Once a bit of time has passed Blade Jenkins’ overtime winner will likely be described as an absolute laser from just inside the blue line, through a small puck-sized opening between the other four skaters on the ice, beating the goaltender to a high corner. And perhaps someone will add that the water bottle flew many feet upwards, spraying its liquid through the air like fireworks.
Of course, those of us there know nothing could be further from the truth.
Was it a shot? Was it a pass? Was it both? No matter what it was, Jenkins’ little flip on net from high in the slot and 50 feet away fooled Norfolk netminder Thomas Milic and the puck slid into the net for a Railers 4-3 victory Friday night.
So, how did they get to overtime? Well, glad you asked.
It was Worcester that got on the board first when Daylan Kuefler tried to wheel the net and jam one home on the far side. The puck bounded right to Ryan Verrier, who fired an actual slapshot and beat Milic.
The next two goals would go to Norfolk, including another case of Worcester allowing a goal with less than a minute to go in a period. The first came at 11:47 on a three-on-three zone entry by the Admirals that the Railers played pretty well. Despite that, Aaron Miller’s NHL-quality laser of a wrist was able to beat Worcester goaltender John Muse clean to the glove side. The second came from Denis Smirnov, who picked the puck out of the air and batted it past Muse with 46.2 seconds left in the first period. It looked like a high-stick to this writer, but as that’s not reviewable in the ECHL, it wasn’t.
Worcester would eventually tie it deep into the second period when Artyom Kulakov wound up and blasted a feed from Anthony Callin past Milic and into the top corner.
The Railers grabbed their second lead of the game just 1:39 into the third period when Riley Piercey tipped Zsombor Garat’s snapshot past Milic.
Norfolk would tie it 3-3 after a wild goal-mouth scramble at 15:31, setting up Jenkins’ eventual overtime game-winner.
The two squads will play again Saturday on “Worcester IceCats” night, with the Railers wearing IceCats tribute specialty jerseys.
GAME NOTES
Scratches for the Railers were Brian Bowen, Ryan Dickinson, Todd Goehring (IR/unknown), Christian Krygier (IR/upper body), Tristan Lennox (IR/lower body), Nick Pennucci, Jack Quinlivan (IR/lower body). Josh Boyko was the backup goaltender. Bowen and Dickinson were signed over the past couple of days. Bowen is a returning player having already seen action with Worcester in the 2017-18 campaign where he went 3-1-4 in 11 games. Dickinson, a defenseman, was playing for SUNY-Oswego and decided to turn pro.
The Railers released two players over the last few days, goaltender Kaden Fulcher and forward Quinn Ryan. Worcester had three healthy goalies on the roster so one was obviously going to be released at some point. The only surprise was it was Fulcher, who played decently in his one game with the Railers. General Manager Jordan Smotherman decided to go with Boyko, who looked great in the early part of his lone appearance for Worcester, and not so great for most of the rest of it. The Railers had no information as to why the oft-injured Ryan was released. Ryan had already missed 18 games this season over three occasions due to various ailments and going back to last season had missed 39 of the Railers’ last 55 games. Ryan was claimed by Maine, who suspended him Friday for not reporting. Good friend Chris Roy, formerly of the Maine Hockey Journal, opined on Facebook that Ryan was headed overseas. Sounds like we’ll hear more on this later.
A little history was made Friday night when former Worcester Blades goaltender Mariah Fujimagari was signed by Norfolk to be their EBUG. It marked the first time in Railers history a female goaltender suited up for either team in the game, and it’s the second time in Worcester pro hockey history it happened. Or, perhaps more correctly, it’s rumored to be the second time. Despite no transaction ever appearing anywhere, the AHL claiming there never was one, and her not appearing on the scoresheet, on December 7, 1996, with Travis Scott getting “violently ill” late in the afternoon the Worcester IceCats sent Erin Villiotte, who worked in the PR department for the IceCats and had previously played goal on the Harvard Women’s team, home to get her equipment “just in case”. With only one available goaltender, Jamie McClennan, Villiotte was dressed as the backup but did not sit on the bench, and instead was sequestered away in a room near the IceCats dressing room. Or, so at least, the legend says.
Despite this writer being told by the Railers that a scoring change on last Friday’s goal that was originally listed as being credited to Brendan Robbins, and a video that makes it look like it should be Daylan Kuefler’s goal, was going to happen no change has been made as of yet. That’s usually a good sign that there won’t be one coming, but it is still possible the change could be made. There were no changes to any other goals last weekend, nor were any expected.
With Fulcher being released Boyko has had his number switched from the #30 he was wearing, which belongs to the injured Tristan Lennox, to the #35 vacated by Fulcher. Barring something odd happening that number overlap between Lennox and Boyko should be the only time this season that happens. In a midweek conversation with Railers COO Mike Myers, he said the team started the season with a few extra numbered jerseys to avoid players having to give up their numbers if they’re recalled or injured like what’s happened the past couple of seasons. So for the numberphiles in the group, of which I am one, record keeping should be a lot easier this season.
The three stars of the game were:
1. WOR – 19 Blade Jenkins
2. WOR – 22 Daylan Kuefler
3. WOR – 40 John Muse
The 210Sports Player of the Game was Ryan Verrier.
Even Strength Lines
Repaci / Jenkins / Callin
Kuefler / Pivonka / Calder
Bakanov / Cipollone / Piercey
Howdeshell / White / X
Welsh / Robbins
Kulakov / Verrier
Garat / Copeland
Our affiliates last night
None played
In the ECHL’s North Division
Atlanta 5, Trois-Rivières 4
Reading 1, Maine 0
BOX SCORE
Norfolk 2 0 1 0 – 3
Worcester 1 1 1 1 – 4
1st Period-1, Worcester, Verrier 2 (Kuefler, Calder), 3:25. 2, Norfolk, Miller 6 (Liwiski), 11:47. 3, Norfolk, Smirnov 4 (Norton, Liwiski), 19:13. Penalties-No Penalties
2nd Period-4, Worcester, Kulakov 1 (Callin, Kuefler), 18:04. Penalties-Howdeshell Wor (slashing), 2:43; Liwiski Nor (roughing), 17:10; Garat Wor (roughing), 17:10.
3rd Period-5, Worcester, Piercey 3 (Garat, Bakanov), 1:39. 6, Norfolk, Osmundson 2 (Musser, Norton), 15:31. Penalties-Garat Wor (hooking), 3:26.
1st OT Period-7, Worcester, Jenkins 9 (Repaci), 1:17. Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal-Norfolk 13-12-18-0-43. Worcester 7-9-14-2-32.
Power Play Opportunities-Norfolk 0 / 2; Worcester 0 / 0.
Goalies-Norfolk, Milic 9-3-2-1 (32 shots-28 saves). Worcester, Muse 4-1-0-0 (43 shots-40 saves).
A-1,912
Referees-Sam Heidemann (22).
Linesmen-Sam Schildkraut (46), Conor Foley (86).
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