The Worcester Railers entered Sunday afternoon’s game against the Brampton Beast looking for a little payback for Saturday’s 5-2 loss to their ECHL North Division rivals. They ended the game trying to find the quickest way out of the CAA Centre after being embarrassed 6-0.
Things started off a bit chippy after Railers defenseman Connor Doherty threw a crunching check on TJ Melancon in front of the Brampton bench. Melancon, who appeared dazed after the hit but didn’t miss a shift, then tried to get several Worcester players to fight before suddenly jumping Railers captain Barry Almeida. Somehow out of the fracas Worcester ended up shorthanded, but luckily the Beast couldn’t convert on the man advantage.
Brampton did end up with a special teams goal in the frame when the Railers were on a power play and JD Dudek was taken down. Christopher Clapperton grabbed the loose puck and broke in on Worcester netminder Linus Soderstrom all alone. Soderstrom made the save but Matt McLeod outraced the Railers to the rebound and threw it into the net at 18:05.
It didn’t get better for Worcester as late in the frame Kyle Thomas was called for a double-minor when his follow through of a backhander cut a Beast player, and then Kyle McKenzie was called for delay of game when a puck hit him and bounced over the glass. According to the rules as written neither should have been penalties.
Worcester managed to kill off the five on three portion and almost escaped the whole situation entirely until Nathan Todd fired an absolute laser over the right shoulder of Soderstrom to make it 2-0 at 2:03. And then it got ugly.
Jackson Leef scored a power play goal off a deflection to make it 3-0 at 4:05. Francois Beauchemin then lit the lamp at 11:20 when he entered the Railers zone trailing the play and no one picked him up. Lindsay Sparks made it 5-0 at 14:32, and that was all for Soderstrom.
In the third both squads, with minor exceptions, looked to be just running the clock out. Melancon made it the 6-0 final on the power play at 16:10 of the frame.
The Railers return to action Friday night at the DCU Center when they take on the defending Kelly Cup Champion Newfoundland Growlers.
GAME NOTES
Scratches for the Railers were Ivan Chukarov (Day to day, “banged up”), Anthony Florentino, Cody Payne (according to the pregame radio show, “banged up”), Chris Rygus, and Henrik Samuelsson (day to day). Evan Buitenhuis started the game as the back-up goaltender. Brauer returned to action after missing the last two games with an undisclosed injury and played defense. The fact that defenseman Chris Rygus hasn’t made his debut with the team yet, can’t get into the line-up in the last game of a three in three, and has been scratched in place of a natural forward playing the blueline doesn’t say much for his chances of staying with the squad once the active rosters drop down to 20 players on November 10th.
The Brampton Beast wore a pink jersey as they held their “Pink in the Rink” game Sunday. Because of that the Railers were once again in their white jerseys. This season ECHL teams are supposed to wear white and home and darks on the road for the first half, but through six games not once have the Railers worn the “correct” colored jersey. It will be interesting to see what jerseys the Railers will wear next Friday against the Newfoundland because on Saturday Worcester is wearing a dark “W6” specialty jersey.
Had a couple folks asking me about yesterday’s game recap that listed Mike Cornell’s birthplace as Burlington, Ontario when pretty much everywhere it’s listed as Franklin, Massachusetts. In a reply to a Railers tweet about Canadian players Alan Cornell, Mike’s dad, posted that Cornell “is a dualie. Born in Burlington, ON.” I think it’s a safe bet to take his word for it.
The three stars of the game were
1. BRM – 31 Alex Dubeau
2. BRM – 18 Matt McLeod
3. BRM – 23 TJ Melancon
The 210Sports Player of the Game is Jake Bolton.
Even Strength Lines
Almeida / Pierog / Dudek
Hitchcock / Pond / Thomas
Olsson / Samuels-Thomas / Schmalz
Callin
Murray / Cornell
McKenzie / Doherty
Bolton / Brauer
BOX SCORE
Worcester 0 0 0 – 0
Brampton 1 4 1 – 6
1st Period-1, Brampton, McLeod 1 (Clapperton), 18:05 (SH). Penalties-Pacan Brm (slashing), 1:02; Schmalz Wor (high-sticking), 1:31; Samuels-Thomas Wor (cross-checking), 10:54; Almeida Wor (slashing, double – roughing), 14:58; Melancon Brm (double – roughing), 14:58; Bourque Brm (cross-checking), 16:34; Thomas Wor (high-sticking – double), 19:10; McKenzie Wor (bench – delay of game), 19:52.
2nd Period-2, Brampton, Todd 4 (Vallorani), 2:03 (PP). 3, Brampton, Leef 1 (Clapperton, Melancon), 4:05 (PP). 4, Brampton, Beauchemin 3 (Melancon, McLeod), 11:20. 5, Brampton, Sparks 2 (Martenet, Vallorani), 14:32. Penalties-Thomas Wor (slashing), 3:15; Martenet Brm (cross-checking), 5:26; Bourque Brm (slashing), 5:50; Vallorani Brm (hooking), 8:02; Clapperton Brm (high-sticking), 15:44; Callin Wor (tripping), 18:32.
3rd Period-6, Brampton, Melancon 2 (Clapperton, Bourque), 16:10 (PP). Penalties-Beauchemin Brm (delay of game), 1:20; Almeida Wor (boarding), 5:41; Samuels-Thomas Wor (kneeing), 14:35; Dudek Wor (roughing), 16:50; Mann Brm (roughing), 16:50; Murray Wor (game misconduct – inciting), 17:00; Todd Brm (game misconduct – inciting), 17:00.
Shots on Goal-Worcester 10-10-7-27. Brampton 5-13-12-30.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0 / 7; Brampton 3 / 9.
Goalies-Worcester, Soderstrom 1-1-0-0 (16 shots-11 saves); Buitenhuis 0-2-0-0 (14 shots-13 saves). Brampton, Dubeau 2-0-0-0 (27 shots-27 saves).
A-2,029
Referees-Alexander Ross (11).
Linesmen-Riley Page (62), Andre Grougrou (63).
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