Norfolk Admirals gets revenge on the Binghamton Senators when they swept the two games series in Virginia two weeks ago and hand the Sens their third consecutive defeat 6-3 at the Arena. Binghamton has fallen out of first place in the East Division as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton shutout the Albany Devils 1-0 in overtime tonight. Nathan Lawson lost his eighth of the season and wasn’t sharp for the second game in a row in letting in three soft goals. Mark Borowiecki didn’t return after the first period adding to the Senators recent woes.
Defenseman Fredrik Claesson in action for the Senators in 6-3 loss to Norfolk. Photo courtesy of Alicia Strauch.
GAME RE-CAP
First period and Senators almost puts one in on Brad Thiessen when Shane Prince finds Ryan Dzingel rushing the net with an Admiral player draped on him. Dzingel does a spin around to get free and passes to Mike Sdao who’s rushing the net but can’t get it past Theissen. Physical play is involved as both teams grind away at one another and as a result David Dziurzynski gets tangled up with John Kurtz for a lengthy fight with both players landing some punches.
Norfolk gets things rolling when Emerson Etem shoots in off a rebound given up by Lawson on Matt Bailey‘s wrister and buries it into the empty net for a 1-0 lead. Etem would go ahead and score again streaking down on Lawson past the defense and dekes Nathan for a nice goal putting the Ads up by two.
One minute into the second and Chris Wideman‘s shot from the point gets re-directed in off of Derek Grant‘s stick to pull the Senators to within a goal as Binghamton sees some momentum shift their way. Not for long though as a little over a minute later Antoine Laganiere skates around Sens cage and comes out the other side and lifts a backhand shot that Lawson should have had to restore their two goal lead 3-1. Bad play by Lawson as Laganiere found an opening between the pipe and his arm and Nathan knew it.
Shortly after Patrick Mullen‘s long reach on a pass is successful from Buddy Robinson and quickly beats Theissen with a nifty backhander up high into the net making it a 3-2 contest. Nice effort by Mullen as that is his first goal in a Sens uni. Game continues to be a feisty playoff feel and Darren Kramer goes after bad boy Zack Stortini and gets some rights into the back of Stortini’s head but Zack gets the take down as those two clearly don’t like one another at all.
Senators would tie it with 14.8 seconds left in the period with Wideman shooting into a half open net from a give by Mullen from the corner for the power play tally with Josh Manson in the box. That’s a key goal to end the second and get Binghamton back into it starting the third period.
With 1:48 left on the Senators power play to start the third Binghamton manages to get three shots on net but Thiessen stopping the puck from crossing the goal line. The two teams are playing a tight checking affair with lots of whistles stopping play but that would end as Norfolk scores when Steve Eminger‘s weak shot is mismanaged by Lawson giving the Ads the go ahead goal.
Dave Steckel adds to the misery and sucking the air out of Binghamton making it a 5-3 game when he shoots through Lawson’s legs and into the back of the net much to the displeasure of the vocal home crowd. Etem completes his hat trick shooting into the empty net from center ice as Lawson was pulled for the extra attacker. Binghamton manages just six shots in the third to finish with 25 to the Admirals 40 for the game.
NOTES & OBSERVATIONS
- Borowiecki did not return for the second period as he appeared to be injured from a Kurtz hit into the boards early in the first. Wonderful. You know Boro can take a hit but his absence shouldn’t be taken likely.
- Lawson gave up three soft goals that the veteran should have stopped and he was visibly upset especially after letting in the Admirals go ahead goal in the third, which completely changed the game and sucked the air out of the Arena.
- Dzingel centered the first line with Prince and Matt Puempel on the wings. That’s how depleted the line up is right now in having a player fresh out of college, in only his second pro game, centering the top line and Luke Richardson has no other options available to him. That’s not how player development works in my book. That’s just forcing the issue and I’m going to stop before I let my emotions take over. Ottawa needs to send down a player or two but they won’t.
3 STARS OF THE GAME
- #1 Etem (3g)
- #2 Eminger (1g)
- #3 Wideman (1g 1a)
HIGHLIGHTS
N/A
NEXT GAME
Sunday Afternoon host Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Article Pics
Cover photo and inserts courtesy of Alicia Strauch.