SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks grab a hard earned point in 3-2 shootout loss to St John’s

Fans of the Worcester Sharks were worried about the team having a hangover after Saturday night’s thrilling overtime victory against Providence, but the WorSharks came firing out on all cylinders and continued their aggressive style against the Atlantic Division leading St John’s IceCaps and grabbed a hard earned point in a 3-2 shootout loss Sunday afternoon at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts in front of 3,619 fans.

With both teams playing their third game in just 42 hours each had a ready-made excuse to come out of the gate a little sluggish, but the WorSharks made it clear they were full of energy as their fourth line started the contest and threw booming hit after booming hit. The biggest hit of the opening period was Curt Gogol pounding Jason King into the endboards on a hard, clean check. King went to the IceCaps locker room soon after and did not return.

St John’s would have the only two power plays in the period, and thanks to some great saves by WorSharks netminder Tyson Sexsmith and some solid team defense the IceCaps were unable to light the lamp. The WorSharks also had a little luck on their side when the duel referees called Jimmy Bonneau for roughing when he jumped Kenndal McArdle after he threw a clean, open ice hit on Brian O’Hanley. Bonneau landed several body shots as McArdle turtled and should have been called for an instigator minor and fighting major instead of just the roughing minor.

The WorSharks would get their first power play chance early in the second period and took full advantage of the extra man when Brodie Reid found Brandon Mashinter all alone in the slot. Mashinter’s first bid went wide but Nathan Moon recovered the puck from behind the net and fed it back to the front. Mashinter didn’t miss the second time as he beat IceCaps goaltender David Aebischer at 2:27. Worcester would get another power play soon after, but the best scoring chance over the two minutes went to St John’s on John Albert’s shorthanded breakaway. Sexsmith snuffed out that bid with a great glove save.

St John’s would finally get one past Sexsmith at 9:09 when Ben Maxwell beat Sexsmith to the blocker side. The play began as a three on two rush and after two nice passes the IceCaps center had an open shooting lane and beat Sexsmith clean.

Both squads had golden chances early in the third period to take the lead, but Jason DeSantis’ laser rang off the post to the left of Sexsmith and down at the other end some tic-tac-toe passing left Jack Combs all along in front of a yawning net but somehow the winger missed wide. Unfortunately for the WorSharks despite some good defense it was the IceCaps that would grab the lead when Garth Murray deflected McArdle’s shot into the top corner at 9:43 of the third.

Worcester continued to press for a goal of their own but several unlikely bounces and some timely saves by Aebischer kept them at bay. The WorSharks knew they just needed one break to get back to even, and they got one when Mashinter, who was the extra attacker on the ice when Sexsmith went to the bench. The IceCaps had everyone covered well but couldn’t account for Mashinter, and when Combs threw a centering pass the defense converged into the slot but the wide open Mashinter had little trouble firing the puck into the net at 18:33.

Sexsmith and Aebischer owned the overtime period as each made great saves with bodies flying all over the ice as both referees decided to put their whistles away. In the waining seconds of overtime Worcester had a great chance but Aebischer stoned Combs for a third time in the game. Seconds later the IceCaps broke into the WorSharks zone three on one but couldn’t get a shot off thanks to an incredible diving play by Sena Acolatse.

The game went to a shootout, and Worcester missed on all five of their attempts while Sexsmith was nearly perfect on his end. But ‘nearly perfect’ wasn’t enough as Murray beat Sexsmith in round number four for the only goal in the shootout to send the hometown fans home a little disappointed.

GAME NOTES
Ryan Del Monte and Taylor Doherty were healthy scratches for Worcester, with Cam MacIntyre, Ben Guite, and Tony Lucia still holding down spots on the injured list. It’s possible that list will grow by one as it appeared Harri Sateri may have been injured in warm-ups. He was on the bench for the game and didn’t seem to be in any distress while walking to and from the locker room between periods so if he is injured it likely isn’t serious. Currently San Jose has two goaltenders in Stockton (ECHL), Thomas Heemskerk and Alex Stalock, so if a replacement is needed there is organizational help available.

Streaking WorSharks Brandon Mashinter (2g,a) and Chad Costello (2a) have two game streaks. Curt Gogol has been even or better in nine straight (with a nine game break in the middle due to a concussion). Frazer McLaren and Marek Viedensky has gone eight straight without finishing minus for the game (with a 23 game NHL recall between games seven and eight for McLaren)

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – Mashinter (2g)
2. STJ – Murray (g, SO gwg)
3. STJ – Maxwell (g)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Tyson Sexsmith.

Even strength lines
Combs/Connolly/Costello
Mashinter/Viedensky/Reid
Gogol/Moon/Livingston
Bonneau/McLaren/Pelech

Moore/Sullivan
Irwin/Acolatse
Petrecki/O’Hanley

BOXSCORE

St. John’s 0 1 1 0 – 3
Worcester 0 1 1 0 – 2

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Moore Wor (roughing), 8:11; Bonneau Wor (roughing), 12:31.

2nd Period-1, Worcester, Mashinter 6 (Moon, Reid), 2:27 (PP). 2, St. John’s, Maxwell 4 (Redmond, Machacek), 9:09. Penalties-Ramsey Stj (slashing), 1:41; Maxwell Stj (tripping), 3:53; O’Hanley Wor (double minor – high-sticking), 11:11; Weller Stj (boarding), 13:49; Livingston Wor (slashing), 17:21; Weller Stj (high-sticking), 17:27.

3rd Period-3, St. John’s, Murray 2 (McArdle, Klingberg), 9:43. 4, Worcester, Mashinter 7 (Connolly, Costello), 18:33. Penalties-No Penalties

OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties

Shootout – St. John’s 1 (Gagnon NG, Maxwell NG, Holzapfel NG, Murray G, Machacek NG), Worcester 0 (Combs NG, Reid NG, Mashinter NG, Costello NG, Sullivan NG).
Shots on Goal-St. John’s 10-8-15-5-1-39. Worcester 6-8-8-2-0-24.
Power Play Opportunities-St. John’s 0 / 5; Worcester 1 / 4.
Goalies-St. John’s, Aebischer 12-5-1 (24 shots-22 saves). Worcester, Sexsmith 9-7-5 (38 shots-36 saves).
A-3,619
Referees-Jarrod Ragusin (54), Jean Hebert (43).
Linesmen-Bob Paquette (18), Ed Boyle (81).

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