Worcester, Mass. – The Worcester Sharks beat the Providence Bruins in front of a full house of 7,230 at the DCU Center on Saturday night by a score of 3-1. It was the first annual Guns N’ Hoses Night and the Sharks surely did not disappoint. Thomas Greiss turned in another stellar 25-save performance and Lukas Kaspar scored the game-winning goal in the second period to power Worcester to it’s longest winning streak in Franchise History with five straight wins.

The Sharks began the first period with the P-Bruins and it was instant playoff intensity. Worcester out-skated Providence throughout the period and finished it on a good note. With just 2:09 remaining in the period, forward Josh Prudden beat Bruins netminder Hannu Toivonen on a wrap-around with his sixth of the year to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead.

Lukas Kaspar put the Sharks up by two goals with a nifty wrist shot from the top right face-off circle with his 10th of the season. Kaspar received an up-ice pass from Craig Valette and deposited the black rubber disc through Toivonen’s legs for the goal. The goal gave the collective Sharks faithful a small sigh of relief as the playoff plot continues to get thicker.

With just 1:45 left to play in the second session, the P-Bruins would cut the Worcester lead in half with an extremely controversial goal. The net seemed to be knocked off its moorings, but somehow the puck squeaked through Greiss’ pads and into the net for a goal. Providence forward Sean Bentivoglio was credited with the goal, his first of the season.

Following the Providence tally, the game’s intensity doubled. The Sharks took their 2-1 lead into the second intermission ready for a battle in the third period and that’s what happened. 

Both teams battled throughout the entire third period with chances going back and forth. It wasn’t until the 16:16 mark of the third period that Grant Stevenson sealed it with a strong individual effort. Stevenson deked a Providence defender, muscled his way past him, and politely tucked it under Toivonen’s glove hand for a 3-1 lead.

Stevenson’s goal gave the Sharks all they needed and skated to a 3-1 victory over a very good Providence Bruins team. With a Devils loss, the Sharks have now taken sole possession of the fourth and final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division with 81 points. Not only do they own the fourth spot, Team Teal sits just one point behind the third place P-Bruins (82) and two points behind second place Hartford (83).

The Sharks next head off to the LoneStar State for two games against the San Antonio Rampage and the Houston Aeros, respectively. You can catch all the action from play-by-play announcer Jamie Smock on the “Voice of the Sharks,” NewsTalk 580 WTAG.