SHARKSPAGE

A full time NHL player for a 5th round pick; is it worth it?

The news of the day for the San Jose Sharks was their claiming Kyle Wellwood off waivers from the St. Louis Blues and trading a 5th round draft pick to the Atlanta Thrashers for Ben Eager. Picking a player off of waivers costs nothing but a little cash and salary cap space, but in trades involving players for draft picks the inevitable debate begins about if that player is worth the pick being given up.

The question here is if Eager is worth a 5th round pick. The only way to know that is to take a look at the 5th round of the NHL draft of the past few years and to see how successful players taken in that round have been in the NHL.

So, the 5th round picks from 1998 to 2008 with 100 NHL games played (overall pick number is included):

1998
117. Jaroslav Spacek; Florida, 821 games
131. Tomas Kloucek; NY Rangers, 141 games
134. Rob Scuderi; Pittsburgh, 418 games
135. Andrew Raycroft; Boston, 264 games
145. Mikael Samuelsson; San Jose, 584 games
*Of the 31 players drafted, 18 have not played in the NHL.

1999
138. Ryan Miller; Buffalo, 368 games
155. Niko Dimitrakos; San Jose, 158 games
*Of the 31 players drafted, 24 have not played in the NHL.

2000
131. Matt Hendricks; Nashville, 103 games
133. Petteri Nummelin; Columbus, 139 games
146. David Koci; Pittsburgh, 117 games
155. Travis Moen; Calgary, 488 games
156. Greg Zanon; Ottawa, 356 games
159. John-Michael Liles; Colorado, 492 games
*Of the 37 players drafted, 25 have not played in the NHL.

2001
133. Jussi Markkanen; Edmonton 128 games
134. Kyle Wellwood; Toronto, 338 games
144. Cody McCormick; Colorado, 233 games
151. Kevin Bieksa; Vancouver, 325 games
161. Mike Smith; Dallas, 157 games
*Of the 34 players drafted, 22 have not played in the NHL.

2002
133. Lasse Pirjeta; Columbus, 147 games
156. James Wisniewski; Chicago, 295 games
*Of the 35 players drafted, 28 have not played in the NHL.

2003
148. Lee Stempniak; St. Louis, 420 games
149. Nigel Dawes; NY Rangers, 205 games
151. Lasse Kukkonen; Chicago, 159 games
158. John Mitchell; Toronto, 159 games
163. Brad Richardson; Colorado, 287 games
*Of the 31 players drafted, 21 have not played in the NHL.

2004
134. Kris Versteeg; Boston, 211 games
150. Mikhail Grabovski; Montreal, 207 games
159. Mike Brown; Vancouver, 165 games
*Of the 34 players drafted, 24 have not played in the NHL.

2005
132. Darren Helm; Detroit, 143 games
146. Tom Wandell; Dallas, 107 games
*Of the 37 players drafted, 26 have not played in the NHL.

2006
None
*Of the 30 players drafted, 26 have not played in the NHL.

2007
129. Jamie Benn; Dallas, 125 games
*Of the 30 players drafted, 26 have not played in the NHL.

2008
None
*Of the 30 players drafted, 22 have not played in the NHL.

Seeing as an argument could be made that a player drafted in 2005 or later hasn’t had enough time to develop, just looking at the drafts from 1999 to 2004 of the 233 players drafted 162 (or 69.5%) have not played in the NHL. So while there’s a 30% chance of getting a player in the 5th round to play any games in the NHL, getting a player to play a meaningful number of games is right around 10%.

So it appears trading a 5th round pick for a full time NHL player, even if he is a bottom six type forward, is the move that makes sense.

WorSharks Half-Season Report Card

With the AHL season just past the halfway mark it’s time to take a look at the players on the Worcester Sharks roster and give them a grade on how well they’ve done against the expectations that have been set for them and how well they’ve done compared to the other players on the roster. When looking at the grades remember that a “C” is average, meaning the player has done what was expected of them or that their play based on the other players on the roster has been average in nature.

FORWARDS
#14 Jonathan Cheechoo LW
38 games; 14g, 23a, 37pts; (-5); 8PIM
Whether or not Cheechoo has NHL level talent is still in question, but there’s no doubt he’s one of the best players in the AHL. Averaging about a point per game all season, Cheechoo makes every player he’s lined up with better. He’s a threat to score every time he has the puck, and while he may have lost a half-step he still has the ability to make defenders trying to stop him look like fools. It’s hard to imagine how bad the WorSharks would be without him on the team.
Season highlight: goal, 2 assists at Connecticut on 10/10
Grade: A

#23 Dan DaSilva RW
42 games; 8g, 10a, 18pts; +13; 48PIM
An original member of the “Crazed Rats” line, DaSilva started the season off slowly and still hasn’t rediscovered the scoring touch he had last season. He has shown streaks of effectiveness on offense, but more is expected and needed from him if the WorSharks are going to make any sort of playoff run. DaSilva’s defensive play is still good, and he leads the team in plus/minus, which saves his grade a little.
Season highlight: goal, assist, +3 vs Norfolk on 11/14
Grade: C

#22 Andrew Desjardins C
38 games; 5g, 12a, 17pts; +12; 46PIM
Another original member of the “Crazed Rats” line, Desjardins also started the season off slowly in scoring goals. Despite the scoring slump his high energy and tenacious play has continued to make him one of the hardest players in the AHL to play against, and it’s that hard work that resulted in a recall to San Jose and playing in his first NHL game on Jan. 3 against Vancouver. Desjardins is another on the long list of players that needs to pick up the scoring for the WorSharks.
Season highlight: goal, 2 assists, +4 vs Springfield on 11/21
Grade: C

#21 Benn Ferriero C
16 games; 10g, 6a, 16pts; (-3); 8PIM
Ferriero was a point per game player this season while he was here in Worcester, and after his second recall to San Jose on 11/26 it looks like he’s going to be there for a long while. The WorSharks most certainly miss his goal scoring and play making abilities, and one can only dream about what this season would have been like had he been in the AHL.
Season highlight: two goals, assist at Connecticut on 10/10
Grade: A

#47 Kevin Henderson LW
40 games; 4g, 6a, 10pts; +9; 37PIM
Henderson has been a great addition to the Crazed Rats line, and he has already doubled his goal output from last season. One of the handful of WorSharks on the plus side of the ledger, his high energy play is his greatest asset. Henderson doesn’t have NHL talent, but he is a decent AHL player and he’s good at his role.
Season highlight: 3 assists, +3 vs Norfolk on 11/14
Grade: C

#19 James Marcou RW
41 games; 4g, 15a, 19pts; (-12); 18PIM
Marcou’s small size is a real hindrance in the AHL. While he excelled in college at UMass on their Olympic width rink the smaller ice surface of North American pro hockey has caused issues for him  because he is unable to create space for himself against opponents that are much larger than he is. Marcou is more effective on the power play where a majority of his points come from, but lately he has been unable to generate any offense even with the extra space created with a man advantage. He currently has the worst plus/minus on the team.
Season highlight: goal, assist at Connecticut on 12/4
Grade: D

#53 Brandon Mashinter LW
31 games; 7g, 8a, 15pts; (-4); 64PIM
Hopes were high that this would be Mashinter’s breakout season, but so far that hasn’t happened. Another of the many WorSharks that are having issues putting the puck in the net, Mashinter has seen his talent as a power forward plateau. His recent recall to San Jose may rekindle his development, but he still has a long way to go to be considered an every day NHL player.
Season highlight: goal, 3 assists, +3 at Providence on 10/31
Grade: C

#11 Cory Quirk C
42 games; 2g, 3a, 5pts; (-11); 18PIM
Another player slight in stature, Quirk was a decent depth AHL player last season. This season he’s having the same issues as the rest of the team scoring goals despite playing many games on the top two lines for Worcester. In spite of his small size he’s a player that isn’t afraid to play against the boards or in front of the net, but unless he’s paired with a player with some play making skills his offensive upside is limited. The best thing going for Quirk right now is he’s a good penalty killer, which saves him from a failing grade.
Season highlight: goal, +2 at Bridgeport on 10/9
Grade: D

#24 T.J. Trevelyan LW
41 games; 8g, 12a, 20pts; (-8); 23PIM
A goal scorer that doesn’t score goals is just another guy wearing your team’s jersey, and that’s what Trevelyan has been so far this season. With no game winning goals and a negative plus/minus there has been virtually nothing positive happening when he is on the ice. If Trevelyan were to double his goal output from the first half of the season it would still result in a career low. All one needs to know about Trevelyan this season can be learned by looking at San Jose’s recall list; his name is nowhere to be found.
Season highlight: goal, 2 assists at Connecticut on 12/4
Grade: D

#17 Tommy Wingels RW
35 games; 6g, 6a, 12pts; (-2); 35PIM
While still learning the pro game Wingels is one of the few Worcester forwards to play while both shorthanded and on the power play. Wingels makes smart plays both with and without the puck, a rarity in rookies. He still need to work on his skating, but so far it looks like San Jose has a very good prospect in Wingels.
Season highlight: gwg, assist at Albany on 12/11
Grade: B

#15 Steven Zalewski C
42 games; 3g, 14a, 17pts; (-6); 14PIM
The vast majority of the time Zalewski has looked totally lost out there this season. He can’t win face-offs, he can’t score goals, and he doesn’t play defense. Zalewski was one of the players that was counted upon heavily to help carry the offensive load this season, and it appears that’s something else he can’t do.
Season highlight: goal, 2 assists vs Portland on 12/5
Grade: F

DEFENSEMEN
#27 Justin Braun
23 games; 1g, 11a, 12pts; +1; 8PIM
Braun is a great mix of offense and defense and possesses a poise not normally seen in rookie defenseman. He doesn’t make the flashy play on either end of the ice, but he doesn’t make a whole lot of mistakes either. Not blessed with great speed Braun makes up for that shortcoming with great puck anticipation and good fundamentals. He has played well in two recalls to San Jose and it looks like Braun will turn into another great late round pick for San Jose.
Season highlight: goal, 2 assists vs Portland on 10/23
Grade: B

#20 Matt Irwin
36 games; 7g, 11a, 18pts; E; 12PIM
Irwin is an offensive defenseman that has more than enough defensive skills to not be a liability on the ice. Like most offense first defenders Irwin doesn’t play a very physical game, relying more on a positional game to stop scoring opportunities. He will need to work on his defensive skills to make it to the next level, but he’s already a serviceable AHL defenseman in just half a pro season.
Season highlight: gwg vs Portland on 1/2
Grade: C

#28 Jay Leach
42 games; 0g, 3a, 3pts; (-6); 36PIM
If Leach had been signed to be a traffic cop San Jose made a great signing. Since he was signed to be a defenseman they aren’t getting their monies worth. Leach is having a hard time keeping up with AHL forwards, and does a lot of directing other players in who to cover while leaving his man wide open. Word is he’s great in the locker room, and that’s good because he’s pretty bad on the ice.
Season highlight: assist, +1 vs Charlotte on 11/27
Grade: F

#3 Joe Loprieno
27 games; 1g, 0a, 1pt; (-6); 36PIM
Loprieno has spent a few games up at forward due to injuries and recalls, and he didn’t look that bad up there. Defensively Loprieno still has a lot to work on, and like last season he could use some seasoning in the ECHL as opposed to getting third pairing minutes and virtually no special teams play here in Worcester. He also needs to learn when to pick his spots as he has committed several bad penalties that have luckily so far not hurt his team.
Season highlight: goal vs Charlotte on 11/27
Grade: C

#8 Mike Moore
20 games; 2g, 3a, 5pts; +1; 16PIM
Moore is on the brink of being an everyday third pairing NHL defenseman. He used to be a one trick pony of just blasting his opponents off the puck, but now Moore is a more well rounded defenseman and plays a lot smarter and pucks his spots well. He still needs to work a bit on his skating, but in general he’s probably reached his maximum potential.
Season highlights: 2 goals, +3 vs Norfolk on 11/14
Grade: C

#29 Nick Petrecki
36 games; 3g, 4a, 7pts; (-6); 80PIM
No player has improved as much as Petrecki has since the end of last season. He went from being totally lost on the ice to being one of Worcester’s top defenseman. His skating still needs a lot of work, but now that he’s figured out what he’s supposed to be doing out there and how to go about it there’s no reason to think he can’t improve his skating too. Petrecki may also wish to work on his fighting because some of his bouts have been nothing short of ugly.
Season highlight: gwg vs Providence on 10/30
Grade: B

#6 Nick Schaus
40 games; 1g, 7a, 8pts; (-1); 24PIM
After a slow start Schaus has finally gotten things going in the right direction. His improvement seemed to coincide with the return of Mike Moore, which makes sense as their skill sets complement each other fairly well. Schaus plays better when paired with a “stay at home” partner, and unless Worcester wants to pair two rookies that pretty much leaves Moore as Schaus’ partner. He has a long way to go to be an NHL defenseman, but for now he’s certainly good enough for the AHL.
Season highlight: gwg, +2 vs Portland on 12/5
Grade: C

#37 Sean Sullivan
30 games; 10g, 11a, 21pts; (-3); 18PIM
Sullivan is essentially a forward disguised as a defenseman. He is the WorSharks second leading scorer and is just shy of setting his career high for goals in a season. He was signed to replace Danny Groulx and has done just that. Sullivan probably isn’t the guy you want protecting a one goal lead, but he’s surely the guy you want out there if you need a goal.
Season highlight: gwg, assist vs Manchester on 11/6
Grade: B

GOALTENDERS
#30 Carter Hutton
9 games; 3-2-2; 3.25; .888
Hutton is a serviceable backup to Stalock, and that’s really all he needs to be. Hutton has played fairly well for Worcester but has had a few games where the team was basically invisible in front of him that have done a number on his stats. Should Stalock be unavailable for any length of time Worcester will be in decent shape for a short while, but a more permanent replacement might be needed.
Season highlight: 37 save win at Providence on 10-31
Grade: C

#32 Alex Stalock
35 games; 16-15-3; 2.53; .911
Don’t be fooled by his numbers, Stalock is having a great season. There have been far too many times where Stalock was the only reason Worcester is still in the game, and through just half the season he’s already made a career’s worth of highlight reel saves. It’s a pretty safe bet Stalock will find himself in the NHL next season.
Season highlight: 41 save win at Hershey on 11/24
Grade: A

HOCKEY OPERATIONS
The absence of true front line talent and the total lack of players in the ECHL for Worcester to call upon has not only hurt Worcester, but due to injuries on the NHL roster San Jose is now feeling the impact of the Sharks hockey operations gross mismanagement of their minor league franchise. An AHL team is not just for developing prospects, it’s also for borderline NHL talent to be used as spares for injuries on the NHL roster. Because San Jose didn’t do that they’re trying to fill the roster slots vacated by injuries with players that aren’t close to being NHL talent. Hopefully they have learned from this, although if the past is any indication the odds are against it.
Grade: F

OVERALL GRADE
The Worcester Sharks are 7th in the AHL in shots at 32.29 per game, but are just 26th in goals per game at 2.52. Had the WorSharks scored a minimum of three goals every game they’d have 19 more points in the standings. When you figure the points that division rivals would have lost with Worcester scoring those three goals per game the WorSharks would be running away with the division. Defensively this team is pretty average, and statistically that shows with the team being in the middle of the pack in both goals against per game and shots allowed. But that average defense will be good enough if Worcester can put the puck in the net a little more often. If they can’t it will be a very short season for the WorSharks.
Grade: D

WorSharks Run Aground By Pirates, 8-3

The Worcester Sharks couldn’t hold on to three different one goal leads and then apparently forgot there was a third period to play as they gave up six consecutive goals to lose Saturday night’s contest 8-3 to the Portland Pirates at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine. T.J. Trevelyan and Steven Zalewski each had a goal and an assist for the WorSharks, with Dan DaSilva grabbing his second goal in as many games to round out the scoring. Portland was led by defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani’s five assist and had eight different goal scorers.

For those interested in the particulars they can check out Bill Ballou’s game story and notes column in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. Ballou also has a nice feature on newly signed defenseman Ryan Lannon. Paul Betit has Portland’s side for the Press Herald.

As usual, the WorSharks and Pirates official sites have their unique points of view.

GAME NOTES
Worcester went with the same line-up as Friday night with two exceptions; James Marcou dressed in place of Kevin Henderson (illness), and Carter Hutton was in goal.

A quick statistical look at the third period organizationally:
Worcester
Tied for last in the AHL with 51 goals allowed in the third period.
Their goal differential in the period is (-18), the worst in the AHL.
Despite those stats, Worcester is amazingly 15-0-0-1 when leading after two periods.

San Jose
Tied for 26th in the NHL with 49 goals allowed in the third period.
Their goal differential in the period is (-14), which is 25th in the NHL.
San Jose is 16-3-2 when leading after two periods…that sounds decent, but that .762 winning percentage is 29th in the NHL.

Perhaps it’s time something is done about the strategy used by the organization in the third period?

BOXSCORE
Worcester 2 1 0 – 3
Portland 2 1 5 – 8

1st Period-1, Worcester, Trevelyan 8 (Zalewski, Lannon), 0:58. 2, Portland, Gongalsky 1 (Gragnani, Mancari), 6:36. 3, Worcester, DaSilva 8 (Trevelyan, MacIntyre), 16:52 (PP). 4, Portland, Brennan 5 (Tropp, Parrish), 18:38 (PP). Penalties-MacIntyre Wor (fighting), 6:42; McCauley Por (fighting), 6:42; Leach Wor (slashing), 7:59; Bowers Por (boarding), 15:27; McLaren Wor (cross-checking), 17:08; Lawrence Wor (holding), 18:52.

2nd Period-5, Worcester, Zalewski 3 (Marcou, Irwin), 18:12 (PP). 6, Portland, Whitmore 14 (Roloff), 18:46 (SH). Penalties-Legault Por (interference), 2:59; Zalewski Wor (tripping), 6:11; Parrish Por (slashing), 17:16; Mancari Por (tripping), 18:31.

3rd Period-7, Portland, Tropp 6 (Gragnani, Byron), 3:28. 8, Portland, Mancari 18 (Gragnani, Ellis), 10:35 (PP). 9, Portland, Legault 9 (Whitmore, Gongalsky), 13:07. 10, Portland, Byron 14 (Parrish, Gragnani), 17:45 (PP). 11, Portland, Schiestel 5 (Gragnani), 19:41. Penalties-Loprieno Wor (boarding), 9:39; DaSilva Wor (unsportsmanlike conduct, misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 17:15; Loprieno Wor (tripping), 17:15.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 7-8-9-24. Portland 13-10-13-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 2/4; Portland 3/7.
Goalies-Worcester, Hutton 3-2-2 (36 shots-28 saves). Portland, Leggio 11-4-0 (24 shots-21 saves).
A-5,339
Referees-Ian Croft (87), David Banfield (44). Linesmen-Jeremy Lovett (78), Joe Andrews (32).

WorSharks Power Themselves To Victory Over Falcons, 3-1

The Worcester Sharks found themselves in the all too familiar territory of being scoreless and trailing in the third period, but three quick strikes allowed the WorSharks to celebrate Roy Sommer’s 1000th game as an AHL head coach with a 3-1 win over the Springfield Falcons at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts in front of 3,799 fans.

Despite the opening period seeing no goals it may have been the best period of hockey Worcester has played in some time. The WorSharks were very physical on the defensive end and swarmed the net on offense, outshooting the Falcons 15-6 over the opening 20 minutes. But it still could have been better as a handful of turnovers and absent minded passes eliminated as many scoring chances as the Falcons defense did. Worcester’s physical play boiled over late in the period when Chris Lawrence (6’4″ 210#) took on “heavyweight” Dane Byers (6’3″ 204#) in the Springfield zone. Lawrence, not known for his fighting ability, held his own against Byers to earn a draw in the bout. Worcester killed off the phantom slashing minor that went along with the majors. They would not be so lucky in the next bout.

At the 20:00 minute mark of the first period Tommy Wingles took exception to Mike Blunden shooting the puck on WorSharks netminder Alex Stalock after the first period horn sounded earning them both unsportsmanlike conduct minors. Blundin would not return to the game with a shoulder injury. Those tempers would continue to smolder until 3:15 of the second period when Joe Loprieno (6″3″ 220#) took on Steve Goertzen (6’2″ 215#) behind the Worcester net in another even bout. But again Worcester would find themselves shorthanded when Loprieno was assessed an additional well deserved slashing minor.

It took the Falcons just six seconds on that man advantage to make it 1-0 when Tom Sestito forced a Mike Moore turnover behind the WorSharks net and jammed the puck past Stalock at 3:21.

The WorSharks seemed to lose a bit of steam after the goal with the errors and poor shot selection that have plagued Worcester over the last month or so popping up again. And when the WorSharks were able to get some momentum to their play Falcons goaltender Gustaf Wesslau was there to keep Worcester off the board. While Worcester’s shot advantage continued to rise as the game progressed the momentum was really in Springfield’s favor and were it not for Stalock the game would have been out of hand for the offensively challenged WorSharks. But sometimes all it takes to break a scoring funk is a lucky bounce, and Worcester got one of those.

With Ben Guite in the box serving a major penalty for boarding David Marshall, Byers had a breakaway on Stalock with the netminder holding his ground and making the save. Stalock jumped to his feet and grabbed the rebound and fired it 100 feet up ice to Jonathan Cheechoo. The former Rocket Richard winner broke into the Falcons zone and fired a shot on net that Wesslau made a tough save on, but the rebound bounced right on the stick of Cam MacIntyre, who flipped a backhand into the yawning net to break a 133:03 scoreless streak and a 23 power play attempt scoreless streak at 12:17.

Guite’s major penalty would continue and the WorSharks would capitalize again to take a 2-1 lead when MacIntyre and Cheechoo teamed up for another power play tally. After a timeout by Worcester kept its number one power play line on the ice MacIntyre fed the puck to the blue line where Matt Irwin bombed a one-timer on net through traffic. Wesslau made the save, but Cheechoo was there to bang the puck home at 14:22. The two power play tallies were the first time Worcester has scored goals on consecutive power play attempts since November 6th against Manchester.

Dan DaSilva would cap off the scoring for Worcester at 14:57 after a clean Ryan Del Monte face-off win. The draw went right to DaSilva, who fired a backhander that surprised Wesslau as it found the back of the net. The WorSharks would play great defense the rest of the way–and got a little help from the post to the left of Stalock–to keep Springfield off the board to preserve the 3-1 win.

GAME NOTES
The Worcester Shuttle was in full swing this week, with Brandon Mashinter moving back went only to head back to San Jose the next day. The shuttle also picked up Justin Braun and Andrew Desjardins in separate transactions. Worcester has had its own injury issues and signed defenseman and Grafton, Massachusetts native Ryan Lannon to a PTO. Lannon is considered a veteran by AHL rules, but Worcester is under the veteran game day limit so there was no issue in dressing Lannon. With Frazer McLaren returning from injury Erick Lizon was released from his PTO and returned to Bakersfield(ECHL). Worcester’s scratches were Tony Lucia (concussion), James Marcou (healthy), Nick Petrecki (back), and Sean Sullivan (lower body) . Carter Hutton was the back-up netminder.

Stalock’s assist on MacIntyre’s goal was his first of the season, but not the first for a WorSharks goaltender this season. Hutton had one in his first game for Worcester on October 16. The assist ties Stalock with Thomas Greiss for the WorSharks career lead in goaltender assists at four. Other Worcester netminders with assists are Tyson Sexsmith and Dmitri Patzold with two each, and Hutton, Frank Doyle, Taylor Dakers, and Nolan Schaefer all have one. No WorSharks goaltender has an assist in playoffs.

A large contingent of Worcester fans made the trip down the Mass Pike for the game and were seated in the section behind the net the WorSharks shoot at twice. Their cheers were incredibly loud on the three Worcester goals, so much so it was hard to tell the visiting team has scored. This writer usually prefers a vantage point somewhere between the blue lines, but the sight lines at the MassMutual Center are so good that sitting high in one of the corners might be a better view of the ice than many of the older buildings give you from along the sides. If you ever visit the MassMutual Center, get the warm kettle chips sold behind section 27. You won’t be disappointed.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 14 Jonathan Cheechoo (g,a)
2. WOR – 41 Cam MacIntyre (g,a)
3. SPR – 21 Tom Sestito (g)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Alex Stalock.

BOXSCORE
Worcester 0 0 3 – 3
Springfield 0 1 0 – 1

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Sestito Spr (tripping), 14:00; Lawrence Wor (slashing, fighting), 17:54; Byers Spr (fighting), 17:54; Wingels Wor (unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00; Blunden Spr (unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00.

2nd Period-1, Springfield, Sestito 7 (Guite), 3:21 (PP). Penalties-Loprieno Wor (slashing, fighting), 3:15; Goertzen Spr (fighting), 3:15; Tarnasky Spr (tripping), 5:39; Moore Wor (interference), 11:34; Goloubef Spr (delay of game), 18:05.

3rd Period-2, Worcester, MacIntyre 2 (Cheechoo, Stalock), 12:17 (PP). 3, Worcester, Cheechoo 14 (Irwin, MacIntyre), 14:22 (PP). 4, Worcester, DaSilva 7 (Del Monte), 14:57. Penalties-Guite Spr (major – boarding), 9:38.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 15-12-15-42. Springfield 6-10-6-22.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 2/6; Springfield 1/3.
Goalies-Worcester, Stalock 16-15-3 (22 shots-21 saves). Springfield, Wesslau 6-6-1 (42 shots-39 saves).
A-3,799
Referees-Jamie Koharski (84). Linesmen-Rich Patry (52), Frank Murphy (29).

San Jose Sharks EVP/GM Doug Wilson interviewed by Drew Remenda on not meeting expectations, team leaders, grades for coaching staff/GM, and players other teams are asking about in leadup to February 28th NHL trade deadline

Comcast Sportsnet California debuted the latest episode of the Shark Byte television magazine last night after the Sharks-Oilers game. Television play-by-play analyst, Shark Byte host and former Sharks assistant coach Drew Remenda asked San Jose GM Doug Wilson about his thoughts on the team’s recent performance, why his team has not met expectations yet this season, what the team leaders in the locker room need to do to turn the slump around, whether he is interested in making a trade before the Feb. 28th NHL trade deadline, and which players on the Sharks roster other teams are asking about among other topics. Keep an eye on Comcast Sportsnet California or CSNcalifornia.com for the next scheduled airing of the episode (Friday 7:30PM PT, Saturday 10:30PM PT after Blues game).

A transcript of the interview:

[DR] One of your favorite sayings is that we never apologize for setting the bar high. Currently as we are taping this, the Sharks sit in 11th place. Do we need to lower the bar, lower expectations?

[DW] Not a chance. We won’t reduce expectations in any way. We are in 11th place, and we probably belong there with the way we have played.

[DR] Why hasn’t the team reached your expectations?

[DW] It is our expectations because we are all in it together. Players will say they haven’t played up to their capabilities. I will say that we have to reset our foundation. Two areas in particular that are indicative of a good hockey team, play when you don’t have the puck, and do you commit to the structure. You certainly have to have talent. There are a lot of teams the last couple of years that have gone through these stretches, it is how you come out of it on the other side that really reveals what you are made of.

[DR] I want to talk about your head coach. When Todd (McLellan) got here, he talked about wanting the team to play faster. He hasn’t been able to do that. How come?

[DW] It may shock you that we may disagree on this. We do play fast when we play the right way. You take a look at how a Logan Couture or a Ryane Clowe plays, they come back and allow us to play fast. Speed with the puck and how you position yourself is how you play well. We went in to Detroit, we beat Philly, we beat Chicago three times, we beat LA a couple of times, we played fast because we did it the right way. When we don’t, we are an average team. That is the way it works in this league, especially in the Western Conference.

[DR] You put a premium on leadership. You talk about leadership all the time. Four of your guys, Dan Boyle, Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, make a combined $28 million hit on your cap. Right now they are -36. Do you still have faith moving forward with them.

[DW] Sure I do. You have to have talent in this league to win, but you have to have the sum of all of your parts. I understand people going directly to your top players. Your best players have to be your best players. There are a lot of other players that need to step up and play the game that allows us to have the team concept that allowed us to have success in the past. Each one of them when they graded themselves understands that if you are not scoring, there are other things you can help us play. A teammate to a teammate, getting available for each other is the key to the speed game today.

[DR] Outside noise though, and this is always the outside noise you get asked all the time. With the team sitting where it is, already we have talked about the team not meeting expectations. Are changes forthcoming heading into playoffs?

[DW] We look every day to make this team better. There will be changes. Hopefully the changes are from within that room. The next 10, 11, 12 games will dictate the type of changes we make. Believe me, I don’t have 29 other really good friends calling me now and offering me wonderful deals. The good thing is they call, they like our young players, they like all our picks and things that we have. In this league right now, there is such a shortage of centerman and (defense). The reality is that everybody is looking for the same thing. Parents out there, have your kid start playing center or d, and give us a call. That is how it works in this league, there aren’t enough good players in those positions to go around. Then it puts the onus on teams to draft and develop. Look at Chicago last year.

[DR] What is your philosophy in building this team?

[DW] Get players that love to play the game. When there is a challenge or an opportunity, their hockey sense and IQ, and just their compete factor… Yes you have to be athletic and have a high level of skill, but you have to be able to think the game at a level, and play in a way that you are committed, so if you are stressed or fatigued it doesn’t really matter. You are fundamentally strong, and you line up and play this game. Hockey is the ultimate team game where it is not always the team with the best player that wins. It is the team that is playing well and committing to each other. We haven’t had the committment to play the type of game that we need all year.

[DR] You and your 29 other friends, being the other NHL general managers. When they are looking at your team and calling you, who are they talking about?

[DW] It is not that tough to figure out. I used this line two years ago, they call asking about the gold mine and then they offer me the shaft. The Logan Couture type player, the Charlie Coyle, who just played in the World Junior Championships, Jason Demers, Justin Braun and all that. It is positional, there are players out there I think are trending in the right direction. Teams are looking, saying how do I get players like that on fair contracts going forward. That is a good thing. Our team is positioned in a way that we are going to have a good window of opportunity for the next 3-4 years. That doesn’t take away the present, which were are concerned about because we are not playing the way we are capable of. We are done talking about it, lets line up and get ready for tonight.

[DR] I know you talked to the team about that very point, but you also talked to individual players about the grades for how they have been performing at. In that vein, what grade would you give the coaching staff? What grade would you give yourself?

[DW] The coaching staff is doing everything that they can. I talked about the structure. That has not changed. The grade I would give myself is unacceptable. We are not where we need to be. We believe in these players, but there comes a time when it is not what you say. Go put it together on the ice. In this league, the Western Conference in particular, you need to play at a high level for a period of time and put a streak together, because the seperation is not going to take place here.

[DR] What are your expectations for the second half of the season?

[DW] To have our team play at a level they demand of themselves. When we have a progress report that is littered with C-‘s, C’s and D’s, it doesn’t matter what you do that is not going to get it done. We will have to trend up and get into the A’s and B’s category for us to play and be successful in this league.

[DR] Let’s forget where we are right now, what are two things the Sharks need to do to contend for a Stanley Cup?

[DW] Start by the first shift tonight. Stop forgetting or worrying about the future. You have to be in the moment. When the puck is dropped, you have to show the team you are playing against and your teammates that you are ready to go. You have to do that one shift at a time. If you get outside of that context, you are not doing your job.

DOH Podcast #130: Sharks slump, solutions, is San Jose trending down?

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2011_0111.mp3]

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana discuss the anger on all sides surrounding the Sharks recent slump, what solutions are available to the team, which roster situations will have to be resolved before the trade deadline, whether the team should stay the course, move high profile talent, make minor tweaks, or change the coaching staff, Devin Setoguchi for Francois Beauchemin trade rumors, and whether the 3-time defending Pacific Division champs are on a downward trend among other topics on the 130th episode of the Dudes on Hockey podcast.

This Sharks podcast is posted here with permission. Visit dudesonhockey.com for more coverage of the team or download the MP3 file directly here.

Sharks looking for answers and confidence after 5-2 loss to Edmonton Oilers, 6th straight loss

TAYLOR HALL GOAL JUST CROSSES LINE IN 2ND - GRAPHIC CSNCA

SHARKS STATS DURING 6GM LOSING STREAK, 6GM HOME LOSING STREAK

The Sharks have been struggling with the basic fundamentals of hockey. Lacking the offensive punch to power past teams, San Jose has also been struggling as a team to play a full 20 minute period of mistake free hockey. Four games past the midpoint of the season, the back-to-back-to-back Pacific Division champions are outside of the playoff window and watching it get furthur away with each loss. A 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers Thursday night at HP Pavilion increased their losing streak to 6 games dating back to January 3rd, and increased their home losing streak to 6 games dating back to December 27th.

After the game frustrated San Jose head coach Todd McLellan both stepped in front of criticism, and directly challenged his team to play with more responsibility and intensity. “I am the leader of this team. I am the coach, I am the leader,” McLellan responded when asked whether more leadership was needed on the ice. “It is my responsibility to make sure they are prepared to play. After that it becomes an individual’s responsibility. Right now I am not doing a very good job. They need to step up a little bit. I need to do a better job, find better buttons to push.”

The offense has been struggling. Prior to Edmonton, the Sharks had 19 power play opportunities in the previous 19 periods (5.26%). For a team that leans heavily on its special teams to win games, that is a problem. 5-on-5 scoring, and generating quality even strength scoring chances has also been a problem. In the previous 4 games, San Jose was held to only 3 even strength goals and shutout twice. Ebbs in scoring, and ebbs in the schedule are natural in a marathon 82-game season, but while some teams can bear down defensively San Jose continues to make mistakes. Thursday night against Edmonton, the Sharks made enough critical mistakes in each period to lose the game.

After playing a fairly tight first period, a defensive breakdown/miscommunication lead to the Oilers first goal of the game at 15:34. Losers of 9 of their last 10 games, an injury riddled and youthful Edmonton Oilers squad was in danger of being swept in a season series for the first time in the Sharks 20 year history. Dany Heatley and Joe Pavelski failed to switch off on coverage low in their own defensive zone, and both players ended up moving towards defenseman Tom Gilbert on the right wing. That left center Andrew Cogliano open on the left side of goaltender Antero Niittymaki, and he buried a quick shot high short side for the first goal of the game.

The Oilers next goal early in the second period also came on a somewhat broken play. Right wing Ales Hemsky challenged Ryane Clowe to keep the puck in at the point, and Hemsky wristed a quick shot on goal with Taylor Hall providing a screen in front. After Penner and Hemsky controlled the rebound behind the net, Penner slid to the slot and Hemsky hit him on the stick with a crisp pass. Sharks goaltender Antero Niittymaki went prone to block the initial Hall deflection attempt. As “Nitty” tried to regain his feet for Penner’s one-timer, he couldn’t regain a set position quickly enough to stop the fairly straightforward shot. Less than 25 minutes into the game, the Sharks were already on the wrong end of a 2 goal lead.

Asked whether Thursday night was a continuation of recent problems, or if the game was more troubling than past efforts, San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan was blunt. “I personally feel it was more troubling. Right now it is just simple, simple things. We fell down defending. That can happen in a game. We win a faceoff and shot a puck clearly over the glass. It is not even close,” McLellan said describing mistakes that lead to the Oilers third and fourth goals. “Where are we mentally? We address something between periods. The very first shift we go out and do it, opposite of what (they) were asked to do. To me, that is troubling.”

Defenseman Niclas Wallin tripped and fell to the ice late in the second period, opening up Taylor Hall for a breakaway opportunity on goal. Sharks goaltender Antero Niittymaki blocked the initial wrist shot, but the puck dropped off his pads to his left and trickled over the goal line. The play went to video review before the off-ice officials eventually ruled it a good goal. “I know I had it,” Niittymaki said after the game. “He slashed me on the my pads. It was the same thing with the 4th one. It’s not good enough when you score 2 in your own net. I have to be better.”

San Jose captain Joe Thornton added a power play goal 5:55 into the third period to cut the Oilers lead to 3-1. It came after Sharks picked up the intensity several notches. The top power play unit of Marleau-Heatley-Thornton created scoring chances down low on their first shift. After Hemsky hit the post on a shorthanded breakaway, it was defenseman Douglas Murray driving the net and trying to shovel a Dany Heatley rebound on goal. 6-foot-5 former Stockton Thunder goaltender Devan Dubnyk made the save down low. After another Cogliano-Penner shorthanded rush, the Sharks were forced to regather the puck twice on their counter rush up ice. It did not slow them down. Marleau fed a short pass to Heatley on the right wing. Thornton buried the quick Heatley cross-crease pass for his 11th goal of the season.

It was a momentum shift the Sharks could not maintain. Ryane Clowe was called for a marginal holding call at 7:04, brushing part of his glove against a passing forward. This came a minute and a half after defenseman Theo Peckham cross checked Thornton to the ice in front of the net without a call. Then after a Sharks faceoff win, defenseman Kent Huskins fired a clearing attempt over the glass for a delay of game penalty at 7:09. The Oilers would have a near full two minute 5-on-3 power play opportunity. The Sharks beared down on the penalty kill, and two critical saves by Niittymaki gave the Sharks the opportunity to escape unharmed. “Nitty” made a hard right to left push to stone the Oilers point blank, then made another clutch reaction save as the puck traveled from behind the net out front for a one-timer.

Then center Scott Nichol’s stick broke. He could not clear the puck out of the zone, or defend against a shot from high in the slot. As Clowe and Huskins left the box, Hemsky corraled the puck along the half wall and carried it to the center of the offensive zone. A give and go with rookie Linus Omark gave Hemsky enough time to ring a shot off the post. The puck sat on the edge of the blue paint, and Omark beat Vlasic to the rebound for the fourth Oilers goal of the game. “We are still getting lots of shots. A couple went in tonight, we are still making mental mistakes,” Joe Thornton said after the game. “We did in our own zone. It just kills us. You come back and are in that game at 3-1 and then a couple of penalties take the wind out of the bench.”

San Jose left wing Ryane Clowe added a power play goal at 19:11 of the third period, but it was too little too late. “I am sure we are going to constantly repeat ourselves,” Clowe said. “It is probably going to sound like a broken record. There is not a lot to say. Right now, we just need to get it together.” Clowe’s effort on Thursday was the definition of a player trying to put the team on his back. Clowe dropped the gloves with Theo Peckham after he cross checked Dany Heatley repeatedly in the first period. #29 then left directly to the locker room for repairs.

After the game Clowe said he had been caught by a skate in the leg prior to the fight. He returned to the bench for the second period, and delivered a hard check behind the Oilers net despite a heavy limp. Asked about the extent of his injury during the game, and if it may keep out after Thursday, Clowe replied that he was able to play so it could not have been too bad. His response when asked if the Sharks expected to come out of their slump against the last place Oilers? “We are not exactly at the top of the standings, so there are no easy games,” Clowe replied.

Clowe’s effort was part of the problem and part of the solution to the Sharks current 6 game slide. In past playoff exits, the Sharks have had quality individual performances, but they were not matched by the 20-team roster as a whole. Asked whether he was prepared to hold individual players accountable, Todd McLellan replied yes and no. “We are all in it together. The disappointing thing for me is when someone shows up not prepared to work. I can handle mistakes,” McLellan said. “I can even even deal with losing. We are in the winning business. I can’t imagine what would happen in the real world. A brain surgeon, an ambulance driver, a police officer, someone over in Afghanistan, for somebody not being prepared to exercise what they were asked to do in critical situations. We didn’t have enough guys today.”

As to what has to change, McLellan hinted at the possibility that some players may need to be benched. Former Sharks head coach Ron Wilson noted that his main avenue to motivate players was ice time. During a different home slump, former Sharks head coach Darryl Sutter once said that maybe players needed to sleep at the rink instead of comfortably in their own beds. McLellan hinted at a change in accommodations, a change in practices, a change in the way the coach’s deliver their message as ways to right the ship. “Ultimately as individuals, you have to be ready to play. It doesn’t matter how it comes across.” After the game on Thursday night, McLellan noted that he was unhappy with the response he was given by a couple of players.

There have been local comparisons to the Detroit Red Wings losing 10 of 11 games before their eventual run to a Stanley Cup. Todd McLellan, who was an assistant coach on that team, said that comparison is not necessarily apt. “We did lose 10 of 11, and we came back and we played, but it was a little bit different to tell you the truth,” McLellan said. “We had guys coming to the rink prepared, guys that were coming ready to sacrifice, there minds were clear and they knew what the gameplan was. Tonight we didn’t have that from enough players.”

After exclaiming the Sharks had hit rock bottom after their previous loss Tuesday to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Comcast Sportsnet California analyst Bret Hedican adjusted his statement Thursday night. “I am not sure when rock bottom is going to happen,” he said.

Game Notes: The Sharks 6 game losing streak is the most the team has experienced in 15 years. The 6 game losing streak at home is the most that the team has endured in almost 14 years according to reports. Edmonton was 0-23 on the power play with an 8 game goal scoring drought heading into Thursday. The Oilers were 0-4 with the man advantage last night. Joe Pavelski returned after missing 8 games with a lower body injury. Logan Couture missed a game after a knee-on-knee hit against Toronto, but his injury is expected to be more short term than long. Justin Braun and Derek Joslin were also scratched for San Jose. Torrey Mitchell was placed on the injured reserve list with a lower body injury, and forward John McCarthy was out. Andrew Desjardins and Brandon Mashinter registered 5:55 and 3:01 of ice time respectively. Antero Niittymaki (12-6-3, .901SV%, 2.54GAA) stopped 24 of 28 shots against, and has struggled with a 4.09GAA and .838SV% in three starts since Christmas. Former Stockton Thunder goaltender Devin Dubnyk (4-3-5, .922SV%, 2.72GAA) stopped 41 of 43 shots against for his 4th win of the season. Worcester Sharks AHL head coach Roy Sommer will coach his 1000th game Friday against the Springfield Falcons.

[Update] A very unhappy Todd McLellan after 5-2 loss: ‘Maybe some guys need to watch a few games’ – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog.

[Update2] Oilers swim away from Sharks with 5-2 win, Dubnyk makes 41 saves in goal – Jim Matheson for the Edmonton Journal.

The Hockey News/XM Home Ice 204 Podcast: Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke, WJC, Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle

[audio:http://www.thehockeynews.com/upload/audio/TheHockeyNewsRadioShow-January72010.mp3]

Last Friday on The Hockey News Radio Show with Adam Proteau and Jim ‘Boomer’ Gordon on XM Satellite Radio Home Ice Channel 204: Boomer and Adam return for the first 2011 edition of THN Radio. In the opening segment, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke joins the show from Atlanta and discusses the World Junior Championship, the Maple Leafs’ development, Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel’s status as franchise players, and recent incidents in which hockey teams have banned media members from covering them.

In the second block, THN Web Editor Rory Boylen calls in to continue the discussion on the WJC, including his THN.com column on whether or not success at the tournament always translates into success at the NHL level, as well as the Montreal Canadiens’ blueline, and Mike Commodore’s request to be traded by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In the final block, Phoenix Coyotes leading scorer Keith Yandle calls the show to discuss the WJC, his burgeoning NHL career, and the rise in popularity of Twitter maniac Paul Bissonnette. As well, an abbreviated Ask Adam mailbag deals with questions on Ilya Kovalchuk’s point-producing ability, and the reasons why the Buffalo Sabres have fallen in the standings this season.

This podcast is posted here with permission. Visit thehockeynews.com and XM Radio NHL Home Ice 204 for more NHL coverage. Download the podcast via Itunes, or directly via the MP3 file here.

Bad Call Sends WorSharks Off To Defeat

The Worcester Sharks overcame a two goal deficit and appeared to win the game in overtime, but a controversial call overturned the apparent tally and led to a shootout, where the Springfield Falcons defeated the WorSharks 3-2 in a Sunday afternoon contest at the DCU center in Worcester, Massachusetts in front of a crowd of 5,514 fans.

The WorSharks outshot the Falcons 17-12 in the opening period, and despite several close calls and three shots hitting the iron behind Springfield goaltender Gustaf Wesslau the Falcons would have the only goal of the opening period when Tomas Kubalik skated down the right wing side and beat Worcester netminder Alex Stalock with a wrist shot to the stick side at 3:07. Springfield would make it 2-0 at 9:37 of the second period with a power play tally when David Savard’s blast from the blue line was deflected by Trevor Smith and past Stalock.

But Worcester continued to play hard and T.J. Trevelyan got the WorSharks back within one with a goal scorer’s move after collecting his own rebound. Trevelyan broke down the left wing side into the Springfield zone leading a three on two with defenseman Mike Moore skating hard to the net and Ryan Del Monte heading down the right wing. Trevelyan’s original shot was saved by Wesslau, but the winger was able to gather the rebound and wheel the net to jam the puck home at 10:35 as Moore was checked into Wesslau preventing the netminder from making a save attempt.

A great back check by Marcou set up the game tying goal for Worcester at 4:14 of the third period. After Springfield had numbers on a rush into the WorSharks zone Marcou lifted the stick of a shooter and leveraged the larger player off the puck allowing Worcester to break out on the opposite direction. As play continued in the Falcons zone Justin Braun moved the puck into the corner where Ryan Del Monte picked it up and found Matt Irwin all alone in the slot. Irwin partially misfired on the one timer, but Marcou’s screen prevented Wesslau from seeing the shot until it was too late.

Late in the third period Worcester would be called for three consecutive minors, but the WorSharks penalty killers rose to the challenge to keep the Falcons off the board as the game headed to overtime. The four on four extra period was full of scoring chances for both clubs, but none was better than Dan DaSilva’s shot into an open net after a wild goal mouth scramble where Tom Sestito fell into the net. With Wesslau down and out and DaSilva with the puck the forward fired a backhander on net and hit the Falcons forward in the chest. Sestito’s body was completely over the goal line and was actually touching the rear of the net, and despite being in what would seem to be the perfect position referee Chris Brown emphatically indicated the puck did not cross the goal line.

The AHL does not use video replay for disputed goals, but the one shown to fans on Sharksvision showed pretty clearly the puck was over the goal line.

As the game headed to a shootout DaSilva connected to give Worcester a 1-0 lead, but the Falcons connected on their last two chances to take away the victory. The two teams play again Friday night in Springfield.

GAME NOTES
Worcester’s scratches were Jonathan Cheechoo (upper body), Joe Loprieno (healthy), Tony Lucia (concussion), Frazer McLaren (hip), Cam MacIntyre (groin), and Nick Petrecki (back). carter Hutton returned to his usual spot as back-up netminder.

Prior to the start of the game the WorSharks showed a video tribute and held a moment of silence for Tom Cavanagh, who passed away Thursday in providence, Rhode Island. The WorSharks official site had the following to say about Cavanagh: Tom Cavanagh played for Coach Sommer in Cleveland, and then came to Worcester when the franchise relocated for the 2006-07 season. He played for the Sharks through the end of the 2008-09 season and finished his Worcester career with point totals of 46-92-138. He remains the team’s all-time leader in points and assists. A graduate of Toll Gate High in Warwick, R.I., and then Harvard University, Cavanagh eventually went on and played for the San Jose Sharks. Our thoughts and prayers to the entire Cavanagh family.

The WorSharks went 0-6 on the power play, and now have gone 14 straight chances without a goal. One has to wonder how long it will take until head coach Roy Sommer puts the Crazed Rats out for a power play chance. It’s not like they could do any worse.

There were two fights in the contest, with Erick Lizon (6’4″ 225#) destroying Theo Ruth (6’1″ 211#) in the first period, and then pounding Nick Tarnasky (6’2″ 230#) in the second. Lizon’s reward for winning both bouts was to be released from his PTO. It’s a pretty safe bet Lizon will be back in the AHL with another club at some point this season.

The three stars of the game were
1. SPR – 27 Cody Goloubef (SO gwg)
2. WOR – 24 T.J. Trevelyan (g)
3. SPR – 36 Trevor Smith (g)

The Sharkspage player of the game was James Marcou.

Even Strength Lines
Trevelyan/Del Monte/Marcou
Wingles/Marshall/Zalewski
Henderson/Desjardins/DaSilva
Lawrence/Quirk/Lizon

Moore/Schaus
Irwin/Braun
Sullivan/Leach

Power Play lines
Marcou/Wingles/Trevelyan
Lawrence/Zalewski/DaSilva

Irwin/Braun
Moore/Sullivan

Penalty Kill Lines
Desjardins/Henderson
Quirk/Wingles

Braun/Leach(Moore)
Moore(Sullivan)/Schaus

BOXSCORE
Springfield 1 1 0 0 – 3
Worcester 0 1 1 0 – 2

1st Period-1, Springfield, Kubalik 11 (Byers, Ruth), 3:07. Penalties-Frischmon Spr (cross-checking), 4:15; Sestito Spr (interference, unsportsmanlike conduct), 7:21; Ruth Spr (fighting), 14:36; Sestito Spr (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:36; Lizon Wor (unsportsmanlike conduct, fighting), 14:36.

2nd Period-2, Springfield, Smith 14 (Savard, Blunden), 9:37 (PP). 3, Worcester, Trevelyan 7 (Moore, Marcou), 10:35. Penalties-Holden Spr (slashing), 6:14; Tarnasky Spr (fighting), 7:59; Lizon Wor (fighting), 7:59; Desjardins Wor (tripping), 9:23; Guite Spr (unsportsmanlike conduct), 17:49.

3rd Period-4, Worcester, Irwin 7 (Del Monte, Braun), 4:14. Penalties-Byers Spr (hooking), 5:26; Lawrence Wor (tripping), 10:48; Braun Wor (delay of game), 12:50; DaSilva Wor (tripping), 17:58.

OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties

Shootout – Springfield 2 (Smith NG, Tarnasky NG, Mayorov NG, Filatov G, Goloubef G), Worcester 1 (Trevelyan NG, Marshall NG, DaSilva G, Marcou NG, Quirk NG).
Shots on Goal-Springfield 12-4-10-5-1-32. Worcester 17-13-6-5-0-41.
Power Play Opportunities-Springfield 1/5; Worcester 0/6.
Goalies-Springfield, Wesslau 6-5-1 (41 shots-39 saves). Worcester, Stalock 15-14-3 (31 shots-29 saves).
A-5,514
Referee-Chris Brown (86). Linesmen-Bob Bernard (42), Chris Aughe (74).

Desjardins Overtime Tally Lifts WorSharks Over Bridgeport, 2-1

The Worcester Sharks got a solid goaltending performance from Carter Hutton and threw 40 shots on net, but it took an Andrew Desjardins overtime tally to defeat the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2-1 Saturday night at the newly renamed Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut in front of an announced crowd of 5,145.

Despite their offensive woes lately it was Worcester that got on the board first when some hard work by Cory Quirk resulted in a Chris Lawrence tally from in close. After a turnover by Bridgeport defenseman Ty Wishart set the WorSharks up in the offensive zone, Matt Irwin fired the puck along the right wing boards in deep to Quirk behind the net. The diminutive forward fought off both Mark Katic and David Ullstrom and threw a pass from behind the goal line through traffic–it actually went between Joe Loprieno’s legs–cross the top of the crease to Lawrence, who batted the puck past Sound Tigers netminder Mikko Koskinen at 14:04 of the first period. Lawrence was wide open because when Wishart went to the net to mark Loprieno the defenseman playing at forward shrugged off Wishart’s check and knocked him to the ice. The goal wasn’t Lawrence’s first in the AHL, but it may have felt like it. The last time the forward scored in the AHL was March 18, 2009 when he played for the Norfolk Admirals.

Bridgeport would get the equalizer at 18:57 with Tommy Wingles in the box for a double minor for high sticking Brett Motherwell and drawing blood. Motherwell was no worse for wear as it was his blast from the point that earned him an assist on the tying goal. After a feed to the point from Rhett Rakhshani Motherwell fired a shot on net that deflected off the shaft of Ryan Del Monte’s stick and then hit Sound Tiger’s winger Micheal Haley in the helmet, bounding past Hutton to light the lamp.

Both goaltenders would come up big throughout the rest of the scoreless regulation, although Koskinen would be the busier of the pair by far as Worcester tilted the ice toward the Sound Tiger’s end for most of the remainder of the game. Bridgeport would still have their chances, the best being a break away by Tony Romano as the center left the penalty box after serving a minor for roughing. Romano’s cross crease attempt was turned aside by Hutton, who stood his ground and gave the onrushing forward nothing to shoot at. Worcester would actually beat Koskinen twice more in regulation but Desjardins break in toward the end of the second period hit the far post and David Marshall’s blast with just over 20 seconds remaining in regulation rang off the crossbar.

The WorSharks didn’t stop fighting hard for the win during the overtime stanza and after a Nick Schaus dump in to the left wing corner Desjardins would pick up the loose puck and skate to the net unmolested, where he jammed the puck past Koskinen at 1:35 of the extra period. Mike Moore had the second assist on the goal.

GAME NOTES
Just as Worcester got Mike Moore and T.J. Trevelyan off the injury list the WorSharks lost two more when Nick Petrecki and Jonathan Cheechoo were bit by the injury bug. Worcester’s other scratches were Tony Lucia (concussion), Cam MacIntyre (groin), Erick Lizon (healthy), and Frazer McLaren (hip). Alex Stalock was the back-up netminder.

Prior to the start of the contest there was a moment of silence for former San Jose Sharks draft pick Tom Cavanagh, who passed away Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island. The WorSharks are planning to honor Cavanagh before the start of Sunday’s contest against the Springfield Falcons. Ironically, Cavanagh played for the Falcons earlier this season before being released from his PTO contract.

After snapping a 26 power play chance scoreless streak last Sunday the WorSharks have started another streak that now stands at eight attempts without a goal. To make matters worse, they’ve allowed a shorthanded goal during the latest drought.

Dressing for the Sound Tigers was former San Jose first round pick Ty Wishart, who was recently traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning organization to the New York Islanders for goaltender Dwayne Roloson. The trade marks the first time a former Worcester Sharks player (Wishart in 2008) was traded for a former Worcester IceCats player (Roloson in 2000-01). Former WorSharks forward Brady Leisenring also played for Bridgeport after being recently signed to a PTO.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 22 Andrew Desjardins (gwg)
2. BRI – 1 Mikko Koskinen (38 saves)
3. WOR – 30 Carter Hutton (19 saves)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Cory Quirk.

BOXSCORE
Worcester 1 0 0 1 – 2
Bridgeport 1 0 0 0 – 1

1st Period-1, Worcester, Lawrence 1 (Quirk, Irwin), 14:04. 2, Bridgeport, Haley 10 (Motherwell, Rakhshani), 18:57 (PP). Penalties-Desjardins Wor (hooking), 3:30; Motherwell Bri (interference), 6:20; DaSilva Wor (tripping), 8:17; Wingels Wor (double minor – high-sticking), 15:26.

2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Marshall Wor (tripping), 3:01; Romano Bri (roughing), 7:10; DiBenedetto Bri (hooking), 13:04.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-served by Bourbeau Bri (bench minor – too many men), 8:26; Labelle Bri (hooking), 12:53.

OT Period-3, Worcester, Desjardins 5 (Schaus, Moore), 1:35. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Worcester 7-16-15-2-40. Bridgeport 9-7-2-1-19.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0/5; Bridgeport 1/5.
Goalies-Worcester, Hutton 3-1-2 (19 shots-18 saves). Bridgeport, Koskinen 5-11-0 (40 shots-38 saves).
A-5,145
Referee-Mark Lemelin (84). Linesmen-Kevin Redding (16), Paul Simeon (66).

Sharks players and coach frustrated after 3-0 shutout loss to Buffalo Sabres, team meeting and verbal challenge by Ryane Clowe not enough to inspire a strong start

SHARKS RW #15 DANY HEATLEY FIRED TEAM RECORD 11 SHOTS ON GOAL

#30 NIITTYMAKI TRIES TO COVER REBOUND ON #72 ADAM 1ST PERIOD GOAL

#78 BENN FERRIEO COLLIDES WITH #4 STEVE MONTADOR IN 3RD

Notes from the Buffalo Sabres 3-0 shutout win over the San Jose Sharks will be posted soon. A small photo gallery from the game is available here.

San Jose center Logan Couture earned dual Sharks Foundation Player of the Month and NHL Rookie of the Month honors for December

NHL, SHARKS SINGLE OUT LOGAN COUTURE FOR DECEMBER HONORS

It is going to be a little harder for San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture to fly under the radar for the remainder of the season. The Calder Trophy contender was named the Sharks “Player of the Month” on Monday, and he received “Rookie of the Month” honors from the NHL on Wednesday. In addition to registering 10 goals and 4 assists in 15 December games, he has also provided a significant contribution on the penalty kill as well as leadership in the locker room.

“It is an honor to win an award like that, especially this year with the rookies that are in this league producing and being parts of their team,” Couture told radio play-by-play host Dan Rusanowsky. “It is an honor, but as I have heard before December is over so we start January now.”

From the San Jose Sharks: “Couture led the team in goals with 10 and was second in points (14) in 15 games. Amongst League rookies this season, he is first in goals, shots (122), game-winning goals and power play goals (5), second in points (18-9=27) and faceoff percentage (52.5%) and tied for fifth in plus/minus (+7).” From the NHL: “Couture edged Colorado Avalanche defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (1-7–8 in 14 games), Chicago Blackhawks left wing Bryan Bickell (6-5–11 in 12 games) and goaltender Corey Crawford (5-2-1, 2.22 GAA in eight games), Nashville Predators goaltender Anders Lindback (6-2-1, 2.08 GAA in nine games) and Edmonton Oilers left wing Taylor Hall (6-4–10 in 13 games).”

Logan Couture is the second consecutive member of the FCC line (Ferriero-Couture-Clowe) to earn Sharks Player of the Month honors after Clowe earned a SPOTM nomination in November. The 21-year old rookie from Ontario, Canada is the first Shark to earn NHL Rookie of the Month honors since Clowe duplicated that feat in January 2007. Couture is the 6th Shark to earn NHL Rookie of the Month honors alltime behind Ryane Clowe, Rob Gaudreau, Marco Sturm and Evgeni Nabokov (twice).

Couture has hit a rough patch after his torrid 10-goals-in-11-game pace to start December. He has not scored in 6 straight games, but he has registered a pair of assists and 16 shots on goal in that time including a game high 7 against Vancouver. “The last thing we want to do is tinker with Logan Couture,” Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said in a morning press conference. “If I see his body language diminish, then I’ll pull up the chances he’s created and that he’s been involved in and that will perk him up quickly. He hit the post the other night. Things are going well for him, they’re just not going in.”

The expected return of Torrey Mitchell tonight against Buffalo will add two-way depth for San Jose, and eat valuable minutes on special teams. Goaltender Antero Niittymaki is expected to earn his first start in 4 contests against Buffalo.

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison reportedly interested in buying league owned New Orleans franchise and moving to San Jose, Ellison downplays rumor

YOUNG BASKETBALL FAN AT SAN JOSE SKYROCKETS ABA GAME IN 2005

Rumors of new team acquisitions and potential new south bay arenas continued apace yesterday, this time with a new entrant. With potential San Francisco 49’er, Oakland Athletic, and San Jose Earthquake south bay stadiums in perpetual limbo, it was reported Wednesday that Oracle CEO Larry Ellison was interested in buying the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets and moving them to San Jose. According to Forbes Sports Business editor Mike Ozanian, Ellison was said to be in the market for the league owned New Orleans Hornets franchise.

Founded in 1988 as the Charlotte Hornets, the franchise moved to New Orleans in 2002 after low attendance numbers. The team briefly re-located to Oklahoma City in 05–06 and 06–07 after the devestation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. After a failed ownership bid by minority owner Gary Chouest, the league was forced to step in and buy the team for between $300-350 million in December. Mike Ozanian notes that Ellison may have to pay upwards of $100-150 million to move a franchise into the Golden State Warriors sphere of influence. Ellison attempted to purchase the Warriors in 2010, but he did not outbid the $450 million offered by Peter Guber and Joseph Lacob. He was also outbid by the NBA for the New Orleans Hornets after making an offer in December.

There are several caveats, first and foremost Ellison’s interest in buying the team and moving it to San Jose. Ellison walked that notion back today, but would not close the door on it. There are contractual obligations. The Hornets have a lease agreement with New Orleans until 2014. According to Nola, the NBA has an out clause with New Orleans if they do not reach an attendance benchmark of 14,735 by Jan. 31. New Orleans is rallying around the 6 remaining home games in January to reach that figure with pledges to buy tickets from area businesses and several local community groups. There is also the looming possibility of a labor impass facing the league. After the National Football League’s collective bargaining agreement expires on March 4th, the NBA needs to work out a new agreement with its players by July 1st. The NHL and NHLPA situation in 2012 will be influenced by both outcomes.

The final hurdle is the potential home for the Hornets in San Jose. HP Pavilion hosts on average about 190 events a year, the centerpiece being approximately 50 San Jose Sharks games. Twice in recent years the HP Pavilion has been reported in the top-3 and top-5 for the number of hosted events at a North American venue. According to San Jose mayor Chuck Reed, any negotiations between Ellison and San Jose would have to involve the Sharks and SVSE. “Ever since we entered into an agreement with the Sharks for management of the HP Pavilion, we have contemplated a basketball team,” Reed told Kron 4 reporter Rob Fladeboe on last night’s broadcast. “Most recently we revised our agreement to allow them to take the lead knowing that if a basketball team comes in, they are going to have to work very closely with the Sharks for them to succeed. The Sharks have the puck. The ball is in their court to take the lead on this.”

According to Fladboe, the Sharks and parent company SVSE are aware of Ellison’s interest in the Hornets and San Jose. SVSE said they are open to discussions, but that no formal negotiations have taken place. The Golden State Warriors played at the then San Jose Arena in 1996–97 while the Oakland Coliseum underwent a complete renovation. The one year NBA franchise registered a 30–52 record. The last professional basketball team to play downtown, the former ABA San Jose Skyrockets, registered a 29-5 record and lost in the playoff semifinals to Rochester. After playing one season in San Jose with the ABA, the minor league basketball franchise moved to North Dakota and played 3 seasons with the Continental Basketball Association before disbanding.

[Update] Ellison tried to buy New Orleans Hornets but dampens hopes of NBA team in San Jose – San Jose Mercury News.

Larry Ellison, the billionaire CEO of Oracle who’s had extraordinary success buying a string of tech companies, confirmed Wednesday that he recently failed in a second attempt to buy a professional basketball franchise, fewer than six months after his surprising loss in a bidding war for the Golden State Warriors.

“I did offer $350 million” for the New Orleans Hornets, Ellison told reporters, adding that he was “slightly outbid” by the National Basketball Association when the league bought the bankrupt team last month from owners George Shinn and Gary Chouest.

Ellison denied the report by Forbes sports business editor Mike Ozanian, but later told the Bay Area News Group that he had not made up his mind. Sharks EVP of Business Operations Malcolm Bordelon, the frontman for business operations after President and CEO Greg Jamison stepped down last year, told the Mercury News that the Sharks and SVSE would be interested in sharing the arena with a professional basketball team.

DOH Podcast #129: New Year’s, Vancouver Canucks loss, Sharks third period problems

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2011_0105.mp3]

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana ring in the new year with a discussion of the Vancouver Canucks loss, the Sharks problems maintaining a lead, Ryane Clowe’s verbal challenge to his team, whether Christian Ehrhoff could be the defenseman moved when Sami Salo returns, one of Dwayne Roloson’s finale games with the New York Islanders before his trade to Tampa Bay, and talk about experiencing the 6th largest blizzard in New York history among other topics on the 129th episode of the Dudes on Hockey podcast.

This Sharks podcast is posted here with permission. Visit dudesonhockey.com for more coverage of the team or download the MP3 file directly here.

Vancouver Canucks maintain top position in league with 4-3 win in San Jose, Burrows highstick non-call on game winning goal

ALEX BURROWS HIGH STICK ON GAME WINNING GOAL - GRAPHIC CSNCA

The San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks engaged in potent, back-and-forth offensive display Monday night at HP Pavilion. After battling to a 3-3 tie after two periods, Alex Burrows registered the game winner in the 3rd on a controversial play. Burrows tipped a Christian Ehrhoff point shot down to the ice with a stick 6 inches above his shoulders, then spun and buried the game winning goal into the empty net. Referees Dave Jackson and Justin St. Pierre ruled it a good goal. Despite furious Shark attempts to notch the equalizer in the final minutes, goaltender Cory Schneider (7-0-2, .922SV%, 2.45GAA) held firm to earn his 7th win of the season. Ryane Clowe, Patrick Marleau (PP) and Jamal Mayers scored in a losing effort for San Jose.

“It was a real obvious high stick,” San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said of Burrows game winning goal in the third period. “But it is unreviewable is what I am being told. The initial play the stick is well over the bar, the referee waived that off and he scored on the rebound.” The game winning goal scorer concurred with that assessment. “We were talking about it and didn’t think it was going to stand up, but it did, that’s the type of luck we’ve been getting,” Burrows told reporters after the game.

The Monday night game was a Western Conference showcase for two teams trending in the right direction. More than trending, the Vancouver Canucks were streaking to a 9-0-1 record in their last 10 games, and a 14-1-2 record over their last 17. A win over the Sharks would give the Canucks a two point cushion over the Philadelphia Flyers for first place in the NHL nearing the midpoint of the season. The Sharks had won 6 of their last 8 contests heading into Monday, but their successes have been tempered with an embarasssing home shutout loss to Los Angeles, and a late 3rd period collapse against Minnesota. San Jose was looking to build and/or establish consistency one game at a time, one period at a time.

The bane of the Sharks existence this season has been the turnover high in their own defensive zone. A Jason Demers clearing attempt was mishandled by Joe Thornton and turned over to Alex Burrows early in the first period. With most of the Sharks starting to transition up ice, a Burrows shot deflected off a San Jose player to Daniel and Henrik Sedin down low. Both were alone on Antti Niemi. Henrik slid a short pass to his brother Daniel for his league leading 41st assist of the season at 6:09. Last year’s Hart Memorial Trophy winner as league MVP and Art Ross scoring title winner is pacing his team at an incredible stride. In 14 December games, Henrik Sedin registered 7 goals and 15 assists (1.57 pts/game). During that span the Canucks lost only once in regulation.

The Sharks were chasing Vancouver for stretches in the first, but defenseman Jason Demers played a solid period. He swept a puck that trickled behind goaltender Antti Niemi out of the crease, blocked a Keith Ballard slapshot, and flattened Jeff Tambellini in front of his on goal with a check to the ice. The fireworks kicked off in the second period as both teams combined for 5 goals. The end-to-end action began with Patrick Marleau fanning on a shot from the side of the net, before the Sedin twins exploded on a quick transition in the other direction. Sharks defenseman Douglas Murray took a strong angle on Daniel Sedin, taking out his stick before playing the body. In 5-time Norris Trophy winner Ray Bourque’s rookie season in 79-80, a Boston Bruins assistant coach said that the key to his success was playing the body and the puck at the same time. While Bourque accomplished that feat with timing and elegance, Murray accomplished that feat on Daniel Sedin with what looked like explosive ordnance. After the play crime scene investigators could conceivably have scoured the ice looking for traces of Sedin or his stick.

Several NHL analyst have been judging defenseman Jason Demers based on his accomplishments last season. Demers registered 10 assists in his first 15 NHL games as a rookie in 2009-10, 4 of them on the power play. This season the points have been coming a little slower. Demers registered 4 assists in his first 15 games this season, 3 of them on the power play. A strict scoresheet evaluation of the 22-year old Quebec native will not give one the full picture of his season. There are still mistakes and the occasional exuberant pinch, but Demers’ defensive responsibility has been an enormous improvement. His stick and body positioning have been consistently good, and he has a passion and a tenacity around his own net. Young players are going to make mistakes, but Demers shows the makings of a big play defenseman on both ends of the ice. Situational awareness is key for the defensive position. Knowing when you can and can not take chances is a critical factor in a playoff atmosphere when a single turnover can end a season.

Demers showed that situational awareness on San Jose’s first goal of the game in the 2nd period. Coming off the bench on a line change, Demers sprinted to the half wall to beat a Canuck for possession. The Sharks defenseman flicked a quick shot/pass to Ryane Clowe at the side of the net, Clowe deflected it around Schneider to tie the game at 1-1. Despite the goal against, Vancouver kept their foot on the gas. Sustained pressure down low resulted in Logan Couture taking a hooking penalty on Ryan Kesler. On the ensuing power play, former Sharks defenseman Christian Ehrhoff unleashed a booming slapshot (on net). The rebound bounced to Mason Raymond alone at the side of the net, and he quickly lifted a shot targeted for the top corner. A fully extended Antti Niemi pushed hard to his left and got the web of his glove on the puck, enough to deflect the shot just over the crossbar. On a second Canucks power play rush, Niemi could not get over in time for an Alexander Edler one-timer. The Canucks had not one, but two players open on the right wing (Kesler, Edler) ready to take the shot.

The Sharks were starting to buzz in the offensive zone with 9 minutes left in the period, but unlike the Canucks they were a little off. Shots from the outside would occur without bodies in front, allowing Schneider a clear view of the puck. When bodies were in front of the net, shots would miss high or wide, resulting in no second chance or rebound opportunities. Every Sharks center save for Scott Nichol finished in the negative column for offensive zone faceoffs (Marleau 1-3, 33%, Thornton 3-8, 38%, Nichol 2-2, 100%, Couture 0-1, 0%). On the other side of the ledger, former Shark Manny Malhotra won an inspired 14 of 18 draws, 78%. In part, the lack of cohesion could be attributable to ever-changing lines based on performance and those necessitated by injuries. 40 games into the season, there aren’t really any excuses. The Sharks need structure, clearly defined roles, and external motivation if it can not be supplied internally.

The lines were adjusted futhur Monday in the absence of Joe Pavelski (upper body), Torrey Mitchell (lower body), Derek Joslin (upper body) and John McCarthy. Suiting up for his first NHL game was Worcester “Crazed Rats” line member/agitator Andrew Desjardins, he joined fellow Worcester Shark 235-pound left wing Brandon Mashinter in the lineup. Mashinter (3:24) and Desjardins (2:16) each failed to register a third period shift as coach Todd McLellan shortened the bench to 3 lines at the end of the game. The Canucks speed and aggressive transition game took away the Sharks size advantage. Of the 20 players dressed for Vancouver, only defenseman Aaron Rome (222) and left wing Rafi Torres (223) broke the 220 pound barrier. The Sharks iced considerably more large bodies: Douglas Murray (240), Joe Thornton (235), Brandon Mashinter (235), Ryane Clowe (225), Dany Heatley (221), Patrick Marleau (220), Niclas Wallin (220). Size alone is not going to win any games in the NHL, it is the application of that size that can be used as an advantage. Despite Jamal Mayers and Brandon Mashinter dropping the gloves with Tanner Glass in the first and second periods, the Sharks were outhit by the Canucks 25-20, and there was no clear physical advantage along the boards or in front of the net.

The Sharks still had an opportunity in the second period on Henrik Sedin’s hooking call, and they capitalized. Joe Thornton won two clear offensive zone draws against Ryan Kesler, resulting in a shot on goal, and a pair of point blank shots by Marleau and Heatley. In the second power play rush up ice, Dan Boyle fired from the point with Dany Heatley battling defenseman Dan Hamhuis in front. The puck deflected off Heatley, and Marleau pulled it backhand to forehand to bury into the open net.

Jamal Mayers added his second goal of the season at 15:21 to go along with his first period fight. On a slick 3-on-2 rush up ice, Dany Heatley entered the zone along with Scott Nichol, then pulled up and hit a trailing Mayers with a hard cross ice pass. With Nichol driving to the front of the net, Mayers fired his shot from the right wing. Goaltender Cory Schneider fell to the ice on the play, but a slow motion replay showed him tripping of his own accord without any assitance from Nichol. The Canucks still protested from the bench. The Sharks kept pushing in the second period. Defenseman Douglas Murray entered the zone, dropped a pass to the point, then drove the net and tried to tip a shot passed Schneider.

The Canucks would tie the game with less than two minutes left in the second on the back of Danish forward Jannik Hansen. After quick shot from the faceoff circle by Ryan Kesler, Hansen was first to get a stick on the rebound and punch it into the net. Douglas Murray attempted to check Hansen out of the crease instead of playing the stick or the body for the rebound.

The third period was not a disaster for the Sharks, but it was not the style of consistent, defensively responsible play they are trying to establish. They allowed 21 shots on goal in the final 20 minutes. Despite killing off a Vlasic tripping penalty, Alex Burrows was allowed to score the game winner. A 70-foot point shot by Christian Ehrhoff was deflected with a stick over the shoulders by Alex Burrows. With Antti Niemi overextended to his left, Burrows spun and knocked the puck into the empy net at 8:57. The refs did not whistle the high stick, so apparently the goal was not reviewable by the war room in Toronto.

To the Sharks credit, they did not wait until the waning moments to attempt a third period comeback. The created sustained pressure in the Vancouver Canucks zone on several opportunities, and unleashed a furious attempt to tie the game in the final 40 seconds. Boyle and Clowe fired shots that missed the net, Setoguchi had a shot blocked by Malhotra, and Schneider shut the door on Couture and Thornton. In addition to handing the Sharks their worst loss of the season in a 6-1 drubbing in Vancouver on November 26th, the Canucks also earned a rare win at HP Pavilion. The Canucks were winless in their last 6 attempts at the Tank, a streak dating back 44 months.

“It wasn’t a defensive collapse by our team, I thought they played very hard, very fast,” San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said after the game. “We were playing three lines. The coach didn’t have enough confidence in maybe some of the younger players, so we went to three lines. They were a very quick, very aggressive team. They won a lot of faceoffs in our zone, which lead to a lot of shots and rebound opportunities.” San Jose Sharks forward Jamal Mayers offered a more blunt assessment. “Close doesn’t matter,” Mayers said when speaking to reporters. “We need to start winning these games.”

“They played back-to-back games and they have 50 shots tonight. That’s enough said, right there,” Ryane Clowe said after the game. “We just want to cheat at times. They are not afraid to play a sound offensive game, and they will stick to it. We’ve got guys who want to do it occasionally. Not all the time, though – that’s hard work. When you work hard and win, you feel it after a game, and I guarantee you right now, we have guys who don’t feel that tired. We were just terrible. It was my fault on the last goal, he (Burrows) got underneath me, high stick or not. Things like that in the offensive zone are indefensible. We can say we are going to fix it, but when are we going to fix it?”

Game Notes: Andrew Desjardins is one of 5 Sharks that have played their first NHL game this season: Desjardins, Brandon Mashinter, Tommy Wingels, Mike Moore and Justin Braun. According to the Sharks, Desjardins is only the 2nd player in the NHL to have worn #69 (Mel Angelstad, 2003-2004 Washington Capitals). The Canucks were 5-9 at HP Pavilion, and 11-16 against San Jose from 2002-03 to 2009-10. This season the Canucks used a 3-goal third period to hand the Sharks their worst loss of the season, a 6-1 drubbing at Vancouver on November 26th. Monday night they also registered 47 shots on goal, the most the Sharks have faced this season. Only twice last season did the Sharks face 47 or more shots on goal, a 3-2 win at Chicago on December 22nd, 2010 (the Sharks had only 14 shots on goal), and a 3-2 shootout win over Detroit at home February 11th (SJ had 26 shots on goal). Joe Pavelski missed his 4th consecutive game with a lower body injury, Torrey Mitchell missed his 5th game with an injury. Derek Joslin and John McCarthy were also scratched for San Jose. Despite blocking a shot off his foot Sunday in Colorado, Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler skated in his 202nd consecutive game. Vancouver goaltender Cory Schneider has played in 4 of the last 6 Canucks games. Schneider (7-0-2, .922SV%, 2.45GAA) has not lost in regulation this season. Antti Niemi (9-10-2, .905SV%, 2.97GAA) stopped 43 of 47 shots against. The Canucks win continued their 13 game point streak, and moved them ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers for first overall in the NHL.

A photo gallery from the Vancouver Province is available here. Video Highlights via youtube are available here.

[Update] Sharks Players Direct In Comments, Sharks Definitely Unhappy After Loss Even With Disputed Goal – SJsharks.com.

“I think it’s an individual thing right now, mentally,” Clowe said. “Do you want to score four goals or do you want to win a game? Do you want to win or are you happy losing with five goals? Losing 6-5 maybe or would you rather win 1-0 (like in LA)? Are guys happy then, I don’t know? Maybe they want to score goals and get points. I don’t know. We’ve got to figure it out. It’s probably got to come from leadership. It’s frustrating. (I’m) pissed off, that’s for sure.”

[Update2] Gritty Canucks refuse to lose as they rally to sink Sharks, Three-for-three on the road, six wins in a row, and No. 1 in NHL – Iain MacIntyre for the Vancouver Sun.

[Update3] Willes: Best team in NHL hard to fathom here – Ed Willes for the Vancouver Province.

Well, it was interesting the Canucks did all this against the Fish because that team offers a cautionary tale about the difficulty facing the locals as they try to rewrite their history. The Sharks have been good, damned good, for the better part of this decade. Over the last eight seasons, they’ve averaged 108 points. They’ve also made the Conference final twice. By any objective standard, they’ve been a wildly successful franchise and their achievements have dwarfed the Canucks over a similar time frame.

But the more lasting impression of the Sharks is that of a team which hasn’t measured up; a team which squandered its chance at greatness. They should have been good enough to make at least one deep run at the Cup but when you’ve failed as often as they have, you begin to carry a burden. The window might still be open a crack for the core on this team — Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley, Dan Boyle — but they’re also starting to look like yesterday’s men. They were good but not good enough; close but not really.

The first place Canucks are sending a hockey-rabid market a little over the deep end. Regular season success and league leading offensive statistics are great, but there should be lessons in the above proclamation that may not be readily apparent to Ed Willes or others in the Vancouver media. Close has nothing to do with it.

Irwin’s Late Blast Lifts WorSharks Over Portland, 3-2

The Worcester Sharks lost another two goal third period lead but Matt Irwin broke the WorSharks oh-for-26 power play streak in the final seconds of Sunday afternoon’s contest to defeat the Portland Pirates 3-2 at the DCU center in Worcester, Massachusetts in front of 3,550 fans.

The WorSharks entered the game on a streak of 132:38 without holding a lead, but through hard work in the Portland end it looked like that streak ended about five and a half minutes into the opening period when Cory Quirk banged a loose puck home with a backhander to light the lamp. Unfortunately for Worcester referee Chris Brown emphatically waved the goal off saying Kevin Henderson’s incidental contact prevented Pirates goaltender David Leggio from making the save. The video replay showed Brown probably made the correct call.

With Worcester not scoring a lot of goals as of late the focus has been on netminder Alex Stalock to keep the WorSharks in games, and he did just that with two spectacular plays in the middle of the opening period. The first was an incredible glove save on Pirates defenseman Drew Schiestel’s blast from the blue line through traffic. Stalock didn’t seem to see the puck until it was almost on top of him and had just enough time to flash the glove out to make the save. The second play happened when the Worcester defense got caught running around in its own end and WorSharks killer Mark  Mancari had the puck all alone in front of Stalock. Before Mancari could make any sort of move Stalock swept the puck off the forward’s stick and into the far corner.

Worcester would finally end their leadless streak at 149:36 when Sean Sullivan would connect off a broken play. The play began with David Marshall and Sullivan, playing right wing on Worcester’s second line after T.J. Trevelyan left the game with an injury, breaking into the Portland zone with Nick Petrecki streaking down the center of the ice and heading toward the net. The Portland defense broke up the play but Marshall kept the puck in the zone and fed it up to Petrecki in the slot. Petrecki had a hard time controlling the bouncing puck but was able to feed the puck back to the right point where Sullivan was covering. As the defense converged on Sullivan his best option was firing the puck on net, and his wrist shot beat Leggio for the 1-0 lead at 16:58.

Newcomer Ryan Del Monte would make it 2-0 at 9:34 of the second period with a laser of a wrist shot after a turnover deep in the Portland zone. With the Pirates on the verge of an odd man rush out of their zone Dan DaSilva snuck in and knocked the puck away from defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani. Del Monte then swooped in behind DaSilva and fired a wrist shot over the glove of Leggio and just inside the corner to light the lamp.

But the third period has not been kind to Worcester, and two mistakes deep in their own zone would get Portland even. The first mistake was by Steven Zalewski, who failed to make any sort of move toward Corey Tropp when the winger picked up a loose puck behind the WorSharks net and then wheeled to the front of the cage, beating Stalock to the far post at 8:15. The second was by Stalock himself when he picked up a loose puck and attempted to clear it behind his net and around  the boards and up the left side. The attempt was intercepted by Derek Whitmore, who quickly fired the puck on net from a bad angle, banking the puck off Stalock as he dove back into the crease at 14:16.

Both teams had chances to take the lead but both netminders made key saves to keep the score even. Worcester, who at that point had gone scoreless in two chances on the power play, would get a third chance when Alex Biega hauled down James Marcou in the left wing face-off circle with just 92 seconds remaining in the contest. The WorSharks power play had looked pretty poor in its first two attempts, and the third was moving along that same path until Jonathan Cheechoo threw a pass over to Justin Braun and the right point. With the clock running down and every Worcester fan in the building yelling for the rookie to shoot Braun did just that, only to have his attempt blocked by a penalty killer. Luckily for Worcester the puck bounded right to Irwin, who blasted a shot on net through traffic  just under the crossbar and past Leggio to give Worcester a 3-2 lead with just 3.3 seconds remaining.

After a Portland timeout to set up a play off the ensuing face-off Henderson and Mancari dropped the gloves almost as soon as the puck hit the ice, with Henderson landing several shots to add a winning bout to Worcester’s two points.

GAME NOTES
Prior to the start of the game the Worcester Shuttle made a stop on the east coast to pick up a surprise player; Andrew Desjardins. Worcester’s scratches were Tony Lucia (concussion), Joe Loprieno (healthy), Frazer McLaren (hip), and Cam MacIntyre (groin). carter Hutton was the back-up netminder. Winger T.J. Trevelyan suffered some sort of upper body injury early in the first period and did not return.

For those that think Worcester’s third period woes are bad, try this stat out for size. According to a list posted by a Pirates fan on one of the league’s message boards Irwin’s goal with 3.3 seconds remaining is the eleventh time this season–out of 34 games, no less–that Portland has surrendered a goal in the last minute of the game. Only twice has it been an empty net goal against. That’s enough to make you want to hit your head against a wall.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 20 Matt Irwin (gwg)
2. WOR – 9 Ryan Del Monte (g)
3. POR – 14 Corey Tropp (g)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Nick Petrecki.
Even Strength Lines
Zalewski/Quirk/Cheechoo
Trevelyan(Sullivan)/Marshall/Wingles
Henderson/Del Monte/DaSilva
Marcou/Henderson(and others)/Lizon

Moore/Schaus
Braun/Leach
Petrecki/Irwin

Power Play Lines
Cheechoo/Wingles/Marcou
Zalewski/Marshall/DaSilva

Braun/Irwin
Moore/Sullivan

Penalty Kill Lines
Wingles(Zalewski)/Quirk
Henderson/DaSilva(Del Monte)

Braun/Leach
Moore/Schaus

BOXSCORE
Portland 0 0 2 – 2
Worcester 1 1 1 – 3

1st Period-1, Worcester, Sullivan 10 (Petrecki, Marshall), 16:58. Penalties-Biega Por (hooking), 12:19.

2nd Period-2, Worcester, Del Monte 4 (DaSilva), 9:34. Penalties-Del Monte Wor (hooking), 5:17; Cheechoo Wor (high-sticking), 14:54; DaSilva Wor (tripping), 17:16; Conboy Por (unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00.

3rd Period-3, Portland, Tropp 5 (Stuart, Byron), 8:15. 4, Portland, Whitmore 11   14:16. 5, Worcester, Irwin 6 (Braun, Cheechoo), 19:56 (PP). Penalties-Biega Por (holding), 18:28; Mancari Por (fighting, misconduct – continuing altercation), 20:00; Henderson Wor (fighting), 20:00.

Shots on Goal-Portland 4-15-9-28. Worcester 11-3-16-30.
Power Play Opportunities-Portland 0/3; Worcester 1/3.
Goalies-Portland, Leggio 9-4-0 (30 shots-27 saves). Worcester, Stalock 15-13-2 (28 shots-26 saves).
A-3,550
Referee-Chris Brown (86). Linesmen-Joe Ross (92), Bob Bernard (42).

WorSharks Special Teams Not So Special In 3-2 Loss

The Worcester Sharks twice over came one goal deficits but in the end their rag tag line-up again couldn’t get the job done in a 3-2 loss to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Friday afternoon at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut in front of 3,701 fans. The loss gives the Sound Tigers the sweep of their home and home series with Worcester and drops the WorSharks to fifth place in the AHL’s Atlantic division.

When teams are struggling bounces tend to not go their way, and that proved true again for Worcester early in the first period while on the penalty kill when Andrew Desjardins broke out of the WorSharks zone and fed a wide open Kevin Henderson in the right wing circle. Henderson’s one timer beat Bridgeport goaltender Kevin Poulin clean, but found the iron to the short side and bounced away harmlessly. That bounce would come back to haunt Worcester as Bridgeport would grab a goal on their next power play chance.

With Steven Zalewski in the box for holding, Sound Tigers defenseman Mark Katic fired a hard shot into a scrum of player in front of WorSharks goaltender Alex Stalock. The shot hit Bridgeport center Jeremy Colliton at the top of the crease and deflected into the net to the blocker side for the 1-0 Sound Tigers lead at 8:43. Worcester had a couple of good chances in the stanza but for the most part the Sound Tigers owned the ice in the opening stanza. But it wouldn’t be very long into the second period when the WorSharks took advantage of a Bridgeport turnover.

As the Sound Tigers began a break out of then own zone a little miscommunication between the Bridgeport defense allowed Jonathan Cheechoo to grab a loose puck and break in on Poulin. The rookie netminder never stood a chance against the former Rocket Richard award winner as Cheechoo’s deke and hard wrist shot under the crossbar knotted the game at 1:04 of the middle period. Each team would have a couple of good chances to take the lead, but both Stalock and Poulin were there to keep they teams even.

Special teams has been an issue for Worcester as of late, and after not getting a good scoring chance on an early third period power play attempt they’d be forced to go on the penalty kill when James Marcou was called for a brainless boarding minor. Their inability to score with the man advantage and having a struggling penalty kill would come back to bite them in the backsides when Sound Tigers defenseman Mark Wotton fired a blast on net with Colliton screening Stalock. This time, however, the puck never made it to Colliton and instead deflected off the shaft of Desjardins’ stick and into the net at 6:00 of the third period.

Justin Braun, fresh off his return from San Jose, proved the adage that if you put the puck on net enough times eventually something good will happen. Luckily for Worcester that good thing happened 29 seconds after Bridgeport took the lead. Skating down the right wing side with the puck and no option better for him, Braun fired the puck on net where Cory Quick was fighting for position. Despite being knocked to the ice Quirk was able to get a stick on Braun’s shot and deflect it into the net to knot the game 2-2.

But defense in the third period has been an issue for Worcester all season, and Bridgeport took advantage of the WorSharks running around in their own end when Colliton threw a cross ice pass from the right wing corner to defenseman Dustin Friesen streaking toward the net. Friesen fought off Dan DaSilva’s check and knocked the puck into the net for the 3-2 lead at 9:23. the Sound Tigers would clamp down defensively, allowing mostly bad angle shots on Poulin and clearing away any rebounds preventing any return chances. The WorSharks would pull Stalock with about 80 seconds to go in the contest but couldn’t get set up in the Bridgeport zone and didn’t get a shot on goal with the extra attacker.

The WorSharks have now gone 132:38 without holding a lead.

GAME NOTES
The WorSharks dressed eight natural defenseman, with Joe Loprieno playing full time at right wing and Sean Sullivan seeing some duty at left wing on the fourth line along with taking a regular shift at defense. Scratches for Worcester were Tony Lucia (concussion), Cam MacIntyre (groin), Erick Lizon (healthy) and Frazer McLaren (hip). This writer will refrain from asking the obvious question as to why a team would dress eight defenseman and healthy scratch a forward. carter Hutton was the back-up netminder, and the way things are going it won’t be shocking to see him taking shifts at forward soon too.

Worcester’s special teams, which started the season near the top of the league, have become a real issue. Worcester is scoreless in its last 24 chances with the man advantage, but that number isn’t even that good as their last power play goal shouldn’t have counted as video showed it entered the net after the green light was on, so in theory they’re really scoreless in their last 27 chances. The penalty kill hasn’t been much better, allowing 11 goals in 38 times shorthanded. Unless their special teams get back on track it will be a pretty sure bet the WorSharks will be on the outside looking in when the playoffs start in April.

A few basically meaningless stats: The loss dropped the WorSharks to 5-6-0 all-time in games started before 2:05pm, and 2-1 against Bridgeport in those contests. Worcester has been outscored 33-30 in the 11 games. The loss also broke a two game winning streak in early afternoon games; Worcester had swept Providence earlier this season during Halloween weekend. The loss evened Worcester’s record in New year’s Eve games to 2-2. The WorSharks ended the 2010 calendar with a 45-25-10 record, their best ever.

The three stars of the game were
1. BRI – 13 Dustin Friesen (gwg,a)
2. BRI – 21 Jeremy Colliton (g,a)
3. WOR – 14 Jonathan Cheechoo (g,+2)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Justin Braun.

Even Strength Lines
Zalewski/Quirk/Cheechoo
Trevelyan/Del Monte/Marcou
Henderson/Desjardins/DaSilva
Sullivan(others)/Marshall/Loprieno

Moore/Schaus
Petrecki/Sullivan
Leach/Braun
Irwin

BOXSCORE
Worcester 0 1 1 – 2
Bridgeport 1 0 2 – 3

1st Period-1, Bridgeport, Colliton 8 (Katic, Motherwell), 8:43 (PP). Penalties-Marshall Wor (hooking), 3:48; Zalewski Wor (holding), 8:00; Petrecki Wor (fighting), 10:05; Haley Bri (fighting), 10:05; Moore Wor (fighting), 17:56; Labelle Bri (fighting), 17:56.

2nd Period-2, Worcester, Cheechoo 13   1:04. Penalties-Labelle Bri (roughing), 4:08; Klementyev Bri (cross-checking), 5:38; Del Monte Wor (tripping), 11:07; Colliton Bri (boarding), 14:21; Marshall Wor (hooking), 16:44.

3rd Period-3, Bridgeport, Wotton 2 (Rakhshani, Friesen), 6:00 (PP). 4, Worcester, Quirk 2 (Braun), 6:29. 5, Bridgeport, Friesen 1 (Colliton, Rakhshani), 9:23. Penalties-Svendsen Bri (tripping), 2:05; Marcou Wor (boarding), 4:17; Marshall Wor (interference), 6:47.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 8-16-9-33. Bridgeport 10-7-10-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0/4; Bridgeport 2/6.
Goalies-Worcester, Stalock 14-13-2 (27 shots-24 saves). Bridgeport, Poulin 10-4-0 (33 shots-31 saves).
A-3,701
Referees-Ian Croft (87), Francis Charron (46). Linesmen-David Spannaus (8), Brent Colby (7).

WorSharks Silenced By Sound Tigers, 2-1

The Worcester Sharks got a third period goal from Jonathan Cheechoo and another good goaltending performance from Alex Stalock, but that wasn’t enough as the WorSharks dropped a 2-1 Thursday night contest to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts in front of 4,124 fans. The two teams meet again New Year’s Eve afternoon (1pm EST/10am PST) in Bridgeport.

Because of a prior commitment Sharkspage was unable to cover the game, but for folks interested in the particulars they can check out Bill Ballou’s game story and notes column in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Michael Fornabaio of the Connecticut Post has the Bridgeport side of things in his article and a couple of blog posts.

As usual, both the WorSharks and Sound Tigers official sites have their own perspectives.

BOXSCORE
Bridgeport 0 2 0 – 2
Worcester 0 0 1 – 1

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Del Monte Wor (cross-checking), 7:34; Svendsen Bri (hooking), 18:09; served by Labelle Bri (bench minor – too many men), 18:58.

2nd Period-1, Bridgeport, Figren 10 (Marcinko, Haley), 14:44. 2, Bridgeport, Labelle 2 (Romano, O’Neill), 15:36. Penalties-O’Neill Bri (interference), 19:58.

3rd Period-3, Worcester, Cheechoo 12 (Sullivan, Desjardins), 14:33. Penalties-Desjardins Wor (high-sticking), 8:57.

Shots on Goal-Bridgeport 7-7-10-24. Worcester 10-13-10-33.
Power Play Opportunities-Bridgeport 0/2; Worcester 0/3.
Goalies-Bridgeport, Lawson 3-4-2 (33 shots-32 saves). Worcester, Stalock 14-12-2 (24 shots-22 saves).
A-4,124
Referee-Terry Koharski (10). Linesmen-Jeremy Lovett (78), Bob Paquette (18).

Stalock, WorSharks Survive Falcon Attack, 3-2

The Worcester Sharks came off their extended holiday break at full steam and jumped out to an early two goal lead only to lose that lead in what has become an all too frequent third period collapse, but thanks to some very timely saves by goaltender Alex Stalock Worcester was able to grab the two points in a 3-2 shootout win over the Springfield Falcons at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts in front of 3,121 fans.

Worcester, playing its first game in ten days due to the Christmas holidays and Sunday evening’s contest against the Portland Pirates being postponed because of the latest “storm of the century”, came out of the gates like a team that has something to prove, and just 90 seconds into the opening period found themselves up 1-0 when Cory Quirk found Jonathan Cheechoo with an easy pass. Cheechoo faked his shot and then slid the puck over to Steven Zalewski, who fired a 15 foot blast by Falcons netminder Gustaf Wesslau.

With all the injuries and call-ups Worcester has had lots of players playing on different lines, but their second goal in Springfield is the reason why the Crazed Rats have generally been kept together after Andrew Desjardins took a Matt Irwin feed and fired the puck on net toward line mate Dan DaSilva. Wesslau made the save on the shot, but DaSilva was right there to corral the rebound and flip it over the netminder at 11:57. Worcester would out shoot the Falcons 14-4.

The WorSharks would enjoy a similar shot advantage in period number two, 19-9, but all the great scoring chances would go Springfield’s way. After a couple of nice saves by Stalock–including a nifty breakaway save on Maksim Mayorov–the Falcons would finally light the lamp at 13:41 when Matt Calvert threw a pass from the left wing side over to Mike Blunden all alone in the right wing circle. Blundin’s blast low along the ice beat Stalock to the far side to cut Worcester’s lead in half. With just over two minutes remaining in the period Lady Luck would rain down on Worcester when Nikita Filatov beat Stalock cleanly only to have his shot ring off the iron.

The third period began just as the second ended, with the ice tilted toward the WorSharks goal. Stalock continued to make great save after great save, including stopping Mayorov’s second clean breakaway attempt, but as Worcester has learned far too often this season when you play on your heels eventually a bad bounce will get you. After a clean face-off win by Springfield in the Worcester zone Falcons defenseman John Moore fired the puck on net. Stalock made the save but Springfield crashed the net for the rebound, and Trevor Frischmon was able to get his stick on it and flip it into the net to knot the game 2-2 at 12:22.

Despite two power play chances after the tying goal, one in regulation and one in overtime, Worcester could not regain the lead–they would go a pitiful 0-7 with the man advantage–as the game would head to a shootout. The Falcons would grab two goals against Stalock as Mayorov and Tomas Kubalik would both be credited with goals. Each was scored the same way, with Stalock making the initial save only to slide back into his net with the puck under him. Worcester would connect on three chances, with Cheechoo beating Wesslau to the high glove side and Quirk firing a laser past Wesslau’s blocker. The game winner by James Marcou was hardly a highlight type goal as the rookie winger lost control of the puck as he tried to go to the backhand just as he got to Wesslau’s crease. The puck must have had eyes as it continued forward toward the goal line and through the five hole to give Worcester the extra point.

GAME NOTES
In the last couple of days there has been enough transactions for Worcester to fill a notebook. The Worcester Shuttle has made a stop in the Bay State, picking up forwards Brandon Mashinter and Tommy Wingles while dropping off defenseman Justin Braun. The rookie defenseman isn’t counted as a healthy scratch as he didn’t make it back to the east coast by game time. To take Mashinter’s place the WorSharks have signed Ryan Del Monte from the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) to a PTO. It’s Del Monte’s second stint in the AHL under a PTO this season, with his first being with the Rochester Americans. As fate would have it Del Monte and WorSharks captain Jay Leach got into a fight when the Amerks and WorSharks played here on October 29. Del Monte and Nick Petrecki also mixed it up with both getting matching roughing minors.

Just as Jonathan Cheechoo comes off the injury list another name goes back on with Cam MacIntyre (groin) rejoining Tony Lucia (concussion) and Frazer McLaren (hip). Carter Hutton was the back-up netminder.

For the first time in the WorSharks era head coach Roy Sommer was not behind the bench for Team Teal as he was with his family in California at the funeral for his father Harold, who passed away on December 21 of pneumonia. He was 81. This writer didn’t know anything of Mr. Sommer until a few days ago when I heard he’d passed, and out of curiosity Googled his name looking for his obituary. I urge everyone to head to Google and check out the many, many articles written about his life. There are lots of great stories to be read. Assistant coach Dave Cunniff was joined by pro scout Jason Rowe behind the bench.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 32 Alex Stalock (25 saves)
2. SPR – 40 Gustaf Wesslau (36 saves)
3. SPR – 19 Trevor Frischmon (g)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Jonathan Cheechoo.

Even strength Lines
Zalewski/Quirk/Cheechoo
Marshall/Trevelyan/Marcou
Henderson/Desjardins/DaSilva
Lizon/Del Monte/Loprieno

Moore/Schaus
Petrecki/Sullivan
Irwin/Leach

BOXSCORE
Worcester 2 0 0 0 – 3
Springfield 0 1 1 0 – 2

1st Period-1, Worcester, Zalewski 2 (Cheechoo, Quirk), 1:30. 2, Worcester, DaSilva 6 (Desjardins, Irwin), 11:57. Penalties-D’Alvise Spr (hooking), 12:35; Moore Wor (fighting), 15:04; Sestito Spr (boarding, fighting), 15:04; Henderson Wor (tripping), 17:32.

2nd Period-3, Springfield, Blunden 12 (Calvert, Clitsome), 13:41. Penalties-Holden Spr (cross-checking), 0:37; Sestito Spr (slashing), 14:16; Calvert Spr (interference), 17:53.

3rd Period-4, Springfield, Frischmon 3 (Tarnasky, Moore), 12:22. Penalties-Marshall Wor (high-sticking), 1:35; Goertzen Spr (hooking), 16:04.

OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Holden Spr (holding), 1:48.

Shootout – Worcester 3 (Cheechoo G, Trevelyan NG, Marshall NG, Quirk G, Marcou G), Springfield 2 (Mayorov G, Calvert NG, Filatov NG, Kubalik G, D’Alvise NG).
Shots on Goal-Worcester 14-19-3-2-1-39. Springfield 4-9-13-1-0-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0/7; Springfield 0/2.
Goalies-Worcester, Stalock 14-11-2 (27 shots-25 saves). Springfield, Wesslau 3-5-1 (38 shots-36 saves).
A-3,121
Referee-Chris Brown (86). Linesmen-Chris Low (88), Derek Wahl (46).

WorSharks Sunday Contest Vs Portland Postponed

WORCESTER, MA– Worcester Sharks President Michael A. Mudd has announced that tonight’s Worcester Sharks game vs. the Portland Pirates (December 26^th) has been postponed due to the threat of inclement winter weather.   The game has been rescheduled and will be played on Tuesday, January 18^th at 7pm.

 

Tickets that have already been purchased for the December 26^th date will be honored for the Thursday, December 30^th game at 7pm vs. the Bridgeport Sound Tigers or the rescheduled game on Tuesday, January 18^th at 7pm vs. the Portland Pirates. 

 

The Worcester Sharks Slap Shot movie poster featuring Dr. Hook presented by WTAG will be given away on Thursday, December 30^th vs. the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to the first 2,000 fans. 

 

For more information, please call the Sharks front office at 508-929-0500.