Darryl Hunt: WorSharks, Traverse Capture Game Five 3-1 To Take A 3-2 Series Lead

The Worcester Sharks scored three first period goals and withstood a late charge to defeat the Hartford Wolf Pack 3-1 Thursday night at the XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Hartford, Connecticut in front of an announced crowd of 1,857. Worcester now leads the best of seven series three games to two, with game six coming Saturday night at the DCU Center in Worcester.
The WorSharks were hoping to carry the momentum of Wednesday night's five goal third period outburst while Hartford was looking to take advantage of some home cooking as neither team had won in the other's building during the series. It was Worcester that would get what they wanted.
Roy Sommer's choice to play defenseman Mike Moore at forward and winger Riley Armstrong at the point on the power play finally paid dividends when a Moore screen prevented Hartford goaltender Matt Zaba from seeing Patrick Traverse's laser from the point. Traverse's blast beat Zaba over the right shoulder for the 1-0 lead at 5:56 of the first. Armstrong and Dan DaSilva had the assists on the power play tally.
Worcester would take a 2-0 lead at 7:15 of the first period when Traverse intercepted a Hartford clearing attempt at the blueline and blasted it on net. The puck hit T.J. Fox on the way by and deflected past Zaba. The goal was originally credited to Traverse, but was changed during the first intermission. While not credited with an assist, Brad Staubitz played a big role in the goal by throwing a huge hit on Wolf Pack defenseman Michael Sauer as Sauer tried to make the clearing play.
The WorSharks would grab another power play tally while skating with a two man advantage. Hartford was looking to skate out of the zone on a two on none breakaway after intercepting a Logan Couture pass across the zone, but Traverse just got the tip of his stick on the puck to turn the play around to a four on one advantage for Worcester. Traverse never took his eyes off Zaba, and beat him cleanly for the unassisted tally at 13:50 of the first.
The teams would play a very physical game for the rest of the contest resulting in several power play chances for both squads. Hartford's lone goal would come after Worcester had killed off just under 90 seconds of five on three play when WorSharks netminder Thomas Greiss couldn't control a bouncing puck that found the back of the net. The goal was credited to Dane Byers, but video replay seems to show it was Artem Anisimov's bad angle shot that broke by Greiss. And in a worse job of scoring, Anisimov didn't even receive an assist on play.
GAME NOTES
Worcester went with the same line-up and lines as the previous two games. Worcester had different players filling on on the fourth line after Bobby Sanguinetti leveled Fox with a huge open ice hit with about seven minutes to go in the second period. Fox did not return.
Frazer McLaren got into his first fight of the post season when he and Dane Byers dropped them at 7:20 of the first period. Both landed some huge shots, but McLaren got the nod when when one of his lefts knocked Byers off balance before they both fell to the ice.
The three stars of the game were:
1. Traverse (2g,a)
2. Greiss (27 saves)
3. Fox (gwg)
BOXSCORE
WOR 3 0 0 - 3
HFD 0 0 1 - 1
1st Period
Scoring: 1, Worcester, Traverse 1 (Armstrong, DaSilva), 5:56 (pp). 2, Worcester, Fox 2 (Traverse), 7:15. 3, Worcester, Traverse 2 (unassisted) 13:50 (pp)
Penalties: McBride Hfd (interference), 3:11; Sauer Hfd (interference), 5:37; McLaren Wor (fighting), 7:20; Byers Hfd (fighting), 7:20; Couture Wor (hooking), 8:35; Cavanagh Wor (hooking), 9:54; Moore Wor (roughing), 11:11; Dupont Hfd (roughing), 11:11; Potter Hfd (tripping), 12:49; Byers Hfd (roughing), 13:40; Weise Hfd (charging), 18:48; Vesce Wor (tripping), 19:46.
2nd Period
No Scoring
Penalties: Staubitz Wor (roughing), 3:19; Sauer Hfd (tripping), 17:48.
3rd Period
Scoring: 4, Hartford, Byers 2 (Potter, Sanguinetti), 13:33 (pp)
Penalties: Zalewski Wor (tripping), 11:15; Moore Wor (delay of game), 11:49.
Shots on Goal
Worcester 13-10-3-26
Hartford 4-9-15-28.
Power-play opportunities: Worcester 2 of 6; Hartford 1 of 6.
Goalies
Worcester, Greiss 3-2-0 (28 shots-27 saves)
Hartford, Zaba 2-3-0 (26 shots-23 saves).
A-1,857. Referees: Terry Koharski (10). Linesmen: Paul Simeon (66), Chris Low (88).