B-Sens rally for 4-3 win
Published on March 7, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Binghamton Senators News Release
The Binghamton Senators took their second consecutive contest on the road Sunday, posting a 4-3 victory over the division-leading Bridgeport Sound Tigers in front of 5,914 fans at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
The back-to-back road wins come on the heels of a record seven-game losing streak and a ten-game (0-8-2) winless skid away from home.
1st Star Brad Tapper netted two goals, including the game-winner at 11:06 of the third period, and Denis Hamel picked up a career-high three assists to spark the Sens' 28th victory of the season.
The win came after the Sens had dug themselves a 2-0 hole after one period against the best defensive team in the league that had surrendered just 1.79 goals per game coming into Sunday's game.
The Sound Tigers struck first just fifty-two seconds into the contest when Justin Mapletoft redirected a Derek Bekar centering feed past Billy Thompson (24 saves) for a 1-0 lead.
Eric Manlow was credited with giving Bridgeport a 2-0 lead at 7:26 of the opening period as an Alain Nasreddine point shot caught the shaft of Manlow's stick and snuck inside the left post for the Sound Tigers' largest lead of the night.
Binghamton's comeback began with Jan Platil in the penalty box on a roughing call at 6:59 of the middle period.
The shorthanded Sens got on the board as David Hymovitz blasted a right wing drive off of a Bridgeport defender and past goaltender Dieter Kochan at 8:49. Jody Hull and Andy Hedlund drew the assists on Hymovitz's 8th of the season and his second shorthanded tally this year.
Ninety-five seconds later, Julien Vauclair sent a wrist shot from the left circle over the glove hand of Kochan, tying the game at 2-2 at 10:24.
Binghamton then took its first lead of the night while working the power play, netting its third goal in a 4:10 span, to go on top 3-2.
Tapper took a Denis Hamel feed from the right wing boards and moved to the top of the right circle before sneaking a blast under the cross bar for his 7th of the season at 12:59.
The lead was short lived as the Sound Tigers fashioned a two-on-one break just thirty-four seconds later and tied the game on a rebound goal.
Mapletoft broke through center ice and cut into the Sens' zone on the left wing and sent a shot off of the left pad of Thompson.
The rebound landed on Ryan Kraft's stick, who then slipped the shot between the pads of Thompson to tie the game at 3-3 at 13:33.
Entering the third period tied, the Sens struck for the deciding goal at 11:06 off of an odd man rush to secure just their second regular season win all-time in Bridgeport.
Serge Payer (2 assists) lead the break into the Sound Tiger zone before dumping a pass on the left wing to Hamel.
With a Sound Tiger defender closing on him, Hamel whipped a pass off the boards to Tapper breaking hard to the net.
Tapper sent the feed into a half open cage for his 8th of the season, finishing off his second straight two-point game.
Binghamton wasn't out of the woods until the final horn as the Sens had to kill off a Bridgeport power play 4:46 left in regulation when Hedlund was ticketed for holding after taking down Cail MaLean behind his own net.
With the Sound Tigers pressing for the tying goal, the Sens' goal post held the home team at bay as Jeff Hamilton and Brandon Smith ripped shots off of the iron about twenty seconds apart with several Thompson saves mixed in for good measure.
Kochan was pulled for the extra skater with just under a minute remaining in the game, but Bridgeport could only muster one shot in the dying moments as Binghamton captured its tenth road win of the year.
With two assists and 1st Star honors in Friday's 3-1 win at Rochester, Tapper has four points and two 1st Star selections in his last two outings.
Hamel's three-point night extended his point streak to three games (3+3=6) as he remained in the top ten in the AHL scoring race.
Binghamton outshot Bridgeport 30-27 and finished 1x6 on the power play while keeping the Sound Tigers off the board in six man-up chances.
The win leaves Binghamton in sixth place, still two points behind Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, a 2-1 winner in Norfolk on Sunday.
Next up for the Senators is a battle with the Rochester Americans, 7:05 p.m. Wednesday night, at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
Binghamton will then attack a three-game weekend on the road with visits to Rochester Friday, Wilkes-Barre Saturday, and then Albany on Sunday.
American Hockey League Stories from March 7, 2004
- B-Sens rally for 4-3 win - Binghamton Senators
- Phantoms rally for 5-3 win over Albany - Adirondack Phantoms
- Falcons lose in Worcester, 4-2 - Springfield Falcons
- Power surge boosts IceCats to win - Worcester IceCats
- Ducks down Barons 4-1 to end winless streak - Cincinnati RailRaiders
- Sound Tigers Lose 4-3 At Home To Binghamton - Bridgeport Islanders
- P-Bruins' winning streak comes to an end - Providence Bruins
- Grizzlies Work Overtime in San Antonio but Fall 3-2 - Utah Grizzlies
- Bears rally but fall to Lock Monsters, 5-4, in Lowell - Hershey Bears
- Gameday: Rampage vs. Grizzlies - San Antonio Rampage
- Falcons sign RW Littlejohn to PTO - Springfield Falcons
- Cincinnati Mighty Ducks Preview - Cincinnati RailRaiders
- Bulldogs now unbeaten in four - Hamilton Bulldogs
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