Binghamton’s Strong Start Wasted As Sens Lose 5-4 In OT To Hamilton

The Hamilton Bulldogs broke their five game losing streak and in the process break the Senator’s back as they went on to win 5-4 in overtime erasing an early three goal deficit in front of 14,869 at Canadian Tire Centre. Binghamton looked good for the most part but an early exit for starter Nathan Lawson after the first sent back up rookie Andrew Hammond to his tenth loss and the team’s second in a row. Sens lead in the East is dwindling to two points as W/B-Scranton won 3-2 over visiting Adirondack.

  Shane Prince gets ready for his breakaway goal off of Robert Mayer in tonight’s action at CTC. Sens went on to lose 5-4 in OT. Photo courtesy of Alicia Strauch.

GAME RECAP

A healthy sized crowd at the CTC as Shane Prince gets the home team out front with a breakaway goal shooting over surprised starter Robert Mayer‘s shoulder for the 1-0 early lead. Cole Schneider fed Prince a saucer pass along the center ice boards freeing up Shane. Lawson comes up with a big save as Ben Blood had a bad turnover in his zone.

Mike Hoffman makes it a 2-0 contest with his one timer tap in from Schneider’s cross ice pass that beats Mayer as the netminder had no chance on the quick shot from Mike. Mark Borowiecki and Gabriel Dumont exchange some hard hits to the delight of the festive crowd. Senators would add to their two goal cushion with Hoffman’s second of the game and 25th of the season with his quick wrist shot from the top of the slot scoring upper right corner as the Senators are cruising and in control.

However, the Bulldogs on the power play get one on the board as Mike Blunden picks up loose puck and shoots in beating Lawson making it a 3-1 game. Chris Wideman‘s clearing attempt shatters a Hamilton stick as the puck was there for the taking. Lawson looking quite disgusted with either himself or the way the play went down. Either way Binghamton looks good and in control. Shots for the period 14-6 Sens.

Hammond subs in for Lawson for unknown reasons and can’t be found on the bench. Either he tweaked something or is sick. Mike Sdao nice break up pass on a two on one in front of Hammond. Corey Cowick nails Justin Courtnall along the boards, but it’s the Bulldog’s getting a goal by Dumont that cuts the lead by one. His shot from in front beats Hammond with traffic up the middle.

The Bulldogs now with momentum and scores to tie up the contest at three apiece. Maxime Macenauer all alone from behind his net, comes out front stuffing in his shot by the post and finding the back of the cage. Senators go on a power play but don’t get organized and manage only one shot on Mayer as the team looks sloppy. Hammond makes a good play on Joonas Nattinen on a shorthanded breakaway attempt by getting a leg save on his shot.

Four minutes later though Nattinen holds Jean-Gabriel Pageau along the boards and Sens would score on the power play to regain their one goal lead. Andre Petersson‘s lethal wrist shot finds the net as his laser sails by Mayer for his 16th of the season to end the second. Hamilton outshooting the Senators 18-14 as they played a better period than the first.

Into the third with Binghamton up 4-3 and go on another power play as Darren Dietz in for interference on Cowick from behind the net. Senators are impressive on the man advantage in moving the puck and getting looks but don’t get one in by Mayer. Later the disc takes a funny carom off the boards and in front of the empty net as Mayer went to play it behind the net. Prince, Jim O’Brien and Petersson line playing great together all night as Luke Richardson continues to rely on the trio.

However, with under five minutes left in the third Christian Thomas scored his seventh of the season as Jarred Tinordi‘s shot was tipped in off of Thomas crossing the crease to tie up the game 4-4. Play intensifies as overtime is looming around the corner. Hammond bails himself out by mishandling a shot and reaching for the puck as it almost crossed the goal line and getting a stick on it. Richardson sends out a makeshift line of Pageau centering O’Brien and Hoffman but the game is heading to the extra session.

In overtime finds Jarred Tinordi skating down on the odd man break taking a nice dish off of Martin St. Pierre‘s stick and shoots in beating Hammond up high for the game winner.

NOTES & OBSERVATIONS

• Great turnout in Ottawa as I remember a couple of games I went only drew around four or five thousand as whomever did the scheduling making it a Saturday night game instead of Sunday afternoon’s got it right.
• Hammond can’t keep the two goal lead handed to him and takes the loss in relief of Lawson. That’s Andrew’s second loss in a row as the team played well tonight, good effort and great puck movement as they had their chances but couldn’t hold on.
• Wideman, Wacey Hamilton, Fredrik Claesson, Cowick, everyone showed up but couldn’t get the breaks, especially in that third period as Mayer often found himself lucky. Tough loss and hard to accept under the circumstances playing in front of such a large crowd.
• The mini home and home series concludes on Friday, Feb. 21st in Montreal’s Bell Centre.

3 STARS OF THE GAME

• #1 Hoffman (2g 1a)
• #2 Prince (1a)
• #3 Sven Andrighetto (2a)

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HIGHLIGHTS

N/A

NEXT GAME

Friday Night host Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

ARTICLE PIC(S)

Cover photo and insert courtesy of Alicia Strauch.