The Worcester Sharks scored in bunches en route to an 8-2 victory over the Portland Pirates on Friday night.
“It was a tough start, a tough middle, and a tough end,” Portland Pirates head coach Ray Edwards said. “The whole team was shaky, I am not pinning it on the (goaltending). The forwards were shaky, the (defensemen) were shaky, the goalies were shaky. It was just bad.”
Worcester scored two goals 59 seconds apart in the opening period with Freddie Hamilton lighting up the lamp at the 14:29 mark. Eriah Hayes potted his third goal of the season to make it 2-0 Sharks with 4:32 remaining in the period. Assists went to Marek Viedensky and Jimmy Bonneau.
In the second period it was more of the same as Worcester’s lead stretched to 5-0. Matt Nieto scored 75 seconds into the period, recording his second point of the night as he assisted on Hamilton’s goal. Hamilton and Viedensky received assists on the goal. Nearly two minutes later Danill Tarasov added his eighth of the year with the goal being set-up by Nieto and Taylor Doherty.
It was the end of Mark Visentin’s night in goal for the Pirates as he allowed four goals on 23 shots. Mike Lee replaced him and allowed the Sharks fifth goal 5:25 into the period as Travis Oleksuk recorded his second goal of the season.
Lee stopped 14 shots on 18 chances
The Pirates stopped the bleeding with 50 seconds remaining in the second period as Gilbert Brulé scored a power play goal with Daine Todd and Brendan Shinnimin setting the goal up.
Both teams were 1-for-3 on the man advantage.
The Sharks continued to step on the gas pedal as Hamilton and Nieto each scored their second goals in the third period. Viedensky capped off the scoring for the Sharkd with his first of the season
Shinnimin scored his third of the year in the third period with Rostislav Klesta and Brandon MacMillian adding the helpers.
Harri Sateri made 29 saves for the Sharks in the win.
Portland returns home to face the Manchester Monarchs on Saturday with the puck drop coming at 7 p.m. at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. They will finish up the weekend with 3 p.m. game Sunday in Providence against the Bruins.
“Sometimes in those situations the best thing is to get right back out and play tomorrow,” Edwards said. “We have a tough opponent in Manchester, so we will have to be a lot better than we were tonight that’s for sure.”
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