Tierney leads Worcester to 4-2 win over Providence

Playing in his first career AHL game, forward Chris Tierney registered three points on a goal and two assists as the Worcester Sharks scored three goals in the third period to defeat the Providence Bruins (AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins) 4-2 at the DCU Center Saturday night.

The Sharks, who took sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division with the win, got goals from forwards Melker Karlsson, Eriah Hayes and Ryan Carpenter while goaltender Troy Grosenick made 23 saves for his AHL leading seventh win of the season.

Karlsson put the Sharks ahead 1-0 at 5:50 of the first period when he found a loose puck on top of the crease and shuffled the puck past Providence goaltender Malcolm Subban for a power play goal, his third goal of the season. Sharks forwards Bryan Lerg and Tierney had the assists on the goal, which extended the Sharks’ streak to eight games with a power goal.

Providence tied the game nine minutes later when forward Cory Kane had his centering feed from behind Grosenick’s net deflect in off of Karlsson’s skate for his first goal of the season.

In the second period, the Sharks outshot Providence 16-6 but couldn’t get the puck past Subban. With 37-seconds left in the period, Sharks defenseman Taylor Doherty took a bad hooking penalty inside the offensive zone and five seconds later, Providence forward Alexander Khokhlachev buried home a rebound from on top of the crease off the ensuing faceoff for his fifth goal of the season.

At 7:09 of the third period, Tierney, who had a heck of a shift by using his speed and defense to generate two scoring chances, tied the game when he buried home a rebound from the right side of the crease for his first professional goal. Hayes and Sharks defenseman Matt Taormina, who took the initial shot from the left wall, had the assists on the goal, which came on the Sharks’ 36th shot of the night.

Several minutes later at 10:10, the Bruins won a faceoff in the right circle of their own zone but no one could settle the bouncing puck. Hayes crashed the net and buried the puck through the wickets of Subban for his second goal of the season. Tierney and Lerg had the assists on the goal, which held up as the game winner.

Carpenter added an insurance goal at 17:21 when he stuffed the puck home on the left side off a wrap around attempt that extended his goal streak to three games. Karlsson and Sharks defenseman Matt Tennyson had the assists on the goal, which went to review before being ruled a good goal as the goal light never went on even though the puck was in the net.

Despite pulling Subban for the extra attacker with 90-seconds left in the period and having a 6-on-4 power play advantage for the final 77-seconds, Providence couldn’t generate a scoring chance as the Sharks penalty killers were up to the task of preserving the two goal lead.

NOTES… Shots on goal were 41-25 in favor of the Sharks… The Sharks went 1-for-5 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill… Grosenick is now 7-2-1 with a 2.73 goals-against-average and .908 save percentage… Tennyson and forward Micheal Haley each had a team high five shots on goal… Earlier in the week, Sharks forward Chris Crane was reassigned to the Missouri Mavericks of the ECHL… This was the third of 12 meetings between the Sharks and Providence this season… The Sharks are 3-0-0 against Providence, 5-2-1 at the DCU Center and 7-3-1 with 15 points overall… The Sharks are back in action Tuesday (Nov. 11) as they travel to play the Springfield Falcons at 3pm/et (the game will air live on AHL Live but on delay for WTAG radio).

THREE STARS
1. Chris Tierney – Sharks (1-2-3)
2. Eriah Hayes – Sharks (1-1-2)
3. Bryan Lerg – Sharks (0-2-2)

LINES
Langlois / Hamilton / Tarasov
Haley / Karlsson / Carpenter
Lerg / Tierney / Hayes
Trupp / Schwartz

DEFENSE
Taormina / Tennyson
Fedun / DeMelo
Abeltshauser / Doherty
Young

GOALIES
Grosenick
Anderson

SCRATCHES
Emanuelsson (inj)
Oleksuk (inj)
Bonneau
Shattock