Da Costa’s 5 Point Night Leads Senators Over Amerks

Stephane Da Costa had a five point night and Mike Hoffman had three points of his own to help complete the sweep of the home and home series over the Rochester Americans 7-3 Saturday night on Veterans Military Night at the Arena. The Senators would also score four powerplay goals as the team was in high gear for the big crowd and played a solid all around game. Nathan Lawson picked up his sixth win and was focused for his first game back after being sent down from Ottawa.

GAME RE-CAP

• 1st period
  

Corey Cowick gets things started off within three minutes by getting his stick in the face of NHL’er Patrick Kaleta and draws blood for a four-minute penality. Jean-Gabriel Pageau steals the puck and has a shorthanded opportunity and comes down the ice for a breakaway only to be stopped by Nathan Lieuwen. Sens kill it and is playing well early on. Michael Sdao scores his first of the season by picking up the rebound off of Amerks player and shoots high upper corner. Sens playing good hockey, crisp passing and skating well. Lieuwen seems a little uneasy as Lawson looks like he’s on his game and making some nice saves. Overall good puck movement as Rochester not creating anything. Shots advantage Bingo 10-8.

• 2nd period

Binghamton goes on a five on three pp and score with DaCosta double pumps his stick and then fires it past Lieuwen. Nice pass from Chris Wideman in the corner. Sdao finds Buddy Robinson with a hail mary pass and Robinson gives up the shot by passing back to Shane Prince only to have Prince miss the net. All Bingo as they are controlling the play. Senators on another pp and Hoffman with a sweet flip pass to Wideman slotted on the blue line and let’s go a snap shot that finds the back of the net for a 3-0 lead. Lawson doing well with his rebounds. Amerks get on the board as Kevin Sundher finds a streaking Tim Schaller splitting in between Prince, Robinson and Freddy Claesson to beat Lawson. Ben Blood lines up Mike Zigomanis with a big hit that rocks both players to the ice. Shots are 18-14 Sens in the period.

• 3rd period

Rochester would make the game tight all of a sudden as Luke Adam fakes out Lawson and beats him stick side to make it a 3-2 game. That would be short-lived as Darren Kramer taps in the rebound past Lieuwen to re store the two goal cushion. Lawson coming up with some big saves as Rochester is getting opportunities on the pp as Sens kill off the penalty. Then the flood gates open up as Senators would kick it up a gear and score the next three goals. Da Costa scores on a beautiful give and go to from Cole Schneider and fakes out Lieuwen for his third goal of the season. Lieuwen is not getting much help as Rochester seems to be packing it in. Hoffman makes it a 6-2 game as his shot goes off an Amerk player in front of the net and ricocheted by Lieuwen. Matt Puempel scores from the right circle blasting in the rebound from a Cody Ceci shot for his fourth goal. Matt Ellis would add a meaningless tally on the pp with less than a minute left. 7-3 final and the home team finishes with 44 shots vs 34 for the Americans.

NOTES

– Rochester didn’t bring their A game as Senators were playing like a well oiled machine and had Leiuwen’s number all night. Luke Richardson has his players on top of their game as the Sens won their third in a row and stay right in the thick of the mix in the always tough East Division. Sens are now three points out of front-runners Syracuse with a game on hand.

– Hoffman playing like a man on a mission to make it back to Ottawa as he is red-hot lately reeling in the points and playing with passion. He now has 8 goals, 7 assists in 12 games for the season to lead the B-Sens. Really liking Da Costa’s game right now as well. He’s got such skill and play-making abilities as he makes it look easy. Both players have a cannon of a shot and are accurate.

– Lawson is now 6-1-1 on the season with a 2.32 gaa and .929%.

– B-Sens wore their stylish camouflaged military jersey’s that were auctioned off after the game to benefit the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group.

3 STARS OF THE GAME

• #1 Da Costa (2g 3a)
• #2 Hoffman (1g 2a)
• #3 Wideman (1g 1a)

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HIGHLIGHTS

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