Kevin Henderson in the right wing circle. Henderson’s one timer beat Bridgeport goaltender Kevin Poulin clean, but found the iron to the short side and bounced away harmlessly. That bounce would come back to haunt Worcester as Bridgeport would grab a goal on their next power play chance.

With Steven Zalewski in the box for holding, Sound Tigers defenseman Mark Katic fired a hard shot into a scrum of player in front of WorSharks goaltender Alex Stalock. The shot hit Bridgeport center Jeremy Colliton at the top of the crease and deflected into the net to the blocker side for the 1-0 Sound Tigers lead at 8:43. Worcester had a couple of good chances in the stanza but for the most part the Sound Tigers owned the ice in the opening stanza. But it wouldn’t be very long into the second period when the WorSharks took advantage of a Bridgeport turnover.

As the Sound Tigers began a break out of then own zone a little miscommunication between the Bridgeport defense allowed Jonathan Cheechoo to grab a loose puck and break in on Poulin. The rookie netminder never stood a chance against the former Rocket Richard award winner as Cheechoo’s deke and hard wrist shot under the crossbar knotted the game at 1:04 of the middle period. Each team would have a couple of good chances to take the lead, but both Stalock and Poulin were there to keep they teams even.

Special teams has been an issue for Worcester as of late, and after not getting a good scoring chance on an early third period power play attempt they’d be forced to go on the penalty kill when James Marcou was called for a brainless boarding minor. Their inability to score with the man advantage and having a struggling penalty kill would come back to bite them in the backsides when Sound Tigers defenseman Mark Wotton fired a blast on net with Colliton screening Stalock. This time, however, the puck never made it to Colliton and instead deflected off the shaft of Desjardins’ stick and into the net at 6:00 of the third period.

Justin Braun, fresh off his return from San Jose, proved the adage that if you put the puck on net enough times eventually something good will happen. Luckily for Worcester that good thing happened 29 seconds after Bridgeport took the lead. Skating down the right wing side with the puck and no option better for him, Braun fired the puck on net where Cory Quick was fighting for position. Despite being knocked to the ice Quirk was able to get a stick on Braun’s shot and deflect it into the net to knot the game 2-2.

But defense in the third period has been an issue for Worcester all season, and Bridgeport took advantage of the WorSharks running around in their own end when Colliton threw a cross ice pass from the right wing corner to defenseman Dustin Friesen streaking toward the net. Friesen fought off Dan DaSilva’s check and knocked the puck into the net for the 3-2 lead at 9:23. the Sound Tigers would clamp down defensively, allowing mostly bad angle shots on Poulin and clearing away any rebounds preventing any return chances. The WorSharks would pull Stalock with about 80 seconds to go in the contest but couldn’t get set up in the Bridgeport zone and didn’t get a shot on goal with the extra attacker.

The WorSharks have now gone 132:38 without holding a lead.

GAME NOTES
The WorSharks dressed eight natural defenseman, with Joe Loprieno playing full time at right wing and Sean Sullivan seeing some duty at left wing on the fourth line along with taking a regular shift at defense. Scratches for Worcester were Tony Lucia (concussion), Cam MacIntyre (groin), Erick Lizon (healthy) and Frazer McLaren (hip). This writer will refrain from asking the obvious question as to why a team would dress eight defenseman and healthy scratch a forward. carter Hutton was the back-up netminder, and the way things are going it won’t be shocking to see him taking shifts at forward soon too.

Worcester’s special teams, which started the season near the top of the league, have become a real issue. Worcester is scoreless in its last 24 chances with the man advantage, but that number isn’t even that good as their last power play goal shouldn’t have counted as video showed it entered the net after the green light was on, so in theory they’re really scoreless in their last 27 chances. The penalty kill hasn’t been much better, allowing 11 goals in 38 times shorthanded. Unless their special teams get back on track it will be a pretty sure bet the WorSharks will be on the outside looking in when the playoffs start in April.

A few basically meaningless stats: The loss dropped the WorSharks to 5-6-0 all-time in games started before 2:05pm, and 2-1 against Bridgeport in those contests. Worcester has been outscored 33-30 in the 11 games. The loss also broke a two game winning streak in early afternoon games; Worcester had swept Providence earlier this season during Halloween weekend. The loss evened Worcester’s record in New year’s Eve games to 2-2. The WorSharks ended the 2010 calendar with a 45-25-10 record, their best ever.

The three stars of the game were
1. BRI – 13 Dustin Friesen (gwg,a)
2. BRI – 21 Jeremy Colliton (g,a)
3. WOR – 14 Jonathan Cheechoo (g,+2)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Justin Braun.

Even Strength Lines
Zalewski/Quirk/Cheechoo
Trevelyan/Del Monte/Marcou
Henderson/Desjardins/DaSilva
Sullivan(others)/Marshall/Loprieno

Moore/Schaus
Petrecki/Sullivan
Leach/Braun
Irwin

BOXSCORE
Worcester 0 1 1 – 2
Bridgeport 1 0 2 – 3

1st Period-1, Bridgeport, Colliton 8 (Katic, Motherwell), 8:43 (PP). Penalties-Marshall Wor (hooking), 3:48; Zalewski Wor (holding), 8:00; Petrecki Wor (fighting), 10:05; Haley Bri (fighting), 10:05; Moore Wor (fighting), 17:56; Labelle Bri (fighting), 17:56.

2nd Period-2, Worcester, Cheechoo 13   1:04. Penalties-Labelle Bri (roughing), 4:08; Klementyev Bri (cross-checking), 5:38; Del Monte Wor (tripping), 11:07; Colliton Bri (boarding), 14:21; Marshall Wor (hooking), 16:44.

3rd Period-3, Bridgeport, Wotton 2 (Rakhshani, Friesen), 6:00 (PP). 4, Worcester, Quirk 2 (Braun), 6:29. 5, Bridgeport, Friesen 1 (Colliton, Rakhshani), 9:23. Penalties-Svendsen Bri (tripping), 2:05; Marcou Wor (boarding), 4:17; Marshall Wor (interference), 6:47.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 8-16-9-33. Bridgeport 10-7-10-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0/4; Bridgeport 2/6.
Goalies-Worcester, Stalock 14-13-2 (27 shots-24 saves). Bridgeport, Poulin 10-4-0 (33 shots-31 saves).
A-3,701
Referees-Ian Croft (87), Francis Charron (46). Linesmen-David Spannaus (8), Brent Colby (7).