SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks drop 2-1 contest to Falcons; Derek Joslin to return to Worcester

The Worcester Sharks bussed an hour west down the Massachusetts Turnpike where their goal scoring woes continued, and the WorSharks inability to put the puck in the net despite having great scoring chances coupled with an early game brain cramp by Worcester’s top defensive pair lead to a painful 2-1 loss to the Springfield Falcons Friday night at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.

As you can see from the highlight video WorSharks defenseman Adam Comrie thought the play that resulted in the Falcons first goal was going to be whistled dead for icing, and you can also see WorSharks netminder Harri Sateri with his arm up to indicate to Comrie it was going to be icing. But there’s an old adage that says “play until the whistle blows” and Worcester did not do that. Notice that the Falcons did, and that’s how they jumped out to that early 1-0 lead. Several players indicated post game that there was no wave-off of the icing call, but the fact of the matter is there was no wave off because icing was never going to be called. For proof of that we take a still from the video, which clearly shows the linesman signaling the play onside instead of chasing the play which would be the usual for an impending icing call.

Scratches for the WorSharks were Gogol, Viedensky, Brennan, Bonneau, and Reid. Thomas Heemskerk was the back-up goaltender.

The Worcester line-up had two new faces, with Peter Sivak being signed to a PTO earlier in the week from San Francisco (ECHL) and Lane Scheidl being signed to an ATO now that his junior season with the Regina Pats is over. Both players got into the boxscore the wrong way as they each were whistled for a minor. Sivak was called for an automatic delay of game minor for accidentally shooting the puck out of play in his defensive end. This writer is on record many times saying this is an incredibly silly rule, and Sivak’s minor again proves that point as his intent was to bank the puck off the glass not to clear the puck but to send his line mate off on a breakaway. Scheidl’s minor was about as weak of a goaltender interference call as you will ever see when he brushed by Falcons netminder Curtis McElhinney after shooting the puck wide and with the play rushing off in the opposite direction.

Earlier in the day the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks made a trade of AHL loans when the Sharks sent Danny Groulx to the Chicago Wolves and Vancouver reassigned former WorSharks defenseman Derek Joslin to Worcester. Each player will remain the property of their loaning organization. On paper this “trade” seems a little one-sided in the favor of the Wolves, but the WorSharks organization is very excited to have Joslin back in the fold. When asked if there was a locker room issue with Groulx that led to the trade the WorSharks were adamant that there wasn’t and that Groulx has been a very good team player, which from personal experience with Groulx is undoubtedly a true statement. Only John McCarthy and Nick Petrecki remain with the team since the last time Joslin was here, although presuming Alex Stalock returns he’ll be added to that list. Joslin should be on the ice Saturday vs Providence, and upon learning he would be facing the PBruins reportedly Joslin was very excited to suit up against a team he historically has done well against. Groulx made his debut with Chicago last night, and as always seems to happen notched two assist in the contest.

The three stars of the game were
1. SPR – 30 Curtis McElhinney (win, 25 saves)
2. SPR – 5 Nick Holden (g)
3. SPR – 17 Sean (B.) Collins (g,a)

Ordinarily the Sharkspage player of the game would go to Comrie for the WorSharks lone goal, but his brain cramp the lead to the Falcons score takes him out of consideration. So it looks like the next best candidate is James Livingston.

BOXSCORE

Worcester 0 0 1 – 1
Springfield 1 1 0 – 2

1st Period-1, Springfield, Collins 8 (Machacek), 0:13. Penalties-Moon Spr (interference), 13:01; Scheidl Wor (goaltender interference), 15:48.

2nd Period-2, Springfield, Holden 6 (Craig, Collins), 16:24 (PP). Penalties-Sivak Wor (delay of game), 1:22; Holden Spr (closing hand on puck), 6:44; Audy-Marchessault Spr (slashing), 9:15; Pelech Wor (fighting), 13:01; Petrecki Wor (roughing), 13:01; Moon Spr (roughing), 13:01; Smith Spr (fighting), 13:01; Acolatse Wor (cross-checking), 15:48; Craig Spr (hooking), 17:48.

3rd Period-3, Worcester, Comrie 2 (Livingston, Gourde), 9:03. Penalties-Matsumoto Wor (hooking), 9:26; Helmer Spr (hooking), 11:37; Tennyson Wor (hooking), 19:12.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 12-6-8-26. Springfield 10-6-5-21.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0 / 5; Springfield 1 / 5.
Goalies-Worcester, Sateri 13-14-3 (21 shots-19 saves). Springfield, McElhinney 25-13-3 (26 shots-25 saves).
A-4,356
Referees-T.J. Luxmore (49).
Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), Frank Murphy (29).