Game Story
Worcester, MA — The Worcester Railers hosted the Newfoundland Growlers for the second of two games this weekend at the DCU Center on Saturday. Worcester looked to extend their win streak to five games after a big overtime win over Newfoundland the night before.
After a solid 31-save night last night, Mitch Gillam reprised the starting role on Saturday. Michael Gartieg was swapped with Eamon McAdam in net for the Growlers.
Unlike the three previous games on this homestand, there was plenty of action early on in the first period. Brady Ferguson got things started at 3:23, tapping in the puck on the open net to the right of Mitch Gillam. Ivan Kosorenkov tied things back up a little under three minutes later after being fed the puck from Nick Sorkin from the endwall, and shot the puck just under the crossbar as Michael Garteig dove out of his net in an attempt to break the puck away. The game was tied through twenty minutes with the Newfies outshooting the Railers 16-9.
With 1:36 remaining in the first a brawl broke out between the teams as Brady Ferguson took out Tyler Mueller with a check to the head. Woody Hudson and Mike Cornell took matters into their own hands shortly after with James Melindy and Ferguson, with all four being sent to the locker rooms after the altercation.When it was all said and done, Brady Ferguson received a match penalty for an illegal check to the head. Mike Cornell received a match penalty and a game misconduct for slashing. Melindy and Hudson both returned with off-setting penalties for roughing. Mueller did not return to the game and the Railers were down to four defensemen with Connor Doherty taking most of the extra shifts for the remainder of the game.
Sam Babintsev gave the Growlers their second lead at 9:19 in the second period on a shot between the left circle and the end boards, with the puck finding its way through a tight squeeze between Mitch Gillam and the left goal post. Captializing on a turnover at center ice, Newfoundland’s lead was extended to two. With a quick pass from Sam Babintsev, Zach O’Brien made a flurry of shots on goal before netting one of his rebounds at 14:48 in the second. Newfoundland led in goals at 3-1, and shots at 24-14 with two periods in the books.
Ryan Moore extended the Growlers lead as the puck went five-hole on the power play, bringing the lead to 4-1 at 9:25 in the third. Railers woes would continue with as Scott Pooley netted a loose puck at the crease for the 5-1 lead at 10:50.
The three stars of the game were:
- Sam Babintsev (Newfoundland) – goal, assist
- Zach O’Brien (Newfoundland) – goal
- Connor Doherty (Worcester) – Took multiple shifts in Cornell and Mueller’s absence.
Now 17-17-3-2 on the season, Worcester finds themselves in still at the bottom in the North Division with a point percentage of .500 through 39 games.
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog: The Railers will have the next six days off for what is known in most leagues as the “All-Star Break”, although there are some games taking place throughout the weekend into Monday when the game takes place in Toledo. Mitch Gillam will represent the Railers and the Eastern Conference in the festivities on Monday and will air at 7 PM EST on NHL Network. Games will pick back up for the Railers on Friday in Glens Falls, New York against the Adirondack Thunder at 7:05 PM.
Box Score
| Scoring | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland Growlers | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Worcester Railers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Shots | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland Growlers | 16 | 8 | 17 | 41 |
| Worcester Railers | 9 | 5 | 9 | 23 |
| Growlers Roster | # | Name | G | A | +/- | SH | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 34 | M. Garteig | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 35 | E. McAdam | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 2 | A. Pardy | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 | 0 |
| D | 5 | K. Rubins | 0 | 1 | +2 | 4 | 0 |
| F | 7 | S. Babintsev | 1 | 2 | +2 | 2 | 0 |
| D | 8 | E. Neugold | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 | 0 |
| F | 9 | M. Power | 0 | 0 | -1 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 10 | Z. O’Brien | 1 | 0 | +1 | 6 | 0 |
| F | 11 | D. Plouffe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 12 | S. Pooley | 1 | 0 | +1 | 7 | 0 |
| F | 16 | H. Elynuik | 0 | 0 | +1 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 17 | G. Molino | 0 | 1 | +1 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 22 | B. Ferguson | 1 | 0 | +1 | 1 | 10 |
| D | 24 | A. Gudbranson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| F | 29 | G. Estephan | 0 | 2 | +2 | 4 | 2 |
| F | 40 | R. Moore | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 | 0 |
| D | 43 | J. Melindy | 0 | 0 | +2 | 1 | 2 |
| D | 48 | G. Johnston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Team: | |||||||
| Totals: | 5 | 6 | 15 | 41 | 14 |
| No | Name | Min | SH | SVS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | M. Garteig (W) | 60:00 | 23 | 22 | 1 |
| Totals: | 60:00 | 23 | 22 | 1 |
| Railers Roster | # | Name | G | A | +/- | SH | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 34 | E. Buitenhuis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 35 | M. Gillam | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 3 | A. Vanier | 0 | 0 | -2 | 1 | 0 |
| D | 4 | R. MacKinnon | 0 | 0 | -3 | 1 | 2 |
| D | 6 | M. Cornell | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | 15 |
| F | 7 | T. Barnes | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 |
| F | 8 | N. Sorkin | 0 | 1 | +1 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 10 | I. Kosorenkov | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 11 | D. Willick | 0 | 0 | +1 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 15 | B. Brauer | 0 | 0 | -1 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 17 | M. Schmalz | 0 | 0 | -1 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 19 | B. Almeida | 0 | 0 | -2 | 3 | 0 |
| D | 20 | D. Quenneville | 0 | 0 | -2 | 4 | 0 |
| F | 23 | W. Hudson | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 2 |
| D | 24 | T. Mueller | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | 0 |
| F | 27 | R. Hitchcock | 0 | 0 | -2 | 4 | 0 |
| D | 28 | C. Doherty | 0 | 0 | -1 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 37 | T. Kelley | 0 | 0 | -1 | 2 | 0 |
| Team: | 2 | ||||||
| Totals: | 1 | 1 | -15 | 23 | 21 |
| No | Name | Min | SH | SVS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | M. Gillam (L) | 60:00 | 41 | 36 | 5 |
| Totals: | 60:00 | 41 | 36 | 5 |
| P | T | Player | M | Offense | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | V | B. Ferguson | 5.00 | Match – Illegal Check to Head (48.5) | 18:24 |
| 1st | V | J. Melindy | 2.00 | Roughing – minor (51.2) | 18:24 |
| 1st | H | M. Cornell | 5.00 | Slashing – major (61.3) | 18:24 |
| 1st | H | M. Cornell | 10.00 | Game misconduct – Slashing (61.5) | 18:24 |
| 1st | H | W. Hudson | 2.00 | Roughing – minor (51.2) | 18:24 |
| 2nd | V | G. Estephan | 2.00 | Tripping – minor (57.2) | 15:11 |
| 2nd | H | Served by B. Brauer | 2.00 | Bench minor – Too many men (74.2) | 16:54 |
| 3rd | H | R. MacKinnon | 2.00 | Delay of Game (63.2) | 8:11 |
Notes
- Railers Injuries: Malcolm Gould, Kyle McKenzie, Tommy Panico
- Railers Scratches: Nick Roberto, Yanick Turcotte (suspended)
- Listed on the ECHL transactions this morning, Kevin Hart was released from his contract with the Railers. This should come as no surprise considering he hadn’t played in a year and didn’t look so impressive in last night’s game. Tommy Panico is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury which explains why Hart was signed, to begin with.
- Mike Cornell was assigned to Worcester earlier in the afternoon and resumed his captain duties after playing in one game during his recall.
- The league-wide jersey reversal date is January 25, which just happens to be the next date on the Railers calendar next Friday. Teams will wear lighter jerseys at home and darker jerseys on the road unless there’s a specialty jersey or there’s a clash with an alternate jersey between teams.
- For up-to-date news on all things Worcester Hockey, Like us on Facebook at Woo Hockey – Worcester Hockey News, Follow us on Twitter @WooHockeyNews, and join our Facebook Group – Worcester Railers Fan Club.
Railers Lines:
| LW | C | RW | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Line 1 | B. Almeida “A” | R. Hitchcock #27 | T. Barnes #7 “A” |
| Forward Line 2 | B. Brauer #15 | T. Kelley #37 | M. Schmalz #17 |
| Forward Line 3 | N. Sorkin #8 | D. Willick #11 | W. Hudson #23 / I. Kosorenkov #10 |
| LD | RD | |
|---|---|---|
| Defense Line 1 | C. Doherty #28 | D. Quenneville #20 |
| Defense Line 2 | T. Mueller #24 | M. Cornell #6 “C” |
| Defense Line 3 | A. Vanier #3 | R. MacKinnon #4 |
| G | |
|---|---|
| Starting Goaltender | Mitch Gillam #35 |
| Backup Goaltender | Evan Buitenhuis #34 |
Highlights
Highlights will be posted upon completion of the game.