St. John’s Gets By Binghamton 4-3 In A S.O.

This one hurts.

St. John’s Carl Klingberg would put one past Andrew Hammond‘s right pad with 0.27.6 seconds left in the third period and the IceCaps go on and win it in a shootout by a score of 4-3 at the Arena. Jussi Olkinuora made 36 saves in only his fifth appearance of the season. The Senators may have lost two consecutive games this weekend but salvaged a point and didn’t lose any ground to remain in a first place tie with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins who also lost in a shootout tonight down in Chocolate Town.

RECAP

Senators get off to a slow start as Hammond making the save on Adam Lowry but Mike Hoffman gets a great individual effort beating two IceCaps and racing in on Olkinuora and getting the goal followed by a big celebration for the Captain to the crowd’s delight. St. John’s goes on the power play and Andrew Gordon‘s pass is picked off by Buddy Robinson and off he goes on the breakaway but pulls some funky Stephane Da Costa moves and miffs the shot. He almost pulled it off.

Sens ensuing power play produces no goals but great puck possession as Da Costa’s blast from his favorite spot is blocked. Jean-Gabriel Pageau nice block on the pass attempt by John Albert on an IceCaps shorthanded two on one. Mike Sdao gets in early penalty trouble as he knocks the helmet off of Kael Mouillierat and gets the call. Then the IceCaps tie up the game with Julain Melchiori beating Hammond down low from the right circle to make it a 1-1 game. Later Hoffman, Da Costa and Cody Ceci would play hot potato with the puck in the offensive zone but don’t get a clear shot off. Then Ceci and Chris Wideman tee it up but get denied. Shots favor Binghamton 13-12.

Jim Obrien gets a good look parked in front of the net with lots of traffic but Olkinuora is there. Hammond comes up big as Gordon passes to Brenden Kichton and lets it rip. O’Brien again denied by Olkinuora on a shot from just outside of the slot. Soon after Corey Cowick has a big hit on Julian Melchiori. Both teams trading chances but it’s Da Costa breaking the tie and scoring while ending up in the net along with the puck as Stephane does a little fist pump dance inside the net from his knees. Nice assist on the play from Hoffman and Freddy Claesson.

Wacey Hamilton gets sloppy in the defensive zone and his pass gets picked up by Kyle MacKinnon for a shot on Hammond. Recently re-instated Darren Kramer has a solid hit on MacKinnon as he falls to the ice. Hamilton takes his team out of it with a careless penalty and then has a few choice words for referee Keith Kaval and is granted an additional two for unsportsmanlike conduct and a ten minute misconduct for a few F bombs thrown at the ref. IceCaps would immediately capitalize as Gordon nets his eighth of the season. Puempel then gets his big slapper stopped by Olkinuora. Robinson receives a Wideman shot off the glass to the face and heads to the locker room. Shots are 13-11 IceCaps.

Heading to the third all tied up at two and Robinson returns back onto the ice. B-Sens go on an early man advantage and take it to Olkinuora shooting from all angles as the Sens can’t score. IceCats Jordan Hill rings one off the post as Hammond had no idea where it went. Speeding down the side Hoffman pulls a similar move like his earlier goal but this time Olkinuora get’s his left pad out to rob Hoffman. Sdao gets another big hit as the two tangle but it’s Puempel picking up the loose puck and shoots in on Olkinuora while David Dziurzynski cashes in on the rebound for his first marker of the season and a 3-2 Senators lead.

St. John’s turn it up a notch as Hammond comes up big with a few tight up close chances. Then Andrew prevents from scoring on a breakaway. Soon after, Andre Petersson finds himself almost on a breakaway but can’t get a handle on it. Olkinuora pulled at the 1:44 mark and St. John’s ties the game with .27.4 seconds left in the contest as Klingberg finds an opening past Hammond during a big mass of bodies by the net to the hometown fan’s groans. Heading to overtime. St. John’s leads with 13-10 in shots.

Four on four hockey doesn’t yield any results early on as Hammond makes a pad save on Mouillierat right in the crease. Zach Redmond‘s slap shot doesn’t get through but the Senators looked tired as Petersson shoots and Olkinuora juggles it but hangs on. Now it’s Wideman to Da Costa but he can’t get the shot off. Olkinuora gets his shoulder into it saving the puck from going in by Da Costa’s shot from close in. Both teams are now heading to the shootout. Shots are 5-2 Bingo and for the game 41-39 in favor of the IceCaps.

In the extra session Hoffman is the only goal scorer for Bingo while Jerome Samson and Eric O’Dell turning the red light on for the IceCaps. 4-3 St. John’s is the final.

NOTES

• Binghamton looked a little rusty again tonight but maybe it’s just me. Forwards Cole Schneider and Mark Stone are a little banged up as both were missed in the line-up and are certain to return for next weekend’s home games vs. the Hershey Bears and the Albany Devils.
• Three Stars of the Game all Binghamton but it was later changed as an IceCaps rep was clearly unhappy in the press box. Hammond was later changed to Olkinuora and deserving so as somehow,  someone fumbled it in the B-Sens press side of things.
• Hammond looked okay in his first shootout of his pro career but should have had Samson’s goal as it went in five hole but outside of that he had an overall solid performance in net tonight.

3 STARS OF THE GAME

• #1 Claesson (2a)
• #2 Hoffman ( 1g 1a)
• #3 Olkinuora (36 saves)

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