Game Story
Worcester, MA – The more things change, the more they stay the same. At least that seems to be the case with the Worcester Railers. They were held to their fourth straight loss as the Adirondack Thunder shut them out at home on Saturday.
The Railers wore “Worcester 6” themed jerseys as a part of their tribute night. Those jerseys, which were auctioned during an after the game, raised over $12,000 for Worcester Firefighter’s Charities. The tribute comes one day and a month from the 20th anniversary of the Worcester Cold Storage Fire. The fire was one of the deadliest firefighting disasters the day it happened and continues to be a significant part of the city’s history.
Michael McNiven earned his second shutout of the season, stopping 29 shots while Mike Szmatula and Robbie Payne produced goals for Adirondack. Being shutout for the second time this season, the Railers did not score while Evan Buitenhuis kept the game scoreless until the 8:30 mark in the third. He made 28 saves in his first home start of the season.
Both goaltenders kept things even through two periods. As Worcester continues to put good goaltending on the ice, it makes the five skaters upfront look bad when they don’t produce, and has become more apparent as the Railers’ four-game losing streak continues. There’s only so much a goaltender can do and once they allow goal after goal, things tend to fall apart rather quickly.
Worcester’s night was as quiet as they come. No fights, no scoring, and so few penalties on the night gave fans wishing for a little bit more. Railers have been outscored 18-4 in their last four games and their second shutout loss in their last three. Mike Szmatula broke the scoreless game at 8:30 in the third period with a feed from Nikita Popugaev, scored on a wide-open net with Szmatula right on Buitenhuis’ doorstep. Adirondack’s second goal came with a Robbie Payne goal six minutes later. Worcester had a four-minute power play which they appeared to score on with 1:18 remaining in regulation but was waved off with a high-stick on the play that was clear as day.
The Three Stars of the Game were:
- Michael McNiven (Adirondack) – 29 saves, shutout, win
- Mike Szmatula (Adirondack) – Game-Winning Goal
- Evan Buitenhuis (Worcester) – 28 saves
What’s next for the Railers? It’s clear that the current lines and play haven’t been where it should be, and they have to find something quick. The Railers have Chris Rygus who has been a healthy scratch since the season began. Maybe it’s time for him to get a shot while the rest of the team can get over this losing streak. The Railers will hit the road for two games against the Thunder on Friday and Sunday.
Box Score
| Scoring | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adirondack Thunder | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Worcester Railers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shots | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adirondack Thunder | 15 | 8 | 7 | 30 |
| Worcester Railers | 6 | 9 | 14 | 29 |
| Thunder Roster | # | Name | G | A | +/- | SH | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 30 | M. McNiven | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 34 | E. McAdam | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| F | 2 | M. Salhany | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| D | 3 | C. Curti | 0 | 0 | +1 | 2 | 0 |
| D | 6 | T. Parran | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 7 | J. Linhart | 0 | 0 | +1 | 1 | 0 |
| D | 8 | B. Thompson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 10 | H. Verbeek | 0 | 1 | +1 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 12 | N. Popugaev | 0 | 1 | +1 | 5 | 0 |
| F | 15 | J. Henry | 0 | 0 | +1 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 17 | A. Carrier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| C | 18 | C. Pierro-Zabotel | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| F | 22 | A. Nazarian | 0 | 1 | +1 | 1 | 2 |
| F | 23 | R. Payne | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 | 0 |
| D | 27 | K. Summers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| D | 37 | G. Verpaelst | 0 | 1 | +1 | 0 | 6 |
| F | 44 | C. Riley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| F | 91 | M. Szmatula | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | 0 |
| Team: | |||||||
| Totals: | 2 | 4 | 10 | 30 | 8 |
| No | Name | Min | SH | SVS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | M. McNiven (W) | 60:00 | 29 | 29 | 0 |
| Totals: | 60:00 | 29 | 29 | 0 |
| Railers Roster | # | Name | G | A | +/- | SH | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 31 | L. Soderstrom | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 34 | E. Buitenhuis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 2 | J. Bolton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 3 | J. Murray | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 5 | K. McKenzie | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 |
| F | 8 | C. Payne | 0 | 0 | -1 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 14 | J. Dudek | 0 | 0 | -1 | 5 | 4 |
| F | 15 | B. Brauer | 0 | 0 | -1 | 1 | 0 |
| D | 16 | A. Florentino | 0 | 0 | -1 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 17 | M. Schmalz | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 19 | B. Almeida | 0 | 0 | -1 | 3 | 0 |
| F | 22 | T. Pond | 0 | 0 | -1 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 24 | K. Thomas | 0 | 0 | -1 | 4 | 0 |
| F | 26 | S. Walsh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| D | 28 | C. Doherty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 37 | J. Samuels-Thomas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| F | 51 | Y. Turcotte | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 |
| F | 72 | D. Callin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Team: | 2 | ||||||
| Totals: | 0 | 0 | -10 | 29 | 6 |
| No | Name | Min | SH | SVS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | E. Buitenhuis (L) | 58:05 | 30 | 28 | 2 |
| Totals: | 58:05 | 30 | 28 | 2 |
| P | T | Player | M | Offense | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | H | J. Dudek | 2.00 | Cross-Checking Minor (59.2) | 5:38 |
| 1st | H | Served by J. Dudek | 2.00 | Bench minor – Too many men (74.2) | 13:55 |
| 1st | V | G. Verpaelst | 2.00 | Interference – minor (56.2) | 16:24 |
| 2nd | V | A. Nazarian | 2.00 | Hooking – minor (55.2) | 7:08 |
| 2nd | H | J. Dudek | 2.00 | Slashing – minor (61.2) | 9:50 |
| 3rd | V | G. Verpaelst | 4.00 | High-sticking – double minor (60.3) | 15:21 |
Notes
- Railers Scratches: van Chukarov, Ryan Hitchcock, Ross Olsson, and Chris Rygus.
- Thunder Scratches: Ryan Black, Zach Borsoi, Shane Conacher, Craig Martin, Michael Sdao, and Ryan Walker.
- Family members of the Worcester 6 participated in the ceremonial puck drop with Bruins’ legend Ray Bourque prior to the game. There was also a moment of silence for the Worcester 6 and a tribute on the video board. Bourque participated in a Guns and Hoses game between Worcester Police and Fire, which the Fire won 8-3. Bourque split time between both teams during the game.
- Connor Doherty set to played 100th game as a Railer tonight (also 100th pro game). Yanick Turcotte and Kyle McKenzie not far behind played in their 96th games.
- Ross Olsson served his one-game suspension on Saturday and was out of the line-up. Making his debut in his place was Shane Walsh, who had an even rating and had a shot on goal during the game.
- Worcester 6 Jerseys were auctioned off during and after the game and raised over $12,000 for Worcester Firefighter’s Charities. A full breakdown of what everything went for will be listed in a jersey report later this month. Here’s a breakdown of what went during the live auction after the game:
- Ray Bourque #77 – $500
- Linus Soderstrom #31 – $400
- Yanick Turcotte #51 – $750
- Barry Almeida #19 – $1,000
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Railers Lines (Observed by order in which they appeared):
| LW | C | RW | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Line 1 | B. Almeida #19 “C” | J. Samuels-Thomas #37 | S. Walsh #26 |
| Forward Line 2 | K. Thomas #24 | T. Pond #22 | J. Dudek #14 |
| Forward Line 3 | M. Schmalz #17 | C. Payne #8 | D. Callin #72 / Y. Turcotte #51 |
| LD | RD | |
|---|---|---|
| Defense Line 1 | K. McKenzie #5 “A” | A. Florentino #16 |
| Defense Line 2 | C. Doherty #28 “A” | B. Brauer #15 |
| Defense Line 3 | J. Murray #3 | J. Bolton #2 |
| G | |
|---|---|
| Starting Goaltender | Evan Buitenhuis #34 |
| Backup Goaltender | Linus Soderstrom #31 |
Highlights
Highlights will be posted upon completion of the game.