Springfield Blanks Binghamton 4-0
Senators are shutout on home ice by the Thunderbirds
The last time the Binghamton Senators won a game on home ice was a 3-0 shutout over the Hershey Bears back on the season opener in mid-October. Since then, they haven’t repeated the feat as they lost their last five in a row including Saturday’s 4-0 drubbing, courtesy of the Springfield Thunderbirds that concluded Veterans Day Weekend with Binghamton losing back-to-back home games.
The Senators, losers of six in the last seven, sunk further to the bottom of the North Division with seven points in 11 contests.
The night didn’t start out so well as the T-Birds scored a pair on their first four shots as Binghamton netminder Matt O’Connor was the victim of two unlucky bounces. First, Springfield forward Tim Bozon’s wraparound attempt was successful as the puck was sent into the crease and off of defenseman Chris Carlisle’s skate. Kyle Flanagan tried to keep Bozon in check as he circled around the net that left O’Connor exposed as he couldn’t react in time with the deflection.
Three minutes after, another unfortunate break with a pass off a skate as Paul Thompson’s goal-mouth feed caught defenseman Andreas Englund in front for a power play goal and just like that, it was 2-0.
Springfield then increased their lead by three as Ryan Horvat skated behind the net and passed over to an open defenseman Mackenzie Weegar near the goal line, as his one-timer ended up beating O’Connor cleanly for his third of the season. That one would be on O’C but having that much space allowed would doom the Senators as they were caught out of position with Weegar down deep in the offensive zone.
Horvat would add an empty net goal with O’Connor pulled 17:25 into the third. Senators out-shoot their opposition once again, this time 31-24. A problem in the past, but that’s something you can take away as a positive that’s been pretty consistent so far in this young season.
POST GAME NOTES
- O’Connor just with the worst puck-luck as the first two wasn’t his fault and of course the empty netter. That third goal was a bang-bang set play with their d-man down low ready in position that surprised him with the quickness of the shot.
- A pair of forwards in Mike Blunden and Horvat got tangled up as they dropped the mitts with less than three minutes left in the first period as Blunden took the brunt of a few punches that sent him to the ice early, only to pop right back up. Blunden would recover as he landed a few of his own, but was on the receiving end of a final blow to the face that ended it.
- Team lacks spark, cohesiveness on the ice. They might be a great group of players in the locker room, but things just aren’t clicking like they should be on the ice. Can’t put a finger on it, especially the lack of goal scoring with a league low of only 19 so far.
- Defense is thin, but Englund has quietly emerged to be a steady, stay at home type. He’s been a decent addition so far.
- I don’t understand the lines and neither do others, but hey, I’m just one of many passionate fans that are frustrated. Losing sucks, and we have had more than our share over the years. But hey, it’s too early to panic.
- McCormick-Varone-Lazar, Bailey-Rupert-Blunden, Rodewald-Flanagan-Robinson, Perron-Paul-Sortini. Sieloff/Kostka, Englund/Rumble, Lepine/Carlisle. /
HIGHLIGHTS
UPCOMING GAMES
The BSens are right back at it as they take on the St. John’s IceCaps on a rare Tuesday night meeting in Binghamton.