Norfolk Admirals 5-3 Win Led By Emerson Etem's Hat Trick

A pair of ex-NHL’ers took the ice against one another as Dany Heatley‘s Norfolk Admirals defeated Colin Greening‘s Binghamton Senators 5-3 featuring Emerson Etem‘s three goals. Goalie Peter Mannino didn’t have much help in saving 39 shots as the Senators’ season is slipping away losing nine of their last 11.

GAME RECAP

With both teams stumbling out of the gate with off sides and icing calls, it’s the Admirals that break loose first as Etem pops home the puck over Mannino’s shoulder and in for a 1-0 lead. Senators seem sluggish as they struggle to get a shot on goal. Derek Grant gets whistled for a tripping call and Norfolk goes to work on the power play and it’s Etem again as he snaps the puck in by Mannino from the top of the circle making it a 2-0 game. It’s his second of the night and 11th of the season as the Admirals held the Senators at bay keeping them off the shot clock until the 10:49 mark.

At 14:36 in the second, David Dziurzynski short passes to Darren Kramer in the right circle and shoots from a tough angle that handcuff’s netminder John Gibson on the short side for a goal that energizes the team. Matt Puempel skates in the zone with the puck and is taken down to the ice from a tough hit by Norfolk’s Mat Clark. Then Greening goes after Clark and the two have a brief scrap with Clark taken Greening down on his back.

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Mannino stops Joseph Cramarossa on a short breakaway with Alex Grant trailing and on the other end Alex Guptill’s shot is blocked from a Norfolk defender with Gibson out of position. Shortly after Senators seem to have a sure goal by Buddy Robinson near the goal mouth but the puck rolls wide to the side post as Gibson was beaten on the play. Mannino then gets a leg save of a Heatley slapper on a breakaway keeping the ex-NHL’er scoreless in his last 10 games. Much better effort but Senators were out shot 19-9 in the middle frame.

Cole Schneider ties it up on the power play as Gibson gets the save on Puempel’s wrister but can’t cover the rebound in time by the corner of his cage. That would be a short-lived tie though, as 40 seconds later Admirals rookie Josh Manson‘s shot from the blue line glances off of Fredrik Claesson’s stick mid-air into the net to regain the one goal lead. 26 seconds after that Max Friberg‘s snap shot goes in high glove side by Mannino for a 4-2 lead.

Senators show some fight is still with them when Camper Carter receives a Shane Prince pass and gives it right back to Prince as the play draws Gibson out of position for the easy tap in to cut the Norfolk lead back to one. With time running out and Mannino looking to skate off for the extra attacker, Etem completes the hat trick on a 2-1 rush with Chris Wagner and shooting a one timer in on Mannino’s short side for the 5-3 win. Shots for the game, Norfolk 44, Binghamton 26.

NOTES & OBSERVATIONS

Defense has been a season long problem as evident of Norfolk’s poor offense ranked last, as they score a season high five goals on the road. They have only one game at home also scoring five goals, and that was on opening night.
Kramer doing what he does best as he was chirping away all night and had a decent showing with a second period fight against John Kurtz.
That Norfolk third goal took the wind out of the sails as the momentum killer for Binghamton.
I don’t know how or why Greening landed that kind of contract for Ottawa but he didn’t really do too much tonight. However, it was good to see him stand up for Puempel in a brief scrap in the second. Perhaps he was rusty as he hasn’t seen a ton of playing time.
Senators 1/4 on the power play as their timing looked off.
Netminder Andrew Hammond remains up in Ottawa serving as Robin Lehner‘s back up as Scott Greenham has been recalled from Evansville to back up Mannino. Greenham will probably get the call on Saturday.
Defensman Grant returned as Patrick Mullen sat for the first time this season injured in last Saturday’s game in Hershey, but should be ready next weekend.
Forward Brad Mills is still a couple of weeks away from returning but he has himself a new two-way contract, good for the rest of the season as his PTO has expired.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT CARD

B+. Kramer had a goal and two shots along with a fight in the second period that saw him land some short rights. He was at his classic best tonight in getting into the Admirals player’s heads and hustled his way in scoring his third goal of the season. Always giving his 100% on every shift no matter what the situation demands.. Forward. Binghamton Senators. #37 DARREN KRAMER

B-SENS LINES

Forwards – Puempel-D Grant-Greening, Prince-Camper-Schneider, Guptill-Dzingel-Robinson, Kramer-McCormick-Dziurzynski

Defense – Claesson-A Grant, Johnson-Tuzzolino, Lepine-Wideman

Out – Mills, Mike Sdao, Danny New and Mullen, injured. Danny Hobbs and Garrett Thompson, healthy.

UP NEXT

Binghamton and Norfolk play game 2 Saturday night at the Arena.

*Cover Pic & Insert Courtesy of SenShot’s Photographer Alicia Strauch

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