SHARKSPAGE

Blanking WorSharks again, Norfolk wins 3-0

The Worcester Sharks followed up Friday’s total team effort win against the Adirondack Phantoms with one on the complete opposite end of the spectrum as they looked like 18 guys that had never been on the ice together before in dropping a 3-0 contest to the Norfolk Admirals Saturday night at the DCU Center in front of a crowd of 4,500 fans for the WorSharks second consecutive shutout loss to the Admirals. As has been the case in many of his losses this season, Worcester rookie netminder Troy Grosenick played well enough to win but his teammates failed him on the other end of the ice.

Worcester Sharks forward Daniil Tarasov (#19) is dwarfed by Norfolk defenseman
Nolan Yonkman as the two battle for position during a WorSharks power play. Yonkman
won the battle and the Admirals won the game 3-0.
Photo courtesy of TEAMSHRED

For video highlights, such as they are, we’ll once again point to AHLlive.com.

Scratches for the WorSharks were Konrad Abeltshauser (lower body), Sena Acolatse (leg), Jimmy Bonneau, Brock Higgs, Nick Jones, and John McCarthy (hand). Harri Sateri was the backup goaltender. It might not be good news on the Abeltshauser injury as despite it being said on the pregame broadcast that his injury “wasn’t serious” Abeltshauser was seen on crutches by many people and reportedly told several that his injury will require surgery during the off season. Hopefully, more on that later in the week.

Worcester was held to just three shots in the second period, with their first shot on goal of the stanza coming with 6:02 remaining in the period. To add further insult to the general incompetence of the period, both Dan DaSilva and Taylor Doherty missed yawning open nets in the middle frame.

Freddie Hamilton had just his third minor penalty of the season called on him when he flipped Travis Oleksuk’s stick back to him. It was in the direction of where the puck carrier was, so referee Tom Chmielewski called a penalty on the play. Technically the right call, although looking at the rest of the penalties Chmielewski called–or maybe more correctly, didn’t call–it stands out as a huge oddity. Referee Chmielewski has done a few WorSharks games this season, and he is clearly not skilled enough to be working AHL games alone. He’s not the reason Worcester lost, but it doesn’t take away from the fact he’s not a very good referee by himself.

On Wednesday’s posting we talked about how poor Matt Tennyson’s plus/minus number is, and how at (-25) he was the lowest any WorSharks player ever was. After a brief investigation it appears Tennyson is only (-3) away from tying the worst plus/minus for any Worcester pro player ever. The current low is Jarrett Deuling’s (-28) in 1994-95, the Worcester IceCats first season in existence when they were the last non-NHL affiliated team in the AHL. In an odd irony, Deuling went on to play three season for WorSharks head coach Roy Sommer with the Kentucky Thoroughblades.

It was a penalty filled night for former WorSharks players in the AHL Saturday, headed by Frazer McLaren and Brad Staubitz, both with the Toronto Marlies, earning game misconducts. McLaren was called for a charging major and a fight, while Staubitz got a fight and a “continuing altercation” game misconduct. Yanni Gourde (Syracuse) was also involved in that huge fracas, receiving charging and roughing minors. In Rockford, Curt Gogol (Iowa) fought Brad Mills and they both earned the silly “taking the helmet off while fighting” misconduct minor, as did Nick Petrecki (Rochester) and Nick Tarnasky in their battle.

The three stars of the game were
1. NOR – 31 Brad Thiessen (28 save shutout win)
2. NOR – 20 Andre Petersson (2g)
3. NOR – 28 Antoine Laganiere (g)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Troy Grosenick.

Even strength lines
Hayes/Oleksuk/Hamilton
Tarasov/Carpenter/DaSilva
Schmidt/Rau/Schwartz
Pelech/Viedensky/Reid

Davison/Tennyson
Comrie/Doherty
Mueller/DeMelo

BOXSCORE

Norfolk 1 1 1 – 3
Worcester 0 0 0 – 0

1st Period-1, Norfolk, Laganiere 10 (Friberg, Steckel), 12:33. Penalties-Stortini Nor (tripping), 14:54; Schwartz Wor (slashing), 18:28.

2nd Period-2, Norfolk, Petersson 21 (Karlsson), 14:56. Penalties-Hamilton Wor (throwing equipment), 0:20.

3rd Period-3, Norfolk, Petersson 22 (Etem), 17:11. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Norfolk 13-8-8-29. Worcester 11-3-14-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Norfolk 0 / 2; Worcester 0 / 1.
Goalies-Norfolk, Thiessen 5-6-2 (28 shots-28 saves). Worcester, Grosenick 17-14-0 (29 shots-26 saves).
A-4,500
Referees-Tom Chmielewski (43).
Linesmen-Brian MacDonald (72), Todd Whittemore (70).