So, what do you get when a team receives both of its best players back from the AHL and then adds that to a sudden influx of secondary scoring? Well, for the first two periods, you apparently get absolutely nothing and then in the third frame you get three goals, and the Worcester Railers needed each and every one of those to defeat the Newfoundland Growlers 3-2 at the DCU Center Friday night on Worcester Bravehearts night.
This writer has been accused recently of posting far too many negative things, so perhaps we should start with a picture of sunshine and rainbows to make everyone happy.
Oh, sorry, my bad. That wasn’t a My Little Pony-style graphic but is instead a video of an unchallenged Grant Cruikshank putting a backhander past Railers netminder John Muse just 1:17 into the contest. It wasn’t too hard on the ice for the Newfoundland guys on that play.
It stayed that 1-0 score into the middle period when the Growlers would score a power play goal when Cruikshank fired a hard iced pass to Zach O’Brien, who tipped it exactly 18 degrees and off the post to the right of Muse. The puck caromed off the iron, off of Muse, and into the net at 9:20.
After 40 minutes of play and no goals to show for it, it was obvious that desperate measures would be needed. No matter how hard it was on the ice, the Railers decided on this night they needed a bit of extra help to overcome goaltender Dryden McKay and the Newfoundland Growlers. Worcester had a secret weapon in their pocket and knew the third period was the perfect time to use it.
Peterman.
The dancing Bravehearts general manager, sans his trademark loud sportscoat, began dancing high behind the Newfoundland bench and then moved to one of the suites where his magic could be seen by all. Confused and befuddled, the Growlers slowly found it too hard to play on the ice.
Blade Jenkins used that confusion to his advantage, finding Anthony Callin all alone in front to close the gap to 2-1.
Jenkins wasn’t done, and with McKay obviously blinded by the amazing dance moves of Peterman Jenkins’ putback made it a 2-2 game.
Less than two minutes later, Reece Newkirk, obviously inspired by all the Worcester fans with the clap, put the Railers in front to stay with a wicked wrister to the glove side.
Because we now know the two points are safely in Worcester’s column we can safely look back and laugh at the number of different ways the team managed to miss the open Growlers net. This writer could not believe the number of times the puck rolled just wide, or hit the post, or just found some small obstacle to keep it out of net. For whatever reason, the Railers just found it too hard on the ice to score.
But when the final horn sounded, the score looked like this:
Newfoundland: two
Railers: three
Inside jokes in this post: almost countless
The two teams play again on Saturday night on Military Appreciation night. Puck drop is 7pm.
GAME NOTES
Scratches for the Railers were John Copeland (IR/unknown), Ryan Dickinson (IR/unknown), Michael Gildon, Christian Krygier (IR/upper body), Artyom Kulakov (ill), Tristan Lennox (IR/lower body), Riley Piercey, Jack Quinlivan (IR/unknown), Anthony Repaci (IR/upper body), Henrik Tikkanen (ill), and Zach White (bereavement/family leave). Joe Spagnoli was signed as an EBUG earlier Friday and was the backup goaltender. Word is the grippe is running through the team, and while we’ve listed some players as “ill” there was no official word from the Railers on their statuses. Earlier in the day the NY Islanders re-assigned Reece Newkirk from Bridgeport to Worcester.
Usually, the graphic we use on posts indicates what jersey the Railers wore during that game, but unfortunately, Worcester did not wear Bravehearts sweaters for the game, they wore their white jerseys instead. It would be cool if they could do that at some point, and maybe that might happen with the new ownership in place over at WooBall. Come to think of it, it would be cool if the Bravehearts wore Railers-themed jerseys too. Perhaps we can get Mike Myers and Dave “Peterman” Peterson together to work on both of those things.
Updating some goings on from previous games, Bill Ballou confirms that Trevor Cosgrove is indeed the only player in Worcester’s pro hockey history to score two open net goals in a single game. And continuing on empty net goals, according to Adam Webster during his morning show on 98.9 Nash Icon (WORC-FM) Thursday it was Zach White yelling “shoot” to Blade Jenkins that caused Jenkins not to attempt a pass to White for the hat trick goal. Seeing as Webster sits in the PA booth and was right next to the play, it’s a safe assumption his account is accurate. Huge kudos to White for understanding the situation and making sure that the game was going to end up in the win column without undue complications.
For the first time in a long while, there are no recent scoring changes for the Railers, which is odd considering the scoring is as bad in Reading as their video production is. Barring the unlikeliest of unlikely playoff scenarios, we won’t need to worry about the folks at Santander Arena until next season.
A reminder to folks that the Railers Booster Club has a specialty jersey raffle going on where the winner will win one of each of the six specialty jerseys Worcester has worn this season. Tickets are $10 each and may be purchased at any of the remaining Railers home games at the Booster Club table behind section 109. Tickets will be available until the Sunday, April 7th game, when the winner will be drawn. You don’t need to be present to win.
The three stars of the game were:
1. WOR – 19 Blade Jenkins
2. WOR – 37 Reece Newkirk
3. WOR – 40 John Muse
The 210Sports Player of the Game was Anthony Callin.
Even Strength Lines
Newkirk / Jenkins / Callin
Howdeshell / Pivonka / Calder
Bakanov / Scarfo / Robbins
X / Cipollone / Heidemann
Cosgrove / Regula
Verrier / Welsh
Garat / Klee
Our affiliates last night
Charlotte 4, Bridgeport 1
In the ECHL’s North Division last night
Norfolk 5, Atlanta 2
Trois-Rivières 6, Maine 3
Adirondack 5, Reading 2
Standings
(“Hand” are games in hand from WOR’s point of view)
| TEAM | PTS | PTS % | HAND | vs WOR |
| X-ADK | 86 | .672 | 1 | 0 |
| X-NOR | 82 | .631 | 0 | 0 |
| TR | 66 | .516 | 1 | 3 |
| WOR | 66 | .508 | X | X |
| ME | 63 | .500 | 2 | 3 |
| NFL | 64 | .492 | 0 | 1 |
| REA | 59 | .447 | 1 | 0 |
BOX SCORE
Newfoundland 1 1 0 – 2
Worcester 0 0 3 – 3
1st Period-1, Newfoundland, Cruikshank 20 (Weiss, O’Brien), 1:17. Penalties-Pivonka Wor (slashing), 6:07; Weiss Nfl (tripping), 10:43.
2nd Period-2, Newfoundland, O’Brien 21 (Cruikshank, Tychonick), 9:20 (PP). Penalties-Klee Wor (interference), 8:31.
3rd Period-3, Worcester, Callin 13 (Jenkins, Newkirk), 4:57. 4, Worcester, Jenkins 22 (Callin, Bakanov), 11:45 (PP). 5, Worcester, Newkirk 5 (Verrier, Jenkins), 13:44. Penalties-Shea Nfl (interference on the goalkeeper), 10:13.
Shots on Goal-Newfoundland 14-9-7-30. Worcester 12-13-11-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Newfoundland 1 / 2; Worcester 1 / 2.
Goalies-Newfoundland, McKay 7-10-4-1 (36 shots-33 saves). Worcester, Muse 14-10-2-1 (30 shots-28 saves).
A-3,052
Referees-Nolan Bloyer (31).
Linesmen-Matthew Heinen (93), Cody Sullivan (82).
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