PROVIDENCE, RI – Worcester apparently needs to have their backs against the wall to get on track in their playoff series. In the first round against the favored Hartford WolfPack, the Sharks dropped the first two games only to win the next four in a row and the series. Likewise, Providence beat Worcester in both of their games so far in this series only to see the Sharks pull off a victory in their effort to settle the Atlantic Division finals. On Friday night at “The Dunk” in Providence, the Sharks beat the Bruins 5-3, to get their first victory in the series.
Veteran defenseman Patrick Traverse scored a power play goal at 14:10 of the first period to open the scoring in Game 3. Traverse scored his third goal of the playoffs with assists from Derek Joslin and Ryan Vesce while Bruin defenseman Adam McQuaid served a high sticking penalty. With less than a minute left in the period, TJ Fox scored his third goal of the playoffs as well with an assist from Brad Staubitz to take a 2-0 lead at the end of the 1st period.
As soon as they dropped the puck for the second period, Providence got on the board with a nifty tip-in goal by Brad Marchand. Defenseman Jeff Penner’s shot was tipped by Marchand after Vladimir Sobotka set up Penner to make the score 2-1. Marchand netted his fourth goal and the rookie leads the Bruins in goals as well as agitating the Worcester club. A defensive turnover by the Bruins led to an unassisted goal by Andrew Desjardins at the 4:40 mark to get the Sharks two goal lead back at 3-1. Providence battled back, and with Fox in the box for interference, Penner scored on a beautiful feed from Martin St.Pierre and Sobotka to cut the lead to 3-2. The Sharks were clinging to the 3-2 lead until the end of the period.
Providence carried the play early in the third period yet it was Bruins-killer Jamie McGinn who struck again at 11:39 on only their third shot of the period to give the Sharks a 4-2 lead. Assists were credited to Vesce and Lukas Kaspar. That lead held until Bruin netminder Tuukka Rask was pulled after a timeout with 1:35 left. With a minute left, a melee similar to Game 2 took place. McGinn slashed St.Pierre which resulted in a scuffle that was broken up quickly. But after that fights took place all over the ice. McGinn got a slashing penalty along with a roughing minor while St.Pierre received just a slashing minor. The only fighting majors were given to the Bruins Johnny Boychuk (his first major all season) and the Sharks Mike Moore. Jeremy Reich and Sobotka received roughing and misconduct penalties as did Brett Westgarth and Vesce for Worcester. Five seconds after sorting out the penalties, Mikko Lehtonen scored for Providence on the power play to cut the lead to 4-3 with 55 seconds left in the game, with assists to Marchand and Zach Hamill. It became a moot point at 19:26 when Riley Armstrong scored an empty-net goal to seal the deal at 5-3.
Game 4 is set for Saturday night at the DCU Center in Worcester, followed by Game 5 on Monday night back at “The Dunk” in Providence. The three stars were Desjardins, Penner and Vesce. Providence was 2 for 4 on the power play, while Worcester went 1 for 4. Shots on goal favored Worcester 31-28 and the attendance was 5,167.
Contact Thomas.chace@prohockeynews.com
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