WORCESTER, MA – The Worcester Sharks entered tonight’s home contest having won nine of their last 10 games and with a chance to all but guarantee themselves a playoff berth, and the Sharks looked like a team fully deserving of a postseason spot as they picked apart the Lowell Devils by a 6-1 count at the DCU Center.

 

Worcester threatened early, forcing Devils netminder Frank Doyle to make a sprawling stop on Josh Prudden just three minutes into the contest, but fell behind 1-0 midway through the period.  Thomas Greiss was screened on the initial shot from the blue line, and the rebound fell to the stick of Devils leading scorer Chris Menard, who scooped home his 30^th goal of the year from just outside the crease.  The Sharks managed just seven shots in the opening frame and trailed 1-0 after twenty minutes.

 

A string of creative passes pulled Worcester even just 1:14 into the second, however.  Graham Mink and Lukas Kaspar combined forces behind the Lowell net, and Kaspar’s centering feed found Josh Prudden who beat Doyle for his ninth goal of the year.  The Sharks stormed out in front less than two minutes later on a blast from Riley Armstrong.  Defenseman Patrick Traverse fed Armstrong above the right face-off circle, and Armstrong one-timed a rocket while falling onto his back to put the Sharks in front by the score of 2-1.

 

Lowell’s David Clarkson tested the lead soon after, but Greiss made the breakaway save to preserve the lead.  Worcester added insurance shortly afterwards by way of a goal-mouth scramble finished off by AHL all-star Mathieu Darche, who registered his 35^th goal of the year at the 11:35 mark of the middle frame.

 

The 3-1 advantage would carry into the third stanza, thanks to 16 second period saves by Greiss.  The rookie backstop would continue his stellar play, maintaining the two goal lead until the Sharks struck again with 11 minutes left in the game.  Mink headmanned a 2-on-1 break and netted his 30^th of the year, beating Doyle to the low stick side.

 

Craig Valette continued the onslaught when he deflected home a slapshot from Brennan Evans at 12:57 of the period, and Kaspar rounded out the 6-1 margin, finishing off a diagonal pass from Mink with less than two minutes to play.

 

Worcester closes out the regular season with three games this weekend.  On Friday, the Sharks will face Providence at the DCU Center before traveling to Manchester on Saturday night and returning home for Fan Appreciation Night on Sunday afternoon against Lowell.  Individual game tickets for these games as well as playoff contests, plus a variety of discount postseason packages, are available online at www.sharksahl.com or at the DCU Center box office.