Phantoms Survive Late Senators Comeback, Win In OT 5-4

Lehigh Valley Phantoms survived a furious late Binghamton Senators comeback and win it in overtime by a score of 5-4. Derek Grant scored two goals nine seconds apart with 15.4 seconds left sending the probable loss instead into overtime as the Senators ended up with a valuable point in the tight East Division.

B-SENS LINES

Forwards – Prince-Pageau-Robinson, Puempel-Camper-Schneider, Kramer-D Grant-Thompson, New-Dzingel-Guptill

Defense – Claesson-Mullen, Johnson-A Grant, Sdao-Wideman..Hammond in goal.

Out – Brad Mills, upper body, Max McCormick, upper body, David Dziurzynski 3rd of a 3 game suspension.

GAME RECAP

Lehigh Valley has lost the services of Mark Alt as he is taken down awkwardly crashing into the boards by Alex Grant giving the Phantoms and early power play here in the first. However, it’s Shane Prince’s wrist shot from up high in the circle trickles in off of Rob Zepp to give the Senators a 1-0 lead. Matt Puempel gets into it with Jesper Pettersson with some punches thrown before Zack Stortini gets involved, only to see Mike Sdao pound him into the ice. Stortini is thrown out of the game with a third man in misconduct which carries an automatic game misconduct.

Andrew Hammond with a nice point blank save on Andrew Gordon but Phantoms tie it up with Nick Cousins potting home the rebound into a half empty net. The Sens escape the first on a late goal at 19:25 by Jean-Gabriel Pageau as he buries it from a perfect pass by Chris Wideman as Buddy Robinson intercepted the play high slot to take a 2-1 lead heading to the locker rooms.

With the Senators on the power play, Lehigh Valley turns nothing into something creating a two on one shorthanded break as rookie Scott Laughton dishes to Darroll Powe but his shot is blocked by Alex Grant. Hammond with a good save outstretching his arm while on his back on Gordon’s swat of the puck in the crease. With Sdao in the box, Robert Hagg one-timer from the blue line whistles by Hammond through traffic to tie up the game at two apiece.

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Less than three minutes later, Gordon does a spin-o-rama in front past Fredrik Claesson as the puck finds the back of the net to take the lead 3-2. Robinson misses a golden opportunity but completely baffles the puck missing wide of the net as it was all his. Phantoms score their third of the period when Austin Fyten’s backhander waffles in past Hammond with a Senator draped all over him to increase their lead by two.

Back and forth action welcomes in the third period as Binghamton has a tough task that awaits them as they have not been all that good tonight, or they are making the Phantoms look better then they are, especially down two players. Patrick Mullen gets a slight shove into the side boards and immediately goes after Laughton flipping his gloves off before Laughton turtles as both are called for penalties with Mullen given an unsportsmanlike.

With Hammond pulled with under a minute remaining Senators go to work. Puempel’s shot from outside the circle gets tipped in by D. Grant past Zepp with 15.4 seconds left and it’s now a 4-3 game. Nine seconds later, Zepp misplayed the puck from behind his net and tossed it in the corner which found the stick of Prince. Shane threw it towards the goal-mouth where Grant was left unattended by the side of the crease for the easy put in as Derek and the rest of the Sens’ celebrate along with the crowd going wild with the Phantoms in utter disbelief. 4-4 game heading to overtime.

Lehigh Valley’s Laughton’s shot off of A. Grant’s stick bounces in by Hammond with a 1:20 left with each club skating three aside to win the game 5-4. It was a flukey goal that fluttered in as Binghamton was lucky to get the point out of the night.

NOTES & OBSERVATIONS

• Defense again letting 41 shots as all the blame cannot be pinned to the blueliner’s as the team overall needs to step up and help get these numbers in order before Hammond begins to lose his confidence.
• Pageau and Robinson combo reminds me of Corey Locke and Colin Greening a few seasons ago as both are in sync and work well together.
• The Arena is complete with all the bells and whistles installed as the end ribbons were introduced tonight and it’s pretty sweet balancing off of the center ice video board.
• Team tied a club record for the fastest two goals nine seconds apart in the third as Derek’s celebration with both arms pumping in the air sending the crowd into hysteria, great energy and excitement despite the outcome.
• Canada’s National Anthem was highlighted before the game as the big home crowd sang and cheered afterwards. Class act guys.

PLAYER’S  SPOTLIGHT CARD

UP NEXT

B-Sens travel south down I81 to meet up with their southern rival’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday afternoon for the first of eight tilt’s scheduled this season.

*Cover & Insert Courtesy of Alicia Strauch