“Not good enough.”
That’s the kindest way to describe the 2023-2024 Worcester Railers right now as they find themselves once again tumbling down the standings of the ECHL’s North Division after a 2-1 loss to the Adirondack Thunder Friday night at the DCU Center.
But there are lots of unkinder, and probably more accurate, words that could be used. Seeing as we try to keep things professional here at 210Sports, we’ll refrain from using those.
The names on the back of the jerseys have changed this season, but the problems of before are exactly the same. None of those new names seems to be able to put the puck in the net. The Railers have the worst offense in the ECHL, with their 2.17 goals per game average ranking last. But it’s not even that good when you consider two of those goals were empty netters in the same game. Take those out and it’s down to 1.83 per game.
“Not good enough.”
Worcester has played 360 minutes of hockey this season and had held the lead for just 89:36 of it, and for 65:40 they’ve been tied. However, that second number is also misleading because if you remove the time the game score was 0-0 Worcester has been tied with their opponents just 13:59. That entire block of time the score was 1-1.
“Not good enough.”
In the 59 games since December 4, 2022, the Railers’ points percentage is a woeful .364. That number shouldn’t come as a shock to readers as this writer has mentioned one similar on numerous occasions. Last season hockey ops were blind to how bad the team was playing because all they could see looking back was that 16-2-1 start and where they were in the standings. They couldn’t see, or maybe refused to see, that the Railers were in trouble on the ice.
There’s no way they can’t see it now because the fans won’t let them. And anyone in hockey ops who can’t see it needs to go. Changes need to be made or, once again, the Railers will find themselves missing the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons because they’re simply…
“Not good enough.”
Just so we can say we talked about the game, here’s Jake Pivonka’s goal, from Anthony Callin and Zsombor Garat, that made it appear the Railers were actually in the game.
GAME NOTES
Scratches for the Railers were Adam Goodsir, Artyom Kulakov, Jack Quinlivan (IR/unknown), Anthony Repaci (lower body), and Ryan Verrier. Triston Lennox was the backup goaltender.
The Worcester Railers Booster Club is doing some fundraising at this weekend’s games on Friday and Saturday against Adirondack. Booster Club Vice-President Jess Curtin, who is in charge of fundraising for the ECHL & SPHL Booster Club Jamboree, mentions that the group will begin selling $10 raffle tickets where the winning ticket gets a blank version of one of each of the Railers specialty jerseys this season. There is a limit of 2,000 tickets and they’re expected to go quickly. There are also football squares on sale, for $10 each, for the Patriots game against the Chiefs on December 18th. As an added bonus, each square purchased will also get you entered in a drawing for some cool Railers merchandise. In addition to that, the Club is hosting a comedy night on November 11, 2023, at the 200 Sportsman Club in Sutton, Mass. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased on the “Comedy for Cash” website. If you can’t make it, there is also a donation link on that webpage. As usual, you can make a donation to the Booster Club any time online at this page or on gamedays at the Booster Club table behind section 109.
The three stars of the game were:
1. ADK – 61 Filip Engaras
2. ADK – 29 Vinnie Purpura
3. WOR – 13 Jake Pivonka
The 210Sports Player of the Game was Zsombor Garat.
Even Strength Lines
Howdeshell / Jenkins / Ryan
Piercey / Pivonka / Calder
Bakanov / Cipollone / Callin
X / Robbins / White
Welsh / Cosgrove
Krygier / Copeland
Schultz / Garat
Our affiliates last night
Did not play
In the ECHL’s North Division
@Trois-Rivières 4, Newfoundland 1
@Norfolk 4, Maine 2
@Toldeo 5, Reading 2
BOX SCORE
Adirondack 1 1 0 – 2
Worcester 0 1 0 – 1
1st Period-1, Adirondack, Engaras 1 (Becker, Stief), 13:18. Penalties-Isley Adk (hooking), 6:49; Becker Adk (delay of game), 10:39; Broughman Adk (slashing), 15:37; Pivonka Wor (tripping), 16:14; Copeland Wor (holding), 18:41.
2nd Period-2, Adirondack, Engaras 2 (Isley), 16:33 (PP). 3, Worcester, Pivonka 3 (Callin, Garat), 18:42. Penalties-MacKinnon Adk (slashing), 13:44; Piercey Wor (bench – too many men), 14:54.
3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Robbins Wor (tripping), 1:49.
Shots on Goal-Adirondack 12-12-5-29. Worcester 11-7-13-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Adirondack 1 / 4; Worcester 0 / 4.
Goalies-Adirondack, Purpura 1-0-1-0 (31 shots-30 saves). Worcester, Tikkanen 1-2-0-0 (29 shots-27 saves).
A-2,613
Referees-Andrew Bell (24), Trevor Wohlford (38).
Linesmen-Laura Schmidlein (82), Sam Schildkraut (46).
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