SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks make it five with 4-0 shutout of Bridgeport

The Worcester Sharks, after not being able to get out their own way for the longest time, once again dug into their bag of tricks and used two goals from newcomer Brock Higgs, two point nights from John McCarthy, Konrad Abeltshauser, and Dylan DeMelo and a 25 save shutout by Harri Sateri to defeat the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4-0 at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut in front of a crowd of 4,135. The win gives the WorSharks their first five game winning streak of the season.

RPI alum Brock Higgs, shown from his AHL debut on Friday against Providence,
scored his first two professional goals and his first pro game winner Saturday
night against Bridgeport in the WorSharks 4-0 win over the Sound Tigers.
Photo courtesy of TEAMSHRED

For video highlights we’ll use the Sound Tigers YouTube channel.

Scratches for Worcester were Sena Acolatse (leg), Eriah Hayes (upper body), Matt Pelech, Brodie Reid (foot), and Lane Scheidl (concussion). Troy Grosenick was the back-up goaltender. For the first time since early 2013 the WorSharks had too many veterans on the roster, so Matt Pelech was forced to sit out. Needing a forward Worcester–and one would presume San Jose–reached out to UMass winger Mike Pereira and signed the forward to an ATO. Pereira’s brother Joe skated with the WorSharks one game toward the end of the 2010-11 season, making them the second set of brothers to play for the team. Matt and Michael Pelech were the first, and they actually skated on the same line together a couple games during the 2012-13 season.

Like Friday night, Worcester dodged another bullet thanks to video replay. This time the circumstances were different, as it was used Saturday to determine if the net was still on the pegs when–or even if–the puck crossed the goal line. With the puck behind Sateri and moving toward the yawning net captain Rob Davison intentionally crashed into the cage knocking it off its pegs. Referee Trevor Hanson immediately ruled no-goal, but then went to video. Now had the puck crossed the goal line after Davison knocked the net off by rule Hanson probably should have counted the goal. It’s covered under rule 63.6:

63.6 Awarded Goal – In the event that the goal post is displaced, either deliberately or accidentally, by a defending player, prior to the puck crossing the goal line between the normal position of the goalposts, the Referee may award a goal. In order to award a goal in this situation, the goal post must have been displaced by the actions a defending player, the puck must have been shot (or the player must be in the act of shooting) at the goal prior to the goal post being displaced, and it must be determined that the puck would have entered the net between the normal position of the goal posts.

Now watching the TV angle all those conditions were met except for if the puck crossed the goal line, which couldn’t be seen clearly. Referee Hanson confirmed his no-goal call, so he either got the rule wrong or the puck didn’t cross the goal line. Unlike the NHL the AHL does not provide clarifications for goal reviews one way or the other. To add further confusion to all this the ensuing faceoff was in the neutral zone, meaning it was Bridgeport that knocked the net off the pegs. Enough said about that.

Looking at Jimmy Bonneau’s line in the boxscore (0-0-0, 2 shots, 0 PIMs) you’d just presume it was a standard game without a fight for the WorSharks tough man, but that would be far from the truth. Bonneau had three great scoring chances early, and when Brett Gallant tried to goad Bonneau into fighting while Worcester was leading 2-0 Bonneau, being the cagy veteran he is, knew where the line was and didn’t cross it. Gallant, on the other hand, was intent on starting something so when it didn’t occur decided to take his frustrations out in a brief conversation with Referee Hanson. That didn’t turn out so well as Gallant was invited to sit for a couple minutes in the sin bin.

Worcester has scored a goal in 11 straight periods, which if it isn’t a team record it had to be close. Maybe more on that tomorrow. The Sound Tigers haven’t scored a goal in 170:59, their fourth-longest streak in team history. According to Sound Tigers beat reporter Michael Fornabaio the team record is 215:58, so that’s in play for their game against Adirondack today.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 10 Konrad Abeltshauser (g,a)
2. WOR – 7 John McCarthy (2a)
3. WOR – 22 Dan DaSilva (g)

Head scratcher here as they didn’t list Harri Sateri nor Brock Higgs. With all due respect to Sateri’s shutout, we’re going with the young man from RPI as the Sharkspage player of the game is Higgs. I’m sure Harri will understand…

Even strength lines, courtesy of the aforementioned Fornabaio
McCarthy-Kearns-DaSilva
Tarasov-Oleksuk-Hamilton (A)
Schwartz-Higgs-Viedensky
Pereira-Rau-Bonneau (A)

Davison (C)-Bigos
Abeltshauser-Doherty
Comrie-DeMelo

BOXSCORE

Worcester 1 1 2 – 4
Bridgeport 0 0 0 – 0

1st Period-1, Worcester, Higgs 1 (DeMelo, Oleksuk), 12:56 (PP). Penalties-DeMelo Wor (cross-checking), 7:45; Leboeuf Bri (holding), 12:31; Persson Bri (slashing), 15:09.

2nd Period-2, Worcester, DaSilva 13 (McCarthy, Abeltshauser), 5:28 (PP). Penalties-Pedan Bri (slashing), 4:31; Sateri Wor (tripping), 7:42; Broda Bri (high-sticking), 9:02; Gallant Bri (cross-checking), 12:40; Gallant Bri (unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:25.

3rd Period-3, Worcester, Abeltshauser 5 (McCarthy, DeMelo), 3:01 (PP). 4, Worcester, Higgs 2 (Schwartz, Viedensky), 15:26. Penalties-Langlois Bri (interference), 1:17; served by Clark Bri (bench minor – too many men), 2:52; Viedensky Wor (hooking), 5:13; Hamilton Wor (interference), 12:06.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 16-8-10-34. Bridgeport 8-7-10-25.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 3 / 8; Bridgeport 0 / 4.
Goalies-Worcester, Sateri 15-20-1 (25 shots-25 saves). Bridgeport, Poulin 0-5-0 (34 shots-30 saves).
A-4,135
Referees-Trevor Hanson (47).
Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), Kevin Redding (16).