Adirondack Phantoms Beat Listless Sens 3-1

The Senators played a flat, dull game to the liking of the Adirondack Phantoms as Cal Heeter made 35 saves for his first win and only the team’s second as they win over the Sens 3-1 at the Broome County Arena. Adirondack took advantage of Andrew Hammond‘s sub par performance in net and set the tone to halt the potent B-Sens offense. This sort of thing happens all the time in sports where the night before Bingo and Penguins played a high energy game only to overlook  what’s in store for them the next night from a team that has won only 1 game all season. That reaks of a recipe for disaster and that is what would happen Saturday night in Binghamton.

GAME RE-CAP

• 1st period
  

Sens off to a good start as Chris Wideman‘s hardcore one timer from the blue line at 9:34 beat Heeter left side for a pp goal. That would keep the B-Sens red-hot powerplay rolling with their 7th goal in their last 3 games. That lead was however short-lived at 10:43 Phantoms would score with Brandon Alderson shooting past Hammond laying flat on the ice as he committed too early on the play. Alderson easily shot into the open net. Adirondack starts to set the tone as Kyle Flanagan shoots into another empty net as Hammond was caught way out of position at 17:50 to take a 2-1 lead. Shots are 11-7 Adirondack.

• 2nd period

Sens are flat-footed as Adirondack is buzzing with Jason Akeson scoring from a short pass in front of the crease from Chris VandeVelde at 15:48 on yet another empty net goal with Hammond laying on the ice and again out of position to put up the Phantoms 3-1. Mike Hoffman would ring one off the post on a wicked wrister as the Sens can’t get anything going their way. Maybe a fight would help and get the club moving and the crowd into. Enter Senators pest Darren Kramer and he gets it on with Cullen Eddy as Eddy reels in the eventual takedown. It helps as the Sens end up with more opportunities but can’t solve Heeter. Shots are 18-9 in favor of Bingo.

• 3rd period

David Dziurzynski had a goal waived off due to a Phantom penalty on Matt Mangene for kneeing at 2:58. That goal should have counted as no player from Adirondack touched the puck except Heeter making the initial save but giving up the rebound as he didn’t have control of the puck. If there is a rule somewhere stating goalies are exempt by getting control of the puck during a delayed penalty then I must have missed it. (In the end it would’ve not mattered any how) Bingo playing better as Shane Prince just about scores with the puck inches away from the goal line as Heeter lost sight of it. But Heeter comes up big with some great saves towards the end of the game. Total shots for the game Sens 36-26 over Phantoms.

NOTES

– Jim O’Brien left in the 1st with a muscle pull that Luke Richardson said wasn’t too serious. Mark Stone has been skating and is ahead of schedule for his return. Andre Petersson is recovering slower than expected from his undisclosed injury.

– Prior to tonight’s game defenseman Troy Rutkowski and forward Jakub Culek were sent down to Elmira as forward Ludwig Karlsson was sent back up to Binghamton. UPDATE:  Culek would have an assist on Elmira’s first goal in the Jackals 3-1 opening season win in Reading, Pa.

– Karlsson looked real good in his season debut for the Senators. He played with Matt Puempel and Kramer on the 4th line and was one of the better players on the ice tonight.

– Hammond didn’t look very good tonight. He’s got to stay in the crease and face the shooter, be patient and stay firm in front of the net and set up house. Hate to reference it this way, but I saw glimpses of ex-B-Sen Jeff Glass in net tonight flopping around like a fish out of water. Not a very good start for Andrew this season, he needs work.

– How bad was it? Gem of the Game which usually shows on the video boards game highlighted goal or big game situation, instead showed a marriage proposal. Oh, and she said yes!

3 STARS OF THE GAME

• #1 Flanagan (1g 1a)
• #2 Heeter (35 saves)
• #3 Wideman (1g)

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HIGHLIGHTS

NEXT GAME

Friday Night vs. Adirondack Phantoms