BSens Suffer Epic Collapse Losing To Hershey Bears In OT
After a 5-1 lead late in the 2nd period, Binghamton gives up five unanswered goals losing 6-5 in overtime ending their win streak
This one hurts. And I mean like, really bad.
Sens goaltender Chris Driedger (8-6-1, 3.05 GAA, 0.905 SV%) probably would've wanted this one back as his glove was off all night. His team was up by four goals late in the second with a win in its grasp only to suffer a colossal meltdown losing to the Hershey Bears in overtime, ending their five game win streak. Everything was going so well until the wheels fell off the cart late in the second period, spoiling Buddy Robinson's three point (1g 2a) night. With the loss, the team falls to 11-17-3-0.
Sens forward Ryan Penny capitalizing on a Hershey turnover by the blue line and sped away with the puck on a shorthanded breakaway, shooting through Bears netminder Justin Peters' five hole for his first goal in a Binghamton jersey putting the Sens up 1-0. Hershey would even it up 1:33 later on a two on two rush as Garrett Mitchell skated around Patrick Mullen shooting in close but Nathan Walker was there to scoop in the rebound past a sprawling Driedger.
Binghamton would regain the lead on a beautiful set play with defenseman Mike Sdao skating into the offensive zone and sliding the puck to Cole Schneider on the wing, who snapped a pass over to an open Matt Puempel in the far circle. His one timer found the back of the cage past Peters for his 11th of the season. The Senators suffered a penalty with 6.3 seconds left in the first that gave the Bears a power play beginning the second.
Penalty was killed, after which five goals were combined between the two rivals in the middle frame. Ryan Penny jumped out of the box leading a three on one rush with Schneider and Travis Ewanyk and passed to Cole with him shooting and Ewanyk potting the rebound by Peters. 38 seconds later Robinson skated across the crease with three Bears looking on, drawing Peters to the ice, allowing him to simply put the puck over the goalie for a 4-1 Sens lead. After giving up four goals on 12 shots Peters was pulled in favor of back up Dan Ellis.
Ryan Dzingel upped the lead to four with a backhander that squeezed by the post that was ruled a good goal after a brief review. But Hershey cashed in on two with 3:19 left in the second period with Walker and Travis Boyd the goal scorers shooting from identical spots. Both beat Driedger high glove side putting the Senators lead at 5-3 heading into the third.
Things would continue to unravel after some fine hockey for the better part of two periods as Hershey's forward Sean Collins got a piece of the puck from a wrister by rookie defenseman Madison Bowey at the point beating Driedger through traffic. Under the Bears' pressure, the Sens were back on their heels as Driedger misread a shot from up close by Mitchell who froze the netminder. That tied the game at 5-5 with a 1:12 left, eventually sending it to overtime.
Veteran Chris Bourque had the OT winner, as he skated up to a loose puck lofted up ice from the Hershey zone and on a breakaway his shot sails by Driedger down low. That wrapped up the comeback and one of the most disheartening losses I've seen in a while from a Senators club.
TONIGHT'S LINE-UP
Dzingel-O'Dell-Robinson
Puempel-Paul-Schneider
Penny-Flanagan-Greening
Hobbs-Ewanyk-Stortini
Lepine-Kostka
Fraser-Carlisle
Sdao-Mullen
WHO'S OUT
Ben Harpur, Nick Tuzzolino and Tobias Lindberg, injured. Troy Rutkowski, healthy.
Scott Greenham back up
POST GAME NOTES
- Everything was going the team's way for two thirds of the contest. They put the Bears in a corner and somehow found a way to let them back in it. Again Driedger wasn't sharp, but Hershey's two late goals in the second set up failure in the third that trickled in overtime. Maybe like my theme of them being confident after Thursday night's win perhaps they were over-confident with a four goal lead?
- Defense was there for the most part with Michael Kostka and Guy Lepine playing well as they helped clog up the shooting lanes with decent man-to-man coverage. Sens also playing disciplined hockey and not taking dumb penalties while the offense is in sync.
- Three of the goals Driedger should have stopped, but that was a laser ripped by Walker for his second goal of the night that hurt the most leading the way for Hershey's ultimate comeback.
- Lindberg listed day-to-day after suffering an injury (upper body) late in Thursday's game. Team is now 1-9 without him in the line-up.
- One of my readers (OD99) suggested adding a box score. Luckily the AHL website offers a condensed version that suits this blog. This is my third season in covering the BSens and first for S7S (the first two for SenShot) and it completes the re-cap and ties it all together. Wish I thought of this earlier, good call OD99. If anyone has anything else to suggest good, bad or indifferent please let me know!
BOX SCORE
UPCOMING GAMES
Sens look to re-group with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Tuesday in their barn, then a three-in-three weekend beginning next Friday at home vs. Utica.