Bearing the storm: Bruins further Sens' woes, win 6-4

Published on February 26, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Binghamton Senators News Release


BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - The night after a brutal snow storm that nearly shut down the entire city, the struggling Senators took to the ice against the Providence Bruins in front of a faithful home crowd of 3,049. But the B-Sens' effort to break the four-game losing streak fell short, as the Bruins' offense dominated late, defeating the B-Sens 6-4.

The Senators went on the power play just one minute into the game, as Providence winger Brad Marchand's stick drew blood from a Binghamton player, earning him a four minute double-minor. Two minutes into the man advantage, Martin St. Pierre fed a pass up the right boards to Josh Hennessy. Hennessy fired a wrister from the right circle that was turned aside by Bruins' goaltender Dany Sabourin, but Ryan Keller was there to bang home the rebound and give the B-Sens the 1-0 lead.

With just under a minute to go in the period, St. Pierre sent the puck safely out of the Binghamton zone and down the ice which initiated a footrace between Josh Hennessy and Bruins' winger Mikko Lehtonen. Hennessy beat Lehtonen to the puck, cradled it, and put on the brakes as Lehtonen skated past him. All alone, Hennessy skated just below the slot and chipped the puck over the left should of Sabourin to give the Senators a two-goal lead heading into the locker room.

The second period was dominated by the Bruins' offense, tallying three goals off thirteen shots. Lehtonen made up for his defensive mistake that led to Hennessy's goal with one of his own. Lehtonen received a lead pass from defenseman Jeff Penner up the right boards from his own zone. Lehtonen busted behind Sens' defender Geoff Kinrade, deked in front of goaltender Mike Brodeur, and slid the puck over the goal line, giving the Bruins their first goal of the game.

Less than a minute later, the Bruins tied it up. Winger John Lammers battled with B-Sens defenseman Drew Bannister in front of net minder Brodeur as the puck came to the point. Bannister took down Lammers as Bruins defenseman Jared Ross fired a slap shot towards the net. As Lammers was falling to the ice, he swung his stick at the rebound and connected, earning his first of three goals on the night.

Lammers' second goal came five minutes after his first, this time off a faceoff in the B-Sens zone. Center Zach Hamill drew the puck to the Lammers on the right boards, who then launched a wrister off balance through traffic that found the mesh, putting the Bruins up 3-2.

But the Senators would tie the game at the hands of recently acquired Jonathan Cheechoo. Pressing into the Providence zone, Hennessy brought the puck over the blue line along the left hand boards and fed a centering pass to Cheechoo. Cheechoo fooled the defenseman with a toe-drag and quickly fired a low snap shot under the pads of Sabourin to notch his third point in as many games with the B-Sens.

Both teams went on the power play within the first five minutes of the third period, yet failed to cash in on the man-advantage. But at 7:41, Lammers completed the hat trick and retained the lead for Providence. Hamill received the puck at the point and blasted a shot that didn't reach the net, as it hit Lammers in the slot. Brodeur had lost sight of the puck, as he continued to look for it behind the net. When he found it, it was in the net, as Lammers had spun around and fired a laser past the confused net minder.

The Bruins added to their lead, taking advantage of the Senators' poor defensive effort. Winger Jordan Knackstedt skated behind the B-Sens' net with the puck and slid a pass to Bruins captain Trent Whitfield sneaking into the slot. Whitfield rifled a shot top shelf over Brodeur's right shoulder to give the Bruins a two-goal lead.

With six and a half minutes remaining in regulation, the Senators converted on the power play. Kinrade kept the puck in the Providence zone along the left boards, skated along the boards behind the Bruins' net, and snuck a wrap around past Sabourin to put Binghamton within one.

But their comeback would fall short. With Brodeur pulled for an extra attacker within the last minute of the game, the Bruins kept the puck deep in the Senators zone. Marchand wristed a point-blank shot at the net that was nearly kept out by the stick of returning Sens captain Denis Hamel. But the puck deflected off his stick and into the netting, sealing the Sens' fifth loss in a row.

The B-Sens look to break the losing streak as they return to action tomorrow night at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, hosting the Norfolk Admirals. Tickets are $17.75 for side seating, $16.75 for end seating. Fans can purchase tickets at www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or in person at the Binghamton Senators' executive office or the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena box office.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 26, 2010


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