Senators and Penguins battle to 2-2 draw

Published on February 16, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Binghamton Senators News Release


Steve Bancroft's power play goal 4:15 of the second period tied the game as the Binghamton Senators and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins battle to a 2-2 overtime tie before 8,263 fans at Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza Monday.

The Penguins opened the scoring just ninety seconds into the contest as Guillaume Lefebvre put a rebound past Ray Emery for a 1-0 lead.

Wilkes-Barre threatened to make it worse early on as Andy Hedlund was sent off for tripping forty seconds after the Lefebvre marker.

But Alexandre Giroux made a masterful, shorthanded rush down the right wing, turning the defender around and working to the deep slot before sending his 16th goal of the season past Andy Chiodo (22 saves) to tie the game at 1-1 at the 2:31 mark.

Brooks Laich set up Giroux's rush for the club's 10th shorthanded goal of the season and the first to be scored on the road.

Michel Oullet made the Sens pay on a tripping call to Brooks Laich late in the first period to take their final lead of the night.

Matt Murley initiated the charge into the Binghamton zone before pulling up at the top of the right circle.

Murley fed defenseman Pauli Levokari (two assists) on the left wing. Levokari carried down deep before wiring a pass towards the far post.

Ouellet was there to jam it past Emery with 52 seconds left in the period to put the Penguins on top 2-1 after 20 minutes.

Marquis Mathieu took down Giroux along the boards in the Wilkes-Barre zone 52 seconds into the middle period with Binghamton already working the power play courtesy of a Shane Endicott penalty.

Mathieu's spear on Giroux ignited a bout between the Sens' Mike Brown and Wilkes-Barre's David Koci that got both combatants tossed from the game with game misconduct penalties. Mathieu was tagged with a double minor for spearing to give the Sens' a two-man advantage for 1:26.

Binghamton squandered the two-man edge, but capitalized on the second spearing minor charged to Mathieu with just over thirty seconds left on the penalty.

With the Sens pressuring, Charlie Stephens sent a cross-ice feed to Bancroft, who had moved into the right circle.

Bancroft ripped his fourth goal of the season over the glove hand of Chiodo to tie the game 4:15 into the second period on which turned out be the final tally of the night.

Emery sparkled in the third period and overtime as the Penguins held a 16-9 shots advantage over the final 25 minutes. Emery was at his best with around seven minutes left and the Penguins pressuring for the go-ahead marker, but held Wilkes-Barre at bay with several saves coming on screen shots.

The Sens picked up a power play chance on overtime thanks to a Lefebvre cross penalty, but came up empty in search of the club's third sudden death win of the season.

Wilkes-Barre outshot Binghamton 34-24 on the night while the penalty minutes were 50-42 favoring the Pens.

The Sens went 1x7 on the power play while holding the Penguins off the board on eight of nine chances.

Binghamton is next in action Wednesday night when they travel to Syracuse to battle the Crunch in a 7 p.m. faceoff.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Hockey League Stories from February 16, 2004


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.

OurSports Central