In just his second game back after missing six games due to injury, Worcester Sharks forward Brodie Reid registered a three point game with an assist and two goals, one of which was the eventual game winner, as the Sharks defeated their Atlantic Division rival the Providence Bruins (AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins) 3-2 Saturday night at the DCU Center.
Reid’s linemate Freddie Hamilton had a three point game with a goal and two assists for the Sharks, who beat the Bruins for the first time in seven tries this season and are only four points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Sharks rookie goaltender Troy Grosenick made his second consecutive start and made 32 saves, punctuated by a save at the end of the third period, for his 10th win of the season.
“That was a hell of a hockey game,” said Sharks head coach Roy Sommer in a post game interview with Bill Ballou of Telegram.com. “A lot of hitting, teams going up and down the ice, back and forth, and a lot of great saves by both goalies. That was fun to watch.”
Hamilton appeared to have put the Sharks ahead 1-0 at 9:35 of the first period off a low wrist shot from in the slot that beat Bruins goaltender Niklas Svedberg. Unfortunately for the Sharks and Hamilton, referee Jamie Koharksi, who was standing on top of the play and never blew a whistle, overturned the goal after a lengthy video review due to the goal net being knocked off its hinges by Svedberg, who received no penalty on the play.
With the Sharks on a power play in the second period, Hamilton corralled a behind the net centering feed from Reid and slid a backhanded shot from on top of the crease past Svedberg for a power play goal, his 13th goal of the season, at 5:19. Sharks forward Scott Fleming were credited with the secondary assist for his first point of the season.
Just four seconds after Sharks forward Curt Gogol’s two minute minor penalty for hooking had expired, the Bruins tied the game at 14:43 when forward Seth Griffith fired the puck past Grosenick from a parallel angle along the left side for his 11th goal of the season.
The Bruins took a 2-1 lead at 6:30 of the third period when defenseman Zach Trotman beat Grosenick with a blast of a slap shot from the top of the center point for a power play goal, his fifth goal of the season.
Reid quickly answered back for the Sharks as he tied the game at 7:51 off a hard snap shot from inside the right face-off circle that bounced in off the back of a Bruins defenseman after Svedberg had made the initial save. Hamilton, who sent a cross ice pass to Reid, and Sharks forward Yanni Gourde were credited with the assists on the goal, which was Reid’s sixth of the season.
At 15:24, Reid put the Sharks ahead 3-2 with this second goal of the game, seventh of the season, when he fired the puck into an open net from the bottom of the left face-off circle after corralling a through-the-crease pass from Hamilton, who threaded the puck between Svedberg and goal post on the right side.
“Actually, I was trying to bank it off his butt and in,” said Hamilton of his pass in a post game interview with Ballou. “Brodie’s a smart player. I knew he’d be there.”
Just 24-seconds after Reid’s second goal of the period, the Bruins went on a power play but the Sharks penalty killers and Grosenick held them at bay. With Svedberg pulled for the extra attacker and just several seconds remaining in the game, Bruins defenseman David Warsofsky ripped a slap shot from on top of the left face-off circle that Grosenick was able to turn aside despite the puck deflecting off of both Sharks defenseman Taylor Doherty and Bruins forward Craig Cunningham in front.
NOTES… Final shots were 35-34 in favor of the Sharks… The Sharks went 1-for-3 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill… Grosenick is now 10-5-0 with a 2.12 goals-against-average and .920 save percentage… Sharks forwards Dan DaSilva and Travis Oleksuk each had a team high four shots on goal… Sharks enforcer Jimmy Bonneau fought Bruins enforcer Bobby Robins at 1:38 of the first period… Sharks forward Lane Scheidl had the secondary assist on Reid’s second goal… Forward John McCarthy cleared waivers and was returned to the Sharks from San Jose… It was Pink in the Rink night as the Sharks wore specialty pink jerseys to benefit Cup Crusaders… This was the seventh of 12 meetings between the Sharks and Bruins this season… the Sharks are 1-5-0-1 against the Bruins, 12-9-0-1 at the DCU Center and 22-18-3-1 with 48 points overall… The Sharks are back in action Feb.8 as they travel to play the St. John’s IceCaps in a back-to-back set.
THREE STARS
1. Brodie Reid – Sharks (2-1-3, GWG)
2. Freddie Hamilton – Sharks (1-2-3)
3. Nick Johnston – Bruins (0-2-2)
LINES
Scheidl / Hamilton (A) / Reid
Gourde / Oleksuk / DaSilva
Gron / Schwartz / Livingston
Gogol / Fleming / Bonneau (A)
DEFENSE
Abeltshauser / Acolatse
Doherty / Tennyson
DeMelo / Davison (C)
GOALIES
Grosenick
Sateri
SCRATCHES
Anderson
Comrie
Crane
Petrecki
McCarthy (trv)
Pelech (inj)
Tarasov (inj)
Viedensky (inj)
Hayes (sjs)
Kearns (sjs)
Brace (ont)
Stalberg (ont)
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