In the wake of another impressive win and three straight over the weekend, we welcome back Don Rieber for his take on last night's convincing win over the Sound Tigers. Over to you, Don!
B-Sens Tame Sound Tigers
Winning is becoming a habit for the Binghamton Senators. The team earned their sixth straight win Saturday night, steamrolling the visiting Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 6-1. The B-Sens dominated from beginning to end, despite playing their third game in three nights.
Cole Schneider, who has found playing time hard to come by this season, scored his first two goals of the season as did defenseman Eric Gryba who was playing in his third game since returning from injury on Thanksgiving night. Gryba made it a three-point night with an assist on Schneider’s second goal.
Binghamton scored three of the six goals in the second period on Saturday, which is a welcomed site considering that even during this win streak, it has been their weakest period of late.
“We’ve done a better job, especially the last two games of having a good start and not letting that lapse come in the middle,” said B-Sens coach Luke Richardson. “We played a complete game and really didn’t let them get going at all,”
One of the things that has helped Binghamton survive that lapse in recent games is their propensity for scoring early goals. They did that on Saturday, grabbing the lead 2:39 in when Gryba beat Bridgeport netminder Kevin Poulin off the face -off. He drove a shot from the slot and gave Binghamton a 1-0 lead. Mark Borowiecki and Jean-Gabriel Pageau got the assists.
It was the third game in a row that featured an early strike. They scored 1:13 into the game on Friday in Syracuse and 2:22 in on Thursday night at home, against Toronto.
“We’ve been getting off to a real quick start in the past few games and we were lucky to get a goal early to get us going,” said Schneider. “Just get the momentum right away and start moving. It slows the other team down and we just roll right into it.”
Binghamton held Bridgeport to just three shots through the first 10:30 of the contest against Binghamton goaltender Robin Lehner, who continued his solid play, ending the night with 35 saves on 36 Bridgeport shots.
The B-Sens would add to their lead with 1:17 left in the period, when Schneider scored the first goal of his pro career. He has only played in nine of Binghamton’s 16 games and has been patiently waiting for his chance. He made the most of it on Saturday.
Tyler Eckford got the play started with a blast from the blue line and Schneider knocked in the rebound. Pageau earned his second assist of the night on that goal.
“We feel bad that he can’t get in there for a lot of games and a lot of reps,” Richardson said of Schneider. “The lockout year has done that to a lot of players, but we told him tonight, the third game in three nights, we really needed a fresh body to come in and add some energy and spark. And he did that.”
Binghamton was impressive all period long, launching 16 shots in Poulin’s direction. The Sound Tigers managed just six.
The second period, like the first, got off to a great start for the home team. Derek Grant took a pass in front from David Dziurzynski and was hit hard as he let the shot go. He got enough on it to beat Poulin and just like that it was 3-0, 2:50 into the period.
Binghamton has struggled with the power-play all season. They came into Saturday with six goals in 72 chances, ranking 29th in the league, out of 30 teams in that category.
They converted two of seven power-plays on Saturday, with the first coming off the stick of Binghamton captain Andre Benoit, who scored on a rebound, 29 seconds after Brandon DeFazio was whistled for slashing, at 8:07 making it 4-0. Sound Tigers coach Scott Pellerin had seen enough of Poulin. He was given the hook in favor of Anders Nilsson.
Schneider got his second of the night with 2:13 to go in the third, when he came streaking up the ice and let a shot go from the circle, beating Nilsson to make it 5-0.
Lehner was definitely busier in that second period, stopping 16 Bridgeport shots. He made a highlight reel save with 37.1 seconds left, diving across and then back to stop a great chance for the Sound Tigers.
Gryba got his second of the night 3:01 into the third period, making it a 6-0 game. Mark Stone and Mika Zibanejad got the assists.
Lehner was six minutes away from a shutout, but was foiled by DeFazio, who banged home his sixth of the season. Lehner, Who gave up one on Friday in Syracuse, matched that Saturday and lowered his goals-against-average from 1.69 to 1.63 and improved to 8-2-1 on the year.
“He just looked like he was on that puck, he saw it before it was even shot,” said Richardson of Lehner. “He made it look easy and it’s not easy, it’s hard work and that’s what he did.”
Exclusive behind the scenes video of negotiations between Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st2a1X8CUSc
Question for you Don. What's with Hamilton and Peltz and Lawson being constant scratches and just not sent down to Elmira? Those boys just played back to back games with only 9 forwards.
TIMWRX -- you are very fortunate to see those B-Sens games live whenever you want. I think the rest of us are jealous.
It was mentioned in the Ottawa Sun the other day that Wacey Hamilton is out with head & neck issues related to whiplash.
We had better hope that there is an NHL season next year... as probably more prospects will be AHL eligible and no room in the lineup.
They say that the B-Sens are one of the youngest teams in the AHL. They have really come together well. Lehner & Bishop have both been playing well. Only 2 pts behind Syracuse for the division lead... Keep it going..
Even top level actors couldn't make this docudrama anything but sad and boring.
Only a month until the World Junior Tournament.
Farewell N(o) H(ockey) L(eague)
I too am looking forward to the WJC... one of the best times of the year. Should be a great tournament this year...
Looks like we're pretty balanced, and combined with Lehner/Bishop, should go far this year!
Sandy is correct about Hamilton. He has yet to play. Lawson is a bit more complicated. When Bishop signed, Lawson was tagged for Elmira, but rumor has it he refused. He eventually did go when Bishop got here, but was only gone for a game or two. I am assuming he was called back due to Bishop not being in game shape. Lawson had just played in Elmira before that six goal debacle against Syracuse, but he was in there because Bishop wasn't where he needed to be.
Not sure what the future holds... time will tell how long they will keep three. Could get interesting when guys like Da Costa and Hamilton return from injury. Hope that helps.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Bingo boys, they have a tonne of potential, but they have to keep getting used to the new system and ice. Zibby and Silf have been getting better with every game, Prince has been doing well too.
What are they? 22nd for GF and 3rd for GA? Sure some teams have won cups like this (thinking of Jersey & Kings), but i would really like to start seeing some of our offensive prostpects starting to shine.
What is completely mind boggling to me is that history is identically repeating itself, just as we lost the season in 04.
If you are a player, are you that ignorant to believe that the owners will cave in? Did they cave in 04? Did the players not vehemently stick together and NEVER accept the Salary Cap, or the roll back in salaries?
And for those of you allow yourselves to be fooled by the "next generation" crap that these guys spew out, wake up!
This was important back in the Alan Eagleson days when players almost needed two jobs to be able to play hockey.
today, the avearge player makes over 2 mil per year, while many teams are really losing real money.
The players have never been in a better situation from salaries revenue sharing and guarenteed contracts.
To the players... never mind the shit that comes from Fehr, he will be fired and then the new deal will be signed.
Take a walk back to 04, and see how the owners (the ones with the keys to the rink) got what they needed, the Cap and the salary roll back, and still all of the players benefited from the old CBA.
Say what you will about Hamrlik, but he is one person who has beeen through and seen all this BS before, and has lost plenty enought real dollars, to know exactly how this will end up, a season lost, and he players caving in next year.
Damn shame its the players that ultimatley pay with salaries lost.
Great goaltending, and now the offence seems to be coming around.
If there is no season this year, the Sens will have an abundance of extra players ready to play next year,
we will see plenty of moves once the new CBA is signed,
we keep talking about seeing the last of Alfie, which believe me pains me even to write, but the hard reality that a lons standing soldier in Chris Phillips may not be able to challenge once the likes of Wiercoch, Gyrba, Boro are ready for the next season.
Indeed - when I was a kid a zillion years ago - Boston Bruin Leo Boivin was our milkman in the summer.
Yes kids - milk was once delivered door to door.
Phillips won't be going anywhere unless he decides he's had enough, even with the addition of Methot we'll have a pretty young defensive group.
Gonchar will be gone if there is a lock out, Cowan will be coming back from another season long injury. Karlsson and Methot will be the top pairing, but below that who else is there? I doubt Lundin will be re-signed, he was nothing more than a 1 year stop gap anyway.
Phillips will be an overpaid 6th dman who will be asked to contribute more off the ice than on it.
I don't think we can afford to bring Gryba, Borowiecki and WireCock in all at the same time.
good points, but Wiercoch and Gyrba's time will be next year, they have both been in the system for quite some time, and will have deserved the shot, and we all know the love in the Murrays have for Boro, so this lockout will mean an abundance of players ready for he jump next year,
This will all mean if we have no NHL this season, the Sens will need to move quite a few players to make room for the crop coming up,
This whole thing about "principles" specific to the new cba is the worst brainwashing I've seen in a long time...
Principles are something you teach your kids when they are growing up not something you attempt to teach Billionaires.
As I've repeated many times, the players will always continue to make more money because ultimately, there is a limited talent pool and the best talent goes to the highest bidder.
Put your egos aside and realize that some battles aren't winnable. This is all so friggin painful!
I agree with miguel, Wiercioch and Gryba's time should be next year and Borowiecki could more than likely slide in, with Lundin and Gonchar not being signed. Having these 3 in our system next year isn't bad, we technically are still rebuilding and they'd slide in as 5th, 6th and 7th. We'd have Karlsson, Methot, Phillips and Cowen as our top 4. And who knows, if Gonchar can be had for cheap I could see Ottawa signing him back, but who knows. That would allow Bingo to keep some of there more experienced D.