Jean-Gabriel Pageau Sparks Binghamton Senators 4-1 Win Over Amerks

Cole Schneider and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each had a goal and an assist, and Scott Greenham made 29 out of 30 saves as the Binghamton Senators cruise to their third straight victory by beating the struggling Rochester Americans 4-1 handing them their 11th loss in their last 14 games. Meanwhile the Senators have caught magic in a bottle with this latest run of going 5-0-0-1 over their last six.

GAME RECAP

Greenham gets tested early off the stick of Luke Adam as we begin the first period with the Amerks uptempo of play keeping the Senators back on their heels. Brayden Irwin‘s wrist shot is stopped with a leg save by Greenham but on the other end of the ice Pageau had several close shots on goaltender Nathan Lieuwen with no luck. Rochester the better team looking hungry as they swarm the net often but Greenham with a series of saves highlighting the period as they out-shot the Senators 10-5.

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Shane Prince dances around Brady Austin and shoots in close on net with Lieuwen getting a glove on it as we begin the middle frame. Mike Sdao then trips Allan McPherson as he was on his way to the net given the Amerks a power play, but Greenham stonewalls Irwin and Johan Larsson in tight near the crease. The Senators finally break the tie as Ryan Dzingel carries the puck into the offensive zone and is denied by Lieuwen with the rebound coming to Pageau in front as his shot is also stopped but Cole Schneider reels in the second rebound and lifts the puck over Lieuwen’s shoulder for the goal, his seventh of the season.

At 11:54 on a Sens power play, Derek Grant gets wood in the middle on a blast from a one time slapper by Alex Grant from the point giving Binghamton a two goal lead. A little more than two minutes later, Rochester’s Larsson scores his sixth of the season on a one time snipe in the circle from a quick pass from a motoring Mikhail Grigorenko from the high slot beating Greenham up top to cut the lead to one.

In the third period and off the faceoff Darren Kramer battles for the puck in the corner and dishes to Max McCormick near the hash marks and whistles it home past Lieuwen to restore a two goal lead on an even strength goal. Amerks Luke Adam let’s a shot go after the whistle was blown and receives an unsportsmanlike penalty that Binghamton take’s advantage of. Pageau gets his own rebound that Lieuwen couldn’t reach on a backhanded tap in for his seventh of the season giving the Senators a 4-1 lead.

With the game in the Senators back pocket with 37.4 seconds left Drew Bagnall knocks David Dziurzynski down hard along the boards as Kramer jumps in and takes on Bagnall, as the two wrestle around not landing much but it’s the Senators that do the damage winning their third straight to kick off the weekend.

NOTES & OBSERVATIONS

  • The first was all Rochester as the Senators found their legs in the last two periods as Greenham did what he was supposed to do and keep his team in it early and was cool, calm and collective the whole night.
  • Binghamton has owned the Amerks winning the last five out of six and their ninth out of the last 11.
  • Prince kept his point streak alive where it’s now stands at eight games assisting in setting up A. Grant’s blast that was tipped in by D. Grant on the second goal. During the streak Prince has 12 points.
  • Greenham improves to 4-0-1-0 in six games over the season with a 2.20 GAA and 0.935 SV% as he was tested often in the first.
  • Good win to kick off the three in three weekend and a feel good bus ride back home as the club has found winning to be contagious in this latest run.
  • Sdao in place of Danny New was the only change made tonight, as goaltender Chris Driedger served as Greenham’s back up while Andrew Hammond is on recall with Ottawa.

PLAYER’S  SPOTLIGHT CARD

Forward. Binghamton Senators. #44 JEAN-GABRIEL PAGEAU. A+. Pageau continues to perform and looked excellent in tonight’s win. He finished with 3 shots and had a great individual effort scoring a goal as he got open in front of the net and followed the play after his initial shot was blocked, sticking with it and backhanded the rebound into the net with an opponent now draped over him. He was all over the ice tonight and had set up many scoring opportunities in help giving his team the win.

B-SENS LINES

Forwards – Dzingel-Pageau-Schneider, Puempel-D Grant-Robinson, Thompson-Camper-Prince, Kramer-McCormick-Dziurzynski

Defense – Claesson-Grant, Johnson-Mullen, Sdao-Wideman

Out – Brad Mills, Gm. #18 of 20 gm. AHL Suspension. Danny New, Danny Hobbs and Alex Guptill are healthy scratches.

UP NEXT

Binghamton tackles the Adirondack Flames on home ice Saturday for the first time ever as the city of Glens Falls enjoy the good fortunes of a successful start of the season with a new affiliate in Calgary.