The Report from Worcester is a weekly update on the San Jose Sharks AHL affiliate, the Worcester Sharks.
Sharks Snap Shot:
The Worcester Sharks (20-17-1-4, 45pts) chomped three points of a possible four points in two games last week. The Sharks snapped their season high five game losing skid (0-4-0-1) with an impressive 3-1 win at Springfield on Friday. The Sharks erased a three goal deficit to force overtime but fell to the Bruins 4-3 in the shootout in front of 8,189 fans at the DCU Center on Saturday night. Worcester enters the All-Star break in 8th place (playoff spot) in the Eastern Conference.
The Worcester Sharks player of the week nominee is forward Tommy Grant. Tommy recorded his first goal as a member of the Sharks with a beautiful shorthanded breakaway goal in Springfield on Friday and added an assist on Saturday vs. the Bruins. Grant finished the two game week with two points (1-1-2) and was +2 with two shots.
Few things to know:
- The Sharks are currently in 4th place (20-17-1-4, 45pts) in the Atlantic Division and 8th place overall in the Eastern Conference.
- The San Jose Sharks have 11 players on their opening day roster that have spent time in Worcester (Couture, Desjardins, McLaren, Pavelski, Sheppard, Wingels, Braun, Demers, Irwin, Petrecki, and Greiss).
- The San Jose Sharks are currently 5-0-0 this season!
- Defenseman Matt Irwin scored his first NHL goal in San Jose’s 4-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Jan 26. Matt now has two points (1-1-2) in five games for the San Jose Sharks.
- Forward Tim Kennedy returned to the Sharks lineup on Jan 25 after missing nine games due to injury. Kennedy leads the Sharks with 30 points (12-18-30) in 33 games.
- Veteran forward Bracken Kearns was named to the 2013 AHL All-Star Classic and picked up his 10th goal of the season on Saturday vs. the Bruins.
- Veteran forward and former San Jose Sharks winger Patrick Rissmiller was released from his PTO by Worcester on Jan 28. Rissmiller had an assist in six games for the Sharks.
- Rookie Daniil Tarasov has a five game point streak for Worcester (2-3-5).
- Worcester finished with a 3-6-0-2 record in the month of January.
- The Sharks have a two game point streak (1-0-0-1).
- Worcester has a 13-8-1-2 record vs. the Atlantic Division this season. – best record within the division.
- The Sharks lead the AHL with 14 one-goal wins. Worcester is 14-6-1-4 in one goal games this season.
- The Sharks lead the AHL with 6 wins when trailing after 40 minutes of play this season (6-12-0-3). In addition the Sharks are 6-3-0-1 when tied after 40 minutes of play.
- Coach Roy Sommer currently ranks 4th in the AHL with 529 wins in his career (15th season) and 3rd in games coached in the AHL with 1158.
- Worcester has played 12 overtime games this season (2nd most in AHL) and leads the AHL with 5 shootout victories.
- The Sharks travel to Portland on Friday for a 7pm battle vs. the Pirates before returning home to host the Bruins on PINK in the RINK night (pink ice and pink jerseys) to benefit the Cup Crusaders presented by TD Bank on Saturday at the DCU Center. Doors open at 3:30pm for a high school hockey double header between St. John’s and St. Peter Marian at 4pm.
Top 3… Last Week
- Forward Brodie Reid tied the score in the 3rd period with his 10th goal of the season in the sharks 4-3SOL to the Bruins on Saturday!
- Newcomer Tommy Grant scored his first goal as a member of the Sharks with a beautiful shorthanded breakaway goal in the sharks 3-1 win at Springfield on Friday!
- Defenseman Mike Banwell scored his first professional goal in the Sharks 4-3SOL to the Bruins on Saturday!
Last Week: (1-0-0-1) 3pt, 2gp
Fri. 1/25 W Worcester SHARKS 3 @ Springfield Falcons 1
Sat. 1/26 SOL Providence Bruins 4 @ Worcester SHARKS 3
This week:
Fri. 2/1 Worcester SHARKS @ Portland Pirates – 7pm
Sat. 2/2 Providence Bruins @ Worcester SHARKS – 7pm
Rewind the Tape:
1.25.13 – Springfield 1 – Worcester 3 – W – Mass Mutual Center
The Worcester Sharks (20-17-1-3, 44pts) grabbed an impressive 3-1 victory over the first place Springfield Falcons (25-10-3-3, 56pts) on Friday night in front of 4,021 fans at the Mass Mutual Center. Worcester snapped their season high five game losing streak (0-4-0-1) while the Falcons had their six game winning streak snapped in the Sharks victory. Daniil Tarasov extended his point streak to four games (2-2-4) with a power play goal in the third period while Tommy Grant scored his first goal as a member of the Sharks with a terrific shorthanded breakaway tally in the opening frame. James Livingston scored the game winner for Worcester while Harri Sateri made 21 saves in his 8th win of season.
1.26.13 – Providence 4 – Worcester 3 – SOL – DCU Center
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. 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.
Season by the Numbers:
Record: 20-17-1-4, 45 points – 4th in Atlantic and 8th in Eastern Conference
Win percentage: .536% - 16th in AHL
Home Record: 8-8-1-3
Away Record: 12-9-0-1
Attendance: 84,591 through 20 games (4,230 average)
Goals Scored: 107, 2.55 goals per game, 21st in AHL
Goals Allowed: 123, 2.93 goals against per game, 20th in AHL
Shots per game: 29.29 – 21st in AHL
Shots allowed per game: 30.38 – 16th in AHL
Score 1st: 11-8-0-1 when scoring first (.575%)
1 goal games: 14-6-1-4 in one goal games -14 wins most in AHL
PP: 16.1%, 15th in AHL (31-192)
PK: 81.7%, 20th in AHL (34-186)
SHG – 2 shorthanded goals scored
SHGA – 4 shorthanded goals allowed
PIMS – 21.33 penalty minutes per game, 5th in AHL
Fighting Majors: 50 – 3rd in AHL
OT Games – 12 – (2-1 record in OT) – Hamilton and Petrecki OTG
SO Games – 9 – (5-4 record in SO)
Roster Players – the Sharks have used 37 players this season
Goalies – the Sharks have used 2 goaltenders this season
Players receiving call-ups to San Jose – 8
NHL debuts – 1 Worcester players made their NHL debuts this season (Matt Irwin on Jan 20 at Calgary)
Call-ups to San Jose – 8 different call-ups to San Jose this season
Top Worcester Sharks:
Top Worcester Sharks:
Goals Kennedy (12)
Game Winners Matsumoto (3)
Assists Kennedy (18)
Points Kennedy (12-18-30)
Power Play Points Kennedy (4-9-13) and Tennyson (2-11-13)
Shots Reid (86 shots)
PIM Pelech (145)
Fighting Pen. Pelech (11)
Plus/Minus Grant (+7)
Wins Stalock (12)
G.A.A. Sateri and Stalock (2.72)
Save % Stalock (.909)
Shutouts Stalock (1)
For more information on the Worcester Sharks, visit
SharksAHL.com
