Sharks Score Four Unanswered To Down Bridgeport, 4-1
November 29, 2008
Worcester Sharks vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers
DCU Center – Worcester, MA
November 29, 2008
By: Justin Lafleur
Sharks Score Four Unanswered To Down Bridgeport, 4-1
Lemieux’s first goal in over five years gave Worcester the 3-1 lead.
WORCESTER—Claude Lemieux’s first professional goal since the 2002-03 season highlighted a furious comeback as the Sharks battled back from a 1-0 deficit with four goals in the game’s final 21:32 to come away with a 4-1 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Saturday evening at the DCU Center.
In the process, Worcester (11-9-0-0) handed Bridgeport only its fifth regulation loss of the season. Bridgeport entered the game with the second most points in the entire American Hockey League with 32 via a 15-4-0-2 record.
Thomas Greiss was strong with 24 saves to earn him the game’s third star. Ryan Vesce added two goals and an assist while Andrew Desjardins and Patrick Traverse each had a pair of helpers. Tom Cavanagh added a goal and assist as well.
Neither team could light the lamp in the first period despite a number of glittering scoring chances. On the Sharks’ first power play, both Derek Joslin and Lemiux found themselves in the middle of the action, but couldn’t put it home. Then at 14:00 of the first period, Vesce cleared a dangerous puck out of the crease to keep the game scoreless. Worcester finished the first period with the 15-7 shot advantage.
Early in the second period, Jamie McGinn put a shorthanded bid on goal, but Bridgeport’s Joe Callahan deflected the puck over the net to keep it at 0-0. The Sound Tigers also had a shorthanded chance at 7:20 of the period when Kurtis McLean tried picking the corner, but Greiss came through with a big glove save.
Bridgeport got on the board first at 17:18 with Blake Comeau’s fourth goal of the season. After the puck squirted loose from behind the net, Comeau collected the loose change in between the faceoff circles and beat Greiss low.
The Sharks quickly tied the score at one only 1:10 later when Vesce circled with the puck before letting loose from just outside the left wing circle. His third goal of the season beat Bridgeport goaltender Peter Mannino high on the blocker side and was assisted by Traverse and Desjardins.
Vesce added his second goal of the game at 13:37 of the third period to give Worcester its first lead of the game at 2-1. Traverse put a shot toward goal from inside the left wing circle. Vesce made the redirection into the top right corner of the net for his fourth of the season.
Lemieux added his first professional goal since the 2002-03 season at 17:20 of the third period. Cavanagh made the pass from the left wing side to Lemieux in the middle, who subsequently beat Mannino with a low shot to make it 3-1 in favor of the Sharks.
Cavanagh added an empty-net goal with less than a minute remaining for the 4-1 win.
NOTES: Three Stars: (3) Thomas Greiss (24 saves, 1 GA) (2) Claude Lemieux (1g) (1) Ryan Vesce (2g, 1a)… Ryan Vesce’s two goals doubled his season total heading into the game. It also marked the third time a Worcester player has scored two in a game and the sixth time a player has had three points in a game … Andrew Desjardins’ two assists marked his first multi-point game in the AHL … He and Traverse both tied a Sharks season high with two assists in a game … Lemieux’s eight shots on the night tied the team’s season-high for a game (Derek Joslin on Oct. 31 at Hartford) … Attendance was 3,718…Thomas Greiss saved 24 of 25 shots for the Sharks, while Peter Mannino stopped 39 of 42 attempts…Fan favorite Riley Armstrong was recalled to the San Jose Sharks before the game, his first recall of his career. Worcester went 0/3 on the power play; Bridgeport went 0/6.
Worcester finishes its 3-in-3 weekend Sunday at 4:05 p.m. when it hosts the Lowell Devils on Papa Gino’s Family Value Sunday. Buy four teal level tickets at $12 each and get a Free Rustic Pizza!
All games can be heard live on 580 & 94.9 WTAG as well as online through AHL Live by following the link on the Sharks website, www.sharksahl.com.
Be sure not to miss any of the action of the 2008-09 Worcester Sharks season and buy your tickets today! Fans can also purchase tickets to the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Charter Communications. Purchases can be made by visiting the box office, contacting the Worcester Sharks office at 508.929.0500, or by crashing the net at www.sharksahl.com.
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