SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks shoot selves in foot again, lose 3-2 to Providence in shootout

The Worcester Sharks used goals by Konrad Abeltshauser and Eriah Hayes to jump out to a 2-0 lead halfway through their Friday night contest with the Providence Bruins, but then stumbled as the Baby-Bs got within one after two periods and late in the third period the WorSharks allowed an extra attacker goal for the fifth time this season to send the game into overtime and to a shootout. Worcester shooters got the two tallies in the bonus round against Providence goaltender Niklas Svedberg, but Providence netted three against Harri Sateri to take the extra point and deal the WorSharks playoff hopes a huge blow.

The Worcester Sharks celebrate Konrad Abeltshauser's first period goal, but it
was the Providence Bruins celebrating in the end as the PBruins came back
from a two goal deficit to defeat the WorSharks 3-2 in a shootout.
Photo courtesy of the PROVIDENCE BRUINS

There are no video highlights currently available. We’ll edit one in should Providence decide to follow league rules and actually put one up on AHLlive. Don’t hold your breath.

Scratches for Worcester were Sena Acolatse (leg), Adam Comrie, Nick Jones, John McCarthy (hand), Daniil Tarasov (back), Brodie Reid, and Marek Viedensky (unknown injury). Troy Grosenick was the back-up goaltender. Rob Davison returned to the lineup after a three game suspension.

With the shootout loss and the Norfolk Admirals winning the WorSharks playoff chances dropped to nearly nil. To put it in practical numbers, Worcester can get to a maximum of 87 points if it runs the table on their seven remaining games. Because Worcester doesn’t currently hold the tie breaker against either Norfolk or the Hershey Bears if either of those teams gets to 87 points the WorSharks are eliminated. Currently Norfolk has 79, and Hershey has 78. So any combination of points Worcester fails to get or Norfolk gains that equals eight eliminates the WorSharks. That number is nine against the Bears. The WorSharks do play Hershey and Norfolk one more time this season so they can help themselves greatly with regulation wins in both, but both the Admirals and Bears have a game in hand against Worcester and Norfolk and Hershey play each other twice more. While Worcester has a mathematical chance (.3%) the way the games lay it’s all but over.

The three stars of the game were
1. PRO – 32 Nick Johnson (SO gwg)
2. PRO – 14 Craig Cunningham (g)
3. WOR – 35 Harri Sateri (32 saves)

The Sharkspage player of the game is Travis Oleksuk.

Even strength lines
Carpenter/Kearns/DaSilva
Hayes/Oleksuk/Hamilton
Higgs/Rau/Schmidt
Bonneau/Schwartz/Pelech

Abeltshauser/Tennyson
Davison/DeMelo
Mueller/Doherty

BOXSCORE

Worcester 1 1 0 0 – 2
Providence 0 1 1 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Worcester, Abeltshauser 6 (Tennyson, Oleksuk), 6:42. Penalties-Higgs Wor (tripping), 2:43; Griffith Pro (tripping), 9:09; Davison Wor (boarding), 14:56; Tennyson Wor (tripping), 16:56.

2nd Period-2, Worcester, Hayes 10 (Oleksuk, Tennyson), 8:55 (PP). 3, Providence, Khokhlachev 20 (Florek, Morrow), 15:37. Penalties-Lindblad Pro (holding), 8:13; Kearns Wor (hooking), 19:30.

3rd Period-4, Providence, Cunningham 25 (Spooner, Fraser), 18:51. Penalties-Randell Pro (high-sticking), 2:28; Parlett Pro (cross-checking), 7:49; Hayes Wor (slashing), 11:56.

OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties

Shootout – Worcester 2 (Hamilton NG, Carpenter G, Oleksuk NG, DaSilva NG, Hayes G), Providence 3 (Cunningham NG, Spooner NG, Khokhlachev G, Griffith G, Johnson G).
Shots on Goal-Worcester 8-8-8-1-0-25. Providence 12-11-9-2-1-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 1 / 4; Providence 0 / 5.
Goalies-Worcester, Sateri 17-22-2 (34 shots-32 saves). Providence, Svedberg 23-15-3 (25 shots-23 saves).
A-8,320
Referees-Jon McIsaac (45).
Linesmen-Chris Millea (33), Jack Millea (23).