B-Sens weekly

Published on February 9, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Binghamton Senators News Release


LAST WEEK: The Sens (24-20-4-2) have 54 points at the All-Star break, good for fourth place in the East Division. Coming off of a 2-1-0-0 showing last week, the club is seven points behind third place Hershey and five points up on fifth place Norfolk.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 4th @ TORONTO (3-4 L): The Roadrunners ended the Sens' four-game winning streak in the first ever meeting between the clubs. DAVID ROCHE netted the game-winner with 10:28 left in the game at Ricoh Coliseum. Star of the Game Chris Kelly scored twice for the first multi-goal effort of his AHL career and CHARLIE STEPHENS had a goal and two assists to extend his point streak to five games. Toronto outshot Binghamton 38-23. The Sens went 1x2 on the power play and held the Roadrunners scoreless in four man-up attempts. RAY EMERY (34 saves) took the loss in goal.

FRIDAY, FEB. 6th vs. HERSHEY (7-4 W): A four-goal blitz in the opening 10:50 of the game sparked the Sens to their first win in three tries against the Bears this season. BRAD TAPPER scored twice before being knocked out of the game in the second period with a concussion while BROOKS LAICH and 1st Star CHARLIE STEPHENS each recorded a goal and two assists. STEPHENS extended his career-best AHL point-scoring streak to six games (6+6). Leading 4-1, the Sens put the game out of reach with goals 61 seconds apart in the second period by STEPHENS and BRIAN McGRATTAN (GWG). RAY EMERY picked up his 16th win with 37 saves as Binghamton was outshot 41-34 for the third consecutive game. Binghamton's power play was 2x6 while the penalty kill was 1x2, breaking a run of 21 straight kills.

SATURDAY, FEB. 7th vs. PHILADELPHIA (6-5 W): After falling behind 2-1 in the second period, the Sens scored on four consecutive shots and 1st Star DAVID HYMOVITZ's final goal in his natural hat trick stood up as the game-winner as Binghamton built a 6-2 lead after 40 minutes. Philadelphia outshot Binghamton 21-5 in the final period (39-20 overall) and scored three times, but could not send the game into overtime. RAY EMERY matched a career-high with five goals against, but notched his 17th win of the season in stopping 34 shots. Binghamton went 1x3 on the power play and killed off all three Phantom man-up opportunities. The win was the sixth in a row at home, a new club record.

THIS WEEK: Binghamton faces another three-game week with a home-and-home set with Syracuse Wednesday and Friday before heading to Ottawa to host the Toronto Roadrunners on Sunday.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11th vs. SYRACUSE (7:05 p.m.) & FRIDAY, FEB. 13th @ SYRACUSE (7:30 p.m.): The Sens and Crunch meet for the fifth and sixth times this in the eight-game season series. The series is tied 2-2 following the most recent contest, a 5-3 win by the Crunch in Binghamton January 14th. The Sens are 7-4-1 all-time against the Crunch, including a 3-1-1 mark at the War Memorial at OnCenter. DENIS HAMEL (2+2) and CHRIS KELLY (2+2) lead all scorers in the series with four points each while five Crunch skaters have three points a piece against the Sens with DARREL SCOVILLE's three goals leading the charge.

SUNDAY, FEB. 15th vs. TORONTO @ Corel Centre - Ottawa (2:05 p.m.): The Sens and Roadrunners close out their brief two-game season series by playing in the home of the parent Ottawa Senators. Last season's game in Ottawa resulted in a 9-0 win for Binghamton over St. John's. This year, the Sens will look to even the slate against the Roadrunners who shaded Binghamton 4-3 February 4th at Ricoh Coliseum. CHRIS KELLY (2+1) and CHARLIE STEPHENS (1+2) lead Sens' series scorers with three points each while MICHAEL HENRICH (1+1) and DAN TESSIER (0+2) had two points each in the earlier meeting.

B-NOTES: DENIS HAMEL is in 9th place in league scoring with 46 points, t-4th with 21 goals, and t-3rd in shorthanded goals with three...BRIAN McGRATTAN is 2nd in PIMs with 202...BROOKS LAICH is 8th in rookie scoring with 28 points...RAY EMERY is t-3 with 17 wins in goal...The Sens recorded a pair of 4,717 crowds this weekend to extend its current sellout streak to four games...Saturday's sellout was the club's 13th of the year...Binghamton, along with Hershey, has just 11 home dates left after the All-Star break...Binghamton journeys north of the border to Corel Centre as it plays in the home of its NHL affiliate Sunday, February 15th, in a 2:05 p.m. faceoff against the Toronto Roadrunners...In Saturday's 6-5 win over Philadelphia, CHARLIE STEPHENS failed to pick up a point for the first time in seven games with the B-Sens...DAVID HYMOVITZ picked up his first career AHL hat trick (natural) in 323 games when he scored on three consecutive shots Saturday in a 4:18 span of the second period, the final goal the game-winner in the win over Philly...HYMOVITZ's hat trick was part of a record-tying five-goal period set January 9th against Albany...The Sens set a team record for the three fastest goals when ALEXANDRE GIROUX (1) and DAVID HYMOVITZ (2) scored in a :55 span of the second period Saturday and tied another mark in allowing 21 shots against in the third period against the Phantoms...Saturday, the Sens went without a shot in the second period until 10:12 when SERGE PAYER scored, opening the flood gates with the first of four consecutive shots to find the back of the net... Opposing relief goaltenders were the goalies of record in all three games against the Senators last week. Wednesday, MICHAEL MORRISON got the "W" after relieving starter STEVE VALIQUETTE to begin the third period with Toronto leading 3-2 in a 4-3 Roadrunner win...Binghamton knocked Hershey's TOM LAWSON out of the game 10:50 into the contest with a four-goal blitz before reliever PETER BUDAJ was tagged with the loss in a 7-4 Binghamton win...And Saturday, ANTERO NIITTYMAKI exited after allowing five goals in 36:00 of action. CHIRS HOULE stopped eight of nine shots, but the only goal he allowed was the difference in a 6-5 Sens victory over Philadelphia.

SENS IN THE COMMUNTIY: No player appearances are scheduled this week.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 9, 2004


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