Worcester 3, Admirals 2 (SO)

Sure, the Admirals had a two-goal lead. But what they didn’t have was control of the game. And by early in the third period, they didn’t have either. One extended shootout later, the Admirals skated off settling for one point when they desperately wanted two.

The nitty-gritty

Matt Fornataro scored the game-tying goal six minutes into the third period and connected again in the seventh shootout round for the Sharks, who erased a 2-0 deficit and dealt the Admirals a painful blow in their quest to play catch-up in the AHL playoff chase.

Standings watch

The Admirals (16-19-1-5, 38 points) slid to 12 points behind fourth-place Binghamton in their pursuit of the final postseason spot in the AHL East. Norfolk remains in sixth place, one point ahead of last-place Albany.

“We definitely let one slip away,’’ Admirals forward Bracken Kearns said.

The early going

Norfolk capitalized on a couple of breaks to forge its early advantage. Kearns seized on a bad misplay by Sharks goalie Thomas Greiss to score shorthanded at 2:30 in the first period. And early in the second period, a Brandon Bochenski backhand caromed off the leg of Sharks defenseman Torrey Mitchell and past Greiss to make it 2-0.

According to Admirals coach Darren Rumble, however, the lead masked an otherwise uneven, turnover-prone performance that ultimately helped the speedy Sharks climb back in it.

Rumble’s riffs

On Norfolk’s early success:

“It was a bit of smoke and mirrors. By no means were we dominating the game.’’

On Admirals goalie Mike McKenna (39 saves in regulation, 4 of 7 in the shootout):

“He’s the reason we got a point tonight. Both goalies were amazing.’’

On second-period turnovers:

“Embarrasing.’’

On the playoff push:

“Ninety points more or less gets you in. So out of the next 40 or so games (actually 39), we need 50 points.’’

The best ever at Scope?

With four Stanley Cup rings and a Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) on his resume, Worcester’s 43-year-old agitator/playoff stud Claude Lemieux is believed to be the most decorated player to play at Scope.

Lemieux, who returned to pro hockey this season after a five-year absence, played parts of 20 seasons in the NHL, winning titles with Montreal, New Jersey (twice) and Colorado. His 80 postseason goals rank ninth in NHL history. In addition, Lemieux ranked first on a recent ESPN special, “The Top 10 Most Hated NHL Players of All Time.’’ The veteran had one assist Friday.

Ramo returns

The Tampa Bay Lightning returned goalie Karri Ramo to Norfolk on Friday. Ramo had been with the NHL club since Dec. 21. Rumble said that despite McKenna’s strong performance, Ramo would likely start tonight’s '’Pink at the Rink’’ rematch with the Sharks. The coach also said high-scoring forward Brandon Segal, who has been sidelined with a wrist injury, could see action tonight.