Binghamton Senators Hang On For A 3-2 Victory Over Portland
By Jeff Ulmer
The Binghamton Senators survived as they endured a late rally attempt from a stubborn Portland Pirates team to hang on for the 3-2 win in regulation. The Senators found themselves in penalty trouble throughout the night but fought through it for their first win of the season. Andrew Hammond earned his first win with a 31 save effort overshadowing Mike McKenna‘s 37 saves spoiling his return to Binghamton much to the delight of the home fans.
B-SENS LINES
Forwards – Puempel-Pageau-Robinson, McCormick-Camper-Prince, Kramer-D Grant-Dziurzynski, Guptill-Dzingel-Thompson
Defense – Claesson-Mullen, Johnson-A Grant, Sdao-Wideman..Hammond in goal.
Out – Brad Mills, upper body. Cole Schneider, Daniel New both healthy scratches.
GAME RECAP
McKenna tested often in the first period but it’s Hammond who gets roughed up early as Max McCormick crosschecks Jordon Szwarz into Andrew knocking them both violently into the back of the net. Hammond appears okay and continues on. Senators reach the score sheet first off the faceoff won by Jean-Gabriel Pageau as Buddy Robinson scoops up the puck and skates in alone and slides home the biscuit in by McKenna for the shorthanded tally, 1-0 Sens.
While on a delayed call to the Pirates, the Senators get the extra attacker with Hammond skating to the bench as Shane Prince scores his first of the season tapping home the rebound shot from Chris Wideman’s stick near the blue line for a 2-0 game. Players gather at the end of the period in a melee involving Robinson, Eric Selleck, Aaron Johnson and Darian Dziurzynski.
The bad feelings spill over into the second as Selleck goes after David Dziurzynski and wins the short fight with Dizzy losing his balance. Binghamton earns a power play out of it with Selleck receiving an instigator but Jordan Szwarz scores on his own rebound for the shorthanded goal to cut the lead to within one. Darren Kramer exchanges blows with Mark Louis with neither player going down in a long, drawn out battle near center ice.
Mike Sdao with a big hit on Darian Dziurzynski sending the him down to the ice, then a couple of play’s afterwards hustles and swats away the puck from Jordan Martinook’s reach stopping a breakaway, great play by the second year pro. McKenna with a decent kick save on Ryan Dzingel’s shot from the circle as his counterpart Hammond flashes the leather while on his stomach to rob James Melindy of a sure thing. Senators then turn a one goal lead into two as Alex Grant finds a streaking Johnson fresh off the penalty box with a great pass up the middle as Aaron skates in and beats McKenna’s five hole for his first and a 3-1 lead after two.
In the third period Sdao slams Brendan Shinnimin into the boards for a penalty and just after Johnson’s clearing attempt finds the seats, for a brief 5-3 advantage, as the Pirates make it interesting by cutting the lead to one again when Henrik Samuelsson gets a piece of Dylan Reese‘s one timer blast from the blueline crosses the goal line as Hammond had no chance on the play to make it a 3-2 game.
Patrick Mullen receives a high sticking call late in the period as the Pirates go on the power play to close it out. McKenna pulled soon after for the 6-4 man advantage but the Senators hold off the surge and celebrate their first win of the season around Hammond.
NOTES & OBSERVATIONS
- Guptill’s first game splitting up the fourth line moving McCormick up to second with Camper and Prince replacing Schneider on the wing. I was mildly impressed with Guptill as he seems to have some fire in his belly.
- Pirates were inches away from forcing overtime with three players lined up open to Hammond’s right but neither of them could get a stick on the puck with Hammond sprawled out on the ice.
- Binghamton had way too many penalties called giving the Pirates nine power plays compared to just four for the Sens.
- Darian Dziurzynski, brother of David, was quite the pest tonight as both teams didn’t get along very well, with player’s on both sides stirring the pot after whistles were blown.
- Robinson took a puck to the face late in the third but shook it off, as afterwards he says “the moneymaker” is OK.
- Matt Puempel with five shots led the club as he is getting closer to scoring his first after his nine shot total in last Saturday’s loss.
- Binghamton wore their special pink jersey’s that were auctioned off after the game to help support the local branch of the American Cancer Society.
PLAYER’S SPOTLIGHT CARD
Sdao is finding his game as of late in becoming an all around player for the organization. He picked up an assist on the second goal by shooting the puck around the boards where Wideman picked it up and took a shot that found Prince along the side for the easy tally. He had some big hits and that center ice diving stick sweep most likely saved a breakaway goal. He did contribute to the penalties with two calls but the one elbowing call was questionable as they both went down to the ice after hitting the boards. Either way, good game as he had a +1 for the night.. Defense. Binghamton Senators. MIKE SDAO. B
UP NEXT
The Senators hop the bus for their first road trip of the season against one of their rival’s, the Syracuse Crunch, for the first of eight games coming up between the two cities.
*Cover Photo & Insert Courtesy of Alicia Strauch.