SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks crowned by Monarchs, lose 5-1

The Worcester Sharks started off their post All-Star break schedule the exactly opposite as they wanted to–sleepwalking through a 5-1 loss to the Manchester Monarchs Friday night at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire in front of 4,595 fans. Freddie Hamilton scored the lone goal for the WorSharks, while Troy Grosenick had 38 saves in a vain attempt to keep his squad in the contest. It was a game where the score makes it look closer than it really was. 2012–13 Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award (AHL rookie of the year) winner Tyler Toffoli had a hat trick for Manchester, while Linden Vey added four assists for the Monarchs.

Freddie Hamilton scored the loan goal in the Worcester Sharks 5-1 loss to
Manchester Friday night. It took until the middle of the third period for the
WorSharks to match the Monarchs first period shot total (18).
File photo courtesy of TEAMSHRED

For video highlights we’ll look toward the Manchester Monarchs YouTube channel.

Scratches for Worcester were J.P. Anderson (upper body), Jimmy Bonneau, Adam Comrie (travel), Matt Pelech (hand), Daniil Tarasov (concussion), and Marek Viedensky (unknown injury). Harri Sateri was the back-up netminder. Worcester went with seven defensemen in the game. During the All Star break the WorSharks released Scott Fleming from his PTO and returned him to the Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL). They also reassigned Tyler Gron to the Ontario Reign (ECHL). Fleming is a player that has more then enough talent to play in the AHL, but with the return of both John McCarthy and Eriah Hayes there was simply no spot in the line-up for him. Gron, on a two way AHL/ECHL contract with Worcester, will be playing with his fourth team of the season in the Reign as he also played with the now defunct San Francisco Bulls (ECHL) and started the season with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL). With the huge snowstorm that whacked the New England region Thursday into Friday Comrie got grounded in South Carolina.

The away loss to start the unofficial second half of the season isn’t a shock, as every time the Worcester Sharks take to the road immediately following the All Star break they have lost. They are 0-4-1 in those games, with losses in Philadelphia (who now plays in Adirondack), Syracuse, St John’s, and Portland. The loss to the Pirates last season was in a shootout. In a statistical oddity, the WorSharks are a perfect 3-0-0 at home, with wins over Bridgeport, Springfield, and Manchester.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the WorSharks, who had to take a five-plus hour bus ride from Manchester overnight to get to Binghamton for Saturday night’s game against the Senators. From there, another three-plus hour ride back east to Springfield for Sunday’s tilt against the Falcons. And as one would expect from AHL scheduling, both the Sens and Falcons will be resting comfortably in their beds as Worcester busses across the northeast.

There is some possible good news for the WorSharks as it appears Daniil Tarasov will be ready to return from his concussion Saturday. His potential return was mentioned a couple times last night by Eric Lindquist during the radio broadcast of the game, and Sharkspage minion Tyler Lowell posted via twitter that Tarasov will be returning.

The three stars of the game were
1. MCH – 26 Tyler Toffoli (hat trick)
2. MCH – 9 Linden Vey (4a)
3. WOR – 1 Troy Grosenick (38 saves)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Freddie Hamilton.

Even strength lines
Gourde/Oleksuk/DaSilva
Scheidl/Hamilton/Hayes
McCarthy/Rau/Reid
(many)/Schwartz/Livingston

Abeltshauser/Acolatse
Davison/Tennyson
Petrecki/Doherty
DeMelo

BOXSCORE

Worcester 0 1 0 – 1
Manchester 1 2 2 – 5

1st Period-1, Manchester, Weal 12 (O’Brien, Vey), 8:25 (PP). Penalties-Gourde Wor (hooking), 7:01; Hayes Wor (hooking), 13:34; Vey Mch (tripping), 17:07; Bodnarchuk Mch (hooking), 19:31.

2nd Period-2, Worcester, Hamilton 14 (Rau, Acolatse), 1:33 (PP). 3, Manchester, Toffoli 11 (Bodnarchuk, Vey), 11:18. 4, Manchester, Pearson 17 (Deslauriers, Shore), 14:17 (PP). Penalties-LoVerde Mch (interference), 1:10; Petrecki Wor (holding), 12:36; Doherty Wor (double minor – high-sticking), 12:50.

3rd Period-5, Manchester, Toffoli 12 (Vey), 11:03. 6, Manchester, Toffoli 13 (Vey), 14:34. Penalties-Petrecki Wor (cross-checking, roughing), 16:50; O’Neill Mch (roughing), 16:50.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 6-5-13-24. Manchester 18-10-15-43.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 1 / 3; Manchester 2 / 6.
Goalies-Worcester, Grosenick 11-6-0 (43 shots-38 saves). Manchester, Jones 13-3-2 (24 shots-23 saves).
A-4,595
Referees-Trevor Hanson (47), Jean-Philippe Sylvain (16).
Linesmen-Landon Bathe (80), Kevin Keenan (22).