Armstrong, Sharks Trick Admirals

Published on January 2, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Worcester Sharks News Release


WORCESTER - With a little help from linemate Andrew Desjardins and a particularly generous pane of DCU Center glass, Riley Armstrong netted a hat trick and led the Worcester Sharks to a 5-1 victory over the Norfolk Admirals on Friday night. Armstrong scored a goal in each period - two of them assisted by Desjardins - as the Sharks pulled into a tie with Manchester for fourth place in the Atlantic Division.

As Worcester struggled to generate offense in the opening period, Norfolk's Mike Lundin picked up his first professional goal at 13:25. Lundin's blue line snipe was a one-timer off a pass from Chris Gratton, a veteran of over one thousand NHL games who is in the midst of his first ever stint in the AHL.

Shortly after Riley Armstrong picked up his second minor penalty of the night, Norfolk's Grant Potulny was whistled for two infractions - high-sticking and hooking - at 16:53. The teams skated 4-on-4 until Armstrong's penalty expired, at which time Armstrong atoned for his ways. The Sharks winger fired home the rebound of a Michael Wilson slap shot to tie the game with just over a minute remaining in the period.

That final minute held plenty of entertainment, however, as tempers flared between Desjardins and Steve Downie. The war of words between that pair was overshadowed, however, by two fights in the period's final minute. Frazer McLaren and Brett Henley dropped the gloves and each other in a very short bout at 19:54, and Brad Staubitz battled Jay Rosehill in an extended, very physical altercation at 19:56. The latter stoppage also produced a ten minute misconduct against Downie.

Luck tilted the game in Worcester's favor in the middle frame, as the Sharks scored two freak goals on their way to opening up a commanding 4-1 lead. Armstrong banked a slow centering feed from behind the goal line off the heel of Norfolk backstop Mike McKenna and into the net. The goal was Armstrong's second of the night and twelfth of the year, and gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead less than three minutes into the period. At 14:37 of the second, Matt Fornataro fired a shot wide of McKenna, only to have the puck rebound off the end boards, roll over the top of the net, and slide down the back of McKenna before coming to rest in the goal.

The Sharks would pick up a comparatively normal but shorthanded goal prior to the period's end, however. Desjardins took an outlet feed from Worcester netminder Thomas Greiss and charged up the right wing boards before centering in the direction of Ryan Vesce. Vesce put on the brakes to meet the puck and slid it back across the face of the goal, crossing up McKenna to net his eleventh tally of the season.

Another pair of fights and Armstrong's third goal highlighted the final period. After dishing out his third assist of the game - and second to Armstrong - on the period's lone goal, Desjardins and Downie revisted their first period disagreement. The pair went to battle shortly after TJ Fox and Blair Jones exchanged blows, capping a four fight affair. Greiss made seven saves in the third period and stopped 27 of 28 shots overall.

NOTES: Three Stars: (3) Greiss (Win, 27 saves) (2) Vesce (1 goal, 1 assist) (1) Armstrong (3 goals) ...Attendance for the contest was 3,174...Greiss saved 27 of 28 shots for the Sharks, while McKenna stopped 15 of 19 and Riku Helenius 11 of 12 for Norfolk... Helenius, a 1st round pick by Tampa Bay in 2006, relieved McKenna at the start of the 3rd period; it was his first AHL appearance... Worcester went 2-6 on the power play; Norfolk went 0-5 ... Worcester is now 2-0 against the Admirals this year, with both games being played at the DCU Center; the teams will play at the Norfolk Scope on Jan 16th and 17th... The assist by Greiss was his first since the 06-07 season, during which he registered three... Vesce now has 3 goals and 4 assists in his last 3 games... Final shots were 48-21 Worcester ... Jamie McGinn was reassigned by San Jose prior to the contest and played in his first AHL game since December 13th... Norfolk dressed just 17 players and only 4 defensemen for the contest.... The two teams combined for 96 minutes in penalties.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 2, 2009


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