By: Chris Del Vecchio

 

WORCESTER – In their most spirited performance of the young season, the Worcester Sharks fell 5-4 in a shootout to the first place Providence Bruins in front of a sellout crowd at the DCU Center on Saturday night.  By the end of the first period, 6277 fans had already been treated to two goals and 61 penalty minutes including nine fighting majors. 

 

Just 6:21 into the game, an elbowing call on Worcester’s Graham Mink set off a chain reaction of battles that included virtually every player on the ice besides the goaltenders.  Most notably, Bruin Sean Curry engaged Patrick Traverse in front of the Providence bench.  Sharks enforcer Brennan Evans came to the defense of his blue line partner, leveling Curry but earning himself a game misconduct as the third man into the fight.  Four Bruins and three Sharks received concurrent fighting majors as well.

 

Pascal Pelletier was whistled for boarding later in the period, and Worcester’s fifth-ranked power play netted a 1-0 Sharks lead at the 15:05 mark of the first.  Josh Prudden wrapped around from behind the cage and forced the puck through the legs of Providence netminder Mike Brown for his first goal of the year.

 

The Bruins struck back three minutes later, as David Krejci broke down the left wing, drawing Patzold out of his crease before laying a pass across to Pelletier, who fought off T.J. Fox to touch home the puck and tie the score.

 

Worcester struck back quickly in the second period, as leading scorer Mike Iggulden notched his 10^th goal and 20^th point of the season, capitalizing on a goal-mouth scramble.  Derek Joslin and Dan Spang – who also had a hand in the first Sharks goal – picked up assists.

 

The lead did not last long, however, as it took Providence only ten seconds to turn a Riley Armstrong hooking minor into a power play goal, as Jeff Hoggan knocked home a deflected centering feed at 4:49 of the middle frame.

 

A stunning combination of individual effort and skill from Graham Mink tipped the back-and-forth battle in Worcester’s favor again at the 12:36 mark of the period.  Mink outhustled Jonathan Sigalet in the Bruins defensive zone, stripped Sigalet of the puck, stickhandled wide of Brown and split the smallest of gaps between the sprawling goaltender and the near post for the score.

 

In keeping with the pattern of the game, Chris Collins used a favorable deflection off a skate to slip another tying goal behind Patzold just before the second intermission.

 

Five minutes into the third period, Providence earned their first lead of the game.  On a play that was nearly a mirror image of the first Bruins tally, Krejci attacked up the right wing and found a crashing Pelletier, who redirected the centering feed past Patzold.

 

Trailing for the first time in the game, the Sharks answered back.  Working along the left wing boards, Iggulden found Dennis Packard unattended between the circles, and Packard had ample time to settle, shoot, and score to tie the game at 4-4 just over midway through the third period.

 

Patzold, who was superb despite allowing four goals, made six saves during the five minute overtime to force the game into a shootout.  The breakaway competition proved unfriendly for the Sharks, however, as Providence connected on their first three shots on their way to securing the victory.

 

The Sharks are off until Friday night, when they host the Hartford Wolf Pack in a 7:05pm contest at the DCU Center.  Bay State Financial Services is sponsoring a holiday toy drive, and all fans who donate a new, unwrapped toy will receive a voucher for a free ticket to a future Sharks game.  The Salter School of Massage Therapy will be offering free massages on the concourse during the game as well.  For more information on these and other promotions, or to purchase tickets, call the Sharks offices at 508-929-0500 or check out the new sharksahl.com.

NOTES:  The Sharks scored the first goal of the game for the second straight contest, and the fifth time in seventeen games this year… Brady Leisenring played in his first game in a Sharks uniform this season, after sitting out last night’s game because his equipment had not yet arrived from Fresno… T.J. Fox picked up his first professional fighting major during the first period scrum… The crowd of 6,277 was the second home sellout of the season… Power Plays: Worcester 1/5, Providence 1/5… Three stars: 3. Patzold (41 saves), 2. Pelletier (2 goals), 1. Iggulden (1 goal, 1 assist).