Schneider Nets Game Winner In OT Past Albany
By Jeff Ulmer
B-Sens win their second game in a row to make it a weekend sweep as they hand the red-hot Devils their second loss in nine games in overtime by a 3-2 margin. Cole Schneider‘s ninth tally of the season beats Keith Kinkaid and the Devils as the Sens remain undefeated in overtime and are two points out of first in the East. Andrew Hammond was solid in net making 29 saves for his seventh win of the season in front of a festive holiday crowd on ugly sweater night at the Arena.
RECAP
Binghamton gets the early goal as Mike Hoffman worked his way into Devils territory and gets deep in the corner, does a spin and releases a great pass to Mark Stone who redirects it in top shelf past Kinkaid. David Dziurzynski nails Harry Young into the boards and gets the high sticking call and puts the Devils on the power play. Hammond comes up big robbing an open Artem Demkov‘s low shot high in the slot. Then Hammond feels the heat of Harri Pesonen for the goaltender interference penalty.
Jim O’Brien pulls a nifty deke and toe drag combo but can’t work the shot off as he draws Reece Scarlett for a slash for a brief 5-3 Sens advantage. Stone cuts it to a 4-3 man advantage as he gets the goaltender interference penalty as well. Senators don’t capitalize as the period draws to a close with Danny New in the box to end the first.
Second period sees the Devils knotting the game up early as Pesonen gets his third of the season with a low wrister that somehow slips under Hammond’s leg for the 1-1 tie. Soon after Mark Borowiecki lays a big hit to David Wohlberg that draws a crowd after the whistle. Hammond again gets barreled into this time by Mike Hoeffel being tied up with Buddy Robinson and receives the interference penalty.
The Sens cash in and go up 2-1 as Stephane Da Costa feeds a cross ice pass to an open Hoffman and has the open net for his team leading 14th goal on the power play. Derek Grant gets a Brandon Burlon accidental stick to the face but no call is made as Grant looks to be ok.
Senators hang on to the one goal lead to start the third as Kinkaid makes a beauty of a save off of O’Brien’s shot from the circle. Dizzy gets his second penalty of the game being a tripping call when Corey Cowick picks up the loose puck in mid ice and skates down with Fredrik Claesson for a shorthanded breakaway but Kinkaid nullifies the shot.
Devils tie up the contest as Pesonen scores his second of the night past Hammond’s five hole that the rookie goalie wished he had back. He might have been screened on the shot but the two clubs are now heading to overtime.
Five minutes of hockey awaits but the Senators don’t waste any time with a little more than a minute in Schneider scores on the rebound off of Andre Petersson‘s shot from the low circle and seals the win, 3-2. It was a bang-bang play as Schneider alertly buried the puck quickly as Kinkaid had no chance of stopping it. Shots for the game end up 31-29 Devils.
NOTES
- Hammond played well. Probably wish he had both goals back as they were maybe fluky that he should have had, but overall he was on his game.
- The line of 16, 24 and 27 were their usual dominance as the trio played great together.
- Fans who wore an ‘ugly’ sweater received a free voucher for an upcoming Sens game.
- Crowd gets into the ‘wave’ and does a pretty good job for the first time this season.
- This win breaks the team’s four game losing streak at home.
- The Senators are off for the Christmas break but return on the 26th to host Hershey.
3 STARS OF THE GAME
- #1 Hoffman (1g 1a)
- #2 Stone (1g)
- #3 Pesonen (2g)
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HIGHLIGHTS
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