Saturday Night Hockey: Worcester Falls To Providence In The Shootout
By Ryan Bayer
Providence Bruins at Worcester Sharks
DCU Center
January 26, 2013
Meeting 7 of 12 vs. the Bruins
Sharks are 5-0-0-2 vs. the Bruins this season
Article Credit By: Matt Metcalf
Worcester Sharks forward #51 Brodie Reid looks on for the Sharks. Mandatory credit: Worcester Sharks media department.
Biggest crowd of season watch Sharks battle for point in 4-3 shootout loss to Bruins
Sharks battled back from an early 3-0 deficit in front of 8,189 fans at DCU Center
Worcester, MA– The Worcester Sharks (20-17-1-4, 45pts) fell to the Providence Bruins (22-16-0-3, 47pts) 4-3 in a shootout on Saturday evening in front of a sellout crowd of 8,198 fans at the DCU Center. The Sharks return home on Saturday, February 2nd with a 7pm faceoff vs. the Bruins for PINK in the RINK Night to benefit the Cup Crusaders.
Craig Cunningham scored the game-winner for the Bruins in the shootout to lift Providence to a 4-3 win. Bracken Kearns (10th), Mike Banwell (1st), and Brodie Reid (10th) scored the goals in regulation for the Sharks to force overtime, erasing a three goal deficit. Banwell’s tally was his first goal as a professional. Reid’s goal came with just 6:05 remaining in regulation to tie the game and notch a point for the Sharks. Providence got goals from Craig Cunningham (8th), Jamie Tardif (20th), and Justin Florek (4th) in regulation, all three of those goals coming in the first ten minutes of the first period. Alex Stalock was solid in net for the Sharks, turning aside 34 out of the 37 shots that he faced.
The Bruins converted on their first power play try, cashing in on a 2-on-1 just 18 seconds into their man advantage, when Ryan Spooner made a good feed to Craig Cunningham (8th), who buried the puck past Alex Stalock, giving Providence a 1-0 lead at 5:38. Just over two minutes later, the Bruins extended their lead. After a rebound off the pads of Stalock, Jamie Tardif (20th) emerged out of the scrum and deposited the rebound to the back of the net, making it 2-0 at 7:51. Providence kept the pressure on offensively, taking a 3-0 lead less than halfway through the first period, when Justin Florek (4th) tipped a shot from the point off the stick of defenseman Torey Krug. Worcester cut into their deficit late in the period, when Bracken Kearns (10th) batted the puck out of the air on the doorstep to get the Sharks on the board, making it 3-1 at 14:51.
After killing off the Bruins power play to start the second period, the Sharks inched closer to tying the game. Just 1:43 into the period, Mike Banwell (1st) scored his first professional goal on a wrist shot from the point after a quick exchange with Matt Tennyson, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Worcester goaltender Alex Stalock turned aside all 11 Providence shots that he faced in the second period. The Sharks outshot the Bruins 17-11 in the period.
Following a back and forth first half of the third period, the Sharks were able to grab the equalizer with 6:05 remaining in regulation. Brodie Reid (10th) buried a pass from Jon Matsumoto past Niklas Svedberg from the top of the crease to tie the game 3-3, erasing a three goal deficit. Despite being outshot 11-7 in the period and having to kill off a late penalty, the Sharks were able to hang on to force overtime.
Less than two minutes into overtime, Ryan Spooner found himself on a breakaway, but Alex Stalock stood tall and denied him to save the game for the Sharks. Niklas Svedberg turned aside all four Worcester shots in the overtime period, forcing a shootout.
The Bruins clinched a 4-3 shootout victory, as Ryan Spooner, Maxime Sauve, and Craig Cunningham scored for Providence in the shootout and only Daniil Tarasov and Denny Urban were able to score in the shootout for Worcester.
The Sharks overall record falls to 20-17-1-4 (45pts in 42gp) and 8-8-1-3 (20pts in 20gp) at home this season
***Official Post Game Report courtesy of the Worcester Sharks***
Link: http://www.sharksahl.com/story.asp?story_id=3395
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