Looking to end their 2013-14 season with four consecutive home wins, the Worcester Sharks avenged their New Year’s Eve loss by defeating the Adirondack Phantoms (AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers) 4-1 at the DCU Center Friday night.
Sharks defenseman Adam Comrie (goal, assist), and forwards Freddie Hamilton (goal, assist) and Travis Oleksuk (two assists) each had multi-point games while goaltender Harri Sateri made 33 saves in net for his 18th win of the season.
The Sharks took a 1-0 lead at 5:57 of the first period when off a turnover by the Phantoms deep in their own end, Sharks forward Matt Pelech fired a shot on goal from the right half wall that trickled past Phantoms goaltender Cal Heeter and was slid into an open net by linemate Brodie Reid for his 11th goal of the season. Sharks forward Marek Viedensky, who appeared to touch the puck at the same time as Reid, was credited with the other assist.
Comrie extended the Sharks lead to 2-0 at 1:01 of the second period with a highlight reel goal that saw him corral a pass at the top of the center slot, fake a snap shot from on top of the hash marks, keep the puck on his forehand and fire a backhanded shot past Heeter for his third goal of the season. Sharks rookie defenseman Mirco Mueller, who got the puck to the trialing Comrie with a pass from the left half wall, and Oleksuk were credited with the assists on the goal.
Sharks rookie forward Eriah Hayes made it 3-0 at 8:41 when he deflected Hamilton’s shot from along the right wall past Heeter for his 11th goal of the season (though replay of the goal did show a distinct kicking motion of the right skate by Hayes, who was deep inside the goal crease, that went unnoticed by the on ice officials). Comrie was credited with the secondary assist.
The Phantoms ruined Sateri’s shutout bid just 52-seconds into the third period when after some tic-tac-toe passing, forward Brandon Alderson slid a puck past Sateri from a parallel angle on the left side for his 10th goal of the season.
Hamilton would seal a 4-1 Sharks win with an empty net goal at 18:40 for his team leading 22nd goal of the season that was assisted by Oleksuk and Sharks rookie defenseman Dylan DeMelo.
NOTES… Final shots on goal were 34-32 in favor of the Phantoms… The Sharks went 0-for-3 on the power play and went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill… Sateri is now 18-23-2 with a 2.88 goals-against-average and .896 save percentage… Sharks forward Daniil Tarasov returned to the lineup after missing eight games due to injury and finished with four shots on goal, tying Reid and Hayes for a team high… This was the second and final meeting between the Sharks and Phantoms this season… The Sharks went 1-1-0-0 against the Phantoms, are 18-15-1-1 at the DCU Center and 35-32-4-2 with 76 points overall… The Sharks wrap up their weekend Saturday night (April 12) as they host the Norfolk Admirals at 7pm/et.
THREE STARS
1. Adam Comrie – Sharks (1-1-2, GWG)
2. Harri Sateri – Sharks (33 saves, Win)
3. Freddie Hamilton – Sharks (1-1-2)
LINES
Hamilton (A) / Oleksuk / Hayes
Tarasov / Carpenter / DaSilva (A)
Schwartz / Rau / Schmidt
Reid / Viedensky / Pelech
DEFENSE
Davison (C) / Tennyson
DeMelo / Mueller
Comrie / Jones
GOALIES
Sateri
Grosenick
SCRATCHES
Bonneau
Higgs
Abeltshauser (inj)
Acolatse (inj)
Doherty (inj)
McCarthy (inj)
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