SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks offense finally awakens in 5-2 thrashing of Providence

The Worcester Sharks, who have had recent issues with putting the puck in the next, exploded for four second period goals Saturday night at the DCU Center against the Providence Bruins en route to a 5-2 thrashing of their Atlantic Division rivals in front of a crowd of 5,251. Thirteen of the 18 WorSharks skaters registered points, including multiple point nights from Evan Trupp and Ryan Carpenter. Goaltender J.P. Anderson had 22 saves in his first home win on the season.

Worcester Sharks rookie Evan Trupp continues to climb up the lists in every offensive
team category with a goal and an assist Saturday night against Providence. Trupp is
in the top 3 of nearly every category, and leads the team in plus/minus at +5.
Photo courtesy of TEAMSHRED

For video highlights were once again use the Worcester Sharks YouTube channel.

Worcester Sharks head coach Roy Sommer used the same lineup Saturday night as he went with in Friday night’s 3-2 overtime loss to Springfield, with Jimmy Bonneau, Petter Emanuelsson (shoulder), Nick Jones, and Rylan Schwartz all scratches for Worcester. Aaron Dell was the back-up goaltender. The WorSharks injury list, which at least officially is just Emanuelsson, might have an addition after defenseman Taylor Doherty blocked a shot with his left hand late in the second period. He skated to the bench in obvious pain, and after getting some preliminary treatment from trainer Matt White on the bench skated off to the dressing room. Doherty did not return to the bench to start the third period.

One thing that irks this writer about the two referee system is many times the referee closest to the action decides something isn’t a penalty while the referee outside the zone decides it is. It happened again in the later portion of the first period during a break into the Providence zone by Travis Oleksuk. The PBruins defender played it well, and Oleksuk was unable to get a shot off and fell to the ice crashing into Providence goaltender Malcolm Subban. Referee Gino Binda had a great view of the play from about 20 feet away and didn’t call anything. AHL rookie referee Ben Moser, who was 150 feet away from the action, decided that Oleksuk was guilty of goaltender interference. Of course, Providence scored on the power play to take a 2-1 lead. Video clearly shows Binda made the right call by not calling anything.

Lots of heads up plays never make it into the boxscore, or into press accounts, but WorSharks goaltender J.P. Anderson had one that very few fans probably noticed. In the third period PBruins winger Matt Lindblad was called for tripping, but a clock malfunction didn’t put the penalty time on the scoreboard. When Lindblad and the penalty box attendant stood to get ready to open the door to let Linblad back on the ice Anderson noticed this and started banging his stick on the ice to warn his teammates.

A couple of special teams streaks for Worcester ended Saturday night. With Providence scoring a power play goal the WorSharks streak of 17 straight kills, going back to the second portion of Taylor Doherty’s double minor on November 14 against Manchester, came to an end. What also ended was Worcester’s power play futility that had gone 27 chances in a row with scoring, going back to that same November 14th game against Manchester.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 13 Evan Trupp (gwg,a)
2. WOR – 20 Matt Taormina (g)
3. WOR – 21 Travis Oleksuk (g)

The Sharkspage player of the game is Ryan Carpenter.

Even strength lines
Tarasov/Tierney/Karlsson
Lerg/Burish/Hamilton
Trupp/Oleksuk/Carpenter
Haley/Langlois/Hayes

Taormina/Doherty
Abeltshauser/DeMelo
Young/Fedun

BOX SCORE

Providence 2 0 0 – 2
Worcester 1 4 0 – 5

1st Period-1, Providence, Ferlin 4 (Khokhlachev, Caron), 0:11. 2, Worcester, Langlois 4 (Burish, Doherty), 8:41. 3, Providence, Caron 7 (Cunningham, Spooner), 16:37 (PP). Penalties-Khokhlachev Pro (hooking), 6:15; Oleksuk Wor (goaltender interference), 14:45.

2nd Period-4, Worcester, Oleksuk 1 (Carpenter, Trupp), 1:52. 5, Worcester, Trupp 5 (Carpenter, Abeltshauser), 3:49 (PP). 6, Worcester, Taormina 3 (Fedun, Tarasov), 10:09 (PP). 7, Worcester, Haley 6 (Tierney, Hayes), 18:33. Penalties-Caron Pro (holding), 2:47; Simonelli Pro (high-sticking), 10:00; Karlsson Wor (roughing), 13:34.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Lindblad Pro (tripping), 8:21.

Shots on Goal-Providence 14-4-6-24. Worcester 8-20-4-32.
Power Play Opportunities-Providence 1 / 2; Worcester 2 / 4.
Goalies-Providence, Subban 4-4-0 (32 shots-27 saves). Worcester, Anderson 2-5-0 (24 shots-22 saves).
A-5,251
Referees-Geno Binda (22), Ben Moser (3).
Linesmen-Ed Boyle (81), Alex Stagnone (7).