Binghamton Senators Snap Losing Streak, Outwork Phantoms In 4-1 Win
By Jeff Ulmer
The Binghamton Senators defeated the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4-1 ending their five game losing streak as goaltender Peter Mannino ended up with 29 saves and Shane Prince had a goal and a helper while defenseman Alex Grant added two assists. As for one night, we forget where they are in the standings as this was just an entertaining game which featured three fights with good up and down action for the sold out crowd to take part of.
GAME RECAP
Senators’ Garrett Thompson is all alone in the blue paint but can’t pull the trigger, although soon after Cole Schneider does but pings the puck off the crossbar. Meanwhile the Phantoms’ Jason Akeson makes sure his shot counts taking advantage of Mannino’s misplay loosing track as Lehigh Valley is first on the board 1-0.
Less than a minute later Prince notches his team leading 16th goal backhanding the puck into the net after a rebound kick save by Zepp on a slapper from A. Grant by his blue line. Prince was in good position for the easy tally to tie it up. Then Mannino with a highlight reel glove save on Taylor Leier’s wrist shot from high in the slot as if to say he knew he botched up that goal by Akeson.
Close call early in the second as Phantom’s Brandon Manning slap shot from the point is juggled free from Mannino and ends up inches away from the goal line as players dive in the goal mouth towards it, but Carter Camper ends up setting it free knocking the puck out of harms way. Max McCormick and Austin Fyten drop the gloves right after a faceoff with McCormick losing his balance as this contest has some bite to it tonight.
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Darren Kramer and Derek Mathers share pleasantries with Mathers landing several punches with Kramer clutching and grabbing as that would end up being Mathers second fight and his night is finished. On a wild sequence of events, Nick Cousins skates down the wall and shoots with Mannino making the save and almost scores missing his own rebound. Then in transition, Senators create a two on one rush with Prince backhanding a pass to Schneider in front, than beats Zepp with his own backhanded shot to give Binghamton a 2-1 lead.
Zepp’s night is done after a collision withe Matt Puempel, who was pushed by defenseman Steven Delisle as he leaves the ice with help favoring his right leg. With back up Anthony Stolarz in, he then gets bumped into by Buddy Robinson as he then receives the Senators third goalie interference penalty of the game. Ryan Dzingel gets denied by a late skate save by Stolarz when he had the net pegged in front.
With Lehigh Valley barreling down, pressing hard late in the third, Camper and Robinson add a pair of empty netters to give the Senators the 4-1 win much to the roars of the fans to end their five game losing streak. Shots end up 32-30 Binghamton.
NOTES & OBSERVATIONS
- Guillaume Lepine and Mathers had a wild, brief fight midway in the opening period with both players swinging but fell to the ice losing both their balances while swirling around. Lepine could be seen smiling over at Mathers in the box afterwards moving his finger in a circular motion mocking their fight.
- Lehigh Valley’s goaltender Zepp had a rough go at it to tonight, as there was two goalie interference calls against him, a Derek Grant wipe out that took him down from behind his net, and a very rare unnecessary stoppage call as he played the puck outside the trapezoid in the second period. Then in the third he was injured in that collision with Puempel that ended his night.
- Mannino played well settling down after giving up that first one. A little luck along the way but he got the win for his second of the season. He’s still got it fans.
- It looked like the Colin Greening-Camper-Schneider second line worked with Greening sliding in from the first line from Friday.
- Two teams play each other next weekend as their was a lot of bad blood left over in this one stemming back when the team was located in Adirondack over the years before the move to Allentown, PA. Good to see as we like these rivalry matches.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT CARD
B+. Grant assisted on Prince’s first goal with his slapper finding the net in leaving a juicy rebound to be buried, and Camper’s empty netter late in the third while blocking a pair of shots in advancing the puck up ice. He also finished with a +3 on the scorer’s table and ended up with four shots in only his second game back from injury.. Defense. Binghamton Senators. #20 ALEX GRANT
B-SENS LINES
Forwards – Puempel-D Grant-Prince, Greening-Camper-Schneider, Thompson-Dziurzynski-Kramer, Dzingel-McCormick-Robinson
Defense – Claesson-A Grant, Johnson-Tuzzolino, Lepine-Wideman
Out – Brad Mills, Mike Sdao, Danny New and Patrick Mullen, injured. Danny Hobbs and Alex Guptill, healthy.
UP NEXT
Sunday afternoon Senators make the short trip up to Utica to take on the Comets.
*Cover Pic & Insert Courtesy of SenShot’s Photographer Alicia Strauch