B-Sens weekly

January 31, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Binghamton Senators News Release


LAST WEEK: It was a record-snapping week for the Senators who saw a franchise-record nine-game winning streak snapped on Friday in Rochester. On Saturday the Albany River Rats snapped a 10-game home winning streak for the B-Sens. But Binghamton picked up three points with a win on Wednesday against Providence and a shootout loss to the Syracuse Crunch on Sunday. The Senators are now two points ahead of Philadelphia for the East Division lead.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 26TH vs. PROVIDENCE (5-4 W): The Senators overcame a third period deficit to win their ninth straight game overall and their 10th straight on home ice. Binghamton trailed 4-3 when BRANDON BOCHENSKI scored a power-play goal less than a minute into the third period. The game would remained tied until JOSH LANGFELD ripped a short-handed blast by goalie CODY RUDKOWSKY with less than five minutes remaining in the game. The goal was LANGFELD'S second of the contest and his third short-handed tally of the season. RAY EMERY won his fifth consecutive start by blocking 34 of 38 Bruins shots. Binghamton's power play converted on 2 of 3 chances while killing 4 of 5 Providence power plays.

FRIDAY, JAN. 28TH @ ROCHESTER (0-4 L): Binghamton's high-powered offense bogged down and the B-Sens were held off the scoreboard for the first time since being shutout on Dec. 18, 2004 by the St. John's Maple Leafs. The 4-0 loss at Blue Cross Arena was the first loss for the Senators since New Year's Day in Worcester. The Amerks got first-period goals from DANIEL PAILLE and JEFF JILLSON and RYAN MILLER stopped 27 Senators shots to earn his league-leading sixth shutout of the season. Neither team scored on the power play with Binghamton failing to convert on four chances and Rochester going 0 for 2. The two teams were whistled for a combined 104 penalty minutes in the game's last 20 seconds. The 89 penalty minutes assessed to Binghamton in the game were a season high.

SATURDAY, JAN. 29TH vs. ALBANY (0-4 L): The Senators were shutout in back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 8 and Jan. 10, 2003 as Albany goalie ARI AHONEN stymied the Senators offense. The River Rats got first period goals from TEMMU KESA and ALEKSANDRE SUBLOBOV and AHONEN made 34 saves in the game to pick up his first shutout of the season. BILLY THOMPSON had a franchise-record seven-game winning streak snapped in the loss and the Senators also had their 10-game home winning streak go by the wayside. The 10-game home winning streak tied Manchester for the second longest home winning streak the season. Binghamton's power-play was shutout in back-to-back games for the first time since St. John's and Philadelphia shut the B-Sens power-play down on Dec. 18 and 19 respectively.

SUNDAY, JAN. 30TH vs. SYRACUSE (2-3 SOL): Binghamton lost Sunday for the first time in six games against Syracuse this season. The Senators finally snapped a franchise-record scoreless streak at 12:54 of the second period when ANTOINE VERMETTE scored his 14th goal of the season. The scoreless streak reached 157 minutes and 21 seconds before the VERMETTE tally. BOCHENSKI took a JASON SPEZZA pass and beat goalie ANDREW PENNER with only three seconds remaining in the second period. But former Binghamton Ranger CHRIS FERRARO beat RAY EMERY with a short-handed blast that snuck through EMERY'S pads at 13:06 of the third period. The game went to a shootout and the B-Sens scored on two of their first three chances with JASON SPEZZA and ANTOINE VERMETTE beating PENNER. But Syracuse closed the shootout with three straight goals to earn the 3-2 victory.

THIS WEEK: The Senators leave for Norfolk on Monday afternoon for games on Wednesday and Friday against the Admrials. The week ends on Saturday in Hershey. The Wednesday game is the first of five straight away from Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena for the Senators who next play at home on Feb. 17 against Bridgeport.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2 @ NORFOLK (7:30 p.m.): The Admirals and Senators face off on Wednesday for the first of two weekday games with important playoff implications. Norfolk begins the week in third place in the East Division with 57 points. The teams have met twice already this season with each team winning once at the Arena. JASON SPEZZA has five points (2g, 3a) in two games including a four point (2g, 2a) performance on Oct. 29. Forward MIKHAIL YAKUBOV and defenseman MARTY WILFORD each have one goal and two assists to lead Norfolk in scoring against the Senators. RAY EMERY has started both games against Norfolk and has a 1-1-0 record with a 3.54 goals-against average.

FRIDAY, FEB. 4 @ NORFOLK (7:30 p.m.): The Senators play their last game in Norfolk before another two-game series on March 26 and 27.

SUNDAY, FEB. 5 @ HERSHEY (7 p.m.): Binghamton visits Hershey for the final time this season. The Senators split the previous two contests losing 7-3 on Dec. 29 and winning 5-3 on Jan. 23 after driving 10 hours overnight through a snowstorm from Ottawa, Ontario. SPEZZA has five points (2g, 3a) in three games including a four-point (2g, 2a) performance on Jan. 23. Center ANDRE SAVAGE leads the Bears with five points (1g, 4a) in thee games.

SENS SNIPPETS: Binghamton will play at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena only once during February – a Feb. 17 contest against Bridgeport...DENIS HAMEL'S next game will be the 400th of his AHL career...JASON SPEZZA became the first Senator to record 70 points in a season with his assist on ANTOINE VERMETTE'S goal on Sunday. He currently leads the league in points with 71...The Senators 157:21 scoreless streak breaks the franchise record set between 16:52 of the third period at Syracuse on Jan. 4, 2003 and 3:23 of the first period against Springfield on Jan. 11, 2003 – a stretch of 131:31...the Senators current five-game road trip is the longest stretch of consecutive away games remaining on the schedule this season...The Syracuse game was the last Sunday home game on the schedule this season.

SENS IN THE COMMUNITY: No community appearances scheduled this week.

PRACTICE & GAME SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 31st (SUBJECT TO CHANGE):

Monday, Jan. 31 Travel Day

Tuesday, Feb. 1 1 p.m. Norfolk Scope

Wednesday, Feb. 2 11:15 a.m. (Pre-game skate) Norfolk Scope

7:30 p.m. Binghamton @ Norfolk

Thursday, Feb. 3 1 p.m. (tentative) Norfolk Scope

Friday, Feb. 4 11:15 a.m. (Pre-game skate) Norfolk Scope

7:30 p.m. Binghamton @ Norfolk

Saturday, Feb. 5 7 p.m. Giant Center

Binghamton @ Hershey

Sunday, Feb. 6 Off Day

B-SENS ON THE AIR: All Binghamton Senators games are broadcast live on 680-WINR, a Clear Channel station. Fans can also access the broadcasts online at www.binghamtonsenators.com. Tune in 30 minutes prior to faceoff for Countdown to Faceoff with the voice of the Binghamton Senators, Grady Whittenburg.

GET YOUR TICKETS: Tickets remain on sale for each of the B-Sens remaining regular season home games. Tickets are $15 for the sides and $14 for the ends. Fans can purchase tickets at the following locations: Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena box office (Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.), Binghamton Senators executive office, third floor of the arena (Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and on game days until the end of the second period.), www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (607) 722-SENS.



American Hockey League Stories from January 31, 2005


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