SHARKSPAGE

Sateri, WorSharks blank Providence 1-0

The Worcester Sharks only scored one goal Friday night against the Providence Bruins, but Harri Sateri made Brandon Mashinter’s third period breakaway tally stand up as the rookie netminder registered his second consecutive shutout with a 1-0 whitewash at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island before 9,682 fans.

In last Saturday’s contest between the two teams it took all of two seconds for the WorSharks consecutive fight streak to continue, so fans had a pretty good idea that not only would it eventually reach 22 games but it would also happen early. Despite Matt Pelech and Jimmy Bonneau both being available to drop the gloves P-Bruins enforcer Bobby Robins chose Nick Petrecki as his dancing partner at 1:48 of the first. Several twitter posts comment on how one sided the battle was, but a quick look at the video shows that while Robins threw more than a handful of punches only one really connected. Petrecki threw a haymaker that missed. Throughout the rest of the game Robins played the role of Providence’s tough guy while hiding behind the linesmen.

The opening twenty minutes saw the WorSharks outshoot the Baby-Bs 11-5, but neither team really sustained any pressure in the other’s zone as the teams skated even strength through the whole period. The chances each team did have were easily turned aside by Sateri and P-Bruins netminder Michael Hutchinson. The second period would see each team get a power play advantage, with Pelech getting called for high sticking on a shift where that was likely the only thing he didn’t do in trying to get anyone in a Providence jersey to drop the gloves with him, and Trent Whitfield being called for a trip that was hardly as egregious as some of the other things let go by referee Ryan Hersey.

The highlight of the period was a late battle between WorSharks captain Mike Moore and Nathan McIver. Moore, who just recently shed full face protection after being hit with a puck and then taking a high stick to the nose area that makes him look like a victim of a slasher movie, answered the bell when challenged by McIver despite having every excuse not to. In the end McIver was probably wishing Moore had begged off as he was absolutely pounded by Moore in a one sided fight that earned Moore a TKO with a big knock down.

Both goalies were again perfect in the stanza with Providence edging Worcester 11-9 in the period.

In scoreless games going into the third period more often than not it’s a lucky bounce that leads to a team lighting the lamp, but Friday it was a heads up play by Nathan Moon that set the wheels in motion. After some pressure by Providence along the walls Matt Irwin picked up a loose puck deep in the WorSharks zone and pushed it forward to Moon to start a break out. Only Moon didn’t rush up ice, he saw Mashinter breaking through the P-Bruins defense and threw an absolutely perfect pass that hit Mashinter in stride just beyond the center face-off dot. Mashinter fired a wrist shot from between the circles that went low blocker on the left handed Hutchinson to light the lamp at 1:16 of the third. Irwin isn’t credited with an assist on the play but he most certainly should be.

Providence picked up the pace trying to get back to even but could only generate a couple serious bids that were turned aside by Sateri. The Baby-Bs would get a gift power play late in the third when Mike Connolly was called for charging, but the team killed the penalty fairly easily. Their forecheck kept Hutchinson in his net for a lot longer than the P-bruins would have liked, but even when he did get off the WorSharks deflected away every challenge. John McCarthy had a chance at the open net from the neutral zone with seconds remaining but his shot rang off the post keeping the score 1-0.

GAME NOTES
The WorSharks went with the same line-up as Sunday’s victory against Portland, with Ben Guite, Cam MacIntyre, Tony Lucia, and Curt Gogol all still on the injured list. Brain O’Hanley was a healthy scratch. Tyson Sexsmith was the back-up netminder. Matt Pelech skated at forward and skated alongside Jimmy Bonneau, making for one of the most physical pairings in WorSharks history. Eventually teams will have to learn to keep their heads up when the fourth line is on the ice.

Presuming he plays Sunday against Syracuse Mike Moore will become the WorSharks all-time leader in games played. With Friday’s game in the books he’s now tied with Lukas Kaspar at 216 games played. Nick Petrecki, who hasn’t been recalled to San Jose yet in his pro career, is second on the active list with 167 games. The record for games played for the Worcester Sharks without ever playing for San Jose is 197 by Patrick Traverse.

Friday was the 1st time in 436 regular season games the WorSharks won a game with a 1-0 score. They have a playoff 1-0 victory, ironically against Providence in the AHL divisional finals on May 9, 2009. It also took those same 436 regular season games for a WorSharks netminder to register back to back shutouts. Sateri’s shutout streak currently stands at 130:12. Worcester has registerd back to back shutouts before, with Carter Hutton blanking Providence–sensing a theme here–on February 5, 2011 and Daren Machesney following suit against Springfield on February 10.

I was happy to see that Jon Landry, the former Holy Cross defenseman that was signed by Worcester last season, had finally gotten another AHL chance with a pro try out with Bridgeport. Unfortunately, that’s not the Jon Landry the Sound Tigers signed. There were two of them in the ECHL, and the Jon Landry Bridgeport signed was the “other” one, who is also a defenseman. The Landry that played for Worcester (and to make it even more confusing, Bridgeport) last season is apparently out of pro hockey.

The WorSharks played the game in their home whites as Providence went with a black third jersey that looks exactly very similar to the Boston Bruins alternate sweater.

Bob Howard over at the The Power Play Post Show has an interview with Jimmy Bonneau. Well worth a listen.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – Sateri (23 save shutout)
2. WOR – Mashinter (gwg)
3. PRO – Robins (not sure why)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Mike Moore.

Even strength lines
Connolly/McCarthy/Combs
Reid/Moon/Mashinter
Bourret/Del Monte/Livingston
Pelech/Viedensky/Bonneau

Moore/Sullivan
Irwin/Acolatse
Petrecki/Doherty

BOXSCORE

Worcester 0 0 1 – 1
Providence 0 0 0 – 0

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Petrecki Wor (fighting), 1:48; Robins Pro (fighting), 1:48.

2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Pelech Wor (high-sticking), 6:02; Whitfield Pro (tripping), 14:05; Moon Wor (roughing), 18:49; Robins Pro (roughing), 18:49; Moore Wor (fighting), 18:58; McIver Pro (fighting), 18:58.

3rd Period-1, Worcester, Mashinter 5 (Moon), 1:16. Penalties-Connolly Wor (charging), 14:43.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 11-9-6-26. Providence 5-11-7-23.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0 / 1; Providence 0 / 2.
Goalies-Worcester, Sateri 9-5-0 (23 shots-23 saves). Providence, Hutchinson 3-7-0 (26 shots-25 saves).
A-9,682
Referees-Ryan Hersey (46).
Linesmen-Todd Whittemore (70), Bob Paquette (18).