Mink Guarantees Point, but Sharks Fall 3-2 in Shootout

Published on March 8, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Worcester Sharks News Release


WORCESTER - Graham Mink continued his hot streak, notching a late goal to force overtime, but the Worcester Sharks eventually bowed in a shootout to the Lowell Devils by a 3-2 count on Saturday night at the DCU Center. With the point, Worcester moves within three of 5th place Manchester but slips to nine points back of Springfield in the Atlantic Division table.

Both teams adopted a defensive mindset early, combining for just seven shots over the opening fifteen minutes. A cross-checking call to Lowell's Sean Zimmerman helped the Sharks find an offensive stride, as Mike Iggulden rang a close range shot off the post in the 16th minute. Worcester continued to press even after the power play expired, and at 17:42, Tom Walsh cycled the puck through Dan Spang to Lukas Kaspar along the right wing boards. Kaspar knuckled a shot through traffic that found its way through the crowd and past Devils backstop Dave Caruso to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead with his 14th goal of the season.

It looked for an instant as though Worcester had doubled the lead at 18:10, but Nate Raduns was whistled for hooking just as a wrist shot from Ashton Rome cleared the outstretched glove of Caruso. The call proved doubly hurtful, as the Sharks not only lost the would-be goal, but Lowell capitalized on the ensuing man advantage exactly one minute later. Crisp puck movement from the Devils power play unit created a clean look for Petr Vrana, who beat Worcester netminder Dimitri Patzold from inside the right faceoff circle to pull Lowell even heading into the first intermission.

The Sharks came out of the first intermission firing, forcing Caruso into seven saves over the period's first five minutes, but then produced just a single shot on net for the remainder of the frame. Meanwhile, Worcester's defense remained strong as it surrendered just four shots in a scoreless second period.

A succession of penalties, two of them against the Sharks, led to 16 seconds of a 4-on-3 power play for Lowell. It took only 15 seconds for the Devils to break the tie. Blueliner Oliver Magnan played the puck to his partner Rosario Ruggeri, and Ruggeri flicked a wrist shot past Patzold at 8:55 to put the Devils in front, 2-1.

With the game on the line, Mink came up big to force overtime and preserve the standings point for Worcester. Mink redirected a blue line drive from Walsh into the Lowell net to knot the score at 2-2 with less than three minutes to play. The goal was Mink's 20th of the year and gave Walsh his 26th assist of the campaign.

After a scoreless overtime in which the Sharks held a 4-0 shot advantage, Grant Marshall and Mike Pandolfo converted in the shootout to vault the Devils to victory.

Worcester wraps up their third consecutive three-in-three weekend on the road tomorrow with a 4:05pm contest against the Providence Bruins. The Sharks return to the DCU Center on Wednesday, hosting the San Antonio Rampage in a 7:05pm tilt. For more information or to purchase tickets visit sharksahl.com, home of the new Sharks TV web feature, or call the Sharks offices at 508-929-05

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American Hockey League Stories from March 8, 2008


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