By Bill Ballou

WORCESTER – It only took 2,187 games.

Finally, though, one of the city’s pro hockey teams played one in which brothers scored goals. It happened Tuesday, Drew and Anthony Callin getting the first two goals of what turned out to be a 4-0 triumph for the Railers over the Maine Mariners.

Lincoln Hatten matched the Callin family total by scoring two of his own as Worcester won its third straight game, second straight shutout. The timing was great, too. It was a School Day game, a crowd of 8,512, and the home team probably created some new hockey fans as the clock passed noon.

It was the fifth-largest attendance in team history. The Railers are perfect when playing before crowds of 8,000 or more at the DCU Center — eight games, eight victories.

The Callins were not the only history makers.

Henrik Tikkanen stopped 29 shots to become the first Railers goalie ever to post consecutive shutouts. Tikkanen is merely the second Worcester pro goalie to do that. It must be a European thing; the other was Austrian Reinhard Divis, who had back-to-back shutouts for the IceCats nearly 22 years ago in December of 2003.

It marked the first time in Tikkanen’s career he had two consecutive shutouts.

“It just feels like, easy now,” Tikkanen said. “The pucks are coming in slow, the guys in front are doing a good job creating the lanes and blocking the tough shots, so it’s been easy for me the last couple games.”

This was Worcester’s 12th game of the season, fifth against Maine. By now, everybody has a good idea of everybody else’s strength and weaknesses.

“You start to know what the guys are trying to do,” Tikkanen said, “and of course if they don’t make any changes on their power play and all that stuff, I think the goalie may have a little bit of an advantage.”

Tikkanen’s best save was one of his first. 

The teams played a scoreless first period and the Mariners owned the best chance. Sebastian Vidmar had a shorthanded breakaway at 13:10 and Tikkanen just held his ground until Vidmar got in close and fired the puck into the goalie’s torso.

“In every game,” Tuzzolino said, “you’re going to have a Grade A chance and it if goes in that keeps the game interesting and if you stop it, that kills confidence. The last couple of nights we’ve done that.”

Anthony Callin made it 1-0 24 seconds into the second period with a 25-footer set up by Anthony Repaci. It was Repaci-to-Callin again at 2:42 with Drew Callin beating Luke Cavallin to the top far corner.

Hatten tipped Matt Stief’s shot home on a power play at 13:25 and it remained 3-0 until Hatten hit an empty with 1:35 left in the third period.

Hatten has goals in three straight games, points in four in a row. Both are career bests. The two-goal performance was the second of his career.

The victory snapped Maine’s four-game winning streak versus Worcester this season. The Mariners had won eight of the previous nine games between the teams going back to last season. The Railers had not beaten the Mariners at the DCU Center since last Dec. 21.

The decision also snapped Cavallin’s four-game winning streak against Worcester. It dropped his career record against the Railers to 12-6-0.

MAKING TRACKS – The Mariners are at the DCU Center again Friday night as the Railers begin a 3 in 3 weekend. … Hatten’s first goal was reviewed, but the goal stood. … The list of players not in uniform for Worcester included Riley Piercey, Calle Odelius, Kolby Johnson, Porter Schachle and T.J. Walsh. … Matt DeMelis played in his 72nd game for the Railers. That is the equivalent of a full season. He is 11-19-30 in a Worcester uniform with just 4 PIM in that span. … Repaci had three shots on goal and has had at least one in 72 straight games. The total is 299 during the streak.

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