Sports stats



B-Sens weekly

March 14, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Binghamton Senators News Release


LAST WEEK: Binghamton hit the road last week and won three of four games to remain in first place in the tight East Divison with 81 points. Philadelphia is just behind with 80 points while Norfolk (78) and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (76) remain in the race for the East Division regular season championship.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9TH @ ROCHESTER (4-3 OTW): The Senators rallied from a 3-1 deficit and tied the game when PAT KAVANAGH and JOSH LANGFELD scored only 21 seconds apart in the second period. Neither team could score in the third period sending the game into overtime where the Sens won when CHRISTOPH SCHUBERT scored his fifth game-winning goal of the season. The win snapped Rochester's 17-game home winning streak leaving them only two wins shy of the American Hockey League record of 19 straight home wins set by Philadelphia during the 1996-1997 season. RAY EMERY stopped 30 of 33 shots in the win while RYAN MILLER blocked 31 of Binghamton's 35 attempts. The Senators were 1 for 3 on the power play with DENIS HAMEL scoring the lone goal – his 15th power-play goal of the season. Rochester was 0 for 5 on the power play.

FRIDAY, MARCH 11TH @ ROCHESTER (3-4 L): The Senators streak of five consecutive road victories was snapped by the Americans on Friday evening. For the second time in three games defenseman BRIAN POTHIER and ANTON VOLCHENKOV scored the first two goals of a game as Binghamton built a 2-0 lead. But wingers JASON POMINVILLE and MICHAEL RYAN tied the game with power-play goals before the end of the period. JOSH LANGFELD game the Sens another brief lead at 9:36 of the second period before defenseman JEFF JILLSON tied the game again a little more than seven minutes later. Left wing MILAN BARTOVIC scored early in the third period to win the game. RAY EMERY blocked 30 of 34 shots while RYAN MILLER made 27 saves on 30 shots in the win. Binghamton was 1 for 7 on the power play and Rochester scored on 3 of 9 chances.

SATURDAY, MARCH 12TH @ ALBANY (5-3 W): ANTOINE VERMETTE tallied his second career AHL hat trick in the Senators final game of the season against the River Rats. Vermette scored a goal on the power play, short handed and at even strength. His third goal put the Sens ahead 4-0 in the second period. Albany would fight back though and scored three consecutive goals in the third period to pull within one goal of tying the game. But CHRIS KELLY ensured a win for Binghamton with an empty net goal and the Senators finished the season 6-2-1-1 against the River Rats. BILLY THOMPSON won his fifth consecutive game by making a season-high 39 saves on 42 shots. Binghamton scored on 1 of 4 power-play chances while the River Rats went 0 for 6.

SUNDAY, MARCH 13TH @ WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON (6-2 W): The Senators wrapped up a week on the road with a 6-2 win against the Penguins on Sunday afternoon. Forward ERIK CHRISTENSEN got the Penguins on the board first with his 12th goal of the season. But Binghamton would score the next five goals en route to their fifth win in six tries against the Penguins. ANTOINE VERMETTE had three points (1g, 2a) for the second straight game and JOSH LANGFELD scored a pair of goals. PAT KAVANAGH, CHARLIE STEPHENS and CHRIS KELLY also scored for Binghamton. KAVANAGH got the game winner while KELLY scored his 20th goal this season. RAY EMERY stopped 24 of 26 shots in the win while DANY SABOURIN stopped 10 of 13 shots before being relieved early in the second period by MARC-ANDRE FLEURY. The Sens were 0 for 4 with the man advantage while the Penguins were 1 for 3.

THIS WEEK: The Senators will host three East Division opponents this week beginning with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Wednesday. Hershey will be in town on Friday before the Sens take on Philadelphia in the Hall of Fame Game on Saturday.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16TH vs. BRIDGEPORT (7:05 p.m.): The Senators and Sound Tigers will play one another for the first time in nearly a month on Wednesday. In the last meeting between the teams former B.C. Icemen goalie DIETER KOCHAN stopped all 45 Binghamton shots in a 4-0 Sound Tiger victory. CHRIS KELLY (4g, 1a) and ANTOINE VERMETTE (2g, 3a) are the leading scorers in the series with five points in five games. Forwards ROB COLLINS (3g, 1a) KEVIN COLLEY (2g, 2a) are the leading scorers for Bridgeport. Bridgeport has scored seven of their 11 regulation goals in the second period including all four in the last meeting.

FRIDAY, MARCH 18TH vs. HERSHEY (7:05 p.m.): St. Patrick's Day pot of gold giveaway. One lucky fan whose ticket stub will be randomly selected during the 1st intermission will win a 40 pound pot of chocolate gold coins: The Senators will host Hershey twice in their last eight home games. Hershey will also be at the Arena for the Senators regular season home finale on April 16. The Sens are 2-1-1-0 in four games against Hershey this season. JASON SPEZZA (3g, 4a) and Hershey's ERIC PERRIN (3g, 4a) lead all players in the series with seven points in four games. BILLY THOMPSON and RAY EMERY have split the goaltending duties against the Bears this season with each winning once and losing once in two starts. PETER BUDAJ has a 2-2-0 record in four starts and a 3.25 goals-against average. Hershey begins the week seven points out of the final playoff spot in the East Division.

SATURDAY, MARCH 19TH vs. PHILADELPHIA (7:05 p.m.): Hall of Fame Game. There will be a pre-game dinner at the Arena Club beginning with cocktails and a meet and greet at 5 p.m. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. The cost to attend the dinner is $25 and tickets can be purchased at the Senators executive office until the end of the second intermission of the Senators game on Wednesday against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. There will be a pre-game on ice ceremony and banner unveiling prior to the 7:05 p.m. face off. This year's inductees are DON BIGGS, DALLAS GAUME and BRAD JONES: Binghamton begins the week one point ahead of the Phantoms in the East Division. The Sens are 2-1-0-1 in four contests against Philadelphia this season. Phantoms center PATRICK SHARP has four points (4g, 0a) in four games to lead all players in scoring. DENIS HAMEL (3g, 0a), BRANDON BOCHENSKI (2g, 1a), JASON SPEZZA (0g, 3a) and BRIAN POTHIER (0g, 3a) each have three points in the series. Goalie RAY EMERY has a 1-1-1 record and a 1.95 goals-against average in three starts against the Phantoms. ANTERO NIITTYMAKI has a 1-0-1 record with a 1.39 goals-against average.

SENS SNIPPETS: With a victory at Albany on Saturday the Senators surpassed their win total from a season ago (34). The 6-2 win on Sunday gave the Sens 81 points this season also surpassing their total from last season (80). Binghamton must win seven of their 15 remaining games and earn 16 points to tie the franchise record for wins (43) and points (97) set during the 2002-2003 campaign...BRIAN McGRATTAN continues on pace to break former teammate DENNIS BONVIE'S AHL record for penalty minutes in a season . BONVIE had 522 penalty minutes for the Hamilton Bulldogs during the 1996-97 season. McGRATTAN currently has 448 penalty minutes in 56 games – an average of eight per game. Should McGRATTAN play in all of the remaining 15 games he is on pace for 568 penalty minutes...JASON SPEZZA had 15 assists in the last nine games and now holds a two-point advantage in the AHL scoring race. MICHAEL CAMMALLERI has 89 points (40g, 49a) in 63 games while SPEZZA has 91 points (25g, 66a) in 65 games. SPEZZA already has three more points than last season's leading scorer, PAVEL ROSA of Manchester. He is on pace to become the first player to score 100 points in a season since DEREK ARMSTRONG of Rochester did it in 2000-2001...The Senators have earned at least a point in nine of their last 10 games (8-1-1)...BILLY THOMPSON has now won five consecutive games in net for the Senators. He has a 1.60 goals-against average in those games. THOMPSON set a franchise record with an AHL career best seven-game winning streak between Dec. 19, 2004 and Jan. 23, 2005.

SENS IN THE COMMUNITY: Defenseman ANDY HEDLUND will read "Z for Zamboni" to a second grade class at Chenango Forks Elementary School on Tuesday at 1:15 p.m.

MEDIA LUNCHEON: The Senators will host a media luncheon on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in the Left Bank Room at the Holiday Inn Arena in downtown Binghamton. Coaches, players and front office staff will be at the luncheon and the Senators' 2005 Hall of Fame jerseys will be unveiled by Kris House, the Senators director of game day operations.

PRACTICE & GAME SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 14TH (SUBJECT TO CHANGE):

Monday, March 14 Off Day

Tuesday, March 15 10 a.m. Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena

Wednesday, March 16 10 a.m. (Pre-game skate) Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena

7:05 p.m. Bridgeport @ Binghamton

Thursday, March 17 10 a.m. Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena

Friday, March 18 10 a.m. (Pre-game skate) Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena

7:05 p.m. Hershey @ Binghamton

Saturday, March 19 10 a.m. (Pre-game skate) Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena

7:05 p.m. Philadelphia @ Binghamton

Sunday, March 20 Off Day

SENS LEADERS: POINTS: JASON SPEZZA – 91 GOALS: DENIS HAMEL – 31

ASSISTS: JASON SPEZZA – 66 PPG: DENIS HAMEL – 15

GWG: BRANDON BOCHEKSI – 6

SHG: JASON SPEZZA, CHRIS KELLY, JOSH LANGFELD & ANTOINE VERMETTE - 3

PIM: BRIAN McGRATTAN – 448

WINS: RAY EMERY – 19 GAA: BILLY THOMPSON – 2.41

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.

• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...

American Hockey League Stories from March 14, 2005


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Binghamton Senators Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central