Hoffman’s Four Goals Preserves Senators 6-3 Win Over The Sharks

Mike Hoffman had a five point night and Jean-Gabriel Pageau added four assists to help Nathan Lawson win his 15th of the season as Binghamton defeated Worcester by a score of 6-3. The highly scoring offense remains on fire netting six goals for the second game in a row and fourth out of their last six games played. In Lawson’s first game back from injury, Nathan stopped 26 shots and making some key second period saves to help keep the Senators in it. Binghamton maintains their three-point lead over W/B-Scranton, 4-0 winners over visiting Syracuse.

GAME RECAP

The game begins with the Senators getting the jump and are flying all over the pink ice. Darren Kramer drops the gloves, and helmet, with Jimmy Bonneau and is on the receiving end of a Bonneau right that knocks Darren down to the ice. Each player receives the extra two for removing their lids. Then Buddy Robinson receives a Tyler Eckford pass and his long reach cradles the puck in on a breakaway putting the puck behind Harri Sateri for the early lead. That’s Robinson’s eighth of the season.

Dylan DeMelo starts a Shark break in from behind his net only to have it picked off by Hoffman and makes quick work out of shooting high and in for a 2-0 game. Adam Comrie cross checks Matt Puempel and receives the two-minute call as the Sens work the puck on the power play. It’s Hoffman to answer as no one picks him up from the far boards and his hard slapper is sent flying in on Sateri for the power play tally as the semi screened goaltender had no chance of coming up with the save. 3-0 Binghamton in what  appears to be is the Sens best first period on the road of the season as they simply outclass the Sharks. Shots favor the Sens 12-6.

Taylor Doherty‘s drive is stopped by Lawson as we start the second period. Ben Blood‘s shot from the circle rings off the far post. Sharks go on the power play with Blood in the box for interference and gets on the board making it a 3-1 game. Travis Oleksuk scores his seventh of the season from his knees getting the best of Lawson on the play. Senators get a few odd man rushes but Sateri puts up a wall.

Worcester makes it a game as Konrad Abeltshauser nets one in on another Sharks power play with Jim O’Brien in the box for tripping when Yanni Gourde skates in and around the net drawing Lawson out of position and dishes to Abeltshauser who shot slides in under Nathan and into the twine. Worcester showing some energy with Lawson making some great acrobatic saves, one from his side getting his glove up robbing a goal. Sharks control the second half of play in the period outshooting the Sens 15-8 for the period.

Into the third with the Sens maintaining a one goal lead and Cole Schneider re-directs Hoffman’s shot from the point in past Sateri for a power point goal to increase their lead by two. Sens get lucky as Gourde hits the post up high on the following play. Binghamton needs a goal as Worcester is pressing and the Sharks answer when Tyler Gron scores his second of the season as his shot trickles in through Lawson’s five hole to make it a 4-3 game as Nathan looks to the heavens after the play.

Now it’s Hoffman’s time when Pager steals the puck from center ice and creates a two on one feeding Mike who buries it into the half empty net past Sateri completing his hat trick. Nice work by Pageau on the play as that is his third assist of the game. Mike than chases down the loose puck in the corner of the Sharks zone and skates in on Sateri and shoots from the impossible angle through the net minder resulting in a goal as Sateri wonders how that puck went in for his 22nd of the season. 6-3 game as the Sens regain their three goal lead and win holding off the Sharks the rest of the way. Shots end up 29-28 Sharks.

NOTES & OBSERVATIONS

• That first period was a rare beauty to watch as the Senators put on a clinic flying right from the gate and dominating. Big difference when game day wasn’t travel day as well as the club arrived in Worcester on Tuesday giving the team some rest.
• For a second game in a row Sens have a player recording a hat trick, both on the road. Shane Prince recorded the club’s first of the season on Sunday in Albany.
• Freddy Claesson a +3 for the game and now takes over the lead in the AHL in that category with +30, one better than Andrew Bodnarchuk of Manchester.
• Pink colored ice was laid out for the anticipation of Saturday night’s ‘Pink in the Rink to benefit Cup Crusaders’ contest against the Providence Bruins. The circles were the hardest to see but I certainly didn’t care for it.
• There’s a reason why Hoffman is representing Binghamton at St. John’s All Star event and tonight proved why he belongs, not that anyone had an ounce of doubt. He’s also making a strong case why he should get the next call up to Ottawa and fans also agree according to my poll I ran the last week. Hoff’s four goals ties a club record.

3 STARS OF THE GAME

• #1 Hoffman (4g 1a)
• #2 Pageau (4a)
• #3 Gourde (2a)

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HIGHLIGHTS

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Friday Night vs Manchester Monarchs