With nine of their regular players attending the opening day of San Jose Sharks Training Camp, the Worcester Sharks used a makeshift lineup for the second straight game that included 10 rookies and seven players on PTO contracts. The result? A 3-1 loss to the Portland Pirates Sunday afternoon at the DCU Center. Brodie Reid had the lone goal for the Sharks, who now trail the Pirates by seven points for first place in the Atlantic Division, while goaltender Harri Sateri played outstanding in net with 38 saves on 40 shots.
After dominating much of the first period, the Pirates took a 1-0 lead at 17:24 when Brett Hextall slammed the puck home into an open net from the left face-off circle for his sixth goal of the season after a shot by defenseman Russ Sinkewich from the right side ricocheted off a skate in front to Hextall, who was crashing towards the net. Shots after the first period were 16-3 in favor of the Pirates.
Reid tied the game at 12:58 of the second period with his eighth goal of the season on a tip in from on top of the crease off a centering feed from linemate Patrick Rissmiller. Sharks rookie Yanni Gourde picked up the secondary assist on the goal, which squeaked through the pads of Pirates goaltender Chad Johnson.
On the ensuing face-off, Sharks enforcer Jimmy Bonneau dropped the gloves with Pirates enforcer Joel Rechlicz at center ice in a 40-second heavyweight battle that saw both combatants land several solid shots. In the two minutes following the fight, referee Geoff Miller assessed a combined five minor penalties, which resulted in 3-on-3 play. At 15:19, Pirates forward Chris Conner got behind the Sharks defense and slid the puck through the pads of Sateri for his seventh goal of the season and what held up as the game-winning-goal.
In the third period, the Sharks outshot the Pirates 16-11 but couldn’t get the puck past Johnson for the tying goal. With Sateri pulled for the extra attacker, Sharks defenseman Denny Urban nearly tied the game with under a minute left to play but his shot rang off the post. Pirates alternate captain Jordan Szwarz fired the puck into an empty Sharks net from center ice for his sixth goal of the season to seal a 3-1 Pirates victory.
NOTES: Shots were 41-27 in favor of the Pirates… The Sharks went 0-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill… Sateri is now 7-8-2-1 with a 2.81 goals-against-average and .909 save percentage… With the assist on the Reid goal, Rissmiller registered his first point with Worcester… This was the third time this season Bonneau has fought Rechlicz… Gourde broke an 11-game pointless drought with the secondary assist on the Reid goal… Tim Kennedy (inj), Taylor Doherty (inj), Sena Acolatse (inj), Danny Groulx (inj), Matt Irwin (scr), Matt Pelech (scr), Nick Petrecki (scr), Matt Tennyson (scr), John McCarthy (scr), Frazer McLaren (scr), James Sheppard (scr), Bracken Kearns (scr) and Brandon Mashinter (scr) did not dress for the Sharks… Prior to the start of the game, the Sharks signed forward Andy Bohmbach of the ECHL Trenton Titans to a PTO and he wore no. 39… This was the eighth of 12 meetings between the teams this season… The Sharks are 3-5-0-0 against the Pirates this season, 13-7-1-1 against the Atlantic Division, 8-6-1-1 at the DCU Center and 19-15-1-2 with 41 points overall.
Three Stars
1. Harri Sateri – Sharks (38 saves, Loss)
2. Chris Conner – Pirates (1-0-1, GWG)
3. Brett Hextall – Pirates (1-0-1)
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