On Friday night the Worcester Railers took on the Florida Everblades in the second of three matchups this week at the Hertz Arena, and just like on Wednesday they couldn’t find the back of the net often enough and lost again 3-1.
While this writer took some vacation time in Orlando last week and is now in the midst of his annual “Hockey Free Weekend”, it seems the Railers offense has decided to take some time off too, scoring just eight goals over their last five games. Although, in all fairness to the team, it’s been pretty bad for most of the season and not just during their time in the Sunshine State.
Currently, Worcester’s offense is 25th of 28 teams at 2.84 goals per game. Their power play is 27th of 28, bumbling along at 15.8%. Neither of those will be good enough in the playoffs should the Railers stumble into them, making the second season because the rest of the division is just as bad as the Railers are.
Don’t be fooled by the standings, and don’t be fooled by shot totals. The Railers need goal scorers, and they need them quickly, or it will be another long offseason for Worcester hockey fans.
For those interested in the Railers’ goal, it came via a bad-angle shot by Trevor Cosgrove. It will likely be a “Play of the Week” contender, and it looks great to watch, and incredibly lucky. And if luck is the only thing that gets the puck in the net, Worcester better find all the four-leaf clovers, horseshoe, and rabbits’ feet they can, because they’re going to need them.
If you’d like to know more about the game, you can read the Railers sunshine and rainbows game story on their website.
GAME NOTES
Scratches for the Railers were John Copeland (IR/unknown), Artyom Kulakov (suspended, game 1 of 1), Tristan Lennox (IR/lower body), and Ryan Verrier (IR/upper body). Cole Ceci was the backup goaltender. Because Railers General Manager Jordan Smotherman seems unwilling or unable to manage the team’s roster correctly Worcester skated with 13 forwards and only four natural defensemen, with Brendan Robbins playing once again on defense.
Thursday the ECHL suspended Kulakov one game for “an unpenalized boarding infraction at 19:25 of the second period” on Florida forward Luke Santerno. This season the ECHL’s Department of Player Safety has begun tweeting out videos of the infractions, and the one they tweeted out clearly shows that referee Brendan Schreider didn’t call a penalty on the play because there wasn’t one. Watch the video and judge for yourself, but this is just a hockey play, no more, no less.
The three stars of the game were:
1. FLA – 11 Cam Darcy
2. FLA – 13 Evan Boucher
3. FLA – 1 David Tendeck
The 210Sports Player of the Game was John Muse.
Even Strength Lines
Bakanov / Callin / Repaci
Piercey / Pivonka / Calder
Howdeshell / Quinlivan / White
MacKinnon / Cipollone / Goehring
Cosgrove / Garat
Welsh / Krygier
Robbins / X
Our affiliates last night
No games scheduled
In the ECHL’s North Division
Adirondack 4, Reading 1
Trois-Rivières 4, Newfoundland 0
Norfolk 3, South Carolina 4
Toledo 5, Maine 3
BOX SCORE
Worcester 1 0 0 – 1
Florida 1 1 1 – 3
1st Period-1, Worcester, Cosgrove 6 (Callin, Repaci), 5:37. 2, Florida, Boucher 1 (Neuber, Davis), 14:59. Penalties-Demin Fla (interference), 2:23; Robbins Wor (tripping), 12:12.
2nd Period-3, Florida, Darcy 1 (Josling, Pendenza), 19:36 (PP). Penalties-Piercey Wor (holding), 1:44; White Wor (roughing), 10:52; Darcy Fla (double – roughing), 10:52; Cosgrove Wor (cross-checking), 19:20.
3rd Period-4, Florida, Pendenza 17 19:18 (EN). Penalties-Uens Fla (tripping), 11:07; Reilly Fla (delay of game), 17:08.
Shots on Goal-Worcester 12-10-14-36. Florida 11-16-9-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0 / 4; Florida 1 / 3.
Goalies-Worcester, Muse 10-6-1-0 (35 shots-33 saves). Florida, Tendeck 5-5-0-0 (36 shots-35 saves).
A-7,231
Referees-Nolan Bloyer (31).
Linesmen-Trevor Waite (73), JP Waleski (51).
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