Binghamton Senators Win Shooting Match Over Brûleurs de Loups

The Binghamton Senators continue their French tour and find themselves on the winning side of things over the Bruleurs de Loups (translation: Burners Wolf) by a score of 6-4. The B-Sens had two three goal leads only to see it slip away to one before Shane Prince scored his second of the evening to help secure the win. Prince also had an assist for a three point night while Chris Driedger went the distance with the Wolves pecking away. It didn’t sound to be as close a game as the score indicates as the Sens were the much stronger team taking the foot off the gas slightly in the third.

– B-Sens lines: Prince-Camper-Thompson, Guptill-Dzingel-Schneider, McCormick-Grant-Mills, Kramer-Culek-Hobbs, Wong

– B-Sens defense: New-Wideman, Sdao-Mullen, Wishart-Rutkowski, Lepine..Driedger in goal.

GAME RECAP

Packed house at Patinoire Pôle Sud Arena as the Sens get off to a quick start and take the early lead at 9:24 when Ryan Dzingel scored from the high slot with an assist given to Alex Guptill for a 1-0 game. Driedger rarely challenged in the first as Sens controlled play.

Binghamton continues to apply pressure as Dzingel gets his second of the game with the assists going to Cole Schneider and Guptill. Schneider appeared to have taken the shot with Dzingel putting in the rebound for a 2-0 lead. Wolves get on board just after their power play expired beating Driedger cutting the lead in half. Wolves ride the momentum after scoring that pumps up the home crowd.

Prince scores restoring the two goal cushion with an assist given to Troy Rutkowski, 3-1 Binghamton. Shortly after, Patrick Mullen joins the party and nets one on the power play making it a 4-1 contest as Senators seem to be on cruise control but not before Driedger scrambles making two nifty saves keeping the Wolves at bay.

Wolves add a late goal at 1:02 beating Driedger that appeared the puck never crossed the goal line. Chris Wideman argues the point with the referee and as a result he’ll sit for the next ten minutes receiving a misconduct. 4-2 game after two.

Into the third and a goaltending change for the Wolves, Darren Kramer pounces on a loose puck picking up the rebound restoring their three goal lead. Danny Hobbs buries one but it’s waved off after their goaltender gets knocked into by a Senator resulting on a Wolves power play. Wolves score on the man advantage off of Driedger’s arm to make it a 5-3 game as things are getting sloppy as the shooting match marches on. Jakub Culek with a big check drawing the ire of the home fans.

Wolves cuts the lead to one with a shot beating Driedger from long-range but Prince adds his second of the evening to close out the game. Player of the Game is Dzingel with his pair of goals.

NOTES & OBSERVATIONS

• Prince had two goals and a helper, Guptill with two assists, Dzingel with two goals as he looks to have not lost a step from where he left off last season.
• No fights in this one as there appears to be stiff suspensions given out. That will be a different story on Sunday when the Sens lace up for the rematch against Syracuse.
• Randy Lee made the trip and mentioned in between periods with Grady that Prince denied rumors wanting a trade last season and was happy to be part of the organization. Take it for what it’s worth.
• I might have over-hyped Driedger a tad. Didn’t sound like he had a good game but like I mentioned earlier in my last article, I don’t put too much stock in preseason exhibitions.
• No shot clock again. Guess the French don’t find that stat as important as we do. But hey, at least they give out Star of the Game honor’s even though Prince had more points than Dzingel did.

UP NEXT

The Sens travel back to the town of Lyon for a rematch against the Crunch slated for Sunday @ 5:00 PM. (12:00 PM EST)